JUSTIN KAENDE jr R159046T

Water Assignment Question 2

ALTERNATIVES TO THE METHOD CHOSEN

1. Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis is a water purification process that uses a partially permeable membrane to
remove ions, unwanted molecules and larger particles from drinking water. In reverse osmosis,
an applied pressure is used to overcome osmotic pressure, a colligative property, that is driven
by chemical potential differences of the solvent, a thermodynamic parameter. Reverse osmosis
can remove many types of dissolved and suspended chemical species as well as biological ones
(principally bacteria) from water, and is used in both industrial processes and the production
of potable water. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the
membrane and the pure solvent is allowed to pass to the other side. To be "selective", this
membrane should not allow large molecules or ions through the pores (holes), but should allow
smaller components of the solution (such as solvent molecules, i.e., water, H2O) to pass freely.

Reverse osmosis differs from filtration in that the mechanism of fluid flow is by osmosis across
a membrane. The predominant removal mechanism in membrane filtration is straining, or size
exclusion, where the pores are 0.01 micrometers or larger, so the process can theoretically
achieve perfect efficiency regardless of parameters such as the solution's pressure and
concentration. Reverse osmosis instead involves solvent diffusion across a membrane that is
either nonporous or uses nanofiltration with pores 0.001 micrometers in size. The predominant
removal mechanism is from differences in solubility or diffusivity, and the process is dependent
on pressure, solute concentration, and other conditions.Reverse osmosis is most commonly
known for its use in drinking water purification from seawater, removing the salt and
other effluent materials from the water molecules
 Fig 1.1

2.Electrodeionization
Electrodeionization is a water treatment technology that utilizes electricity, ion exchange
membranes and resin to deionize water and separate dissolved ions (impurities) from water. It
differs from other water purification technologies in that it is done without the use of chemical
treatments and is usually a polishing treatment to reverse osmosis (RO). There are also EDI
units that are often referred to as continuous electrodeionization (CEDI) since the electric
current regenerates the resin mass continuously. CEDI technique can achieve very high purity,
with conductivity below 0.1 μS/cm.
Recently, Argonne National Laboratory developed a process called Resin-Wafer
Electrodeionization (RW-EDI), which uses a unique porous resin wafer mold made from
immobilized loose ion-exchange resin beads. The resin wafer material enhances mass transfer
between solid (resin bead) and liquid (feed solution) phases to achieve a high purity, especially
when treating impaired or brackish water.
 Fig 1.2

Fig 1.3

3.Microfiltration
Microfiltration is a type of physical filtration process where a contaminated fluid is passed
through a special pore-sized membrane to separate microorganisms and suspended particles
from process liquid. It is commonly used in conjunction with various other separation
processes such as ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis to provide a product stream which is free
of undesired contaminants.
FIG 1.4
4.ERDLator
The ERDLator was a field water treatment device developed during World War II[1] at
the U.S. Army's United States Army Engineer Research and Development Laboratory at Ft.
Belvoir, Virginia.The device was introduced into the field as a van-type body-mounted
mobile unit and proved vitally important to the operational effectiveness of deployed units
under harsh field conditions, providing not only the water needed for survival, but clean
potable water for staying healthy.
MOTIVATING THE SELECTION OF REVERSE OSMOSIS METHOD OF
SURFACE WATER REATMENT.

Reverse Osmosis water tastes better- Without all of the chemicals and debris in the
water, it is going to taste better than it has ever had. Reverse osmosis water is usually
found to be better than water simply from the tap. Fresh water is much more refreshing
and satisfying than otherwise.

Contaminants completely removed- The reverse osmosis process is primarily used to

remove particles and other impurities in the water. This means that all of those bad
chemicals such as lead and even arsenic are removed from the water. Even some
parasites are filtered from the water, protecting you from the possibility of contraction.
The chemicals removed from the water can be a matter of health and illness. If your
water is high in anything that can be harmful, a reverse osmosis system may be right for
you.

Systems Use a Low Amount of Energy- The energy usage of reverse osmosis systems is
relatively low compared to other similar systems. This productivity causes these systems
to be ideal for those that need to use as little energy as possible.

Space Saving and Expandable- Getting a reverse osmosis system can be a space saver
depending on where you would like to put it.

Maintenance- Usually requiring maintenance every six months or so, reverse osmosis
systems are quite simple to take care of. Filter replacement is one of the few things that
you have to take care of.

Different Levels of Purification- There are seven stages of reverse osmosis, each stage
getting more and more intensive. You get to choose how many stages you want and
customize your choice to suit your needs. All systems are made differently, and the seven
stages take the water through a filtration process. This process is intensive, and each
stage has its own special These jobs will take the water through a tougher process in
order to filter it as much as possible.

References
1. Weber, Walter J., Jr. (1972). Physicochemical Processes for Water Quality Control. New
York: Wiley-Interscience.

2. Pan, Shu-Yuan; Snyder, Seth W; Ma, Hwong-Wen; Lin, Yupo J; Chiang, Pen-Chi (2017).
"Development of a Resin Wafer Electrodeionization Process for Impaired Water Desalination
with High Energy Efficiency and Productivity". ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering

3. Crittenden, John; Trussell, Rhodes; Hand, David; Howe, Kerry and Tchobanoglous,
George (2005). Water Treatment Principles and Design, 2nd ed. John Wiley and Sons. New
Jersey.