Characterization and removal of biofouling from reverse osmosis membranes (ROMs) from a desalination plant in Northern Chile, using Alteromonas sp. Ni1-LEM supernatant

Biofouling control in reverse osmosis membranes (ROMs) is challenging due to the high cost of treatments, and reduction in the life of ROMs. This study characterizes the biofouling in the ROMs from a desalination plant and reports its effective removal using the supernatant obtained from Alteromonas...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biofouling (Chur, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2020-05, Vol.36 (5), p.505-515
Main Authors: Vera-Villalobos, Hernán, Pérez, Vilma, Contreras, Francisco, Alcayaga, Valezka, Avalos, Vladimir, Riquelme, Carlos, Silva-Aciares, Fernando
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alteromonas
Alteromonas sp
antifouling
Bacteria
beneficial bacteria
Benthos
Biocides
Biofilms
Biofouling
Cell adhesion
Cell adhesion & migration
Chile
Conformation
Desalination
Desalination plants
Extracellular
extracellular polymeric substances
Fouling
Humans
Membranes
Membranes, Artificial
Microorganisms
Osmosis
Phytoplankton
Plants
Pseudoalteromonas
Removal
Reverse osmosis
Water desalting
Water Purification
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Summary:Biofouling control in reverse osmosis membranes (ROMs) is challenging due to the high cost of treatments, and reduction in the life of ROMs. This study characterizes the biofouling in the ROMs from a desalination plant and reports its effective removal using the supernatant obtained from Alteromonas sp. strain Ni1-LEM. The characterization of the bacterial community revealed that the most abundant taxa in ROMs were the genera Fulvivirga and Pseudoalteromonas, and unclassified species of the families Flavobacteriaceae and Sphingomonadaceae. This bacterial community significantly decreased upon treatment with the supernatant from Alteromonas sp. Ni1-LEM, resulting in the prevalence of the genus Pseudoalteromonas. Furthermore, this bacterial supernatant significantly inhibited cell adhesion of seven benthic microalgae isolated from ROMs as well as promoting cell detachment of the existing microbial biofilms. The study showed that the extracellular supernatant modified the conformation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in the biofouling of ROMs without any biocidal effects.
ISSN:0892-7014
1029-2454
DOI:10.1080/08927014.2020.1776268