Membrane Technologies: A Double-Edged Sword for Water Treatment?

The objectives of this study are three-fold: (1) to understand the chemical formations and organic leaching resulting from interactions between chemical disinfectants (chlorine, chloramine, chlorine dioxide, and ozone) and various high- and low- pressure drinking water treatment membranes, (2) to understand how these disinfectant/membrane interactions are affected by various physio-chemical and system configuration changes (pH, temperature, presence of ions, static versus dynamic systems), and (3) to understand potential health risks that may arise from the byproduct formations.