Can industrial RO systems be used for removing specific contaminants such as heavy metals or pathogens?

Those metals with a density more than 5 g per cubic centimetre are typically referred to as heavy metals. Quite a few things fit within this category. Despite being a semi-metal, arsenic is frequently thought of as a dangerous heavy metal. Significant health consequences of heavy metals include stunted growth and development, cancer, organ and nervous system damage, and in the worst cases, death. A person's immune system attacking their own cells is known as autoimmunity, and it may be brought on by exposure to certain metals like lead and mercury. This can result in renal, cardiovascular, nerve, and joint problems including rheumatoid arthritis, as well as damage to the developing foetal brain.

For a healthy environment and society, it is crucial to remove heavy metal ions from wastewater. The removal of heavy metal ions from diverse wastewater sources has been the subject of many documented methods. These techniques might be divided into treatments based on adsorption, membranes, electricity, chemicals, and photocatalysis.

Here we are going todiscuss the use of industrial RO systems for removing heavy metals andpathogens. So, let’s get going…..

With the expansion of industry and human activities, such as plating and electroplating, batteries, mining, pesticides, rayon production, metal rinse processes, fluidized bed bioreactors, tanning, textile production, metal smelting, petrochemicals, paper production, and electrolysis applications, there has been an increase in the presence of heavy metals in wastewater. Water tainted with heavy metals makes its way into the environment, endangering both human health and the ecology. Because the heavy metals are non-biodegradable and may cause cancer, their inappropriate concentration in water poses a serious risk to the health of all living things.

Lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and arsenic are the most often used heavy metals (As). Even if traces of these heavy metals can be found, they are still dangerous. The metals indicated above, along with others like silver (Ag), iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo), boron (B), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), antimony (Sb), cobalt (Co), etc., are frequently found in wastewater and must be eliminated.

Reverse osmosis systems are extremely successful in eliminating microorganisms, such as Campylobacter, Shigella, Salmonella, and E. coli.

Reverse Osmosis for the removal of heavy metals_

Only smaller molecules can pass through a semi-permeable membrane (pore size 0.5–1.5 nm) used in the pressure-driven separation process known as RO. By providing pressure (20-70 psi) over the osmotic pressure of the feed solution, the RO process reverses the typical osmosis process. The solutes that are inhibited typically have molecules between 0.00025 and 0.003 m60 in size. 95-99% of inorganic salts and charged organics may be extracted using the RO process. The RO process is efficient and has a small footprint. However, the primary flaw of RO systems is the fouling and degradation of the membrane.

With a removal effectiveness of >98.7562, the RO separation method is employed to remove heavy metal ions from electroplating effluent, including Cr6+, Ni2+, and Cu2+.

Conclusion:

The best method for removing heavy ions from wastewater relies on a number of important criteria, including the cost of operation, the starting concentration of the metal ions, the pH levels, the environmental effect, the chemicals applied, the removal efficiency, and the economic viability. These processes can be divided into four categories: adsorption treatments (using various adsorbents, such as carbon-based, carbon-composites, minerals, CS, magnetic, biosorbents, and MOFs), membrane treatments (such as UF, nanofiltration, microfiltration, forward osmosis, reverse osmosis, and electrodialysis), chemical treatments (such as chemical precipitation, coagulation-flocculation, and flotation), electric treatments.

In general, the most practicable approaches are chemical, adsorption, and membrane techniques. There should be more study done on the introduction of low-cost components and techniques for heavy metal removal from wastewater. Future study should take into account the best methods for achieving effective metal recovery with minimal negative effects on the environment and cheap costs.

Why choose Netsol!

By deliberately fusing cutting-edge treatment technology with workable solutions, Netsol Water engages with a wide range of international organisations to address challenging RO issues.

If you want the greatest water treatment system for your residence or place of business, contact us. Industrial RO Plants, Commercial RO Plants, STPs, ETPs, as well as a number of practical after-sales services, are among the products and services we provide. Our experts will first assess the customer's location, then go over the possibilities and let you decide which is ideal for your home.

Contact us on +91-9650608473 or send an email to enquiry@netsolwater.com to find out more.