Ceramic membrane filtration of water samples from Ain Fayda Lake and cement factory (Al-Ain), United Arab Emirates

Abstract

This article presents a Ceramic Membrane-based Produced Water Treatment Technology and its application to water samples from Al-Ain (Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates). The samples were collected during the summer of 2022 from Ain Fayda (lake water) and Al-Ain cement factory (groundwater). This study investigates the effectiveness of the ceramic membrane for treating water samples and removing solid particles. A dead-end filtration mode with a filtration flux of 3 m³/m²/d was used. For the Ain Fayda Lake water sample, the transmembrane pressure during filtration reached 120 kPa (temperature adjusted to 25°C); air blowing was used to reduce the transmembrane pressure to around 70 kPa and Total Suspended Solids were reduced from 1.4 to <1 mg/L during 160 min of filtration. For the Al-Ain cement factory water sample, the transmembrane pressure during filtration reached 160 kPa (temperature adjusted to 25°C); air blowing reduced the transmembrane pressure to around 65 kPa and the Total Suspended Solids from 9.1 to <1 mg/L during 130 min of filtration. Both water samples belong to the Na-Cl water type. Overall, this work shows the effectiveness of the Ceramic Membrane-based Produced Water Treatment Technology for reducing Total Suspended Solids in sampled waters; thus, we recommend this approach for treating surface waters in Al-Ain to improve the environment and possible usage in agriculture.