Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) have been associated with biological fouling in reverse osmosis (RO) systems, but their impact on ultrafiltration (UF) systems have only been investigated recently. TEP are very sticky substances and may serve as a binding agent for rejected particles and aid their adhesion to membrane surfaces during dead-end...

The paper describes the performance of the ultrafiltration pretreatment system of a seawater desalination plant to verify the effects of Transparent Exopolymer Particles (TEP) in a full?scale system. This confirms the theory that divalent ions in the source water can promote the structural integrity of TEP gels through bridging (e.g. Ca?bridging)...