Rejection Capabilities of RO Membrane to Notification Level Chemicals and Selected Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

Rejection capabilities of Reverse Osmosis (RO) membranes to Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), physical and aggregate and conventional contaminants (i.e., total nitrogen, total organic carbon) have been well demonstrated through pilot and full-scale RO operations. The information regarding rejection capabilities of RO to non-regulated compounds such as ?DHS notification level chemicals? and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is very limited. These emerging micro-pollutants are important issue where especially recycled water is used to augment drinking water supplies. In this study, a pilot scale MF (providing pretreatment for RO) and a two-stage RO process receiving secondary treated wastewater effluent from Big Bear Area Regional Water Agency (BBARWA) WWTP was tested to determine the rejection capabilities of the RO membranes for CDHS specified notification level chemicals and endocrine disrupter chemicals (EDCs). The testing EDCs included acetaminophen, bisphenol A, caffeine, 17b-estradiol, EDTA, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, iopromide, 4-methyl phenol, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, progestrone, testosterone, triclosan and sulfamethoxale.

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