Pleased to share that our paper titled Interference of the real water matrix with micropollutant removal via advanced filtration: Insights from the Goreangab Reservoir in Namibia has been accepted for publication in Enviromental Science & Technology (EST) journal (2025 IF of 11.3).
What the paper is about
We showcased nine pressure-driven and advanced membrane processes and assessed them for removing micropollutants in the Goreangab Reservoir water.
Once a source for the world’s first direct potable reuse system (Windhoek), the reservoir has suffered from poor water quality. Particularly, we detected 28 types of micropollutants (benzotriazoles, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, endocrine disruptors, and PFAS).
For our comparative study, the treatment conditions were tailored for a particular micropollutant type—steroid hormone 17β-estradiol (E2). E2 was spiked in the reservoir water at a concentration of 100 ng/L. We were astonished to find out that membrane photocatalysis, membrane electrocatalysis, and combined ultrafiltration–adsorption performed as good as nanofiltration in E2 removal. However, the practical limitations of these technologies are energy requirements, susceptibility to fouling, long-term performance, and upscaling potential. These aspects were comprehensively discussed in the paper.