Dissertação de Mestrado

Evaluation of Ultrafiltration Membranes for Virus Removal from Synthetic Wastewater using Cross-Flow Filtration

Margarida Pereira Valente2024

Informações chave

Autores:

Margarida Pereira Valente (Margarida Pereira Valente)

Orientadores:

Sofia G. Seabra; Mónica Cristina Faria Besteiro (Mónica Cristina Faria Besteiro)

Publicado em

02/12/2024

Resumo

Recent viral outbreaks have highlighted critical shortcomings in systems for predicting, preventing, and containing viruses, particularly in water treatment and surveillance. This study explores a pressure-driven membrane filtration approach designed for dual purposes: removing viruses from water and capturing viral particles for pathological surveillance. The approach aims to enhance water quality and mitigate infection spread. The study evaluated the performance of ultrafiltration membranes, including three cellulose acetate membranes (CA/SiO2-33, CA-35, CA-39) and a graphene oxide-based membrane (NematiQ). A positively charged nylon microfiltration membrane (Roche) served as a control for benchmarking viral removal. Using a cross-flow filtration system at low pressure and flow rates, membrane performance was assessed by measuring water and saline flux under applied pressure. Initial tests using the Roche membrane validated the system’s efficacy with synthetic wastewater spiked with bacteriophage SPP1. Viral DNA was quantified via qPCR from feed and permeate samples, confirming the control membrane’s high retention capacity. Parallel testing showed that CA-35 and NematiQ membranes had strong viral rejection capabilities. NematiQ was selected for large-scale testing due to its commercial availability and reproducibility. In high-pressure, high-flow trials, the NematiQ membrane demonstrated stable performance and effective virus retention, indicated by higher viral concentrations in feed versus permeate samples. These results highlight the NematiQ membrane’s potential for practical virus removal and its suitability for public health monitoring via viral capture.

Detalhes da publicação

Autores da comunidade :

Orientadores desta instituição:

Domínio Científico (FOS)

chemical-engineering - Engenharia Química

Idioma da publicação (código ISO)

por - Português

Acesso à publicação:

Acesso Embargado

Data do fim do embargo:

10/10/2025

Nome da instituição

Instituto Superior Técnico