Desalination 202 (2007) 3137

Electric fields treatment for the reduction of membrane

fouling, the inactivation of bacteria and the enhancement
of particle coagulation
Jong-Oh Kima*, Jong-Tae Junga, Ick-Tae Yeomb, Gyung-Hae Aohc
a

Department of Civil Engineering, Kangnung National University, Gangneung Daehangno 120,

Gangneung, Gangwon-do 210-702, South Korea
Tel. +82 33 640-2420; Fax +82 33 646-1391; email: jokim@kangnung.ac.kr
b
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University,
Chunchun-dong 300, Suwon, Kyonggi-do 440-746, South Korea
c
R&D Center, Samsung Engineering Co., Ltd, SEI Tower 467-14, Dogok-dong,
Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Received 31 July 2005; accepted 23 December 2005

Abstract
The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of electric fields application for the reduction of membrane
fouling, the inactivation of microorganisms and the enhancement of particle coagulation. It was found that electric
fields treatment prior to microfiltration showed in large quantity of cumulative permeates than those in non-electric
fields. This is attributed to the promotion of particle coagulation and interaction between particle and membrane
surface. The number of active bacteria was reduced by electric fields treatment. This may be a positive result for the
prevention of membrane bio fouling as well as microbial inactivation. Coagulant dosage could also be saved about
75% compared with non-electric fields in terms of the 95% turbidity removal at 10 (kV/cm). Therefore, it is expected
to improve the efficiency and the economics of the process by providing electric fields for wastewater treatment.
Keywords: Electric fields; Microfiltration; Membrane fouling; Microbial inactivation; Coagulation

1. Introduction
In order to increase the efficiency of microfiltration, electro-microfiltration has been used
*Corresponding author.

for the treatment of wastewater. The control of

membrane fouling by the application of external dc (direct current) electric fields has been
studied in several applications, and in some cases
a clear enhancement has been achieved. This treatment technology has been found to be capable of

Presented at the conference on Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse for Sustainability (WWRS2005), November
811, 2005, Jeju, Korea. Organized by the International Water Association (IWA) and the Gwangju Institute of
Science and Technology (GIST).
0011-9164/06/$ See front matter 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.
doi:10.1016/j.desal.2005.12.035

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J.-O. Kim et al. / Desalination 202 (2007) 3137

reducing the formation of filter cake and increasing

the flux of filtrate [13]. Electric fields enhanced
microfiltration provides a very efficient technique
for the removal from water of hydrophobically
modified waster soluble polymer [2]. An electrically enhanced crossflow microfiltration (EECMF)
was used for the treatment of oxide-CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) wastewater [1]. However, there are few case studies of applications as
pre-treatment step in wastewater treatment.
It is also reported that electric fields treatment as
non-thermal process are being developed to inactivate pathogenic microorganisms in food industry
[4,5]. In addition, it was effective to remove nitrate
ion by forming insoluble complex salt under electric fields [6]. This study focused on the following:
(1) membrane fouling reduction and operational
factors for cumulative permeates, (2) the inactivation of microorganism, and (3) the enhancement of coagulation by electric fields treatment.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. System description
Fig. 1 shows the electric fields system
employed in this study. Model (Innoclean-L4V)

Controller
Permeate

Manometer
Electric unit

Pump

Metal
membrane

Charging
electrode
Reservoir

Counter
electrode
Electric
field

Feed tank

Pump

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of electric fields system.

with 40 cm in height, 25 cm in diameter and

180 mL in the volume of reactor was used. Fresh
sewage of municipal wastewater treatment plant
was used as feed. Feed was flowed at lower part
of reactor and then discharged at upper part by
peristaltic pump. Permeate was obtained from a
metal membrane by suction of pump. Electric
fields intensity was controlled in the range from
0 to 40 kV/cm by direct current power supply. The
inorganic membrane for microfiltration was supplied from Fibertech Co., Ltd, Korea and was a
tubular type capable of submerged filtration. It is
made of stainless steel (SUS 316L) material and
has a nominal pore size of 1 mm. PACl (poly aluminum chloride) as inorganic coagulant was used
for the investigation of coagulation enhancement.
2.2. Analysis
Experimental analysis items are pH, suspended
solids (SS), turbidity, total organic carbon (TOC),
general bacteria, zeta potential of particles and
particle size distribution. Using pH meter
(model Orion 250A) and turbidity meter (model
turb 550 IR), they were measured as a function of
time. TOC was analyzed by TOC 5000, Shimadzu,
Japan. Zeta potential of particles and particle
size distribution were measured using ELS
8000, Otsuka Co., Ltd, Japan, and LS 230 Particle size analyzer, Beckman Coulter Co. USA,
respectively. Measurements of other items such as
the number of bacteria and SS were all quantified
by standard methods [7].

3. Results and discussion

3.1. Microfiltration performance; effect of
electric fields intensity
The relationship of the electric fields intensity
and cumulative permeate is shown in Fig. 2
under different applied electric intensity. In the
range from 0 to 40 kV/cm, cumulative permeate
increased at the early stage of the filtration when

J.-O. Kim et al. / Desalination 202 (2007) 3137

3500

Fresh sewage

10 kV/cm

33

8000

40 kV/cm
Cumulative permeate (mL)

Cumulative permeate (mL)

7000

3000

2500

2000

6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000

1500

10

20

30

40 50 60
Time (min)

70

80

20

40

60
80
Time (min)

90

Fresh sewage
Without electric field, pH 4
Without electric field, pH 8
Without eliectric field, pH 10

Fig. 2. The relationship between electric fields intensity

and cumulative permeate as a function of time (Conditions: flow rate 19.6 L/h, pressure 34 kPa, pH 6.5).

electric fields intensity increased. This may be

ascribed to the promotion of particle coagulation
and interaction between particles and membrane
surface. However, for the elapse of filtration time
about 40 min, there are no significant differences
in the increasing rate of cumulative permeate. Used
in combination, electric fields treatment technique may obviate the requirement for membrane
backwashing and conventional chemical cleaning.

120

140

160

With electric field, pH 4

With electric field, pH 8
With electric field, pH 10

Fig. 3. Relationship between pH and cumulative permeate as a function of time (Conditions: pressure 34 kPa,
flow rate 12 L/h, electric fields intensity 10 kV/cm, SS
168 mg/L).

fields also showed large quantities compared to

the case without electric fields.
The relationship between feed flow rate and
cumulative permeate as a function of time was
shown in Fig. 4. Cumulative permeate at flow
rate of 6.5 L/h was higher than that in a flow rate
of 19.6 L/h. Therefore, it is favorable to increase

3.2. Microfiltration performance; effect of pH

and flow rate

4000
Cumulative permeate (mL)

The influence of pH for cumulative permeate

are shown in Fig. 3. pH was controlled using
0.1 N HCl and 0.1 N NaOH and the initial value
was set to pH 4, 8 and 10. Cumulative permeate
increased in quantity at pH 8 than that of pH 4
and pH 10. This may be attributed to the fact that
the particles precipitate rapidly on membrane
surface in the acid and base region. That is, in
case the iso-electric point of particles is changed
to high or low by the variation of suspension pH,
the precipitation rate of particles on membrane
surface is greater than that in neural range of
pH. Cumulative permeate in the case with electric

100

3500
3000
2500
Fresh sewage
19.6 L/h, 40 kV/cm
6.5 L/h, 40 kV/cm

2000
1500
0

10

20

30

40 50 60
Time (min)

70

80

90

Fig. 4. Relationship between feed flow rate and cumulative permeate as a function of time (Conditions:
pressure 34 kPa, pH 6.4).

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J.-O. Kim et al. / Desalination 202 (2007) 3137

the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of electric

fields for enough contact efficiency between
particles and electric fields.

particle sizes were shown in Figs. 5 and 6,

respectively. The particle size distribution of solids
in fresh sewage showed that the weight percentage of particle size over 10 mm was about 92%.
The mean and the median particle size of fresh
sewage were 312.5 and 74.3 mm, respectively.
By the increase of electric fields intensity,
occupancy of particles over 500 mm lessened and
the amount of small particle size less than 100
mm increased.

3.3. Particle size distribution and the

variation of bacteria number by electric
fields treatment
The particle size distribution with electric
fields intensity and the mean and the median
6

Volume (%)

Volume (%)

Fresh sewage

3
2
1

0
0

500

1000

1500

2000

500

1000

1500

2000

6
5 kV

5
4
3
2

10 kV

5
Volume (%)

Volume (%)

4
3
2
1

0
0

500

1000

1500

2000

500

1000

1500

2000

6
20 kV

40 kV

Volume (%)

Volume (%)

0.5 kV

3
2
1

4
3
2
1

0
0

500

1000
Particle diameter (m)

1500

2000

500

1000

1500

2000

Particle diameter (m)

Fig. 5. The particle size distribution with electric fields intensity under the conditions of flow rate 21.6 L/h, pH 6.5.

J.-O. Kim et al. / Desalination 202 (2007) 3137

400
Mean
Median

Particle diameter (m)

350
300
250

35

fields intensity at 10 kV/cm. This is attributed to

the cleavage of particle or cytological destruction,
resulting in the inactivation of microorganism.
Electric fields treatment is believed to be effective
for the microbial disinfection.

200
150

3.4. Effect of electric fields for coagulation

enhancement

100
50
0

Fresh
sewage

0.5

10

20

40

Electric field intensity (kV/cm)

Fig. 6. The mean and the median particle size vs. electric
fields intensity (Conditions: flow rate 21.6 L/h, pH 6.5).

The mean and the median value also reduced

by the application of electric fields. The mean
value is the average size of all particles and the
median value means the particle size at half of
total percent volume. This result proves that
particles were spilt to more smaller size with the
increase of electric fields intensity.
The variation of bacteria survival fraction
with electric fields was shown in Fig. 7. The
survival fraction (N/N0) decreased with electric

The variation of zeta potential of particles

with respect to electric fields intensity is shown
in Fig. 8 under the conditions of flow rate 19.6/L
and pH 6.3. Zeta potential of metal membrane
itself occupied in the range of 0.5 to 0.2 mV
from pH 5 to pH 9, which showed almost close
to 0 of neutral value. Membrane zeta potential
provides the information regarding electrical
charge of membrane surface. Zeta potential of
particles increased with the electric fields intensity, indicating that electric fields treatment has a
positive effect for the coagulation in the coagulant saving aspect.
Fig. 9 shows the relationship between turbidity
removal and PACl dosage at different electric
fields intensity. Turbidity removal ratio with electric fields showed higher than those of without
electric fields. PACl dosage could also be saved
about 75% compared with non-electric fields in

1.0
0

0.8

0.7

Zeta potential (mV)

Survival fraction (N/N0)

0.9

0.6
0.5

R2 = 0.9501

0.4
0.3
0.2

6
9
12
15

R2 = 0.9089

0.1
0

18
0

4
5
6
7
Contact time (h)

10

Fig. 7. The variation of bacteria survival fraction as a

function of time at 10 kV/cm (Conditions: flow rate
21.6 L/h, pH 6.5).

10
20
30
Electric field intensity (kV/cm)

40

Fig. 8. The variation of zeta potential of particle with

respect to electric fields intensity (Conditions: flow rate
19.6 L/h, pH 6.5).

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J.-O. Kim et al. / Desalination 202 (2007) 3137

90

100
Fresh sewage
10 kV/cm
40 kV/cm

80
Turbidity removal (%)

Turbidity (NTU)

75
60
45
30

60

40
Fresh sewage
10 kV/cm
40 kV/cm

20

15

0
0

20

40
Dosage (mg/L)

60

80

20

40
Dosage (mg/L)

60

80

Fig. 9. Relationship between turbidity removal and PACl dosage at different electric fields intensity (Conditions: flow
rate 21.6 L/h, pH 6.5).

terms of 95% turbidity removal at 10 kV/cm.

Consequently, it is expected to improve the
efficiency and the economics of the process
by providing electric fields for wastewater
treatment.

fields process is anticipated as energy saving

and economical technology and is expected to
improve the efficiency of the process by providing
electric fields as pre treatment step.
Acknowledgements

4. Conclusions
Effects of electric fields treatment for the
reduction of membrane fouling, microbial inactivation and coagulation enhancement were experimentally investigated. The results are summarized
as follows: Electric fields treatment prior to
microfiltration showed in large quantity of
cumulative permeates than those in non-electric
fields. The numbers of active bacteria were
reduced by electric fields application. This may be
a positive result for the prevention of membrane
bio fouling as well as microbial inactivation.
Coagulant dosage could be saved about 75%
compared with non-electric fields for the 95% of
turbidity removal at 10 kV/cm. Electrical fields
treatment can be utilized for the membrane fouling
reduction, the microbial inactivation and the
enhancement of particle coagulation in wastewater treatment. This non-thermal electrical

This research was supported by Korea

Research Foundation (R05-2003-000-10400-0)
and partially supported by the Eco-STAR project
of the Ministry of Environment.
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