Safe green alternatives for biofouling prevention: Developing ethyl lauroyl arginate as a biocide to prevent biofouling in reverse osmosis water treatment systems
Date
2025
Authors
Thorburn, Danyka S. G.
Da Silva Correa, Luiz Henrique
Henriquez, Orielle-Floriane K. N.
Sanchez Varond, Dafne R.
Godoy, Rafaela
Buckley, Heather L.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University Of Victoria
Abstract
Reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment technology allows for a solution to water scarcity by supplying water from alternative sources. However, current biofouling mitigation practices only delay biofouling, and do not prevent it from initially occurring. Therefore, the development of biofouling prevention methods are required. Herein, ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE) was examined and tested to determine its applicability into RO membrane systems as a preventative biocide treatment. In previous work, LAE had proven to be highly efficacious against simple biofilms, and safe for both consumers and the environment, which covers two out of three of the necessary attributes for an ideal biocide. Therefore, to complete the assessment of LAE as an ideal biocide, we have to determine its RO polyamide membrane compatibility. In this work, the short-term, and long-term membrane compatibility of LAE was determined using soak tests, followed by membrane autopsies conducted by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). LAE was found to be short-term and long-term compatible with RO membranes, presenting it as a promising biocide to be implemented into RO polyamide membrane systems."
Description
Keywords
reverse osmosis, ethyl lauroyl arginate, membrane compatibility