Aluminum electrocoagulation pretreatment reduces fouling during surface water microfiltration

Role of inorganic foulants in the aging and deterioration of low-pressure membranes during the chemical cleaning process in surface water treatment: A review

Low-pressure membrane (LPM) filtration, including microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF), is a promising technology for the treatment of surface water for drinking and other purposes. Various configurations and operational sequences have been developed to ensure the sustainable provision of clean water by overcoming fouling problems. In the literature, various periodic physical and/or chemical approaches to the cleaning of LPMs have been reported, but little data is available on the aging of MF/UF membranes that results from the interaction between the foulants and the cleaning agent. Periodic physical cleaning of the membrane is expected to return the membrane to its original performance capacity, but it only recovers to a certain level because the remaining foulants cause irreversible fouling. Chemical cleaning can then be employed to recover the membrane from this irreversible fouling but, in the process, it can cause irrecoverable damage to the membrane. In this review, the foulants responsible for irrecoverable damage to MF/UF membranes are summarized, and their interaction with cleaning agents and other foulants is described. The impact of these foulants on various membrane parameters, including filtration efficiency, flux decline, permeability, membrane characterization, and membrane integrity are also summarized and discussed in detail. In addition, mitigation options and future prospects are also discussed with regard to increasing the operational life span of a membrane in a cost-effective manner. Ultimately, this review suggests an advanced control system based on membrane-foulant interactions under the impact of various operational parameters to mitigate the integrity loss of membranes.

Integrating of electrocoagulation process with submerged membrane bioreactor for wastewater treatment under low voltage gradients

Treating and reusing wastewater has become an essential aspect of water management worldwide. However, the increase in emerging pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are presented in wastewater from various sources like industry, roads, and household waste, makes their removal difficult due to their low concentration, stability, and ability to combine with other organic substances. Therefore, treating a low load of wastewater is an attractive option. The study aimed to address membrane fouling in the submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) used for wastewater treatment. An aluminum electrocoagulation (EC) device was combined with SMBR as a pre-treatment to reduce fouling. The EC-SMBR process was compared with a conventional SMBR without EC, fed with real grey water. To prevent impeding biological growth, low voltage gradients were utilized in the EC deviceThe comparison was conducted over 60 days with constant transmembrane pressure and infinite solid retention time (SRT). In phase I, when the EC device was operated at a low voltage gradient (0.64 V/cm), no significant improvement in the pollutants removal was observed in terms of color, turbidity, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Nevertheless, during phase II, a voltage gradient of 1.26 V/cm achieved up to 100%, 99.7%, 92%, 94.1%, and 96.5% removals in the EC-SMBR process in comparison with 95.1%, 95.4%, 85%, 91.7% and 74.2% removals in the SMBR process for turbidity, color, COD, ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), total phosphorus (TP), respectively. SMBR showed better anionic surfactant (AS) removal than EC-SMBR. A voltage gradient of 0.64 V/cm in the EC unit significantly reduced fouling by 23.7%, while 1.26 V/cm showed inconsistent results. Accumulation of Al ions negatively affected membrane performance. Low voltage gradients in EC can control SMBR fouling if Al concentration is controlled. Future research should investigate EC-SMBR with constant membrane flux for large-scale applications, considering energy consumption and operating costs.

Hybrid electrolysis and membranes system for apple packing houses water treatment

The apple industry uses high flows of potable quality water to transport and clean the apple, which is regularly contaminated. Thus, it is necessary to implement an efficient water treatment system during the industrial process, providing reductions in the intake and release flows. A hybrid system was developed by applying the electrolytic treatment by electrocoagulation using a batch process (Step 1) and a continuous process (Step 2), followed by a microfiltration membrane separation (MSP) process (Step 3). The optimal conditions for removal of organic matter, chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity, color, and fungi obtained in Step 1 were a hydraulic detention time of 40 min, stirring at 40 rpm, current density of 20 A/m2, pH of 8.00, and temperature of 10 °C. These findings led to a successful implementation in Step 2, which evolved into Step 3, where tests in the combined continuous electrolytic reactor together with MSP showed significant removal rates, notably reaching up to 54% organic matter (OM) removal, 72% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, 83% TSS removal, 92% haze and color removal, and 100% mildew removal. The hybrid system proved to be a promising alternative for implementation in the processing industry, minimizing environmental impacts and costs.

Investigation of Different Pre-Treatment Techniques and 3D Printed Turbulence Promoter to Mitigate Membrane Fouling in Dairy Wastewater Module

This study investigates the enhancement of dairy wastewater treatment using chemical and physical pre-treatments coupled with membrane separation techniques to reduce membrane fouling. Two mathematical models, namely the Hermia and resistance-in-series module, were utilized to comprehend the mechanisms of ultrafiltration (UF) membrane fouling. The predominant fouling mechanism was identified by fitting experimental data into four models. The study calculated and compared permeate flux, membrane rejection, and membrane reversible and irreversible resistance values. The gas formation was also evaluated as a post-treatment. The results showed that the pre-treatments improved UF efficiency for flux, retention, and resistance values compared to the control. Chemical pre-treatment was identified as the most effective approach to improve filtration efficiency. Physical treatments after microfiltration (MF) and UF showed better fluxes, retention, and resistance results than ultrasonic pre-treatment followed by UF. The efficacy of a three-dimensionally printed (3DP) turbulence promoter was also examined to mitigate membrane fouling. The integration of the 3DP turbulence promoter enhanced hydrodynamic conditions and increased the shear rate on the membrane surface, shortening filtration time and increasing permeate flux values. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing dairy wastewater treatment and membrane separation techniques, which can have significant implications for sustainable water resource management. The present outcomes clearly recommend the application of hybrid pre-, main- and post-treatments coupled with module-integrated turbulence promoters in dairy wastewater ultrafiltration membrane modules to increase membrane separation efficiencies.

Use of ballasted flocculation (BF) sludge for the manufacturing of lightweight aggregates

Ballasted flocculation (BF) is an efficient way to remove the turbidity from surface water. The objective of the present study is to optimize the ballast (magnetite), coagulant (poly aluminum chloride) concentration and pH for efficient turbidity removal from surface water. To do this, the sludge produced from an optimized dose of a BF treatment was utilized for the production of lightweight (LW) aggregates by combining it with hard clay and sewage sludge. The LW aggregates were formed by means of rapid sintering in the temperature range of 1000-1200 °C with an exposure time of 10 min. The physical properties of the LW aggregates, in this case the leaching of heavy metals, the bulk density and the microstructure, were investigated. The results indicated that corresponding ballast and coagulant concentrations of 0.75 g/L and 30 mg/L (poly aluminum chloride (PAC)) resulted in the maximum removal efficiency of ≈95%. Using a mixture of BF sludge (30 wt%), dry sewage sludge (20 wt%), and hard clay (50 wt%), aggregates with a density of around 1.0 g/cm³ could be produced. In addition, it was confirmed that the manufactured aggregate was environmentally stable as the elution of heavy metals was suppressed.

Electrochemical methods for landfill leachate treatment: A review on electrocoagulation and electrooxidation

Landfill leachate is a kind of difficult-to-degrade wastewater with complex water qualities. Waste filtrate cannot be thoroughly treated by traditional biological, physical and chemical methods. In the past five years, electrochemical methods have attracted widespread attention in the treatment of landfill leachate. The article pointed out that for the colloidal/suspended particles in the landfill leachate, using of electrocoagulation can achieve a good treatment effect. Aiming at the characteristics of the dissolved organic matter in the landfill leachate and the high concentration of chloride ions, a more efficient removal can be available by using of electrooxidation. In this review, the latest achievements and basic principles of electrocoagulation and electrooxidation have been introduced. Meanwhile, the influence of different process parameters on these two electrochemical methods was summarized. It also reviewed the effect of electrochemical technology as an independent system or combined with biological and physical chemical processes on the treatment of landfill leachate, as well as the cost of various laboratory scales. Finally, several main problems and challenges encountered by electrochemical methods were briefly discussed, and the prospects for new development and future research were also provided.

Ultra low-pressure filtration system for energy efficient microalgae filtration

Microalgae-based products have gained growing interest leading to an increase in large-scale cultivation. However, the high energy associated with microalgae harvesting becomes one of the bottlenecks. This study evaluated an energy-efficient microalga harvesting via ultra-low-pressure membrane (ULPM) filtration (<20 kPa) in combination with aeration. ULPM offered various benefits especially in terms of reducing the energy consumption due to it operated under low transmembrane pressure (TMP). High TMP often associated with high pumping energy hence would increase the amount of energy consumed. In addition, membrane with high TMP would severely affect by membrane compaction. Results showed that membrane compaction leads to up to 66 % clean water permeability loss when increasing the TMP from 2.5 to 19 kPa. The Chlorella vulgaris broth permeabilities decreased from 1660 and 1250 to 296 and 251 L/m²hrbar for corresponding TMPs for system with and without aeration, respectively. However, it was found that membrane fouling was more vulnerable at low TMP due to poor foulant scouring from a low crossflow velocity in which up to 56 % of permeability losses were observed. Membrane fouling is the biggest drawback of membrane system as it would reduce the membrane performance. In this study, aeration was introduced as membrane fouling control to scour-off the foulant from membrane surface and pores. In terms of energy consumption, it was observed that the specific energy consumption for the ULPM were very low of up to 4.4 × 10^-3 kWh/m³. Overall, combination of low TMP with aeration offers lowest energy input.

Optimization of preoxidation to reduce scaling during cleaning-in-place of membrane treatment

This study investigated the potential for reducing scaling during chemical cleaning of polyvinylidene fluoride membranes by optimizing preoxidation dose and pH. Membranes were fouled by a solution containing inorganic foulants (aluminum, iron, and manganese), humic acid, and kaolin at a Ca⁺² strength of 0.5 mM and varying the preoxidation dose. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy was used to verify the presence of inorganic foulants after cleaning. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed changes in CCl and C-F functional groups, with bond vibrations at 542 cm^-1 and 1199 cm^-1, respectively. Minimum irreversible fouling of 5.4% and maximum flux recovery of 88.8% of the initial value were associated with a preoxidation dose of 1.5 mg/L and pH 8.5. A decrease in amount of aluminum from 5.79 ± 0.021 mg to 3.85 ± 0.054 mg in the presence of humic acid with a removal efficiency greater than 60% was due to alteration of the feed solution, as revealed by mass-balance analysis. Membrane characterization and fouling reversibility analysis confirmed that preoxidation of the feed solution produced less scaling during chemical cleaning. The cake layer fouling contribution was determined by fitting results of Hermia's fouling model analysis, with 1.34-1.85 times lower total fouling indices and 3-5.5 times lower chemically irreversible fouling indices at pH 8.5 and a preoxidation dose of 1.5 mg/L.

Identification of scaling during clean-in-place (CIP) in membrane water treatment process

The goal of this study was to identify the scaling from the chemical cleaning of a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane, fouled by treating a solution containing inorganic foulants (Al, Fe, and Mn) in the presence of kaolin and humic acid as a natural organic matter at Ca⁺² strength of 0.5 mMole. Chemical cleaning of the membrane was conducted using solutions prepared in deionized water and permeate water (PW), and the accumulation of insoluble salts on the membrane during cleaning were evaluated. Energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis was used to verify the presence inorganic foulants, and field emission scanning electron microscopy confirmed the changes in membrane symmetry from the accumulation of the foulants. A Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy analysis indicated the presence of new functional groups, i.e., C-Cl and C-O with bond vibrations at 542 cm ^-1 and 1,026 cm^-1, respectively, on the membrane surface. The adsorbed mass of HA in the presence of inorganic foulants decreased from 3.54 ± 0.045 mg to 2.24 ± 0.095 mg and 1.71 ± 0.075 mg, and the flux recoveries decreased from 93.2% to 85.69% and 81.92%, for the pristine to chemically DI and PW cleaned membrane, respectively. However, the membrane characterization results confirmed that Al was the major contributor to the accumulation of inorganic salts on the membrane during chemical cleaning and its role was more severe in the presence of Mn. The fitting results of Hermia's fouling models and a specific fouling analysis confirmed the contribution of complete blocking model with increase in irreversible fouling was observed after chemical cleaning.

A novel bio-electrochemical system with sand/activated carbon separator, Al anode and bio-anode integrated micro-electrolysis/electro-flocculation cost effectively treated high load wastewater with energy recovery

A novel bio-electrochemical system (BES) was developed by integrating micro-electrolysis/electro-flocculation from attaching a sacrificing Al anode to the bio-anode, it effectively treated high load wastewater with energy recovery (maximum power density of 365.1 mW/m³ and a maximum cell voltage of 0.97 V), and achieving high removals of COD (>99.4%), NH₄⁺-N (>98.7%) and TP (>98.6%). The anode chamber contains microbes, activated carbon (AC)/graphite granules and Al anode. It was separated from the cathode chamber containing bifunctional catalytic and filtration membrane cathode (loaded with Fe/Mn/C/F/O catalyst) by a multi-medium chamber (MMC) filled with manganese sand and activated carbon granules, which replaced expensive PEM and reduced cost. An air contact oxidation bed for aeration was still adopted before liquid entering the cathode chamber. micro-electrolysis/electro-flocculation helps in achieving high removal efficiencies and contributes to membrane fouling migration. The increase of activated carbon in the separator MMC increased power generation and reduced system electric resistance.

Performance and Mechanisms of Ultrafiltration Membrane Fouling Mitigation by Coupling Coagulation and Applied Electric Field in a Novel Electrocoagulation Membrane Reactor

A novel electrocoagulation membrane reactor (ECMR) was developed, in which ultrafiltration (UF) membrane modules are placed between electrodes to improve effluent water quality and reduce membrane fouling. Experiments with feedwater containing clays (kaolinite) and natural organic matter (humic acid) revealed that the combined effect of coagulation and electric field mitigated membrane fouling in the ECMR, resulting in higher water flux than the conventional combination of electrocoagulation and UF in separate units (EC-UF). Higher current densities and weakly acidic pH in the EMCR favored faster generation of large flocs and effectively reduced membrane pore blocking. The hydraulic resistance of the formed cake layers on the membrane surface in ECMR was reduced due to an increase in cake layer porosity and polarity, induced by both coagulation and the applied electric field. The formation of a polarized cake layer was controlled by the applied current density and voltage, with cake layers formed under higher electric field strengths showing higher porosity and hydrophilicity. Compared to EC-UF, ECMR has a smaller footprint and could achieve significant energy savings due to improved fouling resistance and a more compact reactor design.

Comparison of cutting-oil emulsion treatment by electrocoagulation-flotation in bubble column and airlift reactors

Separation of nanoscale oil droplets in the cutting-oil emulsion by electrocoagulation-flotation (ECF) was carried out in a bubble column reactor (BCR) and an external-loop airlift reactor (ALR). Under the batch operation, aluminium electrode provided the highest efficiency of 99% and required the shortest separating time compared to iron and graphite electrodes. The separation performance was also affected by the electrode gap and current density due to the amount of produced aluminium ions and turbulence by bubble motions. Additionally, the ECF efficiency obtained from the ALR was similar to that of the BCR. However, the ALR was preferable owing to its lower energy consumption, less electrode sacrifice, and less sludge production. Similar results were acquired under the continuous mode; nevertheless, the highest efficiency of only 85% was achieved from both reactors. It was found that the efficiency declined with increasing flow rates. According to the results suggested by the residence time distribution (RTD), the ALR was more effective at higher flow rates since the plug flow condition can be retained. On the other hand, an increase in flow rate also provoked the bypass flow to the down-comer of the ALR, resulting in the presence of a dead zone and reduction in the treatment efficiency.

Aluminum electrocoagulation as pretreatment during microfiltration of surface water containing NOM: A review of fouling, NOM, DBP, and virus control

Electrocoagulation (EC) is the intentional corrosion of sacrificial anodes (typically aluminum or iron) by passing electricity to release metal-ion coagulant species and destabilize a wide range of suspended, dissolved, and macromolecular contaminants. It can be integrated ahead of microfiltration (MF) to effectively control turbidity, microorganisms, and disinfection by-products (DBPs) and simultaneously maintain a high MF specific flux. This manuscript summarizes the current knowledge on MF pretreatment by aluminum EC particularly focusing on mechanisms of (i) electrocoagulant dosing, (ii) (bio)colloid destabilization, (iii) fouling reductions, and (iv) enhanced removal of viruses, natural organic matter (NOM), and DBP precursors. Electrolysis efficiently removes hydrophobic NOM, viruses, and siliceous foulants. Aluminum effectively electrocoagulates viruses by physically encapsulating them in flocs, neutralizing their surface charge and reducing electrostatic repulsion, and increasing hydrophobic interactions between any sorbed NOM and free viruses. New results included herein demonstrate that EC achieves DBP control by removing NOM, reducing chlorine-reactivity of remaining NOM, and inducing a slight shift toward more brominated trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. EC reduces MF fouling by forming large flocs that tend to deposit on the membrane surface, i.e. decrease pore penetration and forming more permeable cakes and by reducing foulant mass in case of significant floc-flotation.

Electrocoagulation of colloidal biogenic selenium

Colloidal elemental selenium (Se(0)) adversely affects membrane separation processes and aquatic ecosystems. As a solution to this problem, we investigated for the first time the removal potential of Se(0) by electrocoagulation process. Colloidal Se(0) was produced by a strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens and showed limited gravitational settling. Therefore, iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) sacrificial electrodes were used in a batch reactor under galvanostatic conditions. The best Se(0) turbidity removal (97 %) was achieved using iron electrodes at 200 mA. Aluminum electrodes removed 96 % of colloidal Se(0) only at a higher current intensity (300 mA). At the best Se(0) removal efficiency, electrocoagulation using Fe electrode removed 93 % of the Se concentration, whereas with Al electrodes the Se removal efficiency reached only 54 %. Due to the less compact nature of the Al flocs, the Se-Al sediment was three times more voluminous than the Se-Fe sediment. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) test showed that the Fe-Se sediment released Se below the regulatory level (1 mg L(-1)), whereas the Se concentration leached from the Al-Se sediment exceeded the limit by about 20 times. This might be related to the mineralogical nature of the sediments. Electron scanning micrographs showed Fe-Se sediments with a reticular structure, whereas the Al-Se sediments lacked an organized structure. Overall, the results obtained showed that the use of Fe electrodes as soluble anode in electrocoagulation constitutes a better option than Al electrodes for the electrochemical sedimentation of colloidal Se(0).

Mechanisms of physically irreversible fouling during surface water microfiltration and mitigation by aluminum electroflotation pretreatment

A modified poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane was used to directly microfilter untreated Lake Houston water, which was then regenerated by surface washing and hydraulic backwashing, a process that was cycled five times. The source water was also electrochemically precoagulated using aluminum and microfiltered, and the membrane was physically regenerated for five cycles. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize foulants on membrane surfaces and rigorously deduce their contributions to physically irreversible fouling after cycles 1 and 5. Hydrophobic molecules primarily appeared to initiate fouling during microfiltration of untreated raw water because O-H/N-H bands were attenuated while C-H bands remained relatively unchanged in FTIR-spectra of membrane surfaces after only one cycle. However, O-H/N-H and symmetric and asymmetric C(═ O)O(-) stretching bands significantly intensified with continued filtration/regeneration of untreated water, showing the importance of hydrophilic molecules and the role of complexation, respectively, to longer term irreversible fouling. Distinct C-H bands were detected in floated flocs after electrolysis, suggesting the sorption and subsequent removal of a substantial portion of the hydrophobic moieties present in Lake Houston water during pretreatment. Consequently, hydrophilic compounds appeared to contribute more to irreversible fouling in pretreated waters throughout the course of filtration as evidenced by significantly more intense O-H bands (compared with C-H bands) on the membrane surface after cycles 1 and 5. Therefore, electroflotation pretreatment reduced accumulation of hydrophobic foulants but simultaneously increased complexation of hydrophilic foulant molecules along with any carried-over aluminum hydroxide precipitates evidenced by increasing Al and O concentrations via XPS and intense C(═ O)O(-) stretching bands in IR spectra.

Removal of copper in leachate from mining residues using electrochemical technology

This research is related to a laboratory study on the performance of a successive mining residues leaching and electrochemical copper recovery process. To clearly define the experimental region for response surface methodology (RSM), a preliminary study was performed by applying a current intensity varying from 0.5 A to 4.0 A for 60 min. By decreasing the current intensity from 4.0 A to 0.5 A, a good adhesion and a very smooth and continuous interface of copper was formed and deposited on the cathode electrode. However, the removal rate of Cu decreased from 83.7% to 37.9% when the current intensity passed from 4.0 A to 0.5 A, respectively. Subsequently, the factorial design and central composite design methodologies were successively employed to define the optimal operating conditions for copper removal in the mining residues leachate. Using a 2(3) factorial matrix, the best performance for copper removal (97.7%) was obtained at a current intensity of 2.0 A during 100 min. The current intensity and electrolysis time were found to be the most influent parameters. The contribution of current intensity and electrolysis time was around 65.8% and 33.9%, respectively. The treatment using copper electrode and current intensity of 1.3 A during 80 min was found to be the optimal conditions in terms of cost/effectiveness. Under these conditions, 86% of copper can be recovered for a total cost of 0.56 $ per cubic meter of treated mining residues leachate.

Assessing the effects of bacterial predation on membrane biofouling

Membrane biofouling is one of the major obstacles limiting membrane applications in water treatment. In this study, Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD 100, a Gram-negative predatory bacterium, was evaluated as a novel way to mitigate membrane biofouling and its subsequent performance decline. Dead-end microfiltration (MF) tests were carried out on Escherichia coli DH5α and B. bacteriovorus HD 100 co-culture feed solutions. Predation of E. coli was performed at either a low or high multiplicity of infection (MOI), which is defined as the predator to prey cell ratio. The MOIs tested were 2 and 200, and the viability of both the E. coli prey and the predator was monitored over 48 h. The higher MOI (high predator, HP) culture showed a nearly 6-log loss in E. coli number after 24 h when compared to both the control and low MOI (low predator, LP) cultures, whereas the E. coli population within both predated cultures (HP and LP) became nearly identical at 48 h and 4-log lower than that of the control. The unpredated cultures led to significant loss in water flux at 12, 24, and 48 h of culture, but the HP and LP membranes showed less loss of flux by comparison. Analysis of the total membrane resistance showed a similar trend as the flux decline pattern; however, irreversible resistance of the membrane was much higher for the 48 h LP culture compared to the unpredated and HP cultures at 48 h. This increase in irreversible resistance was attributed mainly to E. coli debris, which accumulated in the medium after the predator lysed the prey cells. These results show that pretreatment of wastewater using a suitable concentration of predatory bacteria such as B. bacteriovorus can enhance membrane performance.

Sweep flocculation and adsorption of viruses on aluminum flocs during electrochemical treatment prior to surface water microfiltration

Bench-scale experiments were performed to evaluate virus control by an integrated electrochemical-microfiltration (MF) process from turbid (15 NTU) surface water containing moderate amounts of dissolved organic carbon (DOC, 5 mg C/L) and calcium hardness (50 mg/L as CaCO3). Higher reductions in MS2 bacteriophage concentrations were obtained by aluminum electrocoagulation and electroflotation compared with conventional aluminum sulfate coagulation. This was attributed to electrophoretic migration of viruses, which increased their concentrations in the microenvironment of the sacrificial anode where coagulant precursors are dissolved leading to better destabilization during electrolysis. In all cases, viruses were not inactivated implying measured reductions were solely due to their removal. Sweep flocculation was the primary virus destabilization mechanism. Direct evidence for virus enmeshment in flocs was provided by two independent methods: quantitative elution using beef extract at elevated pH and quantitating fluorescence from labeled viruses. Atomic force microscopy studies revealed a monotonically increasing adhesion force between viruses immobilized on AFM tips and floc surfaces with electrocoagulant dosage, which suggests secondary contributions to virus uptake on flocs from adsorption. Virus sorption mechanisms include charge neutralization and hydrophobic interactions with natural organic matter removed during coagulation. This also provided the basis for interpreting additional removal of viruses by the thick cake formed on the surface of the microfilter following electrocoagulation. Enhancements in virus removal as progressively more aluminum was electrolyzed therefore embodies contributions from (i) better encapsulation onto greater amounts of fresh Al(OH)3 precipitates, (ii) increased adsorption capacity associated with higher available coagulant surface area, (iii) greater virus-floc binding affinity due to effective charge neutralization and hydrophobic interactions, and/or (iv) additional removal by a dynamic membrane if a thick cake layer of flocs is deposited.