Fouling control of PAC/UF process for treating algal-rich water

• PAC/UF achieved a complete removal of alga cells.
• PAC/UF was helpful in removing MC-LR.
• Membrane fouling of algal-rich water was mitigated by PAC/UF.
• Protein-like substances in EPS of PAC/UF were less.
• Cake layer of the PAC/UF process was much thinner than that of the individual UF.

Algal blooms threaten the performance of ultrafiltration (UF) in drinking water treatment; the hybrid process of powdered activated carbon and ultrafiltration (PAC/UF) process was evaluated for treating algal-rich water. Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) removal and fouling characteristics were conducted and compared with the parallel UF. The results indicate that the PAC/UF process could achieve complete removal of algal cells, and significantly enhanced the removal of MC-LR compared with the parallel UF. Moreover, PAC/UF process could mitigate membrane fouling of algal-rich water, which was somewhat owing to the lower concentration of protein-like substances in extracellular polymer substances (EPSs) of membrane pools. The microscopic observation demonstrated that the cake layer of the PAC/UF process was much thinner and showed less polysaccharides distributed in it. In a word, PAC/UF is feasible in treating algal-rich water.