The College of Engineering at the University of Baghdad held a public defense for the Master’s thesis of student Noor Jassem Hamadi from the Department of Chemical Engineering. The thesis, titled “Performance of Membrane Filtration for Treating Tigris River Water,” was discussed on Monday, December 30, 2024, in the Dr. Mahmoud Omar Hall at the Department of Chemical Engineering, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ahmed Faiq Al-Alawi and Dr. Moayed Al-Shailey.
The study aimed to explore membrane filtration as an alternative method to traditional water treatment approaches, with the goal of improving water treatment efficiency while reducing both fixed and operational costs. Specifically, the research used two types of microfiltration (MF) membranes—polypropylene (P.P.) 1 micron and ceramic 0.5 micron—and two types of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes—polyvinyl chloride (PVC) 100KD and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) 500KD. The focus of the research was on removing turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), and Escherichia coli bacteria (E. coli) from Tigris River water in Baghdad.
The results demonstrated that membrane filtration techniques, including microfiltration and ultrafiltration, were highly promising and environmentally friendly for treating Tigris River water to remove turbidity, bacteria, and total suspended solids. These techniques proved to be highly efficient in improving water quality at a low cost and short processing time under varying operating conditions, including pressure, temperature, flow rate, and initial concentration. Moreover, these methods helped reduce the negative environmental impacts associated with traditional chemical treatments, making them a sustainable option for water treatment and improving efficiency for various uses.
The study concluded with several recommendations, including evaluating the economic feasibility and environmental sustainability of microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes compared to traditional methods for removing turbidity, bacteria, and total suspended solids from river water. It also examined the impact of different membrane types and configurations on water flow, removal efficiency, and contamination phenomena. Additionally, the study explored various cleaning techniques to enhance membrane efficiency and prolong their lifespan, while analyzing alternative water sources to select appropriate membranes and determine optimal operating conditions.
