Development of an efficient, low-operating-pressure graphene oxide / polyethersulfone nanofiltration membrane for removing various water contaminants

Conventional wastewater treatment technologies tend to be high-capex, energy-intensive solutions that lack specificity for different pollution classes, and do not lend themselves to wide-scale deployment, particularly in areas of the world where industrial wastewater discharge is a significant environmental problem. In tandem, solid waste pollution arising, particularly plastic containing waste, is a persistent and serious pollution issue. This work focuses on the concept of "waste treating waste" and a multidisciplinary effort ranging from materials science and environmental management to sustainable water treatment, in addition to production of graphene oxide from mineral water waste bottles using a simple synthetic procedure that can be economically scaled up for use as a cost-effective adsorbent. Prepared graphene oxide was supported on a polyethersulfone (PES) membrane, and batch filtration studies were performed to examine its performance in the removal of methylene blue (MB) dye, Gentimicin sulphate (GMS) antibiotic, and Na2SO4 and MgSO4 salts from an aqueous solution. Operating parameters such as initial pollutant concentration, time, and solution pH were investigated and optimized using a response surface methodology (RSM) model. The results confirm the significant efficiency of the filtration process, with a maximum rejection of about 91% for MB, 93% for GMS, 67% for Na2SO4, and 64% for MgSO4, with maximum water flux of 1322, 1367, 1225, and 1059 LMH, respectively. Density functional theory calculations were considered for the GO, PES membrane, and GO/PES membrane with a GGA/PBE optimization level. Adsorption annealing locator analysis was performed for the GO/PES membrane, and the process was recalculated for MB as adsorbate. In conclusion, the adsorption effect employing produced GO/PES membrane is the most important removal, followed by Donnan exclusion and steric hindrance effect. Therefore, it is possible to build new eco-friendly membranes for nanofiltration that are affordable, stable, and effective in removing various pollutants from water systems.