Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and humic acid (HA), commonly present in water, were selected to represent microfibers and organic foulants, respectively. The interaction forces of each type of foulant with the membrane surface were measured, which combined with the results of the fouling layer structure and the dynamic adsorption behavior of HA on the PET and membrane surface, to unravel the influence mechanism of microfibers on the organic fouling behavior of membranes. The results revealed that the interaction force between PET microfibers and the ultrafiltration membrane surface was more than ten times stronger than that of HA. However, the micrometer-scale size of PET induced a steric hindrance effect, leading to a disordered distribution of microfibers on the membrane surface, which had only a limited impact on the flux of the ultrafiltration membrane. In the PET-HA co-existing systems, strong interactions of PET-HA enabled microfibers to preferentially adsorb HA, effectively decreasing initial-stage membrane fouling rate by reducing the concentration of free HA. However, the dissolved HA could penetrate microfiber interstices under hydrodynamic forces and form a "membrane-HA-PET" gradient fouling layer, making the membrane fouling behavior of the mixed system comparable to that of the single HA system during the stable operation stage.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |