Membrane fouling is a major challenge in membrane processes. The causes are often specific and depend on the constituents of the feed water, the interaction between feed water quality, the pretreatment process, and the used chemicals. This study aims to investigate the effect of pre-treatment on membrane fouling. Various studies were carried out to identify the reasons for membrane fouling: membrane autopsy and pretreatment optimization. The results of the membrane autopsy by scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) revealed that the main causes of membrane fouling are: calcium carbonate (CaCO₃; 38.70%), aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃; 17.42%), and barium sulfate (Ba(SO₄)₂; 15.23%). The results of the pretreatment optimization allowed to significantly reduce the residual aluminum concentration and the clogging index after the 5 µm cartridge filters. Likewise, it allows to decrease the clogging rate of reverse osmosis membranes.

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