A
system and method for enhancing the flux and separation
properties of water filtration membranes by oxidizing raw or processed water constituents with direct photolysis of the
water matrix by pulsed blackbody UV, yielding
ozone and
hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals and other short lived oxidizing species. The result thereof, causing
precipitation of inorganic molecules or organically complexed minerals, partial or complete mineralization of
organic molecules and the deactivation or destruction of microbes including:
virus,
bacteria and
protozoa. The
system and method comprises a pulsed blackbody, deep-UV reactor having at least one treatment chamber, the reactor having a conveying
assembly to convey the water to be treated into the chamber; a filter
assembly to screen the UV
treated water; a caustic supply means for the post-treatment of water; a recovering
assembly recovering the permeate at an outlet of the
filtration means. The effect of such UV
water treatment is multifaceted. One aspect is the reduction of the
transmembrane pressure (TMP), another is the reduction of duration of backwash and caustic cleaning cycles. Also, the oxidation of iron and
manganese to insoluble compounds, without the addition of oxidizing agents, does not harm the membranes. Iron and
manganese turn into
hydroxide crystals trapped by the
filtration membrane and separated from the permeate. These effects integrate to enhance the water flux through the filter membrane.