Nanofiltration treatment of swimming pool water in the aspect of the phenolic micropollutants elimination

Guaranteeing the safety and comfort of swimmers is done by providing swimming pool water properties that will not pose a threat to the health of users. Meanwhile, recently published publications more and more often pay attention to the growing number of organic micropollutants classified as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) identified in the swimming pool water environment. The removal of phenols, as an example of compounds from EDCs group, from swimming pool waters by nanofiltration was investigated in this study. Commercial semi-aromatic polyamide membrane NF-270 was used. It has been documented that the occurrence of phenolic micropollutants in pool water is common, and the nanofiltration process can be used as effective method to eliminate them. The degree of phenol removal in the nanofiltration process exceeded 51%, depending on the water matrix, the type and parameters of pool water, the concentration of removed compounds and the duration of the filtration process. It was also shown that membrane techniques can help and improve the overall quality of pool water. The membrane is an additional barrier for viruses, bacteria and protozoa. Furthermore, nanofiltration has been shown as an effective method for removing water-soluble organic compounds, including precursors of water disinfection by-products.