RADON REMOVAL USING MICROPOROUS HOLLOW FIBER MEMBRANES

WATER UTILITIES ARE CURRENTLY ADDRESSING TECHNOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH COMPLYING WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S RECENTLY PROPOSED MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVEL OF 300 PCI/L FOR RADON IN DRINKING WATER. THE PROPOSED RULE COULD AFFECT MORE THAN 30,000 UTILITIES USING GROUNDWATER, AT AN ANNUAL ESTIMATED COST OF COMPLIANCE THAT COULD EXCEED $2.5 BILLION. RECENT STUDIES IDENTIFIED THAT USE OF AERATION, THE DESIGNATED BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY, MAY NOT BE FEASIBLE FOR MANY UTILITIES BECAUSE; (1) RESULTING AIR EMISSIONS MAY EXCEED COMMONLY APPLIED LOCAL AND STATE REGULATORY RISK GUIDELINES; (2) EFFECTIVE RADON EMISSION CONTROL TECHNOLOGY APPROPRIATE TO WATER UTILITIES IS NOT AVAILABLE. A PROMISING INNOVATIVE TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY, WHICH ADDRESSES THE NEED FOR RADON AIR EMISSION CONTROL, IS THE HOLLOW FIBER MEMBRANE-GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON (HFM-GAC) PROCESS. IN THIS PROCESS, RADON IS STRIPPED IN AN HFM MODULE UNDER VACUUM AND THE EVACUATED RADON CONCENTRATED IN A LIQUID SIDE STREAM FOR REMOVAL ON LIQUID PHASE GAC. THE RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THE FEASIBILITY OF THE HFM-GAC PROCESS FOR RADON REMOVAL AND PROVIDES VALUABLE INFORMATION FOR COMMERCIALIZING THIS PROCESS.