Reverse Osmosis : A Guide for the Nonengineering Professional

Written in Frank Spellman’s trademark, engaging, and highly readable style, this book discusses issues facing the water/wastewater and desalination industries. It covers how reverse osmosis is used in drinking water purification from seawater as well as other industrial applications. By design, this text does not include an in-depth discussion of mathematics, engineering, chemistry, or biology. However, it does include numerous illustrations as well as an extensive glossary of terms and abbreviations for easy comprehension of concepts and processes, and for quick reference.

For the Nonengineering Professional

Perfect for anyone without a background in science or engineering who wants to take a closer look at how water is processed and treated, Reverse Osmosis: A Guide for the Nonengineering Professional relates reverse osmosis in its most basic form and addresses growing concerns about the quality of tap water. What is reverse osmosis? Not to be confused with filtration—which involves straining or size exclusion—reverse osmosis involves a diffusive mechanism and separation process that is dependent on solute concentration, pressure, and the water flux rate. This book describes all of the basic processes involved in reverse osmosis operations. Presented in a conversational style—using jargon-free language—it discusses in detail the drinking water purification, wastewater reuse, desalination processes, and other freshwater applications used to ensure the safe consumption of water.

The book also places special emphasis on pharmaceuticals and personal care product (PPCP) contaminants, which are not typically removed from wastewater by conventional treatment processes, however, they can be removed by processes using sophisticated membrane filtration. The author provides a basic understanding of membrane technology, and explains the membrane treatment process. He details how the processes fit together within a drinking water or wastewater treatment system and presents concepts that make up water and wastewater treatment processes as a whole. He also highlights advances in reverse osmosis technology and discusses relevant applications.

• Presents a comprehensive coverage of reverse osmosis



• Discusses fundamental processes and equipment used in reverse osmosis



• Provides technical terminology in simplified form