PROPOSALS TO INCREASE THE OPERATING EFFICIENCY OF A WATER PRETREATMENT PLANT FOR HEMODIALYSIS

Abstract

Introduction:
A water pretreatment plant for hemodialysis through clarification and dechlorination does not offer the expected flow with the required quality, in terms of suspended solids and residual free chlorine, affecting the useful life of reverse osmosis membranes and microfilters. In this work, operational problems are identified and improvements are proposed to guarantee greater efficiency of the installation.
Objective:
To propose improvements that guarantee the efficiency of water pretreatment for hemodialysis.
Materials and Methods:
The water flows supplied to the settler and the filter, and water characteristics were determined and compared with those of drinking water and for reverse osmosis. The effects of removal of suspended solids, turbidity, color, residual chorine and required dose of coagulant were established. The load applied to the double layer filter was checked.
Results and Discussion:
The inlet pressure to the plant does not allow the design flow to be achieved. The applied dose of coagulant is not adequate and alkali should not be added. It was found that the clarification and dechlorination processes are inefficient.
Conclusions:
Neither the service demand nor the design flow rate is always guaranteed. The required dose of coagulant is 18 mg/L and there is no need to alkalinize the water. The turbidity and color removal efficiencies are 70% and 60.53% respectively, and the suspended solids removal efficiency in the settler is 45.2%. The output turbidity and free chlorine concentration exceed those required for reverse osmosis membranes.