Browsing by Author "Akinyemi, Akinnike Felicia"

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    DEVELOPMENT OF A POLYMERIC NANOCOMPOSITE MEMBRANE FOR MICROBIAL CONTAMINANT REMOVAL IN PHARMACEUTICAL WASTEWATER
    (Covenant University, Ota, 2026-08) Akinyemi, Akinnike Felicia; Covenant University Thesis
    One of the characteristics of pharmaceutical wastewater is high microbial contamination, which poses a high risk to both the environment and public health. Conventional treatments are not designed for eliminating microbial contaminants, hence the need for the development of advanced and sustainable membrane technologies. Therefore, this study aims to develop and evaluate the performance of PLA/PEG/CS/TiO₂ nanocomposite membranes for microbial removal in pharmaceutical wastewater. The membrane synthesis was achieved via phase inversion and subsequently evaluated through experimental and computational methods. Optimisation of membrane composition using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) identified a blend of 2 g of PEG, 0.2 g of chitosan, and TiO₂ as the optimal blend, producing a maximum microbial removal efficiency of 85.1% for sample C. The optimise membrane (M14) achieved a microbial reduction of up to 88.9% within 10 minutes for sample A wastewater, outperforming M2 and M3. Modelling of the filtration process using COMSOL Multiphysics provided predictive insights and mechanistic understanding that complemented experimental findings. Comparison with experimental data indicated that the model captured the general fluctuating behaviour of the filtration system, supporting its use for mechanistic insight and preliminary process understanding. Evaluation of the 20 fabricated membranes (M1-M20) shows that M14 with 2 g of PEG and 0.2 g each of TiO₂ and chitosan exhibited desirable properties, such as a rough, porous structure and strong -OH/-NH functionality. These properties enhanced the surface hydrophilicity and microbial adsorption. Performance testing revealed that M14 maintained the highest flux (4160 L/m²·h for distilled water; 3388 L/m²·h for wastewater), permeability (21,577 mL/(m²·s·bar)) and fouling resistance (Rf = 576,318 m⁻¹), while sustaining a flux recovery ratio above 70 % before irreversible fouling was observed at cycle 6. Adsorption studies show that the microbial rejection from M14 portrays a predominantly multilayer adsorption behaviour, which agrees with the Freundlich model with a linear plot and R2 of 0.997. Overall, the study successfully synthesised a multifunctional, biodegradable nanocomposite membrane with excellent antimicrobial performance and structural stability. The integration of experimental results with COMSOL modelling provided a mechanistic understanding and predictive framework for optimising nanocomposite membrane design. The fabricated membrane demonstrates strong potential for sustainable pharmaceutical wastewater treatment, combining eco-compatibility, high removal rejection, and stable performance under realistic operating conditions. Future work should focus on pilot/industrial-scale validation, long-term membrane fouling and stability studies, techno-economic assessment, and quantitative refinement of the COMSOL Multiphysics model.