Ultrafiltration pretreatment enhances membrane distillation flux, resilience and permeate quality during water recovery from concentrated blackwater (urine/faeces)

Highlights • UF is used as a pre-treatment to reduce membrane distillation fouling.• UF removes particles and colloids from blackwater but low MW fraction increases.• Whilst UF treated blackwater high in organics, flux and water quality is stable.• Without UF pre-treatment, severe fouling reduces flux, which reduces quickly.• With UF pre-treatment, permeate quality consistently meets treatment quality.

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