Higher Molecular Weight Cutoff Research Articles

Effect of silver nanoparticles on the morphological, antibacterial activity and performance of graphene oxide-embedded polyvinylidene fluoride membrane

In this work, a different ratio of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) was used as a nanofiller on graphene oxide (GO)-embedded polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes fabrication through a non-solvent induced phase separation method. The morphology of fabricated membranes was investigated using FTIR, XRD, and SEM-EDX techniques. The fabricated membranes were tested for Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) rejection and Molecular Weight Cut Off (MWCO) with various initial concentrations of 100 – 400 ppm and 6 – 145 kDa, respectively using a crossflow method, as well as antibacterial activity against four strains bacteria via total plate counting and Kirby-Bauer method. The incorporation of hydrophilic GO and Ag NPs obviously alters membrane morphology, enhances membrane’s porosity and hydrophilicity. Moreover, it improves membrane crystallinity (> 70%) as indicated by the higher XRD peaks intensity. Based on the crossflow measurements, the membrane fabricated with GO and Ag ratio of 1: 3 (PVDF/GO/AgNPs – 3) demonstrated the highest BSA flux of 83.81 L/m2 h, which was third-fold higher than that of PVDF membrane as well as high BSA rejection (> 94%) and MWCO of ∼3 kDa. According to the observation, PVDF/GO/AgNPs – 3 also possessed a high bacteria killing ratio of > 94% and a large inhibition zone of ≥ 1.5 mm toward all bacteria strains. These results inferred that PVDF/GO/Ag membrane has great potential as antibiofouling membranes.

Aqueously diffusible RNA-bound amyloid-β aggregates in Alzheimer disease brain (P1-6.004)

<h3>Objective:</h3> To define the macromolecular properties of naturally occurring, aqueously diffusible aggregates of amyloid-β protein (Aβ) to inform the next generation of treatments for Alzheimer disease. <h3>Background:</h3> Aqueously extractable and diffusible aggregates of Aβ (often called “oligomers” or “protofibrils”) are principal drug targets in AD, including for lecanemab. The structure, size, and molecular binding partners of these aggregates obtained from human brain are unknown. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> Diffusible “soaking extracts” of AD brain were made by soaking minced cerebral cortex in aqueous buffer followed by ultracentrifugation. The soaking extracts were analyzed by isopycnic cesium chloride centrifugation, rate-zonal centrifugation, and size exclusion chromatography (SEC), followed by high-sensitivity Aβ₄₂ ELISA, as well as immunoprecipitation and RNA urea-PAGE. <h3>Results:</h3> Aβ aggregates in aqueous soaking extracts of AD brain exhibited higher density by isopycnic centrifugation than did synthetic Aβ fibrils, suggesting the presence of nucleic acids. RNAse treatment reduced the density of Aβ aggregates but increased their mass as measured by rate-zonal centrifugation. SEC using a high molecular weight cutoff resin showed three size peaks of Aβ, one of which disappeared with RNAse treatment. RNAse did not affect the total amount of monomeric or aggregated Aβ measurable in the AD brain soaking extracts. Aβ aggregate-directed antibodies immunoprecipitated a small RNA population from AD but not control brain soaking extracts. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> A sub-population of diffusible Aβ aggregates in human AD brain is bound to small RNAs. Its importance for disease progression and treatment is under investigation. <b>Disclosure:</b> Dr. Stern has nothing to disclose. Miss Meunier has nothing to disclose. Mrs. Liu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Selkoe has received personal compensation in the range of $50,000-$99,999 for serving as a Consultant for Prothena Biosciences. Dr. Selkoe has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for EISAI.

Using molecular weight-based fluorescent detector to characterize dissolved effluent organic matter in oxidation ditch with algae.

Implementation of microalgae has been considered for enhancing effluent wastewater quality. However, it can cause environmental issues due to the release of extracellular and algal organic matter in the biological process. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of dissolved effluent as algae- and bacteria-derived organic matter during the oxidation ditch process. Furthermore, experiments were conducted under three combinations filled by Spirulina platensis, Chlorella vulgaris, and without microalgae. The results showed that dissolved effluent organic matter was more aromatic and hydrophobic than before treatment. Fluorescence spectroscopy identified two components-aromatic protein-like and soluble microbial product-like components-at excitation/emission of 230/345nm and 320/345nm after treatment, instead of fulvic acid-like at 230/420nm and humic acid-like at 320/420nm in raw wastewater. These components were fractionated based on the average of molecular weight cut-offs (MWCOs), and high (MWCOs > 50,000Da), medium (MWCOs 50,000-1650Da), and low molecular weights (MWCOs < 1650Da) were reported. Biological oxidation ditch under symbiosis algal bacteria generated humic and fulvic acid with a higher MWCOs than the process without algal. The quality and quantity of dissolved effluent organic matter in an oxidation ditch reactor were significantly affected by algal-bacteria symbiotic.

A smart and responsive crystalline porous organic cage membrane with switchable pore apertures for graded molecular sieving

Membranes with high selectivity offer an attractive route to molecular separations, where technologies such as distillation and chromatography are energy intensive. However, it remains challenging to fine tune the structure and porosity in membranes, particularly to separate molecules of similar size. Here, we report a process for producing composite membranes that comprise crystalline porous organic cage films fabricated by interfacial synthesis on a polyacrylonitrile support. These membranes exhibit ultrafast solvent permeance and high rejection of organic dyes with molecular weights over 600 g mol−1. The crystalline cage film is dynamic, and its pore aperture can be switched in methanol to generate larger pores that provide increased methanol permeance and higher molecular weight cut-offs (1,400 g mol−1). By varying the water/methanol ratio, the film can be switched between two phases that have different selectivities, such that a single, ‘smart’ crystalline membrane can perform graded molecular sieving. We exemplify this by separating three organic dyes in a single-stage, single-membrane process.

Conformationally tunable calix[4]pyrrole-based nanofilms for efficient molecular separation

Preparation of nanofilms which are able to reject water-soluble low molecular weight organic compounds in nanofiltration remains to be a challenge. Herein, we report a new kind of self-standing, defect-free, robust, centimeter-sized and thickness controllable calix[4]pyrrole (C[4]P)-based nanofilms with excellent molecular sieving performance in nanofiltration. The nanofilms were prepared via confined dynamic condensation of the tetra-benzoyl-hydrazine derivative of calix[4]pyrrole (CPTBH) with 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxaldehyde (BTC) at the air/dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) interface. Nanofiltration tests under 2 bar pressure with porous polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as the support and a CsF treated CPTBH-BTC nanofilm (∼100 nm) as the selective layer depicted a water permeance of 15 L m-2h−1 bar−1 and a methanol permeance of 45 L m-2h−1 bar−1. High rejection rates (>95%) were found in aqueous solution for most of the tested dyes and pharmaceuticals. Remarkably, the composite membrane also demonstrated good separation performance in aqueous phase to some amino acids and organic dyes with molecular weights around 200 g/mol. High-performance nanofiltration in methanol was also realized. In this case, the molecular weight cutoff value is ∼ 800 g/mol. These findings showed that introduction of macrocyclic hosts is an effective way to develop nanofilms with high solvent permeance but low molecular weight cutoff value.

The kidney of the Nodularia freshwater mussel has a larger filtration-size and counter-current system with improved water excretion compared with the seawater mussel Mytilus.

ABSTRACTHistological studies and magnetic resonance imaging were employed to analyze the kidney structure and function of the freshwater mussel, Nodularia douglasiae. The Nodularia kidney consists of proximal, intermediate and distal tubules. The epithelia of the renal tubules were composed of a single layer of cuboidal cells. The proximal and distal tubules run in opposite directions underneath the pericardial cavity. Molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) values for the kidney filtration were detected by MR tracer injections: gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (GdDTPA) at 0.55 kDa, an oligomer-based contrast agent (CH3-DTPA-Gd) at 2.2 kDa, as well as Gd-DTPA-polylysine at 10, 22, and 110 kDa. The T1w-MRI intensity and T1 relaxation rate (R1) of the pericardial cavity and renal tubules increased with tracers smaller than 10 kDa. The other tracers showed only minimal or no increase. Thus, we concluded that the MWCO of the kidney is 22 kDa, 50 times larger than that for the Mytilus living in seawater. Since the R1 values of the renal tubules were similar to those of the pericardial cavity, the kidney did not concentrate filtrated tracers. The slow decay of the magnetic resonance (MR) tracers from the renal tubules indicated a low filtration rate, suggesting that the counter-current system reabsorbs useful solutes without reabsorption of water. The higher MWCO may be beneficial to maintain the tubular oncotic pressure and allow excretion of excess water. In conclusion, a main renal function of the freshwater mussel is the excretion of water, opposite to that of the seawater mussel and vertebrates, which preserve water.

Comparative analysis of the processes of collagen concentration by ultrafiltration using different types of membranes

AbstractTangential flow filtration of the collagen protein solutions with a molecular weight 12, 14, and 24 kDa is investigated using flat sheet membranes. The effects of tangential ultrafiltration (UF) on the permeate properties using two regenerated celluloses (RCs) and two polyethersulfone (PES) membranes with molecular weight cut‐off (MWCO) of 5 and 10 kDa are reported. The permeate and concentrate obtained in the UF experiments are characterized from a physical–chemical point of view by determining the temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, nitrogen content, and protein concentration. In addition, the experimental data are modeled using Hermia's model. The UF experiments demonstrated that permeate flux declined with increasing molecular weight of collagen at constant concentration (1%). Regardless of the molecular weight of collagen, the rejections decrease in the following order: PES 5 kDa &gt; RC5kDa &gt; RC10kDa &gt; PES10kDa. In case of membrane with higher MWCO, the clogging phenomenon is mainly due to the blockage of the internal pores of the membrane than the formation of a polarization layer. Morphologies and characteristics of the membranes are characterized using scanning electron microscopy.

Large Area Self-Assembled Ultrathin Polyimine Nanofilms Formed at the Liquid-Liquid Interface Used for Molecular Separation.

Separation membranes with higher molecular weight cut-offs are needed to separate ions and small molecules from a mixed feed. The molecular sieving phenomenon can be utilized to separate smaller species with well-defined dimensions from a mixture. Here, the formation of freestanding polyimine nanofilms with thicknesses down to ≈14 nm synthesized via self-assembly of pre-synthesized imine oligomers is reported. Nanofilms are fabricated at the water-xylene interface followed by reversible condensation of polymerization according to the Pieranski theory. Polyimine nanofilm composite membranes are made via transferring the freestanding nanofilm onto ultrafiltration supports. High water permeance of 49.5 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 is achieved with a complete rejection of brilliant blue-R (BBR; molecular weight = 825 g mol-1 ) and no more than 10% rejection of monovalent and divalent salts. However, for a mixed feed of BBR dye and monovalent salt, the salt rejection is increased to ≈18%. Membranes are also capable of separating small dyes (e.g., methyl orange; MO; molecular weight = 327 g mol-1 ) from a mixed feed of BBR and MO. Considering a thickness of ≈14 nm and its separation efficiency, the present membrane has significance in separation processes.

In Vivo Microdialysis Method to Collect Large Extracellular Proteins from Brain Interstitial Fluid with High-molecular Weight Cut-off Probes.

In vivo microdialysis is a powerful technique to collect ISF from awake, freely-behaving animals based on a dialysis principle. While microdialysis is an established method that measures relatively small molecules including amino acids or neurotransmitters, it has been recently used to also assess dynamics of larger molecules in ISF using probes with high molecular weight cut off membranes. Upon using such probes, microdialysis has to be run in a push-pull mode to avoid pressure accumulated inside of the probes. This article provides step-by-step protocols including stereotaxic surgery and how to set up microdialysis lines to collect proteins from ISF. During microdialysis, drugs can be administered either systemically or by direct infusion into ISF. Reverse microdialysis is a technique to directly infuse compounds into ISF. Inclusion of drugs in the microdialysis perfusion buffer allows them to diffuse into ISF through the probes while simultaneously collecting ISF. By measuring tau protein as an example, the author shows how its levels are altered upon stimulating neuronal activity by reverse microdialysis of picrotoxin. Advantages and limitations of microdialysis are described along with the extended application by combining other in vivo methods.

A rotating disk ultrafiltration process for recycling alfalfa wastewater

Abstract Rotating Disk Membrane (RDM) module with ultrafiltration (UF) was an effective alternative method to treat alfalfa wastewater and realize protein recovery and agricultural irrigation water production. The effects of membrane and operational conditions (rotating speed, temperature and transmembrane pressure (TMP)) on filtration behavior were investigated using full recycling tests. High molecular weight cut off (MWCO) membrane, rotating speed, temperature and TMP improved flux behavior and productivity, but reduced separation performance. Moreover, the increases of membrane MWCO, temperature and TMP also led to elevation of irreversible fouling. Then series of concentration tests were conducted at various operational conditions and the filtration behavior was studied. High temperature could improve flux behavior and productivity significantly. Hermia’s blocking model was used to study fouling process, and identify the main fouling mechanism. These results from laboratory-scale tests provide a useful guide for protein recovery and agricultural irrigation water production in alfalfa wastewater treatment and provide a useful guide for UF process operation in industrial scale.

Molecular weight cut-off determination of organic solvent nanofiltration membranes using poly(propylene glycol)

A new method for determining the molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of an organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) membrane has been developed utilising poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) oligomers. This new MWCO method overcomes the limitations of the currently popular methods: namely the high molecule cost in the popular polystyrene method, the Donnan Exclusion effects when using dye molecules and the solvent compatibility and HPLC separation resolution limitations of the lesser used poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) method. A new reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography separation with evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) allows the concentration of each oligomer of PPG to be accurately determined and from this the MWCO curves are constructed. The method has a high resolution (size increment of 58gmol−1 corresponding to the OCH(CH3)CH2 structural unit) and can be used in polar, polar aprotic, and non-polar solvents. The accuracy of the method has been demonstrated in three different solvents (methanol, acetone, and toluene) and 5 different OSN membranes (DuraMem® 150, 200, 500, PuraMem® 280 and StarMemTM 240). Other advantages include; oligomers of PPG are cheap and widely available, can probe a wide range of MWCO and provide high resolution MWCO curves. Consequently, it is proposed that this method be adopted as a new standard MWCO test for OSN membranes.

Paraprotein-Related Kidney Disease: Evaluation and Treatment of Myeloma Cast Nephropathy.

Nearly 50% of patients with multiple myeloma develop renal disease, most commonly from AKI caused by cast nephropathy. Development of AKI is associated with poor 1-year survival and reduces the therapeutic options available to patients. There is a great need for more effective therapies. Cast nephropathy is caused by the interaction and aggregation of filtered free light chains and Tamm-Horsfall protein causing intratubular obstruction and damage. The key to treating cast nephropathy is rapid lowering of free light chains, because this correlates with renal recovery. Newer chemotherapy agents rapidly lower free light chains and have been referred to as renoprotective. There is additional great interest in using extracorporeal therapies to remove serum free light chains. Small trials initially showed benefit of therapeutic plasma exchange to improve renal outcomes in cast nephropathy, but a large randomized trial of therapeutic plasma exchange failed to show benefit. A newer technique is extended high-cutoff hemodialysis. This modality uses a high molecular weight cutoff filter to remove free light chains. To date, trials of high-cutoff hemodialysis use in patients with cast nephropathy have been encouraging. However, there are no randomized trials showing the benefit of high-cutoff hemodialysis when used in addition to newer chemotherapeutic regimens. Until these studies are available, high-cutoff hemodialysis cannot be recommended as standard of care.

Cerebral microdialysis for protein biomarker monitoring in the neurointensive care setting - a technical approach.

Cerebral microdialysis (MD) was introduced as a neurochemical monitoring method in the early 1990s and is currently widely used for the sampling of low molecular weight molecules, signaling energy crisis, and cellular distress in the neurointensive care (NIC) setting. There is a growing interest in MD for harvesting of intracerebral protein biomarkers of secondary injury mechanisms in acute traumatic and neurovascular brain injury in the NIC community. The initial enthusiasm over the opportunity to sample protein biomarkers with high molecular weight cut-off MD catheters has dampened somewhat with the emerging realization of inherent methodological problems including protein–protein interaction, protein adhesion, and biofouling, causing an unstable in vivo performance (i.e., fluid recovery and extraction efficiency) of the MD catheter. This review will focus on the results of a multidisciplinary collaborative effort, within the Uppsala Berzelii Centre for Neurodiagnostics during the past several years, to study the features of the complex process of high molecular weight cut-off MD for protein biomarkers. This research has led to new methodology showing robust in vivo performance with optimized fluid recovery and improved extraction efficiency, allowing for more accurate biomarker monitoring. In combination with evolving analytical methodology allowing for multiplex biomarker analysis in ultra-small MD samples, a new opportunity opens up for high-resolution temporal mapping of secondary injury cascades, such as neuroinflammation and other cell injury reactions directly in the injured human brain. Such data may provide an important basis for improved characterization of complex injuries, e.g., traumatic and neurovascular brain injury, and help in defining targets and treatment windows for neuroprotective drug development.

Fluorescence imaging of macromolecule transport in high molecular weight cut-off microdialysis.

When microdialysis (MD) membrane exceeds molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of 100 kDa, the fluid mechanics are in the ultrafiltration regime. Consequently, fluidic mass transport of macromolecules in the perfusate over the membrane may reduce the biological relevance of the sampling and cause an inflammatory response in the test subject. Therefore, a method to investigate the molecular transport of high MWCO MD is presented. An in vitro test chamber was fabricated to facilitate the fluorescent imaging of the MD sampling process, using fluoresceinylisothiocyanate (FITC) dextran and fluorescence microscopy. Qualitative studies on dextran behavior inside and outside the membrane were performed. Semiquantitative results showed clear dextran leakage from both 40 and 250 kDa dextran when 100 kDa MWCO membranes were used. Dextran 40 kDa leaked out with an order of magnitude higher concentration and the leakage pattern resembled more of a convective flow pattern compared with dextran 250 kDa, where the leakage pattern was more diffusion based. No leakage was observed when dextran 500 kDa was used as a colloid osmotic agent. The results in this study suggest that fluorescence imaging could be used as a method for qualitative and semiquantitative molecular transport and fluid dynamics studies of MD membranes and other hollow fiber catheter membranes.

Effects of hydrodynamic conditions (diffusion vs. convection) and solution chemistry on effective molecular weight cut-off of negatively charged nanofiltration membranes

The apparent and effective molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) values of negatively charged nanofiltration (NF) membranes were determined using the fractional rejection of solutes of interest, including neutral polyethylene glycols and natural organic matter (NOM) containing ionizable functional groups. Varying the hydrodynamic operating conditions, denoted by the J/k ratio (where J represents the permeate water flux/convectional transport and k represents the mass transfer coefficient/back diffusional transport), produced changes in both the nominal and effective MWCO. Consequently, a higher J/k ratio resulted in reduced solute rejection and a higher MWCO. It was confirmed that the nominal MWCO provided by the membrane manufacturers might not be capable of predicting performance with respect to the different characteristics of various solutes (i.e., contaminants) since the predicted nominal MWCO values were nearly twice as high as those measured in this investigation. The effective MWCO values of the NF membranes with respect to NOM were slightly higher than the corresponding nominal MWCO when the NOM was relatively hydrophilic.

Impact of static pressure on transmembrane fluid exchange in high molecular weight cut off microdialysis

With the interest of studying larger biomolecules by microdialysis (MD), this sampling technique has reached into the ultrafiltration region of fluid exchange, where fluid recovery (FR) has a strong dependence on pressure. Hence in this study, we focus on the fluid exchange across the high molecular weight cut off MD membrane under the influence of the static pressure in the sampling environment. A theoretical model is presented for MD with such membranes, where FR has a linear dependence upon the static pressure of the sample. Transmembrane (TM) osmotic pressure difference and MD perfusion rate decide how fast FR increases with increased static pressure. A test chamber for in vitro MD under static pressure was constructed and validated. It can hold four MD probes under controlled pressurized conditions. Comparison showed good agreement between experiment and theory. Moreover, test results showed that the fluid recovery of the test chamber MD can be set accurately via the chamber pressure, which is controlled by sample injection into the chamber at precise rate. This in vitro system is designed for modelling in vivo MD in cerebrospinal fluid and studies with biological samples in this system may be good models for in vivo MD.

Comparison of microdialysis sampling perfusion fluid components on the foreign body reaction in rat subcutaneous tissue

Microdialysis sampling is a commonly used technique for collecting solutes from the extracellular space of tissues in laboratory animals and humans. Large molecular weight solutes can be collected using high molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) membranes (100kDa or greater). High MWCO membranes require addition of high molecular weight dextrans or albumin to the perfusion fluid to prevent fluid loss via ultrafiltration. While these perfusion fluid additives are commonly used during microdialysis sampling, the tissue response to the loss of these compounds across the membrane is poorly understood. Tissue reactions to implanted microdialysis sampling probes containing different microdialysis perfusion fluids were compared over a 7-day time period in rats. The base perfusion fluid was Ringer’s solution supplemented with either bovine serum albumin (BSA), rat serum albumin (RSA), Dextran-70, or Dextran-500. A significant inflammatory response to Dextran-70 was observed. No differences in the tissue response between BSA and RSA were observed. Among these agents, the BSA, RSA, and Dextran-500 produced a significantly reduced inflammatory response compared to the Dextran-70. This work demonstrates that use of Dextran-70 in microdialysis sampling perfusion fluids should be eliminated and replaced with Dextran-500 or other alternatives.

Membrane-based treatment for tanning wastewaters

Tanning wastewater was subjected to different unit operations to select the best treatment sequences. Textile membrane filtration (TMF), microfiltration (MF), and ultrafiltration (UF) were complemented by screening, flocculation or flotation operations. The general chemical characterization determined that the wastewater had a high organic load. The ecotoxicological study classified the wastewater as highly ecotoxic. The sequence of screening – TMF – UF was found to be the optimal treatment for wastewaters of the first and second soaking stages, while the sequence of screening – TMF – flotation – UF proved to be adequate for the liming wastewater concerning productivity and water quality. Larger pore sizes MF membrane or higher molecular weight cut off (MWCO) UF membranes with higher permeability to pure water showed lower permeation fluxes for tanning wastewater. After membrane treatments, a decrease in the ecotoxicity was measured. The use of membrane treatment technology showed to be promising in removing organic pollutants and allowing the reuse of water and chemicals in the process.

Immune‐enhancing effect of high molecular weight portion of dextran glycated alpha‐lactalbumin

Proteins and reducing sugars can be conjugated by glycation reaction which is Maillard reaction. We have tried to find a new functional material through this reaction. In the previous study, we found that there was a potency of immune‐modulating effect on alpha‐lactalbumin (LA) and dextran (D) conjugate (LADC). There was no a significant difference between LA and LADC in terms of immune response in RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. However, in this study, the immune‐enhancing effects of high molecular weight portion of LADC were shown DLA in RAW 264.7 was shown. LA and D were dry‐heated at 60¡É and 79% relative humidity for 1 and 15 days. SDS‐PAGE analysis was used to confirm the occurrence of the conjugated formation. 100 kDa membrane cut‐off was carried out to gain a high molecular weight portion of LADC. Immune‐enhancing effects were screened by nitric oxide (NO) production. TNF‐α, IL‐1β and IL‐6 cytokines were estimated in vitro. Data showed that the high molecular weight cutoff portion of LADC (LADCCO) showed dramatically increase of NO production. Also, LADCCO treated group presented high expression of immune‐related cytokines, TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6, in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Therefore, our study suggests that high molecular weight cutoff portion of dextran glycated with alpha‐lactalbumin might be a new useful material for enhancing the immune responses.

Application of micellar enhanced ultrafiltration and activated carbon fiber hybrid processes for lead removal from an aqueous solution

Micellar enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) and activated carbon fiber (ACF) hybrid processes were used to investigate the removal condition of lead ions and surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) from an aqueous solution. Lead removal efficiency increased with the increase of initial surfactant concentration. Molar ratio of lead to SDS up to 1: 5 has shown over 90% removal efficiency of lead, and the optimum molar ratio of lead to SDS was found to be 1: 5. Lead removal efficiency increased with the increase of pH, while it was maintained below 30% without surfactant. Lead removal was mainly due to the adsorption mechanism and no secondary layer was formed to reduce the flux. Lower molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) membrane has shown higher removal efficiency than higher MWCO one. Permeate flux decreased with the increase of molar ratio of lead to SDS. Flux decline was mainly due to the accumulation of micelles on the membrane surface. The presence of copper as a co-existing heavy metal highly affected the lead removal while nickel did not. Two sets of ACF unit in series were able to remove SDS surfactant effectively from the effluents of MEUF process.