Salt Flux Research Articles

From the Field to the Lab: Physiological and Behavioural Consequences of Environmental Salinity in a Coastal Frog.

Environmental salinization is recognized as a global threat affecting biodiversity, particularly in coastal ecosystems (affected by sea level rise and increased frequency and severity of storms), and the consequent osmoregulatory challenges can negatively affect wildlife. In order to assess whether coastal species can respond to changes in environmental salinity, it remains essential to investigate the consequences of exposure to salinity in an environmentally-relevant context. In this study, we assessed the consequences of exposure to environmental salinity in coastal frogs (Pelophylax sp., N = 156) both in the field and experimentally, using a comprehensive combination of markers of physiology, behaviour and ecology. Exposure to salinity in the field negatively affected physiological parameters (osmolality, monocytes and eosinophils counts), as well as body condition and locomotor performance, and influenced size- and sex-specific habitat selection. Further, we demonstrated in a controlled experiment that short-term exposure to salinity strongly affected physiological parameters (salt influxes, water effluxes, immunity-related stress markers) and locomotor performance. Most of these effects were transient (water and salt fluxes, locomotor performance) once optimal conditions resumed (i.e., freshwater). Taken together, our results highlight the need to investigate whether exposure to environmental salinity can ultimately affect individual fitness and population persistence across taxa.

Evaluating soil salts dynamics under biodegradable film mulching with different disintegration rates in an arid region with shallow and saline groundwater: Experimental and modeling study

Soil salinization caused by shallow, saline groundwater represents a serious threat to field productivity, especially in arid regions with intense soil evaporation. Plastic film mulching (PM) has been increasingly applied to reduce soil evaporation and alleviate soil salinity stress. However, PM introduces into the soil a significant amount of plastic residues. Although biodegradable film mulching (BM) is an ideal alternative to PM due to the degradability of these films, unreasonably high disintegration rates may reduce the benefits of the proposed solution. Understanding the effects of these factors on soil salinity is essential for designing management options for improving water productivity. A two-year cornfield experiment was therefore carried out during 2019–2020 to evaluate differences in soil salt dynamics among treatments with BMs with low, medium, and high disintegration rates (BML, BMM, BMH), one polyethylene film mulching (PM), and no mulching (NM). Additionally, the HYDRUS-2D model was used to evaluate the electrical conductivity of the saturation paste extract (ECe), soil salt fluxes, salt distributions, and salt mass balances in two-dimensional soil profiles under BML, BMM, BMH, PM, and NM. The results showed that calibrated HYDRUS-2D could precisely simulate soil salinity under different mulching treatments. There were large differences between various treatments in the middle and late crop growth stages (Days After Sowing [DAS] 61–140). The highest ECe among different BM treatments occurred in BMH. Additionally, the two-dimensional distribution of soil salinity under BM was affected by irrigation events. The high soil salinity stress area (ECe > 3.80 dS m−1) occurred one day after irrigation (DAS 108) only under BMH among different BM treatments. Meanwhile, root water uptake (RWU) and crop yield (CY) under BMH were significantly reduced due to excessive accumulation of soil salinity in the root zone under intensive soil evaporation conditions. Compared with BMH and BMM, BML increased CY and the leaching ratio of soil salts from the root zone due to its good performance in water conservation. Thus, BM with a low disintegration rate is more efficient in controlling soil salinization in soils with a shallow groundwater table than BMs with higher disintegration rates due to lower soil evaporation. The findings of this study improve the understanding of the mechanisms of salt dynamics under biodegradable film mulching with different disintegration rates. The study also recommends to the farmers and government a suitable disintegration rate of the biodegradable film that can be adopted to promote field productivity.

Turbulent Heat Fluxes in a Mediterranean Eddy Quantified Using Seismic and Hydrographic Observations

Mediterranean eddies (meddies) play an essential role in transferring heat, salinity and momentum into the Atlantic Ocean. The rate of heat (and salt) flux from the meddy and its ultimate lifetime are key proxies to understanding how meddies impact the redistribution of heat and salt in the ocean system. A Mediterranean eddy was observed in the Gulf of Caidz in 2007 using seismic and hydrographic data. The spatial distribution of turbulent dissipation rates around the meddy is estimated from the seismically derived internal wave spectra subrange using fine-scale parameterization. Turbulent dissipated rates are lowest (10−11 W/kg) within the core of the meddy but rise by nearly two orders of magnitude at the upper and lower boundaries, where signs of double diffusive convection are observed. Along the left flank of the meddy, thermohaline intrusions and interleaving of water masses are found in inverted temperature and salinity profiles, transporting heat laterally from the warm core to the Atlantic water with a flux of around 470 Wm−2. The meddy presented in this study is shown to decay in 2 years, primarily due to the heat loss associated with thermohaline intrusions. For the first time, heat fluxes around the meddy and its lifetime are quantified using seismic oceanography data, and the methods proposed here can be applied to more seismic datasets in the global oceans.

Performance of pilot-scale constructed wetland osmotic microbial fuel cell under different gravel conditions.

This paper explores the performance of pilot-scale constructed wetland osmotic microbial fuel cell (CW-OMFC) in different gravel conditions. The performance was measured in terms of power generation, water flux, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, and coulombic efficiency. The CW-OMFC was divided into four sections based on the porosity of the materials. The surface area of materials at Side A, Side B, Side C, and Side D were 2.717 m2.g-1, 0.228 m2.g-1, 0.095 m2.g-1, and 0.072 m2.g-1, respectively. The CW-OMFC achieved maximum water flux, minimum reverse salt flux, high power density, and COD removal efficiency of 6.66 ± 0.5 L.m-2.h-1, 3.33 ± 1.2g.m-2.h-1, 59.53 ± 10 mW.m-2 and 84.69%, respectively, by using high porous materials. The nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) uptake by plants from wastewater were 12.17%, 12.01%, and 21.73%, respectively.

Influence of membrane structure-dependent water transport on conductivity-permselectivity trade-off and salt/water selectivity in electrodialysis: Implications for osmotic electrodialysis using porous ion exchange membranes

Water transport, including osmosis and electroosmosis, is an important phenomenon in electrodialysis (ED) but is generally ignored in many studies on the analysis of ion transport. Having a fundamental understanding of the influence of water transport on ion transport during ED is of particular help for the optimization of the design of ion exchange membranes (IEMs) and the development of novel ED-related processes. In this study we systematically investigated the effect of membrane structure-dependent water transport on ED performance and explored the potential of using porous IEMs in ED. A 1-D model, which is based on the extended Nernst–Planck equation and duly considers the membrane structure-dependent water flux, was developed to analyze mass (ion and water) transport in IEMs during ED. Results show that the electroosmotic flux increased with increasing the water volume fraction and the pore size of IEMs and decreasing the thickness of IEMs, which further leads to the increase in counterion flux and the decrease in co-ion flux. Osmotic water flux exhibited a similar trend to electroosmotic flux with changing membrane structural properties. The existence of osmotic water transport further enhanced the change of counterion and co-ion fluxes, which leads to the increase in both membrane conductivity and permselectivity. This suggests that osmotic water transport can break the trade-off between conductivity and permselectivity of IEMs during ED. On the other hand, osmotic water transport leads to the decrease in specific salt flux (i.e., the ratio of salt flux over water flux) despite the increase in salt flux, suggesting the decrease in salt/water selectivity. The effect of osmotic water transport is more significant for porous IEMs due to higher osmotic water flux compared to dense IEMs. This work provides new insights into the use of porous IEMs in osmotic electrodialysis for potential applications. • Electroosmosis and osmosis are dependent on membrane structural properties and change in a similar trend in ED. • The increase in electroosmosis leads to the increase in counter-ion flux and the decrease in co-ion flux. • The existence of osmotic water transport leads to the increase in both conductivity and permselectivity. • Increasing water transport increases salt flux but decreases salt/water selectivity. • Osmotic electrodialysis using porous ion exchange membranes was proposed.

Observations of turbulent mixing and vertical diffusive salt flux in the Changjiang Diluted Water

Observations of turbulent mixing and vertical diffusive salt flux in the Changjiang Diluted Water

Apple Juice, Manure and Whey Concentration with Forward Osmosis Using Electrospun Supported Thin-Film Composite Membranes.

Forward osmosis (FO), using the osmotic pressure difference over a membrane to remove water, can treat highly foul streams and can reach high concentration factors. In this work, electrospun TFC membranes with a very porous open support (porosity: 82.3%; mean flow pore size: 2.9 µm), a dense PA-separating layer (thickness: 0.63 µm) covalently attached to the support and, at 0.29 g/L, having a very low specific reverse salt flux (4 to 12 times lower than commercial membranes) are developed, and their FO performance for the concentration of apple juice, manure and whey is evaluated. Apple juice is a low-fouling feed. Manure concentration fouls the membrane, but this results in only a small decrease in overall water flux. Whey concentration results in instantaneous, very severe fouling and flux decline (especially at high DS concentrations) due to protein salting-out effects in the boundary layer of the membrane, causing a high drag force resulting in lower water flux. For all streams, concentration factors of approximately two can be obtained, which is realistic for industrial applications.

Treatment of textile industry wastewater by using high-performance forward osmosis membrane tailored with alpha-manganese dioxide nanoparticles for fertigation.

Forward osmosis (FO) technology has been acknowledged as an energy-efficient cutting-edge water treatment innovation; however, the inefficient performance of polymer-based membranes remains a tailback in the practical utilization of FO. A significant issue in FO is membrane fouling, which negatively influences the flux efficiency, working expenses and membrane life expectancy. Membranes having high water flux and minimum reverse solute flux at low operating pressures are the ideal membranes for this process. This study reports a thin-film nanocomposite (TFNC) membrane for the treatment of textile industry wastewater utilizing fertilizer as draw solution fabricated via the phase inversion process. The chemical structure and morphology of the synthesized manganese oxide (MnO2) incorporated membrane were studied by various characterization techniques like X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, contact angle and gravimetry. The outcomes demonstrated that the nanoparticles were bonded to cellulose acetate polymer via covalent bonds and showed very hydrophilic membrane surface, along with an increased osmotic water flux of 52.5 L.m2.h-1 and reverse salt flux of 10.9g.m2.h-1, when deionized wastewater and potassium chloride were used as the feed solution and the draw solution, respectively. In this manner, incorporating manganese oxide into the FO membrane may introduce its extraordinary possible application for the production of diluted fertilizer solution with balanced nutrients.

Significant differences in agro-hydrological processes and water productivity between canal- and well-irrigated areas in an arid region

Understanding the agro-hydrological processes and water productivity of canal- and well-irrigated systems is vital for agricultural water management in arid regions. In this study, the Agro-Hydrological & chemical and Crop systems simulator (AHC) was used in a distributed manner to evaluate the agro-hydrological processes and to assess water productivity under the conditions of canal- and well-irrigated systems. With the Heji irrigation system (Heji) located in the arid upper Yellow River basin, Northwest China as the case study area, the AHC was calibrated and validated by the field observation data of 2018 and 2019. Then the model was used in a distributed manner for the entire Heji. Results showed that there were significant differences in the agro-hydrological processes and water productivity between canal- and well-irrigated areas. The spatially averaged actual evapotranspiration was larger in canal-irrigated areas, and the cumulative net bottom water and salt fluxes were mainly downward in well-irrigated areas. The applied water was used more efficiently with higher equivalent water productivity of water applied (EWPIP) in canal-irrigated areas. However, the total water consumption (evapotranspiration) was in higher efficient utilization with higher equivalent water productivity of water consumption (EWPET) in well-irrigated areas. These findings can provide implications for regional irrigation water management and salinity control in the arid areas.

Simulation of freshwater transport network and salt flux in the Bangladesh delta

Circulation of saline water is important for maintaining water quality in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) delta because of its vulnerability to the threat of climate change. We applied a numerical model to examine the volume and salt transports within the GBM delta, Bangladesh. To understand the components of salt water intrusion driven by tidal and subtidal (residual) transports, we selected 19 cross-sections to represent the complex delta circulation in a simplified network model. Our results show that over 82.51% of GBM river water drains through the eastern estuarine system (EES) in the wet season, increasing to 98.37% in the dry season. Residual transport can be comparable in size with the tidal transport in the wet season, and one order of magnitude smaller in the dry season. The western estuarine system (WES) experiences serious salinity intrusion in the dry season, and strong seasonal variability in both tidal and subtidal transport, with suppression of tide-driven transport observed during the wet season. Our results show the sub-channels area of the Lower Meghna River also faces the risk from salinity intrusion issues, as stronger tidal salt flux is estimated in the dry season. Tidal volume transport varies seasonally, corresponding to the variability of river discharge. A simplified solution by means of polynomial expansion was applied to describe the tidal propagation within river channels. Inland penetration of tidal energy is reduced with large river discharge, and additionally the propagation speed of the tidal wave increases in the wet season. Our analysis helps understand the response of the three estuarine systems to seasonal and tidal controls, and can be used to inform river management about the upstream-downstream linkages.

Influence of operating parameters and membrane fouling on nutrient transport by FO membrane

The influence of operating parameters (i.e. membrane surface area and water flux) and membrane fouling on FO nutrient retention was examined. A higher water flux and larger membrane surface area significantly improved total ammonia nitrogen retention, owing to the uncoupling of solute and solvent flux and shorter filtration time, respectively. Phosphate retention remained high (>95%) for all experiments. Membrane fouling by real sludge centrate feed solution caused significant water flux decline, and a reduction in total ammonia nitrogen retention was observed at increasing water recovery. Organic fouling by sodium alginate and humic acid also caused significant water flux decline and a lower total ammonia nitrogen retention when compared to a pristine membrane at the same draw solution ionic concentration. However, total ammonia nitrogen retention at the same water flux for a fouled and clean membrane was similar, indicating that membrane fouling had minimal direct influence on nutrient transport. Osmotic backwashing was highly effective in recovering water flux (92% and 85% for model-foulant and real sludge centrate fouled membranes, respectively); however, the reverse salt flux of the membrane increased after fouling/cleaning, indicating possible changes to the membrane integrity.

Response and contribution of shallow groundwater to soil water/salt budget and crop growth in layered soils

Shallow groundwater affects crop growth and yield by altering the root zone water and salt budgets, with the process being more complicated in layered soils. To gain insights into the role of shallow groundwater in layered soils, LAWSTAC, a physically-based agro-hydrological model, was employed to simulate soil water, salt, and groundwater fluxes and crop yield in three soil profiles: loam (L), loam with a sand interlayer (LSL), and loam with a clay interlayer (LCL). The model was verified using data collected in 2007 and 2008 from a spring wheat field with shallow groundwater tables. The model predictions matched well with the measured soil water content, salt concentration, groundwater table depth (GWD), leaf area index, biomass, and crop yield. Further simulations were conducted for the L, LSL, and LCL profiles with varying GWDs in the crop growth seasons and initial values specified at 130, 150, 170, 190, 210, 230, and 250 cm. The groundwater table showed greater fluctuations in LCL, with smaller fluctuations in LSL in comparison to L. When starting with smaller initial GWDs (of 130, 150, 170, and 190 cm), the coarse-textured soil under the root zone facilitated water and salt fluxes at the bottom of the root zone, resulting in larger averages for root zone water storage and more salt content during the crop growth seasons and lower crop yield due to salt stress. Meanwhile, in cases with an initial GWD larger than 210 cm, the coarse-textured soil inhibited the fluxes and improved crop yield due to the reduced salt stress. Fine-textured soil under the root zone inhibited water and salt fluxes, reducing root zone salt content and favoring crop yield; however, the effect decreased with larger initial GWDs. Thus, the groundwater table should be lowered to a level where coarse-textured soil acts as a capillary barrier for salt control and crop growth in soil profiles similar to LSL. Keeping a high groundwater table to sustain water for crop growth is acceptable in soil profiles similar to LCL, while keeping a lower groundwater table could be an effective practice to control salt and improve crop production in salinized croplands.

Polyethylene separator supported thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes for concentrating lithium enriched brine

To extract lithium from salt lake brine involves a process of separation and concentration. After separating lithium from brine, the lithium ion concentration is generally a few hundred mg/L which is far below the required 20-30 g/L (as Li+) before precipitation as lithium carbonate. The concentration step of a lithium enriched brine is crucial but highly energy-intensive. Spontaneous forward osmosis (FO) technology offers the possibility for concentrating lithium ions with low energy. Because the concentrating process involves both feed and draw solution with very high salinity, it is highly desirable to have a high performance FO membrane with a low structural parameter as well as a high rejection to ions. In this work, thin polyethylene separator supported FO (PE-FO) membranes were prepared and post-treated stepwise with benzyl alcohol (BA) and hydraulic compaction. The effect of the post-treatment on the FO performance was systematically analyzed. Excellent FO performance was achieved: the water flux and reverse salt flux selectivity were 66.3 LMH and 5.25 L/g, respectively, when the active layer is oriented towards the 0.5 M NaCl draw solution with deionized water as the feed. To the best of our knowledge, this FO flux is the highest ever reported in the open literature under similar test conditions. Applied in concentrating lithium enriched brine, the membrane showed superior water flux using saturated MgCl2 as draw solution. A new FO model was established to simulate the water flux during the concentration process with good agreement with the experimental results. The promising results using PE-FO membrane for lithium enrichment opens a new frontier for the potential application of FO membranes.

Development of high-performance electrospun nanofiber based forward osmosis membrane by introducing graphene oxide‑calcium carbonate particle composite intermediate layer

Interlayer construction is considered as an attractive strategy for optimizing the performance of electrospun nanofiber (ENs) based forward osmosis (FO) membranes due to its outstanding effect on the regulation of surface roughness and pore size on substrates. Herein, calcium carbonate (CaCO3) particles were uniformly coated on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) interlayer and acted as sacrificial materials to induce the formation of high-performance polyamide (PA) active layer. The presence of CaCO3 particles was effective for promoting the formation of more polyamide and tuning the microstructure of PA active layer, attributing to the reaction between CaCO3 particles and H+ ions generated from the interfacial polymerization (IP) process in which numerous CO2 nanobubbles were simultaneously released on the reaction interface. The formed PA active layer on the optimized FO membrane had a highly loose and crater-like structure as well as the highest cross-linking degree, providing the membrane with superior performance on both water flux and specific salt flux compared to other previously reported FO membranes supported on nanofibrous substrates. This work offered a new technique route for the fabrication of high-performance ENs-based FO membranes through constructing a composite interlayer having the direct regulatory function on the microstructure of PA active layer.

Factorial design in optimizing parameters for thermoresponsive ionic liquids as draw solution

This study aims to optimize the operating conditions of the forward osmosis (FO) process by introducing thermo-responsive ionic liquids (TRILs) namely 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmim][BF4]) as a draw solution for seawater desalination applications. The influence of the operation parameters, such as the feed and draw flowrate (60–300 ml/min), draw solution concentration (0.6–3.0 M), temperature (25–50 °C), and type of flow with feed concentration using artificial seawater (0.6 M NaCl). The interaction between parameters has been specified using fractional factorial design (FrFD). The draw solution concentration and the interactions between draw and feed flowrate were the most significant factors in achieving high water flux 5.1 LMH. Besides that, the draw flowrate and the interaction of both draw and feed flowrate give high significance toward adverse effects (such as concentration polarization), which is good to obtain low reverse salt at 1.3 gMH. Use the desirability function (DF) to obtain the highest water flux of 5.04 LMH and the lowest reverse salt flux of 1.71 gMH, with a desirability of 0.95. The optimal condition for FO performance is 300 ml/min feed and draw flowrate with 3.0 M draw solution at 25 °C and co-current flow.

Two tetravalent uranium silicate and germanate crystals with three membered single-ring by molten salt method: K2USi3O9 and Cs2UGe3O9

Two tetravalent uranium silicate and germanate M2UIVT3O9 (M = K, Cs; T = Si, Ge) crystals were crystalized under inert gas by molten salt flux growth method. K2USi3O9 (1) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P121/n1 with lattice parameters a = 7.1076 Å, b = 10.4776 Å, c = 12.2957 Å, γ = 120° and V = 915.67 Å3. Cs2UGe3O9 (2) crystallizes in a hexagonal space group P-6 with lattice constants of a = 7.5138 Å, b = 7.5138 Å, c = 11.0114 Å, γ = 120° and V = 538.38 Å3. Bond valence calculations indicate tetravalent uranium in both structures, which contain three-membered single-ring T3O96− trimers. K2USi3O9 is the first uranium silicate that contains the Si3O96− trimers.

Transport of salts and monoethylene glycol (MEG) during electrodialysis desalination of industrial hypersaline MEG wastewater

The rapid development of deep water gas fields exploitation has generated large amounts of hazardous waste in the form of monoethylene glycol (MEG) wastewater, raising major environmental and public health concerns. Desalination process is a key step in waste MEG reclamation system. In this study, electrodialysis (ED) was evaluated as an alternative technology for removing salts from the stream. The transfer behaviors of salts and MEG in the ED process were examined, which would aid in facilitating desalination depending on the applications. The results indicated that MEG transport was mainly attributed to salt flux-induced cotransport and it was clearly relative in operating parameters as well as MEG percentage. In a single-batch ED process, the relationship between MEG and mixed salt fluxes decreased nonlinearly. Also, the MEG flux was positively related to the initial MEG percentage in feed solution. In a continuous ED system, the MEG flux increased exponentially with incrementally increased salt flux, which was attributed to a hydrogen-bonding effect between hydrated ions and MEG molecules. The MEG transport percentage only ranged from 0.29 to 1.60% when salt removal ratio was from 56.3 to 89.0%. This investigation provided prospects and guidance for recovering valuable nonelectrolytes from various salt-containing waste streams.

Molten Salt Flux Synthesis, Structure determination, Optical, Impedance and Modulus Spectroscopy Characterization of perovskite compound

The chemical Molten Salt Flux process was used for the synthesis of Ba0.97La0.02Ti1-xNb4x/5O3 polycrystalline sample (well-known as BLTi0.93Nb0.056). Doping with Niobium caused significant alterations in the physical properties of BLT ceramic. The XRD analysis revealed that Nb introduction forms a pure perovskite phase and crystallize in the P4/mmm-tetragonal symmetry. The average crystallite size was proven to decrease with the increase in Nb concentration. TEM image showed the formation of particles, where the average grain size decreased with Nb doping. The Nb incorporation into the BLT host lattice was also confirmed by the optical band gap (Eg) value. The optical properties were strongly influenced by Nb doping. The dielectric parameters were subsequently investigated as a function of frequency and d.c bias voltage. The observed dielectric dispersion was interpreted on the basis of Maxwell-Wagner interfacial model and Koop's phenomenological theory. Overall, Nyquist plot shows both bulk and grain boundary effect. The electrical relaxation process occurring in the material has been found to be d.c bias voltage dependent. Modulus analysis has established the possibility of hopping mechanism for electrical transport processes in the system.

Double-barrier forward osmosis membrane for rejection and destruction of bacteria and removal of dyes

In this paper, a novel FO membrane with antibacterial and antifouling properties was prepared for the first time by forming a multifunctional negatively-charged active layer via the surface amidation reaction with two antibacterial agents, namely, sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and trimethoprim (TMP). The membranes modified by SMX and TMP showed superior water flux, the highest reaching 31.86 (±1.2) LMH for M-T-2, and a lower reverse salt flux (7.74 gMH), which significantly improved the FO performance. In addition, the SMX and TMP immobilized on the FO membrane formed an electrostatic repulsive force towards the negatively-charged bacteria, and showed the inherent destruction capabilities for bacteria when in contact, constructing a double barrier for the fouling of bacteria. As an example, M-T-2 membrane showed good anti-bacteria performance (OD value of 0.058) in the actual municipal sludge wastewater, meanwhile maintaining good water permeability (88% of the initial flux). Furthermore, the prepared membrane owned suitable antifouling and antibacterial ability in the negatively-charged dye wastewater, achieving the efficient removal of more than 95.5% of the dyes. These results show that the modification of the active layer with antibacterial agents can significantly improve the application prospect of FO membranes.

High-performance thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes with hydrophilic PDA@TiO2 nanocomposite substrate for the treatment of oily wastewater under PRO mode

The applications of thin-film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membranes are limited by low flux and strong internal concentration polarization (ICP). In this study, a simple, facile, and eco-friendly approach to improve the wettability of the FO membrane substrate using hydroxyl- and amino-functionalized TiO2 nanocomposites by polydopamine (PDA) coating on TiO2 particles is demonstrated. In our research, a composite membrane substrate was fabricated by incorporating PDA@TiO2 into polyethersulfone (PES) through the non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. Then, a selective active polyamide layer was formed by interfacial polymerization on top of the PES-PDA@TiO2 membrane substrate to obtain the resulting TFC-FO membrane. The composite membrane substrate exhibited higher hydrophilicity (about 25% lower contact angle) and higher porosity than the pristine membrane substrate. The water flux (Jw) of 34.3 L/m2h and 60.1 L/m2h was achieved for the resulting TFC-PDA@TiO2 FO membrane under FO and pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) modes which was ~174% and ~183% higher than that of the pristine TFC-FO membrane under FO and PRO modes respectively. Furthermore, the TFC-PDA@TiO2 membrane exhibited enhanced selectivity, as expressed by the decrease in the specific salt flux (Js/JW) values (from 0.48 g/L and 0.53 g/L of pristine TFC to 0.27 g/L and 0.28 g/L for TFC-PDA@TiO2 under the FO and PRO modes respectively). More importantly, the TFC-PDA@TiO2 membrane exhibited better fouling behavior with the organic foulant solution. These results demonstrate that the fabricated TFC-FO membranes have significant potential for sustainable water reclamation from oily wastewater via FO under the PRO mode.