THE ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION
PROGRAM
oEPA
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
NSF International
ETV Joint Verification Statement
TECHNOLOGY TYPE: ULTRAFILTRATION MEMBRANE MODULE
APPLICATION: REMOVAL OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINANTS IN
DRINKING WATER
PRODUCT NAME: TARGA® 10-48-35-PMC™ ULTRAFILTRATION
MEMBRANE MODULE, AS USED IN THE VILLAGE
MARINE TEC. EXPEDITIONARY UNIT WATER PURIFIER
VENDOR: KOCH MEMBRANE SYSTEMS, INC.
ADDRESS: 850 MAIN STREET
WILMINGTON, MA 01887
PHONE: MAIN - 888-677-5624
CUSTOMER SERVICE - 800-343-0499
FAX: 978-657-5208
EMAIL: INFO@KOCHMEMBRANE.COM
NSF International (NSF) manages the Drinking Water Systems (DWS) Center under the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program. The
DWS Center recently evaluated the performance of the Koch Membrane Systems, Inc. Targa® 10-48-35-
PMC™ Ultrafiltration (UF) Membrane, as used in the Village Marine Tec. Expeditionary Unit Water
Purifier. NSF performed all of the testing activities and also authored the verification report and this
verification statement. The verification report contains a comprehensive description of the test.
EPA created the ETV Program to facilitate the deployment of innovative or improved environmental
technologies through performance verification and dissemination of information. The goal of the ETV
Program is to further environmental protection by accelerating the acceptance and use of improved and
more cost-effective technologies. ETV seeks to achieve this goal by providing high-quality, peer-
reviewed data on technology performance to those involved in the design, distribution, permitting,
purchase, and use of environmental technologies.
ETV works in partnership with recognized standards and testing organizations, stakeholder groups
(consisting of buyers, vendor organizations, and permitters), and with the full participation of individual
technology developers. The program evaluates the performance of innovative technologies by developing
test plans that are responsive to the needs of stakeholders, conducting field or laboratory tests (as
appropriate), collecting and analyzing data, and preparing peer-reviewed reports. All evaluations are
conducted in accordance with rigorous quality assurance protocols to ensure that data of known and
adequate quality are generated and that the results are defensible.
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ABSTRACT
Testing of the Koch Membrane Systems, Inc. Targa® 10-48-35-PMC™ Ultrafiltration (UF) Membrane
was conducted as part of the ETV verification of the US Navy Office of Naval Research's (ONR)
Expeditionary Unit Water Purifier (EUWP), manufactured by Village Marine Tec. The EUWP uses the
Targa 10-48-35-PMC membrane module in the UF treatment step. During field verification testing of the
EUWP, removal of Bacillus endospores was measured as a surrogate for removal of Cryptosporidium
parvum oocysts (see the full verification report for a discussion about the appropriateness of using
Bacillus endospores as a surrogate for C. parvum). The observed log reductions were below what had
previously been observed during lab challenge testing of the same UF membrane fibers, indicating that
either there were membrane integrity problems, or that there were endospores present on the filtrate side
of the UF modules that were sloughing off. To test whether there was poor membrane integrity within the
UF modules, NSF and EPA had the field testing organization randomly select two UF modules from the
field tested EUWP and send them to NSF to conduct additional microbial challenges under controlled
laboratory conditions.
The UF modules were challenged with approximately 4 logic per milliliter (mL) of B. atrophaeus
endospores, and 5 logio per liter (L) of formalin-fixed C. parvum oocysts. Each challenge test was 30 or
45 minutes in length, and was conducted at a target flux of 38 gallons per day per square foot (gfd), which
is the target flux for UF module operation in the EUWP. The membranes removed a minimum of 2.4
logio per mL of B. atrophaeus, and 4.3 logio per L of C parvum.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The following technology description was provided by the manufacturer and has not been verified.
The UF modules used in the EUWP are Koch Targa 10-48-35-PMC membrane modules, with endcaps
designed and manufactured by Village Marine Tec. The Targa 10-48-35-PMC is a 10.75 inch x 48 inch
module (not including the endcaps). The membrane fibers are made of polysulfone, with a nominal fiber
inner diameter of 0.9 millimeters. The nominal membrane surface area for the module, using the fiber
inner diameter, is 554 square feet. The nominal molecular weight cutoff rating for the membrane is
100,000 Daltons.
VERIFICATION TESTING DESCRIPTION
Selection of Modules
After completion of field testing of the EUWP UF system at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in July
and August of 2007, two UF modules from the EUWP were chosen at random for the lab challenge tests.
The modules chosen were serial numbers KM840643-4015 and KM849697-5021. Prior to the summer
2007 field test, each UF module was individually integrity tested using a pressure decay test. The
pressures were measured from 0 to 10 minutes, with a starting applied pressure of approximately 15 psig.
KM840643-4015 had a pressure decay rate of 0.21 psig/min. This module was checked for compromised
fibers; one was found and plugged. KM840643-4015 was then retested, and the new pressure decay rate
was 0.17 psig/min. KM849697-5021 had a pressure decay rate of 0.13 psig/min. No fibers were plugged
for this module. For the tests described in this VS, KM840643-4015 was designated as Module 1, and
KM849697-5021 was designated as Module 2.
Test Site
The testing site was the Drinking Water Treatment Systems Laboratory at NSF in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
A description of the test apparatus can be found in the verification report.
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Methods and Procedures
The testing methods are detailed in the document Test/QA Plan for the Microbial Seeding Challenge
Study of the Koch Membrane Systems Targa 10-48-35-PMC UF Membrane. Two UF membrane modules
were tested for removal of pathogenic protozoa using two different surrogate organisms - endospores of
the bacteria Bacillus atrophaeus (ATCC 9372, deposited as B. subtilis var. nigef), and formalin-fixed C.
parvum oocysts. Bacillus endospores were chosen as a challenge organism because field testing of the
EUWP also examined Bacillus endospore removal. Note that the test protocol was not designed to
achieve the regulatory requirements for membranes under the Long-Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water
Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR). This verification did not address long-term performance, membrane
cleaning, or full-scale field maintenance and operation issues. These items are addressed in the
verification reports for the full EUWP system.
The testing was conducted in December 2007 and February 2008. In December 2007 the UF membranes
were challenged with both Bacillus endospores and C. parvum. In February 2008, the membranes were
challenged again with C. parvum to confirm that the oocysts found in one filtrate sample from the
December 2007 test was not due to sample contamination.
The UF modules were not sanitized immediately prior to testing. The UF modules were cleaned in
September 2007 following EUWP field testing. The cleaning procedure used was that prescribed in the
EUWP operation and maintenance manual. Prior to the challenge tests, the modules were flushed for
approximately 15 minutes using deionized water.
Before and after testing, the membranes underwent a pressure decay membrane integrity test following
the procedure in ASTM Standard D6908 - Standard Practice for Integrity Testing of Water Filtration
Membrane Systems.
Each UF module was tested individually. The membranes were challenged with both organisms
simultaneously. In the EUWP, the Targa 10-48-35-PMC is operated at a target flux of 38 gfd, with a
reject flow rate of 10% of the feed flow. To approximate these operation conditions, the target feed flow
rate was set at 16.2 gallons per minute (gpm), and the target filtrate flow rate was 14.6 gpm. For the
December 2007 tests, the membranes were challenged with each organism for 30 minutes, with feed and
filtrate samples collected at start-up, 15 minutes, and 30 minutes. For the February 2008 C. parvum
retest, the membranes were challenged for 45 minutes, with feed and filtrate samples collected at 15, 30,
and 45 minutes. All samples were analyzed for the challenge organism(s) in triplicate.
VERIFICATION OF PERFORMANCE
For presentation of the challenge organism data, the observed triplicate feed and filtrate counts were
averaged by calculating geometric means. Non-detect results were treated as one organism per unit
volume for the purpose of calculating the means.
Table VS-1 presents the B. atrophaeus endospores data. Note that endospores were found in the module
flush samples, despite the UF system chemical cleaning that was conducted after the August 2007 field
test of the EUWP UF system. The modules were forward flushed for 15 minutes on December 10 using
deionized water, and the flush samples were collected at the end of this flush. The modules were flushed
again on December 11 for approximately one minute immediately prior to conducting the microbial
challenges. The module flush samples had no C. parvum, but greater than 1 logio of endospores (25 and
15 CPU/100 mL). Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) was supposed to be substituted for nutrient agar in the
SM9218 enumeration method for the endospores, in order to be able to distinguish the challenge
endospores from wild-type endospores already present in the membrane modules from the field testing.
B. atrophaeus gives orange colonies with a distinctive morphology on TSA. However, due to
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miscommunication between the DWS Center and the NSF Microbiology Lab, the B. atrophaeus
endospores were enumerated on nutrient agar, so they could not be distinguished from the wild-type
endospores.
The log removal value (LRVtest) for the endospore challenges show log removals between 2 and 3, but
this data cannot be considered a true picture of UF module performance due to the flush sample counts. It
is possible that many of the endospores in the filtrate samples did not come through the membranes, but
rather were already present on the filtrate side due to contamination from the previous field tests. At time
0 the endospore counts for both modules were higher than those at 15 and 30 minutes, indicating that the
endospores continued to be rinsed out of the filtrate side after the start of the challenges. The UF modules
were chemically cleaned at the end of the August 2007 field test, but it is possible that the cleaning
procedure did not completely remove all of the endospores.
Table VS-1. December 2007 B. atrophaeus Endospores Reduction Data
Module 1
Module 2
Sample Point
Flush
Start-Up
15 Minutes
30 Minutes
Overall Geometric Mean
Flush
Start-Up
15 Minutes
30 Minutes
Overall Geometric Mean
Feed
Geometric Mean
(CFU/mL)
1.74xl04
1.57xl04
1.66xl04
1.66xl04
2.02xl04
1.65xl04
1.75xl04
l.SOxlO4
Log10
4.24
4.20
4.22
4.22
4.31
4.22
4.24
4.26
Filtrate
Geometric Mean
(CFU/mL)
24.8
69
13
14
23
15
175
57
47
78
Log10
.4
.8
.1
.2
.4
.2
2.2
.8
.7
.9
Log
Reduction
2.4
3.1
3.0
2.8
2.1
2.4
2.5
2.4
Table VS-2 presents the December 2007 C. parvum challenge data, and Table VS-3 the February 2008 C.
parvum challenge data. For the December 2007 test, all filtrate samples were below the detection limit,
except for the Module 2 30-minute sample. Because oocysts were found in this sample, C. parvum retests
were conducted in February 2008. No C. parvum was detected in the Module 1 filtrate samples from the
December 2007 challenge, but it was found in both the 30-minute and 45-minute samples from the retest.
C. parvum was also found in the Module 2 30-minute filtrate sample, as was the case with the December
2007 challenge. However, no C. parvum was detected in the Module 2 45-minute filtrate sample. In spite
of the C. parvum filtrate counts, the UF membrane still removed greater than 4 logs of the oocysts.
Table VS-2. December 2007 C. parvum Reduction Data
Module 1
Module 2
Sample Point
Flush
Start-Up
15 Minutes
30 Minutes
Overall Geometric Mean
Flush
Start-Up
15 Minutes
30 Minutes
Overall Geometric Mean
Feed
Geometric Mean
(Cysts/L)
1.2xl05
7.5xl04
7.1xl04
8.6xl04
l.lxlO5
8.4xl04
8.4xl04
9.2xl04
Log™
5.1
4.9
4.9
5.0
5.0
4.9
4.9
4.9
Filtrate
Geometric Mean
(Cysts/L)
<1
<1
<1
<1
<1
<1
<1
<1
47
3.6
Log™
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.7
0.6
Log
Reduction
5.1
4.9
4.9
5.0
5.0
4.9
3.2
4.3
NSF 09/26/EPADWCTR
The accompanying notice is an integral part of this verification statement. September 2009
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Table VS-3. February 2008 C. parvum Reduction Retest Data
Module 1
Module 2
Sample Point
Flush
Start-Up
30 Minutes
45 Minutes
Overall Geometric Mean
Flush
Start-Up
30 Minutes
45 Minutes
Overall Geometric Mean
Feed
Geometric Mean
(Cysts/L)
6.3xl04
6.2xl04
7.9xl04
6.8xl04
5.7xl04
5.6xl04
5.1xl04
5.5xl04
Log10
4.8
4.8
4.9
4.8
4.8
4.8
4.7
4.7
Filtrate
Geometric Mean
(Cysts/L)
<1
<1
2
1
0.7
<1
<1
4
<1
1.6
Log10
0.0
0.0
0.4
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.6
0.0
0.2
Log
Reduction
4.8
4.4
4.9
4.7
4.8
4.2
4.7
4.5
The December 2007 and February 2008 pre-test and post-test pressure decay rate calculations are shown
in Tables VS-4 and VS-5, respectively. Note that two pressure decay rates were calculated, one for the
entire test, and another for just the span of 10 to 20 minutes. The 10 to 20 minute calculation was
included because ASTM D6908 suggests allowing the pressure decay rate to stabilize before conducting
the official pressure decay test. The higher pressure decay rate was not reflected in the Bacillus
endospore and C.parvum reduction data. It is possible that the higher Module 1 pressure decay rate was
due to air leaks out of the temporary plumbing on the test rig.
Table VS-4. December 2007 Pressure Decay Rates
Time (min.)
10-20 Minute Pressure
Decay Rate (psig/min)
0-20 Minute Pressure
Decay Rate (psig/min)
Pre-Test
Module 1
0.3
0.35
Module 2
0.08
0.09
Post-Test
Module 1
0.45
0.74
Module 2
0.08
0.1
Table VS-5. February 2008 Pressure Decay Test Data
Time (min.)
10-20 Minute Pressure
Decay Rate (psig/min)
0-20 Minute Pressure
Decay Rate (psig/min)
Pre-Test
Module 1
0.3
0.6
Module 2
0.2
0.25
Post-Test
Module 1
0.4
0.4
Module 2
0.2
0.2
QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL (QA/QC)
NSF provided technical and quality assurance oversight of the verification testing as described in the
verification report, including a review of 100% of the data. NSF QA personnel also conducted a technical
systems audit during testing to ensure the testing was in compliance with the test plan. A complete
description of the QA/QC procedures is provided in the verification report.
NSF 09/26/EPADWCTR
The accompanying notice is an integral part of this verification statement. September 2009
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Original signed by Sally Gutierrez 09/29/09 Original signed by Robert Ferguson 09/11/09
Sally Gutierrez Date Robert Ferguson Date
Director Vice President
National Risk Management Research Water Systems
Laboratory NSF International
Office of Research and Development
United States Environmental Protection
Agency
NOTICE: Verifications are based on an evaluation of technology performance under specific,
predetermined criteria and the appropriate quality assurance procedures. EPA and NSF make no
expressed or implied warranties as to the performance of the technology and do not certify that a
technology will always operate as verified. The end-user is solely responsible for complying with
any and all applicable federal, state, and local requirements. Mention of corporate names, trade
names, or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use of
specific products. This report is not an NSF Certification of the specific product mentioned
herein.
Availability of Supporting Documents
Copies of the test protocol, the verification statement, and the verification report (NSF
report # NSF 09/26/EPADWCTR) are available from the following sources:
1. ETV Drinking Water Systems Center Manager (order hard copy)
NSF International
P.O. Box 130140
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48113-0140
2. Electronic PDF copy
NSF web site: http://www.nsf.org/info/etv
EPA web site: http://www.epa.gov/etv
NSF 09/26/EPADWCTR The accompanying notice is an integral part of this verification statement. September 2009
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