Nanoparticle tracking analysis characterizes colloids in water
Researchers at the Institute of Water Resources and Water Supply at the Technical University Hamburg-Harburg in Germany are using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) to further characterize inorganic and organic natural colloids.
Inorganic and organic colloids are widespread in aquatic systems, where they influence many water quality treatment processes. Until recently there was a lack of an adequate analysis technique to measure the size fraction below 1000 nm. The research group of Professor Mathias Ernst of the Institute of Water Resources and Water Supply at the Technical University Hamburg-Harburg has adopted the use of NanoSight's (Salisbury, England) NTA technique to provide new insights into water quality.
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PhD student Martin Schulz began his research at the Berlin Centre of Competence for Water, where he first used NTA to assess different water treatment processes, in particular looking at particle and colloid removal and water purification methods (such as coagulation and ozonation). His work focused on membrane filtration, where he encountered the problem of membrane-fouling when colloids would block the pores of the membrane. Schulz used NTA to predict the fouling potential of a water sample, thus providing time for the treatment plant to react with different pre-treatment options.
