Study of Water Treatment Performance of Polyacrylonitrile Ultrafiltration Membranes for Rural Communities in Plateau State

Access to clean drinking water remains a persistent challenge for rural communities in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria, necessitating affordable and effective water purification technologies. This study evaluates the performance of polyacrylonitrile ultrafiltration membranes in treating surface water drawn from sources in rural communities of Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. Membranes were fabricated by the phase inversion method using polyacrylonitrile dissolved in dimethylformamide at concentrations of 12, 15, and 18 percent by weight. Membrane characterisation included determination of pure water flux, molecular weight cut-off, contact angle, and scanning electron microscopy of cross-sectional morphology. Performance testing was conducted using raw water samples collected from streams serving three selected communities, evaluating turbidity removal, total suspended solids reduction, bacterial retention, and flux decline under continuous filtration. Results indicate that 15 percent polymer concentration membranes achieved optimal performance, with pure water flux of 84 L/m2/h and turbidity removal efficiency exceeding 98 percent. Total suspended solids removal averaged 96 percent, while bacterial retention tests confirmed greater than 99.5 percent rejection of total coliform organisms. Flux decline of approximately 35 percent was observed after 8 hours of continuous operation, attributed to reversible cake layer formation on membrane surfaces. Backwashing protocols restored 92 percent of initial flux, confirming membrane regenerability. The study demonstrates that polyacrylonitrile ultrafiltration membranes are technically viable for rural water treatment in North Central Nigeria and recommends pilot-scale deployment with appropriate maintenance training for community operators. Keywords: polyacrylonitrile membrane, ultrafiltration, water treatment, Plateau State, rural communities