Forward osmosis (FO) is a promising key strategy for energy efficient water purification. Different draw solutions, that create an osmotic gradient, and water selective FO membranes exist that allow for a significant concentration of waste streams while water is being filtered and absorbed into the draw solution. Such technologies are often limited by the solute rejection and water flux characteristics of the membrane used. A new approach is the utilization of aquaporin-based membranes (ABMs). These biomimetic membranes make use of the high water permeability and selectivity of aquaporin proteins, which are embedded into the active layer of the membrane. In this study, a 0.6 m² hollow fiber ABM module was tested for its rejection of three different trace organic contaminants: the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), the plastic component bisphenol A (BPA) and the preservative methyl paraben. Over 95% of methyl paraben was rejected by the membrane while for 2,4-D and BPA rejection rates of over 99% were attained. However, it could also be observed that BPA and methyl paraben adsorbed on the aquaporin membrane and were flushed out again during subsequent experiments. This phenomenon may have to be addressed in future studies by developing specific cleaning protocols for ABMs.

正向渗透（FO）是节能水净化的一种有前途的关键策略。不同的汲取溶液会产生渗透梯度，并且存在水选择性FO膜，当水被过滤并吸收到汲取溶液中时，废水中的FO膜可以显着地浓缩废水。此类技术通常受到所用膜的溶质截留和水通量特性的限制。一种新方法是利用基于水通道蛋白的膜（ABM）。这些仿生膜利用了嵌入在膜活性层中的水通道蛋白的高透水性和选择性。在这项研究中，0.6 m ²测试了中空纤维ABM模块对三种不同痕量有机污染物的排斥能力：除草剂2,4-二氯苯氧基乙酸（2,4-D），塑料成分双酚A（BPA）和防腐剂对羟基苯甲酸甲酯。超过95％的对羟基苯甲酸甲酯被膜截留，而2,4-D和BPA截留率则达到99％以上。但是，还可以观察到，BPA和对羟基苯甲酸甲酯吸附在水通道蛋白膜上，并在随后的实验中再次被冲洗掉。在以后的研究中可能必须通过开发针对ABM的特定清洁方案来解决这种现象。