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Decreasing groundwater levels, increasing world population, and pollution of water resources by industries lead to the use of new technologies for augmenting the fresh water supply such as its desalination. Chitosan-modified zinc oxide (C-ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized and used for surface modification of polysulfone (PSf) in water desalination. PSf /C-ZnO membrane was fabricated through the phase inversion method and characterized by Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Braunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and contact angle. The nanoparticle effect on the membrane properties was investigated by measuring the pure water flux and solute rejection under two constant pressures, at 6 and 10 bar, and the salts concentration of MgSO4, MgCl2, NaCl, and CaCl2 at 1 gL−1. The results showed that nanoparticles increased the hydrophilicity of the pristine PSf membrane while slightly decreasing the water permeability. Moreover, the salt rejection increased with the nanoparticle addition up to 0.2 wt.% while it decreased with 0.5 wt.% nanoparticle due to changing the membrane finger-like pores sublayer structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]