Particle transport and deposition studies in laminar cross-flow membrane filtration are reported. Particle residence time distributions (RTDs) in experimental conditions typical of ultra- and microfiltration are compared with theoretical predictions incorporating the effects of hydrodynamic, Coulombic, electrodynamic, and external gravity forces. Numerical simulations show that, for a given flow field, mechanisms controlling lateral migration in the far-field region in membrane filters depend primarily on inertial, gravity, and permeation drag forces. The theory accurately predicts first passage times and multimodal RTDs under conditions of high membrane permeability and fast axial flows. Differences between experimental and theoretical RTDs are interpreted as evidence of shear-induced particle resuspension, transport along the membrane surface, and/or unfavorable attachment phenomena in the near-field region. Such an approach may be useful in screening membrane technologies for water and wastewater treatment based on the size distribution of particles in the feed water. © 1992, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.