Advances in membrane separation of urban wastewater effluents for (pre) concentration of microcontaminants and nutrient recovery: A mini review

This revision work focuses on the recent advances in the separation of microcontaminants from urban waste-waters, using ultrafiltration and Nanofiltration membranes. Conventional systems show advantages such as low pressure and fouling, competitive energetic-and maintenance costs compared to reverse osmosis, and higher rejection rates of organic microcontaminants compared to membrane distillation. However, these rejection rates strongly depend on temperature, flow, and pressure, as well as surface charge and concentration, challenging the adequate treatment of more complex matrices. Recent advances in material science strongly improved the implementation possibilities of different membrane types. In conventional industrial processes and especially in wastewater treatment, offering not only cost reducing solutions for urban wastewaters, but also more efficiency for the remediation of a high variety of industrial wastewaters. Moreover, membrane separation systems show great potential and applicability for added value substance recovery from wastewaters for the agricultural, chemical and consumer industry, for more sustainable natural resources use. Finally, perspectives on promising technologies for the implementation and combination of different membrane separation methods in treatment trains, such as advanced oxidation processes, are given, also aiming for zero-liquid discharge, to prevent microcontaminants and valuable resources from passing through conventional methods and focusing on closing the water cycle.

Automated summary

This article discusses the recent advances in using ultrafiltration and Nanofiltration membranes to separate microcontaminants from urban wastewater. Conventional membrane systems have advantages such as low pressure and fouling, and higher rejection rates of organic microcontaminants compared to membrane distillation. However, these rejection rates are influenced by factors such as temperature, flow, pressure, surface charge, and concentration. Recent developments in material science have improved the implementation possibilities of different membrane types. Membrane separation systems not only offer cost reducing solutions for urban wastewater treatment, but also provide more efficient remediation of various industrial wastewaters. Additionally, they show great potential for substance recovery from wastewaters in the agricultural, chemical, and consumer industry, promoting more sustainable use of natural resources.