Technological Advancement of Membrane Treatment for Tannery Effluents Management

Abstract

The leather industry is a significant sector of the economy of many developing countries, but it is also identified as one of the most polluting industries because of the discharge of a huge quantity of chemical-containing water employed in the leather-making process into the environment with little or no treatment. A large amount of noxious effluent is produced that has huge chemical oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand, suspended and dissolved solids, chromium, surfactants and other toxicities. Therefore, these effluents should be efficiently treated to protect the environment, aquatic life and humans from intoxication. Tanneries and, perhaps more important, legislative powers have recognized that the ultimate aim of water resource management is to achieve the sustainable use of water for the benefit of all users and to protect the quality of water to ensure sustainability. The application of membrane technology in water and wastewater treatment is increasing due to stringent water quality standards. Over the years, conventional wastewater treatment processes have achieved to some extent treating effluents for discharge pints. However, improvements in wastewater treatment processes are necessary in order to make treated wastewater reusable for industrial, agricultural and domestic purposes. Membrane technology has appeared as a preferred selection for reclaiming water from different wastewater streams for reuse. This chapter highlights the trending membrane technologies in wastewater (tannery effluents) treatment, their advantages and their disadvantages. It also discusses integrated membrane technology, membrane fouling, membrane cleaning, and membrane modules.