Multiscale thermodynamic insights into membrane fouling control by biochar-activated peroxymonosulfate pretreatment: Synergy of oxidation and adsorption.

Electrically conductive membrane-based anammox MBR with electrochemical assistance: an effective strategy for simultaneous mitigation of membrane fouling and enhancement of nitrogen removal.

Far-UVC photolysis of chlorine to mitigate ultrafiltration membrane fouling: Unraveling the molecular transformation mechanism of natural organic matter.

Micro-granular sludge driven by powder carrier in membrane bioreactor: highly-efficient N & P removal and membrane fouling alleviation.

Role of multivalent iron in enhancing sodium percarbonate oxidation for alleviating membrane distillation fouling caused by shale gas produced water.

Enzymes metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) membrane: A review on design and applications.

Multi-perspective visualization of flow and membrane fouling in membrane distillation in geothermal brackish water

Treatment of spent lithium-ion battery discharging wastewater by MBR under increasing salinity: Performance, membrane fouling, and microbial community succession

Superior membrane fouling control in membrane bioreactors using reciprocation with limited aeration.

Making waves: breaking bottlenecks in forward osmosis through strategic integration with other techniques for resource recovery.

Investigation of performance and antifouling mechanisms of calcium borate-modified PVDF membranes: Insights from the dual-mechanism fouling model and XDLVO theory.

Architecting asymmetrical Janus membrane for robust membrane distillation desalination with enhanced anti-fouling performance.

Inclusion of nanofiltration as a robust barrier against municipal effluent impacts in drinking water treatment.

Rejection of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol by polyamide membranes in drinking water treatment: Performance-energy efficiency evaluation and practical implications.

Simultaneous recovery of fresh water and ammonia from produced water by membrane contactor coupled with membrane distillation.

Dynamic analysis of ultrafiltration membrane fouling based on in-situ solid-phase fluorescence optic fiber (SPFOF): Fouling mechanism and cake layer structure

Nitrogen, a prevalent water pollutant, is a major cause of eutrophication and the formation of black, odorous water bodies, posing significant threats to both ecological security and human health. Effectively controlling nitrogen pollution in wastewater is therefore essential for preserving aquatic ecosystems. The membrane bioreactor (MBR), which integrates the advantages of biological and membrane technologies, has attracted considerable attention for its application potential in wastewater nitrogen removal. This article elucidates the mechanisms and characteristics of nitrogen removal in MBR systems based on the latest research advancements. It provides an in-depth analysis of the key environmental factors affecting nitrogen removal efficiency and comprehensively summarizes enhanced processes centered on MBR technology. Furthermore, the article addresses corresponding strategies for mitigating MBR membrane fouling and offers suggestions and prospects for future research directions.

Submerged forward osmosis (FO) systems integrated with anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) are subject to membrane fouling and mass transfer limitations, which are strongly influenced by operational conditions. This study systematically investigates how critical operational parameters, including draw solution (DS) type, gas sparging and granular sludge fractions, influence FO filtration performance, with the aim of understanding and overcoming the current limitations of FO-integrated AnMBRs. The results reveal that the choice of DS significantly influences both water flux and reverse solute flux (RSF). For example, sodium acetate showed a lower specific RSF and reduced salinity accumulation in the reactor compared to sodium chloride. Continuous gas sparging at an optimized rate of 0.25 m3/m2h effectively mitigated external concentration polarization (ECP) and fouling during filtration tests. In contrast, intermittent gas sparging led to fluctuations in water flux due to rapid ECP development, underscoring the need for stable hydrodynamic conditions. Additionally, the size of the sludge granules was crucial for controlling fouling. Larger granules (greater than 0.63 mm) showed a lower potential for fouling. Three-dimensional excitation-emission fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that proteins accumulate on the membrane surface and significantly contribute to FO membrane fouling. However, employing sieved granular sludge and applying gas sparging reduced the extent of foulant accumulation. Simple membrane flushing with deionized water was effective in restoring initial flux, confirming the reversibility of fouling. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing FO-integrated AnMBRs by balancing operational conditions for long-term performance.

Directly grown CoOx nanowire/nanosheet architectures on phosphoric acid-treated Ti paper (P-Ti/CoOx) are developed as highly efficient and durable anode electrodes for selective chlorine evolution from desalination reject brine. The hierarchical CoOx architecture on the mechanically robust and corrosion-resistant Ti paper substrate enhances electron and ion transport, accelerates surface reactions, and suppresses competing oxygen evolution, resulting in efficient and highly selective chlorine production. This structure enables the P-Ti/CoOx electrode to achieve ∼93% faradaic efficiency in the chlorine evolution reaction (CER) while maintaining remarkable stability over 70 h of continuous operation. Electrochemical analyses reveal that the first electron transfer step (Cl- → Clads + e-) is rate-limiting, with surface-mediated processes dominating CER kinetics. Integration into a flow-cell device demonstrates simultaneous Cl2 production, mineral extraction, and CO2 capture from desalination reject brine over 50 h without electrode scaling or membrane fouling. These results strongly demonstrate that P-Ti/CoOx as a robust, high-performance anode capable of coupling Cl2 generation with brine valorization and carbon mineralization, offering a practical approach for sustainable electrochemical resource recovery.

This study developed a novel worm-assisted membrane bioelectrochemical reactor (W-MBER) that integrates aquatic worms and a single-chamber sediment microbial fuel cell into a membrane bioreactor (MBR) to address challenges in energy recovery, sludge reduction, and membrane fouling. The system achieved a stable output of 290 mV at an external resistance of 250 Ω and a maximum power density of 0.013 W/m2 while maintaining high removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand (93.57%) and ammonia nitrogen (98.61%). Furthermore, the TN removal efficiency was 12.93% higher than that in the conventional MBR (C-MBR), attributed to the anodic anoxic microenvironment. The synergy of worm predation and the bioelectrochemical process reduced sludge production by 28.51% and extended the filtration cycle by 43.75%, indicating significant sludge reduction and membrane fouling mitigation. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the W-MBER system decreased protein content and protein/polysaccharide ratios in soluble microbial products (SMPs) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), and the hydrophobicity of SMPs, EPSs, and sludge flocs was reduced, resulting in a lower free energy for their interaction with membrane. The foulants in the W-MBER encountered higher energy barriers and lower secondary energy minimums when approaching the membrane, indicating a lower membrane fouling propensity. These results demonstrate the promise of W-MBER for sustainable wastewater treatment.