A novel partitioned anaerobic membrane bioreactor integrated with ferromagnetic biochar for complex pesticide wastewater: Mass balance, membrane fouling mitigation, energy footprint, and life cycle assessment.

Quorum quenching for biofouling control in a semi-pilot-scale membrane bioreactor treating display manufacturing wastewater.

Univariate anomaly detection in pressure data of a pilot aerobic membrane bioreactor unit using long short-term memory autoencoders.

Microalgae protein hydrolysate enriched in peptide was produced by the enzymatic hydrolysis of Nannochloropsis sp. To obtain smaller peptides fractions, an ultrafiltration membrane was used to fractionate the hydrolysate, which contained a wide range of peptide sizes. However, a significant limitation of ultrafiltration membranes is flux reduction time due to fouling. This study investigates the influence of operational parameters variables such as flow rate, transmembrane pressure and pH on flux reduction and membrane fouling behaviour. Three membrane configurations (10 kDa, 5 kDa and two-stage 10/5 kDa) were evaluated. Kumar’s pore-blocking models were applied to the optimal configuration with the largest permeate flux to analyse fouling mechanism. The results showed that permeate flux was declined over time and stabilized within 20 to 35 minutes under all conditions. The best performance for microalgae protein hydrolysate fractionation was observed with two-stage 10/5 kDa membrane at a flow rate of 23 ml/min, TMP of 1.5 bar, and pH 2. The standard pore-blocking model effectively predicted the flux reduction, confirming the role of membrane fouling in performance decline. This study highlights that optimizing ultrafiltration membrane parameters and selecting the appropriate membrane configuration can mitigate fouling effects, enhancing flux stability and peptide transmission.

This study evaluates the partial dealcoholization of red wine using reverse osmosis (ACM3) and nanofiltration (TS80) membranes at 25 and 35 bar, targeting 2% and 4% ethanol reductions. Membrane performance was assessed through fouling analysis and ethanol partitioning, while wine phenolic (flavan-3-ols, anthocyanins) and color characteristics (CIELab parameters) were determined. The 2% reduction process with ACM3 at 25 bar resulted in minimal phenolic changes. The 4% reduction process revealed distinct performance profiles: ACM3 exhibited exceptional stability (3.35–5.30% permeability loss, linear flux decline with R2 > 0.93) and ethanol rejection of 17.6–25.5%, while TS80 achieved processing rates three to six times faster with moderate fouling (16.3% loss, 7.7–13.3% rejection). Decreases in flavan-3-ols and anthocyanin concentrations correlated with fouling intensity rather than processing duration. Proanthocyanidin structure remained stable, and color shifts reflected changes in polymeric pigments rather than anthocyanin loss. Reverse osmosis at low transmembrane pressure proved most suitable for quality preservation. The operational trade-off is clear: TS80 offers three to six times faster processing but with greater phenolic loss, while ACM3 requires longer batch times with minimal fouling. Both processes demonstrate that membrane-based dealcoholization without fluid replacement is feasible, providing winemakers with a valuable method to reduce alcohol while preserving quality.

Background: Mechanical forces within extracorporeal circulation systems such as cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can profoundly alter blood physiology. Elevated pressure drops across membrane oxygenators generate abnormal shear stress capable of activating platelets through calcium-dependent mechanotransduction pathways. Activated platelets may adhere to oxygenator fibers, forming microaggregates that progressively increase resistance, impair gas exchange, and contribute to high pressure excursions (HPE). Understanding this mechanobiological loop is essential to improving oxygenator performance and patient safety. Materials and Methods: This narrative mini-review was developed through a structured literature search conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Studies published in English and focusing on shear stress, platelet activation, and oxygenator function during extracorporeal life support were considered. Keywords included: “platelet activation,” “shear stress,” “extracorporeal circulation,” “ECMO,” “cardiopulmonary bypass,” “oxygenator failure,” “pressure drop,” “high pressure excursion,” “mechanotransduction,” and “platelet aggregation.” After title/abstract screening and full-text assessment, 13 articles met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed to synthesize current mechanistic and clinical evidence. Results: The literature shows that elevated shear stress within oxygenators can directly activate platelets independently of biochemical agonists. Shear-mediated calcium influx initiates platelet shape change, adhesion, and aggregation along hollow fibers, promoting progressive flow obstruction and increasing transmembrane pressure drop. This contributes to a self-reinforcing cycle in which rising resistance further elevates shear, amplifying platelet activation and accelerating oxygenator dysfunction. Conclusions: Shear-induced platelet activation represents a central mechanism in the development of pressure excursions and early oxygenator failure during extracorporeal support. Recognition of this mechanobiological cycle has important implications for oxygenator design, surface biocompatibility, anticoagulation management, and real-time monitoring strategies. A deeper understanding of platelet mechanotransduction may contribute to improving device longevity and enhancing clinical safety in CPB and ECMO.

Sour cherry juice is a popular fruit juice known for its high phenolic content and associated health benefits. However, effective clarification and processing remain challenging due to the complexity of conventional multi-step methods. Membrane-based processing offers advantages but is hindered by membrane fouling, which involves complex mechanisms. This study investigates the effect of enzymatic pretreatment on membrane fouling during sour cherry juice clarification at different permeate fluxes. Juice with and without pectinase pretreatment was filtered through a flat-sheet polyethersulfone microfiltration membrane at fluxes ranging from 8 to 52 L m−2 h−1. Microfiltration was performed using a submerged 0.4 μm PES flat-sheet membrane at a transmembrane pressure of 0.03–0.35 bar. Total hydraulic resistance was analyzed using Darcy’s law and divided into cake (R C), pore blocking (R P), and fluid (R F) resistances. A multi-scale model incorporating pore blocking and cake parameters was optimized with experimental data to characterize fouling. R C dominated at high fluxes regardless of pretreatment, while enzymatic pretreatment significantly reduced R F and increased R P. Flux was the primary driver of all resistances (p < 0.05), with pretreatment affecting only R P and R F. The model effectively captured the contrasting trends of cake formation and pore blockage, with R 2 values of 0.99 (without enzyme) and 0.82 (with enzyme). Optimized parameters support more efficient, sustainable clarification of sour cherry juice.

Silicalite nanosheet (SN) laminated membranes are promising for pervaporation (PV) desalination of concentrated brines for water purification and critical material concentration and recovery. However, scaling up the SN-based membranes is limited by inefficient synthesis of monodispersed open-pore SN single crystals (SNS). Here, we report a scalable approach to fabricate multilayered silicalite nanosheet plate (SNP) laminated membranes on porous alumina and PVDF substrates and demonstrate their excellent PV desalination performance for simulated brines containing lithium and high total dissolved salts (TDS). At 73 ± 3 °C, the SNP laminated membrane on alumina support achieved a remarkable water flux () of nearly 20 L/m2·h, significantly outperforming the alumina-supported SNS laminated membrane ( = 9.56 L/m2·h), while both provided near-complete salt rejection ( ~99.9%) when operating with vacuum pressure on the permeate side. The PVDF-supported SNS and SNP laminated membranes exhibited excellent (14.0 L/m2·h) and near-complete (>99.9%), surpassing the alumina-support SNP laminated membranes when operating by air sweep on the permeate side. However, the of the PVDF-supported membranes was found to decline when operating with vacuum pressure on the permeate side that was apparently caused by minimal liquid permeation through the inter-SNP spaces driven by the transmembrane pressure. With scalable SNP production, SNP-A membranes show potential for PV desalination of high-TDS solutions, especially in harsh environments unsuitable for polymer membranes.

Targeted interception of membrane foulants in MBR: A straw-microplastic composite adsorbent for effective removal of oil and biopolymeric contaminants from catering wastewater.

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

Limitations of SHAP-based interpretations in environmental and membrane filtration applications.

Haemostatic changes following ECMO circuit replacement in adult patients with COVID-19: An exploratory retrospective study.

Biofouling mitigation in cathodic electrochemical filtration via combined sublethal oxidative stress and electrostatic repulsion.

Pressurized cell-side feeding versus submerged PVDF ultrafiltration reactor for in-situ ozonation: A comparative pilot scale study.

Volume overload is a frequent complication in critically ill patients. Ultrafiltration (UF) uses a semipermeable membrane for removal of plasma water driven by a transmembrane pressure gradient. Employed outside dialysis, it is referred to as aquapheresis (AQ). This study is a retrospective review of our experience with AQ beyond management for congestive heart failure (CHF). The use of AQ was at the discretion of the nephrologist overseeing the case. The study population was categorized according to hospital unit and specific indications for AQ therapy. A total of 69 patients underwent AQ in various critical units: 23 in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit (ICU); 21 in both the cardiac ICU and medical ICU, and 4 patients in the surgical ICU. All patients had a component of kidney dysfunction and volume overload, ranging from non-oliguric acute kidney injury to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The average UF volume was 6.4L per patient, with an UF rate of 82mL/h. The mean AQ duration was 78hours per patient. 64% (n=44), were receiving vasopressor support during AQ. Volume optimization remains a fundamental component of management in critically ill patients. AQ can be employed as an additional resource to accelerate fluid removal in a myriad of clinical settings. This analysis underscores the versatility of AQ as an effective treatment for managing fluid overload across diverse patient populations.

Abstract This study investigates the performance of a Hybrid System Membrane Bioreactor (HS‐MBR), an emerging and sustainable technology for advanced wastewater treatment. The Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) integrates the activated sludge and biofilm processes, combining their advantages to minimize Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS) while enhancing treatment efficiency and effluent quality. In this research, the HS‐MBR is developed as an alternative, cleaner, and more efficient approach for wastewater purification. The system incorporates hollow fiber ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with plastic carriers, effectively coupling biological degradation and membrane filtration to achieve superior pollutant removal. The performance of the HS‐MBR was evaluated under different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 1, 2.5, and 5 h to determine the influence of HRT on effluent quality and transmembrane pressure (TMP), an indicator of membrane resistance. Experimental results showed that the HS‐MBR achieved about 80% COD removal at an HRT of 1 h, 83% at 2.5 h, and 92% at 5 h. Similarly, NH 4 ‐N removal efficiencies after 30 days ranged between 78% and 90% at 1 h, 81–90% at 2.5 h, and 89–94% at 5 h, demonstrating excellent biological performance. At an HRT of 2.5 h, suspended and attached biomass concentrations increased gradually and stabilized, while at 5 h, adhered biomass remained nearly constant, indicating steady‐state conditions and system equilibrium. Longer HRTs enhanced contact between microorganisms and organic compounds, leading to more effective COD degradation and greater membrane stability. Overall, the HS‐MBR system proved to be a reliable and high‐performance solution for advanced wastewater treatment applications.

This work assesses the viability of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes as a substitution for classic tertiary technologies for municipal wastewater (MWW) treatment. UF membranes can offer efficient MWW filtration, meeting quality standards regarding solids, bacteria, viruses and emerging pollutants, such as microplastics. All of these make UF not only an attractive competitor regarding tertiary treatments but also a potential quaternary treatment according to the latest legislation. Indeed, the achieved permeate quality meets the more stringent parameters for water reuse in agriculture according to the European standard (A-type water). The UF membrane’s feasibility when used as an MWW tertiary/quaternary treatment was assessed in a semi-industrial plant with commercially available industrial membrane modules under different operating conditions: (1) transmembrane flux, (2) air sparging intensity and filtration/relaxation periodicities, (3) the concentration of solids reached in the membrane tank and (4) the efficacy of chemically enhanced backwashing (CEB) to mitigate fouling. Increasing the air intensity (around 0.25 m3 m−2 h−1), increasing the solids concentration (3–4 g L−1) and using acid chemicals for backwashing at low concentrations but high periodicities (about 25–50 ppm of HCl/citric acid at a pH of 2.5 once or twice every 15 days) displayed great effectiveness in minimizing fouling, which was found to be mainly reversible. Thanks to the stablished conditions, semi-industrial UF membrane filtration was possible for more than 30 days when operating at relatively high transmembrane fluxes (21.5 LMH), achieving an average transmembrane pressure of around 120 mbar with an extremely low fouling growth rate of 0.024 mbar d−1.

Adaptive gas supply system for membrane oxygenator using online model identification and control in normothermic machine perfusion.

To investigate the effects of different filtration fractions (FFs) during continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) post-dilution. This study employed a single-blind, head-to-head randomized controlled design. Patients who underwent daytime continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in the Department of Nephrology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University between April 2022 and June 2023 were prospectively enrolled. They were randomly assigned to either a low FF group (FF set at 20%-<25%) or a high FF group (FF set at 25%-30%). All patients received post-dilution CVVHDF with systemic heparin anticoagulation. The primary outcome was extracorporeal circuit coagulation, comprehensively assessed through dynamic monitoring of arterial pressure, venous pressure, and transmembrane pressure, combined with filter clotting grading at the end of the session. Secondary outcomes included changes in serum creatinine, urea, potassium, and pH levels before and after treatment to evaluate efficacy. A total of 40 patients were included in both the low FF group and the high FF group. The baseline characteristics showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups (all P>0.05). All patients completed the treatment successfully, with a treatment duration of 10-12 h, and no filters required replacement during the sessions. The differences in arterial pressure, venous pressure, and transmembrane pressure at 2 h, 6 h, and the end of treatment compared to values at 1 h showed no statistically significant differences between the groups (all P>0.05). Furthermore, no significant differences were found in filter clotting grades (including grade Ⅰ and grade Ⅱ clotting) at the end of treatment between the two groups (both P>0.05). The creatinine clearance was significantly higher in the high FF group compared to the low FF group (P<0.01). However, the changes in blood urea nitrogen, serum potassium and pH levels before and after treatment showed no statistically significant differences between the groups (all P>0.05). For patients with a relatively short treatment duration of 10-12 h undergoing post-dilution CVVHDF, employing an FF of 25%-30% does not pose a higher risk of extracorporeal circuit coagulation compared to an FF of 20%-<25%, but shows higher creatinine clearance.

Polymeric membrane concentration of lithium-magnesium solution for sustainable resource recovery with machine learning.