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Membranes
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Emerging Membrane Technologies for Environmental Sustainability: Fundamentals and Applications
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Emerging Membrane Technologies for Environmental Sustainability: Fundamentals and Applications

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 21857

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cristiano E. Rodrigues Reis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Earth University, Guácimo, Costa Rica
Interests: ion exchange; separations; bioprocesses; bioremediation; biofuels
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Heitor Bento

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
Interests: biofuels; enzyme immobilization; magnetic particles; bioprocesses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The technologies of membrane separation has been crucial to the development of environmental processes linked to the removal of toxic and hazardous compounds or to the recovery of valuable molecules from a wide array of liquid and gaseous matrices. Recent advances in the field include approaches to carbon capture through CO2 fixation onto membranes, upgradation of biogas through the removal of H2S, wastewater cleanup, novel designs for desalination, biomass conversion, removal of heavy metals from effluents, and many other groundbreaking research projects and reports. In this regard, we are pleased to invite your contributions to the Special Issue of Membranes on Emerging Membrane Technologies for Environmental Sustainability: Fundamentals and Applications. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research topics may include (but are not limited to) the following: both fundamental approaches to the understanding of membrane technologies within the scope of environmental-oriented processes, as well as on applications of novel technologies. These could be related to (bio)fuels, (bio)remediation, wastewater, desalination, carbon capture, catalysis, material development, and immobilization of enzymes. 

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Cristiano E. Rodrigues Reis
Dr. Heitor Bento
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • (Bio)fuels
  • (Bio)remediation
  • Wastewater
  • Desalination
  • Carbon capture
  • Catalysis
  • Membranes
  • Material development
  • Enzyme immobilization

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1499 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Forward Osmosis Module Configuration on Nutrients Removal and Microalgae Harvesting in Osmotic Photobioreactor
by Mathieu Larronde-Larretche and Xue Jin
Membranes 2022, 12(9), 892; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12090892 - 16 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2029
Abstract
Microalgae have attracted great interest recently due to their potential for nutrients removal from wastewater, renewable biodiesel production and bioactive compounds extraction. However, one major challenge in microalgal bioremediation and the algal biofuel process is the high energy cost of separating microalgae from [...] Read more.
Microalgae have attracted great interest recently due to their potential for nutrients removal from wastewater, renewable biodiesel production and bioactive compounds extraction. However, one major challenge in microalgal bioremediation and the algal biofuel process is the high energy cost of separating microalgae from water. Our previous studies demonstrated that forward osmosis (FO) is a promising technology for microalgae harvesting and dewatering due to its low energy consumption and easy fouling control. In the present study, two FO module configurations (side-stream and submerged) were integrated with microalgae (C. vulgaris) photobioreactor (PBR) in order to evaluate the system performance, including nutrients removal, algae harvesting efficiency and membrane fouling. After 7 days of operation, both systems showed effective nutrients removal. A total of 92.9%, 100% and 98.7% of PO4-P, NH3-N and TN were removed in the PBR integrated with the submerged FO module, and 82%, 96% and 94.8% of PO4-P, NH3-N and TN were removed in the PBR integrated with the side-stream FO module. The better nutrients removal efficiency is attributed to the greater algae biomass in the submerged FO-PBR where in situ biomass dewatering was conducted. The side-stream FO module showed more severe permeate flux loss and biomass loss (less dewatering efficiency) due to algae deposition onto the membrane. This is likely caused by the higher initial water flux associated with the side-stream FO configuration, resulting in more foulants being transported to the membrane surface. However, the side-stream FO module showed better fouling mitigation by simple hydraulic flushing than the submerged FO module, which is not convenient for conducting cleaning without interrupting the PBR operation. Taken together, our results suggest that side-stream FO configuration may provide a viable way to integrate with PBR for a microalgae-based treatment. The present work provides novel insights into the efficient operation of a FO-PBR for more sustainable wastewater treatment and effective microalgae harvesting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Membrane Technologies for Environmental Sustainability: Fundamentals and Applications)
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15 pages, 3899 KiB  
Article
Pollution and Cleaning of PDMS Pervaporation Membranes after Recovering Ethyl Acetate from Aqueous Saline Solutions
by Xuefei Sun, Yang Pan, Chunxiang Shen, Chengye Zuo, Xiaobin Ding, Gongping Liu, Weihong Xing and Wanqin Jin
Membranes 2022, 12(4), 404; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12040404 - 6 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2215
Abstract
The removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from wastewater containing nonvolatile salts has become an important and interesting case of the application of the pervaporation (PV) process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of salts on the PV removal [...] Read more.
The removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from wastewater containing nonvolatile salts has become an important and interesting case of the application of the pervaporation (PV) process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of salts on the PV removal of ethyl acetate from wastewater using a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane. The fouled membrane was then characterized via scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–EDX) to investigate salt permeation. The membrane backflushing process was carried out by periodically flushing the permeate side of the tubular membrane. The results demonstrated that salts (NaCl and CaCl2) could permeate through the PDMS membrane and were deposited on the permeate side. The presence of salts in the feed solution caused a slight increase in the membrane selectivity and a decrease in the permeate flux. The flux decreased with increasing salt concentration, and a notable effect occurred at higher feed-salt concentrations. A permeate flux of up to 98.3% of the original flux was recovered when the permeation time and backflushing duration were 30 and 5 min, respectively, indicating that the effect of salt deposition on flux reduction could be mitigated. Real, organic, saline wastewater was treated in a pilot plant, which further verified the feasibility of wastewater PV treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Membrane Technologies for Environmental Sustainability: Fundamentals and Applications)
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16 pages, 1398 KiB  
Article
Response Surface Methodology for Optimization of Rotating Biological Contactor Combined with External Membrane Filtration for Wastewater Treatment
by Sharjeel Waqas, Noorfidza Yub Harun, Muhammad Roil Bilad, Taufik Samsuri, Nik Abdul Hadi Md Nordin, Norazanita Shamsuddin, Asep Bayu Dani Nandiyanto, Nurul Huda and Jumardi Roslan
Membranes 2022, 12(3), 271; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12030271 - 27 Feb 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4307
Abstract
A large amount of wastewater is directly discharged into water bodies without treatment, causing surface water contamination. A rotating biological contactor (RBC) is an attached biological wastewater treatment process that offers a low energy footprint. However, its unstable removal efficiency makes it less [...] Read more.
A large amount of wastewater is directly discharged into water bodies without treatment, causing surface water contamination. A rotating biological contactor (RBC) is an attached biological wastewater treatment process that offers a low energy footprint. However, its unstable removal efficiency makes it less popular. This study optimized operating parameters in RBC combined with external membrane filtration (RBC-ME), in which the latter acted as a post-treatment step to stabilize the biological performance. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the biological and filtration performance by exploiting three parameters, namely disk rotation, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and sludge retention time (SRT). Results show that the RBC-ME exhibited superior biological treatment capacity and higher effluent quality compared to stand-alone RBC. It attained 87.9 ± 3.2% of chemical oxygen demand, 45.2 ± 0.7% total nitrogen, 97.9 ± 0.1% turbidity, and 98.9 ± 1.1% ammonia removals. The RSM showed a good agreement between the model and the experimental data. The maximum permeability of 144.6 L/m2 h bar could be achieved under the optimum parameters of 36.1 rpm disk rotation, 18 h HRT, and 14.9 d SRT. This work demonstrated the effective use of statistical modeling to enhance RBC-ME system performance to obtain a sustainable and energy-efficient condition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Membrane Technologies for Environmental Sustainability: Fundamentals and Applications)
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15 pages, 2726 KiB  
Article
Use of Fungal Mycelium as Biosupport in the Formation of Lichen-like Structure: Recovery of Algal Grown in Sugarcane Molasses for Lipid Accumulation and Balanced Fatty Acid Profile
by Savienne Zorn, Ana Carvalho, Heitor Bento, Bruno Gambarato, Guilherme Pedro, Ana da Silva, Rhyan Gonçalves, Patrícia Da Rós and Messias Silva
Membranes 2022, 12(3), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12030258 - 24 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3051
Abstract
In this study, a lichen-like structure was obtained through the production of a unique biomass, formed by algae cells of Scenedesmus obliquus adhering to the mycelium of filamentous fungal Mucor circinelloides. This structure was composed in two steps; in the first one, microalgal [...] Read more.
In this study, a lichen-like structure was obtained through the production of a unique biomass, formed by algae cells of Scenedesmus obliquus adhering to the mycelium of filamentous fungal Mucor circinelloides. This structure was composed in two steps; in the first one, microalgal cells and spores were incubated separately, and in the second one, after 72 h of growth, isolated, mature mycelium was harvested and added to cell culture. For spores’ incubation, a culture medium containing only 2 g·L−1 of glucose and minerals was used. This culture medium, with low sugar content, provided a fungal biomass to the anchorage of microalgae cells. WC medium was used without and with sugarcane molasses supplementation for microalgae cells’ incubation. The lichen-type structure that was formed resulted in 99.7% efficiency in the recovery of microalgae cells and in up to 80% efficiency in the recovery of algae biomass in the lichen biomass composition. In addition, the resulting consortium attained a satisfactory lipid accumulation value (38.2 wt%) with a balanced fatty acid composition of 52.7% saturated plus monounsaturated fatty acids and 47.4% polyunsaturated fatty acids. Since fungal species are easy to recover, unlike microalgae, the lichen-like structure produced indicates an efficient low-cost bioremediation and harvesting alternative; in addition, it provides an oleaginous biomass for various industrial applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Membrane Technologies for Environmental Sustainability: Fundamentals and Applications)
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8 pages, 1045 KiB  
Communication
Volumetric Scale-Up of a Packed-Bed Ion-Exchange System to Extract Phytate from Thin Stillage
by Cristiano E. Rodrigues Reis and Bo Hu
Membranes 2022, 12(2), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12020230 - 17 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2800
Abstract
Phytate is the main form of phosphorus in corn ethanol coproducts and poses digestion issues in monogastric-animal feed. Extracting phytate as a commodity chemical will bring extra revenue to the corn ethanol industry and reduces potential phosphorus pollution from livestock waste management. We [...] Read more.
Phytate is the main form of phosphorus in corn ethanol coproducts and poses digestion issues in monogastric-animal feed. Extracting phytate as a commodity chemical will bring extra revenue to the corn ethanol industry and reduces potential phosphorus pollution from livestock waste management. We assessed a simplified scale-up approach of an ion-exchange separation system applied to extract phytate from thin stillage using volumetric parameters and simplifications of the van Deemter model. Thin stillage is one of the main byproducts generated on dry-grind corn-to-ethanol plants and accounts for the liquid portion of the bottom product generated in the ethanol distillation process. Thin stillage is rich in dissolved phytate, which served as the basis for an ion-exchange extraction system developed with a scalability factor of 50. Under the evaluated conditions, similar breakthrough profiles were obtained when similar Péclet and Stanton numbers were maintained for the scales studied, demonstrating that a simple and straightforward scale-up can be attained if special attention is given to maintaining both parameters as the basis of calculations of the plate numbers of ion-exchange columns. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Membrane Technologies for Environmental Sustainability: Fundamentals and Applications)
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19 pages, 5172 KiB  
Article
Coal-Fired Boiler Flue Gas Desulfurization System Based on Slurry Waste Heat Recovery in Severe Cold Areas
by Chenghu Zhang, Dezhi Zou, Xinpeng Huang and Weijun Lu
Membranes 2022, 12(1), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12010047 - 30 Dec 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2242
Abstract
To reduce operating costs on the basis of ensuring the desulfurization efficiency in a wet flue gas desulfurization system, a theoretical model was put forward, and a calculation method was set up. Correlations between reaction zone height, flue gas inlet temperature, slurry inlet [...] Read more.
To reduce operating costs on the basis of ensuring the desulfurization efficiency in a wet flue gas desulfurization system, a theoretical model was put forward, and a calculation method was set up. Correlations between reaction zone height, flue gas inlet temperature, slurry inlet temperature, gas–liquid ratio and desulfurization efficiency were found. Based on the heat and mass transfer model of the spray tower, the integrated system of desulfurization tower and open slurry pool and the flue gas desulfurization-waste heat recovery system were established. Additionally, the effect of outdoor wind speed, heat dissipation area and ambient temperature on the slurry equilibrium temperature in the integrated system were analyzed. The results show the slurry equilibrium temperature of the desulfurization system is negatively correlated with outdoor wind speed and heat dissipation area, and positively related to ambient temperature. The slurry temperature is the main factor that affects the performance of the wet flue gas desulfurization system. Finally, based on the Harbin heating group Hua Hui hotspot energy-saving reconstruction project, a case analysis was conducted, which proves the flue gas desulfurization-waste heat recovery system is profitable, energy saving and a suitable investment project. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Membrane Technologies for Environmental Sustainability: Fundamentals and Applications)
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14 pages, 3897 KiB  
Article
A Systematic Study of Ammonia Recovery from Anaerobic Digestate Using Membrane-Based Separation
by Fanny Rivera, Raúl Muñoz, Pedro Prádanos, Antonio Hernández and Laura Palacio
Membranes 2022, 12(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12010019 - 24 Dec 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4092
Abstract
Ammonia recovery from synthetic and real anaerobic digestates was accomplished using hydrophobic flat sheet membranes operated with H2SO4 solutions to convert ammonia into ammonium sulphate. The influence of the membrane material, flow rate (0.007, 0.015, 0.030 and 0.045 m3 [...] Read more.
Ammonia recovery from synthetic and real anaerobic digestates was accomplished using hydrophobic flat sheet membranes operated with H2SO4 solutions to convert ammonia into ammonium sulphate. The influence of the membrane material, flow rate (0.007, 0.015, 0.030 and 0.045 m3 h−1) and pH (7.6, 8.9, 10 and 11) of the digestate on ammonia recovery was investigated. The process was carried out with a flat sheet configuration at a temperature of 35 °C and with a 1 M, or 0.005 M, H2SO4 solution on the other side of the membrane. Polytetrafluoroethylene membranes with a nominal pore radius of 0.22 µm provided ammonia recoveries from synthetic and real digestates of 84.6% ± 1.0% and 71.6% ± 0.3%, respectively, for a membrane area of 8.6 × 10−4 m2 and a reservoir volume of 0.5 L, in 3.5 h with a 1 M H2SO4 solution and a recirculation flow on the feed side of the membrane of 0.030 m3 h−1. NH3 recovery followed first order kinetics and was faster at higher pHs of the H2SO4 solution and recirculation flow rate on the membrane feed side. Fouling resulted in changes in membrane surface morphology and pore size, which were confirmed by Atomic Force Microscopy and Air Displacement Porometry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Membrane Technologies for Environmental Sustainability: Fundamentals and Applications)
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