Towards the Circular Economy—Membrane Processes for the Recovery of Water and Nutrients from Wastewater

Dear Colleagues,

Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface. Unfortunately, only about 1% of these resources are freshwater, our source of drinking water.

To meet the needs of the world’s growing population, there should be sufficient water available. Moreover, the current generation should take responsibility for ensuring the future needs of society of met, which constitutes the basis of sustainable development. This requires taking further initiatives to protect water resources, as well as to recover clean water from wastewater. One of the most promising methods for water recovery from wastewater are membrane processes. Membranes with different separation properties enable the recovery of high-quality water suitable for consumption as well as for use in many industries. In addition, membrane processes can be used to recover raw materials (e.g., nutrients, phosphorus), exemplifying a circular economy (CE). Compared to conventional water treatment methods, membrane techniques allow for the production of water of a consistent quality, do not require the use of additional chemicals and also enable energy savings, continuous separation and the enlargement of the technological scale in the modular system. The widespread interest in the use of membrane techniques for wastewater treatment has influenced the development of methods and materials for the production of membranes with improved functional properties enabling fouling control. When designing modern technological solutions, it is also necessary to manage wastes, including used membranes and concentrates of filtered liquid components. Thus, circular management and disposal of waste are strongly recommended in this area.

This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of the latest advances in the field of membrane solutions that represent the strategies of action for sustainable development by saving water resources and minimizing the release of industrial pollutant emissions into the natural environment.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• circular economy;
• water reclamation;
• nutrients recovery;
• wastewater treatment;
• membrane processes;
• new types of membranes;
• membrane manufacturing;
• membrane fouling control.

Dr. Anna Kowalik-Klimczak
Prof. Dr. Marzena Smol
Prof. Dr. Michał Bodzek
Guest Editors

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