Membrane Fouling and Antifouling Strategies for Water and Wastewater Treatment

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 1487

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Ningbo Key Laboratory of Green Petrochemical Carbon Emission Reduction Technology and Equipment, Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Ningbo 315201, China
Interests: water treatment; membrane fouling; anti-oil-fouling membrane; hollow fiber membrane; ultrafiltration; nanofiltration; covalent organic framework membrane; advanced oxidation process; catalytic oxidation; catalytic membrane

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past few decades, membrane technology has been extensively utilized in municipal and industrial water supply as well as wastewater treatment. However, membrane fouling continues to pose a significant challenge that limits operational efficiency, economic viability, and long-term stability. Membrane fouling can result in a reduction of membrane flux, an increase in transmembrane pressure differentials, elevated energy consumption during operation, and a decreased lifespan of the membranes. Consequently, these factors substantially escalate operational costs and environmental impacts. Currently, although various anti-fouling strategies have been implemented to mitigate membrane fouling and partially restore membrane performance, these approaches often exhibit limited effectiveness.

In this special issue, we cordially invite authors to submit original research and review papers on the topic of membrane fouling and antifouling strategies in water and wastewater treatment. The submission content may concern, but is not limited to, the following areas:

(1) theoretical and experimental investigations into the mechanisms underlying membrane fouling;

(2) strategies for controlling membrane fouling, including pretreatment technologies and antifouling membranes;

(3) characterization and detection techniques for membrane fouling;

(4) evaluation of membrane systems' performance and sustainability, such as predictions of membrane lifespan, assessments of operational efficiency, and economic analysis.

Dr. Hui Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • membranes for water treatment
  • membrane fouling
  • fouling mechanism
  • anti-fouling strategies
  • fouling characterization

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2957 KB  
Article
Carboxylated Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Copolymer: A Facile Route to Improve Ultrafiltration Membrane Properties for Aqueous Filtration
by Yani Jiang, Zihao Zhao, Xianbo Yu, Quangang Cheng, Shaoyu Zou, Yang Zeng, Qiang Huang, Ziran Zhu, Weiwei Zhu, Liping Zhu and Baoku Zhu
Membranes 2026, 16(4), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes16040121 - 30 Mar 2026
Viewed by 447
Abstract
Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based ultrafiltration membranes play key roles in aqueous separation fields. However, the inherent hydrophobicity of PVDF always generates higher water permeation resistance and a greater fouling tendency in the filtration process. Different to the widely reported and widely used blending methods [...] Read more.
Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based ultrafiltration membranes play key roles in aqueous separation fields. However, the inherent hydrophobicity of PVDF always generates higher water permeation resistance and a greater fouling tendency in the filtration process. Different to the widely reported and widely used blending methods of increasing the hydrophilicity of PVDF membranes, the mass-produced hydrophilic PVDF copolymer is expected to be more efficient in producing high performance membranes. For this purpose, the present research offers a new and scalable approach to improving the hydrophilic properties of PVDF-based membranes through amphiphilic copolymers. Using 2-trifluoromethylacrylic acid (MAF) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP), carboxylated PVDF (PVHM) was synthesized following simple radical suspension copolymerization. Via a non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) method, PVHM membranes were prepared and characterized. It was found that the PVHM membranes had enhanced hydrophilicity, permeability, fouling resistance, and alkali resistance compared with PVDF membranes. For the PVHM containing 8.3 wt% MAF, its membrane demonstrated superior static/dynamic fouling resistance to sodium alginate (FRR up to 99.1% for SA). Therefore, carboxylated PVDF polymers show potential for use in the industrial production of high-performance ultrafiltration membranes. Full article
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23 pages, 6790 KB  
Article
Quantitative Characterization of Microfiltration Membrane Fouling Using Optical Coherence Tomography with Optimized Image Analysis
by Song Lee, Hyongrak Cho, Yongjun Choi, Juyoung Andrea Lee and Sangho Lee
Membranes 2026, 16(2), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes16020050 - 26 Jan 2026
Viewed by 716
Abstract
Membrane fouling reduces permeate flux and treatment efficiency, yet most diagnostic methods are destructive and require offline analysis. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables in situ, real-time visualization; however, quantitative image extraction of thin foulant layers is often limited by manual processing and subjective [...] Read more.
Membrane fouling reduces permeate flux and treatment efficiency, yet most diagnostic methods are destructive and require offline analysis. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables in situ, real-time visualization; however, quantitative image extraction of thin foulant layers is often limited by manual processing and subjective thresholding. Here, we develop a reproducible OCT image-analysis workflow that combines band-pass filtering, Gaussian smoothing, and unsharp masking with a dual-threshold subtraction strategy for automated fouling-layer segmentation. Seventeen global thresholding algorithms in ImageJ (289 threshold pairs) were benchmarked against SEM-measured cake thickness, identifying Triangle–Moments as the most robust combination. For humic-acid fouling, the OCT-derived endpoint thickness (14.23 ± 1.18 µm) closely agreed with SEM (15.29 ± 1.54 µm). The method was then applied to other microfiltration foulants, including kaolin and sodium alginate, to quantify thickness evolution alongside flux decline. OCT with the optimized image analysis captured rapid early deposition and revealed periods where flux loss continued despite minimal additional thickness growth, consistent with changes in layer permeability and compaction. The proposed framework advances OCT from qualitative visualization to quantitative, real-time fouling diagnostics and supports mechanistic interpretation and improved operational control of membrane systems. Full article
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