water-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Membrane Technology for Desalination and Wastewater Treatment

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2025 | Viewed by 2467

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
Interests: wastewater treatment; membrane separation; membrane bioreactor; crystallization; biofilm process; water reuse
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment (SKLUWRE), Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
Interests: water and wastewater treatment; membrane technology; biological wastewater treatment; membrane aeration; bacterial-algae technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment (SKLUWRE), Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
Interests: separation processes; membrane technology; ceramic membranes; polymeric membranes; surface modification; organic–inorganic hybrids; thin-film composite; ultrafiltration; nanofiltration; water treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Membrane technology plays a crucial role in both desalination and wastewater treatment processes. Membrane processes rely on a selective permeable barrier to separate dissolved or suspended substances from wastewater. There are several types of membranes used in these applications, including reverse osmosis membranes, nanofiltration membranes, ultrafiltration membranes, microfiltration membranes, distillation membranes, and ion exchange membranes, among others. Physical, chemical, and biological methods are involved in wastewater treatment with desalination functions.

This Special Issue welcomes original research papers, reviews, and tutorials on all aspects of the relationship between desalination and wastewater treatment. Innovative advancements that upgrade lab-based discovery to field-based applications will be of particular interest. Papers containing engineering principles that are integrated with knowledge from other disciplines are also welcome. Environmental materials and technologies are used for monitoring, sensing, and assessing environmental contaminants, and cleaner sustainable processes are encouraged.

Dr. Jinlong Wang
Dr. Han Zhang
Dr. Daliang Xu
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. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2600 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

  • membrane separation
  • membrane distillation
  • ion exchange membrane
  • desalination
  • wastewater treatment
  • crystallization
  • zero-liquid discharge

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 1837 KiB  
Article
Mitigation of Membrane Fouling in Membrane Bioreactors Using Granular and Powdered Activated Carbon: An Experimental Study
by Nataly Morales, Camila Mery-Araya, Paula Guerra, Rodrigo Poblete and Jaime Chacana-Olivares
Water 2024, 16(17), 2556; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172556 - 9 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1704
Abstract
This experimental study explores the mitigation of membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) through the combined use of granular activated carbon (GAC) and powdered activated carbon (PAC). The research assesses the impact of these materials on the fouling resistance, critical flux, and permeate [...] Read more.
This experimental study explores the mitigation of membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) through the combined use of granular activated carbon (GAC) and powdered activated carbon (PAC). The research assesses the impact of these materials on the fouling resistance, critical flux, and permeate quality using various mixed liquor suspended solids concentrations and carbon dosages. The results indicate that the GAC-PAC combination significantly reduces the total filtration resistance, particularly the cake layer resistance, by 11.7% to 13.6% compared to setups without activated carbon or with the individual carbon types. The study also reveals that this combination decreased the fouling rate by 15% to 24% at critical flux steps, demonstrating substantial improvements in fouling mitigation and operational efficiency. Furthermore, the GAC-PAC combination, which produces an adsorption process, enhances the permeate quality, achieving the near-complete removal of organic matter, total nitrogen, and turbidity, with total phosphorus removal reaching 99%. These findings demonstrate that the combined use of GAC and PAC not only reduces membrane fouling but also improves the overall MBR performance, making it a viable strategy for enhancing the efficiency of wastewater treatment processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Technology for Desalination and Wastewater Treatment)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 286 KiB  
Review
Membrane-Based Persulfate Activation for Wastewater Treatment: A Critical Review of Materials, Mechanisms and Expectation
by Wenye Li, Lin Guo, Binghan Xie, Weijia Gong, Guoyu Zhang, Zhipeng Li, Hong You, Fengwei Jia and Jinlong Wang
Water 2025, 17(8), 1233; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17081233 - 21 Apr 2025
Viewed by 312
Abstract
Membrane-based persulfate catalysis technology offers a dual approach to wastewater treatment by facilitating both physical separation and chemical oxidation. This innovative method significantly enhances pollutant removal efficiency while mitigating membrane fouling, positioning it as a promising advanced oxidation technology for wastewater management. This [...] Read more.
Membrane-based persulfate catalysis technology offers a dual approach to wastewater treatment by facilitating both physical separation and chemical oxidation. This innovative method significantly enhances pollutant removal efficiency while mitigating membrane fouling, positioning it as a promising advanced oxidation technology for wastewater management. This review comprehensively examines the critical aspects of material design, activation mechanisms, and technological challenges. Membrane materials and structures are crucial for enhancing the overall efficiency of the technology. By analyzing various catalytic materials and modification strategies, the study reveals the intricate interactions between membrane structures, catalytic performance, and pollutant degradation. The clear mechanism of pollutant degradation is the key to achieve accurate degradation. The research highlights three primary activation pathways: free radical, non-radical, and hybrid mechanisms, each offering unique advantages in addressing complex water contamination. Finally, the future challenges and research directions are put forward. Despite remarkable progress, challenges remain in membrane stability, economic feasibility, and large-scale implementation. Therefore, this study outlines the latest materials, mechanisms, and prospects of membrane-based persulfate technology, which are expected to promote its widespread application in environmental governance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Technology for Desalination and Wastewater Treatment)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop