Advanced Membrane and Algal-Based Technologies for Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery

Dear Colleagues,

Driven by rapid urbanization, industrial development, and growing global carbon neutrality goals, sustainable wastewater treatment and circular resource recovery have become core research hotspots in environmental engineering. Traditional wastewater treatment technologies face prominent bottlenecks, including high energy consumption, poor resource utilization efficiency, and secondary pollution risks, urgently necessitating the development of innovative, low-carbon, and high-efficiency treatment systems.

Membrane technology and algal-based biological systems are two pivotal and fast-evolving technical routes in modern wastewater remediation. Advanced membrane technologies overcome the limitations of conventional processes, featuring high separation efficiency, stable effluent quality, and compact system structure, and have been widely applied in domestic sewage, industrial wastewater, and advanced water treatment. Meanwhile, innovative breakthroughs in novel membrane materials, anti-fouling modification, low-carbon operation optimization, and intelligent control have further expanded the application boundary of membrane water treatment.

Complementing membrane technology, algal-based remediation systems—including algae–bacteria consortia, pure algal treatment systems, and coupled algal–biochemical processes—provide eco-friendly and circular solutions for wastewater purification. These sustainable systems achieve the synchronous removal of nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic pollutants while realizing high-value resource recovery such as biomass, biofuels, and high-value-added biochemical products, effectively reducing the carbon footprint of wastewater treatment processes.

This Special Issue focuses on the latest advances, innovative mechanisms, cutting-edge technologies, and practical engineering applications of advanced membrane and algal-based wastewater treatment and resource recovery technologies. It aims to build an international academic platform for exchanging innovative findings, addressing existing technical bottlenecks, and promoting the industrialization and low-carbon upgrading of water treatment technologies. We welcome original research articles, review papers, communication papers, and case studies covering relevant interdisciplinary research fields.

The potential research topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Design, preparation and modification of advanced functional membrane materials for high-efficiency wastewater treatment and water resource recovery;
• Mechanism analysis, regulation and green control strategies of membrane fouling in water and wastewater treatment processes;
• Low-carbon, energy-saving and intelligent optimization of membrane systems for sustainable wastewater treatment and water reuse;
• Performance optimization, process innovation and engineering application of novel membrane technologies for complex wastewater treatment and resource recycling;
• Algal-based purification systems and algae–bacteria synergistic mechanisms for enhanced wastewater treatment and nutrient recovery;
• Synchronous wastewater purification and high-value resource recovery based on innovative algal technologies for sustainable water treatment;
• Design and low-carbon circular application of coupled membrane–algal composite systems for advanced wastewater treatment and water reuse;
• Novel technologies and strategic solutions for sustainable wastewater remediation, water purification and resource recycling.

We welcome researchers and practitioners from across the world to contribute their original research and innovative reviews to this Special Issue, together promoting the development of advanced and sustainable water treatment technologies.

Prof. Dr. Meijia Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• advanced membrane technology
• algal-based system
• algae–bacteria consortia
• wastewater treatment
• resource recovery
• low-carbon water treatment
• membrane fouling