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Fresh and clean water is an essential source of life. It can be supplied from the oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, and marshes. Nowadays, clean water availability has become a problem in several areas. Several problems usually occur, including the local ecosystem and air conditions, so they cannot be used properly. It is one area vulnerable to clean water availability. Meanwhile, UNESCO declares the community's right to clean water is 60 liters per person daily. This situation is the basis of research problems with the aim of (1) analyzing the problems and obstacles of the Nganti community towards water needs, (2) community responses to these problems and technology, and (3) the Nganti community strategies for now and future. The method used in this research was qualitative and descriptive. The key informants are the head of village, the head of the Clean Water Association, the head of Ngraho sub-district, the leader of community, and a survey of 40 Nganti-Ngraho residents. The data analysis used statistics descriptive and qualitative by using SMART method. The results show that the currently developed strategy was membrane technology, but the ultra-filtrated water was still turbid, requiring a more sophisticated membrane technology. The expected strategy is that local government institutions need to be directly involved to improve water quality.

Membrane technology is crucial to achieving Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 of clean water and sanitation for all. Despite its numerous benefits, high capital and operating costs pose major challenges. Recent research has focused on sustainable materials as membranes and more effective cleaning regimes to reduce costs and improve membrane lifespan. While South Africa and Sweden have both begun using membrane technology for water and wastewater treatment, it remains relatively rare. Collaborations through SASUF aim to evaluate and share best practices. Although MBRs have produced high-quality effluent in South Africa, cost, maintenance, and membrane replacement, as well as river pollution, remain major considerations. In contrast, Sweden has seen large-scale membrane installations in drinking water and wastewater treatment plants. Establishing working membrane references is crucial to the success of membrane technology, which is well-established globally but often requires local adaptations. Collaborations between the two countries are essential to support this approach by sharing knowledge and learning from each other.

The growing application of radioactive materials in various industries, such as nuclear power, oil and gas, and research labs, has led to an increase in the amount of radioactive material present in waste liquids. This poses a risk to both the environment and human health through exposure to radiation. Current methods for treating these types of waste liquids, aside from membrane technology, are not economically feasible. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate ways to effectively treat liquid radioactive waste to comply with environmental regulations. Membrane technology is a cost-effective and energy-efficient method for treating radioactive waste. This review focuses on the utilization of membrane technology for the treatment of radioactive waste, discussing various collective membrane techniques, including nanofiltration, microfiltration, ultrafiltration, membrane distillation, and reverse osmosis. The review also evaluates selective membrane separation techniques such as ion-exchange membranes, supported liquid membranes, and polymer inclusion membranes. Previous studies' findings are summarized, and potential areas for future development are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanide is the main organic pollutant obtained in the water bodies of steel manufacturing plants. Cyanide generation takes place during the pyrolysis of coal for coke formation. Organic compounds such as cyanide, ammonia, phenol, and others are found in bodies of water after the coke oven gas is quenched. Highly hazardous nature and fatality of cyanide demand its effective remediation, with environmental norms stating (< 0.2 ppm cyanide) must be fulfilled before its release. The objective of the review is to include all the studies till date and the discomfort associated with the techniques. The study emphasizes on both primitive and advanced scientific techniques employed around the globe for cyanide remediation. Advanced techniques are also accompanied with challenges such as in case of strong oxidants; the storage and handling of explosive oxidants can be of concern. Strong oxidants, such as ozone, hydrogen peroxide, or hypochlorite, are extremely effective, but they significantly increase chemical demand. Strong oxidants like H2O2 were found to be very explosive in nature, hence limit their uses. Greener bioremediation alternatives are available, but their longer reaction times are their main detriment. Because of their high effectiveness even in the absence of any chemical requirement, photocatalysts and their actions are intensely studied. Efficiency and economics being the primary parameter, this paper focuses on the sustainability and recovery of catalyst reagents. Alongside, how large-scale industries can utilize designated techniques for higher yield and economic benefits is also retrospected here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a highly complex aqueous effluent, tannery wastewater from leather industry should be treated appropriately before discharging into the environment. Membrane technology has been shown to be a promising approach for tannery wastewater treatment as it may achieve "Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD)". This work, as the state-of-the-art, attempts to review the world-wide research trends of membrane technologies, the technical recapitulation and recent advances of such technology for tannery wastewater treatment. Generally, manufacture membrane, membrane-based integrated process, MBR, NF, UF and RO are the hotspots in this field. Details of different membrane technologies configured for tannery wastewater treatment, such as membrane materials, scale, membrane modules, operating conditions and removal efficiency of pollutants, are also summarized. It should be noted that membrane fouling is still a major challenge in the membrane technology during tannery wastewater treatment. Therefore, process coupling, either within diverse membrane technologies or between membrane and non-membrane technologies, is considered as a promising alternative to treat the leather tannery wastewater in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global water scarcity and water pollution necessitate wastewater reclamation for further use. As an alternative to conventional techniques, membrane technology is extensively used as an advanced method for water purification and wastewater treatment due to its selectivity, permeability, and efficient removal of pollutants. However, microbial biofouling is a major threat that deteriorates membrane performance and imparts operational challenges. It is a natural phenomenon caused by the undesirable colonization of microbes on membrane surfaces. The economic penalties associated with this menace are enormous. The traditional preventive measures are dominated by biocides, toxic chemicals, cleaners and antifouling surfaces, which are costly and often cause secondary pollution. Recent focus is thus being directed to promote inputs from nanotechnology to control and mitigate this major threat. Different anti-microbial nanomaterials can be effectively used to prevent the adhesion of microbes onto the membrane surfaces and eliminate microbial biofilms, to provide an economical and eco-friendly solution to biofouling. This review addresses the formation of microbial biofilms and biofouling in membrane operations. The potential of nanocomposite membranes in alleviating this problem and the challenges in commercialization are discussed. The antifouling mechanisms are also highlighted, which are not widely elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane distillation is an outstanding technology for environmental protection and pollution remediation to remove dye from textile wastewater and reclaim water. Permeability of commercial poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane was investigated with wastewaters containing acid (TRIMACID CP), direct (TRICEL NG-LBR CONC), disperse (COLORPES EX-SF 300%), or reactive dye (TIAFIX RBL 133%) with a dye concentration of 30 mg L−1. The results showed that the hydrophobic membrane with high porosity has an outstanding dye rejection (~ 99%) and provides permeate reclamation of water of ~ 11–19 kg m−2 h−1 depending on dye class. The potentiality of the membrane was compared to other studies reported in the literature. Similar results to membrane distillation applied to other textile contaminants were observed. Higher permeate flux (~ 133%) is obtained with the flat-sheet in comparison to a hollow-fiber module. When compared to conventional membrane separation processes, membrane distillation is simpler with low energy consumption due to the possibility of heat energy recovery present in wastewater. This work investigated for the first time the water reclamation from direct and disperse dye wastewater in membrane distillation using a poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane. The wastewater containing direct dye corroborated that dyes with anionic functional groups show higher water permeation with polymeric membranes. The wastewater containing disperse dye showed the lowest water reclamation due to its small molecular size, which could block some membrane pores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous companies working in the field of membrane development, membrane production, and membrane separation engineering were present at ACHEMA 2022. Compared to the last ACHEMA in 2018, there were fewer attending companies and only few new topics since development has been blocked partially by the pandemic situation and the subsequent restrictions of this years. Nevertheless, some new developments have been identified concerning process design as well as ceramic and polymeric systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane technology was used for the graded separation of Mori fructus polysaccharides, and its antioxidant, hypoglycemic, anti-allergic and in vitro alcohol dehydrogenase activities were studied. The Mori fructus polysaccharides were carried out by hot water extraction using ultrafiltration membranes with pore sizes of 300, 50, 5 and 1 kDa, respectively, as MFP300, MFP50, MFP5 and MFP1. The differences in the main components, antioxidant activity, hypoglycemic activity, antiallergic activity and in vitro ethanol dehydrogenase activity of Mori fructus polysaccharide fractions separated by ultrafiltration membranes of four pore sizes were compared. The results showed that the major components and biological activities of the four polysaccharides showed some differences. The total sugar content of MFP1, MFP5, MFP50 and MFP300 were 46.34%, 68.45%, 48.60% and 66.32%, respectively, while the glyoxylate content were 3.34%, 22.78%, 16.11% and 21.48%, respectively, and the reducing sugar content were 16.51%, 6.03%, 7.90% and 6.67%, respectively. Bioactivity screening showed that MFP300 scavenged DPPH radicals and ABTS+ radicals with IC50 values of 0.2235 and 0.2979 mg·mL−1, respectively, inhibited hyaluronidase with IC50 values of 0.6634 mg·mL−1, and activated in vitro ethanol dehydrogenase with IC50 values of 10.2646 mg·mL−1. MFP300 was exhibited the best antioxidant, anti-allergic and in vitro ethanol dehydrogenase activities compared with the other three components. Compared with the other three components, MFP1 exhibited the best hypoglycemic activity with IC50 values of 0.7944 and 4.6419 mg·mL−1 for its ability to inhibit α-glucosidase and α-amylase, respectively. In conclusion, there were some differences in the main components and biological activities of Mori fructus polysaccharides obtained by membrane classification and separation, which could provide a theoretical basis for the improvement and upgrading of Mori fructus polysaccharide classification technology and the study of the ''structure-effect'' relationship of Mori fructus polysaccharides.

The main goal of the present study is to examine the performance of novel draw solutions to extract highquality water from simulated brackish water. Three different types of draw solutions namely L-ascorbic acid, L-aspartic acid, and thiourea. The current draw solutions’ performance was measured in terms of average water flux (LMH) and average reverse solute flux (g/m2h). The impact of several parameters on FO desalination performance, such as draw solution type, feed water concentration, draw solution concentration, and membrane orientation mode, was investigated. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) was shown to have better FO performance in terms of high water flow up to 7.5 LMH and negligible reverse solute flux among the various types of draw solutions studied. The suggested FO technique can extract clean water to dilute the vitamin C draw solution up to the daily vitamin C in drinking water dose limit. Immune system deficits, cardiovascular illness, maternal health difficulties, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling may be protected by the supplemented vitamin C drinking water created. Some specialists recently recommended taking 200 mg of vitamin C daily for COVID-19 prophylaxis or 1-2 grams for COVID-19 treatment, according to some experts.

One of the most pressing challenges confronting modern civilization is the lack of enough clean water supplies. Membrane technology has emerged as a key technology for water treatment, including fresh water, salt water, and municipal or industrial wastewater treatment, owing to its energy savings, high performance efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. However, membrane fouling, resulting from a non-specific interaction between the membrane surface and fouling agents, significantly hinders the efficient utilization of membrane technology. The fabrication of antifouling membranes is a fundamental approach to dealing with fouling issues caused by various types of fouling agents. Significant progress has been made in membrane preparation techniques and modification strategies, notably in microfiltration membranes, in recent years. While outlining the key strategies for modifying antifouling microfiltration membranes, the present review highlights recent achievements in the mentioned field, which provides more details related to the fabrication and preparation techniques and enhances performance parameters of these membranes. Microfiltration nanocomposite membranes modified by blending method can be considered an emerging technology capable of converting laboratory/pilot scale to a reliable commercial technology due to their high performance efficiency and good antifouling properties among all modification methods covered in this study. While using modification techniques (blending, surface modification, interfacial polymerization, sol-gel, and electrospinning) to better manage fouling in microfiltration membranes has certain benefits in terms of boosting performance, it also has drawbacks. Therefore, further optimization of modifying methods with the aim of commercializing modified microfiltration membranes is essential.

Purpose: The prime aim of food storage and preservation is to protect and preserve food; and hence, extend its shelf life with minimal losses. Amongst the various factors involved to increase the shelf life and preservation, packaging plays a very critical role by providing a good physical barrier to oxygen, moisture, microorganisms, and other volatiles. Certain perishable food products require modified and controlled atmospheric packaging in order to keep them fresh, sterile, clean, and safe. The purpose of this study is to analyze and understand the use of silicone membrane technology in preserving the quality and extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Main findings: The silicone membrane system (SMS) being a method of controlling atmospheric composition in fruits and vegetable storage, it was found that the shelf life and quality of the products were maintained to its best through selective membrane permeability and product respiration. The SMS allows diffusion of gases, at different rates, which is dependent on its physical and chemical properties and can be technically controlled compared to conventional Controlled Atmospheric systems. Limitations: This technology has been limited only to laboratory scale, and needs to be commercialized. Another big limitation is its high cost. Moreover, certain fruits required pre-processing before being kept in chambers with silicone windows. Directions for Future Research: This system needs to be studied in a more appropriate way and in a more cost-effective manner, such that it can be commercialized and made available for farmers at low cost to protect their produce.

Membranes are employed in various applications, including pharmaceutical waste separation, owing to their operability, high removal capacity, and cost‐effectiveness. However, membrane fouling is an influential factor that reduces their efficiency. Since the addition of hydrophilic inorganic components has been shown to reduce membrane fouling, the present work focuses on manganese (MnO2, Mn2O3) nanoparticles (NP) in polysulfone (PSF) casting solutions to prepare mixed‐matrix membranes for separating diclofenac (DCF) sodium from an aqueous solution. The membranes were characterized using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, thermogravimetric analysis, and by elucidating the internal membrane specific area, contact angle, and mechanical properties. The synthesized NP were characterized by X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The concentrations of DCF sodium measured in the feed and filtrate solutions showed that the PSF/Mn2O3 membrane provided the highest permeate flux with good DCF removal of 98.4 %. Mechanical testing indicated that higher tensile strength was obtained when embedding MnO2 NP in the PSF membrane matrix. Contact angle measurements showed an improvement of the surface hydrophilicity when blending the PSF casting solution with MnO2 NP. The fouling test indicated that the PSF/Mn2O3 membrane provided the best antifouling properties. Thus, NP addition enhanced the porosity, antifouling characteristics, hydrophilicity, and water flux of the fabricated membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Central Asian Economic Review is the property of Narxoz University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Water and energy are two strategic drivers of sustainable development, intimately interlaced and vital for a secure future of humanity. Given that water resources are limited, whereas global population and energy demand are exponentially growing, the competitive balance between these resources, referred to as the water-energy nexus, is receiving renewed focus. The desalination industry alleviates water stress by producing freshwater from saline sources, such as seawater, brackish or groundwater. Since the last decade, the market has been dominated by membrane desalination technology, offering significant advantages over thermal processes, such as lower energy demand, easy process control and scale-up, modularity for flexible productivity, and feasibility of synergic integration of different membrane operations. Although seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) accounts for more than 70% of the global desalination capacity, it is circumscribed by some significant technological limitations, such as: (i) the relatively low water recovery factor (around 50%) due to the negative impact of osmotic and polarization phenomena; (ii) an energy consumption in the range of 3–5 kWh m ^−3 , still far from the theoretical energy demand (1.1 kWh m ^−3 ) to produce potable water from seawater (at 50% water recovery factor). Ultimately, desalination is an energy intensive practice and research efforts are oriented toward the development of alternative and more energy-efficient approaches in order to enhance freshwater resources without placing excessive strain on limited energy supplies. Recent years have seen a relevant surge of interest in membrane distillation (MD), a thermally driven membrane desalination technology having the potential to complement SWRO in the logic of Process Intensification and Zero Liquid Discharge paradigm. Due to its peculiar transport mechanism and negligibility of osmotic phenomena, MD allows high-quality distillate production (theoretically, non-volatile species are completely rejected) with a recovery factor of up to 80% at a relatively low operative temperature (typically 60 °C–80 °C). Although low operative temperatures make MD technology attractive for renewable power applications (e.g. solar thermal, wind or geothermal energy sources) or for efficient exploitation of low-grade or waste heat streams, the low energy efficiency intrinsically due to heat losses—and specifically to temperature polarization—has so far hindered the application at industrial scale. Nowadays, photothermal materials able to absorb and convert natural or artificial irradiation into heat have gained great attention, demonstrating the potential to mitigate the ‘anthropic’ energy input to MD and to mitigate the impact of thermal inefficiencies. On this road, a step-change improvement in light-to-heat conversion is expected through high-throughput computational screening over thermoplasmonic materials based on electronic and optical properties of advanced materials including novel topological phases of matter used as nanofillers in polymeric membranes. Coherently with the concept of Circular Economy, waste hypersaline solutions rejected from desalination process (referred as ‘brine’) are now the subject of valorization activities along two main exploitation routes: (1) recovery of valuable minor and trace metals and minerals, with special focus on critical raw materials (including, among others, Mg, Na, Ca, K, Sr, Li, Br, B, and Rb); (2) production of salinity gradient power (SGP) renewable energy resulting from the recovery of the Gibbs energy of mixing (mainly represented by the entropic contribution) of two solutions having different ionic concentration. The exciting new frontier of sustainable mining of seawater concentrates is accelerating the appearance of a plethora of innovative membrane materials and methods for brine dehydration and selective extraction of trace ions, although under the sword of Damocles represented by cost feasibility for reliable commercial application. On the other hand, among several emerging technologies, reverse electrodialysis (SGP-RED) was already proven capable—at least at the kW scale–of turning the chemical potential difference between river water, brackish water, and seawater into electrical energy. Efforts to develop a next generation of ion exchange membranes exhibiting high perm-selectivity (especially toward monovalent ions) and low electrical resistance, to improve system engineering and to optimize operational conditions, pursue the goal of enhancing the low power density so far achievable (in the order of a few W per m ^2 ). This Roadmap takes the form of a series of short contributions written independently by worldwide experts in the topic. Collectively, such contributions provide a comprehensive picture of the current state of the art in membrane science and technology at the water-energy nexus, and how it is expected to develop in the future. In addition, this Roadmap acknowledges the challenges and advances in membrane systems, particularly emphasizing the interplay of material innovation and system optimization, which collectively contribute to advancing the desalination field within the water-energy nexus framework.

The growing number of microplastics in water bodies is now recognized as a significant global environmental issue, offering substantial risks to both aquatic ecosystems and human well-being. The present research investigates the progress and application of state-of-the-art nanofiltration techniques to respond to this critical issue. In this an in-depth examination of several different nanofiltration methods, investigating their efficacy, their fundamental mechanisms, and variety in the filtration of microplastics from various water sources. The study covers a variety of materials and membrane layouts, investigating the ways they contribute to improving filtering efficiency and selectivity. Also, the present study analyzes the practical considerations that accompany the implementation of these methodologies, including operational expenditures, scalability potential, and ecological consequences. The results of this investigation demonstrate that the utilization of advanced nanofiltration technologies offers significant promise for solving the issue of microplastic pollution. This shows their potential in protecting the quality of water as well as having a beneficial effect on global environmental sustainability.

Plant-based proteins are gaining popularity because of their appeal to vegetarians and vegans, alignment with scientific and regulatory recommendations, and the environmental impact associated with livestock production. Several techniques are employed for the separation, isolation, and purification of plant-based proteins including membrane-based separation, diafiltration, centrifugation, chromatography, electrophoresis, micellar precipitation, and isoelectric precipitation. Despite decades of application, these techniques still have some limitations such as scale-up challenges, high solvent consumption, chemical/biological disposal, and the possibility of protein loss during precipitation or elution. Membrane separation processes are the most effective purification/concentration technology in the production of plant-based protein isolates and concentrates due to their selective separation, simple operational conditions, and easy automation. Membrane separation processes yielded products with higher protein content compared to isoelectric precipitation, and all concentrates presented good functional properties with expected variability among different legumes. This review critically focuses on the membrane technology advances and challenges for the purification of plant-based protein isolates. This study also highlights the plant-based diet trend, the market, composition, and the protein isolate of the faba bean, in addition to the emerging technologies for the elimination of antinutritional compounds.

The discharge of emerging pollutants, such as beta-blockers (BB), has been recognized as one of the major threats to the environment due to the ecotoxicity associated with these emerging pollutants. The BB are prescribed to treat high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases; however, even at lower concentration, these pollutants can pose eco-toxic impacts towards aquatic organisms. Additionally, owing to their recalcitrant nature, BB are not effectively removed through conventional technologies, such as activated sludge process, trickling filter and moving bed bioreactor; thus, it is essential to understand the degradation mechanism of BB in established as well as embryonic technologies, like adsorption, electro-oxidation, Fenton process, ultraviolet-based advance oxidation process, ozonation, membrane systems, wetlands and algal treatment. In this regard, this review articulates the recalcitrant nature of BB and their associated removal technologies. Moreover, the major advantages and limitations of these BB removal technologies along with the recent advancements with regard to the application of innovative materials and strategies have also been elucidated. Therefore, the present review intends to aid the researchers in improving the BB removal efficiency of these technologies, thus alleviating the problem of the release of BB into the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the greenhouse effect, there is a pressing need to restrict and reduce CO2 emissions. Post-combustion capture technology is a type of widely used technologies for CO2 capture. Compared to the standalone CO2 capture processes such as absorption and cryogenic separation, hybrid CO2 capture processes demonstrate improved separation efficiency and capacity for the overall performance. Membrane separation is a great candidate for process hybridization with other CO2 capture processes. Three categories of hybrid processes consisting of membrane technology, i.e., in-series, parallel and integrated configurations, have been applied for CO2 capture. This paper mainly reviews the recent research progresses on the process development as well as the techno-economic analyses of the hybrid processes corresponding to these configurations. Furthermore, the perspectives on future directions of hybrid CO2 capture processes are discussed to facilitate its research and practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ambiente e Água is the property of Revista Ambiente e Agua and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Nanocomposite membranes are a class of innovative filtering materials consisting of nanofillers embedded in a polymeric or inorganic oxide matrix that functionalizes the membrane. Thermally rearranged (TR) polymers have a good blend of selectivity and permeability. Nanocomposite membranes were tested after applying a TR process. The selectivity decreases with increasing permeability, showing a trade‐off relationship between permeability and selectivity. TR polymer nanocomposite exhibits higher gas permeability than silica‐doped and pure polymer. The selectivity for H2/N2 and H2/CO2 gas pairs exceeds the Robeson upper‐bound limit, and in the case of the H2/CH4 gas pair. The selectivity for H2/N2 , H2/CH4 and H2/CO2 gas pairs exceeds the Robeson upper‐bound limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater effluents are a continuous source of pharmaceuticals in water bodies, which pose a serious environmental threat to aquatic ecosystems. This work provides a comprehensive technical, environmental and cost assessments of different advanced quaternary treatments for wastewater effluents, with special focus on novel Non-Thermal Plasma technology. For this porpouse Non-Thermal Plasma, Sand Filtration + Ozonation, Ultrafiltration, Ultrafiltration + Nanofiltration and Ultrafiltration + Reverse Osmosis technologies were compared with UV disinfection-based technology. This work applies the Life Cycle Analysis tool for the impact environmental assessment using both ReciPE 2016(H) method and, for a more detailed analysis of the contribution of pharmaceuticals to freshwater ecotoxicity category of impact, the USETOX method, which was integrated with 7 new characterisation factors. The results obtained showed overall removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals always higher than 80%, with performances in descending order of Ultrafiltration + Reverse Osmosis > Sand Filtration + Ozonation > Ultrafiltration + Nanofiltration > Non-Thermal Plasma, being Sand Filtration + Ultraviolet disinfection and standalone Ultrafiltration comparatively not suitable for pharmaceuticals removal. Regarding the target pharmaceuticals proposed on the EU Directive 271/91 revision, the Non-Thermal Plasma perform better towards venlafaxine than Sand Filtration + Ozonation, and towards diclofenac and carbamazepine than Ultrafiltration + Nanofiltration. Ultrafiltration + Nanofiltration and Non-Thermal Plasma showed better environmental performance than Sand Filtration + Ozonation and Ultrafiltration + Reverse Osmosis in 7 out of 18 categories of impact (ReciPe method), with Ultrafiltration + Nanofiltration being more advantageous than Non-Thermal Plasma in human and ecotoxicity-related categories of impact, and Non-Thermal Plasma more advantageous in Global Warming, Fossil Resource Scarcity, and Fine Particulate Matter Formation. Regrading Freshwater Ecotoxicity (USEtox method), the quaternary treatment configuration and its energy demand affect the Freshwater final value of impact more than the presence of pharmaceuticals. Under the conditions tested, the Non-Thermal Plasma provided the lower OPEX (0.24 € m−3) than other tested technologies, showing an interesting compromise between pharmaceuticals removal efficiency, environmental impacts, and economic operational cost. • Life Cycle Assessment of advanced quaternary treatments for pharmaceuticals. • A compreensive analysis of Non-Thermal Plasma technology for wastewater treatment. • The role of pharmaceuticals in Freshwater Ecotoxicity impact. • 7 new characterisation factors for pharamaceuticals to integrate USETox method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Membrane technology enables sustainable recovery of aqueous valuable resource. • It is crucial to develop innovative hybrid membrane technology for resource recovery. • Membrane fouling and instability are bottlenecks that deteriorate the performance. • It is challenging to achieve large-scale engineering application of resource recovery. Considering the circular economy and environmental protection, sustainable recovery of high-value metals from wastewater has become a prominent concern. Unlike conventional methods featuring extensive chemicals or energy consumption, membrane separation technology plays a crucial role in facilitating the sustainable and efficient recovery of valuable metals from wastewater due to its attractive features. In this review, we first briefly summarize the sustainable supply chain and significance of sustainable recovery of aqueous high-value metals. Then, we review the most recent advances and application potential in promising state-of-the-art membrane-based technologies for recovery of high-value metals (silver, gold, rhenium, platinum, ruthenium, palladium, iridium, osmium, and rhodium) from wastewater effluents. In particular, pressure-based membranes, liquid membranes, membrane distillation, forward osmosis, electrodialysis and membrane-based hybrid technologies and their mechanism of high-value metal recovery is thoroughly discussed. Then, engineering application and economic sustainability are also discussed for membrane-based high-value metal recovery. The review finally concludes with a critical and insightful overview of the techno-economic viability and future research direction of membrane technologies for efficient high-value metal recovery from wastewater. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Lithium supply challenges prompt reevaluation of sourcing strategies. • Technological bottlenecks of different lithium extraction techniques are identified. • The effectiveness of lithium extraction technologies is assessed across different feedstocks. • Integration of mature and emerging technologies would enhance lithium recovery. • Chemical precipitation has the highest operational cost compared to other technologies. Energy storage plays a crucial role in the modern energy landscape, with its applications spanning from renewable energy integration to the electrification of transportation and microgrids. Lithium is a key component of lithium-ion batteries at the core of energy storage technologies. Increasing demand for lithium has challenged supply chains and required a rethinking of how we source it. This comprehensive review presents a critical and holistic assessment of the opportunities and challenges of sourcing lithium from diverse feedstocks, such as seawater, geothermal, produced water (oilfield), and salt lake brines. We assess various lithium extraction technologies (precipitation, extraction, electrochemical techniques, and membrane processes) considering these three feedstocks. A quantitative comparative analysis is conducted across all technologies, considering factors such as cost, commercial maturity, operation duration, and other relevant parameters to determine the most promising technologies for each feedstock while identifying remaining research and technological gaps. Our analysis reveals that Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technologies, characterized by higher selectivity and lower environmental impact, demonstrate significant promise for enhancing lithium yields from geothermal brines. In contrast, membrane processes are identified as more suited for seawater and salt lake brines, offering cost-effective scalability despite challenges with selectivity and membrane fouling. Ultimately, the efficient integration of these technologies is illustrated for harvesting lithium from each unconventional resource. The analysis shows that adsorption and chemical precipitation are the commercial technologies for lithium recovery from geothermal, salt lake, and oilfield brine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • TiO 2 @ZIF-67 metal organic framework contained PVDF ultrafiltration flat sheet membranes were fabricated. • Membranes were characterized by various techniques. • The reactive black 5 dye was rejected in 97.4%, 92.2%, and 84.84% in acidic, basic and neutral conditions respectively by TZM-2 membrane. • Similarly, the Congo Red dye was rejected in 89.4%, 95.68%, and 92.4% in acidic, neutral and basic conditions respectively by TZM-2 membranes. Novel application of TiO 2 @ZIF-67 composite incorporated poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) mixed matrix flat-sheet membranes for treating the water contaminated with hazardous reactive black 5 and congored dyes was the crux of this work. The composite was characterized by FTIR, BET, XRD, zeta potential and particle size, and TGA. The as-synthesized composite was embedded in the PVDF polymeric matrix and flat-sheet-membranes were fabricated adopting the NIPS method followed by the different characterizations like scanning electron microscopy, EDS, elemental mapping, contact angle, atomic force microscopy, surface energy, and XPS. Results of the performance studies showed an enhanced pure water permeability from 150.99 Lm-2h−1 for neat membrane to 261.39 Lm-2h−1 for TZM-2. The reactive black 5 dye was rejected in 97.4 %, 92.2 %, and 84.84 % in acidic, basic and neutral conditions respectively by TZM-2 membrane. Whereas, the PVDF membranes without the composite showed rejections of 83.19 %, 82.5 %, and 72.1 % respectively in acidic, basic, and neutral conditions. The Congo Red dye was rejected in 89.4 %, 95.68 %, and 92.4 % in acidic, neutral and basic conditions respectively by TZM-2 membranes. Whereas, the PVDF membranes without the composite showed rejections of 82.8 %, 91.9 %, and 85.4 % respectively in acidic, neutral and basic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the detection of poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in the water system in Africa, the effort towards mitigating PFAS in water in Africa needs to be better understood. Therefore, this review evaluated the contamination status and mitigation methods for handling PFAS-contaminated water systems in Africa. The findings revealed the presence of PFAS in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, surface water and commercially available bottled and tap water in African countries. The concentration of PFAS in drinking water sources reviewed ranged from < limits of quantification to 778 ng L−1. The sources of PFAS in water systems in Africa are linked to uncontrolled importation of PFAS-containing products, WWTP effluents and inappropriate disposal of PFAS-containing materials. The information on treatment methods for PFAS-contaminated water systems is scanty. Unfortunately, the treatment method is challenged by poor water research infrastructure and facilities, lack of awareness, poor research funding and weak legislation; however, adsorption and membrane technology seem favourable for removing PFAS from water systems in Africa. It is essential to focus on monitoring and assessing drinking water quality in Africa to reduce the disease burden that this may cause. Most African countries' currently implemented water treatment facilities cannot efficiently remove PFAS during treatment. Therefore, governments in Africa need to fund more research to develop an efficient water treatment technique that is sustainable in Africa. [Display omitted] • Contamination of drinking water by PFAS is a serious problem in Africa that requires attention. • It is essential to focus on monitoring and assessing drinking water quality in Africa. • Sources of PFAS in water systems in Africa is linked to uncontrolled importation of products. • There is scanty information on mitigation strategies for PFAS in water in Africa. • Governments in Africa need to fund research to develop an efficient water treatment technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]