Advancement of membrane separation technology for organic pollutant removal.

In the face of growing global freshwater scarcity, the imperative to recycle and reuse water becomes increasingly apparent across industrial, agricultural, and domestic sectors. Eliminating a range of organic pollutants in wastewater, from pesticides to industrial byproducts, presents a formidable challenge. Among the potential solutions, membrane technologies emerge as promising contenders for treating diverse organic contaminants from industrial, agricultural, and household origins. This paper explores cutting-edge membrane-based approaches, including reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, microfiltration, gas separation membranes, and pervaporation. Each technology's efficacy in removing distinct organic pollutants while producing purified water is scrutinized. This review delves into membrane fouling, discussing its influencing factors and preventative strategies. It sheds light on the merits, limitations, and prospects of these various membrane techniques, contributing to the advancement of wastewater treatment. It advocates for future research in membrane technology with a focus on fouling control and the development of energy-efficient devices. Interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, engineers, policymakers, and industry players is vital for shaping water purification innovation. Ongoing research and collaboration position us to fulfill the promise of accessible, clean water for all.

Biopolymer-based beads for the adsorptive removal of organic pollutants from wastewater: Current state and future perspectives.

Among biopolymer-based adsorbents, composites in the form of beads have shown promising results in terms of high adsorption capacity and ease of separation from the effluents. This review addresses the potential of biopolymer-based beads to remediate wastewaters polluted with emerging organic contaminants, for instance dyes, active pharmaceutical ingredients, pesticides, phenols, oils, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated biphenyls. High adsorption capacities up to 2541.76 mg g-1 for dyes, 392 mg g-1 for pesticides and phenols, 1890.3 mg g-1 for pharmaceuticals, and 537 g g-1 for oils and organic solvents have been reported. The review also attempted to convey to its readers the significance of wastewater treatment through adsorption by providing an overview on decontamination technologies of organic water contaminants. Various preparation methods of biopolymer-based gel beads and adsorption mechanisms involved in the process of decontamination have been summarized and analyzed. Therefore, we believe there is an urge to discuss the current state of the application of biopolymer-based gel beads for the adsorption of organic pollutants from wastewater and future perspectives in this regard since it is imperative to treat wastewater before releasing into freshwater bodies.

Molecular-weight dependent promotion and competition effects of natural organic matter on dissolved black carbon removal by coagulation.

Dissolved black carbon (DBC) is the ubiquitous component of dissolved organic matter pools with the high reactivity for disinfection byproducts formation. However, it is unknown that the influence of molecular weight (MW) of natural organic matter (NOM) on the DBC removal from potable water sources. Therefore, it was studied that the DBC removal by coagulation in the presence of the NOM with various molecular weights. The DBC removal was promoted due to the presence of NOM and the promotion degree decreased with decreasing MW of NOM. Furthermore, the removal ratio of humic-like component increased as the MW of NOM decreased, suggesting that the competition between DBC and NOM increased with decreasing MW. The functional groups after coagulation were the same with that before coagulation as the MW of NOM varied, suggesting that the molecular structure was not the key factor of influencing the DBC removal. This study will give the deep insight into the prediction of the DBC removal ratio by coagulation based on the MW of NOM in water sources.