Membrane Separation: An Advanced Tool for the Development of a Wastewater Treatment Process

Humans are highly dependent on water for most activities, such as agriculture, industrialization and domestic. An increase in population means an increase in activities that demand more fresh water. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that human-made activities generate wastewater, which can be calamitous to the environment and results in loss of water where there is water scarcity. Water resources such as rivers and groundwater become unusable when they get contaminated. Therefore, it is imperative to treat wastewater generated largely from domestic sewage and industries before releasing it into the environment and make it potable. With efficient emerging technologies, fresh water can be generated from wastewater. Researchers are working on different technologies like anaerobic digestion, photocatalytic reaction, oxidation process, membrane separation, and electrodialysis, among others, for purifying wastewater. Depending upon the quantity and quality of contaminants the purification technology will be finalized. Among different technologies, membrane separation/technology emerged and plays a vital role as it can be modified or hybridized with any technology to purify water. Membrane technologies are economically friendly and sustainable solutions with no chemical usage and easy accessibility for wastewater treatment Membrane technologies offer advantages like low capital cost, reduction in size and equipment and energy requirement, and more. This chapter deals with membrane and membrane-based process technologies in which water is separated from different types of solutes for treating wastewater.