Microbes in Membrane Technologies: Prospects for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for access to clean water, which has necessitated the development of innovative and reliable wastewater treatment methods. Membrane technologies, such as microfiltration, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis, have proven to be efficient and economical methods for wastewater treatment. The presence of microbes in wastewater can have a negative impact on the overall performance of these technologies, mainly through microbial fouling. Microbes facilitate the growth of a thick biofilm layer on the membrane's surface, resulting in a drop in process efficiency. On the other hand, microbes can be effectively integrated with membrane technologies to create sustainable and reliable water treatment processes. A membrane bioreactor is an example of the successful integration of microbes in membrane technologies to produce high-quality effluents. Another example is microbial fuel cells, where microbes break down organic matter to generate electricity using a proton exchange membrane. Therefore, this chapter investigates the role that microbes play in membrane technologies for wastewater treatment. The discussion begins with a summary of the various types of membrane processes utilized in treating wastewater. The chapter then explores the challenges and possibilities of incorporating microbial technologies into membrane-based systems.