An advanced concept of aerobic membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for highly efficient wastewater treatment has been disclosed by introduction of an electro and encapsulated self-forming dynamic biomembrane (e-ESFDM). The biological filtering membrane is intercalated between two woven polyester fabrics as supports that assist the formation and protect the biomembrane. The innovative architecture of the e-ESFDM in combination with electrocoagulation processes resulted in efficient and cost-effective wastewater treatment and control of the membrane fouling. The performance of the e-ESFDMBR was compared to a yet highly efficient ESFDMBR, where the electric field was not present. The ESFDM-based reactors both showed comparable results in the removal of organic matter, in terms of COD and DOC. On the other hand, e-ESFDMBR exceeded the performance of the ESFDMBR in the reduction of nitrogen- and phosphorous-containing pollutants, responsible for eutrophication processes in the environment, and recalcitrant molecules, such as humic-like substances. In addition, an extremely low fouling rate was observed for the e-ESFDM bioreactor. Insights on the biological processes involved in the developed MBR were provided by investigations on the microbiological diversity found in reactor mixed liquor, ESFDM layer and treated wastewater.

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges are major contributors to the release of microplastics (MPs) into the environment. This research work aimed to assess the performance of the novel living membrane bioreactor (LMBR), which utilizes a biological layer as a membrane filter for the removal of polyethylene (PE) MPs from wastewater. The impact of an intermittently applied low current density (0.5 mA/cm²) on the reduction of MPs in the electrochemically enhanced LMBR (e-LMBR) has also been examined. The reactors were also compared to a conventional membrane bioreactor (MBR) and an electro-MBR (e-MBR). ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR) was implemented for the MPs detection and quantification in terms of mass per volume of sample. The LMBR and MBR achieved comparable mean PE MPs reduction at 95% and 96%, respectively. The MPs mass reduction in the e-LMBR slightly decreased by 2% compared to that achieved in the LMBR. This potentially indicated the partial breakdown of the MPs due to electrochemical processes. Decreasing and inconsistent NH₄-N and PO₄-P removal efficiencies were observed over time due to the addition of PE MPs in the MBR and LMBR. In contrast, the integration of electric field in the e-MBR and e-LMBR resulted in consistently high values of conventional contaminant removals of COD (99.72-99.77 %), NH₄-N (97.96-98.67%), and PO₄-P (98.44-100.00%), despite the MPs accumulation. Integrating electrochemical processes in the e-LMBR led to the development of a stable living membrane (LM) layer, as manifested in the consistently low effluent turbidity 0.49 ± 0.33 NTU. Despite the increasing MPs concentration in the mixed liquor, applying electrochemical processes reduced the fouling rates in the e-LMBR. The e-LMBR achieved comparable efficiencies in contaminant reductions as those observed in the e-MBR, while using a low-cost membrane material.

Electroplating wastewater poses a serious environmental threat due to its high concentrations of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. This study evaluated the efficiency of a combined coagulation and activated carbon filtration process for the treatment of real electroplating wastewater containing Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Cr⁶⁺ ions. The research was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, laboratory-scale experiments were performed to determine the optimal coagulant type (Fe- and Al-based), dosage, and pH (5.0–10.0) for contaminant removal. In the second stage, the selected operating conditions were applied and validated under real industrial plant conditions at a pilot scale. The laboratory studies demonstrated that the highest Cr removal efficiency was achieved using an iron-based coagulant (PIX), while polyaluminum chloride (PAX) proved most effective for the removal of Ni and Zn. Subsequent filtration through activated carbon further enhanced heavy metal removal, increasing overall efficiencies to above 90%. The reported removal efficiencies represent the overall performance of the integrated treatment process. The results confirm that the integration of chemical coagulation and activated carbon filtration is an effective, environmentally friendly, and economically viable approach for treating real electroplating wastewater, enabling compliance with current environmental standards.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been considered as sinks of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) including antibiotics and microplastics. If not well-retained in the WWTPs, these CECs are discharged to the environment. The co-presence of these CECs in wastewater lead to further environmental impacts since MPs can act as adsorbents and carriers of antibiotics. The study aims to investigate the efficiency of a living membrane bioreactor (LMBR) in the treatment of urban wastewater containing ofloxacin and oxidized polyethylene microplastics (PE MPs). The living membrane (LM), in which a series of biological layers (an external sludge cake and an encapsulated biofilm between two coarse-size mesh sheets) function as a membrane filter, is utilized. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the presence of both ofloxacin and PE MPs to the contaminant removal and to the alleviation of membrane fouling. The influence of the presence of the PE MPs on the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant genes in the reactor will also be examined. The experiment was conducted using two parallel LMBRs, which were fed with synthetic urban wastewater with the antibiotic Ofloxacin at a concentration of 0.2 mg L influent-1. One reactor was dosed with 15 µm PE MPs (10 mg L influent -1) daily. The other reactor without added PE MPs acted as the control. Results showed that the permeate turbidity of the reactor with PE MPs was slightly higher at 1.14 NTU. This implied that the presence of PE MPs potentially affected the formation of the LM layer. Despite this, the average permeate turbidities in both reactors were lower than 5 NTU. Consistently high removals of COD and NH4-N were obtained in both reactors. However, the removal of Ofloxacin decreased over time in both cases. The removal of Ofloxacin was slightly higher in the reactor without PE MPs (77%). This ongoing work will contribute to the development of membrane technologies for the sustainable treatment of wastewater containing micropollutants including antibiotics and microplastics.