Recent advances in various cleaning strategies to control membrane fouling: a comprehensive review

Membrane technology has been a reliable choice for liquid separations over the years due to its ease of manufacturing, user-friendly operation, and higher selectivity. Innovative approaches in the industry focus on fabricating and modifying membranes to prevent and reduce pollution, ensuring the production of high-quality water through the use of fouling-resistant membranes in the water treatment processes. Despite these advancements, membrane fouling remains a persistent issue in membrane filtration, hindering processes by reducing permeate production and increasing energy demands. Therefore, membrane cleaning treatments, including physical, chemical, and biological methods can be applied to restore permeate flux and salt rejection properties, thereby extending the lifespan of membranes. These cleaning processes also help in reducing operational costs, control pollution, and support water reuse, contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal-6 (SDG-6), which aims to ensure safe drinking water and promote sustainable water management practices globally. Aligning these membrane cleaning protocols with environmental policies helps minimize the use of harmful chemical use and reduce waste. The selection of appropriate cleaning methods also significantly impacts sustainability and environmental considerations. This study aims to assess a rejuvenation process’s effectiveness and impact by employing a specific cleaning agent. Furthermore, this review also showcased recent advancements in membrane cleaning strategies, focusing on highlighting the sustainability benefits of biological cleaning compared to chemical methods.