Membrane-Based Processes for the Removal of Micropollutants from Wastewater

The contamination of wastewater with micropollutants has been placed at the forefront of environmental problems in recent decades due to the adverse impacts of these chemicals on human and aquatic life. Micropollutants include a diverse range of chemicals, e.g. those labeled as hormone disrupters, pharmaceutical residues, personal care products, pesticides, heavy metals, etc. Most of these chemicals cannot be fully treated by conventional treatment processes because treatment facilities are not specifically intended for removal of micropollutants, and many of them are resistant to biodegradation. Although no specific treatment can be proposed for complete elimination of micropollutants from wastewater, membrane-based technologies provide promising alternatives due to their rejection capabilities for lower molecular weight organic compounds and ions. One or more of the removal mechanisms (size exclusion, adsorption, electrostatic exclusion, and hydrophobic interaction) may be effective in the removal of micropollutants by membranes. The elimination of micropollutants by membrane processes can be influenced by various factors such as micropollutant characteristics, membrane properties, and background matrix of wastewater. The aim of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of occurrence of micropollutants, impacts of micropollutants on ecosystem and human health, regulations and legislation used for micropollutants management, micropollutants treatment processes, removal performances of micropollutants by membrane processes, the mechanisms that affects micropollutants rejection in the membrane process, and factors influencing micropollutants removal.