Sustainable Wastewater Reuse with Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Technology in the Textile Industries

The challenges associated with textile wastewater treatment and the need for advanced technologies are to address the increasing water stress caused by population growth, industrialization, and agricultural activities. Textile wastewater contains high concentrations of dyestuffs and chemicals, making it difficult to meet stricter discharge limits. While physical, chemical, and biological methods are commonly used for treatment, hybrid methods offer promising solutions. Advanced treatment technologies, such as membrane processes, allow for simultaneous treatment and water recovery goals. Membrane bioreactor (MBR), a combination of biological treatment and membrane processes, is widely used but faces limitations in reusing effluents due to high dissolved solids. For water recovery, additional processes like nanofiltration (NF) or reverse osmosis (RO) are necessary. RO achieves higher removal of dissolved solids but requires also more energy due to higher osmotic pressure than NF. Concentrated flow management allows for high-quality product water, even with the accumulation of refractory organic matter. The compactness and ease of operation make hybrid MBR processes suitable for real-scale applications in water recovery from textile wastewater.