Recent Trends in the Application of Photocatalytic Membranes in Removal of Emerging Organic Contaminants in Wastewater

Abstract

Increasing water pollution by bio-recalcitrant contaminants necessitates the use of robust treatment methods. Individual treatment methods are not effective against these emerging organic pollutants due to their stability in the environment. This has necessitated the use of advanced integrated systems such as photocatalytic membranes. Synergy in the reactive photocatalytic membranes effectively degrades the emerging organic pollutants. This review presents the state of the art in the synthesis and application of photocatalytic membranes in water and wastewater treatment. The study critically evaluates pertinent aspects required to improve the performance of photocatalytic membranes, such as tailored material synthesis, membrane fouling control, improved photocatalyst light absorption, use of visible light from sunlight, enhanced reaction kinetics through synergy, and regeneration and reuse. Previous studies report on the effectiveness of photocatalytic membranes in the removal of organic contaminants in synthetic and actual wastewater. As such, they show great potential in wastewater decontamination; however, they also face limitations that need to be addressed. The review identifies the challenges and provides a way forward in increasing the photoactivity of titanium oxide, fouling mitigation, scalability, improving cost effectiveness, enhancing membrane stability, and other aspects relevant in scaling up efforts from the lab scale to industrial scale.