Search

Given the rising worldwide concern about environmental contamination, there has been a substantial focus on researching sustainable and ecologically friendly materials created from waste. Despite the efforts delving into potentials of recycling or upcycling various waste sources for diverse applications, the sustainable waste reuse and the potential contributions of these wastes in addressing contemporary environmental issues have not been comprehensively analysed and discussed. To close the knowledge gap, this review intends to offer a comprehensive analysis and perspective on the use of three major categories of wastes, namely polymers derived, biomass and non-agricultural waste as renewable sources for pollution remediation specifically in the context of wastewater treatment. Thorough analysis is critical for understanding the potential of waste materials to be reintroduced into profitable usage cycles to decrease the environmental burdens and resource exhaustion. This review covers the sources and properties of the waste materials, as well as the development and performance of the recycled or upcycled materials obtained from these wastes in various applications. The obstacles and future research direction in the field of pollution remediation with waste materials are also presented. The research findings emphasize the significance of sustainable waste recycling and highlight the potential of reuse important resources extracted from waste products derived from polymers, biomass and non-agricultural solid waste. Waste reutilization provides an environmentally beneficial and sustainable strategy to eliminating different contaminants from wastewater. This review is anticipated to provide insights into recyclable materials and their potential for contributing to a greener environment. This review intends to serve as a guiding resource for inspiring further advancements in environmental solutions tailored to wastewater treatment needs. [Display omitted] • Waste derived from polymer, biomass and non-agricultural solid and their reutilization strategies are discussed. • The innovation in waste materials synthesis, characterization and modifications are discussed. • The performances of recycling of waste materials in wastewater treatment are analysed. • The challenges and future direction in enhancing the efficiency of recycled waste material are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel organic-inorganic nanocomposite membrane with green material based is prepared by incorporating sulfonated holey graphene oxide (SHGO) into nanocrystalline cellulose/polyvinyl alcohol (NCC/PVA) matrix as polymer electrolyte membrane (PEMs) via solution casting method. Introducing sulfonic acid group in graphene oxide (GO) yielded sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO) and the hole effect on the graphitic plane of GO for SHGO on NCC/PVA significantly improves the proton conductivity of membranes by creating more interconnected proton transfer channels and promoting proton transfer across the membrane. Highest proton conductivity values of 1.1 × 10-2 S cm-1 is obtained by NCC/PVA-SHGO-1.0 at 80o C under 100% relative humidity (RH). Additionally, mechanical and chemical stability tests indicate an enhancement in those properties. However, hydrogen permeation has slightly increase due to the hole effect. Increasing SHGO loading in NCC/PVA has improve its properties and performance. At 80o C, under 100% RH, NCC/PVA-SHGO-1.0 exhibit the highest power density and current density of 31.4 mW/cm2 and 60.2 mA/cm2, respectively which is three times higher compared to pristine NCC/PVA. This work summarise that incorporating SHGO into NCC/PVA membranes can significantly improves its properties, performance and membrane durability which entitle them as a potential candidate for PEMs. [Display omitted] • Sulfonation and the holey graphitic plane structure in SHGO construct additional pathways for proton transport. • Embedding fillers generate stiffer and mechanically stable PEMs as compared to pristine NCC/PVA. • At 80° C, under 100% RH, NCC/PVA-SHGO-1.0 exhibit three times higher fuel cell performance compared to pristine NCC/PVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective treatment of industrial oil/water emulsion before discharging into the receiving bodies is essential to prevent environmental pollution and its negative impacts on human health. The nanomaterial-incorporated nanocomposite membranes are touted as suitable candidates for removing oil contaminants from water. The selection of nanomaterial in nanocomposite membranes is crucial to fit the intended application. In this study, the performance of four different nanomaterials, i.e., metal-organic frameworks-71 (MOF-71), silicon dioxide (SiO 2), activated carbon (AC), and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), were used as the nanofiller of membranes. The resultant membranes were characterized by FESEM, AFM, water contact angle, and FTIR analysis. The membrane performance was examined in pure water flux (PWF) and oil/water emulsion rejection studies. The enhancement of PWF in SiO 2 , HNTs, MOF-71, and AC-based PEI/PVP composite membranes compared to neat PEI/PVP membranes was 33.33%, 59.25%, 70.37%, and 77.77%, respectively. The PEI/PVP/MOF-71 and PEI/PVP/AC membranes exhibited the best performance for PWF and oil/water rejection. Engine oil/water, hexane/water, and toluene/water % rejection of PEI/PVP/AC membrane was found to be 91.98%, 90.55%, and 93.74%, respectively, significantly higher than the neat PEI/PVP membrane. Furthermore, the nanomaterials-incorporated membrane showed better antifouling properties than the neat PEI/PVP membrane due to enhanced hydrophilicity. The MOF-71 and AC nanomaterials-based PEI membranes exhibited good oil/water emulsions separation due to their reliable adsorption capacity and improved fouling resistance than HNTs and SiO 2 nanomaterials incorporated membranes, which could have a wide range of membrane-based water treatment applications. [Display omitted] • Fabricated PEI composite membranes by incorporating MOF-71, HNTs, SiO 2 and AC nanomaterials. • PEI composite membranes showed enhanced antifouling properties than neat PEI/PVP. • MOF-71 and AC based membrane showed higher oil/water flux and rejection than neat PEI/PVP membrane. • PEI/PVP/AC membrane exhibited 91.98% rejection for engine oil/water emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of recalcitrant contaminants in water bodies such as heavy metals, dyes, pharmaceutical compounds, and chemical residuals results in water pollution. This requires the development of seminal water technologies including adsorptive membrane filtrations. This article critically reviews recent advances in adsorptive membrane technology for wastewater treatment. Particular focus is given on its fabrication and classification, surface characterizations, and their practical applications in removing target pollutants from aqueous solutions. Their advantages and limitations in applications are critically evaluated and compared. Their operational conditions such as pressure, initial pollutant concentration, and treatment performance are presented. Research trends, challenges, solutions, and the way forward for adsorptive membrane filtration are also elaborated. It is conclusively evident from 280 published studies (1971–2022) that integrated adsorption and membrane filtration processes were highly effective in removing refractory pollutants from contaminated wastewater due to their rapid adsorption-desorption rates, low internal diffusion resistance, and high flow rates. The sulfonic groups of the Nafion 117 membrane have a good adsorptive capacity to metal ions such as copper (II), nickel, cobalt, lead and silver ions with their adsorption capacities of 66, 64, 60, 58, and 47 mg/g, respectively. It is important to note that technical applicability, treatment performance, and treatment cost are critical factors in determining the most suitable water technology for treating wastewater laden with recalcitrant contaminants. Further research should address technical bottlenecks such as membrane fouling and agglomeration formation during the adsorptive membrane fabrication and operation. The constraints can be tackled to improve the quality of the membranes fabricated. [Display omitted] • Conceptual and theoretical aspects of adsorptive membranes for various applications. • Dual functional membrane i.e., adsorption and filtration are elaborated. • Discussion on alternatives for the conventional powder suspension adsorption process. • Bibliometric analysis of adsorptive membranes development is presented. • Discussion on the current challenges and future outlooks for adsorptive membranes sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several efforts to produce mechanically robust polymeric hollow fiber membranes have led to the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) hollow braided tubes, which offer rigidity to hollow fiber membranes. However, a compensation of flux exists with increased filtration pathway occasioned by braid substrate and thick polymer coating. It is often difficult to control the fabrication parameters to achieve uniformly coated and thin separation layer. In this work, we report a modification of the erstwhile dry-jet wet spinning process for braided hollow fiber by introducing a loop-system to increase resident time in the coagulation bath for effective solvent exchange and leaching of pore former additive. A combination of air gap (5, 15 and 25 cm), polymer concentration (15%, 17% and 19%) and take-up speed (1.2, 2.4 and 3.6 m/min) were varied to produce membranes with optimum filtration performance against crude oil emulsion feed. BRP-HM8 spun with 15 wt% PVDF, 15 cm air gap and take-up speed of 2 rpm exhibited thin and uniform coating outside of braid, well-developed pore structure resulting in high flux up to 620 L/m2h, good hydrophilic/oleophobic characteristics with > 98% rejection of crude oil as well high mechanical properties against harsh feed and elevated pressure. [Display omitted] • Loop-system for improved spinning of braided hollow fiber membranes. • Thin and uniform polymer coating reducing filtration pathway with well-developed finger-like pores. • Excellent rejection properties occasioned by good underwater oleophobicity. • High-strength reusable membranes with simple flushing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, thin-film composite (TFC) hollow fibers (HFs) were fabricated by an in-situ coating of polyamide layer on the lumen side of PVC/PC blend substrates for desalination by forward osmosis (FO). Particularly, the substrate HFs were spun at two air gap distances of 2 and 6 cm, to investigate the effect of the air-gap distance on the FO performance. The substrate HFs were characterized by pure water flux measurement, FESEM, and gas permeability test. The Interfacial polymerization (IP) method was then utilized for coating polyamide (PA) layer on the lumen surface of the substrate to fabricate TFC HFs. The TFC HFs so fabricated were also characterized by FESEM, before their FO performance was tested. Furthermore, the effect of HF length on the FO flux was investigated. The results showed that the novel TFC HFs exhibited good FO performance. The longer the air gap distance, the better becomes the FO performance in terms of simultaneous water flux and alginate fouling resistance, while the effect of the HF length remains a controversial issue. • Higher surface porosity resulted defect free active layer. • Higher surface porosity enhanced mass transfer coefficient, by reducing CP. • Irreversible fouling is suppressed when HF spun with longer air gap distance. • Water flux decreased with the fiber length, contrary to the model simulation. • In high flux mode increasing number of the fibers can increase productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The harvest of biogas resources is a promising means of delaying fossil-fuel depletion and simultaneously tackling climate change. Membrane technology is a promising method for an economic upgrade of biogas with the benefits of low energy consumption and environmentally friendliness, leading to intensive research in the fabrication of high-separation CO 2 membranes. In this study, a substrate of composite membrane for CO 2 /CH 4 separation was developed by incorporating MgAl-CO 3 layered double hydroxides (LDH) synthesized via a simple co-precipitation method into polysulfone (PSf) polymer. The fabricated substrate hybrid LDH/PSf membrane was coated with a low-cost industrial PEBAX-polymer for minimizing surface defects as well as act as selective layer to form composite membrane for gas permeance. The physicochemical changes were analyzed by using XRD, FTIR, TGA, SEM, contact angle, AFM and tensile test. The impact of LDH loading (1, 3 and 5 wt%) in the substrate layer and operating pressure (1, 3 and 5 bar) on the composite membrane were thoroughly investigated. The composite membrane has increased the CO 2 permeance by 55–113% as compared to pristine PSf membrane. Particularly, the composite membrane with 3.0 wt% LDH in the substrate layer has displayed the highest CO 2 /CH 4 selectivity of 38.5. The distinct advantages in terms of facile fabrication with the right loading confer the LDH as potential filler in substrate layer of composite membrane with great potential for large-scale CO 2 capture and separation. [Display omitted] • MgAl-CO 3 LDH was synthesis by co-precipitate method. • LDH was incorporated into PSf substrate layer for CO 2 separation from CH 4. • The composite membrane with 3.0 wt% LDH in the substrate layer showed the best separation performance. • LDH in substrate layer was capable in increasing the hydrophilic substrate layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Random particle distribution in mixed matrix membrane has reduced its efficiency in removing targeted pollutants. The particle that locates far from the membrane surface interacts less with the adsorbate and harnesses less light for photocatalysis. This study aims to strategically distribute particles in a mixed matrix membrane near its surface with the assistance of a magnetic field. The magnetic field strength was varied by varying the distance between the permanent magnets to the cast film at 10, 15, and 40 mm. 10 mm gap membrane (ZnFe10) possesses 1.7 wt% iron (Fe) at thin layer but moot with particle aggregation. 15 mm gap membrane (ZnFe15) with 0.8 wt% Fe posses the highest phenol degradation at 1736 mg/g with stable performance after three cycles due to balanced particle distribution. ZnFe15 exhibits the highest phenol adsorption with maximum phenol adsorption (qmDR) of 120 mg/g. The fouling studies revealed ZnFe10 has 77 wt% fouling recovery, the highest among membranes. The result indicates that the magnetic field could assist in distributing the particles and their systematic distribution near the surface, improving the overall membrane performance. Hence, particle distribution within the membrane should be taken into account when fabricating a mixed matrix membrane. [Display omitted] • ZnFe15 membrane shows phenol photodegradation of ~98% or 1869 mg/g. • 15 mm magnetic-to-cast film distance is the optimum for magnetic induce casting. • All membranes exhibit multilayer phenol adsorption with pore-filling mechanism. • ZnFe10 membrane has fouling recover of 77% with total fouling of 39%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, hollow fiber PVC/ZnO-nanocomposite in an MBR was investigated for municipal wastewater treatment. The following parameter were evaluated: BOD, COD, TSS, NTU, TP, TKN. ZnO nanoparticles caused to decrease the contact angle from 78° to 67° for the neat PVC and 0.5 wt% ZNO-nanocomposite membrane, respectively. The majority of the neat membrane resistance was due to irreversible resistance. Because of the antibacterial properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles, with increasing nanoparticles loading, the resistance of irreversible part compared to the reversible resistance experienced a significant decrease. This confirm that the fabricated nanocomposite membranes did not show affinity toward adsorption of the sludge inside the pores hence substantially limited the membrane fouling. The FTIR results showed the reduction of proteins and polysaccharides onto the surface of the nanoparticle-incorporated membranes, approaching the clean PVC membrane. This was most likely due to the antibacterial properties of ZnO NPs. Nitrogen and phosphor removal for PVC0.5 membrane was 99% and 79% and TSS removal up to 100% was achieved. The findings of this study showed that modification of PVC polymer using ZnO nanoparticles with the presence of ferric chloride coagulant is a very effective technique for municipal wastewater treatment to meet the well-known standard levels. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, one of the most imortant environmental problems is the treatment of industrial wastewaters containing heavy metal ions and salts. In this research, thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes were developed through incorporation of modified titanate nanotube (TNT) and halloysite nanotube (HNT) into the polyamide (PA) active layer to improve the performance of the NF membranes. At first, the internal surface of the nanotubes was coated with different polymers to lessen the inner diameter of the nanotubes. Then, the inner surface coated nanotubes were magnetized through placing Fe 3 O 4 on their outer surface. In case of magnetized nanotubes, the fabrication of the membranes was done in the absence and in the presence of the external magnetic field, which made the nanotubes to align in a regular pattern across the PA layer, smoothing the membranes' surface and lowering the contact angle. It is expected that the magnetized nanotubes can make suitable arrangement in the structure of thin layer in the presence of the magnetic field and show better performance. The nanotubes act as the channels for water transport and in case of inner coated nanotubes, reject more ions through the steric hindrance. The pure water permeation of the membranes, modified with polystyrene inner coated TNT and HNT increased by 71.23% and 80.27%, respectively compared to the pristine TFC membrane without any significant changes in the rejection of Na+ and Cu2+; a suitable trade-off between the permeation and the ion rejection. In addition, the membranes modified by magnetized polyaniline inner coated TNT and HNT showed 36.24% and 75.62% more water permeation compared to the pristine TFC membranes while the rejections of Na+ and Cu2+ have not been changed remarkably. The results of this research showed that inner coating and magnetization of the nanotubes can be considered as a novel method to enhance the efficiency of TFN membranes for wastewaters treatment. [Display omitted] • Performance of TFN NF membranes was improved through embedding magnetic internally-coated nanotubes. • The nanotubes in the PA layer of TFN membranes act as the channels for water transfer. • The internal coating of the nanotube controls the passage of the ions and improved the rejection. • The magnetization of the nanotube enhanced their distribution in PA layer that lessens the thickness of the layer. • The incorporation of modified nanotubes can dominate the trade off between permeation and ion rejection of TFN membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method, Thermally Modified Non-Solvent Induced Phase Separation (T-NIPS) has been developed to fabricate translucent hollow fiber (THF) photocatalytic membrane for membrane's photodegradation efficiency enhancement. The process involves two-step temperature treatment that attacks crystalline property of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Graphitic carbon nitride in a modified morphological structure (hollow nanofiber) was used as photocatalyst to investigate the effect of translucency on membrane's photodegradation efficiency. UV-Vis analysis coupled with FTIR highlighted different crystalline phase appearance and membrane's translucency. The membranes showed high translucency, ranging from 60.0% to 93.9%, with THF-PVDF/PVP-GCN (2.0) exhibiting the highest. The filtration experiment showed that membrane with GCN photocatalyst had high PWF (1200 L/m2h) and rejection (90%) OPW compared to neat THF-PVDFs. In suspended mode, GCN demonstrated an impressive photodegradation efficiency of 99.98%. When immobilized in opaque PVDF membrane, the photodegradation has decreased substantially to 49.40%. However, when immobilized in a translucent PVDF membrane, the photodegradation efficiency of HN-GCN significantly improved compared to the opaque PVDF membrane, reaching 95%. Translucent membrane was subjected to five cycle regeneration test and showed 90% recovery even after the fifth cycle. The 10% reduction in the recovery was investigated using FESEM analysis revealed that there is a cake layer formation on the membrane surface. Therefore, this study proved that translucency of membrane has significant effect on immobilized photocatalyst's photocatalytic efficiency. [Display omitted] • Novel T-NIPS method to produce THFM is developed. • HN-GCN successfully immobilized in THFM. • HN-GCN immobilized THFM showed increased degradation efficiency of OPW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study involves the preparation of a double-skinned thin film composite (TFC) and thin film nanocomposite (TFN) hollow fiber (HF) membrane for forward osmosis (FO) applications. The porous substrate consisted of a Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) / Polycarbonate (PC) blend HF membrane. Interfacial polymerization (IP) was then applied to coat a polyamide (PA) layer on the lumen surface and the porous substrate's outer surface. In addition, the impact of the outer PA active layer and the addition of nanoparticles to the outer selective layer on the FO flux and internal concentration polarization (ICP) were studied. By adding the second active layer to the substrate, water flux, reverse salt flux and ICP decreased. Also, the decline of water flux decreased over time due to the fouling agent. To compensate for the decrease in water flux in the double-skinned membrane, graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles with 0.05% and 0.1%wt were added to the outer active layer. Addition of 0.1%wt graphene oxide nanoparticle to the outer active layer can help to improve water flux about 78% without spoiling the reverse salt flux. Moreover, the performance of double-skinned membranes against osmotic dilution process for oily wastewater treatment was investigated. The findings of this study demonstrated that the novel double-skinned TFN HF membrane exhibited high FO performance with low ICP and fouling. [Display omitted] • Inclusion of a second active layer without reducing the reverse salt flux and fouling. • To improve fouling resistance of membrane, GO was added to second active layer. • By adding GO to outer active layer, reverse salt flux and fouling was reduced. • The Hermia model showed intermediate blocking in neat membrane. • The predominant fouling in double-skin membranes is cake formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eliminating phenol and other contaminants from wastewater is an essential step in addressing environmental issues. Using tailored photocatalysts is essential for the effective degradation of phenol via photocatalysis. The main objective of this study is to produce TiO 2 /ZnO/AgI nanocomposites employing the reflux approach in order to enhance the degradation of phenol in the presence of UV radiation. The nanocomposite incorporates TiO 2 and ZnO, resulting in a narrowed band gap that enhances photocatalytic activity. The addition of AgI enhances electron transport capacities, resulting in an inclusive augmentation in performance. The physicochemical properties of the nanocomposite were extensively investigated applying an array of advanced techniques including as XRD, BET, FESEM, TEM, EDX and TGA spectroscopy practices. The combined effect of TiO 2 , ZnO, and AgI exhibits an approximately 100 % degradation of phenol, exceeding the individual performance of each component. The outcomes indicated that the operational parameters have a substantial impact on the photocatalytic activity, and the addition of H 2 O 2 also improves degradation. The ideal conditions require a low concentration of H 2 O 2 and a dose of 0.3 g/350 mL of nanocomposite. The reaction rate constant was reported as 6.96 × 10−3 min−1 under optimised conditions. The ternary nanocomposite exhibited recyclability for four successive cycles, eventually displaying ∼88 % degradation. The TiO 2 /ZnO/AgI nanocomposite system exhibits significant photocatalytic efficiency, which has important consequences for addressing environmental concerns caused by the persistent existence of various organic contaminants in water sources. [Display omitted] • TiO 2 /ZnO/AgI ternary nanocomposites was synthesized for phenol photodegradation. • TiO 2 /ZnO/AgI ternary nanocomposites showed enhanced photocatalytic performance of 100 % phenol degradation. • TiO 2 /ZnO/AgI ternary nanocomposites demonstrated excellent recyclability of ∼88 % after four continue cycles. • Effect of pollutant concentration, H 2 O 2 on TiO 2 /ZnO/AgI ternary nanocomposites also considered under batch mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contamination of microplastics in aquatic environment is regarded as a serious threat to ecosystem especially to aquatic environment. Microplastic pollution associated problems including their bioaccumulation and ecological risks have become a major concern of the public and scientific community. The removal of microplastics from their discharge points is an effective way to mitigate the adverse effects of microplastic pollution, hence has been the central of the research in this realm. Presently, most of the commonly used water or wastewater treatment technologies are capable of removing microplastic to certain extent, although they are not intentionally installed for this reason. Nevertheless, recognizing the adverse effects posed by microplastic pollution, more efforts are still desired to enhance the current microplastic removal technologies. With their structural multifunctionalities and flexibility, nanomaterials have been increasingly used for water and wastewater treatment to improve the treatment efficiency. Particularly, the unique features of nanomaterials have been harnessed in synthesizing high performance adsorbent and photocatalyst for microplastic removal from aqueous environment. This review looks into the potentials of nanomaterials in offering constructive solutions to resolve the bottlenecks and enhance the efficiencies of the existing materials used for microplastic removal. The current efforts and research direction of which studies can dedicate to improve microplastic removal from water environment with the augmentation of nanomaterial-enabled strategies are discussed. The progresses made to date have witnessed the benefits of harnessing the structural and dimensional advantages of nanomaterials to enhance the efficiency of existing microplastic treatment processes to achieve a more sustainable microplastic cleanup. [Display omitted] • The potentials of nanomaterials for microplastic remediation are reviewed. • Various nanomaterial-enabled removal techniques are discussed. • Nanomaterials overcome the limitations of bulk materials in microplastic remediation. • The challenges and way forward are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbicides such as atrazine and humus substances such as fulvic acid are widely used in agricultural sector. They can be traced in surface and groundwater around the agriculture field at concentrations beyond the approved limit due to their mobility and persistence. Bismuth-based photocatalysts activated by visible light are potential materials for removing various organic pollutants from water bodies. These photocatalysts can also be suitable candidates for developing a hybrid membrane with anti-fouling properties. In this study, Bi 2 WO 6 nanoparticles were synthesized via the hydrothermal method and integrated into the cellulose acetate (CA), polyetherimide (PEI), polysulfone (PSF) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymers via physical blending approach. The hybrid membranes were then characterized by FTIR, XPS and FESEM to confirm the chemical bonding, chemical composition and surface morphology of Bi 2 WO 6. Thus, the pure water flux of CA (35.6 L m−2 h−1), PEI (46.56 L m−2 h−1), PSF (6.84 L m−2 h−1), and PVDF (68.47 L m−2 h−1) hybrid membranes has significantly enhanced than the pristine CA, PEI, PSF and PVDF membranes. The significant rejection of atrazine-fulvic acid was observed with hybrid membranes in the order of CA (84.1%) > PVDF (72.7%) > PEI (47.8%) > PSF (37.2%), and these membranes have shown an excellent flux recovery ratio than pristine membranes. Further, electrochemical quantification studies were performed to analyze the removal efficiency of atrazine-fulvic acid from water. In this present work, GO-modified SPE was employed for electrochemical sensing studies. The resultant CA hybrid membrane achieved removal efficiency of 84.08% for atrazine. It was observed that the Bi 2 WO 6 established strong bonding with CA, and PVDF membranes, thus showing a significant removal efficiency and FRR than other hybrid and pristine membranes. [Display omitted] • Bi 2 WO 6 nanoparticles were synthesized by the hydrothermal method. • Hybrid Bi 2 WO 6 incorporated membranes were fabricated using CA, PSF, PEI and PVDF polymers. • The better binding energy of Bi 2 WO 6 was noted with various hybrid membranes via. XPS analysis. • CA, PVDF hybrid membranes showed better rejection towards Atrazine-fulvic acid solution. • Validate the rejection results observed from UV spectroscopy with electrochemical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thermal stable SPEEK membrane was fabricated with halloysite nanoclay and functionalized GO nanocomposites. • The silane and sulfonic acid group in the nanocomposite SPEEK membrane increased IEC and low methanol permeability. • The nanoclay and fGO membranes have shown significant proton conductivity and power density than pristine SPEEK membrane. Membrane-based fuel cells, particularly methanol-based fuel cells, are thriving areas with high efficiency, less material consumption, and low emission of pollutants. But commercial membranes have less thermal withstanding ability and high cost, so alternative polymeric membranes have been developed with desired properties to overcome this issue. The SPEEK membrane was fabricated with halloysite nanoclay and functionalized graphene oxide (f-GO) nanocomposites at various concentrations via dry phase inversion. The sulfonic acid group in the SPEEK and silane functionalization of GO enhanced the Ion exchange capacity from 0.22 to 0.35 meq/g which enhances the proton conductivity. Furthermore, the thermal stability and hydrophilicity of the pristine SPEEK membrane were reformed with addition of halloysite nanoclay and f-GO in SPEEK membrane. The presence of nanocomposite on the surface of the SPEEK membranes was confirmed via scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. The 3 wt% halloysite nanoclay and 2 wt% of f-GO composite membrane was hold the 0.47 mS cm−1 of proton conductivity and 72.2 mW cm−2 of power density, whereas pristine SPEEK membrane was 0.31 mS cm−1 and 28 mW cm−2, respectively. The 3 wt% halloysite incorporated SPEEK membrane and 1.5 wt% f-GO incorporated SPEEK membrane was shown better proton conductivity, which act as a prominent membrane for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The noxious side effects of pesticides on human health and environment have prompted the search of effective and reliable treatment techniques for pesticide removal. The removal of pesticides can be accomplished through physical, chemical and biologicals. Physical approaches such as filtration and adsorption are prevailing pesticide removal strategies on account of their effectiveness and ease of operation. Membrane-based filtration technology has been recognized as a promising water and wastewater treatment approach that can be used for a wide range of organic micropollutants including pesticides. Nanofiltration (NF), reverse osmosis (RO) and forward osmosis (FO) have been increasingly explored for pesticide removal from aquatic environment owing to their versatility and high treatment efficiencies. This review looks into the remedial strategies of pesticides from aqueous environment using membrane-based processes. The potentials and applications of three prevailing membrane processes, namely NF, RO and FO for the treatment of pesticide-containing wastewater are discussed in terms of the development of advanced membranes, separation mechanisms and system design. The challenges in regards to the practical implementation of membrane-based processes for pesticide remediation are identified. The corresponding research directions and way forward are highlighted. An in depth understanding of the pesticide nature, water chemistry and the pesticide-membrane interactions is the key to achieving high pesticide removal efficiency. The integration of membrane technology and conventional removal technologies represents a new dimension and the future direction for the treatment of wastewater containing recalcitrant pesticides. [Display omitted] • The potentials of membrane technology for pesticides removal are reviewed • The rejection is governed by pesticide nature, water chemistry and membrane properties • NF, RO and FO are the key membrane processes for pesticide removal • Integrated membrane processes offer the most efficient pesticide removal [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]