Advanced biomaterials and alternatives tailored as membranes for water treatment and the latest innovative European water remediation projects: A review
Sharon Lustenberger, Roberto Castro‐Muñoz
Abstract
Water is one of the essential entities for the survival of living organisms. Enhancing water quality is one of the top priorities, as it can have tremendous repercussions if it declines. Industrial pollution, agricultural residue, and untreated wastewater threaten the quality of useable water. Traditional water remediation methods are being redesigned to increase the amount of safe and useable water and prevent contamination of natural water resources. Membranes made with bioderived materials are used in many of the initiatives. Biopolymers are attractive environmentally friendly materials for water treatment technologies because they are renewable, biocompatible, and biodegradable. In the past five years, many promising membranes were designed for efficient water remediation. For example, zeolite-based nanofiltration membranes with dye rejection rates of 96.7–98.8% were developed. Researchers also designed a versatile membrane with silk nanofibrils and hydroxyapatite nanocrystals, which rejects >64.9% of proteins, nanocoloids, dyes, and heavy metal ions. This review reveals the most recent advances in low-cost and eco-friendly water remediation technology, mostly focusing on potential membrane biomaterials. Finally, a brief overview of the ongoing European projects dealing with water treatments is also included.