Recovery/recycling process of pollutant material in bio/membrane reactor

Abstract

Currently most of the industrial sectors follow the “make, use, and dispose” linear economy approach. Detrimental effects of the pollutant materials produced by various such industries as well as the anthropogenic activities is a prominent challenge to sustainable development. Hence there is a great need for an effective technology which can restore the circular economy principle. Among the numerous tools available to recover the pollutants, membrane reactors are on the frontline due to their cost-effectiveness, wide applicability, simple operation, and smaller footprints. This chapter gives a broad picture of pollutant recycling with the help of membrane reactors. It also scrutinizes the various configurations of membrane reactors, including catalytic, packed-bed reactor, bioreactor, electrochemical, and enzyme bioreactor. In the later part of the chapter, the recovery techniques used for various pollutants, such as metals, anthrocyanins, proteins, organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorous, and dissolved methane, have been discussed. Recovery of such resources, which are typically treated as pollutants, can benefit beyond contamination treatment, finally generating revenue as well. © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.