Remediation of oil contamination from sewage treatment plant membranes using advanced technologies in the current scenario

Abstract

The most ubiquitous hydrocarbon component in today's world is oil. Oils are composed of long-chain fatty acid (triglycerides) and glycerol, and their main sources are various industries such as food, slaughtering, storage, kitchens, and hotels. One of the challenging tasks that needs to be solved is the subtle treatment process of wastewater from oils and petroleum products. The volume of wastewater containing oil has significantly increased. To meet this challenge effectively, one of the most recent advances in advanced membrane technology, including modified surface, the amalgamation of inorganic particles into polymeric membranes and the formation of ceramic membranes. This review highlights these recent advances, elucidates the process of contaminant removal from wastewater, and presents the challenges to removing oil and grease contaminants. This will help us to understand how oil and grease contamination affects aquatic environments and freshwater. The findings indicate that adsorption is one way to reduce Oil and Grease in wastewater. Membrane technology supplements, not replaces, established ways for treating oily wastewater and sustainably producing a higher-quality product. The paper emphasises that using pre-treatment techniques like ultrafiltration, adsorption, coagulation/flocculation, froth-flotation, forward osmosis, etc., integrated or hybrid Membrane Distillation systems can efficiently reduce membrane fouling or pore wetting.