87 results match your criteria: "National Research Center on Membrane Technologies[Affiliation]"

Flow-Electrode capacitive deionization for enhanced selective separation of Ammonia, Phosphorus, and caproate from sewage sludge fermentation: Performance and mechanistic insights.

Bioresour Technol

January 2025

School of Environment and Ecology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Water Treatment Technology and Material, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215011 China. Electronic address:

Caproic acid has broad applications and can be produced from activated sludge via fermentation, but its quality is hindered by ammonia (NH-N) and reactive phosphorus (RP) in the fermentation broth. However, flow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI), a novel ion separation technology that operates continuously without secondary pollution seems to be an efficient process that separates the ions. The results showed that at pH 5.

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Mesophilic versus thermophilic digestion of sludge in anaerobic membrane bioreactors.

Bioresour Technol

February 2025

Istanbul Technical University, Civil Engineering Faculty, Environmental Engineering Department, Ayazaga Campus, Maslak, 34469 Istanbul, Turkey; National Research Center on Membrane Technologies, Istanbul Technical University, 34469, Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey.

Energy-efficient wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) utilize systems like high-rate activated sludge (A-stage) system to redirect organics from wastewater are redirected into energy-rich sludge (A-sludge). Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) offer lower footprint and higher effluent quality compared to conventional digesters. In this study, the biological treatment and the filtration performances of AnMBRs for A-sludge digestion under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions were comparatively evaluated through lab-scale experiments, mass balancing and dynamic modeling.

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This study investigates the synthesis and characterization of Schiff base network-1 (SNW-1) covalent organic framework (COF) nanomaterials and their application in the fabrication of thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes. The embedding of SNW-1 COF in reverse osmosis (RO) membranes with a polysulfone (PSf) substrate was done using the interfacial polymerization method. The result of the study demonstrated that the porous and hydrophilic structure of the COF increased the hydrophilic properties of the produced RO membranes.

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A review on algal biomass dewatering and recovery of microalgal-based valuable products with different membrane technologies.

J Environ Manage

December 2024

National Research Center on Membrane Technologies, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey; Department of Environmental Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address:

Efficient microalgae harvesting and dewatering are critical processes for a range of applications, including the production of raw materials, nutritional supplements, pharmaceuticals, sustainable biofuels, and wastewater treatment. The optimization of these processes poses significant challenges due to the need for high efficiency and sustainability while managing costs and energy consumption. This review comprehensively addresses these challenges by focusing on the development and application of various membrane filtration technologies specifically designed for the effective harvesting and dewatering of algal biomass.

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Long term study on the fate and environmental risks of favipiravir in wastewater treatment plants and comparison with COVID-19 cases.

Sci Total Environ

November 2024

Istanbul Technical University, Environmental Engineering Department, Maslak, 34469 Istanbul, Turkey; National Research Center on Membrane Technologies, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, 34469 Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address:

In recent years especially during COVID-19, the increased usage of antiviral drugs has led to increased interest in monitoring their presence in wastewater worldwide. In this study, it was examined the occurrence, fate and environmental risks of favipiravir which is used for COVID-19 treatment in two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with different treatment processes in Istanbul, Turkey. Favipiravir was measured in WWTPs influent samples, effluent samples and sludge samples with maximum concentrations of 97 μg/L, 64.

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Effects of membrane content, feed phase, and stripping phase for palladium solution extraction by using a polymer inclusion membrane.

Water Sci Technol

July 2024

Environmental Engineering Department, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak 34469, Istanbul, Turkey; National Research Center on Membrane Technologies, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak 34469, Istanbul, Turkey E-mail:

Palladium is now frequently utilized in fuel cells, electroplating, electronics, and catalysis. Due to their rarity and high cost, precious metal recovery has taken on a significant role. The extraction method frequently utilized in polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) is both efficient and simple since it has been demonstrated that precious metal adsorption on the membrane significantly controls the mechanism of chemical adsorption.

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A review of greener approaches for rare earth elements recovery from mineral wastes.

Environ Pollut

September 2024

Department of Environmental Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey; National Research Center on Membrane Technologies, Istanbul Technical University, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • Demand for rare earth elements (REE) is rising due to their use in high-tech products, leading to increased production from both primary and sustainable secondary sources.
  • Hydrometallurgical processes are the main method for REE recovery, but there are disadvantages compared to pyrometallurgical methods.
  • The review emphasizes the growing focus on environmentally friendly recovery methods from mine wastes and highlights the need for more research in this area as the field evolves.
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pH-responsive membranes: Mechanisms, fabrications, and applications.

Sci Total Environ

October 2024

Department of Environmental Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Istanbul 34469, Turkey; Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Kharazmi University, 15719-14911 Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

Understanding the mechanisms of pH-responsiveness allows researchers to design and fabricate membranes with specific functionalities for various applications. The pH-responsive membranes (PRMs) are particular categories of membranes that have an amazing aptitude to change their properties such as permeability, selectivity and surface charge in response to changes in pH levels. This review provides a brief introduction to mechanisms of pH-responsiveness in polymers and categorizes the applied polymers and functional groups.

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Performance improvement of polyethersulfone membranes with TiAlCN MAX phase in the treatment of organic and inorganic pollutants.

Chemosphere

August 2024

Department of Environmental Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, 34469 Istanbul, Turkey; National Research Center on Membrane Technologies, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, 34469 Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address:

In this work, the hydrophobic polyethersulfone (PES) membrane was modified by incorporating TiAlCN MAX phase. Synthesis of TiAlCN MAX phase was performed using the reactive sintering method. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed a 3D compressed layered morphology for the synthesized MAX phase.

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The flow pattern effects of hydrodynamic cavitation on waste activated sludge digestibility.

Chemosphere

June 2024

Istanbul Technical University, Civil Engineering Faculty, Environmental Engineering Department, Ayazaga Campus, Maslak, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey; National Research Center on Membrane Technologies, Istanbul Technical University, Ayazaga Campus, Maslak, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey.

The disintegration of raw sludge is of importance for enhancing biogas production and facilitates the degradation of substrates for microorganisms so that the efficiency of digestion can be increased. In this study, the effect of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) as a pretreatment approach for waste activated sludge (WAS) was investigated at two upstream pressures (0.83 and 1.

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Recent Progress on Synthesis and Properties of Black Phosphorus and Phosphorene As New-Age Nanomaterials for Water Decontamination.

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces

April 2024

Department of Chemical Engineering & ITU Synthetic Fuels and Chemicals Technology Center (ITU-SENTEK), Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 34469, Turkey.

Concerted efforts have been made in recent years to find solutions to water and wastewater treatment challenges and eliminate the difficulties associated with treatment methods. Various techniques are used to ensure the recycling and reuse of water resources. Owing to their excellent chemical, physical, and biological properties, nanomaterials play an important role when integrated into water/wastewater treatment technologies.

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Recently, one of the main purposes of wastewater treatment plants is to achieve a neutral or positive energy balance while meeting the discharge criteria. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) technology is a promising technology that has low energy and footprint requirements as well as high treatment performance. The effect of co-treatment of municipal wastewater and food waste (FW) on the treatment performance, granule morphology, and settling behavior of the granules was investigated in the study.

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The potential of blended loose nanofiltration membranes (LNMs) to fractionate dyes and inorganic salts in textile wastewater has become a focus of attention in recent years. In this research work, we fabricated LNMs based on polysulfone (PSf) membranes blended with l-histidine amino acid-functionalized MoGaC MAX phase (His-MAX). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), contact angle, ζ-potential, porosity, and pore size analyses were employed to characterize the LNMs.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aims to create a model for predicting the long-term performance of High-Rate Activated Sludge (HRAS) processes, focusing on removing carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
  • The model builds on existing Activated Sludge Models (ASM1 and ASM3) and includes important mechanisms like adsorption and substrate storage, following a detailed calibration process with data from a pilot HRAS plant.
  • The model achieved over 70% prediction efficiency for several key metrics, but identified uncertainties, especially in soluble COD estimates, attributed to variations in wastewater characteristics not fully accounted for in the model.
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Environmental impact of sewage sludge co-digestion with food waste and fat-oil-grease: Integrating plant-wide modeling with life cycle assessment approach.

Bioresour Technol

February 2024

Istanbul Technical University, Environmental Engineering Department, Maslak, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey; National Research Center on Membrane Technologies, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak 34469, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address:

Anaerobic co-digestion of fat-oil-grease (FOG) and food waste (FW) with sewage sludge (SS) in wastewater treatment plants is a method used to increase biogas production. In this study, digestion scenarios were compared using plant-wide modeling and life cycle assessment: Scenario-0 (mono-digestion of waste-activated sludge (WAS)), Scenario-1 (co-digestion of WAS with FOG), and Scenario-2 (co-digestion of WAS with FW). Scenario-0, with the highest energy use and landfilling of FOG/FW, has the worst environmental impact.

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Modification of PAN electrospun nanofiber membranes with g-CN nanotubes/carbon dots to enhance MBR performance.

Chemosphere

February 2024

National Research Center on Membrane Technologies (MEM-TEK), Istanbul Technical University, Maslak 34469, Istanbul, Turkey; Department of Environmental Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, 34469, Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address:

This study is dedicated to the enhancement of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membranes for their application in membrane bioreactor (MBR) processes. The improvement is achieved through the incorporation of graphitic carbon nitride nanotubes/carbon dots (g-CN NT/CDs) and subsequent heat post-treatments at varying temperatures. Notably, the hot-pressing methodology effectively mitigates surface roughness and significantly reduces issues related to peeling during nanofiber experimentation.

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A review of cellulose-based derivatives polymers in fabrication of gas separation membranes: Recent developments and challenges.

Carbohydr Polym

December 2023

National Research Center on Membrane Technologies, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, 34469 Istanbul, Turkey; Department of Environmental Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address:

Due to low-cost, sustainability and good mechanical stability, cellulose-based materials are frequently used in fabrication of polymeric gas separation membrane as potential carbohydrate polymers to substitute traditional petrochemical-based materials. In this review, the performance of cellulose-based polymeric membranes i.e.

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Use of water treatment plant sludge in high-rate activated sludge systems: A techno-economic investigation.

Sci Total Environ

November 2023

Istanbul Technical University, Civil Engineering Faculty, Environmental Engineering Department, Ayazaga Campus, Maslak 34469, Istanbul, Turkey.

Article Synopsis
  • Coagulants from water treatment plants typically produce sludge that is often sent to landfills, but utilizing this sludge is encouraged for sustainability.
  • This study explores using WTP sludge, specifically iron sludge, as a substitute for conventional coagulants in a high-rate activated sludge system, finding it enhances treatment efficiency.
  • The addition of iron sludge improved particulate chemical oxygen demand removal and sludge settleability, while also reducing overall operational costs by 11%, indicating potential benefits for both water treatment facilities and environmental sustainability.
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Electrochemical-based processes for produced water and oily wastewater treatment: A review.

Chemosphere

October 2023

Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran; National Research Center on Membrane Technologies, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Turkey. Electronic address:

The greatest volume of by-products produced in oil and gas recovery operations is referred to as produced water and increasing environmental concerns and strict legislations on discharging it into the environment cause to more attention for focusing on degradation methods for treatment of produced water especially electrochemical technologies. This article provides an overview of electrochemical technologies for treating oily wastewater and produced water, including: electro-coagulation, electro-Fenton, electrochemical oxidation and electrochemical membrane reactor as a single stage and combination of these technologies as multi-stage treatment process. Many researchers have carried out experiments to examine the impact of various factors such as material (i.

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Bulking and foaming are extreme filamentous bacterial growths that present serious challenges for the biological leachate treatment process. The current study evaluates the performance of long-term full-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating landfill leachate, specifically focusing on filamentous bacteria overgrowth in the bioreactors. The influence of the variation in leachate structure and operational conditions on floc morphology and filamentous bacteria overgrowth were analyzed for 11 months of operation of the full-scale MBR system.

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Nitrogen stress can influence microalgae's growth characteristics, and microalgae grown in nitrogen-deficient conditions may produce higher or lower levels of biotechnological products as a result of metabolic changes. In photoautotrophic and heterotrophic cultures, nitrogen limitation has been proven effective in promoting lipid accumulation. In spite of this, no study has demonstrated a significant correlation between lipid content and other biotechnological products such as bioactive compounds (BACs).

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There is a need to develop circular and sustainable economies by utilizing sustainable, green, and renewable resources in high-tech industrial fields especially in the pharmaceutical industry. In the last decade, many derivatives of food and agricultural waste have gained considerable attention due to their abundance, renewability, biocompatibility, environmental amiability, and remarkable biological features. Particularly, lignin, which has been used as a low-grade burning fuel in the past, recently attracted a lot of attention for biomedical applications because of its antioxidant, anti-UV, and antimicrobial properties.

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New dithiocarbamate-based polymer (DTCP) as an additive to improve microporous polysulfone membrane efficiency in lead and dye removal.

J Environ Manage

August 2023

Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Kharazmi University, 15719-14911, Tehran, Iran; National Research Center on Membrane Technologies, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Turkey.

For fabricating a membrane with hydrophilic and complexing agent groups, a new dithiocarbamate-based polymer (DTCP) containing dithiocarbamate, thioamide, and ethereal oxygen groups was synthesized and blended in polysulfone (PSF) matrix with 1, 2, 5, and 10 wt% proportion. The membranes were produced by the nonsolvent induced phase separation method. For DTCP characterization, NMR, FTIR, TGA and GPC techniques were used.

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Nanofiltration (NF) membranes are promising media for water and wastewater treatment; however, they suffer from their hydrophobic nature and low permeability. For this reason, the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) NF membrane was modified by iron (III) oxide@Gum Arabic (FeO@GA) nanocomposite. First, FeO@GA nanocomposite was synthesized by the co-precipitation approach and then its morphology, elemental composition, thermal stability, and functional groups were characterized by various analyses.

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Impact of primary treatment methods on sludge characteristics and digestibility, and wastewater treatment plant-wide economics.

Water Res

May 2023

Environmental Engineering Department, Civil Engineering Faculty, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey; National Research Center on Membrane Technologies, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Biogas production from anaerobic sludge digestion plays a central role for wastewater treatment plants to become more energy-efficient or even energy-neutral. Dedicated configurations have been developed to maximize the diversion of soluble and suspended organic matter to sludge streams for energy production through anaerobic digestion, such as A-stage treatment or chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) instead of primary clarifiers. Still, it remains to be investigated to what extent these different treatment steps affect the sludge characteristics and digestibility, which may also impact the economic feasibility of the integrated systems.

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