Integration of membranes into bioelectrochemical systems for enhanced treatment performance

Abstract Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) use microbial interactions with solid electron acceptors/donors to achieve simultaneous wastewater treatment and recovery of valuable resources. Most BESs include microbial fuel cells for bioelectricity generation, microbial electrolysis cells for hydrogen production, microbial desalination cells for separating salts from water, and microbial electrosynthesis cells for synthesizing organics from carbon dioxide. To improve treatment efficiency in terms of both contaminant removal and resource recovery, BESs have involved various types of membranes such as ion exchange membranes, micro/ultrafiltration membranes, forward osmosis membranes, and gas permeable membranes. This chapter aims to provide a concise overview of membrane integration into BESs for enhanced wastewater treatment and to discuss both the advantages and challenges of developing membrane-based BES technologies.