Treatment of leather industry effluents by membrane-based technologies.

Abstract

Membrane processes represent useful approaches for the treatment of industrial wastewater due to their advantages over conventional separation processes that include mild operating conditions of temperature and pressure, high selectivity towards target solutes, non-use of additives and consequently reduced risk of contamination, ease scale-up and low energy consumption. This chapter provides an overview of membrane-based technologies of practical and potential interest for the treatment of spent effluents from beamhouse, tanning and post-tanning operations as well of global effluents of the leather industry. Typical advantages over conventional methodologies and process designs in agreement with zero discharge approaches and circular economy principles are highlighted and discussed.