The Effect of Membrane Modification Using TiO2, ZnO, and GO Nanoparticles: Challenges and Future Direction in Wastewater Treatment

Since a long time ago, membrane technology has been applied in the field of wastewater treatment. This technology is considered effective, environmentally-friendly, and does not require a large amount of space in operation. Fouling, either caused by microorganisms or non-living organisms, are the biggest problems that often occur in this technology. Most of the time, organic compounds can cause cake formation and fouling problems. If left untreated, it can increase the maintenance costs and shorten the durability of the membrane. Hence, a membrane-modification effort is needed to be done. In previous studies, nanoparticles such as TiO2, ZnO, and GO were utilized. They are considered affordable and able to prevent the fouling problem. However, some problems occur due to the addition of nanoparticles. In this paper, we will elaborate on the effect of adding various kinds of nanoparticles towards the modified membrane and evaluate its morphology, performance, and photocatalytic abilities. This article is expected to provide both a new and broad perspective in the future.