Comparison of the performance of membrane bioreactors and nanofiltration in the treatment of textile wastewater: a systematic review

Abstract

The textile industry is one of the main industrial sectors contributing to the generation of wastewater with a high pollutant load. This activity has therefore driven the development of new technologies that are more efficient in treating this type of wastewater. This systematic review aims to compare the effectiveness of membrane bioreactors (MBR) and nanofiltration (NF), focusing on the efficiency of removing various pollutants and the warmth of the treated water. To this end, a search strategy based on the PICO approach was applied, using the Scopus, SciELO and PubMed databases, from which 358 articles were selected up to March 2025, of which 53 articles were selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results obtained show that MBR is more efficient in removing organic matter and synthetic dyes, while NF performs better against heavy metals and salts. Both methods have demonstrated that the quality of the treated water meets environmental standards, but their application will depend on the type of predominant contaminant and the operating conditions. This research provides a comprehensive and comparative overview of the two technologies used in textile effluent treatment and suggests that integrating the two could be an effective alternative in various industrial settings. Keywords-- Wastewater treatment, textile industry, membrane bioreactor, nanofiltration, contaminant removal