Researchers at Rice University, in collaboration with Guangdong University of Technology, have uncovered an innovative approach to treating high-salinity organic wastewaters — streams containing both elevated salt and organic concentrations — by employing dialysis, a technology borrowed from the medical field.
In a new study published in Nature Water, the team found that mimicking this same method can separate salts from organic substances with minimal dilution of the wastewater, simultaneously addressing key limitations of conventional methods. This novel pathway has the potential to reduce environmental impacts, lower costs and enable the recovery of valuable resources across a range of industrial sectors.