Food processing wastewater treatment by membrane-based operations: recovery of biologically active compounds and water reuse

The food processing industry is characterized by the production of huge amounts of wastewaters which pose serious economic and environmental consequences with respect to their treatment and disposal. This chapter deals with the application of membrane-based operations for the recovery of biologically active compounds and water from food processing wastewaters. In the first part of the chapter fundamentals of pressure-driven membrane processes are introduced. Then, typical applications of membrane-based operations in the field of olive mill wastewaters, fish and dairy processing wastewaters are illustrated and discussed.