Advanced membrane-based technologies for eliminating emerging contaminants from medical wastewater: Principles and perspectives

• The AMB technologies’ principle for treating ECs in medical wastewater was outlined. • The properties of medical wastewater and the form and fate of ECs were discussed. • The research progress and ECs removal mechanism of AMB strategies were summarised. • The challenges of AMB technologies for removing ECs in medical wastewater were revealed. • Future tactics for AMB technologies in wastewater and ECs treatment were provided. Medical wastewater is a significant reservoir of emerging contaminants (ECs), posing serious potential environmental risks. In recent years, advanced membrane-based (AMB) technologies have been recognized as a viable and promising strategy for the deep treatment of medical wastewater due to their high efficiency in EC removal. However, there remains a deficiency of comprehensive and systematic reviews regarding the application of AMB technologies, particularly concerning technical principles, performance comparisons, innovative coupling processes, and application challenges. This paper summarizes the water quality characteristics of medical wastewater and the fate of ECs, focusing on the working principles, removal mechanisms, and application efficacy of pressure-driven, non-pressure-driven, and emerging membrane processes. Furthermore, this study systematically reviewed recent advancements in the utilization of AMB technology for treating ECs in medical wastewater, evaluating the applicability of various technologies across multiple dimensions, including technical performance, economic costs, and environmental sustainability. Looking ahead, the development of in-situ self-cleaning functional membranes, optimization of membrane integration systems, coupling of energy-saving membrane technologies, and the recommendation of resource recovery from concentrated effluents are anticipated to effectively address the challenges associated with AMB technology, such as membrane fouling, energy consumption, concentrated effluent treatment, and long-term operational stability. This comprehensive review aims to provide valuable insights and references for the efficient treatment of ECs wastewater.