Chemical Engineering Journal 417 (2021) 128070

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Chemical Engineering Journal

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Artificial intelligence as a sustainable tool in wastewater treatment using

membrane bioreactors
Mohammadreza Kamali a, Lise Appels a, *, Xiaobin Yu a, Tejraj M. Aminabhavi b, *, Raf Dewil a
a
KU Leuven, Department of Chemical Engineering, Process and Environmental Technology Lab, J. De Nayerlaan 5, 2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
b
Pharmaceutical Engineering, SETs’ College of Pharmacy, Dharwad 580002, India

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Efforts are currently in progress to commercialize membrane bioreactor (MBR) technologies already developed at
Artificial intelligence laboratory and pilot scale. To attain this goal, the efficiency of MBRs needs to be high, and they should be
Membrane bioreactors sustainable, reliable and cost-effective. Adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is anticipated to have a positive
Wastewater
impact on these criteria. This paper covers the AI-based models used in the treatment of wastewater from various
Fouling
Operating parameters
sources, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each model. The existing gaps to push for the
Sustainability commercialization of MBR technologies are discussed to provide state-of-the-art insights for future research. The
conclusions and discussions presented in this review show that AI models are useful to predict the performance of
MBR technologies to recover clean water from polluted sources. However, further efforts are still needed to reach
an excellent match between the predictions made by the AI-based techniques and the experimental results to deal
with high strength and highly polluted effluents. This can be achieved through modification and/or integration
of the existing AI-based methods. Also, the development of appropriate variables to optimize the performance of
MBRs, and improving their efficiency to deal with recalcitrant pollutants such as contaminants of emerging
concern (CECs) are among the priorities to promote the application of MBR technologies in real-scale
applications.

technology among the existing alternatives. MBSPs are currently

1. Introduction
The presence of emerging and persistent pollutants such as absorb­
able organic compounds (AOXs) in wastewater because of increasing
industrialization is a growing global concern, leading to the develop­
ment of innovative and novel treatment methods. Stringent environ­
mental regulations require the adoption of the most sustainable
technologies. In this regard, membrane-based separation technologies
(MBSPs) have been widely explored for the treatment of a variety of
polluted water and wastewater (W&W) originating from various in­
dustrial [1] and municipal [2] sources. The selection of the most suitable
MBSPs depends on the wastewater pollution load and the available
technologies that are economically feasible, sustainable and eco-friendly
[3]. In particular, meeting sustainable development goals are essential
when adopting any of the MBSPs for W&W treatment to satisfy tech­
nical, environmental, economic and social parameters related to their
performance outputs.
In a recent study [4], the treatment efficiency was suggested as the
most important sustainability parameter for the selection of a
considered as highly sustainable technologies to deal with highly
polluted effluents. In search of the existing best available technologies,
the combination of a filtration with a biological (microbial) treatment
process is highly useful since it combines the advantages of physical
separation of the pollutants and their degradation using microorganisms
[5], which is the case for membrane bioreactors (MBRs).
In the literature, various types of aerobic [6] and anaerobic [7] MBRs
have been developed and implemented for industrial applications, but
some issues still have to be overcome. One of the major challenges of
MBSPs is membrane fouling [8], whereas controlling the quality of the
treated effluent is related to the composition and performance of the
microbial communities. This necessitates developing hybrid technolo­
gies such as MBRs in order to efficient treatment of highly polluted in­
dustrial effluents. However, the currently employed tools for the
adjustment of operating parameters such as negative feedback control
systems [9–11] are not precise enough to ensure high quality treated
water. Therefore, numerical techniques such as artificial intelligence
(AI) in the management of wastewater treatment will be useful to pre­
dict the necessary parameters that are otherwise difficult to determine

* Corresponding authors.
E-mail addresses: lise.appels@kuleuven.be (L. Appels), aminabhavit@gmail.com (T.M. Aminabhavi).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.128070
Received 9 September 2020; Received in revised form 19 November 2020; Accepted 5 December 2020
Available online 10 December 2020
1385-8947/© 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
M. Kamali et al. Chemical Engineering Journal 417 (2021) 128070

Nomenclature MLP Multilayer Perceptron

MT Model Tree
AFRs Anaerobic Filter Reactors MLPANN-GA Multilayer Perceptron-Genetic Algorithm
ANFIS Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System OLR Organic Loading Rate
AMCMBR Air-Lift Multilevel Circulation Membrane Reactor O-AMSMBR Aerobic-Anaerobic Micro-Sludge Membrane Bioreactor
AI Artificial Intelligence MBSPs Membrane-based Separation Technologies
ANN Artificial Neural Network PCA Principal Component Analysis
6-APA 6-Aminopenicillanic acid PF Particle Filter
AO-MBR Anoxic-Aerobic Membrane Bioreactor PSO Particle Swarm Optimization
BOD5 Biological Oxygen Demand RBF Radial Basis Function
BP Back Propagation RBFANN Radial Basis Function Artificial Neural Network
BN Bayesian Network RBFANN-GA Radial Basis Function Artificial Neural Network-
CA Clustering Algorithm Genetic Algorithm
COD Chemical Oxygen Demand RTC Real-Time Control
COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease of 2019 RNN Recurrent Neural Network
CECs Contaminants of Emerging Concern SALR COD surface area loading rate
DO Dissolved Oxygen SDGs Sustainable Development Goals
DM Data Mining SFR Simulated Specific Filtration Resistance
DSSs Decision Support Systems SOM Self-Organizing Map
ENN Elman Neural Network SMBR Submerged Membrane Bioreactor
ES Expert System SVM Support Vector Machine
FFNN Feed Forward Neural Network TDSs Total Dissolved Solids
FIS Fuzzy Inference System TOC Total Organic Carbon
GA Genetic Algorithm TMP Transmembrane Pressure
HRT Hydraulic Retention Time TP Total Phosphorus
IDSSs Intelligent Decision Support Systems UN United Nations
LSTM Long Short Term Memory UASB Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor
LSSVM Least Square Support Vector Machine VLR COD volumetric loading rate
MBRs Membrane Bioreactors VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds
MFCs Microbial Fuel Cells W&W Waters & Wastewaters
MLSS Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids WNN Wavelet Neural Network
MLVSS Mixed Liquor Volatile Suspended Solids WoS Web of Science

experimentally. (RNN) methodologies.

AI comprises the skill of a computer or a computer controlled ma­
chine pertaining to advanced mental processes such as reasoning,
inferring, generalization and learning from past experiences [12]. Ac­
cording to Russell and Norvig [13], intelligent agents are able to
perceive the surrounding environment and take appropriate actions in
order to maximize the chance of successfully achieving the defined
goals. Various studies have clearly demonstrated the applicability of AI
in multiple scientific disciplines such as energy applications [14],
manufacturing [15], health [16], agriculture [17], coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) management [18], crisis and disaster management
[19,20] and many other areas including environmental prediction such
as control of pollution [21]. Application of AI to control water quality
has been valuable in providing clean water sources in various polluted
areas [22]. In MBR technologies, AI can assist to predict and optimize
the system performance and to improve the control of membrane
fouling, which is currently one of the main barriers for rapid commer­
cialization of MBRs in real-scale applications.
In this review, an overview is presented of literature data on the
application of various AI-based methods for the treatment of W&W in
general, and specifically for the improvement of the MBR-based tech­
nologies and their performances, including artificial neural network
(ANN), multilayer perception (MLP), radial basis function (RBF), feed
forward neural network (FFNN), wavelet neural network (WNN), long
short term memory (LSTM), self-organizing map (SOM), elman neural
network (ENN), Fuzzy inference system (FIS), expert system (ES), model
tree (MT), data mining (DM), clustering algorithm (CA), Bayesian
network (BN), particle swarm optimization (PSO), support vector ma­
chine (SVM), adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), back
propagation (BP), genetic algorithm (GA), and recurrent neural network
2. General principles
AI can be defined as the intelligence represented by a system
or machine, which is different from the natural intelligence demon­
strated by humans. In recent years, AI-based modelling techniques have
been extensively utilized for the simulation and optimization of complex
problems in a number of areas of science and technology including water
and wastewater treatment [23–25]. Unlike other mathematical tools
derived from applied linear algebra such as principal component anal­
ysis (PCA) [26], the AI-based methods such as artificial neural networks
(ANNs) are based on non-parametric algorithms that mimic the cogni­
tive functions of the human brain such as learning and problem-solving.
Hence, they can be used as powerful modelling tools suited for the study
of non-linear relationships between features with a high degree of ac­
curacy [27,28]. Thus, AI-based methods can determine the complex
relationship between input and output variables for optimizing a process
[29,30].
Among the various biological and physic-chemical treatment tech­
nologies, MBRs have proved their potential to play a significant role in
the decontamination of polluted W&W originating from various indus­
trial and municipal sources [31,32]. They can satisfy the sustainability
criteria such as ease to use, cost-effectiveness, and high efficiency, which
have made them attractive alternatives in large-scale applications.
Although their superior properties have been demonstrated well in
various industrial and laboratory scale applications, there are still some
disadvantages such as fouling resulting from the complex chemical and
biological processes. For instance, formation of a cake layer is a phe­
nomenon that is poorly understood, but obeys some patterns [33,34]. To

2
M. Kamali et al.
address these drawbacks, accurate modelling processes such as those
based on AI are considered to be the appropriate alternatives to predict
the system performance and optimization [35].
The application of AI methods for the optimization of MBRs consists
of six main steps including (i) selection of the AI method, (ii) collection
of the data achieved from a set of experiments, (iii) designing the AI
model, (iv) training the designed model, (v) validation, and finally (vi)
application of the model. In fact, AI models are normally implemented to
learn from a big data-base for prediction or detection of the events. In
this regard, a proper design of the model can ensure the effectiveness of
the method implemented. For this, selecting the right input and output
variables that can influence the performance of the MBR is quite
important [36,37]. The main AI-based methods, which have so far been
implemented for the optimization of wastewater treatment perfor­
mance, are presented in Table 1. The main characteristics of the
mentioned methods are also summarized in the same table. Also, Fig. 1
presents some milestones in the application of AI-based methods used
for MBR technologies.
In the following sections, various AI-based methods that have been
implemented so far in MBRs, the input and out variables selected, and
the effectiveness of such methods on the improvement of the perfor­
mance of MBRs are discussed in detail.
3. Literature analysis
Currently, a huge amount of water is consumed on a daily basis in
various sectors of the society including household, agriculture and in­
dustrial activities. The generated effluents are high enough to be
considered as a main threat to the environment and the human health.
Studies have indicated that effluents, generated from various industrial
processes can have ecotoxicological impacts [52–54] and in order to
mitigate the toxic effects of the pollutants, there has been an increasing
interest among the scientific community to innovate novel efficient
technologies to deal with the polluted W&W. As summarized in Table 2
(#1), research efforts in this area have resulted in the publication of over
270,000 scientific articles. However, the number of publications
covering effluent treatment technologies with respect to the sustain­
ability considerations is limited [4,55], which reflects the need to
develop novel technologies/techniques with the capability to improve
the quality of treated effluents, while being environmentally friendly,
economically feasible and socially acceptable.
AI and its derivatives have been extensively used in various appli­
cations of energy, agriculture, environment, ecology and health sectors.
However, only scanty findings on the application of AI regarding the
sustainability aspects of MBR technologies for the treatment of waste­
water are available [56]. AI can contribute significantly to offer
Table 1
The most widely used AI-based methods and their brief definitions.
Method Principals
ANNs ANNs are computational models inspired by the neural
network of the living organisms. They consist of
elemental units called “artificial neurons”. Such units are
responsible for the processing of the information.
ESs An expert system is a computer-based branch of AI
methods to emulate the decision-making ability of an
expert (human). ES-based methodologies utilize if–then
rules rather than conventional procedural codes to solve
complex problems.
GA GA is an AI-based method inspired by Charles Darwin’s
theory of natural evolution and natural selection process
where the fittest individuals are selected among all for
the reproduction to produce the next generation. GA-
based methodologies are generally used to provide high-
quality solutions for complex problems using operators
such as mutation, crossover, and selection which are
inspired by biological phenomena.
Chemical Engineering Journal 417 (2021) 128070
sustainable opportunities to develop intelligent systems that are able to
conserve the environment. Recently, Goralski and Tan [57], by ana­
lysing three case studies, concluded that AI can contribute and accel­
erate the achievement of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and other studies demonstrate the applica­
bility of AI towards sustainable development in various industrial sec­
tors [28,29].
Table 2 illustrates the high number of publications indexed in the
Web of Science (WoS) database by employing various AI methodologies
for different applications (#2). Around 3000 documents can be found
published on the application of AI for wastewater treatment applica­
tions, while only 272 documents were found on the application of AI for
membrane-based wastewater treatment. Also, >2 million papers have
been published on the application of membrane technologies for various
applications. However, a precise screening effort made in these docu­
ments resulted in only 65 papers published on the application of AI for
MBR-based technologies. Therefore, we have attempted to summarize
these papers to discuss the application of AI in MBR-based systems and
to provide sustainability recommendations based on the recent findings
in the literature for other similar techniques such as membrane tech­
nologies for water and wastewater treatment.
The application of membrane technologies for the treatment of ef­
fluents from various origins has been initiated since the 1980s by
introducing interfacial polymerized composite membranes that have
provided acceptable fluxes and high rejection capabilities [59]. The first
report on the application of AI methodologies for MBSP-based waste­
water treatment was published by Netzband and Rohbrecht [60] using
an expert system (ES) for the treatment of effluent discharged from
dredged material disposal sites. Fig. 2 demonstrates the number of
published research articles per year on the treatment of various types of
wastewater using AI techniques. Even though there has been a fluctua­
tion in the number of published documents, the cumulative number of
documents has increased, especially since the beginning of the 2000s. As
suggested recently [5], MBRs for the treatment of effluents became more
popular since the 1990s. Fig. 1 also suggests that AI was first adopted to
improve the performance of MBRs in the year 2002 by Punal et al., [61].
4. AI for MBRs: advances and opportunities
Recent studies have clearly indicated that among the physicochem­
ical treatment technologies developed so far for the treatment of efflu­
ents from various origins, MBSPs are among the most sustainable
alternatives [4,5], but still some issues are to be addressed using these
novel and sustainable techniques. In this section, the most important
barriers for the rapid commercialization of MBSPs to deal with various
effluents have been discussed and the solutions provided by the litera­
ture using the AI techniques are addressed.
4.1. Membrane fouling
Related
literature Membrane fouling is one of the most important barriers that have
restricted the wider application of MBSPs for large-scale water and
[38–42]
wastewater treatment [62,63]. The main factors related to membrane
fouling include internal concentration polarization over the membrane
surface and the precipitation of solids, resulting in their deposition onto
[43–47] the membrane surface [8]. Fouling thus negatively affects the sustain­
ability of MBSPs by adding additional costs as well as making the
treatment process more difficult due to periodic maintenance for
cleaning or replacing the membranes. Hence, innumerable efforts have
[48–51] been made to mitigate membrane fouling in order to maintain the
appropriate flux by incorporating nanomaterials such as SiO2 [64] onto
the surface of the membrane, which could provide a hydrophilic prop­
erty to the structure of the membrane, or TiO2 [65], which can induce
self-cleaning of the membrane. AI has been useful here to better un­
derstand the fouling mechanisms and the forces involved such as hy­
drodynamic and short-range interfacial interactions [66].
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M. Kamali et al.
Fig. 1. Some main milestones in the application of various AI methods for MBR technologies and the current trend in this field.
Table 2
Number of studies performed on various combinations of keywords related to
treatment of effluents using AI techniques. The advanced search in WoS was
performed on July 2020 on the title of publications. The fuzzy string represented
as “*” was used to provide the possibility of covering wider ranges of words
related to the applied keywords.
Run/ Keywords used/Description
Combinations
#1 wastewater* OR “waste water*” OR effluent*
#2 artificial neural network*“ OR ”multilayer
perception*“ OR ”radial basis function*“ OR ”feed
forward neural network*“ OR ”feedforward
neural network*“ OR ”wavelet neural network*“
OR ”long short term memor*“ OR ”self-organizing
map*“ OR ”elman neural network*“ OR ”elman
neural network*“ OR fuzzy OR =(”fuzzy inference
system*“ OR ”expert system*“ OR ”model tree*“
OR ”data mining*“ or ”word mining*“ OR
”clustering algorithm*“ OR ”bayesian network*“
OR ”particle swarm optimiz*“ OR ”support vector
machine*“ OR ”adaptive neuro fuzzy inference
system*“ OR ”back propagation*“ OR ”genetic
algorithm*“ OR ”artificial intelligen*“ OR
”recurrent neural network*“
#3 *membrane* OR filter*
#1 AND #2 Application AI-based techniques for wastewater
treatment
#1 AND #3 Application of membrane-based technologies for
wastewater treatment
#1 AND #2 AND Application of AI-based techniques for
#3 membrane-based wastewater treatments
#1 AND #2 AND Application of AI-based techniques for membrane
#3 bio-reactor technologies
A survey of the literature demonstrates that the majority of studies
on membrane fouling using AI have utilized the artificial neural network
(ANN) and its derivatives. However, some efforts to combine the ANNs
with other methodologies have also been made to enhance the accuracy
of the results achieved. RBFANNs considering five key factors (as input
variables) have been applied by [67] in order to investigate the inter­
facial energy in an MBR. Then by using the AI methodology, the authors
captured the non-linear relationship between the influencing parame­
ters and the interfacial energy created onto the membrane surface.
In the wide-spread approach towards AI, the ANNs are modelled
based on the biological neurons that are classified in computational
intelligence techniques. They are capable of processing nonlinear re­
lationships between inputs and outputs, which can aid in describing the
process successfully and precisely [39]. In other words, an ANN is a
model to process the data using mathematical models to mimic human
brain functions. The processing elements and artificial neurons are
connected by the synapses (weighted values) to form the black box
representations of the systems. Each neuron processes the input signals
Chemical Engineering Journal 417 (2021) 128070
received from the other neurons and then sends outputs, which are in
turn the input parameters to subsequent neurons [68]. In this way the
network learns from the training data and identifies the relationships
between data points in order to simulate, predict, and optimize the
performance of a system [69–71].
ANN has been employed to extract the models to understand the
mechanisms involved in the fouling of MBRs. Ivnitsky et al., [72] applied
Records
this technique to demonstrate a reduction in permeate flux rates asso­
ciated with the development of a fouling layer onto the membrane
273,237
764,683
surface. They also identified the most important influencing parameters
for the development of fouling layer as pressure, total organic carbon
(TOC), pH and conductivity of the influents. Such information can be
practically employed to forecast the likelihood of membrane fouling in
MBRs. Another important parameter is that of trans-membrane pressure,
which was predicted by AI network to forecast the evolution of trans-
membrane pressure (TMP) in an anoxic-aerobic membrane bioreactor
(AO-MBR) that was used for the treatment of domestic wastewater [73].
The goal of this study was to select the most relevant input parameters to
predict the evolution of TMP based on the performances of ANNs. The
authors concluded that total nitrogen and alkalinity are the most rele­
vant variables for TMP forecasting studies, while wastewater parameters
including mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), COD, pH, and DO
2,025,824
cannot be linked to TMP.
3,023
In a study on the application of MBR for the treatment of petro­
38,363 chemical wastewater [74], it was observed that hydraulic retention time
(HRT) can play a determining role for the particle size of the cake layer
272 formed onto the membrane surface (Fig. 3). For instance, an HRT of 20 h
resulted in a slower membrane fouling rate probably due to a low
65
compressibility coefficient of the cake layer, low extracellular polymeric
substance concentration and a large sludge particle size. The authors
used the FFNN using the back propagation (BP) algorithms to forecast
TMP and COD removal. It was found that the best structure for the AI
method used was that of trainlm network consisting of two layers
including 17 and 2 neurons in the hidden layer and output layer,
respectively. A sensitivity analysis [75] was applied to identify the most
and least TMP influencing parameters such as MLSS and time.
A combination of various AI-based techniques has been reported to
monitor the MBRs’ performance by utilizing the multi-layer perceptron
and radial basis function artificial neural networks (RBFANN) [76] for
simulating TMP and permeability of a submerged membrane bioreactor
(SMMBR) as well as to describe the impacts of simultaneous upward and
downward aeration. Here, GA was applied for the optimization of
weights and thresholds of the models. It was found that the aeration
applied has no significant positive effect on the removal efficiency of the
system to deal with pollutants including BOD, COD, TN, NH+4-N and
TSS. The results of this study demonstrated the increase and decrease in
TMP as well as permeability of the membrane, respectively, by time.
However, the trained models showed a perfect match between the
experimental and simulated variables. The authors further concluded
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M. Kamali et al.
Fig. 2. The number of WoS indexed publications/year on the application of AI for wastewater treatment for membrane-based wastewater treatments and for MBR-
based wastewater treatments.
Fig. 3. A schematics of the topological architectures of multi-layer perceptron (a) and RBF (b) ANNs adapted from by Ahmad et al., (2015) [76] for simulating TMP
and permeability of a SMMBR.
that GA-optimized ANN forecasted the derived variables (i.e., TMP and
permeability) with higher levels of accuracy compared to the network
with a trial-and-error approach calibration.
Few reports have been published on the application of other AI-based
methods for MBR monitoring and control. For instance, the validation of
modelling and prediction of membrane fouling using SVMs [77] by the
experimental data from a pilot scale palm oil mill effluent MBR has
clearly demonstrated the applicability of AI methodology to overcome
the drawbacks of MBR fouling. PCA and fuzzy clustering were also
employed by Maere et al., [78] to extract the monitoring information
based on TMP of a MBR. The authors used three PCA techniques (i.e., a
classic covariance-based PCA, expert-driven functional PCA (FPCA), and
B-splines FPCA) to conclude that expert FPCA could be the most suited
method for future studies in this area; this method is relatively facile and
provides the opportunity for comprehensive interpretation of data. It
was also stated that the fuzzy clustering algorithm, which was applied
after PCA, resulted in recognizing the data trends, although the factor
analysis was proven to be more practically implemented compared to
5
Chemical Engineering Journal 417 (2021) 128070
fuzzy data clustering.
There have been other studies related to the comparison of various
methods for the prediction of membrane fouling of MBRs. In a recent
study [79], ANN and mathematical models were compared to simulate
the fouling properties under sub-critical conditions. It was concluded
that both models can be used efficiently to predict membrane fouling of
the studied intermittently-aerated MBRs. However, the mathematical
model applied represented a better stability, but with a relatively low
prediction performance. Efforts were also made to compare the various
AI-based methods to choose the best option to be used in the treatment
of polluted W&W using MBRs. In this regard, Shi and Xu [80] evaluated
the applicability of five methods including the BP neural network,
support vector regression, extreme learning machine, gradient boosting
decision tree and stacked auto-encoders to forecast the performance of a
two-stage biofilm system considering COD, NH+ 4 -N, TN, influent flow
and reflux ratio of the biofilm system as input variables. The authors also
employed COD, NH+ 4 -N and TN of biofilm system effluent as the output
variables and concluded that the stacked auto-encoders model was the
M. Kamali et al. Chemical Engineering Journal 417 (2021) 128070

best to predict the system performance. Table 3

Besides the prediction of fouling and the importance of the associ­ A summary of the literature findings on the application of AI methodologies to
ated variables, developmental efforts with regard to the systems for predict and control membrane fouling in MBRs.
enabling the intelligent detection of the conditions leading to fouling Methodology Objectives Effluents Remarks Ref.
were also investigated for real-time control of the MBR function, but ES Prediction of Dredged 80% for [60]
only a limited number of documents are available in this regard. Han system material suspended
et al., [81] integrated the partial least squares method and the recurrent performance disposal sites solids, 60 ~ 90%
fuzzy neural network (to identify the nonlinear relations between the for heavy metals,
75% for COD
membrane permeability and influencing 21 influencing variables), as a
and 98% for
platform to connect the sensors and the software to enable an intelligent ammonium
membrane permeability and fouling detection system. Developing such removal. Also,
systems is of high priority for the sustainability criteria. Such intelligent they achieved
detecting systems are generally inexpensive with a high degree of ac­ nitrification
rates of 1.40 g
curacy, which can provide an early warning system for detecting NH4-N/m2 d in
membrane fouling. Additionally, some specific studies on the applica­ rotating
tion of AI for MBR performance monitoring and optimization, have been biological
made using other AI methodologies to control fouling phenomena in contactor at
10 ◦ C.
MBSPs for water and wastewater treatments such as the LSTM method
ES Improvement in Fibreboard Two frequent [61]
[82], which can be used for controlling the MBR performance. However, the MBRs production anomalous
AI methodologies have not yet been employed for the monitoring and performance factory circumstances
control of membranes for water and wastewater treatments specifically including
in case of MBRs. hydraulic and
organic
Sensitivity analysis can also demonstrate to which extent the system
overloads were
output is affected by the input dependent variables [85]. Hence, it would identified by the
be advantageous to determine the impacts of the operating parameters applied ES
of MBRs such as pH and HRT on membrane fouling. In this regard, there methodology.
ANNs Study of the Simulated The simulated [66]
are studies carried out on the sensitivity analysis of AI-based methods
effects of sewage specific filtration
(especially AAN). Hazrati et al., [74] trained the FNN using BP algo­ hydrogen effluents resistance (SFR)
rithms to predict the COD removal and TMP in an MBR. The authors bonding in gel values calculated
concluded that MLSS and HRT can highly affect the TMP and the for­ fouling using the
mation of cake layer onto the membrane surface. A summary of the phenomenon developed
method were
literature findings on the application of AI methodologies to predict and
close to
control the membrane fouling in MBRs is presented in Table 3. experimental
data achieved.
4.2. Performance optimization Hydrogen
bonding
contributed to
In this section, the literature on the application of AI-based meth­ about 20% of
odologies to control, predict and optimization of MBRs efficiencies total gel SFR.
considering the operating parameters is discussed. RBFANN Interfacial – RBF ANNs well [67]
energy assisted to
quantification in capture the
4.2.1. The pH membrane complex non-
The pH is among the most important parameters to determine the fouling process linear
efficiency of chemical and biological treatment systems when dealing relationships
with the polluted W&W. In MBRs, the variation in feed pH affects the between the
interfacial
reactor performance along with the generation of soluble microbial
energy and the
products [86], membrane fouling [87], production of intermediate or influencing
final products such as volatile fatty acids [88]. Here, the application of factors.
AI can be a good tool to control the performance of MBSPs for water and MT Having better Domestic The most [72]
wastewater treatments [89]. A limited number of reports have been understanding tertiary influential
on the effluents parameters were
made on the application of AI-based methods to investigate the effects of mechanisms identified as
pH in MBRs. For instance, Cai et al., [90] implemented an aerobic- involved in the pressure, TOC,
anaerobic micro-sludge MBR (O-AMSMBR) to study the variation of membrane pH and
pH on the performance in terms of COD and TN removals from a do­ fouling conductivity of
the feed water.
mestic sewage wastewater using WNN and back-propagation neural
ANNs Predict of Domestic Total nitrogen [73]
network models (BPNN) for simulating the effect of pH on the reactor membrane wastewater and alkalinity
performance, suggesting pH as a key parameter in O-AMSMBR system. fouling from were identified
Under acidic pH conditions (pH = 5), the system showed a high degree long-term as the most
of efficiency even under pH shock. anoxic-aerobic relevant
MBR operational parameters for
In continuation of their earlier work, Cai et al., [91] further inves­ data trans-membrane
tigated the effect of pH on O-AMSMBR using a back-propagation- pressure (TMP)
artificial neural network (BP-ANN) method to monitor the perfor­ forecasting
mance of an air-lift multilevel circulation MBR on a marine domestic while.
FFNN Prediction of Petrochemical Reduction in [74]
sewage treatment plant and suggested the effect of several parameters
TMP and COD of effluents HRT resulted in a
on the system performance as per: pH ≈ MLSS > HRT > COD, thus the effluents decrease in the
demonstrating the importance of pH while designing and implementing (continued on next page)
AF techniques for the effectiveness of the MBR systems. In addition, few

6
M. Kamali et al. Chemical Engineering Journal 417 (2021) 128070

Table 3 (continued ) Table 3 (continued )

Methodology Objectives Effluents Remarks Ref. Methodology Objectives Effluents Remarks Ref.

particle size of identified. The

the cake layer. simulation and
Mixed liquor experimental
suspended solid results both
(MLSS) and time confirm the
were identified effectiveness of
as the most and the proposed
the least intelligent
sensitive detecting
parameters on system.
TMP, Particle Filter Improvement in – The [82]
respectively. and LSTM the accuracy and methodology
Multi-layer Study of the Municipal Aeration could [76] algorithms precision of the which combined
perceptron effects of the wastewater not enhance the MBR particle filter
and aeration mode efficiency of the performance (PF) and LSTM
RBFANN on the system to deal forecasting overcome each
membrane with pollutants method’s weak
fouling including BOD, points.
COD, TN, NH+ 4-
N, and TSS.GA-
optimized ANN other studies also supported the importance of pH on the anaerobic
showed higher digestion of organic rich effluents. Shi et al., [92] developed a prototype
levels of
accuracy
up-flow anaerobic sludge bed and anaerobic filter reactor (UASB-AFR)
compared to a to adopt a BP approach to model the effects on various input parameters
network with a on methane production, for which the importance of the parameters
trial-and-error follows the sequence: pH > COD > HRT > alkalinity.
approach
calibration.
SVM Validation of Palm oil mill SVM was able to [83] 4.2.2. Dissolved oxygen
membrane effluent produce good Dissolved oxygen (DO) is also considered among the most important
fouling prediction as a parameters to determine the performance of biological treatment tech­
prediction using neural network nologies [93]. Low or high levels of DO can prevent the performance of
SVM ANNs model and the
methodology
microbial communities that are responsible to eliminate the pollutants
could overcome from the polluted W&W [3,58]. Hence, controlling the DO level near the
the drawbacks of optimum values is essential to achieve the desired quality for the treated
the MBR fouling. effluents; this may also reduce the overall cost of the treatment by
PCA and fuzzy Exploration of Three PCA [78]
–
preventing system failures. In such a situation, AI can contribute by
clustering techniques techniques were
automatic studied, and introducing efficient methods to maintain the DO level at certain values.
membrane expert FPCA can Few studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of AI methods in this
fouling state be considered as case to provide the correct concentration of DO for microbial commu­
monitoring and the most suited nities during the treatment of pollutants. Hu et al., [94] suggested that
control method for
further studies.
an AI-based sustainable method could be useful for the treatment of
The fuzzy pharmaceutical effluents using a multi-stage vertical variable diameter
clustering MBR. The authors studied the effects of various DO concentrations
algorithm, which ranging from 0.5 to 6 mg/L on the overall performance of the system in
applied after
the removal of COD, BOD, and 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA). They
PCA, was
successful in found an optimum range of DO between 1.5 and 2.1 mg/L, reaching the
recognizing the highest removal efficiency of 87% and 95% for COD and BOD, respec­
data trends. tively. The authors further developed a differential evolution algorithm
ANNs To study the Domestic Both models can [79] integrated with the BP algorithm to train fuzzy neural network offline
membrane wastewater be used
fouling efficiently to
for the successful control of DO concentration, resulting in a consider­
behaviors in predict the able reduction of the operational costs, thereby satisfying the sustain­
aerated MBR. membrane ability considerations.
fouling behavior The application of AI neural networks (ANNs) has also led to precise
of IAMAR.
predictions of MBR performance as the ANNs require neither the explicit
However, the
ANNs mechanistic model nor normality or linearity assumptions. Electrodial­
represented ysis, [95] on the other hand, claimed that if a large body of data is
better predictive available, high levels of accuracy can be expected to predict MBR pro­
ability but cess performance efficiency by ANN model. Further, these results have
relatively low
stability.
been efficiently used for the extrapolation or the interpolation to the
Partial least Evaluation of the Industrial A nonlinear [84] desired range.
squares and MBR wastewater relationship
the performance between the 4.2.3. Salinity
recurrent membrane
The salinity is an important parameter affecting the efficiency of
fuzzy neural permeability and
network influencing 21 MBR treatment method [96] as the process performance depends on
influencing various levels of salinity. Recently, Ahnen et al., [97] studied the effects
variables was of salinity on the composition of microbial communities while deni­
trifying the woodchip bioreactors employed in treating the recirculated

7
M. Kamali et al.
aquaculture system effluents to conclude that low levels of pollutant
removal such as nitrate (in this case) can be achieved. Mannina et al.,
[98] used MBRs for the treatment of saline wastewaters as well as for the
treatment of a synthetic shipboard slops. These results confirmed that
nitrification was negatively influenced by the salinities >20 g NaCl/L in
the autotrophic biomass. The system also demonstrated an acceptable
level of performance for the degradation of hydrocarbons, suggesting
the importance of controlling the salinity and to predict the system
performance under various salinity conditions.
In a recent study, Cai et al., [99] combined the wavelet transforms
with neural network in order to model the effects of salinity on the
removal of ammonia nitrogen and COD from a ship domestic sewage
using an air-lift multilevel circulation membrane reactor (AMCMBR).
This study also concluded the negative impacts of high salinities (>21 g/
L) on the treatment efficiency, and the authors built a WNN to evaluate
the effect of salinity on system performance. Correlation coefficients (R
values) achieved in this case for COD removal calculated by the model
were slightly higher than those for ammonia nitrogen, reflecting that
more complex mechanisms are involved in the removal of NH+ 4 -N. Other
reports dealt with an efficient application of AI to predict the behavior of
MBRs for the treatment of hyper saline effluents. For instance, treatment
of hyper saline oily effluents was modelled by the ANN under various
total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations ranging from
35,000–250,000 mg/L, and OLRs ranging from 0.281 to 3.372 kg COD/
(m3 day) in the cycle time of 12–48 h [100] using a membrane
sequencing batch reactor. In this study, 193 operational data were uti­
lized to train the network and as per the model developed, OLR of 2.44
kg COD/(m3 day), TDS of 78,000 mg/L and reaction time (RT) of 40 h
has resulted in an average COD removal rate of 98%.
4.2.4. HRT
The innovation of high-rate reactors for biological treatment of
wastewater is considered a significant milestone in the development and
application since the 1980s [7], which has resulted in designing the
reactors with less volume and offering a substantial reduction in oper­
ating and maintenance costs as well as initial investments. The AI
techniques have been successfully applied to control the HRT of the
reactors resulting in higher stabilities of the treatment process. In a
recent study [101], a pilot-scale AMCMBR technology was employed for
the removal of total nitrogen (TN) as well as COD from a real ship
sewage, indicating a substantial improvement in the removal of effluent
(COD and TN removals of 91.57% and 81.19%, respectively, and HRT of
8 h). Even under a low HRT of 4 h, acceptable removals of COD and TN
were achieved (86.93% and 70.49%, respectively). Thus, efficient
removal of COD and TN can be achieved when HRT was reduced due to
increased physical removal rate of the pollutants using a biofilm-
assistant membrane filtration.
4.2.5. Pollution load
Industries are currently generating and discharging a huge amount of
effluents loaded with different types of emerging contaminants [102]
and recalcitrants [103] as pollutants. The properties of the produced
effluents (e.g., COD, BOD, etc.) are directly related to the type and na­
ture of the industry, the manufacturing processes applied and the raw
materials used for the production activities [55,104–106]. The toxic
nature of effluents, especially those from the highly polluting industries
such as pulp and paper [3,107], textile [108], and pharmaceuticals
[109] together with the existence of stringent environmental regulations
have forced the industries to choose the most efficient technologies to
deal with the generated effluents. Therefore, the development of the
most sustainable technology among the existing physicochemical or
biological treatments is necessary [4,110,111]. The combination of
MBSPs with biological treatment processes such as MBRs have become
the trend of the present-day tools to solve the environmental pollution
issues [112,113].
In case of MBRs, efficiency is considered a key element to maintain
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Chemical Engineering Journal 417 (2021) 128070
their sustainability in practical applications. In order to ensure the
effectiveness of these technologies, AI-based methods have been devel­
oped, but these were employed mainly in lab and pilot scale operations
[114,115]. In this section, we will review the efforts made on the
application of AI-based techniques for various classes of pollutants even
though some pieces of evidence are available indicating the successful
application of MBRs for the removal of COD from highly polluted ef­
fluents [116]. Currently, a limited number of studies are available on the
application of AI for COD removal from wastewater. Picos-benítez et al.,
[36] utilized the combination of ANNs and GAs to predict the perfor­
mance COD removal of an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor
(UASB) to be used in the treatment of saline effluents, considering other
input parameters such as organic loading rate (OLR) and temperature.
The experimental results were then used to build the ANN model and the
efficiency of the system for the removal of COD was assessed using the
maximum mean absolute percentage error (9.226%) as calculated from
the values measured and predicted by the model for the COD removal. In
the next step, the authors used the ANN model as a fitness function in a
GA in order to identify the optimum operational conditions to achieve
>70% of COD removal by assuming operating conditions including low
energy input, high OLR and high salinity.
The effluent treatment from various origins to deal with the
emerging and recalcitrant pollutants using MBRs is another area of
active investigation. The literature demonstrates the higher efficiency of
MBRs compared to conventional activated sludge processes depending
on factors such as the type of the designed modules, sludge retention
time (SRT), HRT, and the treatment plant configuration [117]. The
application of AI has also been studied to predict and control the
removal of specific pollutants from the wastewater using MBRs. For
instance, Huang et al., [118] employed the BP neural network theory to
develop a mathematical model (Fig. 4) for the simulation of an anaer­
obic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) for the biodegradation of COD as
well as the antibiotics (β-Lactams) from a real pharmaceutical effluent to
claim that BPNN can be applied in complex and non-linear processes,
since the method can offer the possibility to substitute experiments with
the predictions.
Other studies were performed to predict and control the system
performance on high COD conditions and in the presence of specific
pollutants using other types of MBRs. Very recently, Iranpour et al.,
[119] employed a pilot-scale UASB for the treatment of pharmaceutical
effluents containing berberine. The COD loading rate from 4.64 to 8.68
kg/m3.d as well as various berberine concentrations from 254 to 536
mg/L were obtained to simulate the performance of the system for use in
pharmaceutical wastewater treatment containing berberine to achieve
Fig. 4. A schematic illustration of BPNN methodology for the prediction of
antibiotics biodegradation using an AnMBR by Huang et al., (2018)
[118] (adopted).
M. Kamali et al.
68.14% and 57.39% removal for COD and berberine, respectively. This
model was based on the BP neural network theory and the linear
regression techniques indicated negligible errors, since they were able to
simulate and predict the removal of COD and berberine using the UASB
facilities.
Submerged membrane bioreactors (SMBRs) are another efficient
type of MBR that is widely explored in recent years to deal with highly
polluted industrial effluents [120,121], combined with novel treatment
methodologies such as photochemical degradation of organic com­
pounds [122]. However, controlling the pollution removal from such
types of MBRs using the AI-based methods may push for further
commercialization of these technologies. Mirbagheri et al., [123]
implemented a RBFANN to evaluate and predict the performance of a
SMBR used for the treatment of combined industrial and municipal ef­
fluents. The main objective of this type of combination was to increase
the biodegradability to reach a BOD/COD ratio of 0.5. Using such a
combination, the efficiency of the system can be improved, while
decreasing the required HRT to reach the desired quality of the treated
effluents.
Although MBRs have shown a promising performance to deal with
various types of polluted effluents, the energy requirement of these
systems is considered a sustainability limitation, which is restricted for
implementing their wider applications [124]. In this regard, membrane-
based microbial fuel cells (MFCs) [125] have been developed for
extracting and harvesting the energy from the activity of specific mi­
crobial communities, resulting in the production of energy in the form of
electricity [126,127]. Various types of membranes (mainly proton ex­
change membranes [128]) have been used so far in the structure for the
MFCs to optimize their performance in order to promote their
commercialization. The AI method also has been helpful for the opti­
mization of MFC performance.
Giwa et al., [129] studied the COD removal efficiency of the MFC
system while dealing with orthophosphates and ammonium to enhance
the electricity generation from a medium strength municipal wastewater
to achieve >98% for all the implemented variables. Application of ANNs
for modelling the experimental findings, especially when trained with
the Levenberg-Marquardt BP algorithm, and using the input variables
such as mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS), pH, DO, EC, and
the influent concentration to demonstrate the accuracy of the model to
predict the efficiency of MFC to deal with the studied wastewater pa­
rameters. However, ceramic membrane MFCs [130] may offer advan­
tages over the conventional methods for reduced fouling, higher
resistance and also being less expensive [8]. AI-based techniques may
further promote the industrial implementation of such configurations
[130] to predict the power output by MFCs, when compared to
nonlinear multivariable regression approach.
It is a well-established fact that the accuracy of the methodologies
used for the reduction of pollution load using MBRs can be enhanced via
utilization of combination of various AI-based methodologies. However,
there is currently a need for more studies on the effects of such inte­
grative methods on the performance of MBRs. In order to prove the
applicability of such methods, Iranpour et al., [119] recently developed
two integrated models including the hybrid multilayer perceptron-
genetic (MLPANN-GA) along with the radial basis function artificial
neural network-genetic (RBFANN-GA) algorithms for accurate predic­
tion of BOD, COD, TN, and total phosphorus (TP) in a SMMBR. The
authors used BOD, COD, TN, TP, SRT, MLSS, membrane permeability,
and TMP as the input variables; the training and testing of both the
models developed in this study demonstrated a perfect match between
the experimental and predicted values. Based on the statistical analysis
performed, it was concluded that the integration of models with GA
offered accurate prediction of the performance of the system to remove
the pollution load of the effluents.
There are some studies on the sensitivity analysis of MBR perfor­
mance for the removal of specific pollutants. Mohammadi et al., [131],
by carrying out the ANN-PSO and Pearson correlation coefficient,
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Chemical Engineering Journal 417 (2021) 128070
demonstrated that the most important parameters that influence the
removal of alkylphenols using a moving bed biofilm reactor, are the
initial concentration of the pollutant, COD surface area loading rate
(SALR), COD volumetric loading rate (VLR), and HRT. Besides the pa­
rameters discussed in this review, microbial community was also
considered as a very important parameter to assess the performance of
MBR, though the literature analysis has shown a very limited number of
published documents. Seshan et al., [132] successfully applied the
support vector regression for the prediction of four membrane-operated
sequencing batch reactors to treat the synthetic effluents in terms of
COD, nitrification, and toxic compounds such as 3-chloroaniline using
microbial community characteristics as an indicator.
5. Remarks, opportunities and challenges
In the literature, decision support systems (DSSs) have been devel­
oped since the 1960s, but in the beginning of 1990s, intelligent decision
support systems (IDSSs) were developed for the treatment of polluted
W&W [133]. However, the main goals of developing such methodolo­
gies have been to meet sustainability criteria considering the aspects of
technical, environmental, social and environmental indicators. There is
currently a growing trend for the water and wastewater treatment
technologies to be equipped with smart infrastructure solutions. In this
regard, various types of AI models have been developed and imple­
mented for such applications as summarized in Table 4. Among the AI-
based methodologies, ANNs have been the most widely explored tech­
niques for MBR technologies as they bring some advantages over the
conventional methods such as having the learning ability, the capability
to deal with imprecise and highly complex non-linear data [134]. Also,
ANN can predict the performance of the system only based on the
experimental data to provide a high degree of correlation coefficient
between the experimental data and the model developed.
The AI-based methods are generally able to provide opportunities for
the treatment of polluted W&W using MBRs. They have the potential to
effectively contribute to making the treatment process cost-effective
through the prediction and optimization of both the performance and
energy consumption of the system [135–137]. For instance, the imple­
mentation of AI-based models can optimize the pump run times. As a
result, they consume the energy to operate only when they need it for the
operation of the system [138]. It can also be concluded from the studies
summarized in Table 4 that AI-based methods, especially ANNs, can
successfully identify the most important parameters, which can affect
the performance of MBRs for the treatment of polluted W&Ws. In this
regard, pH, MLSS, and HRT seem to be the most important parameters to
determine the extent of fouling process and hence, the success of the
treatment process using MBR technologies. Methods based on AI can
also predict the performance of MBR system over a range of operating
parameters and alerts in advance to prevent the costly failures of the
system. Due to this reason, the size and properties of the influents may
vary by time, and the MBR systems need to be well-trained to overcome
the shocks resulting from the variation in the volume and the properties
of the effluents such as pH shock, which can result in the failure of MBRs
[139].
It has been well documented in the literature that permeability is a
fundamental parameter for the application of MBSP-based technologies,
yet fouling may impose intense technical and economic issues for the
industries [140]. In such situations, forecasting the flux decline and
modelling the conditions under which flux decline would occur can
potentially aid to prevent membrane fouling and hence, to mitigate the
need for periodical cleaning or substitution of the membrane [141]. It
can considerably aid to satisfy the economic considerations, especially
in the current competitive and declining market trends for many in­
dustries [3,142], in which a decrease in the treatment costs can make the
MBRs most attractive alternatives. It is worth mentioning here that
stability is among the main sustainability criteria for the performance of
wastewater treatment technologies [4], which can also satisfy the social
M. Kamali et al. Chemical Engineering Journal 417 (2021) 128070

Table 4
A summary of literature findings on the optimization of MBRs performance using AI methodologies.
ANN Topologies Advantages/Ideas behind Operational parameter Effluents Remarks Ref.

WNN and BPNN WNN was used to replace the neurons of pH (5) Marine domestic pH is a key parameter in the performance [90]
ANN with wavelets which enable using the sewage wastewater of the O-AMSMBR system based on the
known wavelet function as the activation simulation of WNN and BPNN. The
function (instead of Sigmoid function) in implemented system can represent high
training. Both WNN and BPNN were models degrees of efficiency even under pH shock.
fitted well with the real data in terms of
effluent COD and TN.
BP-ANN The simulations by BPANN are ideal means pH (>= 6) Marine domestic pH and MLSS are the most important [91]
to describe and predict the effects of sewage discharge parameters influencing the performance of
influencing parameters (e.g., COD, HRT, the air-lift multilevel circulation MBR
MLSS, and pH) on the performance of the system, which demonstrated the
system (such as the removal of organic importance of pH when designing and
substance. implementing the artificial intelligent
techniques for MBRs.
BP fuzzy neural The improved differential evolution BP DO (1.5–2.1 mg/L) Pharmaceutical The treatment cost was considerably [94]
network fuzzy neural network and the optimization wastewater reduced by controlling the DO using BP
of the BP algorithm enables to control the fuzzy neural network compared to the
dissolved oxygen more efficiently with less uncontrolled DO test.
overshoot than the fuzzy control strategy.
WNN WNN has been developed as a combination Salinity (>21 g/L) Ship domestic High levels of salinity resulted in the [99]
of wavelet transforms with neural networks sewage inhibition of the system performance.
with excellent time–frequency localization
characteristics of wavelet transforms as well
as self-learning properties of neural
networks.
WNN In spite of some errors under low HRTs, HRT (4–8 h) Ship sewage Enhanced COD and TN removals were [101]
WNN is a practical model to predict the observed using the AMCMBR system.
COD and TN removal using MBRs. WNN is a suitable method to forecast the
COD and TN removal to ensure the long-
term stable operation of the sewage
treatment system.
ANN-GA In the integrated model, ANN acts as a COD (2.74 to 11.42 g/L) Fishmeal wastewater The best operational conditions of UASB [36]
fitness function in a GA. This can reactor could be achieved by ANN-GA
considerably enhance the accuracy of the model.
ANN-GA model as a tool to achieve the
optimum performance of MBR.
BPNN BPNN has a number of advantages over OLRs (2.4–4.5 kg- Pharmaceutical BPNN theory matched well with the [118]
classical models such as the possibility of COD⋅m− 3⋅d− 1) and wastewater experimental data, which provided the
being applied in complex and non-linear antibiotics loading rates opportunity to simulate the performance
processes as a practical and feasible tool to (ALRs, 19.1–37.9 BLAs⋅ of anaerobic membrane bioreactor
simulate and predict the removal of m− 3⋅d− 1) (AnMBR).
pollutants using MBRs.
BPNN BPNN is a precise model for simulating and COD (4.64 to 8.68 kg/m3d), Pharmaceutical The removal of COD and berberine using [119]
predicting the removal of pollutants using berberine (254 to 536 mg/L) effluents containing UASB installations could be simulated and
MBRs. berberine estimated by BPNN.
RBFANN RBFANNs are the most widely used ANN BOD5 (180 mg/L), COD Combined industrial The efficiency of the SMBR system was [123]
with a number of advantages such as fast (380 mg/L), NH+4 -N (23.1 and municipal improved with RBFANN while decreasing
learning process, robustness, and mg/L), TP (16.54 mg/L), effluents the required HRT to reach the desired
adaptation capability. quality for the treated effluents.
Levenberg- Among various BP algorithms, Levenberg- COD (41.5 mg/L), PO3−
4 -P Medium strength Ensemble model based on Levenberg- [129]
Marquardt back- Marquardt algorithm was best suited in (8 mg/L) and NH+
4 -N (36.1 synthetic wastewater Marquardt back propagation algorithm
propagation order for modeling the experimental data mg/L) was highly fitted with the experimental
algorithm ANN achieved in this study for the treatment of data for the removal of COD, PO3− 4 -P and
effluents using an MBR. NH+ 4 -N.

considerations by providing the continuous flow of the treated water for
various applications; AI can also assist in compliance with the effluent
standards. Prediction of the system performance can also aid in pre­
venting the events and in minimizing the health and safety risks of any
probable failure in the performance of the system [143].
In addition to the improvements in the performance of MBRs, the AI-
based methodologies normally require little engineering by humans,
and hence can make the operation of MBRs easy to use. In fact, AI can
assist the operators by performing sophisticated intelligent decisions,
which can enhance the accuracy and reliability of the treatment system
without the need of analysing the complex variables by the operators.
Moreover, AI can simplify data integrity by processing the heteroge­
neous data and process [144].
In spite of the advantages provided by the AI-based models in MBR
technologies, there are still some challenges to be addressed in order to
push the commercialization of such methodologies in real applications.
The complex nature of wastewaters and non-linear behavior or biolog­
ical treatment methods, especially when integrated with the physical
methods such as membrane technologies requires accurate models to
forecast the system performance. In this regard, there is a need to
address such uncertainties by reaching out a perfect match (based on the
values of R2) between the predicted results and the experimental data
using the AI-based methods. This can be achieved either by using the
most accurate methods or by integrating various AI-based techniques.
For instance, Hemedi, et al., [145] indicated that the least-squares
support vector machine (LSSVM) can be efficiently used for fouling
prediction and performance optimization of MBRs with a high R2 (0.99).
Based on the literature, the integrated AI methods can also lead to
achieving higher accuracies and reliabilities compared to single AI-
based models [70].
Further detailed studies on the combined AI-based methods are also
required to enhance the reliability of the integrated models based on the

10
M. Kamali et al.
laboratory results. For instance, GAs can be used efficiently to validate
the models derived using the ANNs. Such combinations are also highly
welcome for developing novel generations of MBRs such as those inte­
grated with the engineered nanomaterials [146,147] to aid the degra­
dation of organic compounds and to mitigate membrane fouling
processes.
Selecting the appropriate variables is among the existing challenges
towards enhancing the accuracy of the AI-based methods in MBR tech­
nologies. So far, various variables such as BOD, COD, TN, and TSS have
been used as input or output data in order to predict and improve the
performance of MBRs. However, there is a need to pay particular
attention to select the response variables based on a set of pre-defined
criteria for efficient training of the algorithm (e.g., ANN). For
instance, when ANNs are employed for such applications, measures such
as choosing the initial weights and the number of hidden neurons or the
hidden layers are of critical importance. In addition, the importance of
some parameters such as microbial community to deal with highly
polluted effluents can be highlighted [148]. In this regard, further
studies are welcome on the composition and properties of microbial
communities and their effects on the overall efficiency of the system for
possible applications in the prediction of MBRs performance using AI-
based methodologies.
Efficient removal of the contaminants of emerging concern (CECs)
[117] is also an existing challenge that requires the development of
efficient and cost-effective methods [149,150]. In this situation, AI can
be implemented efficiently to monitor and optimize the removal of
various pollutants from polluted W&W. However, there are areas that
still need further investigation. For instance, volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) are classified among the most common environmental contam­
inants released from the various industrial activities into the generated
effluents. These include a wide range of compounds, such as acids, es­
ters, alkynes, alkanes, ethers, olefins, benzene, alcohols, aldehydes,
ketones, and halogenated hydrocarbons [151]. Their occurrence in
water bodies can bring a number environmental and health issues [152].
Although AI has been used for the treatment of VOCs from the gas
streams [153], no report yet exists in the literature for the application of
AI to monitor the removal of such compounds from the polluted efflu­
ents. Therefore, such compounds become more dominant in many
wastewater streams [154], and more studies in this aspect may be highly
recommended for the future.
Even though a number of studies have been so far performed on the
application of MBRs for water and wastewater treatment, the evidence
on their commercialization for various types of effluents is still rare. One
of the main existing barriers for this is the need for energy consumption
in such systems, which may negatively affect sustainability consider­
ations, especially in terms of operating costs. To overcome this issue,
generation of the energy using MBRs in the form of electricity has been
considered and MFC technologies have been developed in recent years.
The available literature has clearly pointed out to the fact that appli­
cation of AI can lead to an enhancement in the performance of such
systems, and thereby, their rapid commercialization. However, there are
a limited number of relevant reports in the literature. Also, the AI-based
methods may be applied to other energy generation techniques such as
microbial desalination cell and microbial electrolysis cell, which are
novel, but the most efficient concepts [155].
The majority of studies so far performed on the application of AI-
based methodologies for water and wastewater treatment using MBRs
are mostly on lab or pilot scale [156] though there have been pieces of
evidences for the successful application of MBRs for the real scale ap­
plications to deal with some toxic effluents such as municipal waste­
water [157] and those containing emerging pollutants [158]. In any
case, there are some proofs for the successful application of AI-based
methodologies in large scale applications. For example, energy con­
sumption and the performance of UluPandan MBR plant in Singapore
was optimized using ANN and bioprocess models [159]. Based on such
studies, one may claim for the application of AI to promote the
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Chemical Engineering Journal 417 (2021) 128070
commercialization of these technologies for industrial applications.
Some studies related to sustainability evaluation of the large scale MBRs
[160] are able to be reinforced by the value addition using the AI
methodologies.
AI-based methods, especially ANNs, can be continuously updated to
address the needs of the dynamic status of the real-scale wastewater
treatment processes [161]. However, for the real-time control (RTC) of
wastewater treatment plants, there is a need for more comprehensive
data sets to be able to train the neural networks. In this regard, simul­
taneous data collection from various stages of wastewater treatment
process and the development of fast as well as facile on-line measure­
ment methods are the essential requirements to facilitate the imple­
mentation of AI-based models for RTC of the MBRs performance. To
accomplish this goal, more research efforts are needed in the area of
developing new wastewater quality analysers as a concern of the sci­
entific community [162,163]. Such automated designs can enhance the
reliability of MBR technologies for wider adaptability by the industries
[164].
In addition to further research directions as discussed, studies have
been performed so far on the application of AI-based methodologies for
MBRs did not seem to consider some of the important sustainability
criteria such as evaluating the operational costs and the impact of pre­
diction or optimization of MBRs performance using the AI-based
methods on the overall treatment costs. Such studies are of high prior­
ity to assist the decision makers to choose the most sustainable tech­
nologies among the so far developed physico-chemical or biological
treatment methods for the treatment of polluted W&W. In addition,
sensitivity analysis is also of high priority to identify the most important
input variables and their effects on the predicted values, mainly fouling
and the removal of pollutants [4–6]. In this regard, more studies are
needed when MBR technologies are used for the treatment of polluted
W&W.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgments
Mohammadreza Kamali holds a postdoctoral research grant awarded
by the Research Council of KU Leuven [PDM/19/104]. Xiaobin Yu holds
a PhD grant awarded by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) [grant
number 201706250033].
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