Membrane bioreactors market to surge ahead

The US-based McIlvaine Company reports in its online RO/UF/MF World Market that the global market for cross flow membrane equipment and membranes will increase from US$ 6.3 billion in 2004 to more than US$ 8.4 billion in 2007 (www.mcilvainecompany.com).

Desalination accounts for more than one-third of this growth; its revenues will grow to US$ 1.8 billion in 2007. Membrane bioreactors mark the fastest growing segment of the market; municipal and industrial revenues will grow by more than 15%.

Growth in the ultrafiltration sector has been associated with the food industry, and more recently in the purification of drinking water. Micro-filtration (MF) has become very popular for municipal drinking water plants, and is now used in wastewater treatment with biological treatment.