With rising water demand and increasing pressure from resources depletion, the development of alternative processes for water and chemical production have gained significant attention. Moreover, based on the “fit-for-purpose” principle in wastewater reclamation, treated wastewater can be further reused for agricultural irrigation, industrial processes, livestock care, and other non-potable applications. Efficient water reuse and resource recovery strategies offer a valuable balance between economic feasibility and environmental sustainability, avoiding resource wastage from unnecessary overtreatment. Unlike conventional wastewater treatment methods that primarily aim at pollution mitigation, electrodialytic separation technologies present an innovative approach that integrates wastewater treatment, clean water recovery, and resource recycling, with lower chemical input and minimal secondary by-product generation. These technologies such as electrodialysis (ED), electrodeionization (EDI), and bipolar membrane ED/ EDI processes offer notable advantages including ion selectivity, energy efficiency, and chemical-free operation. These attributes make them as promising solutions for the treatment of acidic effluents commonly originating from fermentation, hot spring sources, and various industrial discharges. These ED-based systems are configured with layered modules consisting of anion exchange membranes, cation exchange membranes, and bipolar membranes, providing selective transport of specific ions under the influence of an electric field, exchange membrane, and designated channels. While the EDI process further integrates ion exchange resins within the electrodialysis system to enhance ion mobility, reduce resistance, and improve energy efficiency. By modifying membrane configuration tailored to water characteristics and international discharge guidelines, these membrane separation methods not only support simultaneous water reclamation and resource recovery but also provide design flexibility to accommodate different treatment goals and end-use products. For instance, in acidic wastewater with low pH and high conductivity, customized module designs can effectively direct valuable resources and contaminants into separate compartments for recovery or disposal. However, due to the diversity of potential module configurations and operating parameters, it is essential to identify key independent variables and performance indicators to comprehensively evaluate energy efficiency, to enhance energy-water nexus. Therefore, this study explores the effects of multiple operating variables on overall treatment efficiency, while simultaneously comparing the energy efficiency of each process.
