Sustainable Protein Recovery and Wastewater Valorization in Shrimp Processing by Ultrafiltration

This study investigated the use of ultrafiltration for sustainable protein recovery and the treatment of shrimp washing wastewater (SWW). Three ultrafiltration membranes with molecular weight cut-offs of 5, 10, and 50 kDa were tested using a combined ultrafiltration-diafiltration process (UF-DF). The performance of each membrane was assessed based on protein recovery efficiency, chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction, turbidity, fouling behavior, and cleaning efficiency. The 5 kDa membrane showed superior performance, achieving over 90% protein and COD rejection and producing the highest protein-enriched retentate. It also exhibited the lowest fouling index and best cleaning recovery, confirming its suitability for protein concentration and wastewater treatment. This research highlights UF-DF as a promising, eco-efficient technology for valorizing seafood processing effluents by recovering high-value proteins and reducing environmental discharge loads.