home Water Industry News Regulation, wastewater treatment drive MF market   NORWALK, CT — The global market for microfiltration (MF) membranes, valued at $792 million in 2005, will rise by an average 9.4 percent per year through 2010, according to a report to be released in March by market research firm BCC Research. Regulation by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration will be the most important factor driving the market, said the report, The Microfiltration Membrane Market. Due to technical improvements, the "typical" applications of MF technology now include drinking water treatment, wastewater filtration for reuse, pretreatment in reverse osmosis systems, microbial stabilization of wine and beer, biotech research and bioprocessing, and chemical and water filtration in the semiconductory industry, the report said. One large potential MF market is wastewater treatment, and the sale of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) using MF modules is growing rapidly, according to the report.