A novel photocatalysis-membrane reactor (PMR) is designed by coupling Ag/BiOBr visible-light photo catalysis with thermal driven membrane distillation. Ag/BiOBr films coated on glass substrates in a thin rectangular wastewater tank could avoid light-shielding effect from color solution containing dye pollutant. Meanwhile, Ag-modification promotes the photocatalysis process owing to both the plasma effect and electric conductivity, which could enhance absorbance capability for visible lights and facilitate the separation of photo-induced electrons from holes to inhibit their recombination. When the PMR is used for treating wastewater containing picrolonic acid (PC), Ag/BiOBr photocatalyst could thoroughly decompose PC into CO2 and inorganic nitrogen species (such as NO2-, NO3- and NH4+) under visible lights irradiation on the feed side. At the same time, membrane distillation could produce high-quality water on the permeate side as the distillate product. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane could stop the pass of PC and as-produced nitrogen species into water side due to its hydrophobic property and the non-volatile nature of both PC and nitrogen species. Moreover, as membrane distillation only allow water transporting through the membrane, such a membrane distillation process also promotes photocatalysis since it could retard the decrease of PC concentration during its degradation by transporting water to the other side. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.