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Trends and Prospects of Wastewater Treatment: Implications for Aquaculture and Water Quality

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2025 | Viewed by 1333

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Dezhao Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
Interests: environment optimal control and resource recovery; odor assessment and control; wastewater/waste air optimal treatment and resource recovery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The optimal management of wastewater, particularly in the context of aquaculture, has emerged as a critical challenge for sustainable development worldwide. Aiming to promote sustainable and smart aquaculture, this Special Issue will explore cutting-edge advancements, policy frameworks, and innovative strategies in wastewater treatment, especially regarding impacts on aquaculture and water quality. In particular, research relevant to advanced biotechnological and physicochemical treatment systems, circular aquaculture systems, policy-driven sustainability, and smart and digitalized monitoring for precision management is welcome in this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Dezhao Liu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • wastewater treatment
  • nutrient removal
  • biofilm reactors
  • sustainable aquaculture
  • smart aquaculture
  • water quality monitoring
  • resource recovery
  • circular water systems
  • environmental policy
  • advanced oxidation processes (AOPs)

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 3628 KB  
Article
Start-Up Strategies of MBBR and Effects on Nitrification and Microbial Communities in Low-Temperature Marine RAS
by Jixin Yuan, Shuaiyu Lu, Jianghui Du, Kun You, Qian Li, Ying Liu, Gaige Liu, Jianlin Guo and Dezhao Liu
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(17), 9610; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15179610 - 31 Aug 2025
Viewed by 391
Abstract
The rapid development of marine recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs) worldwide offers an efficient and sustainable approach to aquaculture. However, the slow start-up of the nitrification process under low-temperature conditions remains a significant challenge. This study evaluated multiple start-up strategies for moving bed biofilm [...] Read more.
The rapid development of marine recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs) worldwide offers an efficient and sustainable approach to aquaculture. However, the slow start-up of the nitrification process under low-temperature conditions remains a significant challenge. This study evaluated multiple start-up strategies for moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) operating at 13–15 °C. Among them, the salinity-gradient (SG) strategy exhibited the best performance, reducing the start-up time by 38 days compared to the control, with microbial richness (Chao1 index) reaching 396 and diversity (Shannon index) of 4.89. Inoculation with mature biofilm (MBI) also showed excellent results, shortening the start-up period by 26 days and achieving a stable total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) effluent concentration below 0.5 mg/L within 132 days. MBI exhibited the highest microbial richness (Chao1 index = 808) and diversity (Shannon index = 5.55), significantly higher than those of the control (Chao1 index = 279, Shannon index = 3.90) and other treatments. The hydraulic retention time-gradient (HRT) strategy contributed to performance improvement as well, with a 24-day reduction in start-up time and a Chao1 index of 663 and a Shannon index is 4.69. In contrast, nitrifying bacteria addition (NBA) and carrier adhesion layer modification (CALM) had limited effects on start-up efficiency or microbial diversity, with Chao1 indices of only 255 and 228, and Shannon indices were both 3.24, respectively. Overall, the results indicate that salinity acclimation, mature biofilm inoculation, and extended HRT are effective approaches for promoting microbial community adaptation and enhancing MBBR start-up under low-temperature marine conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends and Prospects of Wastewater Treatment: Implications for Aquaculture and Water Quality)
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13 pages, 914 KB  
Article
Natural Coagulants as an Efficient Alternative to Chemical Ones for Continuous Treatment of Aquaculture Wastewater
by Isabella T. Tomasi, Rui A. R. Boaventura and Cidália M. S. Botelho
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 6908; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15126908 - 19 Jun 2025
Viewed by 745
Abstract
Aquaculture effluents are a growing source of water pollution, releasing suspended solids, organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus into aquatic environments. Recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs) have emerged as a more sustainable solution, allowing water to be continuously treated and reused. Within RASs, coagulation–flocculation is [...] Read more.
Aquaculture effluents are a growing source of water pollution, releasing suspended solids, organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus into aquatic environments. Recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs) have emerged as a more sustainable solution, allowing water to be continuously treated and reused. Within RASs, coagulation–flocculation is a key treatment step due to its simplicity and effectiveness. Tannin-based coagulants have gained attention as natural alternatives to traditional chemical agents. Although natural coagulants have been studied in aquaculture, only a few works explore their use in continuous-flow systems. This study evaluates a chestnut shell-based (CS) coagulant applied in continuous mode for the post-treatment of aquaculture effluent. The performance of CS was compared with Tanfloc, aluminum sulfate, and ferric chloride in removing color and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). At natural pH (6.5) and 50 mg·L−1, CS and Tanfloc achieved color removal of 61.0% and 65.5%, respectively, outperforming chemical coagulants. For DOC, Tanfloc and chemical coagulants removed 45–50%, while CS removed 32%. All coagulants removed over 90% of phosphorus, but nitrogen removal was limited (30–40%). These results highlight the potential of tannin-derived coagulants, particularly from agro-industrial residues, as sustainable solutions for aquaculture wastewater treatment in continuous systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends and Prospects of Wastewater Treatment: Implications for Aquaculture and Water Quality)
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