Special Issue "Frontiers in Freshwater Ecology, Conservation and Water Treatment Technologies"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 November 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ana Maria Antão-Geraldes
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Interests: limnology; reservoirs; lakes and rivers; ecology; conservation and biodiversity; monitoring and management; water quality and freshwater ecosystems ecological integrity; anthropogenic impacts; bioremediation
Dr. Cristina Sousa Coutinho Calheiros
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Novo Edifício do Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
Interests: water and wastewater treatment; environmental biotechnology; environmental engineering; phytomanagement; bioremediation; phytoremediation; nature-based solutions; freshwater ecosystem conservation and restoration; education for sustainability
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Freshwater ecosystems are biodiversity ‘hotspots’ and offer a wide range of services to humanity, particularly in regards to water and food supplies, aesthetic, spiritual and scientific stimuli, and water purification. Despite the well-known importance of these ecosystems, they are threatened and face complex challenges. Indeed, freshwater habitats and existing water resources are rapidly being pushed towards their limits due to urban population growth, the rising demand for food and consumer goods, and pressures caused by pollution. Furthermore, climate change is causing changes to global average temperature, as well as variations in the patterns and intensity of precipitation, increasing the risks of more frequent droughts and floods, with the knock-on impact of compromising water quantity and quality. Therefore, the scope of this Special Issue is very broad; under the umbrella of “Frontiers in Freshwater Ecology and Conservation”, this special issue welcomes research in the format of original research papers, case studies, systematic reviews, and new insights addressing the following topics:

  • Freshwater ecosystem conservation and management;
  • Freshwater ecosystem services;
  • Freshwater ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation;
  • Freshwater biodiversity;
  • Effects of climate change in freshwater ecosystems;
  • Water quality monitoring;
  • Water resources system models;
  • Integrated assessment;
  • Urban water management;
  • Water footprint;
  • Freshwater pollution and contaminants;
  • Emerging contaminants in freshwater ecosystems;
  • Nature based and other technological solutions for water treatment;
  • Water circular economy;
  • Water policy;
  • Education and awareness;
  • Other relevant topics related to the scope covered by this Issue.

Dr. Ana Maria Antão-Geraldes
Dr. Cristina Sousa Coutinho Calheiros
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • freshwater ecosystem
  • freshwater biodiversity
  • water quality
  • water management
  • water footprint
  • freshwater pollution and contaminants

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

Article
Application of Electrocoagulation with a New Steel-Swarf-Based Electrode for the Removal of Heavy Metals and Total Coliforms from Sanitary Landfill Leachate
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 5009; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115009 - 28 May 2021
Viewed by 302
Abstract
Sanitary landfill leachate (LL) composition varies according to climate variables variation, solid waste characteristics and composition, and landfill age. Leachate treatment is essentially carried out trough biological and physicochemical processes, which have showed variability in efficiency and appear a costly solution for the [...] Read more.
Sanitary landfill leachate (LL) composition varies according to climate variables variation, solid waste characteristics and composition, and landfill age. Leachate treatment is essentially carried out trough biological and physicochemical processes, which have showed variability in efficiency and appear a costly solution for the management authorities. Electrocoagulation (EC) seems a suitable solution for leachate treatment taking into account the characteristics of the liquor. One of the problems of EC is the electrode passivation, which affects the longevity of the process. One solution to this problem could be the replacement of the electrode by one made of recyclable material, which would make it possible to change it frequently and at a lower cost. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the removal of heavy metals (As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, Se and Zn) and coliforms from a LL by EC using electrodes made from steel swarf (SfE) up to 8 h. Removal efficiencies of detected heavy metals were 51%(Cr), 59%(As), 71%(Cd), 72%(Zn), 92%(Ba), 95%(Ni) and >99%(Pb). The microbial load of coliforms in leachate was reduced from 10.76 × 104 CFU/mL (raw leachate) to less than 1 CFU/mL (after treatment with SfE) (i.e., approximately 100% reduction). The use of SfE in EC of LL is very effective in removing heavy metals and coliforms and can be used as alternative treatment solution for such effluents. Full article
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