Wastewater Treatment and Waste Remediation: Recent Advances

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 12877

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kozani, Greece
Interests: water and wastewater treatment; advanced bio-oxidation processes; sewage sludge management; resources and energy recovery from wastewater; soil and groundwater bioremediation; bio-electrochemical systems; mathematical modeling
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Co-Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, Korea
Interests: wastewater treatment; bioelectrochemistry; catalyst materials; electrosynthesis; biomethanation

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Co-Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
Interests: technologies of drinking water/toxic wastewater treatment using physicochemical and biological processes; supervision of treatment plants for the biological removal of water pollutants (ammonia, iron, manganese); biological treatment of industrial wastewaters (dairy, olive mill, table olive, winery, hexavalent chromium, etc.); application of microalgae for wastewater treatment and biofuel production or other valuable products; process modeling leading to the design of effective and economic systems for drinking water and wastewater treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, rapid population growth and industrialization have increased the use of natural resources and the production of wastes. Intense pollution of the environment has led to the development and application of many biological as well as physicochemical technologies for wastewater treatment and waste management.

Moreover, the increased care for environmental protection and strict legislation, as well as circular economy implementation has led to the consideration of novel treatment technologies, recycling and reuse alternatives, and disposal control strategies for wastewater and waste.

The application of mathematical models capable of describing the processes considered in treatment/managements schemes comprise effective tools for the prediction and design of full-scale applications for wastewater and waste treatment.

On the basis of the above, we believe that this Special Issue will successfully report the recent advances and research findings regarding novel technologies for wastewater treatment and waste management towards environmental de-pollution and eventually human health protection.

Dr. Ioanna Vasiliadou
Guest Editor

Dr. Noori MD Tabish
Assist. Prof. Dr. Athanasia Tekerlekopoulou
Co-Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • wastewater treatment;
  • solid waste treatment;
  • industrial and urban wastes;
  • biological processes;
  • physicochemical processes;
  • reactors’ design, control and optimization (bench-, pilot-, full-scale);
  • advanced (bio)oxidation processes;
  • bioelectrochemical systems;
  • wastes disposal control strategies;
  • energy and resources recovery;
  • bioenergy production;
  • sewage sludge management;
  • mathematical modeling;

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 3224 KiB  
Article
A Three-Dimensional Electrochemical Process for the Removal of Carbamazepine
by Luísa Correia-Sá, Cristina Soares, Olga Matos Freitas, Manuela Maria Moreira, Henri Petrus Antonius Nouws, Manuela Correia, Paula Paíga, António José Rodrigues, Carlos Miguel Oliveira, Sónia Adriana Figueiredo and Cristina Delerue-Matos
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(14), 6432; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11146432 - 12 Jul 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2467
Abstract
The scientific community is increasingly concerned about the presence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment, which is a consequence of their high consumption and inefficient removal by wastewater-treatment plants. The search for an effective and sustainable tertiary treatment is therefore needed to enhance [...] Read more.
The scientific community is increasingly concerned about the presence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment, which is a consequence of their high consumption and inefficient removal by wastewater-treatment plants. The search for an effective and sustainable tertiary treatment is therefore needed to enhance their removal. For this purpose, the combination of electrochemical and adsorption processes into three-dimensional (3D) electrochemical systems has been proposed. In this study, a 3D system was studied to remove carbamazepine, an antiepileptic, consumed in high doses and very persistent in the environment. The influences of the following parameters on its removal were evaluated: anode and cathode materials and distance between them, electrolyte (NaCl) concentration and pH, and the (carbon-based) adsorbent material used as the particulate electrode. The obtained results demonstrated that the introduction of the particulate electrode improved the removal efficiency. This can be attributed to the simultaneous occurrence of different phenomena, such as adsorption/electrosorption, electrocoagulation, oxidation, and catalytic degradation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wastewater Treatment and Waste Remediation: Recent Advances)
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17 pages, 3684 KiB  
Article
A Preliminary Study on the Use of Xylit as Filter Material for Domestic Wastewater Treatment
by Marcin Spychała, Tadeusz Nawrot and Radosław Matz
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 5281; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115281 - 07 Jun 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1646
Abstract
The aim of the study was to verify two morphological forms (“angel hair” and “scraps”) of xylit as a trickling filter material. The study was carried out on two types of polluted media: septic tank effluent (STE) and seminatural greywater (GW). The basic [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to verify two morphological forms (“angel hair” and “scraps”) of xylit as a trickling filter material. The study was carried out on two types of polluted media: septic tank effluent (STE) and seminatural greywater (GW). The basic wastewater quality indicators, namely, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), total suspended solids (TSS), ammonium nitrogen (NNH4), and total phosphorus (Ptot) were used as the indicators of treatment efficiency. Filtering columns filled with the investigated material acted as conventional trickling filters at a hydraulic load of 376–472 cm3/d during the preliminary stage, 198–245 cm3/d during stage I, and 184–223 cm3/d during stage II. The removal efficiency of the two morphological forms of xylit did not differ significantly. The average efficiencies of treatment were as follows: for COD, over 70, 80, and 85% for preliminary stage, stage I and stage II, respectively; for BOD5, 77–79% (preliminary stage); for TSS, 42% and 70% during the preliminary stage, and 88, 91, and 65% during stage I; for NNH4, 97–99% for stage I and 36–49% for stage II; for Ptot, 51–54% for stage I and 52–56% for stage II. The study demonstrated that xylit was a material highly effective in wastewater quality indicators removal, even during the initial period of its use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wastewater Treatment and Waste Remediation: Recent Advances)
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13 pages, 1572 KiB  
Article
A Cyanobacteria-Based Biofilm System for Advanced Brewery Wastewater Treatment
by Konstantinos P. Papadopoulos, Christina N. Economou, Athanasia G. Tekerlekopoulou and Dimitris V. Vayenas
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(1), 174; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010174 - 27 Dec 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3741
Abstract
Algal/cyanobacterial biofilm photobioreactors provide an alternative technology to conventional photosynthetic systems for wastewater treatment based on high biomass production and easy biomass harvesting at low cost. This study introduces a novel cyanobacteria-based biofilm photobioreactor and assesses its performance in post-treatment of brewery wastewater [...] Read more.
Algal/cyanobacterial biofilm photobioreactors provide an alternative technology to conventional photosynthetic systems for wastewater treatment based on high biomass production and easy biomass harvesting at low cost. This study introduces a novel cyanobacteria-based biofilm photobioreactor and assesses its performance in post-treatment of brewery wastewater and biomass production. Two different supporting materials (glass/polyurethane) were tested to investigate the effect of surface hydrophobicity on biomass attachment and overall reactor performance. The reactor exhibited high removal efficiency (over 65%) of the wastewater’s pollutants (chemical oxygen demand, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, orthophosphate, and total Kjeldahl nitrogen), while biomass per reactor surface reached 13.1 and 12.8 g·m−2 corresponding to 406 and 392 mg·L−1 for glass and polyurethane, respectively, after 15 days of cultivation. The hydrophilic glass surface favored initial biomass adhesion, although eventually both materials yielded complete biomass attachment, highlighting that cell-to-cell interactions are the dominant adhesion mechanism in mature biofilms. It was also found that the biofilm accumulated up to 61% of its dry weight in carbohydrates at the end of cultivation, thus making the produced biomass a suitable feedstock for bioethanol production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wastewater Treatment and Waste Remediation: Recent Advances)
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16 pages, 3480 KiB  
Article
Simultaneous Adsorption and Photocatalysis Processes Based on Ternary TiO2–CuxS–Fly Ash Hetero-Structures
by Luminita Andronic, Luminita Isac, Cristina Cazan and Alexandru Enesca
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(22), 8070; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10228070 - 13 Nov 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2304
Abstract
Ternary composites of TiO2–CuxS–fly ash were used in simultaneous adsorption and photocatalysis processes for the removal of organic (dye) pollutants. Composites of semiconductor (TiO2, CuxS) nanomaterials hosted within matrices of fly ash, such as film [...] Read more.
Ternary composites of TiO2–CuxS–fly ash were used in simultaneous adsorption and photocatalysis processes for the removal of organic (dye) pollutants. Composites of semiconductor (TiO2, CuxS) nanomaterials hosted within matrices of fly ash, such as film heterostructures, are promising materials for advanced wastewater treatment. The combination of adsorption and photocatalysis processes was investigated in the removal of methylene blue (MB), considered as a standard in photocatalysis. Ternary film heterostructures obtained by doctor blade technique allows overcoming the separation step of particles from treated wastewater. The comparison between the adsorption and photodegradation tests performed with TiO2–CuxS–fly ash showed that in dark conditions, the MB removal was 75% after 360 min, while in the presence of UV radiation, almost total dismissal of MB was achieved in the same treatment period. The degradation rate of MB, when H2O2 is used as an electron acceptor, could reach 90% in adsorption and 99% in simultaneous adsorption/photocatalysis processes. The adsorption isotherm was found to follow the Langmuir and Freundlich models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wastewater Treatment and Waste Remediation: Recent Advances)
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16 pages, 2209 KiB  
Article
Dual Functional Composite of Montmorillonite-Rich/Chitosan (MCC) for Decolorizing the Water Used in Joss Paper Process: Thermodynamic, Isotherm, and Kinetic Studies
by Witsarut Muangrak, Nutthavich Thouchprasitchai, Yuththaphan Phongboonchoo and Sangobtip Pongstabodee
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(21), 7493; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10217493 - 25 Oct 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1681
Abstract
A hybrid montmorillonite (Mt)-rich/chitosan composite (MCC) with high adsorption performance was synthesized for the decolorization of water used in the joss paper process. The performance was reported in terms of the dye removal. The composite expressed higher performance than chitosan or Mt-rich clay, [...] Read more.
A hybrid montmorillonite (Mt)-rich/chitosan composite (MCC) with high adsorption performance was synthesized for the decolorization of water used in the joss paper process. The performance was reported in terms of the dye removal. The composite expressed higher performance than chitosan or Mt-rich clay, respectively. The optimum condition for complete dye removal was achieved when using at least 0.6 g of the composite over a wide pH range (3–10) and initial dye concentration (10–100 mg L−1). The composite showed good reusability without the requirement of regeneration, adsorbing the dye completely for up to eight successive cycles of adsorption (>1.33 gdye gMCC−1). Thermodynamic analyses revealed the degree of spontaneity and the endothermic adsorption process. From the isotherm studies, the Koble–Corrigan isotherm model fitted very well to the experimental data, revealing that the composite had a heterogeneous surface with various active sites to adsorb the dye molecules. This also evidenced the synergistic electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic interaction between the dye and the composite. The pseudo-second-order model best explained the kinetic rate of adsorption. From evaluation of the adsorption process using the Webber and Morris equation and Boyd model, the rate-limiting step consisted of film diffusion and intra-particle diffusion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wastewater Treatment and Waste Remediation: Recent Advances)
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