Sequential Combination of Catalytic/Photocatalytic Advanced Oxidation and Biological Degradation Processes for Wastewater Treatment

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, biological treatment is considered to be among the best available technologies for wastewater treatment because of its low operating and capital costs. However, conventional biological treatments have long retention times and usually fail to degrade high-strength wastewater or bio-refractory compounds. In such cases, available technologies to deal with these kinds of contaminants include the use of the so-called advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Among AOPs, heterogeneous/homogeneous catalytic/photocatalytic oxidation processes have been proved to be an efficient tool for the degradation of complex organic contaminants. However, AOPs have disadvantages over biological processes as they require continuous energy and/or chemical inputs that are significantly higher than those required for biological processes. In this sense, in recent years the attention of research has focused on AOPs that can be driven by solar light as photo-Fenton and heterogeneous photocatalysis. Therefore, using the strengths of AOPs and biodegradation in a combined technology could be proposed as an appropriate treatment strategy for recalcitrant wastewaters to minimize installation and operation costs.

Thus, the Special Issue will be focused on AOPs (catalytic/photocatalytic processes) used as pre- and/or post-treatment of biological systems, highlighting the following topics:

(i) novel catalysts for catalytic/photocatalytic AOPs;
(ii) novel biological treatments;
(iii) the degradation of contaminants of emerging concern, priority pollutants, and/or real wastewaters;
(iv) mechanisms and kinetics;
(v) pilot-scale studies and industrial scale up approaches.

Dr. Olga Gimeno
Dr. Ana Rey
Guest Editors

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