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Clean Technol.
Special Issues
Nature-Based Solutions for Water Reuse and Contaminant Reduction
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Nature-Based Solutions for Water Reuse and Contaminant Reduction

A special issue of Clean Technologies (ISSN 2571-8797).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 2217

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cristina Valhondo González

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: hydrogeology; water renaturalization; managed aquifer recharge; fate and behavior of contaminants; processes involved in water quality enhancement
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lurdes Martinez-Landa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: hydrogeology; managed aquifer recharge; flow and transport in groundwater
Dr. Montserrat Folch

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biology Healthcare and Environment Department, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science of Barcelona University, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: wastewater treatments; sanitation; water recycling and reuse; risk assessment; infiltration–percolation systems; pathogen indicators in reclaimed water

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing demand for quality water, especially in highly populated arid and semi-arid regions, underscores the urgent need for sustainable technologies that facilitate water recycling and reuse. This Special Issue of Clean Technologies focuses on nature-based solution approaches such as managed aquifer recharge and constructed wetlands, which are critical to increasing water resources while addressing environmental challenges. We particularly welcome studies addressing the reduction in contaminants of emerging concern, microplastics, nutrients (particularly nitrate, a ubiquitous contaminant in aquifers), pathogens, and toxicity in water. We invite submissions of original research papers, including laboratory and field studies, as well as comprehensive reviews that contribute to the advancement of sustainable water reuse practices. By sharing cutting-edge research advances, this issue aims to promote a deeper understanding of methods that ensure safe and sustainable water resources for the future.

Dr. Cristina Valhondo González
Dr. Lurdes Martinez-Landa
Dr. Montserrat Folch
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 submissions that pass pre-check are 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. Clean Technologies is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1600 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

  • water reuse
  • sustainable technologies
  • water quality management
  • managed aquifer recharge
  • constructed wetlands
  • nutrient reduction
  • contaminants of emerging concern

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 7600 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Effects of Irrigation with Reused Water and Compost from a Pilot Wastewater Treatment Unit on the Experimental Growth of Two Common Ornamental Plant Species in the City of Athens
by Konstantinos Tsimnadis, Giannis Katsenios, Stylianos Fanourakis, Grigorios L. Kyriakopoulos, Antonios Kyriakakis, Dimitrios Kyriakakis and Dimitrios Tsagkaropoulos
Clean Technol. 2025, 7(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol7010013 - 7 Feb 2025
Viewed by 806
Abstract
Since 2019, the NextGen pilot wastewater treatment unit—also known as the NextGen Sewer Mining concept—has been operating at the Athens Plant Nursery, transforming sewage from Athens’ central network into irrigation water and compost. This unit produces resources for plant growth through membrane bioreactors [...] Read more.
Since 2019, the NextGen pilot wastewater treatment unit—also known as the NextGen Sewer Mining concept—has been operating at the Athens Plant Nursery, transforming sewage from Athens’ central network into irrigation water and compost. This unit produces resources for plant growth through membrane bioreactors (MBRs) and aerobic sludge digestion. This study experimentally evaluates the effects of NextGen reused water and compost on two common ornamental plant species in Athens, Pittosporum tobira (Angelica) and Myrtus communis (Common Myrtle), compared to the use of tap water and red soil without additional fertilization. The results indicate that NextGen reused water combined with compost significantly promotes both height and weight growth in these plants. However, by the end of the experiment, compost fertilization had a greater effect on the height and weight growth of both Angelica and Myrtus plants when applied independently and watered with tap water, compared to the use of NextGen reused water combined with red soil. Notably, none of the 96 plants withered throughout the experiment, indicating that promising and sustainable technologies like the concept of Sewer Mining can effectively replace conventional and environmentally outdated methods of plant nutrition and irrigation by producing reused water and compost. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature-Based Solutions for Water Reuse and Contaminant Reduction)
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21 pages, 2011 KiB  
Article
Innovative Carwash Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Through Nature-Based Solutions
by Antonina Torrens, Paola Sepúlveda-Ruiz, Montserrat Aulinas and Montserrat Folch
Clean Technol. 2025, 7(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol7010012 - 5 Feb 2025
Viewed by 991
Abstract
Vehicle washing facilities (VWFs) consume substantial amounts of potable water and produce wastewater containing pollutants such as hydrocarbons, detergents, and pathogens, presenting significant environmental and operational challenges. This study evaluates Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for wastewater treatment and recycling at a pilot facility in [...] Read more.
Vehicle washing facilities (VWFs) consume substantial amounts of potable water and produce wastewater containing pollutants such as hydrocarbons, detergents, and pathogens, presenting significant environmental and operational challenges. This study evaluates Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for wastewater treatment and recycling at a pilot facility in Girona, Spain, aiming to reduce potable water consumption and ensure safe reuse while minimizing environmental impact. Over a two-year period, three systems—a Vertical Flow Treatment Wetland (VFTW), Horizontal Flow Treatment Wetland (HFTW), and Infiltration-Percolation (IP) filter—were tested. Thirty-two parameters, including physicochemical (e.g., turbidity, nutrients, heavy metals, detergents) and microbiological indicators (e.g., E. coli, Legionella spp.), were monitored. VFTW and IP systems were the most effective, reducing turbidity below 5 NTU, COD to under 20 mg/L, and E. coli below 10 CFU/100 mL, meeting Spanish reuse standards. The HFTW effectively removed organic matter and nutrients but faced challenges such as clogging and reduced hydraulic performance, making it less suitable for carwash wastewater. Together, these systems enabled up to 60% water reuse, with final chlorination ensuring microbial safety, particularly against Legionella, while meeting Spanish reuse standards. This study highlights the potential of NbS as sustainable, low-energy solutions for wastewater recycling and pollution control in vehicle washing facilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature-Based Solutions for Water Reuse and Contaminant Reduction)
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