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Advanced Wastewater Treatment Processes and Their Integration in Water Reuse Systems

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B: Energy and Environment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 May 2023) | Viewed by 11360

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Avner Adin

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Guest Editor

Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Interests: filtration; electrocoagulation; membrane pretreatment; drinking water and effluents quality standards; water security; water policy; holistic water cycle

Special Issue Information

The world is facing a growing water shortage due to climate change and population growth. In many areas, natural water reservoirs cannot support the growing demand; some are suffering from recent drought events and years of groundwater over-pumping. In parallel to taking socioeconomic measures, such as combating climate change, birth control and water conservation, non-conventional water resource development is taking place for different urban, agricultural, industrial and ecological uses. Wastewater reclamation and reuse is an emerging water generation method for combating water stress. While wastewater quantities are basically endless, their reuse is limited mainly due to inadequate water quality and the energy needed for their treatment and transport. Once these impediments are removed, water and wastewater can truly become “one water”, forming a holistic, integrated water cycle which can be effectively managed in a sustainable manner. This Special Issue considers advanced wastewater treatment (AWWT) as a vital building block of the water reuse component in the evolving holistic water cycle. Authors are invited to present papers on new findings and developments in AWWT research, processes and technologies and, equally as important, on process hybridization and integration in water reuse systems and combined water schemes.

Topics of interest for publication include but are not limited to:

Effluent quality challenges of AWWT in water reuse

AWWT process mechanisms

AWWT process design

AWWT sludge processing and reuse

Energy use and reuse in AWWT processes

Economy of AWWT processes

Innovative AWWT technologies

Integration of AWWT systems in:

- Urban water schemes

- Rural water schemes

- Industrial water recycling systems

Prof. Dr. Avner Adin
Guest Editor

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. Energies 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 2600 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

advanced wastewater treatment
wastewater treatment technologies
water reuse
water recycling
integrated water systems
holistic water cycle

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2923 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Industrial Pilot for Assessment of Polymeric and Ceramic Membrane Efficiency in Treatment of Liquid Digestate from Biogas Power Plant

by Alexandros Yfantis, Nikos Yfantis, Triantafyllia Angelakopoulou, George Giannakakis, Fabien Michelet, Spyros Dokianakis, Evangelia Vasilaki and Nikos Katsarakis

Energies 2022, 15(18), 6574; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15186574 - 08 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1506

Abstract

Due to the depletion of available water resources and the consistently rising environmental pollution levels, the exploitation of the digestate generated as an unfavorable by-product of the industrial wastewater treatment plants, could not only offer a readily available source of recycled water, but also an efficient agricultural fertilizer. However, the first step for the utilization of the digestate is the removal of any potentially harmful contaminants, and ultrafiltration membranes can provide successful remediation routes in this direction. This work investigates the industrial pilot-scale purification and reusability of the liquid digestate derived from the anaerobic treatment of waste mixtures of high organic content, using ultrafiltration membrane technology. Two different types of ultrafiltration membranes, polymeric and ceramic, were evaluated regarding their efficiency and long-term performance, parameters that heavily affect the overall costs of the operational unit. Our results indicate that the ceramic membranes exhibited a superior performance compared to its polymeric analogues, such as a higher flux, as well as significantly increased lifetime, signifying promising cost-effective and long-term applicability on an industrial level. In addition, the analytical physicochemical characterization of the ultrafiltration reject indicated its high nutrient value, suggesting its highly promising exploitation as an added value fertilizer, further enhancing the sustainability of the proposed approach. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Wastewater Treatment Processes and Their Integration in Water Reuse Systems)

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20 pages, 4198 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Climbing the Effluent Filtration Tree: Modelling, Mechanisms & Applications—A Monograph

by Avner Adin

Energies 2022, 15(17), 6401; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15176401 - 01 Sep 2022

Viewed by 1117

Abstract

Particle filtration is a major building block in effluent treatment facilities for water reuse in agriculture, industry, and the community. Yet, its incorporation in modern hybrid treatment systems still lacks basic know-how for process optimization. This paper aims to provide a profound understanding of particle filtration vis-à-vis its various reuse applications. The methodology used follows a road map depicted as a growing tree, representing the author’s research from roots to top: roots—basic modeling, mechanisms; tree trunk—filter design approach for reuse; branches—enhanced particle removal; and tree crown—pretreatment, bioparticle, and nanoparticle removal. Contact deep-bed filtration process optimization, algorithms for economically optimal filter design, tertiary filtration and membrane pretreatment, and related energy issues are being discussed. Some of the conclusions are that pilot plant planning should be primarily derived from particle surface interactions with filter media, based on measurements of mineral particle or bioparticle size, shape, and physicochemical characteristics, and applying attachment-detachment models. Filter design optimization would comprise of selecting efficient water quality processes first, followed by economic optimization for final design parameters. A holistic approach in the design of filtration facilities, standing alone or incorporated in hybrid systems, is also considered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Wastewater Treatment Processes and Their Integration in Water Reuse Systems)

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14 pages, 2187 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Accelerating Microbial Activity of Soil Aquifer Treatment by Hydrogen Peroxide

by Liron Friedman, Kartik Chandran, Dror Avisar, Edris Taher, Amanda Kirchmaier-Hurpia and Hadas Mamane

Energies 2022, 15(11), 3852; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15113852 - 24 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1315

Abstract

Soil aquifer treatment (SAT), as a gravity-based wastewater reuse process, is limited by oxygen availability to the microbial community in the soil. Using oxygen from enzymatic degradation of H₂O₂ to generate hyper-oxygen conditions can exceed solubility limitations associated with aeration, but little is known about the effect of hyper-oxygen conditions on the microbial community and the dominant bio-reactions. This study examined the impact of H₂O₂ addition on the community structure and process performance, along with SAT depth. Overall, two soil columns were incrementally fed synthetic secondary effluents to simulate infiltration through SAT. The experimental column received 14 mg/L hydrogen peroxide to double the level of natural oxygen available. The microbial kinetics of nitrifiers and heterotrophs were evaluated. We found that all of the H₂O₂ was degraded within the top 10 cm of the column, accompanied by a higher removal of COD (23 ± 0.25%) and ammonia (31 ± 3%) in comparison to the reference column. Higher nitrogen removal (23 ± 0.04%) was obtained for the whole process using H₂O₂. Analysis of nitrifiers indicated that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were most influenced, obtaining higher concentration and abundance when exposed to H₂O₂. DNA sequencing analysis of samples exposed to H₂O₂ revealed significant community structure and diversity differences among heterotrophs. This study shows that not only aerobic, but also anoxic, microbial activity and process performance in a SAT system could be accelerated in existing infrastructure with H₂O₂, which could significantly decrease the associated environmental footprint. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Wastewater Treatment Processes and Their Integration in Water Reuse Systems)

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8 pages, 2617 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of the Degradation Behavior of Cyclophosphamide by Catalytic Ozonation Based on Mg(OH)₂

by Lakshmi Prasanna.V and Dror Avisar

Energies 2022, 15(6), 2274; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15062274 - 21 Mar 2022

Viewed by 1622

Abstract

Metal hydroxides, owing to their catalytic active sites for the decomposition of O₃ to Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), have been adapted for catalytic ozonation of micropollutants in wastewater. In this study, commercial Mg (OH)₂ was used for the degradation of cyclophosphamide (CYP) by ozone. The crystal phase was confirmed by X-ray powder Diffraction (XRD). Percent degradation of 10 ppm CYP after 30 min by O₃ and Mg (OH)₂/O₃ was 56 and 93, respectively, suggesting enhanced decomposition of O₃ to ROS by the catalyst. The presence of ROS was further confirmed using pCBA as a probe, which showed that the concentration of ROS was eight times higher in the presence of Mg (OH)₂/O₃ than O₃ alone. Catalytic ozonation experiments in the presence of scavengers showed that OH· radicals play a significant role in the degradation of CYP. The catalyst was found to be reusable for at least three cycles without significant loss in degradation efficiency. To study the compatibility of Mg (OH)₂ for wastewater treatment applications, synthetic effluent was spiked with CYP and subjected to ozonation by Mg(OH)₂/O₃. The TOC of CYP before and after the treatment showed that Mg (OH)₂/O₃ not only degrades CYP but also mineralizes to a certain extent unlike O₃ alone. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Wastewater Treatment Processes and Their Integration in Water Reuse Systems)

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Review

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26 pages, 1074 KiB

Open AccessReview

Potential Use of Constructed Wetland Systems for Rural Sanitation and Wastewater Reuse in Agriculture in the Moroccan Context

by Meryem Hdidou, Mohamed Chaker Necibi, Jérôme Labille, Souad El Hajjaji, Driss Dhiba, Abdelghani Chehbouni and Nicolas Roche

Energies 2022, 15(1), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15010156 - 27 Dec 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4973

Abstract

Located in a semi-arid to arid region, Morocco is confronting increasing water scarcity challenges. In the circular economy paradigm, the reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture is currently considered a possible solution to mitigate water shortage and pollution problems. In recent years, Morocco has made significative progress in urban wastewater treatment under the National Wastewater Program (PNA). However, rural sanitation has undergone significant delays. Therefore, an alternative technology for wastewater treatment and reuse in rural areas is investigated in this review, considering the region’s economic, social, and regulatory characteristics. Constructed wetlands (CWs) are a simple, sustainable, and cost-effective technology that has yet to be fully explored in Morocco. CWs, indeed, appear to be suitable for the treatment and reuse of wastewater in remote rural areas if they can produce effluent that meets the standards of agricultural irrigation. In this review, 29 studies covering 16 countries and different types of wastewater were collected and studied to assess the treatment efficiency of different types of CWs under different design and operational parameters, as well as their potential application in agricultural reuse. The results demonstrated that the removal efficiency of conventional contamination such as organic matter and suspended solids is generally high. CWs also demonstrated a remarkable capacity to remove heavy metals and emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, care products, etc. The removal of microbial contamination, on the other hand, is challenging, and does not satisfy the standards all the time. However, it can be improved using hybrid constructed wetlands or by adding polishing treatment. In addition, several studies reported that CWs managed to produce effluent that met the requirements of wastewater reuse in agriculture of different countries or organisations including Morocco. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Wastewater Treatment Processes and Their Integration in Water Reuse Systems)

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