Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.6
4.6
Journals
Molecules
Special Issues
Heavy Metal Pollutants in Water, Wastewater and Sediments: From Occurrence...
molecules-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Heavy Metal Pollutants in Water, Wastewater and Sediments: From Occurrence and Determination to Removal and Recovery

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 2214

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maciej Thomas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, Poland
Interests: advanced oxidation processes (AOPs); synthesis and application of ferrate(VI) for the removal of inorganic and organic contaminants from water and wastewater; industrial wastewater treatment technology; novel environmentally friendly coagulants; synthesis and application of trithio- and poly-thiocarbonate for the removal of heavy metal ions; general analytical chemistry; green chemistry; circular economy; sustainable development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Barbusiński

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Water and Wastewater Engineering, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Interests: water and wastewater technology; biological processes; advanced oxidation processes (AOPs); deammonification; nitrogen removal in a side stream; circular economy in a wastewater treatment plant; recovery of raw materials from wastewater and sludge; energy self-sufficiency of WWTPs; innovative technologies for the treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater; technologies and devices reducing the nuisance of WWTPs
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Tomáš Bakalár

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Earth Resources, Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies, Technical University of Košice, Letná 9, 042 00 Košice, Slovakia
Interests: water treatment; environemntal engineering; mineral processing; membrane filtration; sustainable development; geotourism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The issue of environmental pollution caused by heavy metals is intrinsically linked to industrial development and anthropogenic activities. Naturally occurring heavy metals, typically bound in stable chemical compounds within minerals, can be released into the environment through intensive mineral processing, leading to the contamination of water and soil. Additionally, a significant source of heavy metal pollution is untreated or insufficiently treated wastewater originating from the metal industry, particularly surface metal processing facilities and printed circuit board manufacturing. Other contributors include industries such as battery production, pesticide manufacturing, mining, tanning, textiles, metal smelting, petrochemicals, and paper manufacturing.

The term "heavy metals" generally refers to elements utilized in industrial processes that exhibit toxicity to humans or the environment. This category encompasses metals (e.g., Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Bi), semi-metals (e.g., As and Te), and even certain non-metals (e.g., Se). Heavy metals are characterized by varying degrees of toxicity, non-biodegradability, bioaccumulative properties, and the potential to induce severe poisoning or chronic health conditions.

Addressing the environmental risks associated with heavy metal contamination necessitates continuous advancements in analytical techniques for their detection, monitoring, and remediation. Despite extensive scientific research, significant analytical and technological challenges persist in accurately quantifying heavy metals in diverse environmental samples and effectively removing them from wastewater and contaminated soils.

This Special Issue is devoted to innovative methods for the determination, monitoring, and removal of heavy metals from contaminated natural waters, wastewaters, and sediments. We invite you to publish research results concerning not only new methods but also significant modifications of currently used methods that fit into the ideas of green chemistry, circular economy, and sustainable development.

Therefore, the Special Issue aims to present review articles and research papers on the following topics:

  • Innovative analytical methods for determining heavy metals in environmental samples, including new methods of sample preparation, metal speciation, etc.;
  • Removal of heavy metal ions using conventional and innovative agents and/or methods;
  • Removal of heavy metals from polluted water and wastewater;
  • Recovery of heavy metals using new extractants, e.g., ionic liquids or improved existing methods.
  • Reviews and research papers are equally welcomed. We strongly encourage contributions focusing on combination methods and also on ecofriendly approaches applied for synthetic and real water, wastewater, and sediments.

Dr. Maciej Thomas
Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Barbusiński
Prof. Dr. Tomáš Bakalár
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Molecules 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 2700 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

  • heavy metals
  • analytical methods
  • wastewater
  • sludge
  • recycling
  • green chemistry
  • circular economy
  • sustainable development

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 3276 KB  
Article
Assessment of Heavy Metal Forms and Mobility in Bottom Sediments of Anthropogenically Impacted Freshwater Bodies in Belarus
by Elizaveta Dorozhko, Witold Kwapinski and Valentin Romanovski
Molecules 2026, 31(8), 1366; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31081366 - 21 Apr 2026
Viewed by 137
Abstract
Bottom sediments in anthropogenically impacted freshwater systems represent a dynamic and poorly constrained source of secondary pollution, where heavy metal mobility, rather than total concentration, controls the release of contaminants into the water column under changing physicochemical conditions. This issue is particularly pronounced [...] Read more.
Bottom sediments in anthropogenically impacted freshwater systems represent a dynamic and poorly constrained source of secondary pollution, where heavy metal mobility, rather than total concentration, controls the release of contaminants into the water column under changing physicochemical conditions. This issue is particularly pronounced in small and medium-sized freshwater systems subjected to sustained anthropogenic pressure, where local hydrochemical conditions and sediment composition strongly influence metal speciation and remobilization dynamics. This study aims to quantitatively assess heavy metal speciation, mobility, and associated ecological risk in bottom sediments of anthropogenically impacted freshwater systems using complementary analytical approaches. The data obtained indicate a pronounced spatial heterogeneity in the total metal content, due to varying degrees of anthropogenic impact on the water bodies. The highest level of pollution was recorded in the bottom sediments of the Chizhovskoye reservoir, where Zn concentrations reach 755 mg/kg, Cr—379 mg/kg, Ni—106 mg/kg, and Cu—158 mg/kg, indicating intense technogenic influence. The bottom sediments of the Loshitsa River are characterized by elevated, but less extreme values: the content of Cu is up to 77 mg/kg, Zn—up to 263 mg/kg, and Mn—up to 418 mg/kg. In contrast to urbanized water bodies, the background site—Lake Sergeevskoye—is characterized by significantly lower concentrations of heavy metals, which confirms its representativeness as a control object. Analysis of the fractional composition showed that Zn and Mn have the largest share of mobile forms, with their concentrations in the mobile phase reaching 12–92 mg/kg and 60–116 mg/kg, respectively, especially under conditions of increased anthropogenic load. A significant portion of Cu and Zn (up to 60–70% of the total content) is associated with organic matter, indicating the important role of the organic matrix in retaining metals and their potential mobilization under changing environmental conditions. Calculation of the geoaccumulation index showed that most of the studied bottom sediments belong to the from uncontaminated to moderately contaminated class, while for Cr and Ni in the Chizhovskoye reservoir, Igeo values up to 1.9 are characteristic, corresponding to a moderate level of pollution. The results obtained indicate a significant impact of anthropogenic load on the forms of occurrence and mobility of heavy metals and highlight the role of bottom sediments as an active factor in the secondary pollution of freshwater ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metal Pollutants in Water, Wastewater and Sediments: From Occurrence and Determination to Removal and Recovery)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 1126 KB  
Article
Innovative Integrated Model of Industrial Wastewater Treatment with the Circular Use of Cerium Compounds as Multifunctional Coagulants: Comprehensive Assessment of the Process and Environmental and Economic Aspects
by Paweł Lejwoda, Barbara Białecka, Anna Śliwińska, Piotr Krawczyk and Maciej Thomas
Molecules 2025, 30(16), 3428; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30163428 - 20 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1429
Abstract
This article presents an innovative method for phosphate(V) removal from industrial wastewater using cerium(III) chloride as a coagulant, integrated with reagent recovery. The process combines coagulation, acid extraction, and multistage recovery of cerium and phosphorus, enabling partial reagent loop closure. Based on our [...] Read more.
This article presents an innovative method for phosphate(V) removal from industrial wastewater using cerium(III) chloride as a coagulant, integrated with reagent recovery. The process combines coagulation, acid extraction, and multistage recovery of cerium and phosphorus, enabling partial reagent loop closure. Based on our previously published studies, at an optimised dose (81.9 mg Ce3+/L), phosphate(V) removal reached 99.86% and total phosphorus (sum of all phosphorus forms as elemental P), 99.56%, and 99.94% of the added cerium was retained in sludge. Reductions were also observed for TSS (96.67%), turbidity (98.18%), and COD (81.86%). The sludge (101.5 g Ce/kg, 22.2 g P/kg) was extracted with HCl, transferring 99.6% of cerium and 97.5% of phosphorus to the solution. Cerium was recovered as cerium(III) oxalate and thermally decomposed to cerium(IV) oxide. Redissolution in HCl and H2O2 yielded cerium(III) chloride (97.0% recovery and 98.6% purity). The HCl used for extraction can be regenerated on-site from chlorine and hydrogen obtained from gas streams, improving material efficiency. Life cycle assessment (LCA) showed environmental benefits related to eutrophication reduction but burdens from reagent use (notably HCl and oxalic acid). Although costlier than conventional precipitation, this method may suit large-scale applications requiring high phosphorus removal, low sludge, and alignment with circular economy goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metal Pollutants in Water, Wastewater and Sediments: From Occurrence and Determination to Removal and Recovery)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop