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A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental and Green Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2023) | Viewed by 14265

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Wei Li

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, No. 38 Zheda Rd., Hangzhou 310013, China
Interests: ecological chemistry; pollution control and resource utilization; air pollution control and treatment; environmental biotechnology; environmental catalysis technology

Dr. Yinfeng Xia

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Guest Editor

College of Water Conservancy & Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Hangzhou 310018, China
Interests: biotechnology; microbial denitrification; microbial electrochemistry; pollution control; resource utilization

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Material migration, material transformation, energy conversion, and energy transmission are all basic processes of pollution control and resource utilization. By regulating certain key steps in these processes, researchers can break through bottlenecks, improve efficiency, and optimize reaction systems. With the rapid development of pollution control technology, various new reactors, materials, and concepts are springing up. Although the technologies are varied, the underlying principles and bottlenecks may be familiar. Exploring the chemical, biological, and interface processes behind these new avenues has important guiding significance for the optimization and development of similar technologies.

This Special Issue, “Processes of Pollution Control and Resource Utilization”, seeks high-quality works focusing on the latest novel advances in the research of chemical, biological, and interface processes of pollution control and resource utilization. Topics include—but are not limited to—the following:

Novel bioreactors and their biochemical processes;
Novel carbon-based catalysts and their catalytic reaction processes;
Novel adsorption materials and their mass transfer processes;
Novel ionic liquids and their interface processes.

Prof. Dr. Wei Li
Dr. Yinfeng Xia
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. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2400 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

pollution control
resource utilization
chemical process
biological process
interface process
migration and transformation process

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 1799 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Analysis of and Countermeasures for the Eutrophication of Water Bodies: Waihu Reservoir as a Case Study

by Yiting Qi, Xin Cao, Ruisi Cao, Mingjie Cao, Ailan Yan, Erpeng Li and Dong Xu

Processes 2024, 12(4), 796; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12040796 - 15 Apr 2024

Viewed by 195

Abstract

Water quality deterioration and eutrophication have become a global concern, while reservoir pollution caused by multiple factors has led to frequent algal blooms, posing a serious threat to rural drinking water security and urban water supply. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current water quality of Waihu Reservoir and use the single index method, the weighted comprehensive scoring method, and the nutrient level index method (TLI) to evaluate eutrophication. On this basis, the pollution sources of the reservoir are comprehensively analyzed and discussed, and effective control strategies are proposed. The evaluation results indicate that the reservoir is of moderate eutrophication type. Therefore, reducing the input of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in water is the main goal of alleviating exogenous pollution. The combination of engineering intervention and ecological restoration strategies to remove nutrients from the aquatic environment is an effective strategy to manage endogenous pollution. From the point of view of the source of pollution, this study provides an in-depth analysis of exogenous and endogenous pollution, respectively, and the proposed treatment is instructive for the control and routine management of eutrophication in the Waihu Reservoir, as well as for the management of similar problems in different reservoirs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes of Pollution Control and Resource Utilization)

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15 pages, 3312 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Catalytic Ozonation of Reactive Red 195 in Aqueous Solution over a Cobalt/Aluminum Oxide-Ceria Catalyst

by Bi-Hong Lv, Xiao-Yu Liu, Zhuo-Ming Zhou and Guo-Hua Jing

Processes 2023, 11(7), 2141; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11072141 - 18 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 701

Abstract

The textile industry has become one of the largest producers of water pollution. The azo dyes used in the textile industry may present a serious environmental problem because of their high toxicity and chemical stability. In the present work, the cobalt/aluminum oxide-ceria (Co/Al₂O₃-CeO₂) catalyst was synthesized, and the degradation of Reactive Red 195 (RR195) by catalytic ozonation was studied. The Co/Al₂O₃-CeO₂ catalyst was synthesized via the incipient wetness method with the assistance of ultrasound. The presence of Co/Al₂O₃-CeO₂ did not notably improve the degradation of RR195 compared to ozonation alone, but it was advantageous for RR195 mineralization. The effects of initial dye concentration (200–800 mg/L), catalyst dosage (1–4 g/L), and solution pH (4–10) on color, and COD removal were evaluated. The results indicate that the dye’s concentration significantly affects COD removal efficiency. The optimum catalyst dosage and pH values were determined to be 3 g/L and 8, respectively. Co/Al₂O₃-CeO₂ catalyst shows good catalytic activity and stability based on four repeated tests during RR195 ozonation. Finally, a possible mechanism and a kinetic scheme of the catalytic ozonation of RR195 were proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes of Pollution Control and Resource Utilization)

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16 pages, 2180 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Effects of Coexisting Elements (Zn and Ni) on Cd Accumulation and Rhizosphere Bacterial Community in the Soil-Tomato System

by Yufeng Zhao, Yuhui Wang, Guojin Sun and Lu Feng

Processes 2023, 11(5), 1523; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051523 - 16 May 2023

Viewed by 1052

Abstract

The increasing cadmium (Cd) levels in agricultural soils have become a worldwide concern for food crop security. Cd accumulation in the soil-plant system is closely related to other coexisting factors. In this study, the effects of different levels of Zn or Ni on Cd accumulation in tomato plants and on the rhizosphere soil bacterial community structure were analyzed by coupling pot experiments with high-throughput sequencing. The results demonstrated that tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) in Zn-Cd and Ni-Cd co-contaminated soils exhibited lower relative growth rates. Co-contamination at low levels tended to reduce the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the roots of plants, whereas increased contaminant concentrations produced the opposite effect. In the presence of 200 mg/kg Zn or 20 mg/kg Ni, the biomass of plant roots increased by 4.95–23.16% and the Cd content of the plant roots decreased by 17.36–68.93% due to the antagonistic effects between Cd and Zn/Ni. In addition, the richness and diversity of the bacterial community were significantly altered under HMs co-contamination, and the number of special bacteria was positively correlated with the level of heavy metals in the rhizosphere soil. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria increased and that of Actinobacteria decreased in soils with low levels of heavy metals. This may improve the tolerance of plant roots to heavy metals and reduce the accumulation of Cd in plant roots. These findings highlight the important role of coexisting elements in the inhibition of Cd accumulation in tomatoes and offer important information for the production of safe crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes of Pollution Control and Resource Utilization)

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13 pages, 2227 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

A Pilot-Scale Nanofiltration–Ultrafiltration Integrated System for Advanced Drinking Water Treatment: Process Performance and Economic Analysis

by Fengxia Chen, Lifang Zhu, Jianzhong Tang, Dongfeng Li, Fang Yu, Fuqing Bai, Zhou Ye, Lu Cao and Nan Geng

Processes 2023, 11(5), 1300; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051300 - 22 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1383

Abstract

In this pilot study, the performance of an “ultrafiltration (UF) + nanofiltration (NF)” advanced treatment process in improving drinking water quality was investigated. The membrane performance and effluent qualities of three commercial NF membranes (Dow Filmtec NF270-400, VONTRON TAPU-LS, and GE Osmonics-HL8040F 400) were evaluated, and the reasons for the difference in effluent quality of these three NF membranes were analyzed. The results showed that UF as a pretreatment process could provide NF with stable and qualified influent. After passing through the UF unit, the turbidity of raw water decreased by 88.6%, and the SDI value was less than 3. Due to the small pore size of NF membranes, organics and polyvalent ions in raw water were further removed. With a water recovery of 90%, the conductivity, chemical oxygen demand (COD_Mn), and hardness of NF effluent are significantly improved. The three commercial NF membranes showed different performance advantages. Among them, Dow Filmtec NF270-400 had the best desalting performance, VONTRON TAPU-LS had the highest retention rate of organic matter, and GE Osmonics-HL8040F 400 had significantly advanced softening performance. Thanks to the combination of the UF membrane and NF membrane, membrane fouling was effectively inhibited, and drug consumption was within an acceptable range. The operation costs of these three NF membranes were 0.165, 0.179, and 0.171 USD per ton of produced water, respectively. The results showed that the UF + NF process is an ideal technology for advanced treatment in water plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes of Pollution Control and Resource Utilization)

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14 pages, 4660 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temporal and Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Microplastics and Their Influencing Factors in the Lincheng River, Zhoushan City, China

by Lu Cao, Wei Chen, Yudong Wang, Sen Li, Zhiyuan Jin, Jiayin Bian, Qiang Li and Mingchang Li

Processes 2023, 11(4), 1136; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11041136 - 07 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1677

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs), a new type of pollutant, pose a significant threat to the environment at high concentrations. One of the primary sources of MPs in the ocean is river runoff, highlighting the need to investigate the spatial and temporal variations of MPs in rivers that flow into the sea, as well as their contributing factors. In this study, we analyzed MPs distribution and their influence factors in the Lincheng River, China. The Lincheng is the second largest river in Zhoushan island that directly flows into the ocean. MPs in the river water and sediments were detected during the wet season (July 2021), the dry season (November 2021) and the typhoon season (September 2021), and MPs were present in all reaches of the river. The abundance of MPs in the river was moderate compared to other studies, with the river water exhibiting a concentration of 15 ± 2.64 n/L and the sediment containing 318.24 ± 49.53 n/kg of MPs. In surface water, the most commonly found MP was blue man-made cellulose (CE), while the sediment contained mostly fragments of polypropylene (PP) and polypropylene polyethylene blends (PP + PE) in blue and green colors. The abundance of MPs showed significant seasonal differences, with higher abundance during the wet season compared to the dry season and typhoon period. Furthermore, local construction activities may contribute to higher MP abundance. To explore the influence factors of MPs, the Basin Development Index (BDI) was proposed, and a positive correlation between BDI and MP abundance was founded. This correlation indicates that the increase in land use for construction highly contributes to the MP pollution. In conclusion, future long-term monitoring of the abundance of MPs in the Lincheng River is necessary. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes of Pollution Control and Resource Utilization)

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11 pages, 787 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Single-Cell Techniques in Environmental Microbiology

by Yongping Shan, Yuting Guo, Wentao Jiao and Ping Zeng

Processes 2023, 11(4), 1109; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11041109 - 05 Apr 2023

Viewed by 2010

Abstract

Environmental microbiology has been an essential part of environmental research because it provides effective solutions to most pollutants. Hence, there is an interest in investigating microorganism behavior, such as observation, identification, isolation of pollutant degraders, and interactions between microbial species. To comprehensively understand cell heterogeneity, diverse approaches at the single-cell level are demanded. Thus far, the traditional bulk biological tools such as petri dishes are technically challenging for single cells, which could mask the heterogeneity. Single-cell technologies can reveal complex and rare cell populations by detecting heterogeneity among individual cells, which offers advantages of higher resolution, higher throughput, more accurate analysis, etc. Here, we overviewed several single-cell techniques on observation, isolation, and identification from aspects of methods and applications. Microscopic observation, sequencing identification, flow cytometric identification and isolation, Raman spectroscopy-based identification and isolation, and their applications are mainly discussed. Further development on multi-technique integrations at the single-cell level may highly advance the research progress of environmental microbiology, thereby giving more indication in the environmental microbial ecology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes of Pollution Control and Resource Utilization)

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12 pages, 2600 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Bamboo Chopstick Biochar Electrodes and Enhanced Nitrate Removal from Groundwater

by Nan Geng, Beifei Ren, Bailong Xu, Dongfeng Li, Yinfeng Xia, Cundong Xu and Ertian Hua

Processes 2022, 10(9), 1740; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10091740 - 01 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1502

Abstract

The nitrate pollution of groundwater can cause serious harm to human health. Biochar electrodes, combined with adsorption and electroreduction, have great potential in nitrate removal from groundwater. In this study, bamboo chopsticks were used as feedstocks for biochar preparation. The bamboo chopstick biochar (BCBC), prepared by pyrolysis at 600 °C for 2 h, had a specific surface area of 179.2 m²/g and an electrical conductivity of 8869.2 μS/cm, which was an ideal biochar electrode material. The maximum nitrate adsorption capacity of BCBC-600-2 reached 16.39 mg/g. With an applied voltage of 4 V and hydraulic retention time of 4 h, the nitrate removal efficiency (NRE) reached 75.8%. In comparison, the NRE was only 32.9% without voltage and 25.7% with graphite cathode. Meanwhile, the average nitrate removal rate of biochar electrode was also higher than that of graphite cathode under the same conditions. Therefore, biochar electrode can provide full play to the coupling effect of adsorption and electroreduction processes and obtain more powerful nitrate removal ability. Moreover, the biochar electrode could inhibit the accumulation of nitrite and improve the selectivity of electrochemical reduction. This study not only provides a high-quality biochar electrode material, but also provides a new idea for nitrate removal in groundwater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes of Pollution Control and Resource Utilization)

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18 pages, 4305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Gaseous Chlorobenzene Treatment by a Bio-Trickling Filter: Degradation Mechanism and Microbial Community

by Nan Liu, Jia-Lin Lv, Ya-Lan Cai, Yan-Yan Yao, Ke Zhang, Chuang Ma, Ji-Xiang Li, Xiang-Yu Ren, Jia-Jun Hu and Ji-Hong Zhao

Processes 2022, 10(8), 1483; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10081483 - 28 Jul 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1552

Abstract

Large-flow waste gas generated from the pharmaceutical and chemical industry usually contains low concentrations of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), and it is also the key factor that presents challenges in terms of disposal. To date, due to the limitations of mass transfer rate and microbial degradation ability, the degradation performance of VOCs using the biological method has not been ideal. Therefore, in this study, the sludge from a chlorobenzene-containing wastewater treatment plant was inoculated into our experimental bio-trickling filter (BTF) to explore the feasibility of domestication and degradation of gaseous chlorobenzene by highly active microorganisms. The kinetics of its mass transfer reaction and microbial community dynamics were also discussed. Moreover, the main process parameters of BTF for chlorobenzene degradation were optimized. The results showed that the degradation effect of chlorobenzene reached more than 85% at an inlet concentration of chlorobenzene 700 mg·m⁻³, oxygen concentration of 10%, and an empty bed retention time (EBRT) of 80 s. The mass transfer kinetic analysis indicated that the process of chlorobenzene degradation in the BTF occurred between the zero-stage reaction and the first-stage reaction. This BTF contributed significantly to the biodegradability of chlorobenzene, overcoming the limitation of gas-to-liquid/solid mass transfer of chlorobenzene. The analysis of the species diversity showed that Thermomonas, Petrimona, Comana, and Ottowia were typical organic-matter-degrading bacteria that degraded chlorobenzene efficiently with xylene present. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes of Pollution Control and Resource Utilization)

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13 pages, 3192 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Estimation Parameters of Soil Solute Transport Processes by Using the Electric Resistivity Method

by Debao Lu, Yinfeng Xia, Nan Geng, Hui Wang, Jinlin Qian and Cundong Xu

Processes 2022, 10(5), 975; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10050975 - 13 May 2022

Viewed by 1396

Abstract

Preferential solute transport is a common phenomenon in soil, and it is of great significance to accurately describe the mechanism of pollutant transport and water and soil environmental governance. However, the description of preferential solutes still relies on applying solute breakthrough curves for model parameters fitting. At present, most of the solute breakthrough curves are obtained indoors, and with some limitations. Therefore, this study established a method for securing solute breakthrough curves based on the electrical resistivity method. The research results show that the change in soil concentration during the tracer infiltration process can be captured by establishing the fitting relationship between soil resistivity and solute concentration. Then the solute breakthrough curve can be found. Through a time moment analysis, the difference between the breakthrough curve parameters obtained by the traditional method and the resistivity method is slight; the average error is less than 10%. On this basis, the sensitive response of the parameters of the “mobile–immobile” model to concentration was elucidated through different concentration tracer experiments, among which β and D are more sensitive, and w is less sensitive. The suitable tracer concentration range should be 50–120 mg/L. Therefore, the established method could obtain the breakthrough curves and describe the transport of preferential solutes at the field scale. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes of Pollution Control and Resource Utilization)

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Review

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27 pages, 1555 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

A Review on Process-Based Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment Methods

by Cheng Geng, Debao Lu, Jinglin Qian, Cundong Xu, Dongfeng Li, Jian Ou and Zhou Ye

Processes 2023, 11(6), 1610; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11061610 - 25 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1751

Abstract

The unreasonable development and pollution of groundwater have caused damage to the groundwater system and environmental problems. To prevent this, the concept of “groundwater vulnerability” was proposed, and various evaluation methods were developed for groundwater protection. However, with changing climatic conditions and human activities, groundwater vulnerability is now emphasizing physical processes. This study aims to review and analyze the principles and applications of process-based groundwater vulnerability methods to achieve the source protection of groundwater resources. It introduces the assessment method and elaborates on pollutant migration processes and numerical simulation technology. Relevant articles from the past 30 years are reviewed to show the evolution of process-based groundwater vulnerability assessment. The study also discusses current research trends and proposes future development paths. It concludes that process-based groundwater vulnerability assessment will become the mainstream method, and modern technologies such as artificial intelligence will be necessary to solve challenges and achieve sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes of Pollution Control and Resource Utilization)

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