Processes Development for Wastewater Treatment

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1681

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 45553, United Arab Emirates
Interests: water resource management; hydrogeology; managed aquifer recharge; desalination; wastewater and reuse project design and management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the Special Issue “Processes Development for Wastewater Treatment”, to be published in the Processes journal. This issue aims to showcase cutting-edge advancements in wastewater treatment technologies and explore various aspects of wastewater management. Topics will include treatment technologies, water reuse, biosolid production and management, water quality, regulatory frameworks, economic considerations, public acceptance, risk assessment, benefits, success factors, and key challenges. The Special Issue will also address various water reuse applications, such as agricultural and landscape irrigation, urban and industrial uses, environmental enhancement, groundwater aquifer artificial recharge, and both indirect and direct potable reuse. Additionally, it will cover innovative technologies and practices for sewage biosolid production and utilization, including issues related to contaminants in biosolids, land application, composting, energy potential, and physico-chemical properties. We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue by sharing your research and insights on water recycling and reuse. This is an excellent opportunity to disseminate knowledge and advance the dialogue on sustainable wastewater management.

The main themes for the Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Wastewater treatment technologies.
  • Urban stormwater management.
  • On-site and decentralized wastewater treatment systems.
  • The removal of trace organics and emerging contaminants.
  • Membrane technologies and disinfection processes.
  • Effluent disposal to waterways.
  • Potential effluent uses, including:
    • Agricultural irrigation;
    • Industrial processes;
    • Recreational purposes;
    • Groundwater aquifer artificial recharge;
    • Indirect and direct potable reuse.
  • Water reuse planning, including policies, monitoring requirements, and standards/criteria.
  • The role of water reuse in integrated water resources management.
  • Wastewater treatment and reuse in the context of future cities.
  • Sewage biosolid management, such as:
    • Land application;
    • Composting;
    • Energy recovery;
    • Other innovative uses.
  • Economic and social aspects of recycled water production and use.
  • Health and ecological risk assessments in water recycling applications.
  • Historical developments in wastewater treatment and reuse.
  • Other related research areas.

Dr. Mohamed A. Dawoud
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • wastewater management
  • treatment technologies
  • wastewater reuse
  • biosolids production
  • managed aquifer recharge

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 3026 KiB  
Article
Adaptive Multi-Timescale Particle Filter for Nonlinear State Estimation in Wastewater Treatment: A Bayesian Fusion Approach with Entropy-Driven Feature Extraction
by Xiaolong Chen, Hongfeng Zhang, Cora Un In Wong and Zhengchun Song
Processes 2025, 13(7), 2005; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13072005 - 25 Jun 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 355
Abstract
We propose an adaptive multi-timescale particle filter (AMTS-PF) for nonlinear state estimation in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to address multi-scale temporal dynamics. The AMTS-PF decouples the problem into minute-level state updates and hour-level parameter refinements, integrating adaptive noise tuning, multi-scale entropy-driven feature extraction, [...] Read more.
We propose an adaptive multi-timescale particle filter (AMTS-PF) for nonlinear state estimation in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to address multi-scale temporal dynamics. The AMTS-PF decouples the problem into minute-level state updates and hour-level parameter refinements, integrating adaptive noise tuning, multi-scale entropy-driven feature extraction, and dual-timescale particle weighting. It dynamically adjusts noise covariances via Bayesian fusion and uses wavelet-based entropy analysis for adaptive resampling. The method interfaces seamlessly with existing WWTP control systems, providing real-time state estimates and refined parameters. Implemented on a heterogeneous computing architecture, it combines edge-level parallelism and cloud-based inference. Experimental validation shows superior performance over extended Kalman filters and single-timescale particle filters in handling nonlinearities and time-varying dynamics. The proposed AMTS-PF significantly enhances the accuracy of state estimation in WWTPs compared to traditional methods. Specifically, during the 14-day evaluation period using the Benchmark Simulation Model No. 1 (BSM1), the AMTS-PF achieved a root mean square error (RMSE) of 54.3 mg/L for heterotroph biomass (XH) estimation, which is a 37% reduction compared to the standard particle filter (PF) with an RMSE of 68.9 mg/L. For readily biodegradable substrate (Ss) and particulate products (Xp), the AMTS-PF also demonstrated superior performance with RMSE values of 7.2 mg/L and 9.8 mg/L, respectively, representing improvements of 24% and 21% over the PF. In terms of slow parameters, the AMTS-PF showed a 37% reduction in RMSE for the maximum heterotrophic growth rate (μH) estimation compared to the PF. These results highlight the effectiveness of the AMTS-PF in handling the multi-scale temporal dynamics and nonlinearities inherent in WWTPs. This work advances the state-of-the-art in WWTP monitoring by unifying multi-scale temporal modeling with adaptive Bayesian estimation, offering a practical solution for improving operational efficiency and process reliability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes Development for Wastewater Treatment)
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16 pages, 1649 KiB  
Article
Optimized Electrocoagulation Pre-Treatment for Fouling Reduction During Nanofiltration of Lake Water Containing Microcystin-LR
by Thomas McKean, Chidambaram Thamaraiselvan, Sarah Do and S. Ranil Wickramasinghe
Processes 2025, 13(6), 1741; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061741 - 1 Jun 2025
Viewed by 517
Abstract
Microcystin-LR (MCLR) is a toxin produced by harmful algal blooms that is emerging as a threat to drinking and recreational water systems worldwide. Nanofiltration (NF) is an effective technique for purifying contaminated water sources; however, membrane fouling caused by coexisting organic matter limits [...] Read more.
Microcystin-LR (MCLR) is a toxin produced by harmful algal blooms that is emerging as a threat to drinking and recreational water systems worldwide. Nanofiltration (NF) is an effective technique for purifying contaminated water sources; however, membrane fouling caused by coexisting organic matter limits the practicality of the process. This research studies the use of an electrocoagulation (EC) pretreatment to limit fouling during the NF process. Water for this study was taken from Lake Fayetteville, a local body of water where MCLR concentrations have been recorded to be >15 µg/L. EC was performed using polyaluminum chloride as a background electrolyte at various operating conditions. EC-treated water was then further treated with NF to assess the impact of the EC pretreatment on NF fouling. It was found that the larger particle size of the sludge produced using aluminum electrodes at pH 7 had the best combination of settling ability and organic carbon removal (92%). This also led to the smallest flux decline during six-hour NF experiments of just 9%. These results highlight the potential of an EC pretreatment as an antifouling technique for the NF treatment of water contaminated with algal toxins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes Development for Wastewater Treatment)
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Review

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28 pages, 525 KiB  
Review
Ozone for Industrial Wastewater Treatment: Recent Advances and Sector Applications
by Daniel A. Leontieff, Keisuke Ikehata, Yasutaka Inanaga and Seiji Furukawa
Processes 2025, 13(8), 2331; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13082331 - 23 Jul 2025
Viewed by 174
Abstract
Ozonation and ozone-based advanced oxidation processes, including ozone/hydrogen peroxide and ozone/ultraviolet irradiation, have been extensively studied for their efficacy in treating wastewater across various industries. While sectors such as pulp and paper, textile, food and beverage, microelectronics, and municipal wastewater have successfully implemented [...] Read more.
Ozonation and ozone-based advanced oxidation processes, including ozone/hydrogen peroxide and ozone/ultraviolet irradiation, have been extensively studied for their efficacy in treating wastewater across various industries. While sectors such as pulp and paper, textile, food and beverage, microelectronics, and municipal wastewater have successfully implemented ozone at full scale, others have yet to fully embrace these technologies’ effectiveness. This review article examines recent publications from the past two decades, exploring novel applications of ozone-based technologies in treating wastewater from diverse sectors, including food and beverage, agriculture, aquaculture, textile, pulp and paper, oil and gas, medical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, pesticides, cosmetics, cigarettes, latex, cork manufacturing, semiconductors, and electroplating industries. The review underscores ozone’s broad applicability in degrading recalcitrant synthetic and natural organics, thereby reducing toxicity and enhancing biodegradability in industrial effluents. Additionally, ozone-based treatments prove highly effective in disinfecting pathogenic microorganisms present in these effluents. Continued research and application of these ozonation and ozone-based advanced oxidation processes hold promise for addressing environmental challenges and advancing sustainable wastewater management practices globally. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes Development for Wastewater Treatment)
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24 pages, 1485 KiB  
Review
Sustainable and Advanced Strategies for Bioremediation of Highly Contaminated Wastewater
by Marija Vuković Domanovac, Mirela Volf, Monika Šabić Runjavec and Ivana Terzić
Processes 2025, 13(7), 2250; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13072250 - 15 Jul 2025
Viewed by 364
Abstract
The risk of contamination of the vital resource of water continues to increase and represents an urgent problem for modern society. Globalisation, industrialisation and technological progress have led to the need to treat more and more wastewater streams before they can be released [...] Read more.
The risk of contamination of the vital resource of water continues to increase and represents an urgent problem for modern society. Globalisation, industrialisation and technological progress have led to the need to treat more and more wastewater streams before they can be released into the environment. A high chemical and biochemical oxygen demand as well as the sum of dissolved and suspended organic and inorganic components are the main characteristics of highly contaminated wastewater. Research into environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies is becoming increasingly important in wastewater treatment. Bioremediation utilises the ability to restore the biogenic elements of the environment and is an environmentally friendly method for removing contaminants from the surrounding ecosystem. Forming microbial consortia that exhibit both excellent biosorption properties and a high resistance to toxic conditions is crucial for the biodegradation of complicated systems, such as highly contaminated wastewater. The development of systematic biological molecular tools can further improve the bioremediation process. By integrating innovative technologies with the already existing natural microbial capacity, it is possible to further improve the sustainability of biological treatments of wastewater streams while preserving the natural environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processes Development for Wastewater Treatment)
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