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Water Pollution Control Technologies for the Sustainable Development of Watersheds

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Water Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 515

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Research Center of Environmental Pollution Control Engineering Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Interests: wastewater treatment technology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water is the foundation of life, economic growth and ecological harmony. However, the accelerated development of industrialization, urbanization and agricultural expansion is seriously damaging the quality of the water in river basins around the world. This decline in water quality endangers ecosystems, public health, and our ability to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. As countries continue to advance their economies, the dual challenges of preventing water pollution and ensuring the long-term health of river basins have become more urgent and important than ever before. 

The main causes of watershed pollution include agricultural runoff, industrial wastewater, and untreated domestic sewage. Addressing these issues requires not only innovative and region-specific water pollution control technologies, but also a holistic strategy that reconciles environmental protection with economic aspirations. Effective water pollution control measures are essential—not only to improve water quality, but also to restore ecosystems and ensure the sustainable development of watershed resources. 

Given this urgency, there is an increasing need for advanced solutions that can curb pollution at the source, improve the efficiency of water treatment processes, and promote ecological restoration. This Special Issue aims to bring together researchers, engineers, policymakers and experts from various disciplines to explore the latest advancements, challenges and opportunities in water pollution control and watershed management, with a specific focus on benefits, pathways and technologies. 

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies to this Special Issue. Their research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:  

  • Agricultural non-point source pollution prevention;
  • Industrial wastewater treatment;
  • Aquaculture wastewater treatment;
  • Livestock and poultry wastewater treatment;
  • Rural domestic wastewater treatment;
  • Urban domestic wastewater treatment;
  • Waste collection and disposal.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Hongbo Xi
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. Sustainability 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 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

  • water pollution
  • rural and domestic wastewater
  • agricultural wastewater
  • industrial wastewater
  • waste collection and disposal
  • watershed management

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 12484 KiB  
Article
Comparative Study on the Catalytic Ozonation of Biotreated Landfill Leachate Using γ-Al2O3-Based Catalysts Loaded with Different Metals
by Jiancheng Li, Liya Fu, Yin Yu, Yue Yuan, Hongbo Xi and Changyong Wu
Sustainability 2025, 17(10), 4376; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104376 - 12 May 2025
Viewed by 400
Abstract
Global municipal solid waste (~2B tons/year) affects sustainability, as landfill and incineration face persistent leachate contamination, demanding effective management to advance water recycling and circular economies. Accelerated investigation of hybrid biocatalytic ozonation systems is imperative to enhance contaminant removal efficiency for stringent discharge [...] Read more.
Global municipal solid waste (~2B tons/year) affects sustainability, as landfill and incineration face persistent leachate contamination, demanding effective management to advance water recycling and circular economies. Accelerated investigation of hybrid biocatalytic ozonation systems is imperative to enhance contaminant removal efficiency for stringent discharge compliance. This study investigates the catalytic ozonation effects of γ-Al2O3-based catalysts loaded with different metals (Cu, Mn, Zn, Y, Ce, Fe, Mg) on the biochemical effluent of landfill leachate. The catalysts were synthesized via a mixed method and subsequently characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Pseudo-second-order kinetics revealed active metal loading’s impact on adsorption capacity, with Cu/γ-Al2O3 and Mg/γ-Al2O3 achieving the highest Qe (0.85). To elucidate differential degradation performance among the catalysts, the ozone/oxygen gas mixture was introduced at a controlled flow rate. Experimental results demonstrate that the Cu/γ-Al2O3 catalyst, exhibiting optimal comprehensive degradation performance, achieved COD and TOC removal efficiencies of 84.5% and 70.9%, respectively. UV–vis absorbance ratios revealed the following catalytic disparities: Mg/γ-Al2O3 achieved the highest aromatic compound removal efficiency; Ce/γ-Al2O3 excelled in macromolecular organics degradation. EEM-PARAFAC analysis revealed differential fluorophore removal: Cu/γ-Al2O3 exhibited broad efficacy across all five components, while Mg/γ-Al2O3 demonstrated optimal removal of C2 and C4, but showed limited efficacy toward C5. These findings provide important insights into selecting catalysts in practical engineering applications for landfill leachate treatment. This study aims to elucidate catalyst formulation-dependent degradation disparities, guiding water quality-specific catalyst selection to ultimately enhance catalytic ozonation efficiency. Full article
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