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Biological Treatment for Sustainable Waste Management and Green Environment
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Biological Treatment for Sustainable Waste Management and Green Environment

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Waste and Recycling".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 14 August 2026 | Viewed by 2755

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Xiaowei Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
Interests: biological treatment and resource utilization of organic solid wastes, such as sewage sludge, food waste, rural human faeces; fate and potential risk of emerging pollutants such as microplastics, PPCPs during the resource utilization of organic solids wastes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With increasing global waste generation, sustainable waste management has become a critical challenge. Biological treatment methods, such as composting, anaerobic digestion, and microbial bioremediation, offer eco-friendly solutions by converting waste into valuable resources (e.g., biogas, fertilizers) while reducing pollution. These approaches align with circular economy principles and support climate change mitigation by minimizing landfill use and greenhouse gas emissions.

This Special Issue aims to explore innovative biological treatment technologies that enhance waste valorization and environmental sustainability. It will highlight advancements in microbial processes and integrated waste-to-energy systems. By focusing on scalable and low-carbon solutions, this Issue contributes to Sustainability’s scope of promoting ecological balance, resource efficiency, and sustainable development.

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

  • Aerobic and anaerobic waste treatment technologies;
  • Microbial and enzymatic waste conversion;
  • Circular bioeconomy and waste valorization;
  • Life cycle assessment (LCA) of biological waste management;
  • Policy and economic frameworks for sustainable waste practices;
  • Case studies on large-scale bio-treatment applications.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Xiaowei Li
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 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. 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

  • waste management
  • anaerobic digestion
  • composting
  • microbial conversion
  • circular bioeconomy
  • life cycle assessment
  • carbon emission reduction
  • sustainable waste practices
  • enzymatic treatment
  • organic waste
  • green conversion

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3140 KB  
Article
Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Conversational and Emerging Pollutants in Fecal Sludge from Rural Toilets, China
by Lin Lin, Yilin Shen, Guoji Ding, Shakib Alghashm, Seinn Lei Aye and Xiaowei Li
Sustainability 2025, 17(15), 7088; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17157088 - 5 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1054
Abstract
Effective management of fecal pollutants in rural sanitation is crucial for environmental health and public safety, especially in developing regions. In this study, temporal and regional variations in nutrient elements, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms (PMs), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) of fecal samples [...] Read more.
Effective management of fecal pollutants in rural sanitation is crucial for environmental health and public safety, especially in developing regions. In this study, temporal and regional variations in nutrient elements, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms (PMs), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) of fecal samples from rural toilets in China were investigated. The moisture contents of the fecal samples average 92.7%, decreasing seasonally from 97.4% in summer to 90.6% in winter. The samples’ pH values range from 6.5 to 7.5, with a slight decrease in winter (6.8), while their electrical conductivity varies from 128.1 to 2150 μs/cm, influenced by regional diets. Chromium (9.0–49.7 mg/kg) and copper (31.9–784.4 mg/kg) levels vary regionally, with higher concentrations in Anhui and Guangxi Provinces due to dietary and industrial factors. Zinc contents range from 108.5 to 1648.9 mg/kg, with higher levels in autumn and winter, resulting from agricultural practices and Zn-containing fungicides, posing potential health and phytotoxicity risks. Seasonal and regional variations in PMs and ARGs were observed. Guangxi Province shows the high PM diversity in summer samples, while Jiangsu Province exhibits the high ARGs types in autumn samples. These findings highlight the need for improved waste management and sanitation solutions in rural areas to mitigate environmental risks and protect public health. Continued research in these regions is essential to inform effective sanitation strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological Treatment for Sustainable Waste Management and Green Environment)
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Review

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30 pages, 1816 KB  
Review
Overview of Enhancing Sludge Anaerobic Digestion Through Exogenous Materials: From Non-Recyclable to Recyclable Materials
by Hui Geng, Yu-Ting Zhang, Xiaohu Dai and Ying Xu
Sustainability 2026, 18(8), 3791; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18083791 - 11 Apr 2026
Viewed by 464
Abstract
The introduction of exogenous materials offers a highly promising technical approach for enhancing the performance of sludge anaerobic digestion (AD). This review systematically presents the mechanisms and application effects of carbon-based materials, metal-based materials, inorganic mineral materials, and metal–carbon composites in enhancing sludge [...] Read more.
The introduction of exogenous materials offers a highly promising technical approach for enhancing the performance of sludge anaerobic digestion (AD). This review systematically presents the mechanisms and application effects of carbon-based materials, metal-based materials, inorganic mineral materials, and metal–carbon composites in enhancing sludge AD. In-depth mechanism analysis revealed that these materials primarily enhance both methane yields and system stability through multiple synergistic mechanisms, such as mediating interspecies electron and proton transfer, promoting biofilm formation as microbial carriers, and adsorbing inhibitors while enhancing the buffering capacity of the system. However, a critical analysis indicated that the inherent limitations of various materials in engineering applications, particularly in terms of stability and recyclability, are the fundamental obstacles hindering the engineering implementation of this technology. Based on the above analysis, this review further proposes that the field is shifting from a sole pursuit of efficiency enhancement to a paradigm that balances efficiency and sustainability. Developing new recyclable and circular material systems with both high efficiency and excellent recycling potential is crucial for promoting the development of sludge AD technology towards a green, low-carbon, and resource-cycling direction, and also provides key scientific and technological support for the circular economy transformation of the sludge treatment system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological Treatment for Sustainable Waste Management and Green Environment)
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40 pages, 5350 KB  
Review
Environmental and Economic Sustainability Assessment of Biological Treatment Options for Organic Wastes and Agro-Industrial By-Products: A Scoping Review
by Mauro Lamanna, Stefano Convertini, Roberto Puglisi, Daniela Losacco, Giuseppe Bari, Eustachio Tarasco and Rocco Roma
Sustainability 2026, 18(6), 3095; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18063095 - 21 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 753
Abstract
The European Environment Agency believes that circular economy strategies could substantially contribute to CO2 emissions reduction. Therefore, it is necessary that the agro-industrial sector identifies sustainable technologies for side-stream management. The scope of this review was to compare the sustainability of available [...] Read more.
The European Environment Agency believes that circular economy strategies could substantially contribute to CO2 emissions reduction. Therefore, it is necessary that the agro-industrial sector identifies sustainable technologies for side-stream management. The scope of this review was to compare the sustainability of available biological treatments for by-product biomasses and organic waste. A total of 147 studies, all Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and Techno-Economic Analyses (TEAs), were selected through PRISMA-ScR methodology, on Scopus and Web of Science, and were bibliographically mapped on VOSviewer (Version 1.6.20) Anaerobic digestion and integrated energy recovery systems were found to be the most environmentally robust options. Integrated biorefineries and multi-product systems have emerged as the highest long-term sustainability potential, especially when process integration and co-product recovery were also implemented. Importantly, the most sustainable systems were found to have required considerable start-up investments. Thus, sustainable deployment of biological treatment technologies was clearly dependent on time-consistent policy frameworks that have been fertile to capital-intensive infrastructures via incentives and fiscal measures and that have embraced circular bioeconomy systems. Finally, this paper has demonstrated that the sustainability of biological treatments has resulted from optimal relationships between biomass characteristics, system boundaries, process integration, and market value of co-product, while no single technology has been sufficient in isolation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological Treatment for Sustainable Waste Management and Green Environment)
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