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Advances in Sustainable Water and Wastewater Treatment: Emerging Technologies and Solutions

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 5475

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wei Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
2. Guangzhou HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, Guangzhou 511400, China
Interests: petrochemical wastewater treatment; solid waste treatment; biological sulfur cycle treatment technology
Dr. Sicheng Shao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
Interests: biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal; biodegradation and remediation of toxic and refractory organic pollutants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Junfeng Su

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
Interests: biological denitrification using iron and manganese in groundwater; simultaneous denitrification and fluoride removal by biologically induced calcium precipitation; advanced treatment and resource utilization of low carbon source sewage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue entitled "Advances in Sustainable Water and Wastewater Treatment: Emerging Technologies and Solutions" explores the latest innovations and methodologies in the field of sustainable water and wastewater treatment, with a focus on emerging technologies and solutions. The scope of this Special Issue encompasses the development and application of cutting-edge technologies such as the removal of micro-pollutants, the treatment of refractory wastewater, carbon reduction technology for wastewater, and biological treatment systems. Additionally, this Special Issue covers the biological metabolism model, bioreactor model, the pollution and removal of heavy metals from wastewater, the resource utilization of wastewater, and other topics. The purpose of this Special Issue is to promote sustainable water and wastewater treatment, explore the advances in low-energy and low-carbon wastewater treatment technologies, and minimize the impact of water pollutants on the environment. By examining case studies and recent advancements, this Special Issue aims to highlight practical and scalable solutions that can be implemented worldwide and serve as good examples for the advancement of water and wastewater treatment technology.

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

  1. The removal of micro-pollutants;
  2. The treatment of refractory wastewater;
  3. Carbon reduction technology for wastewater;
  4. Biological treatment systems;
  5. The biological metabolism model of wastewater treatment;
  6. The pollution and removal of heavy metals from wastewater;
  7. The resource utilization of wastewater.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Wei Li
Dr. Sicheng Shao
Prof. Dr. Junfeng Su
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. 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

  • wastewater treatment
  • solid waste treatment
  • biological metabolism
  • carbon reduction
  • refractory wastewater

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1504 KiB  
Article
Cerium as an Efficient Coagulant for Phosphorus Removal from Wastewater
by Faisal A. Osra
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 1862; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17051862 - 22 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1049
Abstract
Excessive nutrient levels, particularly phosphorus, in wastewater have led to severe environmental issues such as eutrophication, necessitating effective treatment methods for nutrient removal. Traditional coagulants like alum (Al2(SO4)3) are commonly used but often require high dosages and [...] Read more.
Excessive nutrient levels, particularly phosphorus, in wastewater have led to severe environmental issues such as eutrophication, necessitating effective treatment methods for nutrient removal. Traditional coagulants like alum (Al2(SO4)3) are commonly used but often require high dosages and are sensitive to pH, limiting their effectiveness in varying wastewater conditions. Cerium, a rare-earth element, has emerged as a promising alternative coagulant due to its ability to remove nutrients efficiently across a wide pH range. This study investigates the performance of cerium in comparison to alum for phosphorus and organic matter removal. Cerium demonstrates superior performance, achieving up to 98.9% phosphorus removal at a lower dose (1.5 mg-Ce/mg-P) compared to alum (5.0 mg-Al/mg-P) while maintaining stable removal efficiency across both acidic and alkaline conditions. Furthermore, cerium also facilitates moderate organic matter (COD) removal, achieving up to 27.9% COD removal, enhancing overall water treatment performance. The main precipitate formed during the coagulation process is cerium phosphate (CePO4, 94% pure), which provides a stable, crystalline structure for nutrient capture. In conclusion, cerium offers a more efficient and cost-effective solution for wastewater treatment, reducing the need for pH adjustment and additional chemical inputs, while achieving higher phosphorus and organic matter removal compared to traditional coagulants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Water and Wastewater Treatment: Emerging Technologies and Solutions)
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13 pages, 5534 KiB  
Article
Removal of Trace Cu2+ from Water by Thermo-Modified Micron Bamboo Charcoal and the Effects of Dosage
by Xinmei Li, Wenqian Gui, Uulen Batzorig, Rong Zhang, Hui Li and Dandan Pan
Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7835; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177835 - 9 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1265
Abstract
Chronic copper intoxication via drinking water induces diseases and physiological toxicity. Bamboo charcoal has been applied in the treatment of copper (Cu2+) in water. However, the adsorption by micron bamboo charcoal (MBC) of trace Cu2+ in tap drinking water and [...] Read more.
Chronic copper intoxication via drinking water induces diseases and physiological toxicity. Bamboo charcoal has been applied in the treatment of copper (Cu2+) in water. However, the adsorption by micron bamboo charcoal (MBC) of trace Cu2+ in tap drinking water and the underlying factors behind it have not been sufficiently reported. In this study, to improve the adsorption by MBC of trace levels of Cu2+ in drinking water, MBC was thermo-modified and characterized. Through batch experiments, the adsorption equilibrium was analyzed, and isotherm models were simulated. The removal rates and the optimization were investigated through a general full factorial design including the thermo-modified temperature (MT), initial concentration (C0), and dosage. The results indicated that the thermo-modification significantly improved the removal by MBC of Cu2+ at trace level C0. The satisfactorily low level of 0.12 ± 0.01 mg⋅L−1 was achieved in the range of C0 from 0.5 to 2.0 mg⋅L−1 within the short contact time of 0.5 h. The processes conformed to the Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isothermal models at a C0 lower than 4.0 mg⋅L−1 and higher than 8.0 mg⋅L−1. The correlation between C0 and dosage played an important role in the removal of Cu2+. This work proposes the application of the ecofriendly material MBC and an optimization mode in the removal of trace Cu2+ from tap drinking water. It is also revealed that the positive and negative correlation and the “critical point” of the removal rate with dosage depend on the initial concentrations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Water and Wastewater Treatment: Emerging Technologies and Solutions)
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37 pages, 1533 KiB  
Systematic Review
Advanced Oxidation Process in the Sustainable Treatment of Refractory Wastewater: A Systematic Literature Review
by Jorge Alejandro Silva
Sustainability 2025, 17(8), 3439; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083439 - 12 Apr 2025
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2506
Abstract
More than 4 billion people yearly suffer from global water scarcity amid climate change, rapid population growth, and growing industrial activity. Due to the high concentrations of recalcitrant organic compounds, refractory wastewater is highly resistant to conventional biological treatment and represents a critical [...] Read more.
More than 4 billion people yearly suffer from global water scarcity amid climate change, rapid population growth, and growing industrial activity. Due to the high concentrations of recalcitrant organic compounds, refractory wastewater is highly resistant to conventional biological treatment and represents a critical obstacle for water reuse and sustainable water management. A systematic literature review of 35 peer-reviewed articles published from 2010 to 2025 is provided to evaluate the utilization and sustainability potential of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for treating recalcitrant wastewater. Using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework, the review assesses numerous AOPs, such as ozonation, UV/H2O2, Fenton reactions, and photocatalysis, while also evaluating their performance, efficiency, and integration ability. The results show that AOPs demonstrate pollutant removal rates often greater than 96%, reduce sludge formation, and improve effluent biodegradability. They can be applied at different treatment stages, combined with any renewable energy systems, and therefore can scale and be sustained, thereby aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goal 6. AOPs provide a technically feasible and eco-friendly solution for higher quality wastewater treatment. In the face of increasing pressure on global water resources, and the urgent need for sustainable water resource management, this study offers valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to adopt resilient and circular strategies for water. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Water and Wastewater Treatment: Emerging Technologies and Solutions)
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