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Water and Wastewater Treatment Futures: Sustainable Solutions for a Circular Economy

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1826

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mirko Frappa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute on Membrane Technology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ITM), Via P. Bucci 17/C, 87036 Rende, CS, Italy
Interests: membrane contactors; membrane distillation; integrated membrane systems; water and wastewater treatment; seawater desalination
Dr. Francesca Macedonio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute on Membrane Technology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ITM), Via P. Bucci 17/C, 87036 Rende, CS, Italy
Interests: membrane distillation in water treatment; membrane crystallization of inorganic molecules; membrane condenser for water and chemicals recovery from waste gaseous streams; integrated membrane-based water treatment processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ensuring sustainable access to clean water is one of the greatest global challenges of our time. Growing water demand, climate change, and environmental pressures require innovative and integrated solutions that enable efficient treatment, safe reuse, and sustainable management of water resources. Conventional treatment technologies, while effective, often rely on energy-intensive processes and generate significant environmental impacts.

This Special Issue, "Water and Wastewater Treatment Futures: Sustainable Solutions for a Circular Economy" focuses on recent advances and emerging strategies to address these challenges. Papers on innovative approaches that improve the sustainability of water and wastewater treatment, with a focus on resource recovery, energy efficiency, and environmental safety are welcome. Topics of interest include advanced treatment technologies for contaminants of growing concern, processes inspired by the circular economy, hybrid and nature-based solutions, and water reuse strategies tailored for industrial, agricultural, and municipal applications.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in sustainable water research and practice, creating a platform for scientists, engineers, and industry professionals to share knowledge and foster innovation for a resilient water future. Particular attention is paid to design methodologies that address challenges related to sustainability, socioeconomics, and science, as well as integrated approaches to sustainable development. Our goal is to define and quantify sustainability, measure it, and monitor it, which involves sustainability tools, sustainability applications, sustainability-related policies and legislation, etc. The integration of digital tools, monitoring systems, and process intensification approaches is also strongly encouraged. You may find more information on the aims and scope of our journal at the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/about

Dr. Mirko Frappa
Dr. Francesca Macedonio
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 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

  • sustainable water treatment
  • wastewater reuse
  • circular economy in water management
  • advanced treatment technologies
  • techno-economic and life cycle assessment

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

42 pages, 20381 KB  
Article
Design of a Training Water Network Plant for Vocational Education in the Urban Water Cycle: A Case Study in Spain
by Albert Canut-Montalva, Carlos Rizo-Maestre, Joaquín Martínez-López and Joaquín Solbes-Llorca
Sustainability 2026, 18(10), 5075; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18105075 - 18 May 2026
Viewed by 104
Abstract
In the context of increasing water scarcity, the new paradigm in efficient water management relies on the digitalisation of water infrastructure to optimise resource use. One of the key factors in addressing the new challenges facing urban water cycle companies is the shortage [...] Read more.
In the context of increasing water scarcity, the new paradigm in efficient water management relies on the digitalisation of water infrastructure to optimise resource use. One of the key factors in addressing the new challenges facing urban water cycle companies is the shortage of qualified technical staff. This context highlights the new training needs of technical personnel required by companies in the urban water cycle sector due to the increasing digitalisation of tools and the new technological requirements of jobs which are not yet sufficiently reflected in the existing training offer. Companies express their dissatisfaction with how poorly existing training programs meet their current needs. Vocational training has a fundamental role to play in providing high-quality, technically up-to-date training that is aligned with the needs of water management companies. This mission involves the adoption of innovative teaching strategies and methods and the development of innovative teaching resources. This paper presents the design of a bench-scale plant specifically designed as a teaching resource at a Spanish vocational training centre that offers intermediate-level training in water networks and treatment plants and advanced-level training in water management. The plant, occupying a footprint of 4 × 5 m, simulates a drinking water distribution network, from the intake to the distribution network via a pumping station with two pumps (1 + 1) of 0.75 kW each that provide a flow range of 4–12 m3/h with a range of 22–10 m water column and a regulating reservoir of 1 m3 located above the water network. The plant is equipped with sensors that allow operational data to be monitored: pressures, flow rates, consumption and levels, enabling multiple operational scenarios to be simulated: leaks, sectorisation, pressure and flow management, etc. Its design has focused on facilitating the acquisition by students of the skills and learning outcomes required in the curricula of the different professional modules that make up the aforementioned studies, through learning based on multidisciplinary collaborative projects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water and Wastewater Treatment Futures: Sustainable Solutions for a Circular Economy)
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23 pages, 4928 KB  
Article
Exploring a Novel Aspergillus terreus Mycelial-Silica Oxide Composite as a Sustainable Adsorbent of Dye Wastewater: Synthesis, Optimization, and Safety Evaluation
by Ghada Abd-Elmonsef Mahmoud, Rania Mahmoud Fouad and Ahmed Y. Abdel-Mallek
Sustainability 2026, 18(9), 4272; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18094272 - 25 Apr 2026
Viewed by 965
Abstract
Azo dyes demonstrate dose-dependent carcinogenic and mutagenic effects in exposed cells. Among remediation approaches, microbial adsorption is the most sustainable and environmentally friendly method for eliminating azo dyes. A novel Aspergillus terreus silica composite was developed as a sustainable adsorbent for crystal violet [...] Read more.
Azo dyes demonstrate dose-dependent carcinogenic and mutagenic effects in exposed cells. Among remediation approaches, microbial adsorption is the most sustainable and environmentally friendly method for eliminating azo dyes. A novel Aspergillus terreus silica composite was developed as a sustainable adsorbent for crystal violet dye (CVD) removal. The fungal strain was isolated from dye wastewater and was genetically identified by 18S rRNA gene sequencing. Dried mycelia of A. terreus (PX920301) were combined with SiO2 (1:1 w/w) through iterative hydration-drying cycles, yielding a composite characterized by FTIR analyses. Removal CVD %, adsorption capacity, and CVD residual were calculated, and the adsorption process was optimized using Box–Behnken design (four factors, 25 runs). The biosafety of the composite was assessed for phytotoxicity and microbial toxicity. The composite was also applied to real dyes wastewater collected from the bacteriological laboratory. Aspergillus terreus-silica composite showed the highest CVD removal percentage by 85.4%, adsorption capacity (qe) 121.1 mg/L, and lowest CVD residual by 7.26 mg/L, followed by the dried active mycelia (DA-mycelia) with CVD removal 40.23%, adsorption capacity (qe) 57.05 mg/L, and CVD residual by 29.73 mg/L. Optimization data cleared that the maximum experimental values of CVD removal (%) was 99.59% (predicted value 100%) obtained in run number (4) using initial CVD concentration (200 mg/L), pH (8), adsorbent composite weight (0.1 g), and contact time (48 h). Biosafety evaluation demonstrated negligible phytotoxicity against Triticum aestivum seedlings post-treatment, with restored germination and growth comparable to controls. Microbial toxicity assays via well-diffusion to seven microbial isolates confirmed no toxic activities against the tested bacteria, yeast, and fungi, underscoring the composite’s environmental safety. The composite could decolorize the real dye wastewater of laboratories by 95.37%. In conclusion, A. terreus mycelial-silica composite offers a cost-effective, sustainable, and eco-friendly alternative solution for dye bioremediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water and Wastewater Treatment Futures: Sustainable Solutions for a Circular Economy)
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12 pages, 2549 KB  
Article
Predicting Osmotic Coefficients in Aqueous Inorganic Systems: A Hybrid Gazelle Optimization Algorithm (GOA)–Machine Learning Framework for Sustainable Water Treatment
by Seyed Hossein Hashemi, Ali Cheperli, Farshid Torabi and Yousef Shafiei
Sustainability 2026, 18(8), 3959; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18083959 - 16 Apr 2026
Viewed by 351
Abstract
Efficient design of desalination and brine management systems, which are central to a water circular economy, requires accurate thermodynamic data such as the osmotic coefficient. This property is key to understanding salt behavior in aqueous solutions, directly impacting the energy efficiency and sustainability [...] Read more.
Efficient design of desalination and brine management systems, which are central to a water circular economy, requires accurate thermodynamic data such as the osmotic coefficient. This property is key to understanding salt behavior in aqueous solutions, directly impacting the energy efficiency and sustainability of treatment processes. This study presents a predictive framework that combines machine learning with the Gazelle Optimization Algorithm (GOA) to accurately estimate osmotic coefficients for various inorganic salt solutions. The GOA was employed to automatically tune the hyperparameters of two models: Decision Tree (DT) and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM). Using a comprehensive dataset of 893 samples with 27 salt-specific parameters, the GOA-GBM hybrid model delivered the highest predictive accuracy, achieving an R2 of 0.9734 on test data. The GOA-DT model also performed robustly (R2 = 0.9260), providing a more interpretable alternative. By creating a reliable tool for predicting osmotic coefficients, this methodology enables more precise process simulation and optimization. This directly supports the development of energy-efficient desalination technologies and informed decision-making for water reuse and resource recovery. The integration of advanced digital tools like GOA with machine learning offers a powerful approach to enhancing process efficiency and environmental safety, contributing directly to the design of sustainable, circular economy-based water treatment solutions for industrial and municipal applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water and Wastewater Treatment Futures: Sustainable Solutions for a Circular Economy)
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