Symmetry and Asymmetry in Wastewater Treatment and Bioenergy Recovery Systems
A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemistry: Symmetry/Asymmetry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 170
Editors
Interests: water and wastewater treatment; resource recovery; nanotechnology; membrane mechnology; freeze technology; green energy and carbon capture
Interests: materials science; polymer science; water research; synthesis of multifunctional nanomaterials; nanocomposites; graphene based composite materials for technological applications; advanced oxidation process/photocatalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Wastewater treatment is rapidly shifting from a cost-and-compliance service to a resource-recovery platform delivering safe effluent alongside renewable energy carriers such as biogas/biomethane, hydrogen, biocrude, and algal biofuels, while reducing net greenhouse emissions. This transition increasingly relies on symmetry-guided system design, where balanced mass–energy flows, modular reactor configurations, and repeating unit operations enable scalable, and energy-efficient treatment trains. Significant momentum is seen in anaerobic processes, particularly anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs), supported by process intensification strategies that exploit hydraulic, biological, and operational symmetries for fouling control, high-rate conversion, and nutrient recovery. Parallel advances include bioelectrochemical systems for hydrogen generation, biomass-based routes such as microalgae–bacteria consortia for polishing and CO2 capture, and thermal pathways like hydrothermal liquefaction of sludge, all contributing to symmetry between waste treatment and resource valorisation in integrated WWTP concepts. Key challenges remain in addressing process asymmetries related to membrane fouling, dissolved methane losses, low-strength wastewater treatment, nutrient recovery integration, and recalcitrant contaminants (e.g., PFAS). This Special Issue welcomes research and reviews on symmetry and asymmetry in wastewater resource recovery, spanning novel reactor–separation architectures, energy and nutrient recovery, contaminant control, and digital monitoring, with emphasis on scalable solutions supported by robust techno-economic and life-cycle assessments.
Dr. Amos Adeniyi
Prof. Dr. Ajay Kumar Mishra
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- symmetry/asymmetry
- wastewater biorefinery
- bioenergy recovery
- anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR)
- anaerobic digestion intensification
- biogas upgrading and biomethane
- hydrogen from wastewater (MECs)
- microalgae–bacteria consortia
- granular sludge and biofilms
- nutrient recovery (N/P/K)
- struvite crystallization
- hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of sludge
- emerging contaminants (PFAS)
- membrane fouling control
- techno-economic analysis (TEA)
- life-cycle assessment (LCA)
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