Green and Advanced Technologies for the Removal of Emerging Contaminants from Aquatic Environments

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Toxicity Reduction and Environmental Remediation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 460

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Interests: analysis and monitoring of environmental pollutants; water treatment; catalytic technology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will showcase recent advances in green and cutting-edge technologies designed for the efficient removal of emerging contaminants from aquatic environments. As global concerns about water quality and environmental health intensify, the presence of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, endocrine-disrupting compounds, microplastics, heavy metals, and other novel pollutants in water bodies has garnered increasing attention. These contaminants, often persistent and biologically active, pose complex challenges for conventional water treatment methods.

We welcome high-quality original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that explore novel approaches and interdisciplinary strategies for mitigating such pollutants. Contributions may include, but are not limited to, advanced oxidation processes, photocatalysis, nanotechnology-based treatments, biochar applications, membrane innovations, and hybrid systems. Studies that address the integration of low-energy, sustainable, and circular economy principles into water treatment technologies are particularly encouraged.

This Special Issue also embraces works that investigate the mechanistic understanding of degradation pathways, transformation products, and risk assessments associated with treatment processes. Both laboratory-scale investigations and real-world applications are welcome, as are modeling studies that provide insights into system design, performance optimization, and environmental impact.

In addition, we encourage submissions that explore regulatory perspectives, life-cycle assessments, and the socio-environmental implications of deploying these technologies in diverse geographical and economic contexts. We will create a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue that bridges environmental science, engineering, chemistry, and policy, contributing to the development of resilient, eco-friendly, and scalable solutions for safeguarding water resources.

Prof. Dr. Rongfu Huang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • cutting-edge technologies
  • emerging contaminants
  • aquatic environments
  • water treatment
  • water quality

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 6470 KB  
Article
Highly Efficient Adsorption of Pb(II) by Magnesium-Modified Zeolite: Performance and Mechanisms
by Yuting Yang, Xiong Wang, Sumra Siddique Abbasi, Bin Zhou, Qing Huang, Shujuan Zhang, Xinsheng Xiao, Hao Li, Huayi Chen and Yueming Hu
Toxics 2026, 14(1), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14010085 - 17 Jan 2026
Viewed by 276
Abstract
In this study, magnesium-modified clinoptilolite (MZ) was successfully synthesized via precipitation and calcination to efficiently remove Pb(II) from aqueous solutions. The material was systematically characterized using BET, XRD, SEM-EDX, FT-IR, and XPS. Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model (R2 = 0.9956), with [...] Read more.
In this study, magnesium-modified clinoptilolite (MZ) was successfully synthesized via precipitation and calcination to efficiently remove Pb(II) from aqueous solutions. The material was systematically characterized using BET, XRD, SEM-EDX, FT-IR, and XPS. Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model (R2 = 0.9956), with MZ removing over 70% of Pb(II) within the first 3 h. Isotherm data were best described by the Langmuir model (R2 = 0.9686), confirming monolayer chemical adsorption, with a maximum adsorption capacity (qm) of 1656 mg/g. Notably, MZ maintained high adsorption capacity across a pH range of 3.0~5.5, and its performance was largely unaffected by the presence of high concentrations of competing ions (0.1~1.0 M NaNO3). Mechanistic analysis revealed that the loaded MgO facilitates the chemical conversion of Pb(II) to hydroxycarbonate (Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2) via surface complexation, which constitutes the primary removal mechanism. These findings demonstrate that magnesium modification can transform natural zeolites into high-capacity, stable adsorbents, offering promising potential for the treatment of Pb(II)-contaminated water. Full article
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