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Advancement of Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) for Water and Wastewater Treatment and Water Reuse

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2025 | Viewed by 3138

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor

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Guest Editor
School of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
Interests: environmental electrochemistry; emerging contaminants; environmental analysis
School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Interests: advanced treatment technologies for drinking water; UV disinfection and advanced oxidation processes technologies; industrial water treatment technologies; environmental risk assessment
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water and wastewater contain varying levels of recalcitrant and potentially toxic organic compounds, which necessitates effective treatment prior to final disposal or reuse. At present, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have gained considerable attention from water professionals due to their ability to rapidly and effectively remove organics, especially emerging organic contaminants, and transform them into harmless products.

In view of the above observation, this Special Issue will focus on manuscripts (research papers, reviews, short communications) related to the research and development, policy, implementation, and management of AOPs for organics removal in water and wastewater treatment as well as in water reuse.

Manuscripts in this Special Issue are expected to interpret the results of water quality and cost analyses of AOP studies within the context of organic pollutant removal and control by evaluating issues such as treatment performance, novel materials and process development, transformation products and pathways, cost-effetiveness analysis, and any other potential impacts in water and wastewater management.

Prof. Dr. Jiangyong Hu
Prof. Dr. Say-Leong Ong
Dr. Yu-Jung Liu
Dr. Wenjun Sun
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Water 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 2600 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

  • advanced oxidation process
  • organics removal
  • transformation products
  • toxicity evaluation
  • pre- and post-process
  • water and wastewater treatment
  • water reuse
  • cost-effectiveness analysis
  • policy and management

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 3221 KiB  
Article
Electron Beam Irradiation-Induced Degradation of Sulfadiazine in Aqueous Solutions
by Boris Tende Kengne, Shizong Wang, Yongxia Sun, Jianlong Wang and Sylwester Bulka
Water 2025, 17(7), 1077; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17071077 - 4 Apr 2025
Viewed by 270
Abstract
The degradation of sulfadiazine (4-amino-N-pyrimidin-2yl-benzenesulfonamide, SDZ), a widely used sulfonamide antibiotic, in aqueous solution under electron beam irradiation was investigated to explore its potential as an Advanced Oxidation Process for environmental remediation. This study evaluated the effects of irradiation dose, initial [...] Read more.
The degradation of sulfadiazine (4-amino-N-pyrimidin-2yl-benzenesulfonamide, SDZ), a widely used sulfonamide antibiotic, in aqueous solution under electron beam irradiation was investigated to explore its potential as an Advanced Oxidation Process for environmental remediation. This study evaluated the effects of irradiation dose, initial sulfadiazine concentration, and initial pH on the degradation efficiency. It was found at 0.5 kGy that the degradation efficiency decreased with increasing initial SDZ concentration, from 83.0% at 5 mg/L to 35.0% at 30 mg/L. The kinetic results showed a pseudo-first order model. The degradation efficiencies of 30 mg/L SDZ reached 80.8%, 75.3%, 69.5% and 69.8%, respectively, at pH 3.0, 6.3, 9.0, and 11.0 at 3.0 kGy, indicating the pH dependence to SDZ degradation under electron beam. The maximum removal efficiency was around 90% after UV analysis and 99% after HPLC analysis for 10mg/L SDZ at absorbed doses of 2–3 kGy and pH 6.3. Increasing the degradation efficiency of 10 mg/L SDZ from 0.5 kGy to 3.0 kGy showed the dose dependence on SDZ removal. Reactive species generated during irradiation, including hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen radicals, and solvated electrons, were identified as primary contributors to the degradation process. The effect of reactive species on the degradation of 10 mg/L SDZ was evaluated at variable doses, revealing the following trend: OH>H>eaq. Transformation products were characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS), providing insights into the degradation pathway. The results demonstrate that electron beam irradiation is an effective and sustainable method for sulfadiazine removal in water treatment systems, offering an innovative approach to mitigating antibiotic pollution in aquatic environments. Full article
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12 pages, 2735 KiB  
Article
Electrochemical Oxidation of Reverse Osmosis Concentrates from Landfill Leachate Treatment Using Ti4O7-Nanotube Reactive Electrochemical Membrane
by Qiujie Qian, Pingzhong Xiao, Tinghui Du, Demin Xu, Chuanshuo Guo, Yue Guan, Minxuan Yan, Feihong Wang, Yonghao Zhang and Yan Li
Water 2024, 16(24), 3579; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16243579 - 12 Dec 2024
Viewed by 769
Abstract
With the growing demand for high-quality discharge, reverse osmosis (RO) technology has been widely applied in landfill leachate treatment; however, the problem of reverse osmosis concentrates (ROCs) has worsened. In this work, a Ti4O7-nanotube reactive electrochemical membrane (Ti4 [...] Read more.
With the growing demand for high-quality discharge, reverse osmosis (RO) technology has been widely applied in landfill leachate treatment; however, the problem of reverse osmosis concentrates (ROCs) has worsened. In this work, a Ti4O7-nanotube reactive electrochemical membrane (Ti4O7-NT-REM) was employed to treat ROCs from landfill leachate treatment. The effects of current density, flow rate and pH on COD removal were evaluated, and the appropriate conditions were a current density of 20 mA cm−2, a flow rate of 10 mL s−1 and a pH of 7. Under these conditions, COD, TOC, NH4+-N and NO3-N were removed by 82%, 68%, 100% and 73%, respectively. In addition, the 3D-EEM fluorescence spectra and GC–MS results revealed that the organics significantly decreased after 120 min of treatment, and aliphatic compounds were the major organic compounds. The stable performance of the REM was illustrated by cyclic treatment (20 cycles) with the assistance of cathodic polarization. In addition, a long service lifetime of 267.3 h and a low energy consumption of 7.6 kWh·kg COD−1 were obtained by related testing and evaluation. The excellent and stable performance confirmed that the Ti4O7-NT-REM has broad application prospects in the treatment of ROCs. Full article
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19 pages, 5149 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Organics Removal Using 3D/GAC/O3 for N-Containing Organic Pharmaceutical Wastewater: Accounting for Improved Biodegradability and Optimization of Operating Parameters by Response Surface Methodology
by Jun Wei Goh, Raphael Jun Hao Tan, Weiyi Wu, Zhaohong Huang, Say Leong Ong and Jiangyong Hu
Water 2024, 16(21), 3138; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16213138 - 2 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1153
Abstract
Pharmaceutical industry effluents often contain high concentrations of refractory organic solvents, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total dissolved solids (TDSs). These wastewaters, including N-containing organic solvents known for their persistence and toxicity, pose significant environmental challenges. The study evaluated the efficacy of 3D/Granular [...] Read more.
Pharmaceutical industry effluents often contain high concentrations of refractory organic solvents, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total dissolved solids (TDSs). These wastewaters, including N-containing organic solvents known for their persistence and toxicity, pose significant environmental challenges. The study evaluated the efficacy of 3D/Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)/O3 treatment compared to linear process additions when treating real pharmaceutical wastewater, and revealed a 2.73-fold enhancement in COD mineralization. The process primarily involves the direct oxidation of monoprotic organic acids found in real pharmaceutical effluents, such as acetic and formic acid, crucially influencing mineralization rates. Optimal conditions determined via the response surface methodology were 125 g/L GAC, 30 mA/cm2, and 75 mg/L O3, achieving high total organic carbon (TOC) and COD removal efficiencies of 87.19 ± 0.19% and 89.67 ± 0.32%, respectively (R2 > 0.9), during verification runs. Current density emerged as the key parameter for organic abatement, aligning with the emphasis on direct oxidation at the anode surface. This integrated approach enhances biodegradability (BOD5/COD) and reduces acute toxicity associated with persistent N-containing solvents, demonstrating promising applications in pharmaceutical wastewater treatment. Full article
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Review

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28 pages, 2177 KiB  
Review
A Review on Cytotoxic Antibiotics: Occurrence in Water Matrices, Degradation by Advanced Oxidation Processes, and By-Product Formation
by Luis A. González-Burciaga, Felipe de J. Silerio-Vázquez, Christian Antileo, Martha Rosales-Castro, Cynthia M. Núñez-Núñez and José B. Proal-Nájera
Water 2025, 17(5), 628; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17050628 - 21 Feb 2025
Viewed by 413
Abstract
Cytotoxic antibiotics (CA) present a pressing environmental concern due to their persistence and potential adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Conventional wastewater treatment methods often fail to effectively remove these compounds, making it necessary to explore advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) as promising [...] Read more.
Cytotoxic antibiotics (CA) present a pressing environmental concern due to their persistence and potential adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Conventional wastewater treatment methods often fail to effectively remove these compounds, making it necessary to explore advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) as promising alternatives. This review aims to synthesize global data on the dosages and environmental concentrations of common CA in diverse water sources, while evaluating the efficacy of AOPs in degrading these contaminants. Various AOPs, including photocatalysis, ozonation, and Fenton-like processes, or their combination, are discussed, highlighting their mechanisms and efficiency in eliminating cytotoxic antibiotics from aqueous environments. In addition, information about the degradation by-products is provided. The rising consumption of cytotoxic drugs underscores the need for this up-to-date review, as diseases were CA are used as treatment, show increasing numbers. By consolidating recent developments and outlining challenges and opportunities, this review serves as a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and policymakers involved in mitigating the environmental impact of cytotoxic antibiotics through AOPs. Full article
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