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Advanced Research on Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2025) | Viewed by 526

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Interests: anaerobic digestion; value added products production; circular economy; resource recovery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Interests: anaerobic digestion; microbial community dynamics; extracellular electron transfer; biosolid management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of the journal “Water” explores “The Role of Anaerobic Digestion in Circular Economy: Industrial Applications and Scientific Innovations”. It highlights the pivotal role of anaerobic digestion (AD) in promoting sustainable waste management by reducing biosolids, remediating waste/wastewater, and notably, by converting waste into a plethora of value-added products. Advances in AD reactor technology, such as high-rate anaerobic systems, have not only improved degradation rates and process stability but have also led to an increase in the generation of products like bio-based chemicals—ethanol, butanol, biopolymers, and volatile fatty acids (VFA). In addition, AD facilitates the production of renewable energy sources, including electricity, upgraded biomethane equivalent to natural gas, and hydrogen. The biofertilizers produced from AD residues contribute to sustainable agriculture by closing the nutrient loop, thereby embodying the essence of a circular economy.

This edition extends the discourse to a wide array of valuable end-products obtainable from the AD process, fundamental to the solidification of circular economy principles. It examines robust AD system strategies, especially adept in the treatment of complex industrial effluents, and introduces innovative approaches and techniques that boost both the efficiency and adaptability of AD technologies. With the aim to present impactful research, this issue drives the integration of AD technologies into broader environmental management and industrial applications. In synchrony with sustainability goals, this compendium underscores the integral role of AD in achieving environmental and economic sustainability, which in turn supports Sustainable Development Goals of clean water, clean energy, and responsible production.

Dr. Lei Zhang
Dr. Yingdi Zhang
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.

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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

  • value-added products production
  • circular economy
  • anaerobic digestion
  • wastewater/waste treatment
  • biosolids reduction

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 1535 KiB  
Article
Optimization of the Wastewater Treatment Process Using Kinetic Equations for Nitrification Processes
by Eugen Marin and Carmen Otilia Rusănescu
Water 2025, 17(16), 2440; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17162440 - 18 Aug 2025
Abstract
The primary objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of conglomerate microorganisms on nitrification in activated sludge. The present study compares this process with activated-sludge technology to explore the variables that influence the complex biochemical processes taking place in bioreactors. [...] Read more.
The primary objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of conglomerate microorganisms on nitrification in activated sludge. The present study compares this process with activated-sludge technology to explore the variables that influence the complex biochemical processes taking place in bioreactors. The research under consideration involves monitoring the effectiveness of optimizing the wastewater treatment process using kinetic modeling for the nitrification and denitrification processes. The system is designed to simulate various operating scenarios and adjust process parameters in real time. The nitrification rate demonstrates a 99.03% performance, while the denitrification rate ranges from 19.08% to 91.01%. A substantial correlation has been demonstrated between this variable and the temperature of the treated wastewater. This provides the possibility of accurately assessing the ammonium oxidation potential. Furthermore, kinetic equations facilitate the estimation of parameters that are not typically measured, yet are essential for optimizing operational parameters (e.g., dissolved oxygen levels in the aeration tank, sludge dosage, and influent flow rate). This estimation is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of the process and attaining the desired or anticipated outcomes. This validation underscores the efficacy of the technology, thereby establishing a foundational framework for subsequent research endeavors. These research efforts are directed towards providing decision-makers and stakeholders with actionable insights. The validation underscores the significance of optimized practices in the context of water resource protection. Moreover, it signifies a substantial advancement in the instrumentation of wastewater treatment plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment)
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