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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2024) | Viewed by 23793

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Prof. Dr. Wenjie Zhang

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Guest Editor

College of Environmental Science & Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, China
Interests: emerging pollutants; removal strategies; potable water sources; membrane filtration; environment detection; biological treatment; degradation mechanism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to provide an authoritative platform for the academic and engineering practice communities to exchange and share their latest research findings and application cases related to the treatment of emerging pollutants in water. At the same time, we hope to promote cooperation and exchange between experts and scholars in different fields, as well as promote the innovation and development of water treatment technology for emerging pollutants. This Special Issue will focus on water treatment technologies for different types of emerging pollutants.

In this Special Issue, we welcome research papers, review papers, and case studies related to emerging pollutants, including, but not limited to, the following topics:

Emerging pollutants;
Microplastics;
Drug residues;
Organic pollutants;
Heavy metals and inorganic pollutants.

For different categories of emerging pollutants, this Special Issue aims to show and introduce relevant water treatment technologies and methods. Through the research of these technologies and methods, people can better understand and solve the challenges posed by emerging pollutants to the water environment. In addition, this Special Issue will provide practical solutions to solve the problem of emerging pollutants in the water environment through the research and application of water treatment technology for emerging pollutants. Through the review and collation of the existing literature, this Special Issue will hopefully provide a clear basis for the positioning of emerging pollutant water treatment technologies.

Prof. Dr. Wenjie Zhang
Guest Editor

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.

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

emerging pollutants
water treatment technologies
innovation and development
water environment
research and applications

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Related Special Issue

Water Treatment Technology for Emerging Contaminants, 2nd Edition in Water (2 articles)

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

6 pages, 163 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Water Treatment Technology for Emerging Contaminants

by Wenjie Zhang

Water 2025, 17(5), 644; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17050644 - 22 Feb 2025

Viewed by 491

Abstract

The rapid advancement of industrialization and urbanization has brought about significant challenges to water quality and environmental health [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Treatment Technology for Emerging Contaminants)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

19 pages, 1606 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Production and Characterization of Graphene Oxide for Adsorption Analysis of the Emerging Pollutant Butylparaben

by Lorena Maihury Santos Tsubouchi, Edson Araujo de Almeida, Diego Espirito Santo, Evandro Bona, Gustavo Leite Dias Pereira, Veeriah Jegatheesan, Lucio Cardozo-Filho, Ana Paula Peron and Osvaldo Valarini Junior

Water 2024, 16(24), 3703; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16243703 - 22 Dec 2024

Viewed by 1115

Abstract

Emerging pollutants such as butylparaben (BP) are often difficult to remove via conventional wastewater treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to produce and characterize graphene oxide (GO) and evaluate the adsorption of BP on this adsorbent. The GO was made using the Hummers method and characterized by TGA/DTA, XRD, XRF, BET, point of zero charge (pHpzc), SEM, and the Boehman method. Adsorption experiments were performed in a batch system. The removal efficiency from a Box–Behnken experimental design was 84.3% at a BP concentration 600 µg∙L⁻¹, adsorbent five g∙L^−1, and pH 7 in solution. The first-order (PFO) kinetics obtained the best fit to the experimental data compared to the other models tested in this study: pseudo-second-order (PSO), Elovich (ELC), and intra-particle diffusion (IPD). The Langmuir isotherm provided the best fit compared to the Freundlich isotherm. The temperature effect showed that the system has a spontaneous adsorption process, with a Gibbs energy lower than zero, and that increasing the temperature increases the adsorption capacity. The ionic effect showed that increasing the salt concentration of 1 M increased the repulsive forces but did not decrease the adsorption capacity. The regeneration cycle showed a rate of 85% up to the second cycle. The toxicity analysis confirmed the efficiency of the adsorption process using GO before and after BP adsorption on GO. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Treatment Technology for Emerging Contaminants)

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15 pages, 12141 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Black Body-Inspired Chemically Oxidized Nanostructures with Varied Perforations: A New Frontier in Solar Desalination

by Ajay Kumar Kaviti, Shaik Afzal Mohiuddin and Vineet Singh Sikarwar

Water 2024, 16(23), 3444; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16233444 - 29 Nov 2024

Viewed by 789

Abstract

Ideal black bodies absorb all electromagnetic energy without reflecting it. As it does not reflect or transmit light, it appears black when cold. Heated black bodies emit black body radiation, a temperature-dependent spectrum. This idea helps scientists and engineers comprehend heat radiation and design efficient solar desalination absorbers. This work uses the black body concept to create three non-contact nanostructured single-slope solar stills (NCNSSSs) with varied perforation diameters (2.4 mm, 3.2 mm, and 3.8 mm). The chemical oxidation of mirror-polished perforated stainless steel 304 sheets resulted in highly absorptive top surfaces with 90% absorptivity. The structures’ bottom surfaces were coated with a commercial high-emissivity coating to make them 85% emissive. The developed non-contact nanostructures absorbed maximum solar light and converted it into infrared radiation using a highly emissive bottom coating and a very absorptive top coating. Water, an excellent absorber of infrared (IR) radiation, readily absorbs the IR radiations and evaporates through the perforations, thus producing a desalination effect. Experiments were conducted parallelly in three NCNSSSs under the same weather conditions at three water depths. It was observed that non-contact nanostructure perforation diameters affected solar still performance. The NCNSSS-3 (3.8 mm) achieved a 9.89% and 13.47% higher productivity than the NCNSSS-2 (3.2 mm) and NCNSSS-1 (2.4 mm) at a 5 mm water depth. Additionally, fouling studies, expedited corrosion studies, and water quality assessments (TDS, salinity, fluoride, chlorides, nitrates, sodium) were performed. Water eminence examinations confirmed that the collected freshwater was bacteria-free and safe to drink. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Treatment Technology for Emerging Contaminants)

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13 pages, 5511 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determination and Optimization of Aerobic and Anaerobic Decomposition of Paper Sludge

by Dagmar Samešová, Juraj Poništ, Adam Pochyba, Tatiana Hýrošová, Marián Schwarz and Darina Veverková

Water 2024, 16(22), 3209; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16223209 - 8 Nov 2024

Viewed by 1004

Abstract

The processing of paper sludge is currently an important environmental topic due to its high global production. The aim of this study is to monitor the biodegradation of paper sludge when the initial conditions change. Biodegradability tests 301F and OECD 311 were used to determine biodegradation. The data obtained from the tests were subsequently obtained for the simulation in MATLAB R2023b. The highest aerobic decomposition was approximately 80% after 28 days at an initial concentration of paper sludge leachate of 76 g/L. By simulating 3D modelling, we can predict that with a retention time of 1 day with degradation under aerobic conditions at the level of 70%, the ideal initial concentration of organic substances will be 157.55 g/L. Based on this model, it is possible to estimate that with a biogas production of 554 m³/t_VS and a decomposition time of 20 days, it is necessary to set a concentration of approximately 128 g/L. Based on biodegradability tests, paper sludge was evaluated as suitable for aerobic or anaerobic biological decomposition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Treatment Technology for Emerging Contaminants)

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18 pages, 7786 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Isolation and Identification of Novel Arsenic-Resistant Bacteria from an Arsenic-Contaminated Region—A Study to Understand the Efficiency of Bacteria for Arsenic Removal from Aqueous Media

by Uttiya Dey, Naba Kumar Mondal, Soumendranath Chatterjee, Kousik Das, Deep Raj, Pankaj Kumar and Gowhar Meraj

Water 2024, 16(17), 2401; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172401 - 26 Aug 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2107

Abstract

Drinking water sources with groundwater arsenic (As) contamination face multifaceted challenges in the removal and supply of fresh drinking water resources. To eradicate this problem, bioremediation has evolved to become more effective than other chemical and physical removal processes in its cost-effectiveness, high removal efficiency, and lesser production of secondary by-products or waste. Thus, this study aimed to treat As from aqueous media and to detoxify highly toxic forms of As by the isolated bacteria from As-affected areas. We isolated two new Gram-positive bacteria, which are reported here (Bacillus sp. and Bacillus cereus), with As⁵⁺ minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 4500 mg/L for the Bacillus sp. and 1000 mg/L for Bacillus cereus; meanwhile, for As³⁺, the MICs are 600 mg/L for both isolates. Bacillus sp. and Bacillus cereus can also effectively convert the highly toxic and easily mobile As³⁺ to As⁵⁺ in aqueous media. This study also demonstrates that these bacteria can remove a significant proportion of As³⁺ and As⁵⁺ (averaging 50% for both) from aqueous media. These As-resistant bacteria from the As-affected area can be used and upscaled for the treatment of As for a safer drinking water supply. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Treatment Technology for Emerging Contaminants)

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10 pages, 2026 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bacteria and Cyanobacteria Inactivation Using UV-C, UV-C/H₂O₂, and Solar/H₂O₂ Processes: A Comparative Study

by Jin-Hyuk Choi, Jeongmin Shin, Soyeong Yoon, Taesoon Jang, Jooyoung Lee, Hyun-Kyung Kim and Jeong-Ann Park

Water 2024, 16(17), 2392; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172392 - 26 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1555

Abstract

Effective disinfection processes have been investigated to provide pathogen-free drinking water. Due to growing concern about the potential negative effects of cyanobacteria in portable water, their treatment has gained more attention recently. This study aims to compare the inhibition efficiencies of Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli; E. coli), Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis; B. subtilis), and cyanobacteria (Microcystis aeruginosa; M. aeruginosa) using UV-C and solar irradiation, and their combination process with H₂O₂. Over 6 log removal value (LRV) of E. coli and B. subtilis was achieved within 1 min of UV-C irradiation (0.76 ± 0.02 mW/cm²). The solar and solar/H₂O₂ (50 mg/L) processes effectively reduced (>99%) both bacteria after 20 min. E. coli was more sensitive to hydroxyl radicals (•OH) compared to the B. subtilis due to a different cell wall structure, resulting in a 0.18–0.62 higher LRV than B. subtilis. However, solar-based processes did not effectively inhibit M. aeruginosa (>52.23%). The UV-C/H₂O₂ (50 mg/L) process showed the highest inhibition rate for M. aeruginosa (77.83%) due to the generation of •OH, leading to oxidative damage to cells. Additionally, chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) was measured to indicate cell lysis of M. aeruginosa. The removal rate of Chl-a extracted by viable M. aeruginosa was higher using the UV-C process (93.03%) rather than the UV-C/H₂O₂ process (80.95%), because UV-C irradiation could be most effective in damaging Chl-a. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Treatment Technology for Emerging Contaminants)

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18 pages, 5334 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of Fe-Loaded Biochar Obtained from Rape Straw for Enhanced Degradation of Emerging Contaminant Antibiotic Metronidazole

by Dongyuan Zhang, Lin Shi, Edwin Hena Dawolo, Bingfa Chen, Ning Ding and Hong Liu

Water 2024, 16(13), 1822; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16131822 - 26 Jun 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1504

Abstract

In this study, magnetic (Fe)-loaded biochar was successfully prepared by a simple impregnation pyrolysis method. Meanwhile, its degradation capability and mechanism for typical antibiotic metronidazole (MNZ) were systematically investigated under different conditions. The characterization of the synthesized material showed that the specific surface area, pore diameter, and pore volume changed significantly. Also, functional groups and metal element Fe were introduced on the surface of the biochar, leading to its better capability to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The degradation experiments showed that the removal of MNZ in the Fe-BC/PMS system can reach up to 95.3% in 60 min under optimal conditions. Free-radical capture experiments showed that there were several active species of •OH, SO₄•⁻, •O₂⁻, and ¹O₂ present in the catalyst to synergistically degrade MNZ, among which SO₄•⁻ played a major role; it was also found that the material can be easily recycled and was still effective after several uses. Further, the main degradation pathways of MNZ include nitrohydroxylation, hydroxyethyl functional group deletion, carboxylation of the amino functional group of •OH, demethylation, oxidation, and carboxylation. It is obvious that the synthesized magnetic-loaded biochar, Fe-BC, generated from waste rape straw crops, shows high catalytic performance in pollutant degradation, providing an insight into the recycling potential of waste biomass in the catalytic field for pollutant removal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Treatment Technology for Emerging Contaminants)

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13 pages, 1974 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Analysis of the Disinfection Efficiency of Steel and Polymer Surfaces with Aqueous Solutions of Ozone and Sodium Hypochlorite

by Valentin Romanovski, Andrei Paspelau, Maksim Kamarou, Vitaly Likhavitski, Natalia Korob and Elena Romanovskaia

Water 2024, 16(5), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16050793 - 6 Mar 2024

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2371

Abstract

Disinfection of surfaces with various functional purposes is a relevant measure for the inactivation of microorganisms and viruses. This procedure is used almost universally, from water treatment facilities to medical institutions and public spaces. Some of the most common disinfectants the World Health Organization recommends are chlorine-containing compounds. Sodium and calcium hypochlorites are only used for disinfection of the internal surfaces of water treatment facilities. However, it is known that ozone is a more powerful oxidizing agent. This study compares the effectiveness of inactivating yeast-like fungi Candida albicans, Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis, and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli with aqueous ozone and sodium hypochlorite solutions. This study used ozone solutions in water with a concentration of 0.5–1.5 mg/L and sodium hypochlorite solutions with an active chlorine concentration of 50–150 mg/L. Steel and polymeric plates were used as substrates. Comparison of the CT (concentration by time) criterion at the ratio of LD50 in NaClO to ozonated water shows that the smallest difference, around 100 times, was observed in the inactivation of Candida albicans. The maximum difference is up to 230 times in the inactivation of Bacillus subtilis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Treatment Technology for Emerging Contaminants)

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23 pages, 2759 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhanced Adsorption Capacity of Methylene Blue Dye onto Kaolin through Acid Treatment: Batch Adsorption and Machine Learning Studies

by Nadia Hamri, Ali Imessaoudene, Amina Hadadi, Sabrina Cheikh, Abdelhamid Boukerroui, Jean-Claude Bollinger, Abdeltif Amrane, Hichem Tahraoui, Hai Nguyen Tran, Abdelrahman O. Ezzat, Hamad A. Al-Lohedan and Lotfi Mouni

Water 2024, 16(2), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16020243 - 10 Jan 2024

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 4020

Abstract

Algerian kaolinite, sourced from Djebel Debbagh nuance 3 (DD3), was used as a low-cost adsorbent to remove methylene blue (MB) dye from water. Its adsorption capacity was enhanced through sulfuric acid treatment (treated-DD3). In response to the urgent demand for clean water, various technologies have been developed to address dye removal from wastewater. This study, specifically delving into the treatment of textile wastewater, examined the efficacy of treated-DD3 through adsorption processes. The acid treatment increased the surface area and pore volume of DD3. X-ray diffraction showed crystalline phases in both, with treated-DD3 having higher crystallinity. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy found no significant differences post-acid treatment. Scanning electron microscopy revealed DD3 had large, stacked particles with low surface area, while treated-DD3 had increased porosity and a smoother surface. Various parameters affecting MB adsorption were studied. The Langmuir and Freundlich models were used for isotherm parameters. Treated-DD3 exhibited a higher MB adsorption capacity (64.58 mg/g according to the Langmuir model) than DD3 (44.48 mg/g). Thermodynamic analysis indicated spontaneous and endothermic MB adsorption onto both DD3-BM and treated-DD3-BM systems under different pH conditions. Treated-DD3 effectively reduced chemical oxygen demand (from 304.056 mg/L to 34.44 mg/L) and biological oxygen demand (from 80 mg/L to 20 mg/L) in real textile wastewater. The adsorbent exhibited rapid removal and decolorization, surpassing 93% within the first 7 min of the experiment. The Gaussian process regression and particle swarm optimization (GPR–PSO) predicted MB adsorption capacity effectively (R = 0.9989, R² = 0.9978, adj-R² = 0.9978, RMSE = 1.1390, and MAE = 0.3926). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Treatment Technology for Emerging Contaminants)

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Review

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15 pages, 1068 KiB

Open AccessReview

Occurrence and Speciation of Pollutants in Guilin Huixian Wetland: Nutrients, Microplastics, Heavy Metals, and Emerging Contaminants

by Hang Gao, Hao Chen, Yue Jin, Ruoting Gao, Chunzhong Wei, Chunfang Zhang and Wenjie Zhang

Water 2024, 16(19), 2816; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16192816 - 3 Oct 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1888

Abstract

The Huixian Wetland is a natural ecosystem of immense ecological value, providing crucial ecosystem services such as water purification, water regulation, and a habitat for the region’s flora and fauna. Its karst peak forest landforms and surrounding environment also possess unique ecological and landscape value. However, with the ongoing socioeconomic development, including the rise of industrial, agricultural, and aquaculture activities in the wetland area, the nutrient composition of the Huixian Wetland has been altered. This paper reviews the current status of nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals, emerging pollutants, and biodiversity in various environmental media of the Huixian Wetland. It synthesizes the literature to identify the factors influencing these changes and projects future research directions for the wetland. This work is of significant practical importance, providing scientific foundations for the restoration and protection of the Huixian Wetland. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Treatment Technology for Emerging Contaminants)

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25 pages, 1703 KiB

Open AccessReview

Research and Application of Water Treatment Technologies for Emerging Contaminants (ECs): A Pathway to Solving Water Environment Challenges

by Hongqiang Wang, Xing Gao and Yanqiu Zuo

Water 2024, 16(13), 1837; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16131837 - 27 Jun 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6014

Abstract

As industrialization and urbanization accelerate, the quality of the water environment has been deteriorating, and pollution from novel pollutants (ECs), such as microplastics, pharmaceutical residues, and endocrine disruptors, has become increasingly prominent. Although the concentration of these new pollutants in the environment is very low, they pose a long-term cumulative threat to human health and ecosystem security because of their persistent and difficult-to-degrade properties. This paper reviews the treatment technologies for novel pollutants such as microplastics, pharmaceutical residues, and endocrine disruptors, including physical (e.g., sand filtration, adsorption, membrane separation), chemical (e.g., flocculation, advanced oxidation, photocatalysis), and biological (e.g., microbial degradation) methods. The various technologies’ advantages, disadvantages, and application statuses are analyzed, and future research directions and challenges are presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Treatment Technology for Emerging Contaminants)

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