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Sewage Disposal, Biological Processes and Resource Utilization of Sewage Sludge
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Sewage Disposal, Biological Processes and Resource Utilization of Sewage Sludge

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2025 | Viewed by 3376

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jun Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Architecture Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Interests: wastewater biological treatment; membrane filtration; high concentration organic wastewater treatment; sludge reduction technology; magnetic coagulation; river and lake pollution con-trol; recycled water treatment; sludge resource utilization
Dr. Yuhan Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Interests: aerobic granular sludge; anaerobic ammonium oxidation granular sludge; short-range nitrifi-cation endogenous denitrification; short-range nitrification anaerobic ammonia oxidation; recycling of sludge resources; emerging pollutants; advanced oxidation technologies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the rapid advancement of urbanization and industrialization, the global discharge of sewage has increased sharply. Due the large amount of sludge generated in the sewage treatment process, we are also facing challenges with how to efficiently dispose of it and better utilize resources. Wastewater biological treatment, as an efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly technology, has been applied worldwide. Sludge contains an abundance of organic matter and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Converting it into a reusable resource has become key to solving environmental pollution and resource scarcity.

The goal of this Special Issue is to gather the latest research achievements in wastewater biological treatment technology and sludge resource recycling and promote scientific innovation and technological progress in this field. By showcasing new methods, materials, and equipment in wastewater treatment, as well as cutting-edge technologies for sludge resource recycling, our aim is to promote sustainable water resource management, reduce environmental burden, and maximize resource recovery efficiency.

The main themes covered are as follows:

  • Development of wastewater biological treatment technology;
  • Resource utilization of sludge;
  • Comprehensive process for sewage and sludge treatment;
  • Environmental and economic impact assessment.

Prof. Dr. Jun Li
Guest Editor

Dr. Yuhan Zhu
Guest Editor Assistant

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

  • biological treatment of wastewater
  • nitrogen and phosphorus removal
  • emerging pollutants
  • sludge treatment
  • resource recovery
  • sustainable development

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 7027 KB  
Article
Quantitative Assessment of Seasonal and Land-Use Impacts on Coastal Urban Sewage Systems with Seawater Intrusion Vulnerability Analysis
by Yanhong Ge, Jiachong Lin, Qidong Yin, Sheng Huang, Yingchao Lin and Kai He
Water 2025, 17(13), 1939; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17131939 - 28 Jun 2025
Viewed by 405
Abstract
Based on the sewage pipe network system in the service area of Qianshan-Gongbei Plant in Zhuhai City, the characteristics of water quality and quantity were analyzed, and the common problems were diagnosed. Through the establishment of a hydraulic-water quality model, the flow state [...] Read more.
Based on the sewage pipe network system in the service area of Qianshan-Gongbei Plant in Zhuhai City, the characteristics of water quality and quantity were analyzed, and the common problems were diagnosed. Through the establishment of a hydraulic-water quality model, the flow state of sewage in the pipe network is simulated, and the actual data is checked. It is found that there are significant differences in the quantity and quality of sewage pipe network systems in different seasons and land use types, and there is an obvious seawater backflow phenomenon in coastal areas. To solve these problems, this paper puts forward a series of optimization suggestions to improve the operation efficiency of sewage treatment plants and the reliability of urban drainage systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sewage Disposal, Biological Processes and Resource Utilization of Sewage Sludge)
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13 pages, 7879 KB  
Article
Treatment Performance and Characteristics of Biofilm Carriers in an Aerobic Waterwheel-Driven Rotating Biological Contactor
by Helai Cheng, Wenhua Li, Ziao Gong, Cangxiang Wen, Chong Zhang and Xiwu Lu
Water 2025, 17(3), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17030356 - 27 Jan 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1421
Abstract
Rotating biological contactors (RBCs) are widely utilized in aerobic wastewater treatment due to their high stability, efficiency, and ease of maintenance. The choice of disc carrier material for biofilm formation is a critical factor influencing treatment performance. In the context of rural domestic [...] Read more.
Rotating biological contactors (RBCs) are widely utilized in aerobic wastewater treatment due to their high stability, efficiency, and ease of maintenance. The choice of disc carrier material for biofilm formation is a critical factor influencing treatment performance. In the context of rural domestic wastewater treatment, the biofilm carriers must balance cost-effectiveness and high efficiency. This study focuses on the aerobic unit of a combined anoxic denitrification–deodorization filter–aerobic RBC system, specifically, the waterwheel-driven aerobic RBC, and evaluates three types of biofilm carrier media: felt, carbon felt, and nonwoven fabric. The study compares their pollutant removal performance and biofilm enrichment characteristics to identify the optimal material. The results indicate that RBCs using nonwoven fabric as the biofilm carrier exhibit superior nitrification efficiency and biocompatibility compared to the other materials, achieving average removal rates of 84.3% for CODCr and 80.5% for ammonia nitrogen. While the addition of nonwoven fabric slightly reduced the driving efficiency of the waterwheel-driven aerobic RBC, it significantly enhanced oxygen transfer efficiency, which explained the enhanced organic degradation and ammonia nitrification. During the biofilm stable phase, the two-stage waterwheel-driven RBC with a nonwoven fabric carrier achieved average CODCr and ammonia nitrogen removal rates of 86.76 ± 0.85% and 92.15 ± 1.49%, respectively. Nonwoven fabric demonstrates significant potential as a biofilm carrier for aerobic rotating biological contactors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sewage Disposal, Biological Processes and Resource Utilization of Sewage Sludge)
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17 pages, 3268 KB  
Article
Influence of Filler Types on the Treatment of Rural Domestic Wastewater in a Biological Trickling Filter: Simultaneous Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal Performance, Microbial Community, and Metabolic Functions
by Yuxin Geng, Zhengwei Pan, Liangang Hou, Jiarui Li, Mingchao Wang, Tianhao Shi, Dongyue Li and Jun Li
Water 2024, 16(23), 3343; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16233343 - 21 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1103
Abstract
Biological trickling filtration (BTF) has the advantages of simple operation, low energy consumption, and low sludge production, and its application in the treatment of domestic wastewater in rural areas has been widely discussed. In this study, ceramic granule (R1), zeolite (R2), and sponge [...] Read more.
Biological trickling filtration (BTF) has the advantages of simple operation, low energy consumption, and low sludge production, and its application in the treatment of domestic wastewater in rural areas has been widely discussed. In this study, ceramic granule (R1), zeolite (R2), and sponge (R3), three typical nitrogen and phosphorus removal fillers, were selected to investigate the differences in the removal performance of COD, nitrogen, and phosphorus in BTF, analyze the characteristics of the fillers and biofilm, and determine the performance of simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal. The results show that among the three fillers, zeolite has the larger specific surface area and roughness and has the best treatment effect on the adhesion performance of sewage and biofilm. The richness and diversity of the microbial community are higher, and the system is more stable, with a COD removal rate of 77.10 ± 8.67% and an NH4+-N removal rate of 75.20 ± 6.64%. The TP removal rate was 22.04 ± 10.27%. The surface of ceramic particles showed a regular cluster structure with a loose distribution. The removal rate of COD was 78.49 ± 6.92%, the concentration of NH4+-N in the effluent was 27.95 ± 8.23 mg/L, and the removal rate of TP was 38.83 ± 12.14%. As a polymer composite material, the sponge has large internal pores and a smooth surface, which is not conducive to biofilm adhesion. Therefore, the removal rate of nitrogen and phosphorus in sewage is poor; the removal rate of COD is 75.94 ± 6.98%, NH4+-N is 27.89 ± 21.06%, and the removal rate of TP is 14.07 ± 11.76%. Compared with the metabolic function of genes, zeolites have a more stable enzyme digestion ability than the other two fillers, and the genes related to the nitrification process (amo, hao, nxr, etc.) and functional genes encoding key enzymes related to the TCA cycle are relatively abundant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sewage Disposal, Biological Processes and Resource Utilization of Sewage Sludge)
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