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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 (25 April 2025) | Viewed by 5756

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Dr. Nelson M. Anaya

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766, USA
2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766, USA
Interests: water quality; toxicity; nanomaterials; fluid dynamics; transport of pollutants; adaptation of contaminants on microorganisms; structures corrosion
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The scope of discussion of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, understanding the fate, transport, removal and modeling of traditional and emerging pollutants in water. Every day, a greater concentration of pollutants is found not only in water bodies but also in different compartments such as air and sediments.

Natural and anthropogenic factors can lead to the reduction in clean drinking water supplies. For instance, long droughts, surges in annual rainfall and natural disasters impact the quality and availability of our water sources. On the other hand, the overexploitation of natural resources, the use of pesticides, the presence of chlorinated solvents, the lack of new regulations to address emerging pollutants, processes that are not sustainable for the environment and the lack of or incomplete life cycle analysis are examples of serious human-made threats for the current and coming generations.

At this point, it is relevant to identify, understand and re-evaluate several of the important environmental effects of water pollutants on humans and ecosystems. In addition to developing recommendations, regulations and appropriate methodologies are required to identify, track and remediate concentrations of pollutants in water. This Special Issue will update the state of the art and partially fill the knowledge gap on these contaminants in water.

Dr. Nelson M. Anaya
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

remediation
water quality
modeling
fate and transport
pollutants
emerging pollutants
contamination

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 834 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toxicity of the Antiretrovirals Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate, Lamivudine, and Dolutegravir on Cyanobacterium Microcystis novacekii

by Gabriel Souza-Silva, Mariângela Domingos Alcantara, Cléssius Ribeiro de Souza, Carolina Paula de Souza Moreira, Kenia Pedrosa Nunes, Cíntia Aparecida de Jesus Pereira, Marcos Paulo Gomes Mol and Micheline Rosa Silveira

Water 2025, 17(6), 815; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17060815 - 12 Mar 2025

Viewed by 653

Abstract

Antiretrovirals (ARVs) have become one of the most prescribed groups of drugs, and these residues are found in the environment. Among them, the most widely used in HIV treatment are tenofovir (TDF), lamivudine (3TC), and dolutegravir (DTG). This study aimed to evaluate the toxicity of ARVs TDF, 3TC, and DTG on the cyanobacterium Microcystis novacekii and estimate their environmental risk. DTG showed the highest toxicity among the drugs tested, inhibiting cyanobacteria cell growth and metabolic activity at low concentrations. TDF and 3TC alone were less toxic, with more pronounced adverse effects in long time exposures at high concentrations. However, the combination of ARVs, especially TDF and 3TC, showed a synergistic effect, significantly increasing toxicity compared to the drugs alone. Excipients found in commercial formulations of ARVs, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, also influenced toxicity. Although DTG showed the highest risk to cyanobacteria, the environmental risk assessment indicated that TDF and 3TC, although less toxic to M. novacekii, may pose moderate-to-high environmental risks at typical environmental concentrations. These results reinforce the need for strict regulation and monitoring of the release of ARVs into the environment, and the development of effective treatments for removing these residues in sewage treatment plants. This study contributes to understanding the ecotoxicological impacts of ARVs and highlights the importance of long-term assessments to adequately estimate the environmental risks of ARVs and their commercial formulations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fate, Transport, Removal and Modeling of Pollutants in Water)

16 pages, 4383 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of pH on Aniline Removal from Water Using Hydrophobic and Ion-Exchange Membranes

by Karla Filian, Jonathan I. Mendez-Ruiz, Daniel Garces, Kateryna Reveychuk, Lingshan Ma, Jesus R. Melendez, Claudia Díaz-Mendoza, Emile Cornelissen, Priscila E. Valverde-Armas and Leo Gutierrez

Water 2025, 17(4), 547; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17040547 - 14 Feb 2025

Viewed by 1324

Abstract

The presence of aniline, a toxic aromatic amine, has been recorded in different industrial wastewaters. This study aims to investigate the transport of charged and neutral aniline species in aqueous solutions through hydrophobic and ion-exchange membranes (IEMs). Hydrophobic polyoctylmethylsiloxane (POMS) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes and cationic (CEMs) and anionic (AEMs) exchange membranes were tested using diffusion cells and electrodialysis (ED). Diffusion experiments showed that neutral aniline removal reached 90% with POMS and 100% with PDMS due to the concentration gradient between feed (pH = 10) and receiving (pH = 3) solutions. For IEMs, neutral aniline exhibited a faster transport than charged species, with neutral-to-charged transport ratios of 6.6:1 for AEMs and 3.2:1 for CEMs, type I. During ED experiments, an external electric potential increased the charged aniline transport, achieving higher initial fluxes (124.7 mmol·m²·h⁻¹ at pH 4) compared to neutral aniline (43.6 and 53.2 mmol·m²·h⁻¹ for AEMs and CEMs, type I). ED also demonstrated that charged aniline can be removed up to 97% using IEMs. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of hydrophobic and IEMs in removing aniline, providing insights into its transport mechanism, contributing to the optimization of membrane technologies in treating industrial wastewater effluents, and environmental sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fate, Transport, Removal and Modeling of Pollutants in Water)

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18 pages, 4906 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Peroxydisulfate Persistence in ISCO for Groundwater Remediation: Temperature Dependence, Batch/Column Comparison, and Sulfate Fate

by Lenka McGachy, Radek Škarohlíd, Richard Kostrakiewicz, Karel Kühnl, Pavlína Těšínská, Barbora Müllerová, Marek Šír and Marek Martinec

Water 2024, 16(24), 3552; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16243552 - 10 Dec 2024

Viewed by 726

Abstract

The persistence of peroxydisulfate anion (S₂O₈²⁻) in soil is a key factor influencing the effectiveness of in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) treatments, which use S₂O₈²⁻ (S₂O₈²⁻ based ISCO) to remediate contaminated groundwater. However, only a few studies have addressed aspects of S₂O₈²⁻ persistence, such as the effect of temperature and the fate of sulfates (SO₄²⁻) generated by S₂O₈²⁻ decomposition in real soil and/or aquifer materials. Additionally, there are no studies comparing batch and dynamic column tests. To address these knowledge gaps, we conducted batch tests with varying temperatures (30–50 °C) and initial S₂O₈²⁻ concentrations (2.7 g/L and 16.1 g/L) along with dynamic column experiments (40 °C, 16.1 g/L) with comprehensively characterized real soil/aquifer materials. Furthermore, the principal component analysis (PCA) method was employed to investigate correlations between S₂O₈²⁻ decomposition and soil material parameters. We found that S₂O₈²⁻ decomposition followed the pseudo-first-order rate law in all experiments. In all tested soil materials, thermal dependence of S₂O₈²⁻ decomposition followed the Arrhenius law with the activation energies in the interval 65.2–109.1 kJ/mol. Decreasing S₂O₈²⁻ concentration from 16.1 g/L to 2.7 g/L led to a several-fold increase (factor 2–11) in bulk S₂O₈²⁻ decomposition rate coefficients (k′) in individual soil/aquifer materials. Although k′ in the dynamic column tests showed higher values compared to the batch tests (factor 1–3), the normalized S₂O₈²⁻ decomposition rate coefficients to the total BET surface were much lower, indicating the inevitable formation of preferential pathways in the columns. Furthermore, mass balance analysis of S₂O₈²⁻ decomposition and SO₄²⁻ generation suggests the ability of some systems to partially accumulate the produced SO₄²⁻. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified total organic carbon (TOC), Ni, Mo, Co, and Mn as key factors influencing the decomposition rate under varying soil conditions. These findings provide valuable insights into how S₂O₈²⁻ behaves in real soil and aquifer materials, which can improve the design and operation of ISCO treatability studies for groundwater remediation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fate, Transport, Removal and Modeling of Pollutants in Water)

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16 pages, 3069 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Source-Oriented Health Risks and Distribution of BTEXS in Urban Shallow Lake Sediment: Application of the Positive Matrix Factorization Model

by Ivana Trajković, Milica Sentić, Jelena Vesković, Milica Lučić, Andrijana Miletić and Antonije Onjia

Water 2024, 16(16), 2302; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16162302 - 15 Aug 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1182

Abstract

The degradation of sediments in urban environments worldwide is driven by population growth, urbanization, and industrialization, highlighting the need for thorough quality assessment and management strategies. As a result of these anthropogenic activities, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and styrene (BTEXS) are persistently released into the environment, polluting sediment. This study employed self-organizing maps (SOMs), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and Monte Carlo simulation of source-oriented health risks to comprehensively investigate sediment in an urban shallow lake in a mid-sized city in central Serbia. The results indicated a mean ∑BTEXS concentration of 225 µg/kg, with toluene as the dominant congener, followed by m,p-xylene, benzene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and styrene. Three contamination sources were identified: waste solvents and plastic waste due to intensive recreational activities, and vehicle exhaust from heavy traffic surrounding the lake. Both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks were below the permissible limits. However, children were more susceptible to health risks. Benzene from vehicle exhaust is the most responsible for non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks in both population groups. The results of this study can help researchers to find a suitable perspective on the dynamics and impacts of BTEXS in lake sediments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fate, Transport, Removal and Modeling of Pollutants in Water)

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11 pages, 1123 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing Point-of-Use Sand Filters through Integration of Copper Mesh

by Varun K. Kasaraneni, Nelson M. Anaya and Maria Taliani

Water 2024, 16(15), 2188; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16152188 - 1 Aug 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1315

Abstract

Ensuring access to safe drinking water remains a crucial global challenge, particularly in low-income and developing regions. Point-of-use (POU) sand filters, known for their affordability and efficiency, hold promise for improving water quality. This study explores the use of copper mesh (M-Cu) as a disinfectant in sand filters, focusing on its effectiveness against Escherichia coli (E. coli). Through a series of experiments—kinetic, batch, and column—we investigated the impact of M-Cu on bacterial inactivation. Our findings reveal that the contact time between the M-Cu and bacteria is more critical than the M-Cu mass for achieving significant microbial reduction. Specifically, 1.0 g of M-Cu can substantially reduce E. coli levels, achieving log removal values (LRVs) between 2.03 and 4.81 after 30 min of exposure, across initial bacterial concentrations ranging from 10² to 10⁶ CFU/100 mL. For sand filter testing under dynamic conditions, columns containing 1.0 g of M-Cu achieved a 3.1 LRV, significantly outperforming control columns, which only achieved a 0.6 LRV. These results support the integration of M-Cu into sand filters as a viable strategy for enhancing microbial safety in water treatment, potentially reducing waterborne disease incidence in vulnerable populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fate, Transport, Removal and Modeling of Pollutants in Water)

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