Advanced Processes and Technologies for Wastewater: Collection, Treatment, and Resource

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Processes processes	2.8	5.1	2013	14.9 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Separations separations	2.5	3.0	2014	15.1 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Water water	3.0	5.8	2009	17.5 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Environments environments	3.5	5.7	2014	22.8 Days	CHF 1800	Submit

20 pages, 505 KiB

Open AccessReview

Problems, Effects, and Methods of Monitoring and Sensing Oil Pollution in Water: A Review

by Nur Nazifa Che Samsuria, Wan Zakiah Wan Ismail, Muhammad Nurullah Waliyullah Mohamed Nazli, Nor Azlina Ab Aziz and Anith Khairunnisa Ghazali

Water 2025, 17(9), 1252; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17091252 - 23 Apr 2025

Viewed by 478

Abstract

Oil pollution in water bodies is a substantial environmental concern that poses severe risks to human health, aquatic ecosystems, and economic activities. Rising energy consumption and industrial activity have resulted in more oil spills, damaging long-term ecology. The aim of the review is [...] Read more.

Oil pollution in water bodies is a substantial environmental concern that poses severe risks to human health, aquatic ecosystems, and economic activities. Rising energy consumption and industrial activity have resulted in more oil spills, damaging long-term ecology. The aim of the review is to discuss problems, effects, and methods of monitoring and sensing oil pollution in water. Oil can destroy the aquatic habitat. Once oil gets into aquatic habitats, it changes both physically and chemically, depending on temperature, wind, and wave currents. If not promptly addressed, these processes have severe repercussions on the spread, persistence, and toxicity of oil. Effective monitoring and early identification of oil pollution are vital to limit environmental harm and permit timely reaction and cleanup activities. Three main categories define the three main methodologies of oil spill detection. Remote sensing utilizes satellite imaging and airborne surveillance to monitor large-scale oil spills and trace their migration across aquatic bodies. Accurate real-time detection is made possible by optical sensing, which uses fluorescence and infrared methods to identify and measure oil contamination based on its particular optical characteristics. Using sensor networks and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, wireless sensing improves early detection and response capacity by the continuous automated monitoring of oil pollution in aquatic settings. In addition, the effectiveness of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, such as deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML), in enhancing detection accuracy, predicting leak patterns, and optimizing response strategies, is investigated. This review assesses the advantages and limits of these detection technologies and offers future research directions to advance oil spill monitoring. The results help create more sustainable and efficient plans for controlling oil pollution and safeguarding aquatic habitats. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Processes and Technologies for Wastewater: Collection, Treatment, and Resource)

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15 pages, 4289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Regeneration and Resource Recovery of Nickel-Plating Waste Solution: A Synergistic Study of Electrodialysis and Advanced Oxidation

by Xiaolong Xiong, Kangping Cui, Haiyang Li and Wenming Wu

Water 2025, 17(7), 1071; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17071071 - 3 Apr 2025

Viewed by 346

Abstract

Electroless nickel plating is a chemical deposition process in which nickel ions within a plating solution are reduced by a chemical reducing agent and subsequently deposited onto the surface of a solid substrate. Chemical nickel-plating wastewater contains substantial amounts of phosphorus as well [...] Read more.

Electroless nickel plating is a chemical deposition process in which nickel ions within a plating solution are reduced by a chemical reducing agent and subsequently deposited onto the surface of a solid substrate. Chemical nickel-plating wastewater contains substantial amounts of phosphorus as well as abundant nickel resources. In this study, electrodialysis coupled with advanced oxidation techniques was utilized for the efficient recovery of nickel and phosphorus from spent nickel-plating solutions. The end-of-life tank solution from chemical nickel plating was treated via electrodialysis to remove harmful phosphite and sulfate ions, enabling the purified solution to be reused in plating production by supplementing it with appropriate amounts of sodium hypophosphite and nickel sulfate. Subsequently, the concentrate generated from electrodialysis was treated using peroxydisulfate (PDS)-based advanced oxidation technology to break nickel complexation and simultaneously promote the oxidation of hypophosphite and phosphite ions. Finally, Ca(OH)₂ was employed as a precipitating agent to effectively recover phosphorus from the treated concentrate. From an economic perspective, optimal process conditions were determined as follows: a current density of 20 mA/cm², concentrate-to-dilute water volume ratio of 1:1, current speed of 1.0 m³/h, and a sodium sulfate concentration in concentrate of 20 g/L. Under these conditions, the migration rates of H₂PO₂⁻ and HPO₃²⁻ ions reached 67.3% and 62.53%, respectively, whereas Ni²⁺ exhibited significantly lower mobility at only 6.77%. The purified wastewater recovered approximately 60% of its initial plating activity. Regarding the concentrate—which is a by-product of electrodialysis—the hypophosphite ions were nearly completely oxidized using a PDS dosage of 0.3 mol/L. Furthermore, when the Ca/P molar ratio was adjusted to 2.0, total phosphorus (TP) and nickel (Ni) removal efficiencies exceeded 98% and 93%, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Processes and Technologies for Wastewater: Collection, Treatment, and Resource)

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19 pages, 4611 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anaerobic Digestion of Dye Wastewater and Agricultural Waste with Bio-Energy and Biochar Recovery: A Techno-Economic and Sustainable Approach

by Albert Tumanyisibwe, Mahmoud Nasr, Manabu Fujii and Mona G. Ibrahim

Water 2024, 16(14), 2025; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16142025 - 17 Jul 2024

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2537

Abstract

While several researchers have investigated the anaerobic digestion (AD) of textile wastewater for dye degradation, their studies suffer from lower biogas productivity due to substrate inhibition and the occurrence of secondary pollution from digestate disposal. Hence, this study focuses on using the extract [...] Read more.

While several researchers have investigated the anaerobic digestion (AD) of textile wastewater for dye degradation, their studies suffer from lower biogas productivity due to substrate inhibition and the occurrence of secondary pollution from digestate disposal. Hence, this study focuses on using the extract of wheat straw (WS) as a co-substrate to facilitate the dye AD process, followed by recycling the digestate sludge for biochar production. In the first study, the batch digesters were operated at different dye wastewater (DW)/WS ratios (0–50% v/v), substrate-to-inoculum ratio of 0.28–0.50 g/g, pH 7.0 ± 0.2, and 37 °C. The digester operated at a DW/WS fraction of 65/35% (v/v) showed the best chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 68.52 ± 3.40% with bio-CH₄ of 270.52 ± 19.14 mL/g COD_removed. About 52.96 ± 3.61% of the initial COD mass was converted to CH₄, avoiding inhibition caused by volatile fatty acid (VFA) accumulation. In the second experiment, the dry digestate was thermally treated at 550 °C for 2 h under an oxygen-deprived condition, yielding 0.613 ± 0.031 g biochar/g. This biochar exhibited multiple functional groups, mineral contents, and high stability (O/C = 0.193). The combined digestion/pyrolysis scenario treating 35 m³/d (106.75 kg COD/d) could maintain profits from pollution reduction, biogas, biochar, and carbon trading, obtaining a 6.5-year payback period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Processes and Technologies for Wastewater: Collection, Treatment, and Resource)

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18 pages, 5877 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CTAB Surfactant Promotes Rapid, Efficient, and Simultaneous Removal of Cationic and Anionic Dyes through Adsorption on Glycerol/Citrate Polyester

by Andrés F. Chamorro, Tulio A. Lerma and Manuel Palencia

Water 2024, 16(13), 1860; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16131860 - 28 Jun 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2333

Abstract

The discharge of dye waste by industries has caused environmental impacts on water properties, aquatic species, and human life. The production of eco-friendly materials for dye removal from wastewater has gained increasing interest, particularly through adsorption, as it is an efficient method for [...] Read more.

The discharge of dye waste by industries has caused environmental impacts on water properties, aquatic species, and human life. The production of eco-friendly materials for dye removal from wastewater has gained increasing interest, particularly through adsorption, as it is an efficient method for removing pollutants. However, the selectivity and limited adsorption capacity of materials for simultaneously adsorbing cationic and anionic dyes make it challenging to address the prevailing dye effluent issue. In this work, a poly(glycerol citrate) polyester was prepared without a solvent, using microwave heating, and was combined with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to modulate the simultaneous adsorption of cationic (Rhodamine B, RB) and anionic dyes (acid blue 113, AB and acid red 27, AR). The formation of the polyester was successfully confirmed by ATR-FTIR and the thermal properties were evaluated by TGA and DCS. In the presence of CTAB 5 mM, the material removes almost 100% of the dyes, reaching the kinetics equilibrium in 30 min following the Pseudo-second order model. Additionally, dye adsorption on the polyester in the presence of CTAB was described by the Freundlich isotherm model, indicating a heterogeneous polyester surface that promotes a multi-layer adsorption driven by electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonds. The material showed an adsorption capacity of 73.7 ± 3.2, 82.1 ± 4.4, and 21.2 ± 0.6 mg/g for RB, AB, and AR, respectively. Our results provide evidence that the poly(glycerol citrate)/CTAB has a higher potential for application in wastewater treatment to remove both anionic and cationic dyes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Processes and Technologies for Wastewater: Collection, Treatment, and Resource)

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16 pages, 11747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adsorption of Rhodamine B in Aqueous Solution by Mg/CS Composite Modified Attapulgite

by Mei Zhang, Hanjie Chen, Ziying Bu and Ying Fang

Processes 2024, 12(7), 1287; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12071287 - 21 Jun 2024

Viewed by 1222

Abstract

The safety of people’s everyday water consumption has been gravely challenged by wastewater from printing and dyeing, however, research on effective contaminants removal from wastewater is encouraging. In this experiment, attapulgite modified with Mg²⁺ was calcined, and chitosan was added to create [...] Read more.

The safety of people’s everyday water consumption has been gravely challenged by wastewater from printing and dyeing, however, research on effective contaminants removal from wastewater is encouraging. In this experiment, attapulgite modified with Mg²⁺ was calcined, and chitosan was added to create attapulgite composites. By refining the experimental parameters of the preparation, the adsorption performance of rhodamine B in wastewater was enhanced. A fully automated specific surface area and porosity investigation, a method known as X-ray diffraction, and nitrogen adsorption desorption equilibrium temperatures at 77 K were all performed. The original and composite attapulgite samples were evaluated using BET, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Composite materials were prepared using n (Mg²⁺)/m (AP) = 30 mmol/g, m (CS)/m (AP) = 1/3, a calcination temperature of 300 °C, and 1 h. After a series of adsorption experiments, manifesting that adding 0.2 g of attapulgite, at an initial concentration of 800 mg/L, pH of 4, temperature of 25 °C, and stirring for half an hour resulted in a maximum adsorption capacity of 325.73 mg/g. According to thermodynamic and kinetic equations, the pseudo-second-order kinetic theory is more consistent with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm (R² = 0.999). Upon examining the thermodynamic properties of ΔS, ΔH, and ΔG, it was found that the reaction is a spontaneous endothermic process that could potentially be utilized to eliminate Rh B. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Processes and Technologies for Wastewater: Collection, Treatment, and Resource)

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12 pages, 2876 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Elimination of Levofloxacin from High-Salinity Wastewater via the Electrochlorination Process

by Mingfei Wei, Jingyu Li, Bingqing Jing, Xuankun Li and Guanghui Li

Water 2024, 16(10), 1355; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16101355 - 10 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1465

Abstract

The electrochlorination (E-Cl) process has attracted much attention as it is a highly efficient method for treating organic compounds in hypersaline wastewater. In this study, the E-Cl process was utilized for the removal of antibiotics. The optimal experimental conditions were determined to be [...] Read more.

The electrochlorination (E-Cl) process has attracted much attention as it is a highly efficient method for treating organic compounds in hypersaline wastewater. In this study, the E-Cl process was utilized for the removal of antibiotics. The optimal experimental conditions were determined to be a NaCl concentration of 100 mM, a current density of 1.5 mA/cm², a pH of 7.0, and a plate spacing of 1 cm, with a levofloxacin (LEV) degradation efficiency reaching as high as 99% using this setup. The effects of the presence of other ions and humic acid on the E-Cl process were investigated, and it was found that the degradation of LEV was not significantly affected by the presence of coexisting substances. In addition, free chlorine was identified as the primary active species for the degradation of LEV by means of a quenching experiment. It was demonstrated by 3D EEM and TOC that LEV was not completely mineralized and that intermediate products may be present. In order to reveal the degradation pathways of LEV, its degradation products were also analyzed via LC-MS, and some possible pathways of LEV degradation in this system were proposed. The successful degradation of LEV demonstrated that the E-Cl process is an efficient and promising technique for the treatment of organic pollutants in high-salinity wastewater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Processes and Technologies for Wastewater: Collection, Treatment, and Resource)

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13 pages, 3191 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficient Separation of Re (VII) and Mo (VI) by Extraction Using E-1006–Ammonium Sulfate Aqueous Two-Phase System

by Linlin Fan, Wenhui Li, Zilong Dai, Min Zhou and Yunren Qiu

Separations 2024, 11(5), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations11050142 - 7 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1307

Abstract

Aqueous two-phase extraction (APTE) stands out as an environmentally friendly technique for the separation of metal ions. The separation of Re (VII) and Mo (VI) in an aqueous solution was investigated using a novel aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) consisting of isodecanol polyoxyethylene ether [...] Read more.

Aqueous two-phase extraction (APTE) stands out as an environmentally friendly technique for the separation of metal ions. The separation of Re (VII) and Mo (VI) in an aqueous solution was investigated using a novel aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) consisting of isodecanol polyoxyethylene ether (E-1006), ammonium sulfate, and water. A phase diagram of this system was developed, and the effects of pH, temperature, extraction time, the concentrations of E-1006 and (NH₄)₂SO₄, and metal ions on the separation of Re (VII) and Mo (VI) were examined. The results show that at pH 7.0, Mo (VI) had almost transformed into the (NH₄)₂SO₄-rich phase, while Re (VI) was extracted into the E-1006-rich phase. The increase in temperature induces a transition of Mo (VI) to the salt-rich phase, which is unfavorable for the extraction of Re (VII). The increase in the concentrations of E-1006 and (NH₄)₂SO₄ has a positive effect on the separation of rhenium and molybdenum. Overall, the ATPS consisting of 200 g/L of E-1006, 200 g/L of (NH₄)₂SO₄, and water yields an extraction efficiency of 97.2% for Re and a high separation factor of 2700 for Re (VII) and Mo (VI) from a mixture of 0.1 g/L of Re (VII) and 5 g/L of Mo (VI) at pH 7.0 and 323.15 K. Separation studies of the simulated leaching solution show that the extraction efficiency for Re (VI) is 99.1% and the separation factor of Re (VII) and Mo (VI) is 5100. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Processes and Technologies for Wastewater: Collection, Treatment, and Resource)

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18 pages, 6650 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Innovative Plant-Derived Biomaterials for Sustainable and Effective Removal of Cationic and Anionic Dyes: Kinetic and Thermodynamic Study

by El Mokhtar Saoudi Hassani, Dounia Azzouni, Mohammed M. Alanazi, Imane Mehdaoui, Rachid Mahmoud, Atul Kabra, Abdeslam Taleb, Mustapha Taleb and Zakia Rais

Processes 2024, 12(5), 922; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12050922 - 30 Apr 2024

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1410

Abstract

The aim of this study is to purify industrial textile effluents by treating two types of commonly encountered dyes: blue maxilon (BM), of cationic nature, and black eriochrome (NE), of anionic nature. We intend to employ an innovative approach based on the adsorption [...] Read more.

The aim of this study is to purify industrial textile effluents by treating two types of commonly encountered dyes: blue maxilon (BM), of cationic nature, and black eriochrome (NE), of anionic nature. We intend to employ an innovative approach based on the adsorption of these dyes onto a novel vegetal biomaterial derived from Aleppo pine fibers (FPAs). A kinetic and thermodynamic study was conducted. The effect of some physicochemical parameters on both dye adsorption and FPAs was also evaluated. The modeling of the adsorption results was performed using Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin Radushkevich (D-R) isotherms. The results indicate that the equilibrium time strongly depends on the initial concentration of the two dyes, being 60 min with pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetics for both dyes. Adsorption isotherms under the optimal conditions of adsorbent mass, temperature, medium pH, and dye concentration were used to determine the maximum adsorption efficiency, which was close to 93% and 98% for BM and NE, respectively. The results also show that the adsorption of both dyes on FPAs fits well with Langmuir’s model. The thermodynamic study indicates that the adsorption of both dyes on FPAs is spontaneous and exothermic in nature for BM and endothermic for NE. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Processes and Technologies for Wastewater: Collection, Treatment, and Resource)

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15 pages, 3060 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Modeling Analysis of Wastewater Heat Recovery Effects on Wastewater Treatment Plant Nitrification

by Davide Mattioli, Gianpaolo Sabia, Luigi Petta, Margherita Altobelli, Margherita Evangelisti and Marco Maglionico

Water 2024, 16(8), 1074; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16081074 - 9 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1966

Abstract

A global shift towards renewable energy production, driven primarily by the challenges posed by climate change, is currently underway. In this context, the utilization of heat recovery from municipal wastewater emerges as a promising green technology. Notably, the advantage of implementing energy recovery [...] Read more.

A global shift towards renewable energy production, driven primarily by the challenges posed by climate change, is currently underway. In this context, the utilization of heat recovery from municipal wastewater emerges as a promising green technology. Notably, the advantage of implementing energy recovery in sewers, as opposed to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), lies in the higher temperature of the wastewater and its proximity to potential heat users. Despite these benefits, concerns arise regarding the potential adverse effects on biological wastewater treatment processes downstream of the heat recovery section, particularly during colder seasons. This paper seeks to assess the impact of a heat recovery system along the sewer network on the efficiency of biological wastewater treatment processes. The methodology involves a modeling analysis of a real sewage network in Italy. Under typical northern Italy climate conditions, the results demonstrate the feasibility of heat recovery in sewers for WWTPs designed with a sludge residence time under aerobic conditions (SRT_aer) greater than 13 days. In such cases, the nitrification process remains relatively unaffected. However, for lower SRT_aer values, a case-specific feasibility assessment is recommended to evaluate the overall process efficiency comprehensively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Processes and Technologies for Wastewater: Collection, Treatment, and Resource)

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16 pages, 3161 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Objective Optimization Based on Simulation Integrated Pareto Analysis to Achieve Low-Carbon and Economical Operation of a Wastewater Treatment Plant

by Jianbo Liao, Shuang Li, Yihong Liu, Siyuan Mao, Tuo Tian, Xueyan Ma, Bing Li and Yong Qiu

Water 2024, 16(7), 995; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16070995 - 29 Mar 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2026

Abstract

It is essential to reduce carbon emissions in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to achieve carbon neutrality in society. However, current optimization of WWTPs prioritizes the operation cost index (OCI) and effluent quality index (EQI) over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study aims to [...] Read more.

It is essential to reduce carbon emissions in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to achieve carbon neutrality in society. However, current optimization of WWTPs prioritizes the operation cost index (OCI) and effluent quality index (EQI) over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study aims to conduct a multi-objective optimization of a WWTP, considering GHG emissions, EQI, and OCI. The anaerobic-anoxic-oxic integrated membrane bioreactor (AAO-MBR) process in an actual WWTP was selected as a typical case, tens of thousands of scenarios with combinations of six operational parameters (dissolved oxygen (DO), external carbon resource (ECR), poly aluminum chloride (PAC), internal reflux ratio (IRR), external reflux ratio (ERR), and sludge discharge (SD)) were simulated by GPS-X software (Hydromantics 8.0.1). It was shown that ECR has the greatest impact on optimization objectives. In the optimal scenario, the main parameters of ATDO, MTDO, IRR, and ERR were 0.1 mg/L, 4 mg/L, 50%, and 100%, respectively. The EQI, OCI, and GHG of the best scenario were 0.046 kg/m³, 0.27 ¥/m³, and 0.51 kgCO₂/m³, which were 2.1%, 72.2%, and 34.6% better than the current situation of the case WWTP, respectively. This study provides an effective method for realizing low-carbon and economical operation of WWTPs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Processes and Technologies for Wastewater: Collection, Treatment, and Resource)

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