Topic Editors

Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), University of Bologna, Viale Fontanelle, 40-47121 Forli, Italy
Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento, 2-40136 Bologna, Italy
Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento, 2-40136 Bologna, Italy

Sustainable Water Purification Technologies for Multiple Applications, 2nd Edition

Abstract submission deadline
28 February 2027
Manuscript submission deadline
30 April 2027
Viewed by
2297

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water is an element that is key to the maintenance of human well-being, poverty reduction, and sustainable development. Even in countries with adequate water resources, water scarcity is not uncommon. Although this may be due to a number of factors, such as inefficient infrastructure and distribution systems, contamination, conflict, or the poor management of water resources, it is evident that climate change, as well as human factors, are increasingly depriving a relevant part of the population worldwide from access to water. Therefore, proposals for highly effective and inexpensive methods of fresh, salt, and wastewater treatment and purification are of great importance. Moreover, it is crucial to consider the water–energy–food nexus; water security is very much linked with both energy and food security, meaning that the actions in any one particular area often have effects in one or both of the other areas.

At the present stage, there are a vast number of methods available for the treatment of waste and natural waters and the treatment target may vary on the basis of water-specific application (i.e., drinkable water, domestic hot water production, water for irrigation, water for industrial/energy processes, and water for e-fuels generation, such as hydrogen). Modern methods of water treatment include the use of various sorption materials (like nanostructures, sorbents from waste, biosorbents, and plant sorbents); membrane technologies (like ultra- and microfiltration and reverse osmosis); phytoremediation technologies using higher aquatic plants (like Eichhornia, duckweed, and limnophila); and many more, depending on the final water use and chemical–physical characteristics required. The development and application of innovative and sustainable methods of water treatment for multiple applications will solve a number of environmental problems that are associated with clean water and public health, as well as increasing food and energy security.

This Topic, entitled “Sustainable Water Purification Technologies for Multiple Applications, 2nd Edition", aims to systematize sustainable technologies used around the world, providing the global community with water for multiple applications in the water–food–energy nexus and related areas.

The featured topics are as follows:

  • Sustainable treatment of natural water and wastewater for drinkable water production, including through the application of sorbents, biological, physical, and chemical methods;
  • Sustainable treatment of natural water and wastewater for direct use in agriculture, including desalination;
  • Sustainable treatment of natural water and wastewater for direct use in industrial processes, including heat and power plants;
  • Sustainable treatment of natural water and wastewater for use as a feeding element to energy-to-chemical conversion systems, such as water electrolysis.

Dr. Marco Pellegrini
Prof. Cesare Saccani
Dr. Alessandro Guzzini
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • water purification
  • water treatment
  • sorbents
  • biological treatment
  • chemical treatment

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
BioTech
biotech
3.6 5.6 2012 20.7 Days CHF 1800 Submit
Clean Technologies
cleantechnol
5.9 9.4 2019 20.9 Days CHF 1800 Submit
Molecules
molecules
5.1 10.3 1996 15.6 Days CHF 2700 Submit
Purification
purification
- - 2025 15.0 days * CHF 1000 Submit
Separations
separations
3.5 6.4 2014 15.1 Days CHF 2600 Submit
Sustainability
sustainability
4.1 8.9 2009 16.9 Days CHF 2400 Submit
Sustainable Chemistry
suschem
5.0 7.8 2020 19.8 Days CHF 1200 Submit
Water
water
3.5 6.7 2009 17.7 Days CHF 2600 Submit

* Median value for all MDPI journals in the first half of 2026.


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Published Papers (3 papers)

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20 pages, 7383 KB  
Article
Treatment of Licorice Wastewater via Coagulation–Flocculation and Ozonation Combination: ANN-GA Modeling and Optimization
by Babak Rouhi Broujeni and Ayoub Karimi-Jashni
Separations 2026, 13(9), 255; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations13090255 - 10 Sep 2026
Viewed by 194
Abstract
This study aimed to remove licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) extract from pharmaceutical wastewater using a combination of treatment processes. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was coupled with a Genetic Algorithm (GA) to optimize the treatment parameters. Alum, polyaluminum chloride (PAC), and ferric chloride (FC), [...] Read more.
This study aimed to remove licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) extract from pharmaceutical wastewater using a combination of treatment processes. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was coupled with a Genetic Algorithm (GA) to optimize the treatment parameters. Alum, polyaluminum chloride (PAC), and ferric chloride (FC), were first screened for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color removal, after which alum was selected as the most effective coagulant for further experiments. The optimal ANN structure was identified based on three criteria: mean absolute percentage error, normalized root mean squared error, and correlation coefficient (R). The variables analyzed included pH (7–12), coagulant dose (200–1000 mg L−1), and oxidation time (6–60 min). ANOVA results revealed that coagulant type was the most statistically significant factor influencing both COD and color removal (p < 0.01), while pH and dose had relatively lower effects unless paired optimally. Results demonstrated a removal efficiency of approximately 98% under optimal conditions (pH = 10, coagulant dose = 610 mg L−1, and ozonation time = 53 min), with a remaining COD of 190 mg L−1. Overall, the combined coagulation–flocculation and ozonation process demonstrated high effectiveness for the treatment of licorice-based pharmaceutical wastewater. Full article
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14 pages, 11284 KB  
Article
Treatment of Industrial Wastewater from the Baleysky Gold Deposit Using Artificial Geochemical Barriers
by Konstantin R. Frolov and Valentina P. Zvereva
Clean Technol. 2026, 8(4), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol8040096 - 23 Jun 2026
Viewed by 480
Abstract
The Baleysky gold deposit in Eastern Transbaikalia is a classic example of the long-term environmental legacy of gold mining. The cessation of industrial wastewater discharge in 1995 led to the accumulation of more than 3 million m3 of acidic water with high [...] Read more.
The Baleysky gold deposit in Eastern Transbaikalia is a classic example of the long-term environmental legacy of gold mining. The cessation of industrial wastewater discharge in 1995 led to the accumulation of more than 3 million m3 of acidic water with high concentrations of heavy metals and metalloids. These waters contain concentrations many times higher than the maximum permissible levels for fishery waters (Mn up to 6594, Al—1473, Zn—486, and Cu—414), posing a significant threat to the ecosystem of the Unda River and the health of the local population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the artificial geochemical barrier method for treating such waters under laboratory conditions. Column experiments were conducted using local soil and the commercial carbonate sorbent taurite at a sorbent-to-filtrate ratio of 1:5. Taurite demonstrated a significantly higher sorption capacity than soil, substantially reducing the concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Al, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Cu and raising the pH from 2.90 to 7.96–8.03. Although health risks associated with both carcinogenic (CR) and non-carcinogenic effects (HI) decreased significantly after treatment with taurite, residual risk levels remained unacceptably high (CR ≈ 10−3, HI > 1). The results show that engineered geochemical barriers have great potential for reducing anthropogenic contamination at abandoned mining sites, although further optimization of this technology is necessary to achieve compliance with regulatory requirements. Full article
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22 pages, 5265 KB  
Article
Comparative Evaluation of Graywater Treatment Technologies for Hammam Water Reuse in Urban Areas
by Hajar Nourredine and Matthias Barjenbruch
Water 2026, 18(10), 1199; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18101199 - 15 May 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 576
Abstract
Urban water scarcity and climate change pose significant challenges for sustainable development, particularly in rapidly expanding metropolitan areas. In cities like Casablanca, these pressures also threaten the preservation of cultural heritage sites such as traditional public bathhouses (Hammams). This study investigates how Hammams [...] Read more.
Urban water scarcity and climate change pose significant challenges for sustainable development, particularly in rapidly expanding metropolitan areas. In cities like Casablanca, these pressures also threaten the preservation of cultural heritage sites such as traditional public bathhouses (Hammams). This study investigates how Hammams can integrate sustainable water management solutions in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11), focusing on the treatment and reuse of graywater. This study compares three graywater treatment systems, a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR), a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), and a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR), evaluated through literature review and dimensioning calculations, and also integrates an existing treatment plant in Berlin that functions as a real-scale laboratory. The comparison is based on a set of technical, economic, and environmental criteria used for comparative engineering design assessment and evaluation for the selected Hammam water reuse applications. All systems are technically feasible but show distinct trade-offs. The SBR has the lowest energy demand and highest cost savings, the MBBR offers a compact and simple design, and the MBR provides the highest effluent quality at a higher energy cost. Heat recovery provides a significant thermal energy recovery potential but is reported separately from the electrical energy demand of the treatment systems. Full article
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