Submit to Water Review for Water Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Urban Water Cycle: Fate, Occurrence, Detection, Monitoring, and Control

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Quality and Contamination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 July 2022) | Viewed by 43143

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Vincenzo Naddeo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division (SEED), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, Fisciano, SA, Italy
Interests: advances oxidation processes (AOPs); biotecnologies; control of emerging contaminants; enviromental odour; environmental technologies for the sustainable development of smart cities; water energy nexus
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Chi-Wang Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, Tamkang University, 151 Yingzhuan Road Tamsui District, New Taipei City 25137, Taiwan
Interests: industrial wastewater treatment; crystallization; electrochemical processes; membrane processes; redox processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In a world where uncertainty is a key concept, monumental challenges such as (and especially) contamination by emerging compounds are at the forefront of everyday life and need urgent action. One effect of contamination is the alteration of the natural environment, especially water resources on which most living organisms rely. A promising approach is redefining the value of water in a sustainable aspect, a principle that must be introduced to future generations. Therefore, the sustainability concept is continuously introduced. In urban areas, the need for safe drinking water is a fundamental issue related to the role of water in cities and the impacts of urbanization on the hydrological cycle and on water resources. Urban agriculture as well as different circular economy strategies are applied to the urban water cycle without a robust risk analysis.

In a sustainable concept, wastewater must be seen as a resource rather than a liability because not all urban areas have access to natural sources of drinking water. Numerous conventional and emerging contaminants (ECs) are found in wastewater, such as pharmaceutical, microplastics, nanoparticles, and radioactive materials, and more recently, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has been detected in wastewater compartments. Due to these phenomena, the integration of nano- and biotechnologies such as membrane separation and toxicogenomic as an innovative method must be carried out to establish autonomous decentralized water and wastewater treatment systems and also health risk assessment technologies for micropollutants.

To strengthen sustainable programs, smart tools partnered with information and communication technology (ICT) are of greater importance for economic and social development. In this way, cities can be more resilient to environmental and anthropic pressures. In a smart environment, there will be an efficient distribution of resources. All sectors are participating in a network of a complex interplay to ease the burdens of people in the city. Communication is made easy, accessible, and the speed of implementation can be felt due to the minimal human factor involved, thanks to automation, analytics, and sensor systems, making it simple for most activities to be performed remotely.

The overarching goal of this Special Issue is to highlight the recent innovative water and wastewater solutions as well as existing and potential technologies for the valorization and protection of water from conventional and emerging contaminants. Relevant topics include:

Technologies for environmental monitoring of water resources and ecosystems;
Fate, occurrence, detection, monitoring, and control of emerging contaminants in the urban water cycle;
Occurrence and measurement techniques of emerging environmental pollutants;
Environmental risk assessments of pollutants in urban water;
Toxicology studies associated with emerging pollutants in urban water;
Remediation technologies involved in treatment and removal of pollutants;
Strategies for monitoring and control of impacts of bacteria resistant to antibiotics;
Water harvesting and sustainable innovations;
Separation and purification technologies for resource recovery from waste streams;
Wastewater treatment plant innovations for increasing water value and/or for the implementation of sustainable development;
Use of natural processes for maintaining water quality and recirculation (bacteria, microalgae, duckweed)
Monitoring and control of water sources;
Design new infrastructure for water storage, use, reuse, or supply augmentation;
Innovative services, mainly drinking water, sanitation, and related human health aspects;
New technologies for sustainable production and socioeconomic activity, such as food and agriculture, energy and industry, and business and employment;
Solutions for sociocultural values of water, including recreational and cultural attributes and educational and training platforms for society.

Case studies and experiences from different global regions are welcome, as are opportunities to reconcile multiple values of water through more integrated and holistic approaches to governance; approaches to financing; and methods to address knowledge, research, and capacity needs.

This Special Issue of Water (MDPI) invites different types of contributions, such as short mini-review papers, applications, and case studies. This Special Issue will provide a platform and an opportunity to promote cooperation, information dissemination, and exchange among researchers and industry on the basis of the water circular economy.

Prof. Dr. Vincenzo Naddeo
Prof. Dr. Chi-Wang Li
Guest Editors

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 contaminants
ecosystems
risk assessments
remediation technologies
natural processes
water reuse

Published Papers (12 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 1169 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Can Low-Carbon Tourism Awareness Promote Rural and Ecological Development, Create Safe Leisure Spaces, and Increase Public Happiness? A Discussion from the Perspective of Different Stakeholders

by Hsiao-Hsien Lin, Ying Ling, I-Shen Chen, Pei-Yi Wu, I-Cheng Hsu, Chin-Hsien Hsu and Su-Fang Zhang

Water 2022, 14(21), 3557; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14213557 - 05 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1920

Abstract

This study analyzed the effects of low-carbon tourism awareness, attitudes, and behaviors on the development of villages in the catchment area of Erhai Lake in China. We quantitatively analyzed data from 828 valid questionnaires in IBM SPSS 26.0 using Pearson correlation analysis. Thereafter, we interviewed nine respondents, including scholars, seniors, tour guides, and local businessmen, about the results. Finally, we summarized the data and subjected them to multivariate analysis. The results revealed that low-carbon tourism education and promotion increased public recognition of the need to protect the environment by using low-pollution transportation, staying close to home, and buying minimally packaged goods to create a safe leisure environment. However, many tourists are not willing to accept having to increase their budgets for accommodations, food, and living to engage in low-carbon tourism. Therefore, we suggest that increasing incentives to encourage the public to engage in low-carbon tourism and other consumption behaviors may help reduce the damage to the ecological environments of catchment areas, improve the village’s economic development, and promote the sustainable development of the catchment area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Urban Water Cycle: Fate, Occurrence, Detection, Monitoring, and Control)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1632 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Optical Method for Quantitative Detection of Microplastics in Water Based on Real-Time Fluorescence Analysis

by Eleonora Nicolai, Roberto Pizzoferrato, Yuliu Li, Simona Frattegiani, Alessandro Nucara and Giulia Costa

Water 2022, 14(20), 3235; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14203235 - 14 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3720

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) have recently emerged as a new major and ubiquitous environmental pollutant with still undefined, yet potentially high risks for human health and ecosystems. This has prompted growing public concern along with an increasing number of scientific studies. In particular, recent research has highlighted the need for a standardized methodology to monitor microplastics in different media, particularly in water. This study reports on the use of a new particle counter for the quantitative detection of MPs in water samples based on real-time analysis of fluorescence emissions. The instrument was calibrated using two types of plastic particles, i.e., polyvinyl chloride and high-density polyethylene, selected as examples of high- and low-density plastics, respectively. Specific solvents were used to match the different plastic densities. Measurements were also carried out on particles obtained from wastewater samples collected at the inlet and outlet of specific units of a municipal wastewater treatment plant after sieving, filtering, digestion with hydrogen peroxide to remove degradable organic matter and resuspension in the solvents employed during the calibration step. A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis performed on the same wastewater samples confirmed the presence of MPs, and, in particular, of polyethylene, in some of the samples in which the highest concentrations were measured applying the proposed method. Therefore, the novel particle counter described in this paper could represent a promising method to quantitatively measure MP concentrations in water samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Urban Water Cycle: Fate, Occurrence, Detection, Monitoring, and Control)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2826 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Caffeine and COD from Coffee Wastewater on Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation (Anammox) Activities

by Titima Wongphoom, Tharinee Saleepochn, Pongsak Lek Noophan and Chi-Wang Li

Water 2022, 14(14), 2238; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14142238 - 16 Jul 2022

Viewed by 2346

Abstract

An anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process was employed to remove nitrogen from wastewater generated from a coffee brewing facility. The effects of caffeine and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in coffee wastewater on anammox activity were investigated. The anammox activity was inhibited in synthetic wastewater with a caffeine concentration greater than 350 mg/L. Daily additions of caffeine at 2.5 mg/L for 28 days to the same substrate did not inhibit anammox activity. However, daily additions of coffee wastewater with COD of ≥387 mg/L and caffeine at 2.5 mg/L significantly inhibited anammox activity. Because the pH was increased in the system, resulting in an increase in free ammonia (FA) concentration, one could postulate that FA is an inhibitor of anammox activity. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis was employed to determine the populations of anammox and denitrifying bacteria. Coffee wastewater with bacterial COD to total nitrogen (bCOD:TN) ratios of 0.3–0.6:1 did not have any effect on the abundances of anammox and denitrifying bacteria. The results from this work suggest that biodegradable COD (bCOD) rather than total COD (TCOD) should be used for calculating the COD:TN ratio during the study of the effects of nitrogen removal from real wastewaters using the anammox process. A not-competitive model could fit the anammox inhibition with caffeine concentrations at 50–500 mg/L with maximum specific anammox activity (SAA_max) of 0.594 mg-N/mg-volatile suspended solids (VSS)/d and inhibitory constant (K_i) of 480.97 mg/L. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Urban Water Cycle: Fate, Occurrence, Detection, Monitoring, and Control)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 3021 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Isolation of Bacteria Capable of Degrading Various AHLs for Biofouling Control in Membrane Bioreactors

by I-Chieh Chien, Chiao-Yun Chu and Chien-Yu Huang

Water 2022, 14(11), 1712; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14111712 - 26 May 2022

Viewed by 2212

Abstract

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are widely used to treat wastewater, mainly due to the production of high-quality effluent. However, biofilm forming on the surface of membranes can cause many problems, which remains one of the major limitations of this technique. Bacterial quorum quenching (QQ) has been proven to be a successful strategy to control biofouling in MBRs. However, for many QQ bacterial isolates, the detailed degradation rates of acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) have rarely been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate potential QQ bacteria and investigate their degradation rates against eight different AHLs. Results showed that four isolates (A9, A12, B11, and D3) exhibited consistent C8-HSL–(N-octanoyl-L-homoserine lactone) removal capabilities. These four isolates removed at least 70% of all AHLs tested within 180 min. They might have different QQ enzymes, based on our observation that the locations of enzyme activities differed. The bacteria most closely related to A9, A12, and B11 were Brucella anthropic, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus toyonensis, respectively. Bacillus species have shown QQ activity in many studies, but AHL-reducing Brucella species have not been previously reported. Overall, this study extends our current knowledge of QQ bacteria that could be used to mitigate biofilm formation on MBR membranes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Urban Water Cycle: Fate, Occurrence, Detection, Monitoring, and Control)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 3233 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pharmaceuticals as Emerging Pollutants in the Reclaimed Wastewater Used in Irrigation and Their Effects on Plants, Soils, and Groundwater

by Ghaida Ali Abdallat, Elias Salameh, Musa Shteiwi and Sanaa Bardaweel

Water 2022, 14(10), 1560; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14101560 - 12 May 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2802

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were investigated in five wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), groundwater, irrigated soils, and plants in Amman and Al-Balqa governorates in Jordan. PPCPs were extracted from water samples by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). Carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, ceftiofur, diclofenac, erythromycin, lincomycin, ofloxacin, pyrimthamine, spiramycin, sulfamethoxazole, sulfapyridine, testosterone, trimethoprim, and thiamphenicol were detected in all raw wastewaters in μg/L, whereas 45 PPCPs were below the detection limits (<0.02 μg/L) in all samples. Na`ur and Abu Nuseir WWTPs showed high PPCPs removal efficiencies in comparison with AL-Baqa`a, Salt, and Fuhais-Mahis WWTPs. Boqorreya spring showed signs of contamination by Salt WWTP effluents as a result of mixing. Irrigation with effluents showed higher carbamazepine concentrations in soils at the top soil layers (0 to 20 cm) in all farms than its concentrations at the root zone (20 to 40 cm) by using drip irrigation system with various plants. In plants, carbamazepine concentration was only detected in high concentration level in mint leaves. In the same farm, diclofenac concentration was detected only in olives and not in twigs and leaves, indicating a high rate of plant uptake especially during the olive’s growth period. Furthermore, plant fruits, leaves, and stems left on the farm after harvesting are generally consumed by cattle, which means entering the food chain of humans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Urban Water Cycle: Fate, Occurrence, Detection, Monitoring, and Control)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 1759 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Water Quality of Buritis Lake

by Renata Kikuda, Raylane Pereira Gomes, Aline Rodrigues Gama, Junilsom Augusto De Paula Silva, Adailton Pereira Dos Santos, Keliane Rodrigues Alves, Poliana Nascimento Arruda, Paulo Sérgio Scalize, José Daniel Gonçalves Vieira, Lilian Carla Carneiro and Debora De Jesus Pires

Water 2022, 14(9), 1414; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14091414 - 28 Apr 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2233

Abstract

The implementation of natural parks in cities is a current and controversial theme. Therefore, in Lake Buritis, which is a leisure area for the population of the city of Goiatuba, Goiás, Brazil, the quality of the water was analyzed, carrying out quantitative tests of the water samples at six different points between the source and the outlet of the lake that flows into the stream, Chico À Toa. Physical–chemical tests (turbidity, pH, alkalinity, electrical conductivity, color, nitrate and hardness parameters), microbiological tests for species identification, analysis of the antimicrobial susceptibility profile, metals analysis and Allium cepa test, were performed. The total coliforms number in water samples was higher than the maximum value established by Brazilian legislation, demonstrating high fecal contamination during the spring in samples from an artesian well. The bacterial diversity found was large and there were many pathogenic bacteria. The A. cepa test demonstrated a cytotoxic potential for water from the source and outlet of Buritis Lake. Statistical tests were applied to verify existing correlations between parameters. Among the analyzed data, the highest correlation was between the color and turbidity parameters and the grouping between the metals (lead, iron, cadmium and magnesium). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Urban Water Cycle: Fate, Occurrence, Detection, Monitoring, and Control)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

23 pages, 6877 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Study on the Release Persistence of Microencapsulated Tea Tree Essential Oil in Hotel Hot Spring Water

by Jui-Liang Hsu, Tzu-Yun Lin, Jung-Hul Chien, Chin-Hsien Hsu, Hsiao-Hsien Lin and An-Chi Yeh

Water 2022, 14(9), 1391; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14091391 - 26 Apr 2022

Viewed by 1491

Abstract

To improve business performance and achieve sustainable development through the concept of hot spring resource reuse, this study investigated the antibacterial effect of alginate-coated tea tree essential oil microcapsules and the effect of alginate microcapsules on the release of tea tree essential oil. The results revealed that 450 μm alginate/tea tree essential oil microcapsules (containing 720 ppm of tea tree essential oil) prepared using microfluidic assemblies effectively inhibited total bacteria, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus in hot spring water. For alginate/tea tree essential oil microcapsules prepared under different conditions, at a fixed concentration of cross-linking reagents, the release time increased with the cross-linking time (10 min > 5 min > 1 min). At a fixed cross-linking time, the release time increased with the concentrations of cross-linking reagents (1 M > 0.5 M > 0.1 M). When the concentrations of cross-linking reagents and the cross-linking time were the same, the release time of cross-linking reagents increased with the strength of metal activity (Ca > Zn). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Urban Water Cycle: Fate, Occurrence, Detection, Monitoring, and Control)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 3162 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Salt Removal by Chemically Modified Graphene in Capacitive Deionization (CDI)

by Ching-Yu Peng, Yi-Fang Chen and Ching-Yi Wang

Water 2022, 14(9), 1379; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14091379 - 24 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1915

Abstract

Obtaining clean water from salt water by capacitive deionization (CDI) with chemically modified graphene (rGO) was explored in this study. Strong acid (HNO₃:H₂SO₄ = 2:1) was employed to modify rGO to enhance its hydrophilicity and electrochemical properties. Characteristics of rGO with/without acid modification were analyzed by XRD, SEM, FTIR, contact angle, BET, and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Contributions of sulfonic acid groups, hydroxyl groups, and NO₂ stretching after acid modification resulted in better wettability and higher specific capacitance of rGO. The contact angle for rGO dropped from 84.9° to 35.1° (am-rGO), indicating improved hydrophilicity of rGO with acid modification. The specific capacitance of am-rGO can reach 150.2 F/g at the scan rate of 1 mV/s. The average NaCl electrosorption capacity of the CDI process with am-rGO was 0.63 mg NaCl/g electrode (10.86 μmol NaCl/g electrode), which indicated rGO with acid modification can enhance the electrosorption capacity by 3.9 times. This study demonstrated that chemical modification can significantly improve the hydrophilicity, electrochemical properties, and electrosorption performance of rGO, which has potential for applications to other carbon-based materials for CDI systems to improve salt removal efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Urban Water Cycle: Fate, Occurrence, Detection, Monitoring, and Control)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

16 pages, 1940 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficacies of Nitrogen Removal and Comparisons of Microbial Communities in Full-Scale (Pre-Anoxic Systems) Municipal Water Resource Recovery Facilities at Low and High COD:TN Ratios

by Supaporn Phanwilai, Pongsak (Lek) Noophan, Chi-Wang Li and Kwang-Ho Choo

Water 2022, 14(5), 720; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14050720 - 24 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1504

Abstract

At a low COD:TN ratio (≤5) in influent, maintaining a longer HRT (≥9 h) and longer SRT (≥30 d) are suggested to improve higher N removal efficiency in case of operation at low DO (Dissolved oxygen) level (0.9 ± 0.2 mg-O₂/L). However, in case of operation at high DO level (4.0 ± 0.5 mg-O₂/L), short HRT (1 h) and typical SRT (17 d) make it possible to achieve nitrogen removal. On the other hand, at a high COD:TN ratio (≥8.4), a typical HRT (9–15 h), SRT (12–19 d), and DO level (1.3–2.6 mg-O₂/L) would be applied. Microbial distribution analysis showed an abundance of AOA (Ammonia-oxidizing archaea) under conditions of low DO (≤0.9 mg-O₂/L). Nitrosomonas sp. are mostly found in the all investigated water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). Nitrosospira sp. are only found under operating conditions of longer SRT for WRRFs with a low COD:TN ratio. In comparison between abundances of Nitrobacter sp. and Nitrospira sp., abundances of Nitrobacter sp. are proportional to low DO concentration rather than abundance of Nitrospira sp. A predominance of nosZ-type denitrifiers were found at low DO level. Abundance of denitrifiers by using nirS genes showed an over-abundance of denitrifiers by using nirK genes at low and high COD:TN ratios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Urban Water Cycle: Fate, Occurrence, Detection, Monitoring, and Control)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 2950 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Radio-Frequency Treatment on the Changes of Dissolved Organic Matter in Rainwater

by Ariadi Hazmi, Maulana Yusup Rosadi, Reni Desmiarti and Fusheng Li

Water 2022, 14(1), 111; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14010111 - 05 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3993

Abstract

Rainwater is a potential source of drinking water, but has various components of dissolved organic matter (DOM). DOM is a reservoir of potential hazards in drinking water. Therefore, a new method is required to purify rainwater as a drinking water source in terms of DOM aspects. A radio-frequency (RF) treatment system is introduced here to purify source water with a small possibility of contamination. RF is generated by applying a frequency of 1.5 MHz through a glass reactor with a diameter of 2 mm which is wrapped by a 2 mm copper wire. The results demonstrate that UV₂₆₀ value and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) are reduced during RF treatment. DOC was reduced by a lower amount compared to UV₂₆₀, suggesting the partial transformation of bio-refractory DOM. A fluorescence excitation-emission matrix showed that humic-like substances in rainwater were reduced faster than protein-like ones, indicating that humic-like substances are susceptible to reduction by RF treatment. The results offer information on the use of RF treatment in a rainwater purification process for the production of drinking water. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Urban Water Cycle: Fate, Occurrence, Detection, Monitoring, and Control)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 1345 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Full-Scale Odor Abatement Technologies in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs): A Review

by Vincenzo Senatore, Tiziano Zarra, Mark Gino Galang, Giuseppina Oliva, Antonio Buonerba, Chi-Wang Li, Vincenzo Belgiorno and Vincenzo Naddeo

Water 2021, 13(24), 3503; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13243503 - 08 Dec 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 9853

Abstract

The release of air pollutants from the operation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is often a cause of odor annoyance for the people living in the surrounding area. Odors have been indeed recently classified as atmospheric pollutants and are the main cause of complaints to local authorities. In this context, the implementation of effective treatment solutions is of key importance for urban water cycle management. This work presents a critical review of the state of the art of odor treatment technologies (OTTs) applied in full-scale WWTPs to address this issue. An overview of these technologies is given by discussing their strengths and weaknesses. A sensitivity analysis is presented, by considering land requirements, operational parameters and efficiencies, based on data of full-scale applications. The investment and operating costs have been reviewed with reference to the different OTTs. Biofilters and biotrickling filters represent the two most applied technologies for odor abatement at full-scale plants, due to lower costs and high removal efficiencies. An analysis of the odors emitted by the different wastewater treatment units is reported, with the aim of identifying the principal odor sources. Innovative and sustainable technologies are also presented and discussed, evaluating their potential for full-scale applicability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Urban Water Cycle: Fate, Occurrence, Detection, Monitoring, and Control)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 2145 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceReview

Sustainable Treatment of Food Industry Wastewater Using Membrane Technology: A Short Review

by Md. Nahid Pervez, Monira Rahman Mishu, George K. Stylios, Shadi W. Hasan, Yaping Zhao, Yingjie Cai, Tiziano Zarra, Vincenzo Belgiorno and Vincenzo Naddeo

Water 2021, 13(23), 3450; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13233450 - 05 Dec 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 7600

Abstract

Water is needed for food processing facilities to carry out a number of tasks, including moving goods, washing, processing, and cleaning operations. This causes them to produce wastewater effluent, and they are typically undesirable since it contains a high volume of suspended solids, bacteria, dyestuffs, salts, oils, fats, chemical oxygen demand and biological oxygen demand. Therefore, treatment of food industry wastewater effluent is critical in improving process conditions, socio-economic benefits and our environmental. This short review summarizes the role of available membrane technologies that have been employed for food wastewater treatment and analyse their performance. Particularly, electrospun nanofiber membrane technology is revealed as an emerging membrane science and technology area producing materials of increasing performance and effectiveness in treating wastewater. This review reveals the challenges and perspectives that will assist in treating the food industry wastewater by developing novel membrane technologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Urban Water Cycle: Fate, Occurrence, Detection, Monitoring, and Control)

► Show Figures