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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (8 October 2021) | Viewed by 19141

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria João Rosa

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Assistant Guest Editor

Water Quality and Treatment Laboratory, Urban Water Unit, Hydraulics and Environment Department, LNEC—National Civil Engineering Laboratory, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: water quality, treatment, and reuse; advanced treatments; resource recovery; control of emerging pollutants; energy efficiency; asset management of urban water systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. José Saldanha Matos

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Chief Guest Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources, CERIS, IST-University of Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: asset management; faecal sludge; sanitation; sewer processes; urban drainage and wastewater treatment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

While water scarcity affects more than 40% of the global population, and over 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation services, a large number of cities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to flooding and related hazards. Floods and other water-related disasters account for 70% of all deaths related to natural disasters, and more than 80% of wastewater resulting from human activities is discharged into receiving waters without any treatment.

Nevertheless, in a large part of the developing world dry sanitation prevails, mostly using traditional or improved latrines, but with poor hygienic conditions, which are one of the main causes of outbreaks of diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid fever, and other waterborne diseases. In urban areas, on-site dry sanitation generally requires a chain of faecal sludge services, including collection, storage, transport, and treatment in an existing Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) or in a dedicated Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP), as well as final disposal of the biosolids. These issues clearly demand further research and insights.

In the developed world, on the contrary, wastewater is usually collected and transported to WWTP, being some of the main challenges related with using techniques, technologies and methods in order to optimize the performance of the wastewater systems.

The study of water resources and water pollution control has a long tradition; still, relevant issues are constantly being put on the spotlight: the fate of microplastics and other emerging pollutants, the relevance of resources recovery, the effects of climate change, and the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals, being some of the examples.

This Special Issue aims to enlarge the present knowledge related to sanitation, pollution control, and water management. Innovative research on technologies and methodological approaches are welcomed. The discussion of case studies, as well as of experimental work, is encouraged.

Dr. José Saldanha Matos
Dr. Maria João Rosa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

faecal sludge
pollution control
sanitation
wastewater drainage and treatment
water management
water resources and water reuse

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 3483 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification and Modelling of Chlorine Decay Mechanisms in Reclaimed Water Containing Ammonia

by Joana Costa, Elsa Mesquita, Filipa Ferreira, Maria João Rosa and Rui M. C. Viegas

Sustainability 2021, 13(24), 13548; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413548 - 7 Dec 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2473

Abstract

Keeping an effective disinfectant residual concentration in reclaimed water is still a challenge, due to its high levels of ammonia and organic matter when compared with those in drinking water. This research proposes the integration of the reaction schemes of monochloramine auto-decomposition with an empirical kinetic mechanism accounting for reactive chlorine species decay in the presence of organic matter, for which three mechanisms were hypothesized and tested. A parallel second order mechanism, where monochloramine reacts both with fast and slow organic matter reactive fractions, was identified as the most suitable. The model, comprising two rate constants and two fictive concentrations of organic matter as parameters, was further successfully calibrated with real reclaimed waters with two initial free chlorine doses of

8.01 \times 10^{- 5}

M (≈5 mg/L) and

2.67 \times 10^{- 4}

M (≈20 mg/L). The proposed model is believed to support future studies aiming to predict and manage chlorine decay in reclaimed water distribution systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sanitation, Pollution Control and Water Management)

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11 pages, 3114 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Practical Methodology for Forecasting the Impact of Changes in Influent Loads and Discharge Consents on Average Energy Consumption and Sludge Production by Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment

by Catarina Silva and Maria João Rosa

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 12293; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112293 - 7 Nov 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1788

Abstract

This paper proposes a simple and easy-to-use methodology for forecasting the impact of changes in influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) and in the emission limit values (ELVs) of COD and total nitrogen on average energy requirements for aeration and sludge production by activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The methodology is based on mass balances of sludge production and oxygen requirements for carbonaceous material biodegradation and/or nitrification, oxygen transfer and aeration equipment efficiency. Using average values of historical data of regular monitoring (water quality and operating conditions) WWTP-specific equations of oxygen requirements, energy consumption and sludge production are derived as a function of influent COD and influent N-total, which may be used to quantify the impact of influent and ELV changes. The methodology was tested in five extended aeration WWTPs for three scenarios established by the utility. The results show that increasing influent COD, from 900 to 1300 mg/L, for example, significantly increases the energy consumption by 49% and sludge production by 53%. For influent 54–68 mg/L N-total, imposing 15 mgN/L ELV results in a 9–26% increase in energy consumption. The COD ELV change studied (season-specific, from 150 mg/L 12 months/year to 125 mg/L 8 months/year to 100 mg/L 4 months/year) increases the energy consumption by 1.8–2.6% and the sludge production by 4.3–5.4%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sanitation, Pollution Control and Water Management)

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22 pages, 7848 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tale of Two Cities: How Nature-Based Solutions Help Create Adaptive and Resilient Urban Water Management Practices in Singapore and Lisbon

by Mengmeng Cui, Filipa Ferreira, Tze Kwan Fung and José Saldanha Matos

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10427; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810427 - 18 Sep 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5388

Abstract

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognized as viable tools for sustainable urban water management. This article explores the implementation of NbS in two distinct cities, Singapore and Lisbon, to demonstrate that NbS can work in very different contexts and spark new thoughts on the urban–nature relationship and to identify commonalities that drive and enable the implementation of NbS in different context. Literature review-based research was conducted to examine the types of NbS implemented, the common drivers, the governance model, and the plural functionalities of the solutions. The research shows that, despite the differences, the two cities shared common drivers (including water supply, flood control, and resident demand for green space) and goals, such as improving water quality and overall quality of life, through the deployment of NbS. With rapid urban expansion, water use increase, and the impacts of climate change, NbS can be effective tools to deliver integrated benefits and improve the liveability of cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sanitation, Pollution Control and Water Management)

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16 pages, 3832 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modelling Faecal Sludge Dewatering Processes in Drying Beds Based on the Results from Tete, Mozambique

by Osvaldo Moiambo, Raúl Mutevuie, Filipa Ferreira and José Matos

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8981; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168981 - 11 Aug 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1843

Abstract

Currently, in sub-Saharan African countries, 65 to 100% of the urban population is served by on-site sanitation systems, typically pit latrines and septic tanks. Faecal sludge dewatering in drying beds is one of the most commonly adopted low-cost treatment technologies in developing countries due to favourable climate conditions in terms of temperature and radiation and because their operation and maintenance are simple. Nevertheless, research in tropical dry zones regarding these processes is scarce. In this paper, a mathematical model for faecal sludge dewatering in sludge drying beds (SDBs) focusing on gravity drainage and evaporation processes is presented and discussed. Experimental campaigns were carried out at a pilot site in Tete, Mozambique, to determine the model parameters. The results suggest that the model can be used to estimate, in similar situations, the dewatering process of different types of faecal sludge. The present research might be considered as a contribution to the design and operation of SDBs, supporting sludge management and allowing the estimation of drying times and optimal loading cycles, namely, the sludge thickness and final moisture content. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sanitation, Pollution Control and Water Management)

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12 pages, 1796 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Alum Water Treatment Residues on the Methanogenic Activity in the Digestion of Primary Domestic Wastewater Sludge

by Paulo Scalize, Antonio Albuquerque and Luiz Di Bernardo

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8783; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168783 - 6 Aug 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2295

Abstract

The effect of adding alum water treatment residues (WTR) on the methanogenic activity in the digestion of primary domestic wastewater sludge was evaluated through laboratory experiments in sedimentation columns, using total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations from 0.37 to 1.23 g/L. The addition of WTR to primary clarifiers can benefit its effluent water quality in terms of colour, turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and TSS. However, the presence of WTR can negatively influence the production of methane gas during organic sludge digestion in primary clarifiers, for concentrations of TSS between 14.43 and 25.23 g/L and of VSS between 10.2 and 11.85 g/L. The activity of the Methanothrix sp., curved bacilli, methanococci, and Methanosarcina sp. decreases considerably after 16 days of anaerobic digestion, and methane production seems to only be associated with fluorescent methanogenic bacilli. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sanitation, Pollution Control and Water Management)

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18 pages, 2666 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Criteria Framework for Selection of City-Wide Sanitation Solutions in Coastal Towns in Northern Angola

by Rita Ventura Matos, Filipa Ferreira, Liliana Alves, Elsa Ramos, Lucrécio Costa and José Saldanha Matos

Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5627; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105627 - 18 May 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2234

Abstract

In this paper, an expedited multi-criteria decision analysis framework, capable of tackling several dimensions for the choice of sanitation services, at an early planning stage is presented. The approach combines geographic information systems aided analysis for onsite solutions, with a multi-criteria decision analysis tool capable of suggesting and ranking several viable offsite treatment alternatives, according to the desired criteria. The framework was applied to four coastal cities in Northern Angola, one of the sub-Saharan countries of the west coast of Africa, thus obtaining an indication for city-wide solutions, as an aid to achieve the goal of ensuring full sanitation coverage in those four locations. It included possible onsite collection and storage interfaces, namely Ventilated Improved Pit latrines, fossa alterna, septic tanks or conventional sewer systems. The study also contributed to an informed decision regarding optimal offsite treatment facility type, namely based on dedicated or combined wastewater and faecal sludge treatment (co-treatment), as well as different options for locations and sanitation technologies. Alternatives were compared and ranked according to ten main criteria concerning social, economic, technological and environmental aspects. This work helped demonstrate the usefulness of decision-aiding tools in the multi-stakeholder and complex context of sanitation in a developing country. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sanitation, Pollution Control and Water Management)

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14 pages, 1644 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combined Pretreatment by Ultrasound and Struvite Precipitation of Raw Substrates: A Strategy to Overcome C/N Ratio Unbalance in Nitrogen-Rich Anaerobic Co-Digestion Systems

by Renata D’arc Coura, Ana Cristina Rodrigues, Joaquim Mamede Alonso, Ana Isabel Ferraz, Luis Miguel Brito, João Carlos Castro Abrantes and António Guerreiro Brito

Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2175; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042175 - 18 Feb 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1928

Abstract

The present study aimed to optimize the struvite chemical precipitation process in nitrogen-rich anaerobic co-digestion systems. Struvite precipitation experiments were carried out using a mixture of cattle slurry liquid fraction and sewage sludge, with and without ultrasound pretreatment. Marine salt or MgCl₂ were used as magnesium source in NH₄⁺:Mg²⁺ stoichiometric proportions of 1:1.5 and 1:3. Under the tested conditions, ammonium nitrogen and orthophosphate were removed from the mixed liquor with a maximum observed efficiency of 43% and 92%, respectively, when the ultrasound treatment was applied prior to struvite precipitation, using MgCl₂ as source of magnesium (NH₄⁺:Mg²⁺ of 1:3). The operating time was 40 min. Different pretreatments were tested prior to the biomethanization experiments, struvite precipitation, ultrasound and a combination of both pretreatments. The application of ultrasound (with an energy input of 218 kJ L⁻¹) and struvite precipitation (NH₄⁺:Mg²⁺ of 1:3) increased the methane content in the biogas by 82% and reduced hydraulic retention time by 28%, when compared to the anaerobic co-digestion assays without pretreatment. The hydrolytic pretreatment increased the bioavailability of nitrogen by 5%, thus enhancing the removal efficiency of ammonium nitrogen by 20%. Consequently, an increase in the carbon to nitrogen ratio was observed, favoring the methanogenesis process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sanitation, Pollution Control and Water Management)

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