Biotechnological Wastewater Treatment for Pollution Control and Resource Recovery

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 13894

Special Issue Editors

Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Napoli “Federico II”, 80125 Napoli, Italy
Interests: aerobic and anaerobic bioprocesses; bioreactors; waste-to-bioenergy and added value products; bio-hydrogen; biorefinery; nutrient removal and recovery from wastewater; sulfur cycle; heavy metals; mathematical modelling
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) may receive different types of wastewater. Municipal wastewater is the largest by volume; untreated or partially treated wastewater from the industrial sector as well as landfill leachate can also be discharged to a treatment plant. Once received at a WWTP, the wastewater is processed for pollutant removal (COD, TP, TN, etc.). and two types of streams are generated: i) a liquid stream composed of treated wastewater effluent that can either be discharged in the environment or reclaimed (for groundwater recharge, irrigation, municipal, or industrial reuse) and ii) a stream with a higher solid content, which is sewage sludge.

Sewage sludge has always been known for its fertilising value. Metal pollution, mainly from road run-off, restricted its use as a soil improver and fertilizer in agriculture. However, over the last decade, in which resource recovery and the circular economy have gained more ground, the stream has again been valued for its large potential. As wastewater is a constant stream, it provides a reliable source of water, energy, nutrients, and organic matter. Sewage sludge forms the basis for energy production, fertiliser recovery, and the production of other value-added material types.

For this Special Issue, we welcome research and review papers related to the implementation of innovative biological treatment technologies for the removal of pollutants such as organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus from wastewater streams. Papers related to the removal of organic emerging contaminants (EOCs) are also welcome.

This Special Issue also intends to address the aspects related to the valorization of sewage sludge as a byproduct of biological wastewater treatment, even if sewage sludge may be considered a nuisance as it may be a source for secondary environmental contamination on account of the presence of diverse pollutants (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, furans, potentially toxic metals, etc.). However, several biotechnologies are available to implement bio-refinery and resource recovery approaches to extract value-added products and nutrients from sewage sludge, and control options for potentially toxic elements and emerging micro-pollutants in sewage sludge.

Dr. Eric D. Van Hullebusch
Dr. Giovanni Esposito
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • circular economy
  • biorefinery
  • sewage sludge
  • energy recovery
  • biological processes
  • treated wastewater reuse
  • zero waste
  • zero energy
  • nutrient recycling
  • sustainable development goals

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1952 KiB  
Article
Optimization and Degradation Studies on Hexahydro-1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-Triazine (RDX) with Selected Indigenous Microbes under Aerobic Conditions
by Arjun Meda, Pritam Sangwan and Kiran Bala
Water 2021, 13(9), 1257; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13091257 - 30 Apr 2021
Viewed by 1990
Abstract
Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) a nitramine explosive, which has contaminated various military sites during its use, storage and manufacturing worldwide. As RDX is a recalcitrant, less soluble and toxic to human beings and other organisms, it is essential to remediate the contaminated sites. In the [...] Read more.
Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) a nitramine explosive, which has contaminated various military sites during its use, storage and manufacturing worldwide. As RDX is a recalcitrant, less soluble and toxic to human beings and other organisms, it is essential to remediate the contaminated sites. In the current investigation, authors have explored the potential of two indigenous microbes i.e., Bacillus toyonensis (isolate No. WS4-TSB-3, MTCC No. 12857) and Paenibacillus dendritiformis (isolate No. S10-TSA-3, MTCC No. 12859) isolated from an explosive manufacturing facility in north India, for the degradation of RDX in aqueous medium. Furthermore, RDX degradation has been optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) in a 15 days experiment at concentration of 20, 40, and 60 mg/L. It was found that various factors such as initial concentration of RDX, inoculum volume (2, 4 and 6%) and time (5, 10 and 15 days) had impact on transformation and degradation of contaminant. Samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and intermediate products were identified using LC-MS/MS. Maximum RDX removal of 81.6 ± 1.3 and 84.7 ± 0.9% for Bacillus toyonensis (isolate No. WS4-TSB-3) and Paenibacillus dendritiformis (isolate No. S10-TSA-3), respectively, was observed on 15th day at 40 mg/L initial concentration. During the degradation Hexahydro-1-nitroso-3,5-dinitro-1,3,5-triazine (MNX), Hexahydro-1,3-dinitroso-5-nitro-1,3,5-triazine (DNX), 4-Nitro-2,4-diazabutanal, Bis(hydroxymethyl)nitramine and nitrite were identified as intermediate products. The findings of the investigation suggest that both the microbes have the potential to degrade RDX in the aqueous medium and can be used for up-scaling the degradation of RDX on explosive contaminated sites. Full article
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Review

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20 pages, 2105 KiB  
Review
Phosphorus Removal from Wastewater: The Potential Use of Biochar and the Key Controlling Factors
by Khatereh Nobaharan, Sepideh Bagheri Novair, Behnam Asgari Lajayer and Eric D. van Hullebusch
Water 2021, 13(4), 517; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13040517 - 17 Feb 2021
Cited by 52 | Viewed by 10197
Abstract
In recent years, a large volume of literature has been published regarding the removal of phosphorus (P) from wastewater. Various sorbing materials, such as metal oxides and hydroxides, carbonates and hydroxides of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), hydrotalcite, activated carbon, anion exchange resins, [...] Read more.
In recent years, a large volume of literature has been published regarding the removal of phosphorus (P) from wastewater. Various sorbing materials, such as metal oxides and hydroxides, carbonates and hydroxides of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), hydrotalcite, activated carbon, anion exchange resins, industrial solid wastes and organic solid wastes, have been suggested for P removal. Many of these sorbents are expensive and/or may cause some environmental problems. In contrast, biochar, as an economical and environmentally friendly sorbing material, has received much attention in recent years and has been used as a novel sorbent for the removal of different organic and inorganic pollutants. Biochar is a type of sustainable carbonaceous material that is produced from the thermal treatment of agricultural organic residues and other organic waste streams under oxygen free conditions. This paper reviews the potential use of biochar and the key controlling factors affecting P removal from wastewater. The ability of biochar to remove P from wastewater depends on its physical and chemical properties. Some of the most important physicochemical properties of biochar (structural characteristics, electrical conductivity (EC), mineral composition, pH, zeta potential, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and anion exchange capacity (AEC)) are affected by the feedstock type as well as temperature of pyrolysis and the P sorption capacity is highly dependent on these properties. The P removal is also affected by the water matrix chemistry, such as the presence of competing ions and bulk pH conditions. Finally, several recommendations for future research have been proposed to facilitate and enhance the environmental efficiency of biochar application. Full article
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