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Water Pollution Control and Resource Recovery Technology

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2023) | Viewed by 11918

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Hua Li

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Guest Editor

College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: wastewater treatment; functional materials; MOFs; photo-electrocatalysis; heterogeneous Fenton

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As the most important material and resource in the whole biosphere, water plays an irreplaceable role in human production and life. However, with the development of society, human activities are constantly changing the natural environment. People extract freshwater resources for production and life in various ways, and the sewage generated is then discharged into the receiving water body. With the increasing environmental problems, it is not difficult to determine that advanced sewage treatment has shown a trend of “further reduction in pollutants, low energy consumption treatment, energy and resource recovery”. This Special Issue aims to collect regular and review articles focused on solving the technical bottlenecks in the process of urban sewage treatment and water resource recovery and disposal, water pollution control, and the coupling relationship of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in water, especially research papers on the degradation, separation, and transformation of pollutants via comprehensive application of biochemical principles and methods.

Topics include but are not limited to synthesis and application of materials; coupling disposal system; and the application of various biological, physical, and chemical methods in water treatment and resource recovery.

Dr. Hua Li
Guest Editor

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. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2500 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

wastewater treatment
resource recovery
nanostructural materials
heterogeneous catalysis
technology of pollutant degradation, separation, and transformation
disposal system

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 8619 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pollution Vulnerability of the Ghiss Nekkor Alluvial Aquifer in Al-Hoceima (Morocco), Using GIS-Based DRASTIC Model

by Yassine El Yousfi, Mahjoub Himi, Mourad Aqnouy, Said Benyoussef, Hicham Gueddari, Imane Lamine, Hossain El Ouarghi, Amar Alali, Hanane Ait Hmeid, Mohamed Chahban, Abdennabi Alitane, Abdallah Elaaraj, Kamal Abdelrahman, Tamer Abu-Alam, Ali Ait Boughrous, Azzeddine Khafouri and Mohamed Abioui

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 4992; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064992 - 12 Mar 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2100

Abstract

Groundwater resources of the alluvial aquifer Ghiss Nekkor, which covers an area of 100 km², are the main source of domestic and agricultural freshwater supply in the region of Al Hoceima in Morocco. Due to human activities (overexploitation, increase in agricultural activity), this alluvial aquifer has become very sensitive to chemical pollution. The principal objective of this current study is to develop and implement a calibration method to assess, map, and estimate the vulnerability of the Ghiss Nekkor alluvial aquifer to pollution risk. In this work, the GIS-based DRASTIC model was used to estimate the inherent vulnerability to contamination of the Ghiss Nekkor alluvial aquifer with seven standard hydrogeological parameters. Nitrate (NO₃) and electrical conductivity (EC) data were used to validate the DRASTIC map. The results of the vulnerability map analysis show that the vulnerability to contaminants varies from non-existent in the southwestern part of the plain (7.3% of the total area), to very high (14.5%). The vulnerability is moderate in the central and northeastern areas (26.9%), while it is high in the other areas (17.5%). Furthermore, the most sensitive areas are mainly concentrated near the coastal strip and the central plain on both sides of the Nekkor River. In these areas, the NO₃ and EC values are above the maximum allowable limit of the World Health Organization. The results suggest that the DRASTIC model can be an effective tool for decision-makers concerned about managing groundwater sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Pollution Control and Resource Recovery Technology)

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13 pages, 2937 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Magnetic-Transition-Metal Oxides Modified Pollen-Derived Porous Carbon for Enhanced Absorption Performance

by Shuyun Tai, Ying Li, Ling Yang, Yue Zhao, Sufei Wang, Jianxin Xia and Hua Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16740; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416740 - 13 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1388

Abstract

In our work, the transition-metal-oxide precursor (TMO@BC, M = Fe, Co, Ni) has been loaded on the pollen carbon by the hydrothermal method and annealed at different temperatures to generate a composite material of metal oxide and pollen carbon in this study, which can effectively prevent agglomeration caused by a small size and magnetism. The XRD patterns of the samples showed that the as-synthesized metal oxides were γ-Fe₂O₃, CoO, and NiO. In the 20 mg/L methyl orange adsorption experiment, the adsorption amount of CoO@C at 500 ℃ reached 19.32 mg/g and the removal rate was 96.61%. Therefore, CoO@C was selected for the adsorption correlation-model-fitting analysis, which was in line with the secondary reaction. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R²: 0.9683–0.9964), the intraparticle diffusion model, and the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model indicated that the adsorption process was the result of both physical and chemical adsorptions, and the judgment was based on the electrostatic action. The adsorption and removal efficiency of ciprofloxacin (CIP) by changing the pH of the reaction was about 80%, so the electrostatic attraction worked, but not the main factor. Recovered by an external magnetic field, the three-time recycling efficiency was still maintained at more than 80%. This novel biomass-derived magnetic porous carbon material embedded with transition-metal-oxide nanoparticles is highly promising for many applications, especially in the field of environmental remediation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Pollution Control and Resource Recovery Technology)

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11 pages, 2205 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Reactive Oxygen Species and Mechanism on Visible Light-Induced Photosensitized Degradation of Oxytetracycline

by Yibo Zhang, Qian Chen, Hao Qin, Junhan Huang and Yue Yu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15550; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315550 - 23 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1176

Abstract

This study investigated the photolysis and TiO₂-assisted photosensitized degradation of oxytetracycline (OTC) under visible light, the active reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the degradation mechanisms in these two reactions. The results show that the deprotonated OTC could be photolyzed more easily under visible light because of the redshift of its absorption spectrum at high pH values. Due to the TiO₂-assisted self-photosensitized degradation of OTC, OTC removal in the visible light/TiO₂ system was more efficient with the addition of TiO₂, as demonstrated when TiO₂ was replaced with insulator SiO₂. The study’s ROS scavenging experiments show that superoxide radical anion (O₂^•−) ROS was most responsible for the self-sensitized degradation of OTC in both reactions. OTC degradation under the visible light/TiO₂ system was enhanced with increasing TiO₂ load, while the elimination of total organic carbon (TOC) was very limited after 5 h of visible light irradiation. Based on the eight identified transformation products found, five potential reaction mechanisms, including hydroxylation, quinonization, decarbonylation, de-methylation, and dehydration, were proposed for the photolytic and TiO₂-assisted photosensitized degradation mechanisms of OTC under visible light. This study indicates that OTC can degrade under visible light with or without a semiconductor when conditions are suitable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Pollution Control and Resource Recovery Technology)

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Review

Jump to: Research

34 pages, 4906 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advances in Technologies for Boron Removal from Water: A Comprehensive Review

by Xiaowei Liu, Congjin Xu, Peng Chen, Kexin Li, Qikun Zhou, Miaomaio Ye, Liang Zhang and Ye Lu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10671; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710671 - 27 Aug 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3254

Abstract

Boron overabundance in aquatic environment raises severe concerns about the environment and human health because it is toxic to various crops and induces many human and animal diseases with long-term consequences. In response to the boron pollution of water resources and the difficulty of eliminating boron from water for production and living purposes, this article summarizes the progress in research on boron removal technology, addressing the following aspects: (1) the reasons for the difficulty of removing boron from water (boron chemistry); (2) ecological/biological toxicity and established regulations; (3) analysis of different existing processes (membrane processes, resin, adsorption, chemical precipitation, (electric) coagulation, extraction, and combined methods) in terms of their mechanisms, effectiveness, and limitations; (4) prospects for future studies and possible improvements in applicability and recyclability. The focus of this paper is thus to provide a comprehensive summary of reported deboronation processes to date, which will definitely identify directions for the development of boron removal technology in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Pollution Control and Resource Recovery Technology)

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38 pages, 10176 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Comprehensive Review on Forward Osmosis Water Treatment: Recent Advances and Prospects of Membranes and Draw Solutes

by Yang Xu, Yingying Zhu, Zhen Chen, Jinyuan Zhu and Geng Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 8215; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138215 - 5 Jul 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3470

Abstract

Forward osmosis (FO) is an evolving membrane separation technology for water treatment and reclamation. However, FO water treatment technology is limited by factors such as concentration polarization, membrane fouling, and reverse solute flux. Therefore, it is of a great importance to prepare an efficient high-density porous membrane and to select an appropriate draw solute to reduce concentration polarization, membrane fouling, and reverse solute flux. This review aims to present a thorough evaluation of the advancement of different draw solutes and membranes with their effects on FO performance. NaCl is still widely used in a large number of studies, and several general draw solutes, such as organic-based and inorganic-based, are selected based on their osmotic pressure and water solubility. The selection criteria for reusable solutes, such as heat-recovered gaseous draw, magnetic field-recovered MNPs, and electrically or thermally-responsive hydrogel are primarily based on their industrial efficiency and energy requirements. CA membranes are resistant to chlorine degradation and are hydrophilic, while TFC/TFN exhibit a high inhibition of bio-adhesion and hydrolysis. AQPs are emerging membranes, due to proteins with complete retention capacity. Moreover, the development of the hybrid system combining FO with other energy or water treatment technologies is crucial to the sustainability of FO. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Pollution Control and Resource Recovery Technology)

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