Sustainable waste water treatment systems (2018-2019)

Abstract

An important part of the environmental degradation suffered by the planet is caused by the discharge of untreated or poorly treated wastewater. Industrial, urban, and agricultural wastewater contain many different types of pollutants such as biodegradable and nonbiodegradable organic matter, suspended solids, turbidity, nutrients, heavy metals, pesticides, pathogens, etc. All of these pose a threat to the environment and human health, so the selected treatment techniques must be adapted to their nature in order to optimize their removal. In addition to efficiency, wastewater treatment methods must be sustainable, not only from an environmental point of view, but also economically and ethically. As a result, no technological dependence should be generated in less developed countries or communities. Therefore, this Special Issue deals with improvements in various aspects of wastewater treatment including different aspects of water treatment such as the development of mathematical models, the application of life cycle techniques, or the experimental optimization of wastewater treatment methods. Thirteen articles were accepted covering some of the most relevant fields of wastewater treatment: activated sludge, nanoparticle treatment, constructed wetlands, energy-water nexus, nutrient recovery, eco-friendly sorbents, and reverse osmosis.