Sustainable Nitrogen Removal in Emerging Pollutant Contaminated Wastewater: Technology, Application and Risk Assessment

The massive discharge of nitrogen-containing substances is an important cause of water eutrophication and environmental pollution. Nitrification and denitrification technologies are used in traditional biological nitrogen removal processes, which cause problems such as large sludge production, high energy consumption of aeration and insufficient carbon source. With the increasingly strict sewage discharge standards, it is necessary to upgrade the current sewage treatment process, develop new sewage treatment technology, improve the treatment efficiency and reduce the cost of sewage treatment. Many researchers have carried out relevant studies on the optimal utilization of carbon sources and autotrophic biological nitrogen removal technology. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) and sulfur autotrophic nitrogen removal process can save vast amounts of energy input and organic matter consumption. The Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) process has the advantages of high biomass, good sludge water separation performance and small area occupancy. At present, there are challenges in the full-scale application of anammox process, sulfur autotrophic nitrogen removal process and AGS process. In addition, the spread of emerging pollutants such as microplastics, nanomaterials, persistent organic pollutants, antibiotics and drug resistant genes in various water environments such as sewage treatment plants, large lakes and surface water cannot be ignored, which may have a long-term and irreversible negative impact on global ecological environment security and human health in the future. It has become an urgent need to develop appropriate emerging pollutant removal technologies. Due to its huge metabolic diversity, microorganisms can degrade various pollutants in wastewater, and play an important role in the self-purification of water environment. Therefore, the study of microbial abundance and community structure, as well as the efficiency and mechanism of pollutant degradation, is crucial for the microbial remediation of water environment.

This Research Topic focuses on biological nitrogen removal process in low-carbon wastewater, autotrophic nitrogen removal process, anaerobic ammonium oxidation, aerobic granular sludge process, resource recycling technology, emerging pollutants removal process, toxicology of typical new pollutants and environmental risk assessment of emerging pollutants, etc. Research on the interaction among anammox process, AGS process and emerging contaminants (microplastics, antibiotics and heavy metal) is also encouraged. The overall goal is to achieve low-carbon, environmental protection, energy conservation and sustainable development in the sewage treatment industry.

We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles on sustainable wastewater treatment, resources recovery technology, emerging contaminants (microplastics, antibiotics and heavy metal) removal and risk control. Subtopics that can be discussed include, but not limited to:

1. Biological nitrogen removal process for low-carbon wastewater treatment.
2. Full-scale application of anammox process, sulfur autotrophic nitrogen removal process and AGS process.
3. Removing emerging contaminants from wastewater with novel technology.
4. The performance of anammox process and AGS process in treating wastewater containing emerging pollutants.
5. Carbon neutralization technology for wastewater treatment.
6. Resource recycling technology in wastewater treatment.
7. Occurrence characteristics, transmission/diffusion mode and toxicology of typical new pollutants.
8. Technical measures to prevent the transmission of antibiotic/drug resistant genes in water environment
9. Study on removal performance of nitrogen and emerging pollutants, as well as the microbial community structure