Evaluating and Enhancing Technologies to Treat Organic Contaminants in Wastewater

Wastewater treatment remains a critical component in environmental engineering, particularly with increasing contamination by both legacy and emerging contaminants. Organic contaminants, such as active pharmaceutical ingredients, personal care product ingredients, and industrial chemicals, have been shown to pose significant risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Despite considerable advancements in treatment technologies, challenges persist in effectively removing these compounds from wastewater. Recent studies highlight a range of emerging contaminants in effluents and biosolids whose behaviors are not fully understood, and traditional treatment processes often fall short in addressing these effectively. As the demand for efficient wastewater management grows, it's imperative to evaluate existing systems while exploring innovative solutions.

This Research Topic aims to evaluate and enhance the capabilities of wastewater treatment technologies in removing organic contaminants. The focus will be on assessing the effectiveness of existing treatments, developing new methods, and integrating technologies that achieve higher removal efficiencies. Specific objectives include comparing traditional and advanced treatment technologies, optimizing processes for broad-spectrum contaminant removal, and investigating the cost-effectiveness and environmental impact of various treatment solutions.

In an effort to advance practical and scientific understanding within this field, this topic will explore a variety of wastewater treatment strategies. We encourage submissions that cover but are not limited to the following themes:

• Physical methods like adsorption and membrane technologies tailored to specific types of organic contaminants.

• Chemical processes, including oxidation and advanced oxidation techniques, that target hard-to-remove molecules.

• Biochemical approaches, such as biodegradation and bioaugmentation, for organic contaminant removal.

• Hybrid and novel approaches combining multiple treatment modalities to enhance efficiency and feasibility.

• Case studies and comparative analyses of different treatment technologies in varied geographical and industrial contexts.

By delving into these areas, the Research Topic will shed light on the latest innovations and practical challenges in treating organic pollutants in wastewater, aiming to contribute to the development of more sustainable and effective treatment solutions globally.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Wastewater treatment, organic contaminants, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, industrial chemicals, emerging contaminants, treatment technologies, aquatic ecosystems, human health, effluents, biosolids, advanced oxidation, biodegradation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.