Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Water Management and Pollution Reduction

Water is an essential resource crucial for life, ecosystems, and economies, contributing significantly to human well-being, economic progress, and ecological balance. With accelerating urbanization, industrialization, and the impacts of climate change, water pollution and scarcity are escalating. Emerging contaminants such as microplastics, antibiotics, nanomaterials, and wastewater byproducts are exacerbating these issues, demanding sustainable water management strategies. This Research Topic focuses on pioneering advancements in wastewater treatment, environmental engineering, and sustainable development solutions, aiming to uphold environmental health, conserve natural resources, and diminish greenhouse gas emissions through circular economy concepts.

This Research Topic aims to advance scientific understanding and technological development for detecting, evaluating, and remediating emerging contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. Current wastewater treatment systems often fail to eliminate critical pollutants like pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, microplastics, and nanomaterials, highlighting the need for novel remediation techniques. The initiative fosters interdisciplinary collaboration to develop and evaluate advanced methods, including bioremediation, adsorption, membrane filtration, and oxidation processes. Recent progress in environmental engineering, such as membrane bioreactors, artificial wetlands, and biological systems, offers energy-efficient and cost-effective answers to water challenges. Tactics like water reuse, recycling, and integrated watershed management bolster conservation and resilience against scarcity. Additionally, technologies like Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing (RS), machine learning (ML), and artificial intelligence (AI) enhance watershed monitoring and pollution prediction, contributing to sustainability and biodiversity protection.

To gather further insights into emerging contaminant research and management in aquatic environments, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Novel detection methods and monitoring strategies
• Ecotoxicological assessments of pollutants
• Innovative treatment technologies, such as advanced processes and nanotechnology
• Risk assessment and regulatory perspectives
• Circular economy strategies for resource conservation and sustainable development

This research topic invites original articles, reviews, and case studies, with a particular emphasis on projects that integrate environmental science, engineering, and health to improve water quality management and ecological protection. Submissions relevant to the ICETI2025 presentations and those employing lab experiments, field studies, or modeling techniques are highly encouraged.

Article types and fees

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

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... 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:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Bioremediation, Emerging pollutants, Ecological risk assessment, Human health, Sustainable development, Green technology

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.