Frontiers | Advancements and Challenges in Hybrid Bio-Electrochemical Systems and Electrochemical Processes for Wastewater Treatment

About this Research Topic

Submission deadlines

Manuscript Submission Deadline 6 March 2027
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Background

Bioelectrochemical systems, including microbial fuel cells, microbial electrolysis cells, and microbial electrosynthesis, offer a promising route to convert wastewater and industrial waste streams into energy, bio-based products, and recovered resources. When combined with complementary electrochemical processes, these hybrid systems open new opportunities for pollutant removal, resource recovery, and energy efficiency, advancing circular bioeconomy strategies for the wastewater sector. Integrating microbial, enzymatic, and electrochemical technologies enables the valorization of industrial by-products while addressing the treatment challenges posed by increasingly complex waste streams.

This Research Topic invites contributions that advance the understanding, design, and application of hybrid bioelectrochemical and electrochemical systems for wastewater treatment. We welcome submissions on, but not limited to, the following themes:

Bioelectrochemical systems for resource and energy recovery: microbial fuel cells, microbial electrolysis cells, microbial electrosynthesis, and related technologies converting wastewater into energy, biofuels, and value-added products.

Hybrid treatment systems: integration of electrochemical and bioelectrochemical technologies with anaerobic digestion, activated sludge, membrane bioreactors, enzymatic treatment, and other biological processes for waste-stream valorization.

Bioelectrocoagulation and biofilms: bioflocculant-assisted electrocoagulation, electrode-microbe interactions, microbial community development, biofilm engineering, and electrode surface modification.

Electrochemical technologies as enabling partners to biological treatment: electrocoagulation, electrooxidation, electro-Fenton, electrodialysis, capacitive deionization, and other electrochemical processes applied alongside microbial or enzymatic systems to enhance pollutant removal and resource recovery in wastewater treatment.

Emerging contaminants and disinfection: removal, degradation, and inactivation of pharmaceuticals, PFAS, endocrine-disrupting compounds, pesticides, dyes, antibiotic-resistant microorganisms and genes, and microplastics from wastewater through hybrid bio-electrochemical approaches.

Process modeling and optimization: reactor design, kinetic and mechanistic modeling, artificial intelligence, machine learning, process control, energy optimization, performance prediction, and scale-up of hybrid bio-electrochemical systems for wastewater applications.

By bringing together these perspectives, this Research Topic aims to advance the scientific and engineering foundations needed to move hybrid bio-electrochemical technologies toward practical, scalable solutions for sustainable wastewater management.

Article types and fees

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

Brief Research Report
Case Report
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review

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

Keywords: Bioelectrochemical systems Electrocoagulation Electrooxidation Microbial fuel cells Wastewater treatment Emerging contaminants Bioelectrocoagulation Water disinfection

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.