Industrialization has caused significant environmental harm through pollution by various toxic substances, which could be both inorganic and organic in nature. Heavy metals, micropollutants, endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are some of the pollutants that have attracted interest of wastewater engineers and researchers. These pollutants are found in a variety of industrial effluents such as dyestuff, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, petroleum refining, steel, tanning, coal gasification, polymeric resin production, paint, and battery as well as pesticides and fungicides production. If not adequately treated, the effluents can easily contaminate surface and groundwater sources and eventually impact human health. Many of these compounds are reported to have mutagenic and carcinogenic properties; affecting different organs of the body. Being recalcitrant, they largely escape removal in conventional wastewater treatment plants and can remain in the aquatic environment for long periods of time.
This Research Topic aims to address the application of state-of-the-art technologies for the removal of toxic substances from wastewater. Adsorption, chemical precipitation, ion exchange, liquid-liquid extraction, filtration and flotation are some of the heavy metal removal technologies that have been developed. Activated carbons and biochars have been frequently used and novel low-cost adsorbents are being sought. Advanced materials such as graphene and MXenes have shown promise in heavy metals removal and are still actively investigated. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), catalytic and photocatalytic oxidation, electrochemical oxidation, etc. are particularly suitable for the treatment of wastewater with organic contaminants because their removal is via actual degradation rather than mere separation from the wastewater stream. Other modern wastewater treatment techniques include membrane processes, magnetic nanocomposite materials, nano zero-valent iron (nZVI), ultrasound and a combination of various methods.
This Research Topic will provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals, mechanisms, kinetics, and application of different wastewater treatment techniques for the removal of toxic substances from aqueous medium. The benefits of and barriers to such applications will be highlighted. Original research papers and critical reviews will be welcomed. The scope of this Research Topic includes, but it is not limited to, the following:
• Inorganic and organic toxic pollutants in wastewater
• Adsorption (activated carbons, biochars)
• Advanced oxidation processes (catalytic and photocatalytic oxidation, electrochemical oxidation, Fenton and Fenton-like processes)
• Advanced materials (graphene, MXene, magnetic nanocomposite materials)
• Novel methods (ultrasound, membrane processes)
Industrialization has caused significant environmental harm through pollution by various toxic substances, which could be both inorganic and organic in nature. Heavy metals, micropollutants, endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are some of the pollutants that have attracted interest of wastewater engineers and researchers. These pollutants are found in a variety of industrial effluents such as dyestuff, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, petroleum refining, steel, tanning, coal gasification, polymeric resin production, paint, and battery as well as pesticides and fungicides production. If not adequately treated, the effluents can easily contaminate surface and groundwater sources and eventually impact human health. Many of these compounds are reported to have mutagenic and carcinogenic properties; affecting different organs of the body. Being recalcitrant, they largely escape removal in conventional wastewater treatment plants and can remain in the aquatic environment for long periods of time.
This Research Topic aims to address the application of state-of-the-art technologies for the removal of toxic substances from wastewater. Adsorption, chemical precipitation, ion exchange, liquid-liquid extraction, filtration and flotation are some of the heavy metal removal technologies that have been developed. Activated carbons and biochars have been frequently used and novel low-cost adsorbents are being sought. Advanced materials such as graphene and MXenes have shown promise in heavy metals removal and are still actively investigated. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), catalytic and photocatalytic oxidation, electrochemical oxidation, etc. are particularly suitable for the treatment of wastewater with organic contaminants because their removal is via actual degradation rather than mere separation from the wastewater stream. Other modern wastewater treatment techniques include membrane processes, magnetic nanocomposite materials, nano zero-valent iron (nZVI), ultrasound and a combination of various methods.
This Research Topic will provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals, mechanisms, kinetics, and application of different wastewater treatment techniques for the removal of toxic substances from aqueous medium. The benefits of and barriers to such applications will be highlighted. Original research papers and critical reviews will be welcomed. The scope of this Research Topic includes, but it is not limited to, the following:
• Inorganic and organic toxic pollutants in wastewater
• Adsorption (activated carbons, biochars)
• Advanced oxidation processes (catalytic and photocatalytic oxidation, electrochemical oxidation, Fenton and Fenton-like processes)
• Advanced materials (graphene, MXene, magnetic nanocomposite materials)
• Novel methods (ultrasound, membrane processes)
