Article
Environmental Sciences
Silvia Bonetta, Cristina Pignata, Elisa Gasparro, Lisa Richiardi, Sara Bonetta, Elisabetta Carraro
Summary: This study investigates the impact of wastewater treatment on microbiological contamination and evaluates the potential risks associated with wastewater effluent reuse, based on new EU legislation. The results show that wastewater treatment plants equipped with membrane bioreactor (MBR) system have good abatement performance. However, effluents disinfected with chlorine dioxide (ClO2) show contamination by E. coli and Salmonella spp. Legionella spp. is also present in wastewater, highlighting the need for further investigation on aerosol formation during reuse. Molecular methods for pathogen detection in wastewater could provide a more precautionary risk estimation for reuse.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jacopo Foschi, Andrea Turolla, Manuela Antonelli
Summary: This study evaluated black-box regression models as a modeling alternative for UV disinfection, synthesizing hydrodynamics, fluence rate, and inactivation kinetics. The two-part artificial neural network model showed the best predictive performance, handling non-linearities and a high proportion of null values in the dataset. The deployment of this model to control ultraviolet disinfection was simulated, estimating a plausible 63% energy saving.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hamed Khorasani, Jiale Xu, Thuy Nguyen, Zachary Kralles, Paul Westerhoff, Ning Dai, Zhenduo Zhu
Summary: This study investigates the impact of treated wastewater on downstream drinking water sources, with non-WWTP sources contributing significantly to HAN-FP concentration, and the contributions of the two sources varying with streamflow discharge fluctuations.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
A. Foglia, J. Gonzalez-Camejo, S. Radini, M. Sgroi, K. Li, A. L. Eusebi, F. Fatone
Summary: Water scarcity is a major challenge, especially in climate change-affected regions like the Mediterranean basin. Promoting safe water reuse is crucial to meet future water demands sustainably and alleviate water stress. However, limited incentives, social trust, and governance complexity hinder the adoption of water reuse practices. Structural changes, including transforming wastewater treatment plants into reclaimed water facilities, and paradigm shifts in social, political, and legal factors are needed. This manuscript provides a comprehensive analysis of Italy's wastewater treatment sector and offers recommendations for wastewater reuse in agriculture, along with data on water reuse technologies. It aims to align technical, economic, legal, and socio-political perspectives to overcome barriers and promote water reuse development.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhechao Hua, Dan Li, Zihao Wu, Ding Wang, Yonglin Cui, Xiongfei Huang, Jingyun Fang, Taicheng An
Summary: UV/chlorine treatment is efficient for the removal of micropollutants, but can lead to increased formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) and toxicity alteration. This study investigated effluent organic matter characterization, DBP formation, and toxicity changes after UV/chlorine treatment of wastewater, with a particular focus on the impact of ammonia and bromide. The results showed that UV/chlorine treatment increased the formation of certain DBPs, while post-chlorination further increased the toxicity. However, the acute toxicity to Vibrio fischeri and genotoxicity determined by the umu test decreased after UV/chlorine treatment. Additional ammonia decreased the formation of DBPs, but increased genotoxicity. The addition of bromide dramatically increased brominated DBP formation and overall toxicity, but also reduced acute toxicity and genotoxicity.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Josue Daniel Garcia-Espinoza, Irma Robles, Francisco J. Rodriguez-Valadez, Adrian Rodriguez-Garcia, Jose A. Ramirez, Montserrat Hernandez-Iturriaga, Luis A. Godinez
Summary: Nowadays, a third of the world's population, 2.3 billion people, live in communities without sewer systems and the financial means to install them. This study evaluated two electrochemical reactors based on the Fenton reaction as tertiary treatment for real sanitary wastewater. The tested systems were solar-powered, modular, off-grid operated, and showcased their functionality under realistic conditions.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Xueru Luo, Baoping Zhang, Yinghua Lu, Yang Mei, Liang Shen
Summary: This review paper summarizes the latest research on using UV to control biofilms in water and wastewater infrastructure, including the development of UV light sources, resistance mechanisms of biofilms to UV, and the feasibility of using UV to control biofilms. The paper also provides a comprehensive evaluation of the biofilm-targeted UV technologies currently used or potentially useful in the water industry.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Seyed Masoud Parsa, Saba Momeni, Ahmadreza Hemmat, Masoud Afrand
Summary: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic poses great challenges to water environments, with the presence of viral risks in wastewater samples, especially in areas lacking proper sanitation facilities. The widely used SODIS solar water disinfection method in developing countries may be less reliable in the current situation.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Josep Sanchis, Wolfgang Gernjak, Antoni Munne, Nuria Catalan, Mira Petrovic, Maria Jose Farre
Summary: A full-scale trial was conducted in summer 2019 to investigate the effects of discharging tertiary treated wastewater into the Llobregat River on drinking water quality. The study found that while the river contained low concentrations of NDMA, the NDMA precursors were already present at high levels. The concentration of NDMA in the drinking water was consistently low, but the formation potential varied.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Boxi Wang, Robert Duran, Thierry Pigot, Cristiana Cravo-Laureau
Summary: Performic acid (PFA), a new generation of disinfectant, has shown remarkable performance for wastewater treatment. However, its effect on wastewater microbial community and the differences compared to commonly used disinfectants is poorly documented. This study provides an overview of the effects of PFA, chlorine, and UV on microbial diversity and structure in wastewater. The results show that PFA is more effective at inactivating pathogen microorganisms and has the potential for safe wastewater reuse.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Javad Torkashvand, Hasan Pasalari, Mitra Gholami, Shahrbanou Younesi, Vahide Oskoei, Mahdi Farzadkia
Summary: The carwash wastewater has unique quality characteristics and requires various treatment processes. The membrane process is the most commonly used method, followed by chemical coagulation, electrocoagulation, electrooxidation, and membrane bioreactor. The treatment efficiency for pollutants such as turbidity, oil content, and COD is reported to be high. However, there are limitations such as low water recovery rates, rapid fouling, sludge production, energy consumption, and changes in effluent quality. Therefore, short treatment time, optimal efficiency, operation condition, and high water recovery ratio are critical aspects of on-site treatment and reuse of carwash wastewater.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
F. Piras, G. Nakhla, S. Murgolo, C. De Ceglie, G. Mascolo, K. Bell, T. Jeanne, G. Mele, D. Santoro
Summary: This study investigated the process synergies achievable by integrating a vacuum ultraviolet-based advanced oxidation process with biofiltration. The results showed that vacuum ultraviolet pre-treatment significantly improved the removal of contaminants and increased bio-degradability and microbial diversity in the system.
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaowei Wu, Xiaoli Zhao, Rouzheng Chen, Peng Liu, Weigang Liang, Junyu Wang, Miaomiao Teng, Xia Wang, Shixiang Gao
Summary: This paper systematically reviewed the fragmentation and generation mechanisms of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and found that WWTPs can act as a source for the formation of microplastics in aquatic environments.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yin-Hu Wu, Zhuo Chen, Xu Li, Yun-Hong Wang, Bo Liu, Gen-Qiang Chen, Li-Wei Luo, Hao-Bin Wang, Xin Tong, Yuan Bai, Yu-Qing Xu, Nozomu Ikuno, Cai-Feng Li, Hong-Yu Zhang, Hong-Ying Hu
Summary: The study investigated the impact of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection on reverse osmosis (RO) membrane fouling, revealing that high UV dosage could lead to more severe biofouling due to increased extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secretion by residual bacteria after disinfection.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Zhong Yu, Peng Jiadong, Li Cong, Zhang Xinran, Yang Xin
Summary: This study analyzed the control of N-DBPs in wastewater reuse and investigated the removal of N-DBPs and their precursors by different biological and advanced treatment processes. Results showed that different treatment processes had varying effects on N-DBPs, with powdered activated carbon and chlorine dioxide providing better control of N-DBPs.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Arvin Sohrabi, Mousa Meratizaman, Shuli Liu
Summary: This paper simulates and discusses possible solutions to improve the economic and technical performances of a battery-less renewable energy-powered BWRO system under real climate conditions. The study finds that the photovoltaic-based system performs better in terms of specific energy consumption and unused energy ratio.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Chunlan Pan, Xiaoyin Hu, Vishal Goyal, Theyab R. Alsenani, Salem Alkhalaf, Tamim Alkhalifah, Fahad Alturise, Hamad Almujibah, H. Elhosiny Ali
Summary: This paper introduces a novel waste heat recovery method using the hot flue gas from a ship's engine to produce liquefied hydrogen while meeting the ship's air-conditioning requirement. A comprehensive feasibility assessment is conducted and an artificial neural network with a multiobjective grey wolf optimization method is used for optimization. The findings indicate the highest mean sensitivity index of the flash temperature and the best optimization scenario for exergy efficiency, CO2 emission reduction, and liquefied hydrogen cost.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Daniele Chinello, Jan Post, Louis C. P. M. de Smet
Summary: In this study, PVDF-based anion-exchange membranes were designed to selectively separate nitrate from chloride. Experimental data showed that increasing the concentration of PVDF enhanced nitrate transport but also increased the membrane electrical resistance. The selectivity of nitrate was found to be independent of the membrane thickness and mainly driven by the increased affinity between the anion and the membrane.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Umar Noor, Muhammad Fayyaz Farid, Ammara Sharif, Amna Saleem, Zubair Nabi, Muhammad Furqan Mughal, Kiran Abbas, Toheed Ahmed
Summary: Global water scarcity is increasing, and water desalination is an important solution. Multifunctional advanced materials, such as membrane materials and solar-driven desalination, play a crucial role in water desalination. Additionally, these materials can be used for water purification, wastewater treatment, and pollutant elimination.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Emrah Gumus
Summary: With growing global concerns about climate change and environmental impacts, the use of nuclear energy in naval vessels offers a cleaner and more efficient solution to reduce emissions and address water and energy supply challenges. This study explores a novel system that combines a nuclear-driven supercritical carbon dioxide power cycle with reverse osmosis cogeneration to meet the water and electricity demands in maritime operations, enhancing the sustainability, efficiency, and self-sufficiency of naval vessels. The results indicate that the system has the potential to be a viable and effective solution for naval operations.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Dao Thi Thanh Huyen, Saikat Sinha Ray, Young -Nam Kwon
Summary: This study focuses on the modification of a commercially available polyamide thin-film composite membrane with a zwitterionic material to enhance its fouling resistance. The modified membrane shows improved salt rejection and reduced permeability compared to the pristine membrane. Fouling tests demonstrate that the modified membrane has a lower fouling ratio and higher recovery ratio. The enhanced antifouling characteristics are attributed to the improved hydrophilicity resulting from the zwitterionic brushes and the salting-in effect.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Niklas Koeller, Lukas Mankertz, Selina Finger, Christian J. Linnartz, Matthias Wessling
Summary: This study presents a methodology to scale up Flow-electrode Capacitive Deionization (FCDI) technology from lab-scale to pilot-scale systems. By increasing membrane area and using a stacking approach, the FCDI modules were successfully scaled up and achieved a salt transfer rate comparable to lab-scale systems. This provides a foundation for future assessments of energy demand and economics.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Mona Gulied, Sifani Zavahir, Tasneem Elmakki, Hyunwoong Park, Guillermo Hijos Gago, Ho Kyong Shon, Dong Suk Han
Summary: This study introduces a novel hybrid system that combines direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) and electrically switched ion exchange (ESIX) to facilitate seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) brine enrichment and selective lithium recovery.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zhiqiang Zhang, Ruifeng Deng, Jiao Zhang, Lu She, Guangfeng Wei, Renyong Jia, Pengyu Xiang, Siqing Xia
Summary: A transmembrane electro-chemisorption system with authigenic acid and base was developed for enhancing ammonia recovery from strong ammonia wastewater. The system efficiently transformed ammonium into free ammonia, which was then adsorbed and recovered through transmembrane chemisorption. This system yielded pure (NH4)2SO4 product and produced valuable byproducts of pure hydrogen and oxygen. Higher applied voltage resulted in better ammonia recovery.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Alena Popova, Sandrine Boivin, Takuji Shintani, Takahiro Fujioka
Summary: This study aimed to produce a high-integrity RO membrane by forming a polyamide skin layer on a TE support layer, in order to enhance the integrity of the membrane and improve the microbiological safety of potable water reuse.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Sanjana Yagnambhatt, Saber Khanmohammadi, Jonathan Maisonneuve
Summary: This study investigates the concept of using heat to enhance reverse osmosis (RO) desalination. The effect of temperature on water permeate flux, specific energy, permeate quality, and applied operating pressures is evaluated using an analytical model. The results suggest that under specific conditions, the tradeoff between savings in mechanical pump work and thermal energy input in thermally-enhanced RO can be favorable, leading to overall energy savings.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jiangju Si, Chenrui Xue, Shun Li, Linchao Yang, Weiwei Li, Jie Yang, Jihong Lan, Ningbo Sun
Summary: To meet the huge demand for lithium resources, there is an urgent need to develop a new efficient technology for lithium recovery from salt-lake brines. In this study, a selective membrane capacitive deionization system is reported, which achieves high lithium recovery capacity and rate through the use of materials with efficient intercalated pseudo-capacitance and a high specific area porous carbon. The use of a modified thin-coated membrane allows for selective Li+ recovery, and adjusting the concentrations of Li+ and Mg2+ in the feed solution enables higher Li+/Mg2+ selectivity.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Mohamed R. Salem, R. Y. Sakr, Ghazy M. R. Assassa, Omar A. Aly
Summary: This research proposes a new method of using wasted thermal energies as an additional heating source for solar still distillation units (SSDUs) to increase productivity and reduce pollution and global warming. By testing two SSDUs, the study shows that heating airflow can raise temperatures, enhance freshwater production, and improve system thermal efficiency.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Qimeng Sun, Miao Sun, Linyan Yang, Yuan Gao, Xinghai Zhou, Lihua Lyu, Chunyan Wei
Summary: This study presents an innovative design and fabrication of a fabric-based conical roll (FCR) evaporator, which enables low-temperature evaporation and achieves high evaporation efficiency with excellent thermal management ability. The evaporator has demonstrated advanced light-harvesting capability and can produce freshwater that meets drinking water standards, showing great potential for applications in desalination and sewage treatment.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yidong Zhang, Wangfang Deng, Meiyan Wu, Chao Liu, Guang Yu, Qiu Cui, Pedram Fatehi, Chunlin Xu, Bin Li
Summary: In this study, a novel polydopamine-functionalized lignin-containing pulp foam evaporator with high-efficiency desalination and multi-contaminant adsorption capabilities was designed. The foam evaporator showed excellent light absorption, water absorption, thermal conductivity, and chelation abilities, allowing for solar evaporation and contaminant adsorption synergistically. It also exhibited potential applications in metal ion concentration and contaminated seawater treatments, and demonstrated superior biodegradability compared to poly-styrene foam. This foam material holds promise for developing multifunctional photo-thermal systems for solar-driven water purification.