essay on waste water treatment

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Direct discharge of sewage

Developments in sewage treatment.

Sources of water pollution
Types of sewage
Organic material
Suspended solids
Plant nutrients
Combined systems
Separate systems
Alternative systems
Primary treatment
Trickling filter
Activated sludge
Oxidation pond
Rotating biological contacter
Effluent polishing
Removal of plant nutrients
Land treatment
Clustered wastewater treatment systems
On-site septic tanks and leaching fields
Wastewater reuse
Improved treatment methods
Environmental considerations

How is sewage transformed into drinkable water?

What are the common pollutants present in wastewater?

How is wastewater processed at a sewage treatment facility, why is wastewater resource recovery important.

Ruminant. Deer. Red deer. Cervus elaphus. Buck. Stag. Antlers.

wastewater treatment

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United States Environmental Protection Agency - How Wastewater Treatment Works...The Basics
Academia - Wastewater Treatment Design
Chemistry LibreTexts - Wastewater and Sewage Treatment
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - Wastewater treatment
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Wastewater Treatment &Water Reclamation
USGS - Water Science School - Wastewater Treatment Water Use
Table Of Contents

What is wastewater?

Wastewater is the polluted form of water generated from rainwater runoff and human activities. It is also called sewage. It is typically categorized by the manner in which it is generated—specifically, as domestic sewage, industrial sewage, or storm sewage (stormwater).

How is wastewater generated?

Domestic wastewater results from water use in residences, businesses, and restaurants.
Industrial wastewater comes from discharges by manufacturing and chemical industries.
Rainwater in urban and agricultural areas picks up debris, grit, nutrients, and various chemicals, thus contaminating surface runoff water.

Wastewater contains a wide range of contaminants. The quantities and concentrations of these substances depend upon their source. Pollutants are typically categorized as physical, chemical, and biological. Common pollutants include complex organic materials, nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich compounds, and pathogenic organisms ( bacteria , viruses , and protozoa ). Synthetic organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, microplastics, sediments, radioactive substances, oil, heat, and many other pollutants may also be present in wastewater.

Sewage treatment facilities use physical, chemical, and biological processes for water purification . The processes used in these facilities are also categorized as preliminary, primary, secondary, and tertiary. Preliminary and primary stages remove rags and suspended solids. Secondary processes mainly remove suspended and dissolved organics. Tertiary methods achieve nutrient removal and further polishing of wastewater. Disinfection, the final step, destroys remaining pathogens. The waste sludge generated during treatment is separately stabilized, dewatered, and sent to landfills or used in land applications.

Wastewater is a complex blend of metals, nutrients, and specialized chemicals. Recovery of these valuable materials can help to offset a community’s growing demands for natural resources. Resource recovery concepts are evolving, and researchers are investigating and developing numerous technologies. Reclamation and reuse of treated water for irrigation , groundwater recharge, or recreational purposes are particular areas of focus.

Recent News

wastewater treatment , the removal of impurities from wastewater, or sewage, before it reaches aquifers or natural bodies of water such as rivers , lakes , estuaries , and oceans . Since pure water is not found in nature (i.e., outside chemical laboratories), any distinction between clean water and polluted water depends on the type and concentration of impurities found in the water as well as on its intended use. In broad terms, water is said to be polluted when it contains enough impurities to make it unfit for a particular use, such as drinking, swimming, or fishing. Although water quality is affected by natural conditions, the word pollution usually implies human activity as the source of contamination. Water pollution , therefore, is caused primarily by the drainage of contaminated wastewater into surface water or groundwater , and wastewater treatment is a major element of water pollution control .

Historical background

Many ancient cities had drainage systems, but they were primarily intended to carry rainwater away from roofs and pavements. A notable example is the drainage system of ancient Rome . It included many surface conduits that were connected to a large vaulted channel called the Cloaca Maxima (“Great Sewer”), which carried drainage water to the Tiber River . Built of stone and on a grand scale, the Cloaca Maxima is one of the oldest existing monuments of Roman engineering.

There was little progress in urban drainage or sewerage during the Middle Ages. Privy vaults and cesspools were used, but most wastes were simply dumped into gutters to be flushed through the drains by floods. Toilets (water closets) were installed in houses in the early 19th century, but they were usually connected to cesspools, not to sewers . In densely populated areas, local conditions soon became intolerable because the cesspools were seldom emptied and frequently overflowed. The threat to public health became apparent. In England in the middle of the 19th century, outbreaks of cholera were traced directly to well-water supplies contaminated with human waste from privy vaults and cesspools. It soon became necessary for all water closets in the larger towns to be connected directly to the storm sewers. This transferred sewage from the ground near houses to nearby bodies of water. Thus, a new problem emerged: surface water pollution.

It used to be said that “the solution to pollution is dilution.” When small amounts of sewage are discharged into a flowing body of water, a natural process of stream self-purification occurs. Densely populated communities generate such large quantities of sewage, however, that dilution alone does not prevent pollution. This makes it necessary to treat or purify wastewater to some degree before disposal.

The construction of centralized sewage treatment plants began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, principally in the United Kingdom and the United States . Instead of discharging sewage directly into a nearby body of water, it was first passed through a combination of physical, biological, and chemical processes that removed some or most of the pollutants. Also beginning in the 1900s, new sewage-collection systems were designed to separate storm water from domestic wastewater, so that treatment plants did not become overloaded during periods of wet weather.

After the middle of the 20th century, increasing public concern for environmental quality led to broader and more stringent regulation of wastewater disposal practices. Higher levels of treatment were required. For example, pretreatment of industrial wastewater, with the aim of preventing toxic chemicals from interfering with the biological processes used at sewage treatment plants, often became a necessity. In fact, wastewater treatment technology advanced to the point where it became possible to remove virtually all pollutants from sewage. This was so expensive, however, that such high levels of treatment were not usually justified.

Wastewater treatment plants became large, complex facilities that required considerable amounts of energy for their operation. After the rise of oil prices in the 1970s, concern for energy conservation became a more important factor in the design of new pollution control systems. Consequently, land disposal and subsurface disposal of sewage began to receive increased attention where feasible . Such “low-tech” pollution control methods not only might help to conserve energy but also might serve to recycle nutrients and replenish groundwater supplies.

Home — Essay Samples — Science — Agriculture — Steps of the Wastewater Treatment Process

Steps of The Wastewater Treatment Process

Categories: Agriculture Water Pollution Water Quality

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Published: Dec 5, 2018

Words: 1105 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Introduction, the steps of the wastewater treatment process, the environmental and health significance, the role of technological advancements.

Preliminary Treatment : The first step involves the removal of large objects and debris, such as sticks, leaves, and plastics, through screens or gratings. This helps protect downstream equipment from damage and ensures that smaller particles can be effectively removed in subsequent treatment stages.
Primary Treatment : In this phase, the wastewater is allowed to settle in large tanks, allowing solids to settle at the bottom and form sludge. This sludge is then removed and further treated or disposed of. Although primary treatment removes a significant portion of suspended solids, it is not effective in eliminating dissolved contaminants.
Secondary Treatment : Secondary treatment is designed to remove dissolved and suspended biological matter, such as organic materials and bacteria. It relies on microorganisms to break down these pollutants into less harmful substances. Common methods include activated sludge processes and trickling filters, which provide a habitat for beneficial bacteria to thrive and purify the water.
Tertiary Treatment : Also known as advanced treatment, this stage goes beyond secondary treatment to further polish the water quality. It involves additional processes like filtration, chemical treatment, and disinfection to remove remaining contaminants, including nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus), pathogens, and trace chemicals. The treated water is now safe for release into the environment or for reuse.
Metcalf & Eddy, Inc., & Tchobanoglous, G. (2002). Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse. McGraw-Hill Education.
Cheremisinoff, N. P. (2019). Handbook of Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies. Butterworth-Heinemann.
Tchobanoglous, G., Burton, F. L., & Stensel, H. D. (2002). Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse (Metropolitan Los Angeles Edition). McGraw-Hill.
Mara, D., & Horan, N. (2003). Handbook of Water and Wastewater Microbiology. Elsevier.
Khan, S. R., Tawabini, B. S., & Al-Zahrani, M. A. (2019). Advanced Technologies in Water and Wastewater Management. Springer.
US Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet: Membrane Bioreactors.
World Health Organization. (2011). Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. World Health Organization.

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How to Treat Wastewater Essay

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Introduction

Situation and problem, solution 1: chemical treatment method, solution 2: biological method, comparison and evaluation.

Wastewater is fundamentally designated as the flow of used water discharged from businesses, institutions, commercial tasks, homes, and firms, directed to a treatment plant(s) by an accurately designed and engineered system of pipes. The wastewater is also categorized and characterized according to its source of origin. Wastewater management is a major issue at both industrial and domestic levels that needs to be resolved for access to quality water for use at both levels. It noted the amount of wastewater generated by a single individual daily amounts to about 200- 500 liters daily. This paper will thus evaluate the two superior methods of wastewater management and treatment, which are composed of: biological and chemical methods.

The wastewater treatment issue is a fundamentally critical topic of discussion in the public domain in that: it is the public that experiences the use of contaminated water, experiences water shortage, and the inability to recover it.

Gross violation of the existing water acts by the providers also felt by the public as well as increasing health and medical issues such as, Cholera which threatens the life of the citizens.

The ever-increasing demand for water by the ever-rising population is experienced too as the public uses any water sources at their disposition, leading to faster depletion. The major solutions to wastewater treatment thus include:

Generally, it is credible to appreciate the fact that a general wastewater treatment plant undergoes six major steps that are undertaken for the full treatment process to be achieved. The steps are composed of: Preliminary treatment, which focuses on the removal of

the solid materials (visible), which can spark an operational problem. The Primary stage removes about 60% solids and about 35% of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), as argued by DEFRA [1].

The other essential stages are: the Secondary treatment which focuses on removal of about 85% of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and any remaining solids, the advanced treatment stage which focuses on removal of about 95% of the BOD and any present solids as well as final treatment and the sludge management process. The major conceptual stages in the wastewater plant layout are as shown by the figure below.

The chemical wastewater treatment process focuses on the removal of the present pollutants, which are not readily removed by the physical process. These pollutants are composed of: suspended solids, BOD (usually in the range of 10-15 milligrams per liter), heavy metals present such as Cadmium, refractory organics, and any inorganic salts.

The application of the Chemical treatment method is a result of the inability of both the secondary and primary steps to remove some microscopic elements such as; phosphorous, Cadmium, Mercury, or even Zinc, which exists as trace elements in wastewater.

DEFRA [1] demonstrates that the wastewater treatment process in most cases precedes as a biological operation- a tertiary process that is composed of the chemical precipitation, neutralization, adsorption, ion exchange, and disinfection through use of Chlorine, Ozone or even Ultraviolet light.

The first technique of chemical wastewater treatment is the chemical precipitation, which involves the addition of a dissolved inorganic compound, to either a base or an acid, by ensuring that the temperature is adjusted.

The second approach in the wastewater treatment operations in chemical operation is the neutralization operations, which involve the control of the pH of the wastewater, which may either be acid or basic to a neutral PH of 7. If the wastewater is acidic in most cases, there is an addition of a base such as; calcium hydroxide (Ca (OH) 2 ), calcium oxide (lime) (CaO), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), or sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 ) generally known as soda ash.

On the other hand, if the wastewater realized to be too basic, some of the acids added to adjust the PH to 7 of the wastewater include the carbonic acid (H 2 CO 3 ) and the sulphuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ).

The use of the Ion-exchange catalytic operation also applied as a chemical operation in the treatment of the wastewater. In this process, a reversible reaction takes place in which a charged ion from a solution of wastewater exchanged with a charged ion that has an electrostatic charge attached to an immobile phase. The application of this chemical process in the treatment of the wastewater is majorly projected to soften the water, mainly exchanging the polyvalent cations such as Magnesium or Calcium with the sodium ion.

The engineering of the exchange resins in most cases designed by the use of the polymer organic compounds whereby sodium from the ion exchanger exchanged with cations in the wastewater solution until the bed is saturated.

The application of Ozone as an oxidant also applied as a chemical method for the treatment of the wastewater. This is through the ability of the Ozone gas to oxidize a wide range of both organic and inorganic compounds during wastewater treatment leading to clean water. The use of Ozone in wastewater treatment fulfilled through the creation of ozonation, which ensures that the compounds are stable and not harmful.

The use of Ultraviolet light radiations as chemical operations in wastewater treatment also employed. As argued by GOV.UK [2], the U.V a type of disinfectant that leaves no residues and majorly applied in the treatment of clear, un-turbid, and discoloured wastewater. Moreover, the U.V applies both high and low powered ultra violet lights wavelength of about 354nm, which ensures the killing of any pathogens, leaving no chances for microbial growth.

The calculation of the treatment dosage required achieved through an application of the equation I.

D=It where D= U.V dosage (m W.s/cm 2 ); I= Intensity of U.V light (m W/cm 2 ) and t= time of exposure.

Finally, the chlorination, operation as a form of chemical wastewater treatment is applied. In this process, the PH level, organic level, and wastewater temperature predict the amount of Chlorine to be added. Chlorine is added to wastewater, and it changes to both HCl and Hypochlorous acid. The formed acid- Hypochlorous reacts with toxic ammonia compounds forming less toxic compounds; chloramines as indicated by the equations (II-V) below respectively.

Cl 2 +H 2 O→H + +Cl – + HOCl

NH 3 +HOCl→NH 2 Cl + H 2 O

NH 2 Cl+ HOCl→NHCl 2 + H 2 O

NHCl 2 +HOCl→NCl 3 +H 2 O

In this process, the bacteria act on the organic matter, forming thick biomass leading to purifying the wastewater. It is also credible to appreciate that the design of the bioreactor is in such a way that it has bacteria cells, which facilitates the growth of the microorganisms.

In ensuring that the aerobic process achieved the engineering of the bioreactor, it also considers the design of the maturation ponds, basically to enable the removal of Nitrogen, Ammonia, nutrients, and pathogens since it is deep and wide constructed. The bacteria growth rate is fundamentally determined by applying the growth equation to accurately determine the amount of time that would be required to clean the wastewater through their action. The equation is shown below.

Where: X=Microorganism concentration in the reactor (g/cm 3 )

µ=Specific growth rate (d -1 )

A possible combination to effectively treat the waste using the maturation operations is as shown by the diagram below.

The maturation process tends to work optimally within the normal conditions enabling more growth of the microorganisms as it requires less energy to pump Oxygen into the system to enable their growth as demonstrated by YARA [3].

Finally, biological wastewater treatment operation projects the amount of sludge accumulated within a certain period, indicating the amount of biomass accumulated at the bottom of the settling unit, thus predicting if some of the bacteria are still active or inactive.

If the bacteria realized to be active, the sludge returned into the bioreactor to assimilate a higher bioavailability oxygen demand (BOD) to accumulate more waste to ensure the effective utilization of the activated sludge as argued by Pullen [4].

From the comparison of the two methods discussed above, it is evident that the chemical method appears to be more superior at the household levels than the biological method. This based on the fact that fewer resources are required to enable the process. Moreover, the design of the chemical process proves to be less complicated. This is in contrast to the biological method, which proves to be more complicated in its design and operations.

However, on the industrial scale for easier cleaning of the wastewater, there a need to consider the biological method as it proves to be more applicable and economical in that more wastewater can be treated using more cultured bacteria.

In conclusion, both discussed methods above (chemical and microorganisms operations) can be applied at both industrial and domestic levels to ensure water safety maintained as well addressing the water shortage-related issue meeting global demand for water. Moreover, the dimension of compliance with the water act policy, maintaining the health status of the public and effective utilization of the inadequate water is achieved.

To sum up, I believe the two approaches discussed are instrumental in the current times, which require the maximal utilization of the water resources as the level of global water sources gets demand due to the ever- rising high population.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). “ Sewerage Treatment in the UK: UK Implementation of the EC urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. ”. Web.
GOV. “ Water and treated water. ”. Web.
YARA. “ Biological Wastewater treatment- Nutrients. ”. Web.
T. Pullen. “How to use recycled water for your home.”. Web.
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Essay on Sewage and Wastewater Treatment

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In most parts of the world, increases in population, the use of huge quantities of fertilizers and pesticides in modem agriculture, the expansion of food processing industry and the growth of other industrial processes contribute to the volume of sewage and waste water.

Therefore wastewater treatment attempts to remove compounds with a high BOD, pathogenic organisms and harmful chemicals.

The wastewater treatment is done as follows:

Primary Treatment :

Stages in sewage and wastewter treatment

Secondary processing is required to degrade the dissolved organic compounds. This is effected by natural aerobic microorganisms. The resulting sludge is either disposed of or sent to a digester. In the activated sludge process, some is returned to the aeration tank (Fig. 9.1). At the end of the secondary treatment the strength of the effluent is reduced to 30 : 20 (i.e., suspended solids 30 mg per litre and BOD 20 mg per litre), which can be discharged into water sources. However, major part of the nitrogen and phosphorus compounds still remains in the effluent.

Tertiary Treatment :

Tertiary treatment involves chemical precipitation and separation of nitrogen and phosphorus. However, in many cases tertiary treatment is considered optional. The resulting effluent at the end of tertiary treatment is of 10: 10 strength (i.e., suspended solids 10 mg per litre and BOD 10 mg per litre). However the effluent cannot be used as drinking water without giving the normal chemical treatment.

The drinking water may be disinfected by chlorine. However, organic material present in water reacts with chlorine to produce disinfection by-products (DPBs) such as chloroform. Some alternate disinfectants that produce smaller amounts of DPBs are ozone, UV light, chlorine dioxide and chloramines.

Digestion Processing:

Major Metabiotic reaction in the anerobic dexomposition of organic wastes into carbon dioxide and methane

Treatment of industrial wastewater uses processes similar to those described above. Therefore, any biotechnological improvements to these processes are likely to have immediate industrial application.

Biotechnological improvements may include:

(i) An increase in the capacity of treatment plants;

(ii) increased recovery of useful by-products;

(iii) Replacement of synthetic chemical additives that are currently used; and

(iv) Removal of metals, recalcitrant compounds and odour.

Aerobic Treatment Systems :

The main purpose of secondary treatment is to reduce the BOD of liquid waste. BOD is a measure of the amount of DO consumed by aerobic microorganisms as they metabolize the degradable organic material in the waste (milligrams of DO consumed per litre on incubation for 5 days at 20°C). Aerobic effluent treatment is the largest controlled use of microorganisms in the biotechnological industries.

It includes – substrate adsorption to the biological surface; adsorbed solid breakdown by extracellular enzymes; dissolved material absorption into cells; growth and endogenous respiration; release of excretory products; and ingestion of primary population by secondary grazers. These steps should ordinarily result into complete mineralization of the waste. For aerobic processing of waste either trickling (percolating) filter system or activated sludge tanks are used.

A trickling filter tank is 3 to 10 feet deep, usually packed with crushed rock on which the microbial population forms a thin film. The liquid waste is applied to the top of the filter and percolates downward, depositing organic matter on the support and the microbial film. An upward flow of air through the spaces between the particles of the packed rock material maintains aerobic conditions.

Heterotrophic bacteria and fungi in the upper part of the filter obtain nutrients and energy by oxidizing the organic matter. In this way their numbers multiply and new film is formed. However, a major limitation of the trickling filters is excessive growth of the microbes in the filter, which restricts ventilation and flow, eventually causing blockage and failure. In a recent modification, called the alternating double filtration, the order of the filters first receiving the effluent is periodically reversed.

In addition to ADF, recirculation and intermittent dosing are used to dissipate the load deeper into the filter. Other modifications to plant design and operation are the slowing down of the distributor to even the spread of biomass, and the use of direct double filtration in which a larger size of medium is used for the first filter, allowing higher loading.

A major modification to plant design has been in the form of the Rotating Biological Contractor (RBC). This is a rotating honeycomb of plastic sheets alternately in contact with the waste and air, thus providing a large surface area for the biomass and good aeration.

In the activated sludge process, the wastewater and sewage that have received primary treatment, is mixed with “activated sludge”(an inoculums of microorganisms) and continuously aerated with oxygen for about 15 hours. The heterotrophic organisms that degrade organic matter in an activated sludge tank are the same as those in the percolating filter tank, but the major group of bacteria involved in the treatment process is Zoogloea ramigera , a slime- forming bacteria.

As these bacteria grow, they form clunks called floes to which soluble organic matter, as well as protozoa and other organisms, become attached. When the effluent from an activated sludge tank passes into a sedimentation tank, these floes with the material they are carrying, sediment out and are transferred to an anaerobic sludge digester.

As in the case of filtration processes, recently a number of biotechnological modifications particularly associated with aeration have been introduced into the activated sludge system, some of them are:

(a) Tapered aeration, which relates aeration capacity to the oxygen demand, which is less at the outlet than the inlet;

(b) Step aeration, which introduces the waste it intervals throughout the length of the tank; (c) Contact stabilization, in which the returned sludge is aerated for organisms to utilize any stored nutrient;

(d) The use of pure oxygen in closed tanks, which enables them to operate at higher biomass concentrations; and

(e) The use of deep-shaft air-lift fermenter, which is more economic than the conventional process through reduced residence times and low running costs of the system.

The efficiency of activated sludge process can be improved through a better understanding of the metabolic control in the micro flora of the system. However, it is not easy to control biodegradation, but an appreciation of biochemistry of these pathways may allow manipulation of the control process.

For example, low concentration addition of Krebs cycle intermediates, glucose, amino acids and vitamins, such as alanine and nicotinic acid, to the sludge can accelerate the rate of oxidation of specific components. Addition of these intermediates to biomass produces an energy requirement that results in ATP production by increased oxidation of inorganic compounds such as ammonia or sulphur.

Fluidized bed :

This is a combination of the trickling filter and activated sludge systems.

The two basic designs are:

(a) Simon Hartley captor: In this, the biomass is grown in spaces inside polyester foam pads which are retained in the reactor by mesh. The pads are periodically removed from the reactor, the thick biomass (about 15 kg. in each m 3 of fluidized support element) machine squeezed out and the empty pads returned to the reactor,

(b) Dorr- Oliver oxitron: In these sand particles are used as the support medium. The sand is allowed to overflow the reactor, is cleaned and then recycled.

Anaerobic Treatment Process :

The digestion of sewage sludge is the most common anaerobic treatment. All the reactions in the anaerobic secondary treatment process can be divided into two groups – acid- forming and methane- forming (Fig. 9.2). Numerous different bacterial species that participate in acid- forming stage include some that are known to be obligate aerobes, but that may grow by utilizing alternative electron acceptors, such as nitrate, sulphate and carbonate.

In the methane- forming stage, anaerobic forms of the genera Methanobacillus, Methanobacterium, Methanococcus and Methanosarcina convert the acetate hydrogen and carbon dioxide produced by the fermenters to methane (CH 4 ). All methanogens, microorganisms responsible for methane production, are archaebacteria that derive their energy by reduction of compounds such as CO 2 , acetate, or methanol.

Methanogens occur in diverse natural anaerobic habitats.

There are obstacles to implementing anaerobic digesters for gas fuel production. The commercial application of anaerobic digester systems is increasing for the treatment of farm, industrial and food manufacturing wastes, in addition to the processing of energy crops.

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Published: 22 February 2024

Fundamentals and applications in water treatment

Nature Water volume 2 , page 101 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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For papers regarding water and wastewater treatment, we are interested in both conceptual advance and potential for practical use.

There should be some kind of limit to the number of times a journal writes about itself. It certainly may seem an overkill to publish an introspective Editorial just one issue after we reflected on what we achieved in our first year of existence 1 . However, it was precisely during the work of reflection in preparation for the January issue Editorial that we realized the need to dwell on the way we consider fundamental and applied research work — admittedly we also received some comments from our readership almost at the same time. Although such views could be applied to all of the topics we cover, they are easily exemplified by the areas of water and wastewater treatment, and for the sake of this Editorial we focus on those.

Already while planning the launch of Nature Water , it was clear to us that a journal on water and society should publish research that provides practical and sustainable solutions. We felt that it was particularly important to insist on this point because the tradition of journals in the Nature Portfolio has been for a long time to look for conceptual advance or mechanistic understanding — though the trend towards technology has changed in the last few years. In our view, if a manuscript demonstrates the potential real-world applicability of a concept developed previously, the potential impact could be enough, at least from an editorial perspective, to be considered for publication. Perhaps the best example of this line of reasoning is the paper by Song et al. that reported the demonstration of water capture in a very dry location with a device conceived previously 2 (Fig. 1 ). In terms of reviews, the Review Article by Dang et al. in this issue beautifully illustrates the concept of starting from the working principle of a technology to explore its real-life application even to an industrial level.

Adapted from ref. 2 , Springer Nature Ltd.

It is undeniable that most of the papers we have published so far have a strong applied slant. However, we want to clarify that we are still interested in fundamental insight that would have relevance for water treatment down the line. In our pre-launch collection we included papers like the one by Song et al. 3 that explored the mechanisms of water permeability in artificial aquaporins. In a News & Views in June 2023 4 we highlighted a paper studying the fundamental aspects of water transport in reverse osmosis membranes 5 . Among the papers we published, a clear example is the paper by Hu et al. 6 , which explored the effect of lattice strain and element speciation on the chemical microenvironment of Fe 0 particles with a view to optimize the reduction properties of the material. Although Fe 0 nanomaterials are considered for environmental remediation, the specific study investigates the change of their chemical properties by introducing a chemistry-related approach, and from an editorial perspective the findings were interesting enough in themselves to be considered without a practical demonstration. Another example is the review by Mitch et al. 7 (Fig. 2 ). Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are clearly connected to water treatment. But the Review Article itself explores primarily the chemical properties of a special category of DBPs and the associated organic matter precursors.

Reproduced from ref. 7 , Springer Nature Ltd.

To state it plainly, we would not consider research about the chemical or physical properties of water with no connection to water treatment. Those results are of course of value, but in our view are better suited in venues focussing on chemistry or physics. However, if there is a connection with water treatment, our criteria for consideration remains solely the perceived significance and potential impact of the results, whether they improve our fundamental understanding or show promise for applications.

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Fundamentals and applications in water treatment. Nat Water 2 , 101 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-024-00211-y

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Current Water Treatment Technologies: An Introduction

Reference work entry
First Online: 11 July 2021
pp 2033–2066
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Na Tian 4 ,
Yulun Nie 5 ,
Xike Tian 5 &
Yanxin Wang 6

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Water treatment and purification in environmental protection are the worldwide issues to relieve the water shortage. At present, various treatment technologies for drinking water or wastewater have been developed. Hence, in this chapter, we will summarize the available water treatment and purification technologies including their advantages and disadvantages as well as the practical application. The main contents then can be divided into the following parts: Firstly, the purification processes for drinking water are introduced including the efficiency and mechanism of filtration and sedimentation, flocculation, disinfection, and other modern emerging technologies. Secondly, the principles and applications of existed wastewater treatment methods are summarized. Thirdly, the new technologies of water treatment are presented such as water reuse technology, membrane technology, advanced oxidation processes based deep water treatment technologies, etc. We think, by summarizing the recent literature and our preliminary work, the present chapter will give the basic information of various water treatment technologies for readers and further capitalize on these technologies for sustainable water management.

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Drinking Water Contamination and its Solving Approaches: A Comprehensive Review of Current Knowledge and Future Directions

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Tian, N., Nie, Y., Tian, X., Wang, Y. (2021). Current Water Treatment Technologies: An Introduction. In: Kharissova, O.V., Torres-Martínez, L.M., Kharisov, B.I. (eds) Handbook of Nanomaterials and Nanocomposites for Energy and Environmental Applications. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36268-3_75

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Water, wastewater and waste management for sustainable development.

1. Introduction

2. overview of the special issue.

Reuse of Treated Slaughterhouse Wastewater from Immediate One-Step Lime Precipitation and Atmospheric Carbonation to Produce Aromatic Plants in Hydroponics (Contribution #1).
Possibilities for Anaerobic Digestion of Slaughter Waste and Flotates for Biomethane Production (Contribution #2).
Evaluation of the Characteristics of Pollutant Discharge in Tomato Hydroponic Wastewater (HWW) for Sustainable Water Management in Korea (Contribution #3).
The Impact of Various Types of Cultivation on Stream Water Quality in Central Poland (Contribution #4).
A Newly Isolated Rhodococcus sp. S2 from Landfill Leachate Capable of Heterotrophic Nitrification and Aerobic Denitrification (Contribution #5).
An Extensive Analysis of Combined Processes for Landfill Leachate Treatment (Contribution #6).
Application of the Monte-Carlo Method to Assess the Operational Reliability of a Household-Constructed Wetland with Vertical Flow: A Case Study in Poland (Contribution #7).
Pharmaceuticals Removal by Ozone and Electro-Oxidation in Combination with Biological Treatment (Contribution #8).
Study on Properties of Micro-Nano Magnetic Composite Prepared by Mechanochemical Method of NdFeB Secondary Waste and Removal of As (V) from Mine Water (Contribution #9).
Integrated Process of Immediate One-Step Lime Precipitation, Atmospheric Carbonation, Constructed Wetlands, or Adsorption for Industrial Wastewater Treatment: A Review (Contribution #10).

3. Conclusions

Conflicts of interest, list of contributions.

Madeira, L.; Ribau Teixeira, M.; Nunes, S.; Almeida, A.; Carvalho, F. Reuse of Treated Slaughterhouse Wastewater from Immediate One-Step Lime Precipitation and Atmospheric Carbonation to Produce Aromatic Plants in Hydroponics. Water 2024 , 16 , 1566. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16111566
Philipp, M.; Ackermann, H.; Barbana, N.; Pluschke, J.; Geißen, S.U. Possibilities for Anaerobic Digestion of Slaughter Waste and Flotates for Biomethane Production. Water 2023 , 15 , 1818. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15101818
Son, J. Evaluation of the Characteristics of Pollutant Discharge in Tomato Hydroponic Wastewater (HWW) for Sustainable Water Management in Korea. Water 2024 , 16 , 720. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16050720
Stępniewski, K.; Karger, M.; Łaszewski, M. The Impact of Various Types of Cultivation on Stream Water Quality in Central Poland. Water 2024 , 16 , 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16010050
Chen, X.; Li, S.; Zhang, W.; Li, S.; Gu, Y.; Ouyang, L. A Newly Isolated Rhodococcus sp. S2 from Landfill Leachate Capable of Heterotrophic Nitrification and Aerobic Denitrification. Water 2024 , 16 , 431. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16030431
Jamrah, A.; AL-Zghoul, T.M.; Al-Qodah, Z. An Extensive Analysis of Combined Processes for Landfill Leachate Treatment. Water 2024 , 16 , 1640. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16121640
Migdał, K.; Jóźwiakowski, K.; Czekała, W.; Śliz, P.; Tavares, J.M.R.; Almeida, A. Application of the Monte-Carlo Method to Assess the Operational Reliability of a Household-Constructed Wetland with Vertical Flow: A Case Study in Poland. Water 2023 , 15 , 3693. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15203693
Audino, F.; Arboleda, J.; Petrovic, M.; Cudinach, R.G.; Pérez, S.S. Pharmaceuticals Removal by Ozone and Electro-Oxidation in Combination with Biological Treatment. Water 2023 , 15 , 3180. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15183180
Feng, X.; Rao, Y. Study on Properties of Micro-Nano Magnetic Composite Prepared by Mechanochemical Method of NdFeB Secondary Waste and Removal of As (V) from Mine Water. Water 2024 , 16 , 1234. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16091234
Madeira, L.; Carvalho, F.; Almeida, A.; Ribau Teixeira, M. Integrated Process of Immediate One-Step Lime Precipitation, Atmospheric Carbonation, Constructed Wetlands, or Adsorption for Industrial Wastewater Treatment: A Review. Water 2023 , 15 , 3929. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15223929
Chen, X.M.; Sharma, A.; Liu, H. The Impact of Climate Change on Environmental Sustainability and Human Mortality. Environments 2023 , 10 , 165. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Iqbal, A.; Yasar, A.; Tabinda, A.B.; Haider, R.; Sultan, I.A.; Kedwii, A.A.; Chaudhary, M.M.; Sheikh, M.M.; Nizami, A.-S. Waste as Resource for Pakistan: An Innovative Business Model of Regenerative Circular Economy to Integrate Municipal Solid Waste Management Sector. Sustainability 2023 , 15 , 6281. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Tsai, C.-H.; Shen, Y.-H.; Tsai, W.-T. Analysis of Current Status and Regulatory Promotion for Incineration Bottom Ash Recycling in Taiwan. Resources 2020 , 9 , 117. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
Czekała, W.; Pulka, J. Water, Wastewater, Waste Management in Agriculture and Agri-Food Industry. Water 2024 , 16 , 1817. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]

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Share and Cite

Czekała, W. Water, Wastewater and Waste Management for Sustainable Development. Water 2024 , 16 , 2468. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172468

Czekała W. Water, Wastewater and Waste Management for Sustainable Development. Water . 2024; 16(17):2468. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172468

Czekała, Wojciech. 2024. "Water, Wastewater and Waste Management for Sustainable Development" Water 16, no. 17: 2468. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172468

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2016. ABSTRACT. This paper reviewed five (5) researches on industrial wastewater treatment processes, the. methods emplo yed in these researches are aerobic, anaerobic or the combination of both ...

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