As the planet faces intensifying water scarcity driven by climate change, population growth, and environmental degradation, communities around the world are turning to an innovative solution: recycling wastewater. By treating and purifying municipal and industrial wastewater through advanced processes, this valuable resource can be reclaimed and reused rather than discharged as waste into sensitive ecosystems. […]
Communities surrounding industrial facilities and municipal operations are directly impacted by foul orders making life unbearable. These smells indicate more than just the presence of nuisance, but rather hazardous air emissions that pose serious environmental and public health threats. Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)—one of these contaminants—is a flammable and highly toxic gas that is normally known […]
As urban populations swell around the globe, an overlooked byproduct of our modern sewage systems is accumulating at an astonishing pace – wastewater sludge. This problematic solid waste is highly nutrient-rich yet challenging to manage sustainably. But innovative resource recovery techniques are now transforming sludge from an environmental liability into a circular economic asset supplying […]
As China’s capital Beijing continues its unprecedented urban expansion, the city’s environmental and public health demands grow in turn. With over 20 million residents, Beijing generates staggering volumes of sewage and wastewater that must be treated and discharged responsibly. At the forefront of Beijing’s wastewater infrastructure stands the Beixiaohe Treatment Plant – an engineering marvel […]
From the gas pump to the synthetic fertilizers that help feed the world, petroleum products facilitate almost every aspect of modern life. But this ubiquitous fossil fuel comes with an overlooked and mounting environmental toll – for every barrel of crude oil extracted, an astounding 10 barrels of salty, contaminated wastewater called “produced water” surfaces […]
The Eastern Water Reclamation Facility (EWRF) is a crucial wastewater treatment plant providing significant water reuse and environmental services to the Orlando, Florida, region. Owned and operated by the Orange County Utilities Department, EWRF commenced operations in 1986 to help meet increasing wastewater infrastructure demands stemming from rapid Orlando metro population growth through the second […]
As water scarcity intensifies globally, innovative technologies are needed to ensure adequate supply and optimize treatment. Water processes based on osmosis, the natural diffusion of water across a semi-permeable membrane, have generated growing interest for their efficiency, reliability, and environmental sustainability. Engineered osmosis methods like forward osmosis (FO) and pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO) utilize optimized membranes […]
Excess phosphate in water bodies can lead to eutrophication, causing algal blooms that reduce oxygen levels and threaten aquatic ecosystems. Removing phosphate from wastewater, agricultural runoff, and other point sources before they enter natural water systems is an essential strategy for preventing eutrophication. Biochar, a porous carbonaceous material produced by pyrolyzing biomass under oxygen-limited conditions, […]
Ozonation in wastewater is an advanced treatment method that utilizes ozone, a powerful oxidant, to remove a variety of contaminants from water. This process has been employed for over a century, initially focusing on disinfection, but has since evolved to address a wider range of inorganic and organic pollutants. The efficacy of ozonation in improving […]
Anaerobic digestion is a biological process that occurs when organic matter is broken down by bacteria in the absence of oxygen. It is a technology that has been harnessed to manage waste, mitigate pollution, and produce biogas – a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide that can be used as a renewable energy source. The […]