Wastewater refers to the water that has been used and contaminated by residential, industrial, commercial, or agricultural activities, as well as stormwater and sewer inflow and infiltration. It typically contains a mixture of substances including human waste, food scraps, oils, soaps, and chemicals. Managing and treating wastewater is crucial for preventing pollution and protecting water resources and public health. Treatment processes typically occur in facilities designed to reduce contaminants to acceptable levels before releasing the treated water back into the environment, often into rivers or the sea. Advanced treatment methods include physical separation, biological treatment to degrade organic matter, and chemical processes to remove nutrients and other pollutants. Effective wastewater management is essential for sustainable development, as it not only safeguards human health and ecosystems but also recycles valuable water and nutrients.
The new spacesuit urine filtration system by Cornell researchers recycles astronauts’ urine into drinkable water, aiming to improve comfort and efficiency on future Moon and…
Researchers from the French national public health institute conducted a study to identify key pathogens for wastewater surveillance (WWS) during the 2024 Paris Olympic and…
Using carbon financing to develop wastewater infrastructure could result in savings of $15.6 billion and nearly 30 million tons of emissions over 40 years. Researchers…
As law enforcement intensifies efforts against illegal substances, experts from the University of South Australia have raised concerns about the consumption of the synthetic stimulant…
Researchers led by Prof. Xiang Gao from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Prof. Lu Lu from…
A complex interplay of factors influences the spread of superbug genes during wastewater treatment and reuse. The combination of chemical and physical stressors that bacteria…
University of Toronto Engineering Ph.D. candidate Sara Abu-Obaid (ChemE) believes that a fundamental shift is overdue in the wastewater management sector. “We need to move…
According to a recent study from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, the potency of antibiotic resistance evolution in wastewater has been greatly underestimated. The…
Researchers at Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology have come up with a new way to purify contaminated water using cellulose-based materials. This breakthrough could…
A comprehensive study from Karolinska Institute, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, warns that the presence of antibiotic residue in wastewater and treatment plants in…
Sustainable Development Goal for wastewater treatment is not enough. While achieving the ambitious Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for wastewater treatment would result in significant improvements…
Membrane filters don’t require much energy to purify water, making them popular for wastewater treatment. To keep these materials in tip-top condition, they’re commonly cleaned…
Low concentrations of terbium could be identified from acid mine drainage and other waste sources. A new luminescent sensor can detect terbium, a valuable rare…
A UCLA-led team of engineers and chemists has taken a major step forward in the development of microbial fuel cells — a technology that utilizes…
Pharmaceutical compounds can harm the environment. However, in waterways that don’t receive treated wastewater, these pollutants aren’t expected to be present. Now, researchers reporting in…
SMART researchers have developed an innovative method to detect and quantify the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant of concern via wastewater epidemiology. Researchers from the Antimicrobial Resistance…
Important funding for the intersectoral research work of two INRS professors. Patrick Drogui and My Ali El Khakani, professors at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS),…
Outer pod packaging needs a specific environment to completely biodegrade. The simplicity of grabbing a laundry or dishwasher pod and tossing it into the machine…