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Advanced Technologies to Remove Toxic Compounds in Wastewater II

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Dear Colleagues,

Wastewater contains numerous pollutants that typically cannot be removed by conventional treatment methods. The entry of these wastewaters into the ecosystem causes serious damage as a result of the toxic effects of these compounds. This is intensified by the fact that continuous and prolonged discharges often take place, producing chronic toxicity. The toxicity of wastewater is due to the presence of both the macro-contaminants—Namely, the high content of dissolved organic matter or nitrogen pollution—and micro-pollutants such as heavy metals, micro- and nano-plastics and emerging contaminants. The complex chemical composition of wastewater necessitates the implementation of combined and new technologies to achieve the efficient removal of their toxicity and the development of a valuable toxicity assessment index. In particular, it should be noted that water from wastewater treatment plants is now considered a sustainable water resource. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide updated and specialized information about the efficacy of advanced technologies which are valuable in the removal of wastewater toxicity to upgrade the efficiency of conventional wastewater treatments. It is hoped that this Special Issue will encourage the establishment of discussion forums to analyze in depth the importance of pollutants and optimal means of achieving high-quality water for reuse.

Prof. Dr. Conceptión Calvo
Guest Editor

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19 pages, 6148 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pseudomonas putida Metallothionein: Structural Analysis and Implications of Sustainable Heavy Metal Detoxification in Madinah

by Munazzah Tasleem, Abdel-Aziz A. A. El-Sayed, Wesam M. Hussein and Abdulwahed Alrehaily

Toxics 2023, 11(10), 864; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11100864 - 16 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1862

Abstract

Heavy metals, specifically cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), contaminating water bodies of Madinah (Saudi Arabia), is a significant environmental concern that necessitates prompt action. Madinah is exposed to toxic metals from multiple sources, such as tobacco, fresh and canned foods, and industrial activities. This influx of toxic metals presents potential hazards to both human health and the surrounding environment. The aim of this study is to explore the viability of utilizing metallothionein from Pseudomonas putida (P. putida) as a method of bioremediation to mitigate the deleterious effects of pollution attributable to Pb and Cd. The use of various computational approaches, such as physicochemical assessments, structural modeling, molecular docking, and protein–protein interaction investigations, has enabled us to successfully identify the exceptional metal-binding properties that metallothionein displays in P. putida. The identification of specific amino acid residues, namely GLU30 and GLN21, is crucial in understanding their pivotal role in facilitating the coordination of lead and cadmium. In addition, post-translational modifications present opportunities for augmenting the capacity to bind metals, thereby creating possibilities for focused engineering. The intricate web of interactions among proteins serves to emphasize the protein’s participation in essential cellular mechanisms, thereby emphasizing its potential contributions to detoxification pathways. The present study establishes a strong basis for forthcoming experimental inquiries, offering potential novel approaches in bioremediation to tackle the issue of heavy metal contamination. Metallothionein from P. putida presents a highly encouraging potential as a viable remedy for environmental remediation, as it is capable of proficiently alleviating the detrimental consequences related to heavy metal pollution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies to Remove Toxic Compounds in Wastewater II)

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22 pages, 4064 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cationic Polystyrene-Based Hydrogels: Low-Cost and Regenerable Adsorbents to Electrostatically Remove Nitrites from Water

by Silvana Alfei, Valentina Orlandi, Federica Grasso, Raffaella Boggia and Guendalina Zuccari

Toxics 2023, 11(4), 312; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11040312 - 27 Mar 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1325

Abstract

Nitrites are metastable anions that are derived from the oxidation of ammonia by agricultural pollution, sewage, decaying protein, and other nitrogen sources. They are a recognized environmental issue due to their role in eutrophication, as well as in surface and groundwater contamination, being toxic to almost all living creatures. Recently, we reported on the high efficiency of two cationic resins (R1 and R2) forming hydrogels (R1HG and R2HG) by dispersion in water in removing anionic dyes from water by electrostatic binding. Here, aiming at developing adsorbent materials for nitrite remediation, R1, R2, R1HG, and R2HG were first tested in adsorption experiments in batches monitored by UV–Vis methods, using the Griess reagent system (GRS) in order to assess their removal efficiency by contact over time. Particularly, samples of water appositely contaminated with nitrites were analyzed by UV–Vis before and during treatment with the hydrogels. The initial concentration of nitrites was quantified (118 mg/L). Then, the removal of nitrites over time, the removal efficiency of R1HG (89.2%) and of R2HG (89.6%), their maximum adsorption (21.0 mg/g and 23.5 mg/g), as well as the adsorption kinetics and mechanisms were evaluated. Additionally, R1HG- and R2HG-based columns (h = 8–10 cm, Ø_E = 2 cm) mimicking mini-scale decontamination systems by filtration were used to rapidly filter samples of water polluted with nitrite that were under pressure. R1HG and R2GH were capable of totally removing nitrites (99.5% and 100%) from volumes of nitrite solutions that were 118 mg/L that is 10 times the volumes of resins used. Additionally, when extending filtration to increasing volumes of the same nitrite solution up to 60 times the volume of resins used, the removal efficiently of R1HG decreased, and that of R2HG remained stable at over 89%. Interestingly, both the worn-out hydrogels were regenerable by 1% HCl washing, without a significant reduction in their original efficiency. There is a lack of studies in the literature reporting on novel methods to remove nitrite from water. R1HG and especially R2HG represent low-cost, up-scalable, and regenerable column-packing materials with promise for applications in the treatment of drinking water contaminated by nitrites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies to Remove Toxic Compounds in Wastewater II)

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