Journal of water process engineering最新文献

{"title":"Facilitation of dichloromethane biodegradation by different voltages in microbial electrolysis cell","authors":"Xin Zhang ,&nbsp;Caiyun Zhang ,&nbsp;Peihang Wang ,&nbsp;Anqi Geng ,&nbsp;Didi Lu ,&nbsp;Jiajie Wang ,&nbsp;Zhuqiu Sun ,&nbsp;Ruili Yang ,&nbsp;Bairen Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108851","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108851","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dichloromethane (DCM), a recalcitrant chlorinated volatile organic compound (Cl-VOC), poses significant environmental and health risks. This study systematically investigated the effect of different voltages on the biodegradation of DCM in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). The results demonstrated that 0.6 V maximized DCM removal (89.59 %) and methane yield (54.03 mL), correlating with a 42.7 % reduction in total organic carbon. Cyclic voltammetry revealed optimal electron transfer efficiency at 0.6 V (CV integral area: 27.86 mA*V), indicating enhanced redox reversibility. Biofilm characterization showed peak extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) secretion and zeta potential elevation (121.6 %), facilitating pollutant adsorption and extracellular electron transfer. Microbial community analysis identified enriched electroactive (<em>Geobacter</em>, <em>Desulfovibrio</em>) and dechlorinating bacteria (<em>Desulfitobacterium</em>) at 0.6 V, driving reductive dechlorination. This study optimized the mineralization of DCM through voltage-synergistic biofilm electroactivity and microbial community structure, thereby providing a strategic approach to enhance the degradation of DCM in MECs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 108851"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145229984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Highly efficient disinfection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in water using a novel UV-LED/periodate combined process: mechanisms and performance evaluation","authors":"Lizhong Liu ,&nbsp;Lu Li ,&nbsp;Ping Wang ,&nbsp;Jiale Cui ,&nbsp;Guangsen Chong ,&nbsp;Yinliang Zhang ,&nbsp;Hongya Hao ,&nbsp;Nana Duan ,&nbsp;Xinyu Li ,&nbsp;Chaoming Li ,&nbsp;Wentao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108833","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108833","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have become persistent waterborne contaminants, posing serious environmental and public health concerns. Innovative and efficient disinfection technologies are urgently needed for eliminating these pollutants. Here, a novel advanced oxidation process (AOP) was developed by combining ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) at three wavelengths (265 nm, 280 nm, and 310 nm) with periodate (PI) to evaluate its performance in eliminating ARBs and intracellular ARGs. The UV-lED/PI process at 265 or 280 nm significantly enhanced bacterial inactivation, achieving &gt;5-log reductions within 30 s and exceeding the performance of most previously reported AOPs. By contrast, the UV-LED 310 nm/PI process showed relatively low disinfection efficiency (&lt;1.4-log reduction within 120 s). An obvious synergistic effect between UV-LEDs and PI was observed, resulting in lower energy consumption compared to UV-LED irradiation alone. Although natural water constituents such as humic acid, suspended solids, and bicarbonate exerted moderate inhibitory effects, the overall disinfection performance remained high. Radical quenching, SEM, FTIR spectroscopy, and potassium ion leakage analysis revealed that microbial inactivation was primarily driven by UV-LED irradiation and hydroxyl radicals (HO^•), which compromised cell membrane integrity and disrupted secondary protein structures. Furthermore, the UV-LED 265 nm/PI process achieved 65–80 % degradation of tetracycline antibiotics and effectively removed <em>int1</em> and <em>sul1</em> genes by 2.37-log and 2.18-log within 30 min, respectively. These findings demonstrate that the UV-LED/PI process is a highly efficient, energy-saving, and promising technology for controlling antibiotic-resistant contaminants in water treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 108833"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145229936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancing SDG 6.3.2 with machine learning-based virtual sensors for high-frequency nutrient monitoring","authors":"Bongumenzi Ngwenya ,&nbsp;Thulane Paepae ,&nbsp;Pitshou N. Bokoro","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108831","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108831","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reliable monitoring of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in ambient waters is critical for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 6.3.2, yet the high cost of in-situ nutrient sensors limits global data coverage, especially in low-middle-income countries (LMICs). This study presents a novel virtual sensing framework that replaces expensive nutrient sensors with Machine Learning models trained on affordable Baseline-Features (Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Electrical Conductivity) and enhanced with low-cost features (Turbidity, Temperature, Flow). To our knowledge, this is the first study to integrate the REFORMS checklist into the end-to-end development of virtual sensing for SDG 6.3.2 nutrient monitoring, ensuring transparency, reproducibility, and policy relevance. Using Extra Trees as the best performing model, rigorously benchmarked through LazyPredict, spot checking, and hyperparameter tuning (Grid Search, Randomized Search, Bayesian Optimization), the framework achieved state-of-the-art predictive accuracy (R² up to 0.98) across contrasting urban (The-Cut) and rural (River-Enborne) catchments. SHAP analysis further demonstrated interpretable feature contributions, with Electrical Conductivity and Turbidity consistently emerging as dominant drivers. The results establish that Baseline-Features are sufficient for stable rural systems, while urban systems require additional features to achieve SDG-compliant accuracy. Beyond technical performance, the study contributes policy recommendations for UNEP and LMIC agencies, including equivalency testing guidelines and capacity-building for national monitoring programs. This framework advances virtual sensing from research concept to an operationally viable tool for bridging nutrient data gaps in SDG 6.3.2 reporting.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 108831"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145229930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhanced and sustainable high-level nitrate reduction in a membrane-less microbial fuel cell by watermelon rind fermentation broth","authors":"Xulin Chen ,&nbsp;Yunlong Yang ,&nbsp;Jinkui Zhang ,&nbsp;Han Wang ,&nbsp;Hengzhuo Zhou ,&nbsp;Jibo Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108859","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108859","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study developed a strategy for enhanced and sustainable high-level nitrate reduction in a membrane-less microbial fuel cell (MLMFC). We first optimized the fermentation procedure using response surface methodology and then made watermelon rind into fermentation broth (WRFB) in an anaerobic bioreactor. The major component in WRFB was lactic acid that was as high as 13.2 g/L. As electron donors for the nitrogen removal, WRFB was comparable to some traditional carbon sources. During the long-term operation of the MLMFC fueled by WRFB to reduce high levels of nitrate, the average removal efficiency for both COD and TN was higher than 95 %, and the greatest voltage attained 363 mV. Microbial diversity analysis demonstrated that apart from special microorganisms enriched on the anode (e.g. <em>Methanosaeta</em>) and cathode (e.g. <em>Comamonas</em>), some functional bacteria (<em>Thauera</em> and <em>Desulfovibrio</em>) predominated on both bioelectrodes, all of which contributed to an excellent performance of MLMFC. The strategy proposed in this work may considerably promote sustainable development of integrated watermelon rind recycling, high-level nitrate removal and electricity generation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 108859"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145229932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dose-dependent effects of active chlorine on denitrification performance of activated sludge: Construction of extracellular polymeric substance barrier and enzyme-substrate interaction mechanism","authors":"Yong-Tao Lv ,&nbsp;Xin Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiyan Du ,&nbsp;Jin Zhang ,&nbsp;Lei Wang ,&nbsp;Huihui Zhang ,&nbsp;Licheng Chen ,&nbsp;Lei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108858","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>When the reclaimed wastewater is used to replenish the lakes and reservoirs, advanced nitrogen removal process is required to prevent the risk of eutrophication. However, the impact of residual active chlorine resulting from NaClO disinfection on activated sludge denitrification systems remains unclear. In this study, the defense mechanisms of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and the dynamics of enzyme-substrate interactions were investigated under chlorine stress through batch experiments, combined with spectroscopy and microscale thermophoresis (MST). The results indicated that low concentrations of active chlorine (1–3 mg/L) triggered microbial stress responses, causing a 5.71 %–17.14 % increase in nitrate removal efficiency (NRE) compared to the control group. Notably, the protein components within tightly bound EPS played a key role in resisting chlorine-induced oxidation by forming a hydrophobic barrier. In contrast, high chlorine concentrations (6–12 mg/L) caused oxidative damage to key functional groups of EPS (N<img>H, C<img>O, C<img>O) and compromised the integrity of microbial cell membrane, leading to a 20.00 %–49.86 % decline in NRE. The MST analysis revealed, for the first time, the mechanism through which active chlorine regulates the enzyme-substrate binding affinity. At a low chlorine concentration (1 mg/L), the dissociation constant (K_d) of nitrate reductase (NAR) and NO₃⁻ decreased from 100.85 μM to 23.76 μM, causing a significant rise in the catalytic efficiency of enzyme. In contrast, at high chlorine concentration (12 mg/L), K_d value increased to 369.46 μM, indicating enzyme deactivation. This study clarifies how chlorine disinfection interferes with activated sludge denitrification. The findings may serve as a theoretical foundation for optimization of advanced nitrogen removal processes in reclaimed water systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 108858"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145229982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Bi2O3/carbon composite as a short-circuited cell for water purification","authors":"María Teresa Ayala Ayala ,&nbsp;Brenda Alicia Rosales ,&nbsp;José Santos Cruz ,&nbsp;Francisco J. De Moure Flores ,&nbsp;Juan Muñoz Saldaña ,&nbsp;Irma Robles ,&nbsp;Luis A. Godínez","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108857","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108857","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A carbon/bismuth oxide C/Bi₂O₃ composite arrangement is demonstrated to function as a short-circuited cell for wastewater treatment. Bismuth oxide nanoparticles were deposited on carbon felt (CF) surfaces using three deposition techniques: doctor blade, drop coating and physical vapor deposition (PVD). The structural, microstructural and optical properties of the resulting composites were obtained to evaluate the electrical contact between Bi₂O₃ and carbon felt. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was employed to assess the photoanodic and cathodic nature of Bi₂O₃ and carbon, respectively. Although the C/Bi₂O₃ arrangement as well as the separate composite materials were found to be capable of producing reactive oxygen species (ROS), the C/Bi₂O₃ photocurrent density <em>j</em> was substantially higher when compared to that of the separate materials. The efficiency of the short-circuited cell (C/Bi₂O₃) was evaluated for the degradation of a model organic pollutant under dark and visible light and under anoxic and oxygen-saturated atmospheres. Remarkably, the short-circuited C/Bi₂O₃ system achieved 70–90 % pollutant degradation within the first 10 min. Quantification of ^•OH radicals and H₂O₂ evolution indicated that both cathodic and anodic reactions contribute to ROS generation in the photo-assisted C/Bi₂O₃ cell. Notably, pollutant degradation occurred not only in the absence of light, but also under both anoxic and oxygen saturated conditions. The proposed electron transfer and reaction mechanisms are based on the measured band edge potentials (E_CB and E_VB) of Bi₂O₃ and carbon from Mott-Schottky analysis. This electrically coupled C/Bi₂O₃ composite represents an innovative strategy with significant technological potential for solar-light-activated advanced oxidation processes for wastewater treatment applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 108857"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145229931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nitrogen removal in aquaculture tailwater: Comparison of the performance and intrinsic mechanisms of bioflocs versus zoogloea granules","authors":"Xiufang Yang ,&nbsp;Wenping Xie ,&nbsp;Jun Xie ,&nbsp;Junda Lu ,&nbsp;Junlin Li ,&nbsp;Yun Xia ,&nbsp;Wangbao Gong ,&nbsp;Xiaojun Niu ,&nbsp;Zhifei Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108864","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108864","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effective nitrogen removal from aquaculture tailwater is crucial to sustainable aquaculture. Bioflocs and zoogloea granules, two distinct microbial aggregates, are known to mediate nitrogen removal under high- and low-carbon conditions, respectively. However, the differences in nitrogen removal efficiency and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study provided the first comparison of the nitrogen removal performance of these two aggregates in tailwater, and combined with their physicochemical properties, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and metagenomic analysis, aimed to reveal their underlying mechanisms. Results showed that bioflocs had a significantly larger average particle size than zoogloea granules (224 μm vs. 80 μm, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), with a looser structure, a higher proportion of viable cells, and inferior sedimentation performance. Bioflocs also exhibited a significantly higher 24-h TN removal rate than zoogloea granules (69.92 % vs. 45.22 %, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). During the nitrogen removal process, bioflocs secreted more EPS to stabilize structures and store carbon, whereas zoogloea granules degraded EPS to supply energy for denitrification. Metagenomics revealed that bioflocs were dominated by <em>Nakamurella</em> (39.41 %) and showed a dominant heterotrophic ammonia assimilation. In contrast, zoogloea granules hosted a more diverse and stable microbial community (dominated by <em>Candidatus</em> Promineifilum) that facilitated nitrogen removal through a synergistic interplay of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH)-mediated assimilation, nitrification, and denitrification. These findings provide new insights into the distinct nitrogen removal processes, offering a basis for technology selection and process optimization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 108864"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145229983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrasound-assisted nanofiltration for remazol brilliant blue reactive removal: elucidating the role of ph in efficacy and by-product formation","authors":"Ismail Abiodun Eweje ,&nbsp;Sam Yav Munongo ,&nbsp;Rana Kıdak ,&nbsp;Ime Akanyeti","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108754","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108754","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The effective treatment of dye-laden industrial effluents remains a critical challenge in environmental engineering. This study introduces a novel hybrid system integrating ultrasound (US) and nanofiltration (NF) technologies for the removal of Remazol Brilliant Blue Reactive (RBBR) dye from aqueous solutions. RBBR, a widely used textile dye, poses significant environmental and health risks due to its persistence and toxicity. For the first time, the influence of pH on the performance of a hybrid US-NF system for RBBR removal, including by-product formation and membrane fouling was systematically investigated. Initially, the US and NF processes were optimized independently by systematically varying key parameters such as US frequency, exposure time, membrane pressure, and solution pH. Ultrasonic treatment at 575 kHz resulted in 79 % reduction in absorbance and 58 % total organic carbon (TOC) removal at pH 3 after 90 min, indicating partial oxidation of the dye. NF alone consistently removed over 99 % of the dye across all tested pH values, though a flux decline of 16 % was observed at pH 3 due to fouling. The hybrid US-NF system maintained over 99 % dye rejection while completely eliminating flux decline at an optimal pH of 3, significantly outperforming the standalone NF process. Degradation by-products were confirmed via mass spectrometry and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, highlighting the complementary role of NF in removing potential intermediates. These results demonstrate the potential of US–NF coupling as a robust and sustainable approach for advanced treatment of dye-contaminated wastewater, contributing to the development of cleaner industrial processes and improved water reuse practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 108754"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145096698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hybrid machine learning model for disinfectant dosing in small-scale water treatment under data scarcity","authors":"Diego Takashi Sato ,&nbsp;Orlando M. Oliveira Belo ,&nbsp;Antonio P. Castro Junior ,&nbsp;Viviane M. Gomes Pacheco ,&nbsp;Cloves Gonçalves Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Antonio Paulo Coimbra ,&nbsp;Wesley Pacheco Calixto","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108736","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108736","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Disinfection by-products, including trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, pose persistent risks to human health and aquatic ecosystems, particularly in small-scale water treatment plants characterized by limited automation and incomplete monitoring records. This study proposes a hybrid model that integrates extreme gradient enhancement with seasonal trend decomposition, allowing incomplete time series to be partitioned into trend and seasonal components, thereby improving prediction stability and improving interpretability of variable influence. The main contribution is a method that explicitly addresses seasonal variability and data scarcity while preserving predictive accuracy under infrastructure constraints, achieving <span><math><mrow><msup><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup><mo>≥</mo><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>90</mn></mrow></math></span> and RMSE values between 0.15 and 0.30. The model was validated in a real decentralized system, where it exhibited high performance even with data missing up to 30%, producing monthly reductions of approximately 450 g of trihalomethanes and 800 g of haloacetic acids, along with lower chlorine and fluoride consumption. By integrating technical, environmental, and economic dimensions, including measurable financial returns with a positive annual ROI and a short payback period, the approach provides a replicable solution for dosing control in data-limited contexts, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal 6 of the United Nations and the advancement of responsible digital strategies in the water sector.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 108736"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145096697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Low-power visible LED driven persulfate-assisted degradation of phenolics using narrow-bandgap lanthanum perovskites","authors":"Tau S. Ntelane ,&nbsp;Usisipho Feleni ,&nbsp;Nomcebo H. Mthombeni ,&nbsp;Rudzani Sigwadi ,&nbsp;Alex T. Kuvarega","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108773","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108773","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Persulfate (PS, S₂O₈²⁻) based heterogeneous photocatalytic activation has sparked great scientific interest because of its effectiveness and environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, it remains a challenge to find low-energy consuming, environmentally acceptable light sources for PS activation that balance energy consumption and photocatalytic efficiency while providing more design flexibility for different kinds of photocatalytic reactors. Herein, a series of lanthanum perovskites (LaMO₃; M = Ni, Co, Cu, Fe) were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for efficient degradation of phenolic compounds via PS activation using low power-consuming visible light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as a source of light. The effects of key influencing reaction parameters on degradation efficiency were thoroughly evaluated. In comparison to other perovskite catalysts, LaNiO₃ exhibited 98.4 % bisphenol A degradation efficiency with 69.3 % TOC removal within 50 min, owing to accelerated Ni²⁺/Ni³⁺ redox cycling, decreased rate of e⁻/h⁺ recombination, effective charge separation, and electron mobility. Additionally, over 91.0 % degradation efficiencies were maintained over a broad pH range (3.0–11.0), and for other phenolic compounds (phenol (95.8 %), 4-chlorophenol (85.7 %), and 4-nonylphenol (100 %)). Notably, the LaNiO₃/PS/Vis-LED system displayed excellent stability and reusability after five reuse cycles. Further, humic acid (HA) and inorganic ions have minimal negative effects on degradation efficiency. Radical quenching tests indicate that SO₄^•-, ^•OH, h⁺ and O₂^•- were dominant reactive species in the LaNiO₃/PS/Vis-LED system. These findings shed light on the treatment of phenolic polluted wastewater through persulfate activation and provide new approach for application of low-power consuming visible-LEDs in water treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 108773"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145096703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}