Journal of water process engineering最新文献

{"title":"Triple-mode murexide-functionalized UiO-66(Zr) MOF sensor for selective and sensitive Zn(II) detection in tap water and wastewater","authors":"Roaa T. Mogharbel","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109596","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109596","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A murexide-functionalized UiO-66(Zr) MOF was synthesized through post-synthetic immobilization to facilitate the detection of Zn²⁺ ions in aqueous environments using a triple-mode approach. This sensor exhibits a noticeable color change observable to the naked eye from pink to colorless, a UV–Vis response at a wavelength of 517 nm, and a fluorescence “turn-on” emission at 424 nm λ__ex = 360 nm. Under optimized conditions (pH 7, 0.5 mg sensor per 10 mL solution, and a response duration of 30 s), the limits of detection were established at 0.034 ppm for UV–Vis measurements and 0.007 ppm for fluorescence. The material displayed a significant selectivity for Zn²⁺ over 14 competing ions, maintaining over 85% of its signal after six regeneration cycles and retaining approximately 90% of its response after six months of storage. The sensor's practical applicability was demonstrated in the analysis of tap water and wastewater, yielding recoveries ranging from 98.5% to 101.1%, which correlated well with results obtained from ICP-OES.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109596"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080730","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":"Green in situ synthesis of bio-derived Ag/hydroxyapatite-curcumin nanocomposites for dual catalytic and antimicrobial applications","authors":"Mariam Sherif Abdel Aziz ,&nbsp;Ghada Abd-Elmonsef Mahmoud ,&nbsp;Hanem S. Abdel-Tawab ,&nbsp;Essam F. Abo Zeid ,&nbsp;Mohamed Abd El-Aal","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109586","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109586","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developing a green, efficient, and robust route for fabricating silver nanoparticle (Ag-NP) composites remains a crucial challenge, particularly in achieving uniform particle size and high Ag-NP loading. In this study, a simple in-situ strategy was employed to synthesize and immobilize Ag-NPs (1–15 wt%) onto a bio-derived hydroxyapatite-curcumin (HAP-curcumin) nanocomposite. HAP was sustainably extracted from Black Tilapia fish scales, while curcumin functioned as both a natural reducing and stabilizing agent, enabling an environmentally friendly synthesis process. Structural and physicochemical analyses, XRD, FTIR, BET, XPS, and HRTEM, confirmed the successful formation and uniform dispersion of spherical Ag-NPs (∼15.7 nm) on the HAP-curcumin surface. The nanocomposites exhibited outstanding catalytic performance, efficiently reducing various organic pollutants, including 4-nitrophenol, Congo red, methylene blue, and rhodamine B, in the presence of NaBH₄. Remarkably, the 15% Ag/HAP-curcumin sample achieved rapid degradation of 4-nitrophenol within 5 s (k = 2.3297 min⁻¹) and demonstrated strong catalytic activity even in real sample matrices (milk, juice, and soap-containing wastewater). The 15% Ag/HAP-curcumin nanocomposite showed excellent stability over repeated cycles with negligible Ag leaching, indicating strong potential for practical applications. Beyond catalysis, the nanocomposites displayed potent antimicrobial activity against <em>Bacillus cereus</em>, <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, <em>Staphylococcus hominis</em>, and <em>Candida albicans</em>. The 15% Ag/HAP-curcumin nanocomposite achieved complete (100%) inhibition at 150 μg/mL, highlighting its dual functionality as a green catalyst and antimicrobial agent. This work presents a sustainable route for designing multifunctional Ag-based nanocomposites with promising applications in environmental remediation and biomedical fields.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109586"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080893","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 breakthrough electrochemical reactor for the simultaneous production of hydrogen peroxide and ozone via solid electrolyte and gas diffusion electrode technologies","authors":"Nicolas Perciani de Moraes ,&nbsp;Rafael Granados-Fernández ,&nbsp;Marcos Roberto de Vasconcelos Lanza ,&nbsp;Manuel Andrés Rodrigo","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109636","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109636","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work reports the development of an innovative electrochemical reactor for the simultaneous on-site production of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and ozone (O₃) in a salt-free aqueous medium, based on a multilayer membrane–resin–electrode assembly (MMREA). The system employs a Printex L6 gas diffusion electrode as the cathode and a mesh boron-doped diamond anode, coupled through a compacted Nafion 117 membrane and Amberlite IR-120H⁺ resin layer to enable proton transport without supporting electrolytes. Under optimized conditions, the reactor achieved maximum current efficiencies of 19% for H₂O₂ and 4% for O₃, corresponding to production yields comparable to those reported for early stages laboratory-scale on-site electrochemical systems, while eliminating electrolyte-related downstream separation and corrosion issues. Hydrogen peroxide generation was favored at lower current densities and catholyte flow rates of 0.5–1.0 mL min⁻¹ (19.6 cm² electrode area), whereas ozone production increased with higher current densities, with stable current efficiencies over the evaluated range. The reactor exhibited stable performance under both continuous and discontinuous operation, indicating robustness for decentralized and intermittent operation scenarios. Although the current efficiencies remain lower than those of mature single-oxidant generators, the simultaneous and electrolyte-free production of H₂O₂ and O₃ enables direct in situ peroxone formation with reduced process complexity and chemical footprint. Additionally, the yields are sufficiently high to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach and the need for additional studies, given the high application potential. The applicability of this approach was demonstrated through the effective treatment of real pharmaceutical wastewater, highlighting its potential for decentralized advanced oxidation processes powered by renewable electricity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109636"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080901","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":"Coupling microbial As(III) oxidation with Fe-sludge adsorption: A continuous dual-column approach for arsenic removal","authors":"Naoko Okibe ,&nbsp;Yuika Kawazoe ,&nbsp;Fumiya Kurogi ,&nbsp;Yuya Sato ,&nbsp;Taiki Katayama ,&nbsp;Tetsuo Yasutaka","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109566","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109566","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Legacy acid mine drainage treatment generates Fe-rich sludge, a low-value waste despite its strong affinity for arsenic (As). Batch tests showed that As(III) oxidation by <em>Thiomonas delicata</em> Hö5 markedly enhanced subsequent As(V) sequestration by Fe-sludge. A continuous system for 100 mg/L As(III) at pH 3.5 was developed using immobilized cells on a porous silica carrier, achieving ∼90% As(III) oxidation at HRTs ≥4 h, whereas the un-inoculated control exhibited slower, unstable oxidation by an indigenous consortium. Connecting this oxidation column to a lower Fe-sludge bed created the separate-column configuration, which maintained &gt;98% total As removal for 75 days at an HRT of 4 h and produced predominantly As(V) on solids. The un-inoculated system also achieved &gt;98% removal when influent As(III) was lowered to 20 mg/L, indicating adaptability of indigenous oxidizers. A simplified mixed-column configuration also achieved &gt;98% removal at HRTs of 20–4 h, though As was first sorbed as As(III) and oxidized later, resulting in weaker complexes and more leachable solids due to limited Fe-phase reorganization. Still, acid–thermal post-treatment reduced As leachability to &lt;5.0 mg/L, highlighting that the mixed-column configuration remains practical, whereas the separate-column configuration provides the most reliable route to inherently stable As-bearing solids.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109566"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080805","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":"Impact of operational mode on the relationship between quorum sensing and sludge bulking","authors":"Shi Wang ,&nbsp;Chundi Gao ,&nbsp;Jiaxin Liu ,&nbsp;Xuening Chang ,&nbsp;Chen Jia ,&nbsp;Yongzhen Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109590","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109590","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Suboptimal reactor conditions are pivotal in triggering sludge bulking, where quorum sensing (QS) mediates the deterioration of sludge settleability through regulating the physiological behavior of specific microorganisms. The effects of two operational modes (R1: anoxic/aerobic; R2: fully aerobic) on the performance, QS, and microbial community of the sequencing batch reactors were investigated using a prolonged feeding strategy. Both modes induced severe sludge bulking; however, the anoxic condition in R1 delayed bulking onset by approximately 10 days relative to R2. QS analysis indicated that the increase in C4-homoserine lactone (-HSL) and the decrease in C12-HSL in R1, as well as the increase in C6-HSL and the decrease in C10-HSL in R2, were significantly correlated with the sludge volume index. Functional gene dynamics revealed that the upregulation of autoinducer receptor genes coupled with the downregulation of degradation enzyme genes synergistically enhanced QS signal accumulation. Pearson's correlation analysis demonstrated that these acyl-HSLs regulated secretion of extracellular polymeric substances, particularly polysaccharides, by mediating the metabolic activities of dominant genera such as <em>Thiothrix</em> and <em>Zoogloea</em>; N-acyl-L-HSL concentrations were subject to fine-tuned feedback regulation within the microbial community, which varied with operational mode. The continuous dynamic interplay between QS and the microbial community drove changes in core system performance indicators, including pollutant removal efficiency, sludge settling characteristics, and extracellular polymeric substance secretion patterns. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for understanding the microscopic mechanisms underlying filamentous sludge bulking.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109590"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080908","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":"Mechanistic insights into magnetite-enhanced Indoleacetic acid production by a mixed culture","authors":"Yun-Xin Ge ,&nbsp;Wei Gao ,&nbsp;Zi-Han Fan ,&nbsp;Yun Niu ,&nbsp;Long-Tao Fang ,&nbsp;Xi-Zhen Zou ,&nbsp;Wei Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109611","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109611","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Low conversion efficiency and low product yield are key limitations of mixed culture indoleacetic acid (IAA) production. Although zero-valent iron can enhance IAA synthesis, iron sludge accumulation remains a major bottleneck, necessitating more efficient and alternative strategies. In this study, magnetite was found to significantly improve IAA production by mixed culture. At 8 g·L⁻¹, magnetite increased the IAA production rate from 2.67 ± 0.11 to 7.01 ± 0.06 mg·L⁻¹·h⁻¹, the tryptophan consumption rate from 6.19 ± 0.55 to 11.16 ± 1.18 mg·L⁻¹·h⁻¹, and the conversion rate from 50.46% to 73.77%. <em>Klebsiella</em>, the dominant IAA-producing genus (35.84 ± 0.30%), was promoted by magnetite, along with electroactive <em>Clostridium</em> (increased by 1.44 ± 0.38%). Microbial community analysis suggested strengthened interactions between electroactive bacteria and IAA producers. Dissolved Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ inhibited IAA production, indicating that iron ions were not responsible for the enhancement. Instead, magnetite increased intracellular Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity by 12.47 ± 1.60% and relative electron transport by 42.81 ± 1.16%. Macrotranscriptomic data revealed upregulation of cytochrome <em>c</em> genes (0.21 ± 0.06 to 310 ± 6 folds) and the <em>amiE</em> gene (3.03 ± 0.52 folds), which is involved in converting indole-3-acetamide to IAA. These results demonstrate that magnetite enhances IAA synthesis by stimulating cytochrome <em>c</em> and IAA synthetase expression, providing a promising strategy for improving mixed culture IAA production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 109611"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146081062","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":"Sustainable oil-water separation via recycled PE-modified waste cotton fibers: Fabrication, performance, and integrated automated system","authors":"Jiale Li ,&nbsp;Jing Zhang ,&nbsp;Shixuan Bo ,&nbsp;Zhengkang Shi ,&nbsp;Yutong Jiao ,&nbsp;Yanting Zhang ,&nbsp;Peng Chen ,&nbsp;Ming Zhang ,&nbsp;Meitong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109744","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109744","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oil-spill accidents and continuous discharge of industrial oily wastewater pose severe and persistent threats to aquatic ecosystems and human health, creating an urgent demand for efficient, low-cost, and scalable oil-water separation technologies. However, most existing oil-sorbing materials suffer from complex synthesis processes, high raw material costs, or poor reusability, limiting their large-scale practical application. To address this gap, this study develops a hydrophobic-oleophilic sorbent (PE-WCF) via a simple coating process, using waste cotton fibers (WCF) and recycled polyethylene (PE) as raw materials—realizing high-value valorization of two types of solid wastes simultaneously. The water contact angle of PE-WCF reaches 140.4° (vs. 0° for pristine WCF), endowing it with excellent oil selectivity. Batch experiments show that PE-WCF exhibits favorable sorption capacities for various oils/organic solvents (4.0–8.4 g·g⁻¹), and enables efficient gravity-driven separation of both light (n-hexane/water) and heavy (CCl₄/water) oil-water mixtures. To verify practical applicability, an automated oil skimmer integrated with a PE-WCF belt was designed, achieving continuous oil sorption and in-line recovery via mechanical wringing without noticeable performance degradation. Scale-up simulations indicate that a 1.5 m × 1 m × 1 m field-deployable unit can remediate a 10,000 m² oil slick (0.5 mm film) in ∼7.5 h. Overall, this work proposes a scalable, reusable, and eco-friendly oil-water separation strategy that integrates waste recycling with device-level application, offering a promising circular-economy solution for large-scale oil-spill remediation and highlighting significant environmental and economic value.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"84 ","pages":"Article 109744"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386814","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 comparison of three treatment processes for emulsified rinsing wastewater using integrated LCA-AHP: From lab to pilot-scale","authors":"Cheng Ma ,&nbsp;Ziyi Guo ,&nbsp;Mushi Li ,&nbsp;Wenjing Sang ,&nbsp;Muzamil Ali Brohi ,&nbsp;Dengxin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109686","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109686","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Emulsified rinsing wastewater from textile industry is difficult to treat due to its stable oil-in-water emulsion. To address the issues of high cost and suboptimal effluent quality in the flocculation-biotreatment process at a textile wastewater pretreatment station, this study systematically compared two improved schemes: enhanced pretreatment (demulsification-flocculation coupled with biotreatment) and enhanced biotreatment (carbon material enhanced anaerobic process). Key operational parameters were optimized through lab-scale experiments. Demulsifier E and biochar showed the best effect respectively. These parameters were validated in a 100-day, 1000 m³/d pilot-scale application. Two schemes both achieved better average effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD) than the original process. For comprehensive decision-making, an integrated life cycle assessment (LCA) combined analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model was developed, evaluating in economic, environmental, and technical effectiveness. LCA results indicated the biochar enhanced anaerobic process exhibited the lowest environmental impact, particularly in global warming potential (GWP). AHP weight revealed that technical effectiveness, especially COD removal efficiency, was the primary concern, resulting the selection on biochar enhanced anaerobic process. This study provides both a practical upgrade solution for industrial wastewater treatment plants and demonstrates the value of the LCA-AHP framework in guiding the green transformation of such processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"84 ","pages":"Article 109686"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387063","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":"Cobalt/zinc-enhanced magnetic carbon from rapeseed stalks for efficient removal of acid and basic fuchsin: Mechanisms and performance","authors":"Jiaojiao Kong,&nbsp;Kuntian Wu,&nbsp;Jingyi Xu,&nbsp;Tianhao Zhao,&nbsp;Qian Kang,&nbsp;Qian Jiang,&nbsp;Xingcai Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109774","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109774","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, magnetic activated carbons were fabricated from rapeseed stalks (RAC) via co-activation with ZnCl₂ and CoCl₂ at varying carbonization temperatures (500–800 °C), aiming to achieve efficient adsorption of Acid Fuchsin (AF) and Basic Fuchsin (BF) from aqueous solutions. Among the samples, RAC-500 displayed a hierarchical micro–mesoporous structure most significant BET surface area (1836.38 m²/g), the highest micropore ratio (70.2%), and the strongest magnetic response, attributed to the presence of Co/Co₃O₄ phases. Batch adsorption studies demonstrated that RAC-500 reached maximum adsorption capacities of 1748.80 mg/g for AF and 744.70 mg/g for BF. The adsorption kinetics were well described by the pseudo-second-order model, while the equilibrium behavior conformed more closely to the Freundlich isotherm. Thermodynamic evaluations further revealed that AF adsorption proceeded spontaneously with an exothermic nature, whereas BF adsorption was spontaneous but endothermic. Characterization by XPS and FTIR demonstrated that the removal mechanism relied on pore filling, electrostatic interactions, and π–π stacking, further enhanced by chemical complexation in the case of AF. The excellent adsorption performance and magnetic separability of RACs highlight their potential as sustainable and cost-effective adsorbents for treating dye-contaminated wastewater.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"84 ","pages":"Article 109774"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387107","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":"Engineered ZSM-5 zeolite composites for advanced water purification: Recent progress and future perspectives","authors":"Pravej Alam ,&nbsp;Ahmed A. Allam ,&nbsp;C. Joel ,&nbsp;G. Shoba ,&nbsp;S. Padmanabhan ,&nbsp;Hassan A. Rudayni ,&nbsp;L. Guganathan ,&nbsp;P. Saravanan ,&nbsp;C. Kavitha ,&nbsp;R. Kumaran ,&nbsp;P. Tamizhdurai ,&nbsp;Fahad M. Aldosari ,&nbsp;Abdullah S. Alawam ,&nbsp;Maha Awjan Alreshidi ,&nbsp;A.B.M. Sharif Hossain ,&nbsp;Krishna Kumar Yadav","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109726","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109726","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The widespread discharge of industrial wastewater containing dyes, heavy metals, pHarmaceuticals, and other persistent pollutants continues to pose serious environmental and public health challenges. Among various treatment technologies, adsorption- and catalysis-based approaches using zeolitic materials have gained increasing attention due to their efficiency, stability, and adaptability. ZSM-5, an MFI-type aluminosilicate zeolite, is particularly attractive owing to its tunable Si/Al ratio, well-defined pore architecture, high thermal and chemical stability, and ease of functionalization. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the structural characteristics, synthesis strategies, and water-treatment applications of ZSM-5 and ZSM-5-based composites. Emphasis is placed on conventional, template-free, and waste-derived synthesis routes, along with post-synthetic modifications that tailor porosity, acidity, and surface chemistry. The roles of framework topology, pore size, and active site density in governing adsorption, ion-exchange, and catalytic removal of dyes, heavy metals, and emerging contaminants are critically discussed. In addition, the performance of ZSM-5-based systems is evaluated in terms of adsorption capacity, kinetics, regenerability, and multifunctionality, with comparisons to benchmark materials. The review further addresses key limitations affecting real-world performance, including competitive ion effects, organic matter fouling, and pH variability, and highlights strategies to mitigate these challenges through composite design and surface modification. Overall, this work provides a mechanistic and application-oriented overview of ZSM-5-based materials, offering guidance for their rational design and deployment in sustainable wastewater treatment technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"84 ","pages":"Article 109726"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386490","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}