About this Research Topic
Synthetic organic compounds (SOCs) are primary pollutants of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. This group of chemicals includes pesticides, herbicides and pharmaceutical products and their transformed products; industrial chemicals (such as plasticizers, dyes and dye intermediates), organophosphate and brominated flame retardants, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (i.e. organic solvents), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and many more. The SOCs are commonly found in urban wastewater, agricultural runoffs, and industrial liquid wastes. SOCs pollute various habitats through diffusion or as point source pollutants. SOCs exert the multidimensional effects in the polluted environment, by altering the physico-chemical properties of the habitats where they are released. The environmental distribution and persistence of many SOCs was previously unknown, but with development of newer detection methods, SOCs have been found in the environment at much higher concentrations. Due to their bio-toxic properties many SOCs are now recognized as priority pollutants, requiring immediate solutions for their removal from polluted ecosystems.
Soon after realizing their adverse effects on the biosphere, different treatment technologies and processes, including hybrid integrated systems, have been developed. Due to the exponential rise in the generation of SOCs, and concomitant heterogeneous compositions of these xenobiotics in the polluted environment, traditional treatment technologies were found to be effective with varying degrees of success. The accumulating volume and heterogeneity of the xenobiotic wastes generated are the driving force for the emergence of next generation technologies in waste treatment. In recent years, promising multi-dimensional treatment technologies have been developed such as hybrid integrated treatment systems coupling biological and physico-chemical processes, membrane bioreactors, microbial electrochemical technologies, phyto-reactors, in-situ treatment methods (e.g. bioventing, biostimultation and bioaugmentation), novel pre-treatment approaches and the innovative bioreactor/bioprocess designs for treatment of SOCs. Therefore, this Research Topic aims to provide a suitable platform for presenting newer developments of next generation technologies in the treatment of SOCs.
This Research Topic welcomes Original Articles, Reviews and Mini-reviews on following thematic areas:
• Innovative treatment technologies using novel bioreactors designs
• Technologies involving sequential treatment processes such as integrated approaches involving one or more physico-chemical and biological methods
• Treatment technologies involving membrane bioreactors, phytoreactors, microbial electrochemical treatment systems and other hybrid bioreactors
• In situ processes developed for the removal of SOCs from the soild or liquid wastes of polluted environmental sites
• Research addressing the pitfalls, limitations and knowledge gaps between lab-scale and on-site applications
Dr. Datta Madamwar holds a provisional patent related to the theme of this Research Topic. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regards to the Research Topic subject.
Soon after realizing their adverse effects on the biosphere, different treatment technologies and processes, including hybrid integrated systems, have been developed. Due to the exponential rise in the generation of SOCs, and concomitant heterogeneous compositions of these xenobiotics in the polluted environment, traditional treatment technologies were found to be effective with varying degrees of success. The accumulating volume and heterogeneity of the xenobiotic wastes generated are the driving force for the emergence of next generation technologies in waste treatment. In recent years, promising multi-dimensional treatment technologies have been developed such as hybrid integrated treatment systems coupling biological and physico-chemical processes, membrane bioreactors, microbial electrochemical technologies, phyto-reactors, in-situ treatment methods (e.g. bioventing, biostimultation and bioaugmentation), novel pre-treatment approaches and the innovative bioreactor/bioprocess designs for treatment of SOCs. Therefore, this Research Topic aims to provide a suitable platform for presenting newer developments of next generation technologies in the treatment of SOCs.
This Research Topic welcomes Original Articles, Reviews and Mini-reviews on following thematic areas:
• Innovative treatment technologies using novel bioreactors designs
• Technologies involving sequential treatment processes such as integrated approaches involving one or more physico-chemical and biological methods
• Treatment technologies involving membrane bioreactors, phytoreactors, microbial electrochemical treatment systems and other hybrid bioreactors
• In situ processes developed for the removal of SOCs from the soild or liquid wastes of polluted environmental sites
• Research addressing the pitfalls, limitations and knowledge gaps between lab-scale and on-site applications
Dr. Datta Madamwar holds a provisional patent related to the theme of this Research Topic. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regards to the Research Topic subject.
Keywords: Xenobiotics, Bioreactors, Bioremediation, Biotoxicity, Biodegradation
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
