The Introduction of the Special Issue It's definitely out of the question, that nutrients should be reused. However, the sustainability of the implementation should be critically questioned. This aspect should always be given highest priority. Sometimes it at least seems questionable. All over the world experts are discussing and investigating technologies for phosphorus recovery. These technologies are very complex on the one hand and very costly on the other hand. But the question, whether these technologies are really sustainable, is still unanswered. But anyway, Germany and Switzerland today already have national regulations requiring phosphorus recovery from sewage, sewage sludge and sludge incineration ash. The German sewage sludge ordinance (AbfKlärV, updated in September 2017, requires that from 2032 sewage treatment plants > 50 000 P.E. (population equivalents) where the sewage sludge phosphorus content is higher than 20 g P/kg dry matter must carry out phosphorus recovery. Wastewater treatment plants < 50 000 p.e. are still allowed to use sewage sludge “on or in soils”. The general requirement to recycle phosphorus as far as is “technically feasible and economically viable” applies also to these smaller wastewater treatment plants. Switzerland banned the direct use of sewage sludge on land already in 2006. the Swiss regulations requiring phosphorus recovery however leave open to recover phosphorus either in the wastewater treatment plant or after incineration of the sludge (from the ash). Up to now wastewater is predominately still seen as some kind of waste product, consuming energy and additives for its treatment and disposal and finally producing residuals as sewage sludge. It is just in the beginning, that the realization takes hold that wastewater should also be seen as a resource. Although the main task of wastewater disposal is the discharge and the elimination of hazardous constituents there are and there have always been approaches to use the wastewater ingredients, e.g. the use of sewage sludge in agriculture or the well-known use for irrigation, especially in Asian countries. Nevertheless our today’s technologies are not designed for recovery, but for discharge. In addition the use of wastewater and sewage sludge is a risk due to the high bacteria loads and the pollutant emissions. Wastewater discharge and treatment consume resources although wastewater itself is a resource. First of all the water has to be named first before the background of the worldwide increasing water demand and the pronounced water deficits in arid and semi-arid regions, which could be compensated by wastewater reuse. Additionally, municipal wastewater contains nitrogen and phosphorus as well as energy, bound in energy-rich organic constituents, heat and hydrostatic energy. Thus, wastewater is a resource from different points of view. But nevertheless all these potentials still have to be tapped. A basic and in many countries common practice is the wastewater reuse for irrigation. However, the wastewater is almost untreated, which causes hygienic problems for the crop and risks of infection for people as well as a massive environmental pollution. Thus wastewater has to be treated at least in order to meet the WHO standards for irrigation water and if existing, the country specific demands. A great demand for irrigation water exists in tourist regions e.g. for golf courses or parks. The Research Scope of the Special Issue ·Nutrient control and management of nutrients in wastewater treatment of irrigation ·P-recycling technologies and/or P-reuse with in irrigation ·Conditions,measurement and control for successful irrigation ·Irrigation technologies,crop management and cultural practices ·Sustainability and efficiency of wastewater disinfection ·Elimination or advanced oxidation processes to eliminate micro pollutante? ·Development and future standards for irrigation water quality
The Article Title of the Special Issue 1:Cost effective wastewater disinfection 2:Modern irrigation technology and experience(Harvest yielde and crop quality) 3:Life Cycle Assessment studies to evaluate wastewater irrigation 4:Prevention of toxicity and health hazards 5:Standarda for irrigation water quality;irrigation standards today and tomorrow
Submission guidelines All papers should be submitted via the Probe-Soil Science submission system: http://probe.usp-pl.com/index.php/SS/index Submitted articles should not be published or under review elsewhere. All submissions will be subject to the journal’s standard peer review process. Criteria for acceptance include originality, contribution, scientific merit and relevance to the field of interest of the Special Issue.
Important Dates Paper Submission Due: Waiting for confirmation
The Lead Guest Editor Erhard Hoffmann |
