Special Issue: Environmental Biotechnologies for Sustainable Development (EBSuD - Biotechnologies)

In: International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, Elsevier

Guest Editors: Eldon R. Rene1, Ajit P. Annachhatre2, M. Estefanía López3,
Ramaraj Boopathy4 and Piet N. L. Lens1

1Department of Environmental Engineering and Water Technology, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education,
The Netherlands

2 Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, School of Environment, Resources and Development,
Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand

3 Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University of La Coruña, La Coruña, Spain

4 Department of Biological Sciences, Nicholls State University Thibodaux, LA, USA

Due to rapid population growth, industrialization and urbanization, many environmental issues such as wastewater treatment and management, solid waste and residue management, air pollution, industrial and hazardous waste treatment and management have been brought to the forefront. Therefore, ascertaining sustainable solution for these environmental issues without compromising the greater economic development has become extremely important for developing nations and counties in transition. The recent scientific, medical and biotechnological advances have imparted widespread discussions and applications pertaining to both the removal of toxic contaminants and recovery of valuable resources (nutrients and energy) from contaminated environments, e.g., from wastewater streams. Environmental biotechnology holds great promise to solve global challenges, offering sustainable solutions with the help of acclimated biocatalysts to remediate contaminated sites (in-situ and ex-situ), reduce organic and inorganic pollutant loads on the environment and also meet the world's demand for fuel and materials through the cross-fertilization of different biotechnologies.

The aim of this special issue is to highlight the emergence of sustainable biotechnologies for water, wastewater, waste gas, soil, sludge and sediment treatment and empathize its practical (industrial) applications. This special issue aims to attract academics, researchers, students, post-graduate students and professional engineers dealing with, but not limited to the following broader topics related to Environmental Biotechnologies for Sustainable Development (EBSuD):

I. Water and wastewater

• Biological drinking water treatment processes
• Role of microalgae and bioaugmentation in wastewater treatment
• Biosensors for water quality monitoring and assessment
• Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment
• Integrated recovery of resources from wastewater

II. Bioenergy and resource recovery

• Production of liquid biofuels based on lignocellulosic biomass, algae, etc
• Performance of bioprocesses for the continuous production of sustainable fuels
• Techno-economic analysis of integrated biorefineries
• Integrated recovery of resources (nutrients and energy) from wastewater and solid wastes
• Bioprocesses to recovery resources from mining and metallurgical operations



III. Gas phase pollutants

• Bioprocesses and integrated systems for waste gas treatment
• Biotransformation of gas-phase substrates into value added products
• Greenhouse gas emission control technologies
• Bioconversion of natural gas to liquid fuels

IV. Soil, sludge and sediments

• Biodegradation of toxic/hazardous chemicals
• Bioremediation and restoration of contaminated sites
• New/hybrid techniques for cleaning up heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants
• Role of nanoparticles for bioremediation of contaminated soils and sediments

Timeline for this special issue

First call announcing : January 1, 2016
Submission deadline : June 30, 2016
Completion of reviews : August 31, 2016
Publication : December, 2016

Submission of papers

Research articles must not have been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. All articles will be peer reviewed and accepted based on quality, originality, novelty, and relevance to the special issue's theme. Authors wishing to contribute a review paper should contact the editors.

The submission website for this journal is located at: http://ees.elsevier.com/ibb/default.asp

Please select the Article Type “SI:EBSuD - Biotechnologies”

We look forward to receiving your submissions and hope to compile an exciting thematic issue on EBSuD by the end of the year 2016.

For further information, please contact:

Ramaraj Boopathy (Managing editor)
Email: ramaraj.boopathy@nicholls.edu

Eldon R. Rene (Guest editor)
Email: e.raj@unesco-ihe.org

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Important note to prospective authors:
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i. Papers that covers all aspects of the above-mentioned specialized topics, their cause, mode of action, treatment, protection and prevention, analysis and testing, detoxification, upgrading, commercial implications, biocides and substitutes and related areas are welcome.

ii. However, due to the very strict publishing guidelines from International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, papers that are related to only the use of batch (bio)reactors, e.g., to remove dyes or heavy metals and/or engineering aspects (design and mathematical modeling) of bioprocesses, media and parameter optimization of well known biotechnological systems for environmental bioremediation will not be considered for this special issue.