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Up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor belongs to high-rate systems, able to perform anaerobic reaction at reduced hydraulic retention time, if compared to traditional digesters. In this review, the most recent advances in UASB reactor applications are critically summarized and discussed, with outline on the most critical aspects for further possible future developments. Beside traditional anaerobic treatment of soluble and biodegradable substrates, research is actually focusing on the treatment of refractory and slowly degradable matrices, thanks to an improved understanding of microbial community composition and reactor hydrodynamics, together with utilization of powerful modeling tools. Innovative approaches include the use of UASB reactor for nitrogen removal, as well as for hydrogen and volatile fatty acid production. Co-digestion of complementary substrates available in the same territory is being extensively studied to increase biogas yield and provide smooth continuous operations in a circular economy perspective. Particular importance is being given to decentralized treatment, able to provide electricity and heat to local users with possible integration with other renewable energies. Proper pre-treatment application increases biogas yield, while a successive post-treatment is needed to meet required effluent standards, also from a toxicological perspective. An increased full-scale application of UASB technology is desirable to achieve circular economy and sustainability scopes, with efficient biogas exploitation, fulfilling renewable energy targets and green-house gases emission reduction, in particular in tropical countries, where limited reactor heating is required.

Innovations in water technology are needed to solve challenges of climate change, resource shortages, emerging contaminants, urbanization, sustainable development and demographic changes. In particular, conventional techniques of wastewater treatment are limited by the presence of poorly biodegradable organic matter. Alternatively, recent Fenton, Fenton-like and hybrid processes appear successful for cleaning of different types of liquid wastewaters. Here, we review the application of metallic catalyst-H2O2 systems in the heterogeneous Fenton process. Each metallic catalyst-H2O2 system has unique redox properties due to metal oxidation state. Solution pH is a major influencing factor. Catalysts made of iron and cerium form stable complexes with oxidation products and H2O2, thus resulting in reduced activities. Copper forms transitory complexes with oxidation products, but copper catalytic activity is restored during the reaction. Silver and manganese do not form complexes. The catalyst performance for degradation and mineralization decreases in the order: manganese, copper, iron, silver, cerium, yet the easiness of practical application decreases in the order: copper, manganese, iron, silver, cerium.

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