Editorial: Advanced physico-chemical technologies for water detoxification and disinfection

Abstract

Editorial on the Research Topic Advanced physico-chemical technologies for water detoxification and disinfectionOne of the most critical challenges we face today is access to clean water. Climate change, industrialization, high rates of urbanization, and population growth have resulted in many countries suffering from water crises, especially in the arid and semi-arid areas. Countries in different regions of the world have also been struggling over regional water availability and it is anticipated that these struggles may result in conflicts over shared water resources in these regions. Considering the adverse consequences of the water crisis, countries have been trying to increasingly cope with this problem of water availability by implementing sustainable water management plans and looking for alternative water supply sources.Water conservation, water reuse, and desalination of seawater and brackish groundwater are among those strategies that have been implemented to address the water crises. In recent years, more and more countries are considering water reuse as an alternative water supply to supplement freshwater sources. Water reuse decreases the pressure on freshwater resources, reduces the pollution that is being discharged to water bodies, and can be a reliable source compared to other water resources that are directly dependent on rainfall. One of the barriers to water reuse is concern over its potential negative impact on human and environmental health. Even today, treated and untreated wastewater reuse is sometimes poorly controlled. A large portion (estimated at over 80% globally, and over 95% in some developing countries) of the world's wastewater is still released to the environment without treatment. The current challenge is to make reuse circuits shorter, safer, and economically sustainable.Access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene is a basic human need for sustainable health and wellbeing. Nevertheless, billions will lack access to these basic services in 2030 unless progress to accomplishing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) increases in the following 8 years (Padhye et al., 2022). According to the United