Researchers have developed a new framework that applies artificial intelligence to monitor wastewater treatment in real time, aiming to improve environmental safety while recovering usable resources from the treatment process, according to a report by Phys.org.
The approach, described in a study published in the journal Water Research, centers on what researchers call the Twin Transition, a strategy that combines green environmental improvements with digital transformation. The idea is that wastewater systems should not only become more sustainable, but also smarter, more data-driven, and easier to control remotely.
At the center of the research is ammonia-nitrogen, a compound that shows up in wastewater and creates problems on two fronts. If left uncontrolled, it can damage aquatic ecosystems and increase the burden on treatment facilities. But if managed correctly, nitrogen can be recovered and reused, moving wastewater treatment closer to what researchers describe as a circular economy model, one where waste products become inputs rather than disposal problems.
The study argues that future wastewater treatment should move past the traditional goal of simply removing pollutants. Instead, engineers could view ammonia-nitrogen as part of a broader nitrogen cycle, one that treatment plants can actively manage and benefit from rather than just neutralize.
Digital tools are central to making that possible. The framework draws on sensors, data analysis, process modeling, and intelligent control systems that help operators understand conditions inside treatment facilities more clearly. These tools can also reduce unnecessary energy use and support better operational decisions when wastewater composition changes, which it frequently does.
The research stresses that neither digitalization alone nor green technology alone is sufficient. The two must work together. A facility with advanced sensors but outdated treatment processes would still face limits, and the reverse is equally true. When the two approaches are connected, the researchers argue, treatment plants can become more reliable, lower-carbon, and more resource-efficient.
"The twin transition provides a new pathway for connecting digital innovation with sustainable nitrogen management, helping wastewater systems move from pollution control toward ci," the study states, with the published excerpt ending there.
The framework addresses a growing set of demands on water infrastructure. Wastewater treatment plants today face pressure not only to clean water effectively, but also to respond to climate change, cut carbon emissions, and operate as efficiently as possible. The Twin Transition model is presented as a way to meet those demands together rather than treating each as a separate engineering challenge.
The researchers see nitrogen management as a particularly useful test case for this approach because nitrogen transformation inside treatment systems is complex and sensitive to changing conditions. The variability makes it both a challenge to control and an opportunity to demonstrate what smarter, greener systems can do when the two priorities are aligned.
