Field-based strategies for enhanced chemical/biological wastewater treatment: key mechanisms, critical influencing factors, and bottlenecks

Abstract

External field-assisted technologies—such as electric fields (EFs), magnetic fields (MFs), and microwave (MW) irradiation—offer promising strategies to overcome the inherent kinetic and thermodynamic limitations of conventional wastewater treatment processes. By modulating charge transport, radical generation, and microbial metabolism, these external fields can substantially enhance the efficiency of both advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and biological treatment technologies (BTTs). This study systematically explores the underlying mechanisms, operational parameters, and application scenarios of EFs, MFs, and MWs across various treatment systems. Emphasis is placed on the integration of physicochemical and biological perspectives, highlighting how external fields restructure interfacial processes and initiate synergistic pollutant degradation pathways. Representative case studies and optimization strategies are presented to guide field-specific technology selection and energy-efficient system design. Furthermore, critical challenges—including electrode passivation, magnetic catalyst aggregation, and limited MW penetration—are examined, and future directions are proposed to support practical scalability. The insights provided establish a solid foundation for the development of next-generation, high-efficiency, and sustainable wastewater treatment systems enabled by external field enhancement.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Electric field / Magnetic field / Microwave / Wastewater treatment / Advanced oxidation processes / Biological treatment technologies

Highlight

	● EF/MF/MW enhance chemical and biological processes in wastewater treatment.
	● Interfacial and microbial effects of external fields are mechanistically discussed.
	● Key parameters, application scenarios, and integration of EF/MF/MW are summarized.
	● Approaches to address passivation, aggregation, and energy loss are proposed.

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