Electric fields (EFs) have emerged as effective, non-chemical tools for modulating microbial populations in complex matrices such as wastewater. This review consolidates current advances on EF-induced alterations in microbial structures and functions, focusing on both vegetative cells and spores. Key parameters affected include membrane thickness, transmembrane potential, electrical conductivity, and dielectric permittivity, with downstream impacts on ion homeostasis, metabolic activity, and viability. Such bioelectrical modifications underpin EF-based detection methods—particularly impedance spectroscopy and dielectrophoresis—which enable rapid, label-free, in situ microbial monitoring. Beyond detection, EFs can induce sublethal or lethal effects, enabling selective inactivation without chemical input. This review addresses the influence of field type (DC, AC, pulsed), intensity, and exposure duration, alongside limitations such as species-specific variability, heterogeneous environmental conditions, and challenges in achieving uniform field distribution. Emerging research highlights the integration of EF-based platforms with biosensors, machine learning, and real-time analytics for enhanced environmental surveillance. By linking microbiological mechanisms with engineering solutions, EF technologies present significant potential for sustainable water quality management. Their multidisciplinary applicability positions them as promising components of next-generation wastewater monitoring and treatment systems, supporting global efforts toward efficient, adaptive, and environmentally benign microbial control strategies.

Large-scale radon monitoring is carried out due to the fact that it is directly responsible for public health. European Directive 2013/59/EURATOM has been transposed into the legislation of several countries and provides for the need for long-term monitoring of radon in homes and workplaces by setting the average annual reference level at 300 Bq/m³. At the same time, radon is a precursor factor, its emission being correlated with seismic and volcanic activity. In this case, the protection of the population is ensured by a forecast similar to a meteorological one. The NIEP (National Institute for Earth Physics) is developing a multidisciplinary real-time monitoring network in the most dangerous seismic area in Romania, Vrancea. This is located at the bend of the Carpathian Mountains and is characterized by deep earthquakes (over 80 km), with destructive effects over large distances. Implementing a multidisciplinary monitoring network that includes radon, involves finding the locations and equipment that will give the best results. There is no generic solution for achieving this, because the geological structure depends on the monitoring area, and in most cases the equipment does not offer the ability to transmit data in real time. The positioning of the monitoring stations was based on fault maps of the Vrancea area. Depending on the results, some of the locations were changed in pursuit of a correlation with zonal seismicity. Through repeated tests, we established the optimal sampling rate for minimizing errors, maintaining measurement accuracy, and ensuring the detection of anomalies in real time. The radon ²²²Rn was determined by the number of counts and ROI1 (region of interest) values, depending on the particularities of the equipment. Finally, we managed to establish a real-time radon monitoring network which transmits data to geophysical platforms and makes correlations with the seismicity in the Vrancea area. The equipment, designed to store data for long periods of time then manually download it with manufacturers’ applications, now works in real time, after we implemented software designed specifically for this purpose.

In this paper an experimental study regarding the behavior of the yeast subjected to the electric field action at a frequency of 50 Hz is presented. The aqueous suspension was prepared from distilled water - 94 ml, dry yeast - 5 g and sugar - 1 g. The dielectric spectroscopy method was used in order to characterize the contributions of proteins to the dielectric properties of the suspension. The complex permittivity and conductivity were measured at 50 Hz at room temperature. The applied electric field varies between 1 V/cm and 6 V/cm (effective value). Conductivity and permittivity are found to increase, resulting in variations in magnitude of the applied field.

In 2020, the energy consumption and volumes of treated wastewater in four village wastewater treatment plants WTP (with a capacity below 10,000 m ³ /month), were monitored monthly. The acquired data showed that the specific energy consumption at the investigated WTP (depending on the period and location) was between 1.561 and 2.580 kWh/m ³ treated wastewater, the annual averages being between 1.786 and 2.334 kWh/m ³ (depending on WTP). Moreover, the consumption given by the equipment related to the biological treatment lines BgT primarily determines the total energy consumption in the WTP-the average annual values of the BgT share in the total energy consumption of the investigated WTP were between 0.632 and 0.729. These findings conclude that the WTP energy efficiency improvement is possible primarily by streamlining aerobic and anaerobic biological treatments.

By using the dielectric spectroscopy technique in the extremely low frequency (1–200Hz) range, dielectric loss tgδ was determined on both Aspergillus niger cultures in different growth stages and autoclaved biomass compared to the Czapex-Dox culture medium with sterile sucrose. Experimental results have shown that living and sterile matter samples have different dielectric characteristics. In sterile probes, the evolutionary functions of tgδ depending on frequency are continuous, specific to α-relaxation governed by DC electrical conductivity. In living matter samples, the function of dielectric losses tgδ, depending on frequency, show several discontinuities that indicate the existence of some processes in which, at those frequencies, the number of charge carriers from investigated living matter is changing. It has also been found that the package of active processes differs depending on the growth stage of Aspergillus niger.

The results of a pilot-scale study on the influence of electric field use for stimulating the active sludge in the biological purification tank of a small capacity wastewater treatment plant (up to 600 m³/day) are presented. Through specific comparative chemical tests (DO, COD, N-NH₄, and Pt) it was found that, by applying a sinusoidal electric field of 5 Vrms/m at 49.9 Hz on the active sludge suspension, the overall pollutant denitrification process speed is doubled compared with the reference case when no stimulation is used. Also, under identical operating conditions, the residual pollutant content of the biological treatment tank outlet water is reduced approximately three times for COD and approximately two times for N-NH₄ and P_t compared to the reference tank. These findings lead to the conclusion that, by stimulating the active sludge microbial activity of the wastewater treatment plants by a sinusoidal electric field of 5 Vrms/m at 49.9 Hz, the time of the biological purification treatment can be reduced by approx. 50%. This leads to a corresponding decrease in energy consumption, which usually represents more than 30% of a wastewater treatment plant’s specific electricity consumption.