scholarly journals Sustainable treatment systems for removal of pharmaceutical residues and other priority persistent substances

2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 537-543
Author(s):  
C. Baresel ◽  
M. Ek ◽  
H. Ejhed ◽  
A.-S. Allard ◽  
J. Magnér ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Pharmaceutical Residues ◽  
Receiving Waters ◽  
Sustainable Treatment ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Treatment Alternatives ◽  
Emerging Substances ◽  
Pilot Tests

Abstract Pharmaceutical residues and other emerging substances commonly summarised as micropollutants pass through wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and end up in the receiving waters and sludge. Many studies have investigated the removal efficiency of various techniques but a holistic evaluation of various relevant treatment alternatives regarding both the removal efficiency for various micropollutants, investment and operating costs, environmental impacts and future comprehensiveness is still lacking. This paper provides the results from a large 3-year project about the evaluation of sustainable treatment systems for removal of various micropollutants or disruptive effects at Swedish WWTPs and their environmental, economic and future sustainability. The presented results are based on our own pilot tests and related assessment and modelling efforts and provide a holistic view on advanced treatment of wastewater for removal of micropollutants.

scholarly journals Micropollutant-loaded powdered activated carbon released from waste water treatment plants: a risk for sediment-dwelling organisms?

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Woermann ◽  
Julios Armand Kontchou ◽  
Bernd Sures
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
Additional Treatment ◽  
Powdered Activated Carbon ◽  
Lumbriculus Variegatus ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Global Water Cycle ◽  
Receiving Waters

Abstract Background In order to protect aquatic environments and to reduce the presence of micropollutants in the global water cycle, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) often implement an additional treatment step. One of the most effective measures is the use of powdered activated carbon (PAC) as an adsorbent for micropollutants. This method provides sufficient elimination rates for several micropollutants and has been successfully employed in many WWTPs. Despite this success, there might be a drawback as the retention of the PAC in the WWTP can be challenging and losses of micropollutant-loaded PAC into the aquatic environment may occur. Upon emission, micropollutant-loaded PAC is expected to settle to the benthic zone of receiving waters, where sediment-dwelling organisms may ingest these particles. Therefore, the present study investigated possible adverse effects of micropollutant-loaded PAC from a WWTP as compared to unloaded (native) and diclofenac-loaded PAC on the sediment-dwelling annelid Lumbriculus variegatus. Results Native PAC induced the strongest effects on growth (measured as biomass) and reproduction of the annelids. The corresponding medium effective concentrations (EC50) were 1.7 g/kg and 1.8 g/kg, respectively. Diclofenac-loaded PAC showed lower effects with an EC50 of 2.5 g/kg for growth and EC50 of 3.0 g/kg for reproduction. Although tested at the same concentrations, the micropollutant-loaded PAC from the WWTP did not lead to obvious negative effects on the endpoints investigated for L.variegatus and only a slight trend of a reduced growth was detected. Conclusion We did not detect harmful effects on L. variegatus caused by the presence of MP-loaded PAC from a WWTP which gives an auspicious perspective for PAC as an advanced treatment option.

scholarly journals Biological Activity of Wastewater Assessed Using in Vitro Cell-Based Assays

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adamo R. Petosa ◽  
Monica Nowierski ◽  
Viviane Yargeau
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Estrogenic Activity ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Chemical Analyses ◽  
Untreated Wastewater ◽  
17Β Estradiol ◽  
Receiving Waters

Abstract Bioanalytical tools, namely in vitro bioassays, can be employed in tandem with chemical analyses to assess the efficacy of wastewater treatment and the potential for adverse effects from the discharges of wastewater into receiving waters. In the present study, samples of untreated wastewater (i.e. influent) and treated wastewater (i.e. effluent) were collected from two wastewater treatment plants and a wastewater treatment lagoon serving municipalities in southern Ontario, Canada. In addition, grab samples of surface water were collected downstream of the lagoon discharge. After solid phase extraction (SPE) using ion-exchange columns for basic/neutral and acidic compounds, respectively, the extracts were analyzed for a suite of 16 indicator compounds. The two SPE extracts were combined for analysis of biological responses in four in vitro cell-based bioassays. The concentrations of several indicator compounds, including the estrogens, 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol, were below the limits of detection. However, androstenedione and estrone were detected in several influent samples. The concentrations of these steroid hormones and some of the other indicator compounds declined during treatment but acesulfame K, carbamazepine, trimethoprim and DEET persisted in the effluent. The MTS- CellTiter 96® AQueous One Solution Cell Proliferation Assay (MTS) indicated that cell viability was not affected by exposure to the extracts. The Qiagen Nuclear Receptors 10-Pathway Reporter Array indicated that several cellular pathways were upregulated, with the greatest upregulation observed with the estrogen receptor (i.e. induction ratios 12 to 47) and the liver X receptor (i.e. induction ratios 10 to 45). The ERα CALUX assay indicated that estrogenic activity was lower in effluents compared to influents, with the greatest estrogenic activity observed for grab samples of influent from the lagoon (i.e. 56-215 ng L-1 17β-estradiol equivalents). Finally, the results of the Nrf2 Luciferase Luminescence Assay indicated a lower oxidative stress in the effluent samples. Overall, the present study demonstrates that chemical analyses are limited in their ability to predict or explain reductions in the toxicity of treated wastewater. There are thus advantages to using a combination of chemical analyses and in vitro bioassays to monitor the treatment efficiency of wastewater treatment plants and to predict the potential impacts of wastewater discharges into receiving waters.

Enhanced phosphorus removal in the DAF process by flotation scum recycling for advanced treatment of municipal wastewater

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 600-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong-Heui Kwak ◽  
Ki-Cheol Lee
Keyword(s):  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Advanced Treatment ◽  
Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Application Process ◽  
Additive Process ◽  
Dissolved Air Flotation ◽  
Equilibrium Control ◽  
P Removal

To remove phosphorus (P) from municipal wastewater, various types of advanced treatment processes are being actively applied. However, there is commonly a space limit in municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWTPs). For that reason, the dissolved air flotation (DAF), which is well known for small space and flexible application process, is preferred as an additive process to enhance the removal of P. A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the feasibility of flotation scum recycling for effective P removal from a MWTP using a DAF pilot plant over 1 year. The average increases in the removal efficiencies due to flotation scum recycling were 22.6% for total phosphorus (T-P) and 18.3% for PO4-P. A higher removal efficiency of T-P was induced by recycling the flotation scum because a significant amount of Al components remained in the flotation scum. The increase in T-P removal efficiency, due to the recycling of flotation scum, shifted from the boundary of the stoichiometric precipitate to the equilibrium control region. Flotation scum recycling may contribute to improving the quality of treated water and reducing treatment costs by minimizing the coagulant dosage required.

Small wastewater treatment plants in Flanders (Belgium): standard approach and experiences with constructed reed beds

2000 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Vandaele ◽  
C. Thoeye ◽  
B. Van Eygen ◽  
G. De Gueldre
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Pilot Scale ◽  
Surface Flow ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Vertical Flow ◽  
Reed Beds ◽  
Reed Bed

In Flanders (Belgium) an estimated 15% of the population will never be connected to a central wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Small WWTPs can be a valuable option. Aquafin bases the decision to build SWWTPs on a drainage area study. To realise an accelerated construction the process choice is made accordingly to a standard matrix, which represents the different technologies in function of the size and the effluent consents. A pilot scale constructed two-stage reed bed is used to optimise the concept of the reed beds. The concept consists of a primary clarifier, two parallel vertical flow reed beds followed by a sub-surface flow reed bed. The removal efficiency of organic pollutants is high (COD: 89%, BOD: 98%). Phosphorus removal is high at the start-up but diminishes throughout the testing period (from 100% to 71% retention after 7 months). Nitrogen removal amounts to 53% on average. Nitrification is complete in summer. Denitrification appears to be the limiting factor. In autumn leakage of nitrogen is assumed. Removal efficiency of pathogens amounts to almost 99%. Clogging forms a substantial constraint of the vertical flow reed bed. Problems appear to be related with presettlement, feed interval and geotextile.

scholarly journals Occurrence and Removal of Veterinary Antibiotics in Livestock Wastewater Treatment Plants, South Korea

Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin-Pil Kim ◽  
Dal Rae Jin ◽  
Wonseok Lee ◽  
Minhee Chae ◽  
Junwon Park
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Batch Reactor ◽  
Veterinary Antibiotics ◽  
Livestock Wastewater ◽  
Treatment Processes ◽  
Removal Efficiencies ◽  
A2o Process

In this study, livestock wastewater treatment plants in South Korea were monitored to determine the characteristics of influent and effluent wastewater, containing four types of veterinary antibiotics (sulfamethazine, sulfathiazole, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline), and the removal efficiencies of different treatment processes. Chlortetracycline had the highest average influent concentration (483.7 μg/L), followed by sulfamethazine (251.2 μg/L), sulfathiazole (230.8 μg/L) and oxytetracycline (25.7 μg/L), at five livestock wastewater treatment plants. Sulfathiazole had the highest average effluent concentration (28.2 μg/L), followed by sulfamethazine (20.8 μg/L) and chlortetracycline (11.5 μg/L), while no oxytetracycline was detected. For veterinary antibiotics in the wastewater, a removal efficiency of at least 90% was observed with five types of treatment processes, including a bio-ceramic sequencing batch reactor, liquid-phase flotation, membrane bioreactor, bioreactor plus ultrafiltration (BIOSUF) and bio best bacillus systems. Moreover, this study evaluated the removal efficiency via laboratory-scale experiments on the conventional contaminants, such as organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and veterinary antibiotics. This was done using the hydraulic retention time (HRT), under three temporal conditions (14 h, 18 h, 27 h), using the anaerobic–anoxic–oxic (A2O) process, in an attempt to assess the combined livestock wastewater treatment process where the livestock wastewater is treated until certain levels of water quality are achieved, and then the effluent is discharged to nearby sewage treatment plants for further treatment. The removal efficiencies of veterinary antibiotics, especially oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline, were 86.5–88.8% and 87.9–90.8%, respectively, exhibiting no significant differences under various HRT conditions. The removal efficiency of sulfamethazine was at least 20% higher at HRT = 27 h than at HRT = 14 h, indicating that sulfamethazine was efficiently removed in the A2O process with increased HRT. This study is expected to promote a comprehensive understanding of the behavior and removal of veterinary antibiotics in the livestock wastewater treatment plants of South Korea.

scholarly journals The Use of Organic Coagulants in the Primary Precipitation Process at Wastewater Treatment Plants

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Czerwionka ◽  
Anna Wilinska ◽  
Agnieszka Tuszynska
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Pollutant Removal ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Biological Nutrient Removal ◽  
Precipitation Process ◽  
Primary Precipitation

Measurements for determining the effect of chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) on the efficiency of pollutant removal from wastewater were carried out using conventional inorganic coagulants PIX113 with polymer A110 (Kemipol, Police, Poland) and unconventional cationic organic coagulants Cofloc (Attana, Coalville, UK) C29510 (Kemipol, Police, Poland) and Sedifloc 575 (3F Chimica, Sandrigo, Italy). The average removal efficiency in the 2-h sedimentation process was 46%, 34%, 8%, 12% for the total suspended solids, organic matter (COD), total nitrogen, and total phosphorus, respectively. The use of organic coagulants contributed to 14–81% increase of pollutant removal efficiency. Substantial discrepancies in biological nutrient removal processes were not discovered in two-phase (anaerobic-anoxic) experiments without and with the addition of the organic coagulants. The increase in organic matter removal efficiency as a result of the CEPT process may contribute to a 65–80% increase in biogas production. The conducted research confirms the possibility of using organic coagulants in the primary precipitation process in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in accordance with the principles of maximum energy recovery, thereby promoting renewable energy sources. Additionally, organic coagulants, as opposed to inorganic ones, do not cause a significant increase of chloride and sulfate ion concentrations, which facilitates the use of treated wastewater in the water reuse systems, such as irrigation of agricultural crops.

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