Abstract
Abstract In urban areas, water often flows along a partially closed water cycle in which treated municipal wastewater is discharged into surface waters which are one source of raw waters used for drinking water supply. A number of organic micro-pollutants (OMP) can be found in different water compartments. In the near future, climatic and demographic changes will probably contribute to an increase of OMP and antibiotic-resistant pathogens in aquatic ecosystems. The occurrence of OMP, possible adverse effects on aquatic organisms and human health and the public perception must be carefully assessed to properly manage and communicate potentially associated risks and to implement appropriate advanced treatment options at the optimum location within the water cycle. Therefore, the interdisciplinary research project ASKURIS focuses on identification and quantification, toxicological assessment and removal of organic micro-pollutants and antibiotic-resistant pathogens in the Berlin water cycle, life cycle-based economic and environmental assessment, public perception and management of potential risks.
Highlights
Due to the widespread use of chemicals and to the fast advances in analytical methods, a large number of organic micro-pollutants (OMP) can be detected nowadays in wastewater and in the aquatic environment [1]
In Europe, no regulatory limits for pharmaceutically active OMP in surface water or drinking water have come into force hitherto, notwithstanding pharmacovigilance
Accompanying cost and life cycle assessments support the selection of most efficient technical measures with regards to the removal of harmful OMP and organisms and minimizes risk
Summary
Due to the widespread use of chemicals and to the fast advances in analytical methods, a large number of organic micro-pollutants (OMP) can be detected nowadays in wastewater and in the aquatic environment [1]. Economic and environmental assessment in a life cycle perspective Additional treatment processes for elimination of OMP or pathogenic microorganisms require resources such as infrastructure, chemicals and energy, causing associated impacts on the environment for the supply of these resources and additional costs for water utilities. With respect to the particular research focus in ASKURIS, discourses about the existence and extent of risks of anthropogenic OMP and pathogens in the drinking and surface water occur in and in-between different discourse fields: (1) in mass media; (2) in general public, in terms of the ‘normal’ consumer of water in everyday life; in specialized areas like (3) topicrelated sciences (engineering, biology, toxicology, ecology, medicine etc.); (4) politics; and (5) water suppliers and their representatives. The developed water quality related, integrated risk management system based on the water safety plan approach will be integrated into the existing risk management system of Berliner Wasserbetriebe
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