Abstract
This work presents a case study of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), located in Biscay (Spain), in which the removal of high-occurrence contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) was studied. The existing biological treatment in the WWTP was complemented with a continuous ultrafiltration (c-UF) pilot plant, as a tertiary treatment. Thus, the effect on CEC removal of both treatments could be analyzed globally and after each operation. A total of 39 CEC were monitored, including pharmaceutical products, industrial additives, food additives, herbicides and personal care products. For evaluation of the efficiencies, the removal rates of the biological and of the c-UF treatments, including their variability over a day and a week in relation to the ammonium content, were examined in the influent of the WWTP. In the biological treatment, a wide range of different removal rates was obtained due to the different CEC’s biodegradability and concentration. In UF, lower, but more constant removal rates, were achieved. In addition, the reduction of the general toxicity by the UF treatment in terms of the Microtox® toxicity assay was also evaluated. After UF, all of the samples yielded values of TU50 lower than 1, confirming this result the UF effectiveness for toxicity removal.
Highlights
The presence of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in the effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a matter of growing concern [1]
The existing biological treatment in the WWTP was complemented with a continuous ultrafiltration (c-UF) pilot plant, as a tertiary treatment
In the first step of the study, time profiles of ammonium and CEC concentrations arriving at the WWTP were studied and compared
Summary
The presence of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in the effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a matter of growing concern [1]. Emerging contaminants are chemical compounds that, though they are still unregulated, could be candidates for future regulation, depending on the research results on their potential health effects and occurrence. It has been found that WWTPs only a partial removal of several CEC, such as carbamazepine or diclofenac (< 25%) [6] continuous discharges give many aquatic environments at sublethal levels that could achieve chronic levels (low μg/L range) of many CEC [7,8] These CEC have even been found in water designated for human consumption [9,10]. Recent research focused on avoiding the presence of certain CEC in drinking water [3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
