Current advances in treatment technologies for removal of emerging contaminants from water – A critical review

Abstract

• Brief summary of the existing knowledge regarding ECs. • Application and operational perspectives of classical and advanced treatment technologies. • The appropriateness of advanced integrated technologies for ECs removal. • Mechanisms involved in ECs removal processes. • Identification of the gap areas for future research and developments. The presence and persistence of emerging contaminants (ECs) such as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), personal care products (PCPs), pharmaceuticals and their transformed products are the matter of serious environmental and health concerns. This review details the sources, classification, fate and transport of ECs, and the classical, advanced, and integrated treatment technologies for their removal. Up to 100% of β-blockers, pharmaceuticals, EDCs, and pesticides can be removed via advanced oxidation process. The microalgae/fungal strains and the anaerobic membrane bioreactors are also promising processes for PPCPs and EDCs removal. RO and NF membranes exhibited excellent removal efficiencies for range of ECs, however, these processes are conditioned with fouling issues. The combination of membrane separation and electrochemical oxidation is appeared efficacious to lessen the major confines of both technologies such as fouling in membrane process and the mass transfer constraint in the electrochemical oxidation process. The effect of operational parameters on the process efficiency, and the mechanisms involved in different processes were discussed. This review will help in selecting the best available technology (BAT) for specific contaminant under particular conditions. Capsule. This review details the sources, classification, fate and transport of emerging contaminants and the recent researches and advancements for their treatment/elimination.