Treatment approaches for emerging contaminants in sludge and wastewater

Abstract

Abstract The presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) in superficial and drinking water is a reality worldwide. Among them, we can highlight compounds such as personal care products and pharmaceuticals used to treat and prevent human or animal diseases. ECs end up in the environment mainly because of inefficient wastewater or sludge treatment. It is well known that conventional treatment does not completely remove these substances. In addition, ECs pose a potential risk if released into the environment because of their toxicity, recalcitrance, and biouptake in animals and plants. This chapter will cover biological and physicochemical treatments to remove EC from wastewater and sludge. We will address the most recent advances for each process, focusing on their main parameters, operation conditions, and applications. Moreover, we will compare the advantages and disadvantages of each process. This chapter provides a comprehensive understanding of the role of biological and physicochemical processes, applied individually or combined, in treating wastewater and sludge containing EC. Lastly, we will present future perspectives to improve the treatment of ECs in wastewater treatment plants.