The fate and risk of selected pharmaceutical and personal care products in wastewater treatment plants and a pilot-scale multistage constructed wetland system

The removal of 12 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in two full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and a tertiary treatment system was studied. The ecological risks of effluents from both secondary and tertiary treatment systems as well as excess sludge were evaluated. Primary treatment and ultraviolet light disinfection showed limited ability to remove most selected PPCPs. The combination of an anaerobic process and triple-oxidation ditches can eliminate DEET better than the anaerobic/anoxic/oxic process. Adsorption to sludge played a key role in the removal of triclocarban. Multistage constructed wetlands as a tertiary treatment efficiently removed caffeine and ibuprofen from wastewater and could decrease the risk of partial selected PPCPs. Selected PPCPs residues in excess sludge generally produced higher risks to the ecological environment than effluents from WWTPs.     

Adsorption of pharmaceutical compounds and an endocrine disruptor from aqueous solutions by carbon materials

Adsorption has been used to study the removal of atenolol, caffeine, diclofenac and isoproturon, pharmaceutical compounds as emerging contaminants and an endocrine disruptor from ultrapure water and a municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent with three carbonaceous materials: activated carbon, multiwalled carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers. The adsorption capacities were studied in the temperature range of 25-65°C and pH range from 3 to 9. Several model isotherms were used to model the adsorption equilibrium data. Also, the competitive adsorption was evaluated.     

再生水中内分泌干扰物质的存在及处理现状

随着污水回用大力开展,人们与再生水的接触机会增加,必须保障再生水的水质安全.资料调研发现,作为再生水水源的污水处理厂出水中含有多种内分泌干扰物质,活性炭吸附、超滤、高级氧化技术及膜技术可有效去除再生水中的内分泌干扰物质,但鉴于经济和管理上的困难,目前仍不能全面推广.中国常用的澄清(混凝沉淀)/过滤工艺不能有效去除污水处理厂二级出水中的内分泌十扰物质,这对接触人群的健康产生潜在威胁,对生物种群也有一定的影响.生物处理方法未来有可能成为去除内分泌干扰物质很有前途的方法.     

污水处理中几种去除药物及个人护理用品方法的机理及效果比较

目前广泛分布在环境中的药物及个人护理品（pharmaceuticals and personal care products, PPCPs）在环境中的迁移、转化和处理已成为环境科学与工程研究的一个新的领域。污水处理厂排水是PPCPs进入环境中的主要途径。介绍了污水处理过程中传统活性污泥法、膜处理技术以及氧化处理等主要工艺对PPCPs的去除机理，并对去除效果进行了比较。以传统活性污泥法及在其改进后的膜处理技术为基础的大部分现有污水处理厂只能够去除一部分PPCPs，并且主要通过吸附（如对于吐纳麝香、佳乐麝香、萨利麝香等脂溶性较高的有机物）和生物降解作用（如对于布洛芬，17β-雌二醇，雌酮等易反应的有机物）。然而，吸附了PPCPs的污泥通过土壤施肥又将PPCPs带入土壤中，进而会渗滤到地下水，或随径流水进入地表水中。因此，PPCPs并没有从根本上得以去除。相比之下氧化处理工艺（如氯化、臭氧氧化、紫外辐射）或这些工艺的组合能够将大部分的PPCPs进行氧化，去除效果明显优于以上2种技术。然而，氧化后产物的种类和毒理性需要更深入的研究。     

常用城市污水再生处理工艺净化效果比较分析

以城市污水回用为目的,对常规混凝-沉淀-过滤工艺、臭氧生物活性炭和直接超滤等深度处理技术处理城市污水处理厂二级出水的效果进行了试验研究,对各种工艺的去除效果进行了评价。     

Fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in wastewater treatment plants - Conception of a database and first results

We created a database in order to quantitatively assess the occurrence and removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). From 117 scientific publications, we compiled 6641 data covering 184 PPCPs. Data included the concentrations of PPCPs in WWTP influents and effluents, their removal efficiency and their loads to the aquatic environment. The first outputs of our database allowed to identify the most investigated PPCPs in WWTPs and the most persistent ones, and to obtain reliable and quantitative values on their concentrations, frequency of detection and removal efficiency in WWTPs. We were also able to compare various processes and pointed out activated sludge with nitrogen treatment and membrane bioreactor as the most efficient ones.     

强化活性炭吸附技术深度处理焦化废水的可行性研究

采用混凝沉淀、活性炭吸附以及混凝沉淀 活性炭吸附工艺对焦化厂生化出水进行深度处理.单独混凝沉淀或活性炭吸附均可以将水样中COD降到100 mg/L以下,达到国家污水一级排放标准和冷却用水建议标准.活性炭根据不同的材质和进水而表现出不同的吸附性能,对于焦化厂生化出水,煤质炭Ⅰ和果壳炭均表现出良好的吸附效果,并使出水COD＜100 mg/L,但处理成本较高.混凝沉淀 活性炭吸附工艺充分发挥适合去除大分子污染物的混凝沉淀与适宜去除小分子污染物的活性炭吸附技术两者的协同增效作用,吸附单元采用廉价的煤质炭,使出水水质达到个别生产或生活用水回用标准,并且降低深度处理成本.研究结果表明,混凝沉淀 活性炭吸附作为焦化厂生化出水回用工艺是经济可行的.     

Application of molecularly imprinted and non-imprinted polymers for removal of emerging contaminants in water and wastewater treatment: a review

Over the past decade, several studies have reported trace levels of endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products in surface waters, drinking water, and wastewater effluents. There has also been an increased concern about the ecological and human health impact of these contaminants, and their removal from water and wastewater has become a priority. Traditional treatment processes are limited in their ability to remove emerging contaminants from water, and there is a need for new technologies that are effective and feasible. This paper presents a review on recent research results on molecularly imprinted (MIP) and non-imprinted (NIP) polymers and evaluates their potential as a treatment method for the removal of emerging contaminants from water and wastewater. It also discusses the relative benefits and limitations of using MIP or NIP for water and wastewater treatment. MIP, and in particular NIP, offer promising applications for wastewater treatment, but their toxicity and possible health effects should be carefully studied before they are considered for drinking water treatment. More research is also required to determine how best to incorporate MIP and NIP in treatment plants.     

Removal of estrone, 17α-ethinylestradiol,and 17ß-estradiol in algae and duckweed-based wastewater treatment systems

Background, aim, and scope  

Many pollutants have received significant attention due to their potential estrogenic effect and are classified as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). Because of possible ecological effects and increased attention for water reuse schemes, it is important to increase our understanding of the EDC removal capacities of various wastewater treatment systems. However, there has so far been little research on the fate and behavior of EDCs in stabilization pond systems for wastewater treatment, which represent an important class of wastewater treatment systems in developing countries because of their cost-effectiveness. The aim of this work is to study the fate and behavior of EDCs in algae and duckweed ponds. Because the synthetic hormone 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and the natural hormones estrone (E1), as well as 17β-estradiol (E2), have been detected in effluents of sewage treatment plants and been suggested as the major compounds responsible for endocrine disruption in domestic sewage; E1, E2, and EE2 were therefore chosen as target chemicals in this current work.     

Physico-chemical treatments for the complete removal of non-ionic surfactants from effluents

Adsorption isotherms for a selection of non-ionic surfactants on activated carbons indicated the effectiveness of the latter in the removal of these pollutants from secondary effluents. The removal efficiencies were found to be improved when the secondary effluent was first flocculated with ferric chloride. This effectively removed some 80% of the non-ionic surfactant in the effluent. Batch adsorption experiments with powdered activated carbon removed 97% of the surfactant at low carbon dosage. A granular carbon with the best adsorption capacity was selected for continuous-flow operation in which non-ionic surfactants, COD and anionic surfactant alkyl benzene sulphonate were monitored. The breakthrough capacity for the non-ionic surfactants was in excess of 6000 bed volumes throughput of flocculated, sand-filtered effluent in a laboratory scale carbon column. Such a procedure is suggested for the complete removal of such pollutants from effluents.     

污水深度处理流程对污染物去除效果评价方法

城市污水再生处理流程大多采用几种深度处理单元组合而成,由单个处理单元对污染物的去除效果来准确评价组合流程整体的处理效率对于工艺方案的确定和实际运行具有重要意义。在对处理过程中污染物浓度分布变化分析的基础上,建立了污水深度处理流程污染物去除效果的评价分析方法,并根据3种常用再生处理单元的实验结果,以总大肠菌群为例,评价了混凝沉淀过滤与生物活性炭和超滤联用处理流程对总大肠菌群的去除效果,计算结果表明,这种评价分析方法是准确可行的。     

不同深度处理工艺去除污水处理厂出水中氮磷的比较研究

城市污水厂出水直接进入天然水体、或经过深度处理后回用于灌溉、补充景观水体和回灌地下水,均需要进行安全性评价.针对北京市北小河污水处理厂出水经过深度处理后回用于奥运公园的安全性,比较了不同深度处理工艺对营养盐(氮、磷)总量和不同形态的去除效果.研究表明,二级处理本身对氮磷的去除效果十分有限,回用水需经过深度处理.在所研究的生物活性炭吸附、微滤、超滤、反渗透以及上述技术的组合工艺中,使用超滤和反渗透联用的工艺路线对脱氮除磷的效果较为理想,其他工艺对去除氮磷的效果十分有限.     

不同深度处理工艺去除污水处理厂出水中氮磷的比较研究

城市污水厂出水直接进入天然水体、或经过深度处理后回用于灌溉、补充景观水体和回灌地下水,均需要进行安全性评价.针对北京市北小河污水处理厂出水经过深度处理后回用于奥运公园的安全性,比较了不同深度处理工艺对营养盐（氮、磷）总量和不同形态的去除效果.研究表明,二级处理本身对氮磷的去除效果十分有限,回用水需经过深度处理.在所研究的生物活性炭吸附、微滤、超滤、反渗透以及上述技术的组合工艺中,使用超滤和反渗透联用的工艺路线对脱氮除磷的效果较为理想,其他工艺对去除氮磷的效果十分有限.     

Electrochemical advanced oxidation and biological processes for wastewater treatment: a review of the combined approaches

As pollution becomes one of the biggest environmental challenges of the twenty-first century, pollution of water threatens the very existence of humanity, making immediate action a priority. The most persistent and hazardous pollutants come from industrial and agricultural activities; therefore, effective treatment of this wastewater prior to discharge into the natural environment is the solution. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have caused increased interest due to their ability to degrade hazardous substances in contrast to other methods, which mainly only transfer pollution from wastewater to sludge, a membrane filter, or an adsorbent. Among a great variety of different AOPs, a group of electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs), including electro-Fenton, is emerging as an environmental-friendly and effective treatment process for the destruction of persistent hazardous contaminants. The only concern that slows down a large-scale implementation is energy consumption and related investment and operational costs. A combination of EAOPs with biological treatment is an interesting solution. In such a synergetic way, removal efficiency is maximized, while minimizing operational costs. The goal of this review is to present cutting-edge research for treatment of three common and problematic pollutants and effluents: dyes and textile wastewater, olive processing wastewater, and pharmaceuticals and hospital wastewater. Each of these types is regarded in terms of recent scientific research on individual electrochemical, individual biological and a combined synergetic treatment.     

Endocrine disrupting compounds in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants in Northern Greece

The occurrence and fate of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in a sewage treatment plant and two industrial wastewater treatment plants from textile and tannery factories were investigated. EDCs of interest are 4-nonylphenol, 4-octylphenol, their ethoxylate oligomers (mono- and di-ethoxylates of nonylphenol and octylphenol), bisphenol A, triclosan and steroid estrogens. Target compounds were determined in dissolved fraction, total suspended solids and sludge by employing solid phase extraction and ultrasonication followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.Nonylphenols and oligomers with one or two ethoxy groups were the most abundant compounds in raw wastewater as well as in effluents from all the treatment stages of sewage treatment plant, followed by triclosan and bisphenol A. Steroids were found at very low concentrations. Almost all phenolic EDCs compounds were predominantly associated to suspended solids in influents whereas the dissolved fraction dominated the treated effluents. High removal rates, ranging from 86% to 99%, were observed throughout the whole treatment process. Biodegradation was the main removal pathway of EDCs. Tannery wastewaters exhibited high concentrations of nonylphenolic compounds. This type of wastewaters could pose a significant risk to the aquatic and terrestrial environment.     

Removal of two cationic dyes from a textile effluent by filtration-adsorption on wood sawdust

BACKGROUND: Wastewater from textile industry contains various contaminants such as dyes, surfactants and heavy metals. Textile dyes have synthetic origin and complex aromatic molecular structures that make them difficult to biodegrade when discharged in the ecosystem. The objective of this study was to examine the decolourisation of textile effluents containing cationic dyes by filtration-adsorption on wood sawdust from two different origins; fir as an example of a conifer tree, and beech as an example of a deciduous one, and to explain the adsorption mechanism. METHODS: The process of dye removal was applied to a synthetic effluent in batch mode. Adsorption experiments were performed by suspending sawdust in the effluent and analyzing the supernatant by spectrophotometry. The effectiveness of the treatment process was evaluated by measuring coloration. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Experimental results showed a significant potential for wood sawdust, especially coniferous sawdust, to remove cationic dyes from textile effluents. Adsorption kinetics was influenced by the initial dye concentration, nature and amount of sorbent as well as sorbent particle size. The adsorption followed a pseudo first-order kinetics. For both basic dyes, the Langmuir adsorption equation showed a better fit than the Freundlich equation. CONCLUSION: Filtration-adsorption using an inexpensive and readily available biosorbent provided an attractive alternative treatment for dye removal, and it does not generate any secondary pollution. Recommendations and Perspectives. Laboratory studies provide promising perspectives for the utilization of wood sawdust as renewable adsorbent for reducing pollution while enhancing the reuse of textile effluents. However, the treatment process needs to be applied to the other textile dye classes in order to be used on an industrial scale.     

低温下膜-生物活性炭工艺深度处理回用水的试验研究

开展低温下膜-生物活性炭工艺深度处理回用水的试验研究，探讨该工艺低温运行的可行性及作用机制。结果表明，采用HRT为3h的膜-生物活性炭反应器对回用水中有机物具有良好的去除效果，CODcr，UV254、UV410的去除率分别稳定在33％、35％、40％；对NH3-N的去除效果不明显，其平均去除率在15％左右，主要受原水浓度过高的影响。同时与其他工艺进行对比研究，结果表明，由于该工艺结合了膜分离、活性炭吸附、生物降解三者的综合作用而表现出明显的优势。     

污泥活性炭对次甲基蓝废水的吸附

立足于污泥的资源化,利用化学活化法制得的污泥基活性炭,处理次甲基蓝染料废水.考察了污泥活性炭的粒径以及染料废水的pH值对染料脱色效果以及活性炭的吸附量的影响,并对吸附过程进行等温吸附线和吸附动力学分析.结果表明,在本研究的范围内,污泥活性炭的粒径越小、染料废水的pH值越高,则污泥活性炭对染料废水的吸附效果越好.当粒径在200目以上时,去除率及吸附量分别为88.2％和136.7 mg/g;当pH值为11时,去除率和吸附量分别为90.4％和91.9 mg/g.污泥活性炭对次甲基蓝染料的吸附脱除符合Langmuir吸附等温线和Lagergren准二级动力学方程.     

Toward long solids retention time of activated sludge processes: benefits in energy saving, effluent quality, and stability

The activated sludge process is the most common method of secondary municipal wastewater treatment; solids retention time (SRT) is the key control parameter for this process. Typically, operating at long SRT is considered only for nitrification, but there are additional benefits of high SRT operation. This paper presents experimental and literature evidence to demonstrate three major additional benefits of long SRT operation: increased oxygen transfer efficiency; improved biomass particle size distribution, which results in more efficient clarification with fewer effluent particles and suspended solids; and enhanced removal of many emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and endocrine disrupting compounds. This paper presents experimental results from several treatment plants that showed increasing oxygen transfer efficiency and particle size with increasing SRT, and evidence documenting improved removal of emerging contaminants and biodegradable organic carbon. A long-term survey of three treatment plants concludes that operating at higher SRT is not as energy intensive as typically assumed.     

Removal of pharmaceutical compounds from urban wastewater by an advanced bio-oxidation process based on fungi <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trametes versicolor</Emphasis> immobilized in a continuous RBC system

Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not able to remove completely some emerging contaminants, such as residual pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) with potential ecotoxicity to water bodies. An advanced bio-oxidation process (ABOP) using white-rot fungi (WRF) has been proposed as alternative biological treatment for degradation of non-biodegradable compounds. A synthetic and real wastewater spiked with 12 PCs at 50 μg L^?1 was treated by means of ABOP based on WRF in a rotating biological contactor (RBC) at 1 day of hydraulic retention time (HRT). The ABOP achieved a remarkable biological performance in terms of TOC removal and reduction of N-NH₄ ⁺ and P-PO₄ ^3? nutrients. Likewise, 5 of the 12 PCs were eliminated with removal efficiencies ranging from 80 to 95%, whereas 6 of 12 PCs were eliminated with removal values ranging from 50 to 70%. The anaerobic digestion of the fungal sludge generated upon the treatment was also evaluated, obtaining a methane yield of 250 mL CH₄ g_VS ^?1. These results evidenced that the proposed ABOP is a promising alternative for the sustainable wastewater treatment of urban effluents, combining advanced oxidation with biological operation for the removal of emerging PCs and energy recovery.