TY - JOUR
T1 - Micropollutant biotransformation under different redox conditions in PhoRedox conventional activated sludge systems
AU - Martins, Tiago A.E.
AU - Muñoz Sierra, Julian D.
AU - Nieuwlands, Jo A.
AU - Lousada-Ferreira, Maria
AU - Amaral, Leonor
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - The ecotoxicological safety of the water bodies relies on the reduction of micropollutant emissions from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The ecotoxicological safety of the water bodies relies on the reduction of micropollutant emissions from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Quantification of micropollutant removal at full-scale WWTP is scarce. To our knowledge, the anaerobic conversion rates determined at conventional activated sludge processes are, so far, scarcely available in the literature for most of the micropollutants. In this research, we quantified the biotransformation rate constants and the removal efficiencies of 16 micropollutants (4,5-methylbenzotriazole, azithromycin, benzotriazole, candesartan, carbamazepine, clarithromycin, diclofenac, gabapentin, hydrochlorothiazide, irbesartan, metoprolol, propranolol, sotalol, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and venlafaxine), under aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic redox conditions; using as inoculum wastewater and biomass from a full-scale conventional activated sludge (CAS) system in the Netherlands. Clarithromycin was the compound that exhibited the highest aerobic (76%) and anaerobic (78%) removal efficiencies, while gabapentin showed the highest removal under anoxic conditions (91%). A preference for cometabolic biotransformation of the targeted micropollutants was observed. The highest biotransformation rate constants obtained were: at aerobic conditions clarithromycin with 1.46 L.gSS−1.d−1; at anoxic conditions, gabapentin with 2.36 L.gSS−1.d−1; and at anaerobic redox conditions clarithromycin with 1.87 L.gSS−1.d−1. The obtained results of biotransformation rates will allow further modelling of micropollutant removal in CAS systems, under various redox conditions. These biotransformation rates can be added to extended ASM models to predict effluent concentration and optimize targeted advanced oxidation processes allowing savings in the operational costs and increasing the process viability.
AB - The ecotoxicological safety of the water bodies relies on the reduction of micropollutant emissions from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The ecotoxicological safety of the water bodies relies on the reduction of micropollutant emissions from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Quantification of micropollutant removal at full-scale WWTP is scarce. To our knowledge, the anaerobic conversion rates determined at conventional activated sludge processes are, so far, scarcely available in the literature for most of the micropollutants. In this research, we quantified the biotransformation rate constants and the removal efficiencies of 16 micropollutants (4,5-methylbenzotriazole, azithromycin, benzotriazole, candesartan, carbamazepine, clarithromycin, diclofenac, gabapentin, hydrochlorothiazide, irbesartan, metoprolol, propranolol, sotalol, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and venlafaxine), under aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic redox conditions; using as inoculum wastewater and biomass from a full-scale conventional activated sludge (CAS) system in the Netherlands. Clarithromycin was the compound that exhibited the highest aerobic (76%) and anaerobic (78%) removal efficiencies, while gabapentin showed the highest removal under anoxic conditions (91%). A preference for cometabolic biotransformation of the targeted micropollutants was observed. The highest biotransformation rate constants obtained were: at aerobic conditions clarithromycin with 1.46 L.gSS−1.d−1; at anoxic conditions, gabapentin with 2.36 L.gSS−1.d−1; and at anaerobic redox conditions clarithromycin with 1.87 L.gSS−1.d−1. The obtained results of biotransformation rates will allow further modelling of micropollutant removal in CAS systems, under various redox conditions. These biotransformation rates can be added to extended ASM models to predict effluent concentration and optimize targeted advanced oxidation processes allowing savings in the operational costs and increasing the process viability.
KW - Activated sludge
KW - Biotransformation rate
KW - Kinetics
KW - Micropollutants
KW - Redox conditions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85190849657&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.eti.2024.103639
DO - 10.1016/j.eti.2024.103639
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85190849657
SN - 2352-1864
VL - 35
JO - Environmental Technology and Innovation
JF - Environmental Technology and Innovation
M1 - 103639
ER -