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Takman M, Betsholtz A, Davidsson Å, Cimbritz M, Svahn O, Karlsson S, Karstenskov Østergaard S, Lund Nielsen J, Falås P. Biological degradation of organic micropollutants in GAC filters-temporal development and spatial variations. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 472:134449. [PMID: 38733780 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
The capacity for organic micropollutant removal in granular activated carbon (GAC) filters for wastewater treatment changes over time. These changes are in general attributed to changes in adsorption, but may in some cases also be affected by biological degradation. Knowledge on the degradation of organic micropollutants, however, is scarce. In this work, the degradation of micropollutants in several full-scale GAC and sand filters was investigated through incubation experiments over a period of three years, using 14C-labeled organic micropollutants with different susceptibilities to biological degradation (ibuprofen, diclofenac, and carbamazepine), with parallel 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that the degradation of diclofenac and ibuprofen in GAC filters increased with increasing numbers of bed volumes when free oxygen was available in the filter, while variations over filter depth were limited. Despite relatively large differences in bacterial composition between filters, a degradation of diclofenac was consistently observed for the GAC filters that had been operated with high influent oxygen concentration (DO >8 mg/L). The results of this comprehensive experimental work provide an increased understanding of the interactions between microbial composition, filter material, and oxygen availability in the biological degradation of organic micropollutants in GAC filters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Takman
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, PO Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Alexander Betsholtz
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, PO Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Åsa Davidsson
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, PO Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Michael Cimbritz
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, PO Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ola Svahn
- Department of Environmental Science and Bioscience, Kristianstad University, SE-291 39 Kristianstad, Sweden
| | | | | | - Jeppe Lund Nielsen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Per Falås
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, PO Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
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Betsholtz A, Falås P, Svahn O, Cimbritz M, Davidsson Å. New Perspectives on the Interactions between Adsorption and Degradation of Organic Micropollutants in Granular Activated Carbon Filters. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:11771-11780. [PMID: 38889182 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The removal of organic micropollutants in granular activated carbon (GAC) filters can be attributed to adsorption and biological degradation. These two processes can interact with each other or proceed independently. To illustrate the differences in their interaction, three 14C-labeled organic micropollutants with varying potentials for adsorption and biodegradation were selected to study their adsorption and biodegradation in columns with adsorbing (GAC) and non-adsorbing (sand) filter media. Using 14CO2 formation as a marker for biodegradation, we demonstrated that the biodegradation of poorly adsorbing N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was more sensitive to changes in the empty bed contact time (EBCT) compared with that of moderately adsorbing diclofenac. Further, diclofenac that had adsorbed under anoxic conditions could be degraded when molecular oxygen became available, and substantial biodegradation (≥60%) of diclofenac could be achieved with a 15 min EBCT in the GAC filter. These findings suggest that the retention of micropollutants in GAC filters, by prolonging the micropollutant residence time through adsorption, can enable longer time periods for degradations than what the hydraulic retention time would allow for. For the biologically recalcitrant compound carbamazepine, differences in breakthrough between the 14C-labeled and nonradiolabeled compounds revealed a substantial retention via successive adsorption-desorption, which could pose a potential challenge in the interpretation of GAC filter performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Betsholtz
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering. Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Lund 221 00, Sweden
| | - Per Falås
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering. Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Lund 221 00, Sweden
| | - Ola Svahn
- School of Education and Environment, Division of Natural Sciences, Kristianstad University, Kristianstad 291 88, Sweden
| | - Michael Cimbritz
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering. Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Lund 221 00, Sweden
| | - Åsa Davidsson
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering. Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Lund 221 00, Sweden
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Yu M, Mandava G, Lavonen E, Oskarsson A, Lundqvist J. Impact of sample acidification and extract storage on hormone receptor-mediated and oxidative stress activities in wastewater. JOURNAL OF WATER AND HEALTH 2024; 22:169-182. [PMID: 38295079 PMCID: wh_2023_266 DOI: 10.2166/wh.2023.266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
An underemphasized aspect of sampling strategies in effect-based in vitro testing is to determine suitable collection and preparation techniques. In the current study, the impact of sample acidification on bioactivities was assessed using in vitro bioassays for hormone receptor-mediated effects (estrogen receptor [ER] and androgen receptor [AR]) and the oxidative stress response (Nrf2 activity). Sampling was conducted at a recently upgraded Swedish wastewater treatment plant. Future plans for the treated wastewater include reuse for irrigation or as a potential drinking water source. In the AR and Nrf2 assays, acidification decreased bioactivities in the wastewater influent sample extracts, whereas acidification increased bioactivities following further treatment (disc filtration). In the ER assay, acidification had no impact on the observed bioactivities in the sample extracts. A secondary objective of the study was to assess the stability of the sample extracts over time. Lower activities were detected in the ER and AR assays in all extracts after storage for approximately 1 year. Nrf2 activities did not decrease over time, but rather increased in some of the acidified sample extracts. Overall, the findings suggest that sampling strategies involving acidification may need to be tailored depending on the selected bioassay(s) and the type of wastewater treatments being assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Yu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden E-mail:
| | - Geeta Mandava
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elin Lavonen
- BioCell Analytica, Ulls väg 29C, 756 51 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Agneta Oskarsson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johan Lundqvist
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
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