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Bhattacharjee S, Oussadou SE, Mousa M, Shabib A, Semerjian L, Semreen MH, Almanassra IW, Atieh MA, Shanableh A. Fate of emerging contaminants in an advanced SBR wastewater treatment and reuse facility incorporating UF, RO, and UV processes. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 267:122518. [PMID: 39357162 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 09/24/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
A critical factor for widescale water reuse adoption is the capability of advanced wastewater treatment facilities to consistently produce high-quality water by efficiently removing various pollutants, including emerging contaminants (ECs). This study monitored the fate of seventeen ECs (which included pesticides, antibiotics and other pharmaceutically active compounds) over six months in an advanced wastewater reuse facility situated in the United Arab Emirates. The facility integrates a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) based sewage treatment plant (STP) with a water recycling facility featuring ultrafiltration (UF), reverse osmosis (RO), and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. ECs were detected and quantified at the influent and effluents of the various treatment stages, using an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS). The STP exhibited variable removal efficiencies, achieving >90 % removal for compounds like caffeine and acetaminophen, while others, such as carbamazepine and thiabendazole, displayed poor removal (<10 %). UF treatment broadly resulted in limited removal, with ECs in permeate typically persisting in the 1-10 ng/L range. Subsequently, after undergoing RO treatment, eight ECs were still detected in the RO permeate, albeit at <1 ng/L, except for imidacloprid (2.5 ng/L). Conversely, the final UV disinfection step led to concentration increases of certain ECs, namely imidacloprid, thiabendazole, sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethazine and caffeine. Overall, the total EC concentration levels decreased considerably from 2300 ng/L in the STP influent to 5.2 ng/L in the RO permeate. However, a subsequent increase to 27.5 ng/L was observed after UV disinfection. While the study underscores the effectiveness of advanced treatment processes, notably RO, in reducing EC concentrations, it also demonstrates the importance of continuous EC monitoring in such facilities as many compounds persist post treatment. Additionally, the potential for processes like UV disinfection to increase certain EC concentrations highlights the need to optimize treatment trains to minimize EC concentration rebound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourjya Bhattacharjee
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Samy Elhadi Oussadou
- Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Muath Mousa
- Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ahmad Shabib
- Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Lucy Semerjian
- Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohammad H Semreen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ismail W Almanassra
- Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Muataz Ali Atieh
- Chemical and Water Desalination Engineering Program, College of Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Abdallah Shanableh
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; Scientific Research Center, Australian University, P.O Box 1411, Kuwait.
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Aguilar-Aguilar A, de León-Martínez LD, Forgionny A, Acelas Soto NY, Mendoza SR, Zárate-Guzmán AI. A systematic review on the current situation of emerging pollutants in Mexico: A perspective on policies, regulation, detection, and elimination in water and wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 905:167426. [PMID: 37774864 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Emerging pollutants (EPs) emerged as a group of new compounds whose presence in the environment has been widely detected in Mexico. In this country, different concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds, pesticides, dyes, and microplastics have been reported, which vary depending on the region and the analyzed matrix (i.e., wastewater, surface water, groundwater). The evidence of the EPs' presence focuses on the detection of them, but there is a gap in information regarding is biomonitoring and their effects in health in Mexico. The presence of these pollutants in the country associated with lack of proper regulations in the discharge and disposal of EPs. Therefore, this review aims to provide a comprehensive view of the current environmental status, policies, and frameworks regarding Mexico's situation. The review also highlights the lack of information about biomonitoring since EPs are present in water even after their treatment, leading to a critical situation, which is high exposure to humans and animals. Although, technologies to efficiently eliminate EPs are available, their application has been reported only at a laboratory scale thus far. Here, an overview of health and environmental impacts and a summary of the research works reported in Mexico from 2014 to 2023 were presented. This review concludes with a concrete point of view and perspective on the status of the EPs' research in Mexico as an alert for government entities about the necessity of measures to control the EPs disposal and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Aguilar-Aguilar
- Centro de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí 78210, Mexico
| | | | - Angélica Forgionny
- Grupo de Materiales con Impacto, Mat&mpac, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de Medellín, Medellín 55450, Colombia
| | - Nancy Y Acelas Soto
- Grupo de Materiales con Impacto, Mat&mpac, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de Medellín, Medellín 55450, Colombia
| | - Sergio Rosales Mendoza
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud y Biomedicina, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Manuel Nava No. 201, San Luis Potosí 78210, Mexico
| | - Ana I Zárate-Guzmán
- Centro de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí 78210, Mexico.
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