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Schumann P, Müller D, Eckardt P, Muschket M, Dittmann D, Rabe L, Kerst K, Lerch A, Reemtsma T, Jekel M, Ruhl AS. Pilot-scale removal of persistent and mobile organic substances in granular activated carbon filters and experimental predictability at lab-scale. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 884:163738. [PMID: 37116805 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Present knowledge about the fate of persistent and mobile (PM) substances in drinking water treatment is limited. Hence, this study assesses the potential of fixed-bed granular activated carbon (GAC) filters to fill the treatment gap for PM substances and the elimination predictability from lab-scale experiments. Two parallel pilot filters (GAC bed height 2 m, diameter 15 cm) with different GAC were operated for 1.5 years (ca. 47,000 BV throughput) alongside rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCT) designed based on the proportional diffusivity (PD) and the constant diffusivity (CD) approaches. Background dissolved organic matter (DOM) and a set of 17 target substances were investigated, among them 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate (AAMPS), adamantan-1-amine (ATA), melamine (MEL) and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMSA). Nine substances were predominantly present in the drinking water used as pilot filter influent (frequencies of detection above 80 %, median concentrations 0.003-1.868 μg/L) and their breakthrough behaviors could be observed: TFMSA was not retained at all, four substances including AAMPS and ATA reached complete breakthrough below 20,000 BV, three compounds were partially retained until the end of operation and oxypurinol was retained completely. The comparable PM candidate and DOM removal performances of both GAC aligns with their very similar surface characteristics and elemental compositions. The agreement of results between RSSCT with the pilot-scale filters were substance specific and no superior RSSCT design could be identified. However, CD-RSSCT provide a conservative removal prediction for most studied compounds. MEL adsorption was significantly underestimated by both RSSCT designs. Using the criterion of a carbon usage rate (with respect to 50 % breakthrough) below 25 mgGAC/Lwater for an economic retention by fixed-bed GAC filters, five (out of nine) substances met the requirement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Schumann
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Section II 3.3, Schichauweg 58, 12307 Berlin, Germany; Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. KF 4, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Dario Müller
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Urban and Industrial Water Management, 01062 Dresden, Germany; Kommunale Wasserwerke Leipzig, Johannisgasse 7/9, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paulina Eckardt
- Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. KF 4, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Muschket
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniel Dittmann
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Section II 3.3, Schichauweg 58, 12307 Berlin, Germany
| | - Luisa Rabe
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Section II 3.3, Schichauweg 58, 12307 Berlin, Germany; Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. KF 4, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kristin Kerst
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Urban and Industrial Water Management, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - André Lerch
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Urban and Industrial Water Management, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Thorsten Reemtsma
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Jekel
- Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. KF 4, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Aki Sebastian Ruhl
- German Environment Agency (UBA), Section II 3.3, Schichauweg 58, 12307 Berlin, Germany; Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. KF 4, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
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Li R, Liang C, Svendsen SB, Kisielius V, Bester K. Sartan blood pressure regulators in classical and biofilm wastewater treatment - Concentrations and metabolism. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 229:119352. [PMID: 36450176 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119352] [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: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Sartans are a group of pharmaceuticals widely used to regulate blood pressure. Their concentration levels were monitored in 80 wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in the Baltic Sea Region, reached from limit of detection up to 6 µg/L. The concentrations were significantly different in different countries, but consistent within the respective country. The degradation of sartans (losartan, valsartan, irbesartan) in moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) that utilize biofilms grown on mobile carriers to treat wastewater was investigated for the first time, and compared with the degradation in a conventional activated sludge (CAS) treatment plant. The results showed the formation of six microbial transformation products (TPs) of losartan, four of valsartan, and four of irbesartan in biological wastewater treatment. Four of these metabolites have not been described in the literature before. Chemical structures were suggested and selected TPs were verified and quantified depending on availability of true standards. Valsartan acid was a common TP of losartan, valsartan, and irbesartan. Losartan and irbesartan also shared one TP: losartan/irbesartan TP335. Based on the mass balance analysis, losartan carboxylic acid is the main TP of losartan, and valsartan acid is the main TP of valsartan during the biotransformation process. For irbesartan, TP447 is likely to be the main TP, as its peak areas were two orders of magnitude higher than those of all the other detected TPs of this compound. The effects of adapting biofilms to different biological oxygen demand (BOD) loading on the degradation of sartans as well as the formation of their TPs were investigated. Compared to feeding a poor substrate (pure effluent wastewater from a CAS), feeding with richer substrate (1/3 raw and 2/3 effluent wastewater) promoted the metabolism of most compounds (co-metabolization). However, the addition of raw wastewater inhibited some metabolic pathways of other compounds, such as from losartan/irbesartan to TP335 (competitive inhibition). The formation of irbesartan TP447 did not change with or without raw wastewater. Finally, the sartans and their TPs were investigated in a full-scale CAS wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The removal of losartan, valsartan, and irbesartan ranged from 3.0 % to 72% and some of the transformation products (TPs) from human metabolism were also removed in the WWTP. However, some of the sartan TPs, i.e., valsartan acid, losartan carboxylic acid, irbesartan TP443 and losartan TP453, were formed in the WWTP. Relative high amounts of especially losartan carboxylic acid, which was detected with concentrations up to 2.27 µg/L were found in the effluent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Li
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark; WATEC - Centre for Water Technology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Chuanzhou Liang
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Sif B Svendsen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark; WATEC - Centre for Water Technology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Vaidotas Kisielius
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Kai Bester
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark; WATEC - Centre for Water Technology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, Aarhus 8000, Denmark.
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Filter J, Zhiteneva V, Vick C, Ruhl AS, Jekel M, Hübner U, Drewes JE. Varying attenuation of trace organic chemicals in natural treatment systems - A review of key influential factors. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 274:129774. [PMID: 33549881 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The removal of trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) from treated wastewater and impacted surface water through managed aquifer recharge (MAR) has been extensively studied under a variety of water quality and operating conditions and at various experimental scales. The primary mechanism thought to dictate removal over the long term is biodegradation by microorganisms present in the system. This review of removal percentages observed in biologically active filtration systems reported in the peer-reviewed literature may serve as the basis to identify future indicators for persistence, as well as variable and efficient removal in MAR systems. A noticeable variation in reported removal percentages (standard deviation above 30%) was observed for 24 of the 49 most commonly studied TOrCs. Such variations suggest a rather inconsistent capacity of biologically active filter systems to remove these TOrCs. Therefore, operational parameters such as the change in dissolved organic carbon (ΔDOC) during treatment, hydraulic retention time (HRT), filter material, and redox conditions were correlated to the associated TOrC removal percentages to determine whether a data-based relationship could be elucidated. Interestingly, 11 out of the 24 compounds demonstrated increased removal with increasing ΔDOC concentrations. Furthermore, 10 compounds exhibited a positive correlation with HRT. Based on the evaluated data, a minimum HRT of 0.5-1 day is recommended for removal of most compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefine Filter
- Department of Water Quality Control, Technical University of Berlin, KF4, Str. des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Veronika Zhiteneva
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Carsten Vick
- Department of Water Quality Control, Technical University of Berlin, KF4, Str. des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Aki Sebastian Ruhl
- Department of Water Quality Control, Technical University of Berlin, KF4, Str. des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany; German Environment Agency, Section II 3.1, Schichauweg 58, 12307, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Jekel
- Department of Water Quality Control, Technical University of Berlin, KF4, Str. des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Uwe Hübner
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748, Garching, Germany.
| | - Jörg E Drewes
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748, Garching, Germany
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Castro G, Ramil M, Cela R, Rodríguez I. Assessment of UV combined with free chlorine for removal of valsartan acid from water samples. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 762:143173. [PMID: 33139010 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143173] [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: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Valsartan acid (VALA) is a persistent and mobile pollutant, ubiquitously distributed in the aquatic environment. Herein, we assessed the efficiency of UV/free chlorine for the removal of this pollutant. Degradation experiments were performed using different water samples, considering several pH values and concentrations of inorganic anions. Time-course of VALA was measured by injection of different reaction time aliquots in a liquid chromatography (LC) triple quadrupole (QqQ) mass spectrometry (MS) system, whilst the study of potential transformation products (TPs) was evaluated by LC combined with a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) MS system. Formation of volatile disinfection by-products (DBPs) was investigated by gas chromatography (GC) with TOF-MS detection. Compared to free chlorine treatment and UV photolysis, the combination of both parameters significantly enhanced the degradability of VALA. At neutral pH, UV/free chlorine was also more effective than UV/H2O2 to remove VALA from spiked water solutions. Three TPs of VALA were tentatively identified by LC-QTOF-MS, although only one was stable in the UV/free chlorine media. As regards volatile DBPs, the formation of chloroform, dichloroacetonitrile, di- and trichloroacetic acid was noticed. The mass yield of DBPs formation from VALA varied from 0.3% (dichloroacetonitrile) to 1.1% (chloroform). The efficiency of UV/free chlorine was first investigated in spiked solutions with increasing complexities: ultrapure, river and treated wastewater. Thereafter, the feasibility of reducing VALA levels in polluted river water was demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Castro
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Sciences, Research Institute on Chemical and Biological Analysis (IAQBUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - M Ramil
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Sciences, Research Institute on Chemical and Biological Analysis (IAQBUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - R Cela
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Sciences, Research Institute on Chemical and Biological Analysis (IAQBUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - I Rodríguez
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Sciences, Research Institute on Chemical and Biological Analysis (IAQBUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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Fundneider T, Acevedo Alonso V, Wick A, Albrecht D, Lackner S. Implications of biological activated carbon filters for micropollutant removal in wastewater treatment. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 189:116588. [PMID: 33221588 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration is a common process for advanced wastewater treatment. In such filters, the removal of organic substances results from adsorptive as well as biological processes. This work investigated the potential of biological processes and their influence on GAC-filter performance. During 32 months, the removal of micropollutants,Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) and the spectral absorption coefficient was monitored in six GAC-filters. The effects of pre-treatment (cloth- and/or membrane-filtration), EBCT (from 6 - 35 min) and GAC-type were evaluated. Likewise, the impact of the influent´s fluctuations in temperature, flow and concentration (ammonia, nitrate, and soluble reactive phosphorus (sRP)) were analysed. Biological processes were tracked by the frequency of backwashing, oxygen consumption, removal of poorly absorbable micropollutants and production of transformation products. Pre-treatment influenced biofilm growth significantly. Membrane filtration delayed the first backwashing event by 122 d in comparison to cloth-filtration, where the first backwash was conducted after only 21 d. Removal of poorly absorbable substances was observed early on (40 - 50 d). Parallel operation contributed to a better utilisation of the GAC-capacity and the biological removal potential. Influent nitrogen species > 0.5 mg N/L promoted biofilm growth, whereas sRP seemed to have no effect. The developed biofilm and optimal operating conditions led to longer life spans of the GAC-filters, making carbon usage rates comparable to those from PAC applications. The results suggest that biological processes accounted for about 25 - 42% of the totally removed DOC at the end of the operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Fundneider
- Technical University of Darmstadt, Institute IWAR, Chair of Wastewater Engineering, Franziska-Braun-Straße 7, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - V Acevedo Alonso
- Technical University of Darmstadt, Institute IWAR, Chair of Wastewater Engineering, Franziska-Braun-Straße 7, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - A Wick
- Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Am Mainzer Tor 1, D-56068 Koblenz, Germany
| | - D Albrecht
- Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Am Mainzer Tor 1, D-56068 Koblenz, Germany
| | - S Lackner
- Technical University of Darmstadt, Institute IWAR, Chair of Wastewater Engineering, Franziska-Braun-Straße 7, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
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Assessment of Full-Scale Indirect Potable Water Reuse in El Port de la Selva, Spain. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13030325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In 2015, the town of El Port de la Selva in Spain implemented soil-aquifer treatment (SAT) using tertiary treated wastewater effluents to replenish the local potable aquifer. This study evaluated the initial phase of this indirect potable water reuse system including a characterization of hydraulic conditions in the aquifer and monitoring of microbial contaminants and 151 chemicals of emerging concern (CECs). The combined treatment resulted in very low abundances of indicator bacteria, enteric viruses and phages in the monitoring wells after three days of infiltration and a reduction of antibiotic microbial resistance to background levels of local groundwater. After tertiary treatment, 94 CECs were detected in the infiltration basin of which 15 chemicals exceeded drinking water thresholds or health-based monitoring trigger levels. Although SAT provided an effective barrier for many chemicals, 5 CECs were detected above health-based threshold levels in monitoring wells after short hydraulic retention times. However, additional attenuation is expected due to dilution prior to abstraction via downstream drinking water wells and during granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration, which was recently installed to mitigate residual CECs. Overall, the results demonstrate that indirect potable water reuse can be a reliable option for smaller communities, if related risks from microbial and chemical contaminants are adequately addressed by tertiary treatment and subsequent SAT, providing sufficient hydraulic retention times for pathogen decay and CEC removal.
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7
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Zhiteneva V, Ziemendorf É, Sperlich A, Drewes JE, Hübner U. Differentiating between adsorption and biodegradation mechanisms while removing trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) in biological activated carbon (BAC) filters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 743:140567. [PMID: 32659552 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Efficient adsorption of certain trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) present in secondary treated municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents onto granular activated carbon (GAC) has already been demonstrated at lab- and full-scale. Due to high organic matter concentrations in WWTP effluents, GAC filters eventually develop a biofilm and turn into biological activated carbon filters (BAC), where removal of organic compounds is governed by biodegradation as well as by adsorption. However, determining TOrC breakthrough by conducting a long-term BAC column experiment to discern between the removal mechanisms is not possible due to competition for adsorption sites, fluctuating water quality, and other variables. Therefore, a rapid small scale column test (RSSCT) was conducted to determine the contribution of adsorption for select chemicals at 10,000 bed volumes treated (BVT). These results were then used in the pore surface diffusion model (PSDM) to model adsorption behavior at 40,000 BVTs. Pseudo-Freundlich K values obtained from the PSDM model were compared with K values obtained from an integral mass balance calculation. This comparison revealed that the modeling was most accurate for moderately to poorly adsorptive compounds. In comparing RSSCT results to long-term BAC columns, the modeling approach best predicted BAC removal of well adsorbing compounds, such as atenolol, trimethoprim, metoprolol, citalopram, and benzotriazole. However, differences in predicted vs observed BAC removal for the removals of venlafaxine, tramadol and carbamazepine revealed that BAC adsorption capacity was not yet exhausted for these compounds. Therefore, a comparison was not possible. The approach would be improved by operation at longer EBCT and improved calculation of compound fouling indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Zhiteneva
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany.
| | - Éric Ziemendorf
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany.
| | - Alexander Sperlich
- Berliner Wasserbetriebe, Research and Development, 10864 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Jörg E Drewes
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany.
| | - Uwe Hübner
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany.
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