Retention soil filters for the treatment of sewage treatment plant effluent and combined sewer overflow.

Retention soil filters (RSFs) are vertical flow constructed wetlands. They are mainly used for the treatment of combined sewer overflow or stormwater, and not operated during dry weather conditions. However, RSFs have been successfully tested as continuous post treatment for sewage treatment plant effluents.

In situ removal of four organic micropollutants in a small river determined by monitoring and modelling.

Organic micropollutants (OMPs) are widely detected in surface waters. So far, the removal processes of these compounds in situ in river systems are not yet totally revealed. In this study, a combined monitoring and modelling approach was applied to determine the behaviour of 1-H benzotriazole, carbamazepine, diclofenac and galaxolide in a small river system.

Retention soil filter as post-treatment step to remove micropollutants from sewage treatment plant effluent.

Retention soil filters (RSFs) are a specific form of vertical flow constructed wetlands for the treatment of rain water and/or wastewater. We have tested 3 pilot RSFs to investigate removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and 14 different organic micropollutants (OMPs) from the effluent of a large scale sewage treatment plant (STP). Two of them were operated as conventional RSF with material (sand with CaCO and organic matter) from two different full-scale RSFs.

Pharmaceutical concentration variability at sewage treatment plant outlets dominated by hydrology and other factors.

A study was conducted in which the effluent at four small to medium sized sewage treatment plants (STP) in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany was monitored for three pharmaceutical compounds (carbamazepine, diclofenac, metoprolol) over a period of four years. Grab sampling and auto sampling campaigns were accomplished with respect to various weather conditions in the catchment area. Flow volumes and hydraulic retention times (HRT) from various sampling dates which provide information on processes causing emission changes were additionally taken into account.

Small, mobile, persistent: Trifluoroacetate in the water cycle - Overlooked sources, pathways, and consequences for drinking water supply.

Elevated concentrations of trifluoroacetate (TFA) of more than 100 μg/L in a major German river led to the occurrence of more than 20 μg/L TFA in bank filtration based tap waters. Several spatially resolved monitoring programs were conducted and discharges from an industrial company were identified as the point source of TFA contamination. Treatment options for TFA removal were investigated at full-scale waterworks and in laboratory batch tests.

Monitoring micropollutants in the Swist river basin.

Micropollutant pathways were studied for the Swist river basin (Western Germany). The aim was to verify the effectiveness of a monitoring approach to detect micropollutants entering the river. In a separate sewer system, water was frequently found to be contaminated with micropollutants.