Rethinking micropollutant removal assessment methods for wastewater treatment plants - how to get more robust data?

This paper covers the pitfalls, recommendations and a new methodology for assessing micropollutant removal efficiencies in wastewater treatment plants. The proposed calculation rules take into account the limit of quantification and the analytical and sampling uncertainty of measured concentrations. We identified six cases for which a removal efficiency value is reliable and four other cases where result is highly variable (uncertain) due to very low or unquantified concentrations in effluent or when the influent-effluent concentrations differential is below the measurement uncertainty.

Energy efficiency in membrane bioreactors.

Energy consumption remains the key factor for the optimisation of the performance of membrane bioreactors (MBRs). This paper presents the results of the detailed energy audits of six full-scale MBRs operated by Suez Environnement in France, Spain and the USA based on on-site energy measurement and analysis of plant operation parameters and treatment performance. Specific energy consumption is compared for two different MBR configurations (flat sheet and hollow fibre membranes) and for plants with different design, loads and operation parameters.

The role of MBR technology for the improvement of environmental footprint of wastewater treatment.

This paper aims to demonstrate the relevance of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology for the reduction of the environmental footprint of wastewater treatment in terms of removal of microbial and organic trace pollutants with increased reliability of operation. The application of a holistic approach using failure mode analysis, life cycle analysis (LCA), water quality fingerprints and environmental impacts underlines the lower environmental footprint of MBRs compared with conventional activated sludge. Several elements of this empirical approach can be included to upgrade the existing LCA tools in order to include the reduction of eco-toxicity, better human health protection and water reuse.

Occurrence and fate of relevant substances in wastewater treatment plants regarding Water Framework Directive and future legislations.

The next challenge of wastewater treatment is to reliably remove micropollutants at the microgram per litre range. During the present work more than 100 substances were analysed through on-site mass balances over 19 municipal wastewater treatment lines. The most relevant substances according to their occurrence in raw wastewater, in treated wastewater and in sludge were identified, and their fate in wastewater treatment processes was assessed.

On-site evaluation of the removal of 100 micro-pollutants through advanced wastewater treatment processes for reuse applications.

The next challenge of wastewater treatment is to reliably remove micro-pollutants at the microgram per litre range in order to meet reuse applications and contribute to reach the good status of the water bodies. A hundred priority and relevant emerging substances were measured to evaluate at full-scale the removal efficiencies of seven advanced treatment lines (one membrane bioreactor process and six tertiary treatment lines) that were designed for reuse applications. To reliably compare the processes, specific procedures for micro-pollutants were applied for sampling, analysis and calculation of removal efficiencies.

Influent concentrations and removal performances of metals through municipal wastewater treatment processes.

This extensive study aimed at quantifying the concentrations and removal efficiency of 23 metals and metalloids in domestic wastewater passing through full-scale plants. Nine facilities were equipped with secondary biological treatment and three facilities were equipped with a tertiary treatment stage. The metals investigated were Li, B, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, TI, Pb and U.

Limiting the emissions of micro-pollutants: what efficiency can we expect from wastewater treatment plants?

The next challenge of wastewater treatment is to reliably remove micro-pollutants at the microgram per litre range in order to meet the environmental quality standards set by new regulations like the Water Framework Directive. The present work assessed the efficiency of different types of primary, secondary and tertiary processes for the removal of more than 100 priority substances and other relevant emerging pollutants through on-site mass balances over 19 municipal wastewater treatment lines. Secondary biological processes proved to be in average 30% more efficient than primary settling processes.

On-site evaluation of the efficiency of conventional and advanced secondary processes for the removal of 60 organic micropollutants.

The next challenge of wastewater treatment is to reliably remove micropollutants at the microgram per litre range in order to reduce the discharge for priority substances and to meet the environmental quality standards set by the European Water Framework Directive. The present work assessed the occurrence of 60 organic substances (priority substances and other relevant pollutants) in municipal wastewater and sludge. Their fate in the treatment processes and their removal efficiencies were quantified.

Occurrence and removal of estrogens and beta blockers by various processes in wastewater treatment plants.

This study aims at evaluating occurrence and treatment efficiency of five estrogenic hormones and ten beta blockers in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The use of consistent sampling procedures, analytical techniques and data processing enabled to achieve an accurate comparison of the performances of the different treatment processes. First, the occurrence of molecules was evaluated in fourteen rural and urban WWTP located in France.

Noninvasive quantitation of human liver steatosis using magnetic resonance and bioassay methods.

The purpose was to evaluate the ability of three magnetic resonance (MR) techniques to detect liver steatosis and to determine which noninvasive technique (MR, bioassays) or combination of techniques is optimal for the quantification of hepatic fat using histopathology as a reference. Twenty patients with histopathologically proven steatosis and 24 control subjects underwent single-voxel proton MR spectroscopy (MRS; 3 voxels), dual-echo in phase/out of phase MR imaging (DEI) and diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) examinations of the liver. Blood or urine bioassays were also performed for steatosis patients.

Semi-quantitative analysis of a specific database on priority and emerging substances in wastewater and sludge.

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) has drawn attention to a series of metals and organic compounds because of their demonstrated or potential harmfulness for aquatic environments. The aim of our work was to build and to process a "practical" database focused on the role of wastewater treatment plants for the removal of the 37 priority compounds that have to be reduced or stopped by 2015, and of 34 additional relevant contaminants. About 11,000 concentration values in raw and treated wastewater and sludge, from more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and six French national screening programs, were integrated.

Specificity and potential applications of the biochemical acidogenic potential method for the anaerobic characterization of wastewater.

The biochemical acidogenic potential (BAP) test is an anaerobic characterization method for wastewater. Fermentable organic fractions are obtained through modeling BAP test results. This method was compared to more common fractionation methods such as settling, coagulation, and respirometry, but no direct relationship was found.

Modeling acidogenic and sulfate-reducing processes for the determination of fermentable fractions in wastewater.

The biochemical acidogenic potential (BAP) of a wastewater is the maximum concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) that can be measured at the end of an anaerobic fermentation test. A model was constructed to describe the acidogenic reactions occurring during BAP tests and to divide the BAP into organic fractions. The model was calibrated with a set of specific experiments highlighting the role of sulfate-reducing bacteria on acidogenic processes, which description was necessary for correct parameter identification.

Operating conditions for the determination of the biochemical acidogenic potential of wastewater.

The aim of this work was to study the test conditions for the determination of the biochemical acidogenic potential (BAP) of wastewater, which should be useful to predict the performance of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR). Proposed operating conditions for a simple and reproducible BAP test in 250 ml serum bottles (equipped with black butyl stoppers and magnetic bars) are: use of either frozen or fresh water, no inoculum addition, fermentation carried out in the dark during 15 days, addition of 1 mM bromo-ethane sulfonate (BES) and 2 mM barium chloride (BaCl2), stirring speed strong enough to maintain vortex conditions, no pH control and controlled temperature of 20 degrees C.