A proposed methodology to evaluate the influence of climate change on drinking water treatments and costs.

Drinking water (DW) production treatments can be affected by climate change, in particular intense rainfall events, having an impact on the availability and quality of the water source. The current study proposes a methodology for the evaluation of the costs of the different treatment steps for surface water (SW) and groundwater (GW), through the analysis and quantification of the main cost items. It provides the details to count for strong variations in the key quality parameters of inlet water following severe rainfalls (namely turbidity, iron, manganese, and E.

A thorough analysis of the occurrence, removal and environmental risks of organic micropollutants in a full-scale hybrid membrane bioreactor fed by hospital wastewater.

The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive recent draft issued last October 2022 pays attention to contaminants of emerging concern including organic micropollutants (OMPs) and requires the removal of some of them at large urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) calling for their upgrading. Many investigations to date have reported the occurrence of a vast group of OMPs in the influent and many technologies have been tested for their removal at a lab- or pilot-scale. Moreover, it is well-known that hospital wastewater (HWW) contains specific OMPs at high concentration and therefore its management and treatment deserves attention.

Quantitative and qualitative approaches for CEC prioritization when reusing reclaimed water for irrigation needs - A critical review.

The use of reclaimed water for irrigation is an option that is becoming increasingly widespread to alleviate water scarcity and to cope with drought. However, reclaimed water, if used for irrigation, may introduce Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) into the agroecosystems, which may be taken up by the crops and subsequently enter the food chain. The number of CECs is steadily increasing due to their continuous introduction on the market for different uses.

Study of the Influence of the Wastewater Matrix in the Adsorption of Three Pharmaceuticals by Powdered Activated Carbon.

The use of powdered activated carbon (PAC) as an absorbent has become a promising option to upgrade wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that were not designed to remove pharmaceuticals. However, PAC adsorption mechanisms are not yet fully understood, especially with regard to the nature of the wastewater. In this study, we tested the adsorption of three pharmaceuticals, namely diclofenac, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, onto PAC under four different water matrices: ultra-pure water, humic acid solution, effluent and mixed liquor from a real WWTP.

European scale assessment of the potential of ozonation and activated carbon treatment to reduce micropollutant emissions with wastewater.

Micropollutants (MPs) in wastewater pose a growing concern for their potential adverse effects on the receiving aquatic environment, and some countries have started requiring that wastewater treatment plants remove them to a certain extent. Broad spectrum advanced treatment processes, such as ozonation, activated carbon or their combination, are expected to yield a significant reduction in the toxicity of effluents. Here we quantify the reduction of effluent toxicity potentially achieved by implementing these advanced treatment solutions in a selection of European wastewater treatment plants.

Removal of micropollutants using a membrane bioreactor coupled with powdered activated carbon - A statistical analysis approach.

The occurrence of micropollutants in wastewater is largely documented as well as the environmental risk posed by their residues in the aquatic environment. Many investigations have been carried out and plan to study and improve their removal efficiency in existing wastewater treatment plants. At the same time, efforts are being made to develop new technologies or upgrade existing ones to increase the removal of a selection of micropollutants.

Activated carbon coupled with advanced biological wastewater treatment: A review of the enhancement in micropollutant removal.

This study consists of a review on the removal efficiencies of a wide spectrum of micropollutants (MPs) in biological treatment (mainly membrane bioreactor) coupled with activated carbon (AC) (AC added in the bioreactor or followed by an AC unit, acting as a post treatment). It focuses on how the presence of AC may promote the removal of MPs and the effects of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in wastewater. Removal data collected of MPs are analysed versus AC dose if powdered AC is added in the bioreactor, and as a function of the empty bed contact time in the case of a granular activated carbon (GAC) column acting as a post treatment.

Most relevant sources and emission pathways of pollution for selected pharmaceuticals in a catchment area based on substance flow analysis.

The release of micropollutants in surface water depends on different sources and on different pathways. Through substance flow analysis, this study estimates the annual load of two pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole) in a catchment area, due to different emission pathways: wastewater treatment plant effluent, combined sewer overflows, and runoff from sludge and manure amended soil. It emerged that wastewater treatment plant effluent is the main emission pathway for carbamazepine (98.

Trends, new insights and perspectives in the treatment of hospital effluents.

Recently, investigations of hospital effluent management and treatment have not only interested research groups with acquired experience in the field, but have also attracted the interest of new groups over the world. The most recent literature provides new insights into the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern, pathogens, viruses, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes in hospital effluent in various new developing and developed countries. It also provides information on the effective removal of key compounds (mainly antibiotics, analgesics, beta-blockers and chemotherapy drugs) by means of enhanced biological treatments and advanced oxidation processes.

Electrochemical disinfection of groundwater for civil use - An example of an effective endogenous advanced oxidation process.

Lab-scale experiments using real groundwater were carried out using the CabECO reactor system in order to evaluate its suitability for producing safe water, acceptable for civil purposes. Trials were carried out in discontinuous and in continuous mode, analyzing the influence of electrical and hydraulic process parameters on the quality of treated water. The use of highly boron-doped diamond electrodes in the reactor allowed the electrosynthesis of considerable amounts of ozone.

Predicted and measured concentrations of pharmaceuticals in hospital effluents. Examination of the strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches through the analysis of a case study.

This study deals with the chemical characterization of hospital effluents in terms of the predicted and measured concentrations of 38 pharmaceuticals belonging to 11 different therapeutic classes. The paper outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches through an analysis of a case study referring to a large hospital. It highlights the observed (and expected) ranges of variability for the parameters of the adopted model, presents the results of an uncertainty analysis of direct measurements (due to sampling mode and frequency and chemical analysis) and a sensitivity analysis of predicted concentrations (based on the annual consumption of pharmaceuticals, their excretion rate and annual wastewater volume generated by the hospital).

A framework for the assessment of the environmental risk posed by pharmaceuticals originating from hospital effluents.

The consumption of pharmaceuticals is increasing in both hospitals and households. After administration, many compounds enter the water cycle as parent compounds or their metabolites via excretion. Conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants are unable to efficiently remove all the different compounds found in sewage and, consequently, treated effluents are one of the main sources of persistent micropollutants in the environment.

How efficient are constructed wetlands in removing pharmaceuticals from untreated and treated urban wastewaters? A review.

This review presents and discusses the data from 47 peer-reviewed journal articles on the occurrence of 137 pharmaceutical compounds in the effluent from various types of constructed wetlands treating urban wastewater. We analyse the observed removal efficiencies of the investigated compounds in order to identify the type of constructed wetland that best removes those most frequently detected. The literature reviewed details experimental investigations carried out on 136 treatment plants, including free water surface systems, as well as horizontal and vertical subsurface flow beds (pilot or full-scale) acting as primary, secondary or tertiary treatments.

Efficacy and reliability of upgraded industrial treatment plant at Porto Marghera, near Venice, Italy, in removing nutrients and dangerous micropollutants from petrochemical wastewaters.

Chemical and petrochemical wastewaters contain a host of contaminants that require different treatment strategies. Regulation of macropollutants and micropollutants in the final discharge from industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have become increasingly stringent in recent decades, requiring many WWTPs to be upgraded. This article presents an analysis of a WWTP treating petrochemicals in Porto Marghera, Italy, that recently was upgraded following legislative changes.

Removal and accumulation of Cu, Ni and Zn in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands: contribution of vegetation and filling medium.

This study investigated the accumulation and removal of Cu, Ni and Zn in two horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands for domestic wastewater treatment, which differ by shape, presence of macrophytes and water depth. Between March and December 2007, the three metals were measured in the influent and effluents of the two systems. Average percentage removal rates were extremely low for Cu (3% and 9% in the two beds) and higher for Zn and Ni (between 25 and 35%).

Management of hospital wastewaters: the case of the effluent of a large hospital situated in a small town.

Hospitals are the main source of pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) released into the environment. Generally, their discharges are co-treated with domestic wastewaters, resulting in a decrement of the recalcitrant compound concentrations in the final effluent due to water dilution. However, as many PhCs resist normal treatments, pollutant load does not change.

Wastewater polishing index: a tool for a rapid quality assessment of reclaimed wastewater.

A new index, the Wastewater Polishing Index (WWPI), has been defined for the rapid assessment of the quality achieved by different polishing treatments for water discharged into surface water bodies and for reuse purposes. The index is defined by a weighted average of six parameters (SS, BOD5 COD, ammonia, total phosphorus, and E. scherichia coli), each transformed onto a sub-index scaled from 0 to 100.