Sustainable treatment systems for removal of pharmaceutical residues and other priority persistent substances

Water Sci Technol. 2019 Feb;79(3):537-543. doi: 10.2166/wst.2019.080.

Abstract

Pharmaceutical residues and other emerging substances commonly summarised as micropollutants pass through wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and end up in the receiving waters and sludge. Many studies have investigated the removal efficiency of various techniques but a holistic evaluation of various relevant treatment alternatives regarding both the removal efficiency for various micropollutants, investment and operating costs, environmental impacts and future comprehensiveness is still lacking. This paper provides the results from a large 3-year project about the evaluation of sustainable treatment systems for removal of various micropollutants or disruptive effects at Swedish WWTPs and their environmental, economic and future sustainability. The presented results are based on our own pilot tests and related assessment and modelling efforts and provide a holistic view on advanced treatment of wastewater for removal of micropollutants.

MeSH terms

  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / analysis
  • Sewage
  • Sustainable Development
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*
  • Wastewater
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

  • Pharmaceutical Preparations
  • Sewage
  • Waste Water
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical