Alternative Step for Advanced Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals and other trace contaminants daily reach wastewater treatment plants where they are insufficiently eliminated. Technical barriers like ozonation and activated carbon adsorption have been established to minimise their entry into the water cycle. Nevertheless, these procedures only selectively remove certain contaminants. Hence, the project RISK-IDENT examined whether the emerging contaminants could be nonselectively oxidised through electrochemically generated hydroxyl radicals. The procedure is characterized by high energy efficiency and an easy handling. The first aim was the development of optimum settings for better removal of the different emerging contaminants and lower generation of electrolysis by-products. Through this process, undertaken in laboratory tests, the ecotoxicological impact of a given sewage plant effluent was lowered to below the detection limit. Therefore, this tested technique could prove to be a promising method for the future.