Removal of 17α‐ethinylestradiol,salicylic acid,trimethoprim, carbamazepine and nonylphenol through biological carbon and nitrogen removal processes |
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| Authors: | Victory Odize Arifur Rahman Kimberly Jones Wendell Khunjar Sudhir Murthy |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA;2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA;3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA;4. Hazen and Sawyer, Fairfax, VA, USA;5. DC Water, Washington, DC, USA |
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| Abstract: | This study investigated five different trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) (one hormone: 17α‐ethinylestradiol (EE2), two pharmaceuticals: salicylic acid (SA) and trimethoprim (TMP), one analgesic drug: carbamazepine (CBZ), and one surfactant metabolite: nonylphenol (NP)) removal efficiency at a full‐scale Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (AWTP). The AWTP achieved average EE2, SA and NP removal over 80% at the biological carbon removal stages. The results also showed a 66% removal of TMP at the nitrogen removal stages. CBZ was recalcitrant throughout the plant, due to its high solubility and low distribution coefficient between wastewater and sludge. Batch experiments were conducted on active and inactive secondary, nitrification and denitrification sludge by adding TOrCs to understand the removal mechanism through sorption and biodegradation. Sorption was the dominant mechanism to remove EE2, SA and NP in secondary treatment processes. In nitrification and denitrification processes, higher percentage of TOrCs removal through biodegradation were observed compared to removal through sorption. |
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| Keywords: | activated sludge biotransformation emerging contaminants municipal wastewater nutrient removal secondary treatment solid phase extraction water reuse |
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