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Effect of anaerobic digestion at 35, 55 and 60°C on pharmaceuticals and organic contaminants

Davidsson, Åsa LU orcid ; Kjerstadius, Hamse LU ; Haghighatafshar, Salar LU orcid ; Fick, Jerker ; Olsson, Mikael Emil ; Wachtmeister, Hilla ; Eriksson, Eva and la Cour Jansen, Jes LU (2014) In Water Science and Technology 69(6). p.1282-1288
Abstract
The application of treated sewage sludge on farmland is a suggested method for recycling nutrients and reducing demand for commercial fertilizer. However sludge needs to be safe from possible contaminants which can cause acute and long-term health and environmental problems. Residual pharmaceuticals and organic contaminants are mentioned as emerging threats since wastewater treatment plants are not designed to degrade these substances. The aim of this study was to screen and evaluate the presence, and reduction, of pharmaceuticals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during anaerobic digestion of mixed primary and waste activated sludge at 35, 55 and 60°C and during pasteurization at 70°C . The study showed the difficulty of... (More)
The application of treated sewage sludge on farmland is a suggested method for recycling nutrients and reducing demand for commercial fertilizer. However sludge needs to be safe from possible contaminants which can cause acute and long-term health and environmental problems. Residual pharmaceuticals and organic contaminants are mentioned as emerging threats since wastewater treatment plants are not designed to degrade these substances. The aim of this study was to screen and evaluate the presence, and reduction, of pharmaceuticals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during anaerobic digestion of mixed primary and waste activated sludge at 35, 55 and 60°C and during pasteurization at 70°C . The study showed the difficulty of analysing pharmaceutical compounds in low concentrations in the sludge matrix. No general reduction of these compounds was seen during treatment, but for individual substances some reduction occurs. The PAHs were generally not reduced during digestion or pasteurization, but for three substances (indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (analysed as sum) and benzo[g,h,i]perylene) reduction (up to 60%)during digestion was seen. Digestion at 35 and 55°C resulted in about the same order of reduction of the three individual PAHs which was higher than for digestion at 60°C. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
anaerobic digestion, organic contaminants, pharmaceuticals, sludge
in
Water Science and Technology
volume
69
issue
6
pages
1282 - 1288
publisher
IWA Publishing
external identifiers
  • pmid:24647195
  • wos:000334505800021
  • scopus:84898795594
  • pmid:24647195
ISSN
0273-1223
DOI
10.2166/wst.2014.016
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
23d1a3f8-dc1d-4816-ab00-1fa4b2c624e2 (old id 4305407)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:25:24
date last changed
2023-11-13 07:10:27
@article{23d1a3f8-dc1d-4816-ab00-1fa4b2c624e2,
  abstract     = {{The application of treated sewage sludge on farmland is a suggested method for recycling nutrients and reducing demand for commercial fertilizer. However sludge needs to be safe from possible contaminants which can cause acute and long-term health and environmental problems. Residual pharmaceuticals and organic contaminants are mentioned as emerging threats since wastewater treatment plants are not designed to degrade these substances. The aim of this study was to screen and evaluate the presence, and reduction, of pharmaceuticals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during anaerobic digestion of mixed primary and waste activated sludge at 35, 55 and 60°C and during pasteurization at 70°C . The study showed the difficulty of analysing pharmaceutical compounds in low concentrations in the sludge matrix. No general reduction of these compounds was seen during treatment, but for individual substances some reduction occurs. The PAHs were generally not reduced during digestion or pasteurization, but for three substances (indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (analysed as sum) and benzo[g,h,i]perylene) reduction (up to 60%)during digestion was seen. Digestion at 35 and 55°C resulted in about the same order of reduction of the three individual PAHs which was higher than for digestion at 60°C.}},
  author       = {{Davidsson, Åsa and Kjerstadius, Hamse and Haghighatafshar, Salar and Fick, Jerker and Olsson, Mikael Emil and Wachtmeister, Hilla and Eriksson, Eva and la Cour Jansen, Jes}},
  issn         = {{0273-1223}},
  keywords     = {{anaerobic digestion; organic contaminants; pharmaceuticals; sludge}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{1282--1288}},
  publisher    = {{IWA Publishing}},
  series       = {{Water Science and Technology}},
  title        = {{Effect of anaerobic digestion at 35, 55 and 60°C on pharmaceuticals and organic contaminants}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2014.016}},
  doi          = {{10.2166/wst.2014.016}},
  volume       = {{69}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}