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Full-scale quaternary treatment of municipal wastewater using granular activated carbon : long-term removal of organic micropollutants

Busck, Mathilda ; Takman, Maria ; Blomqvist, Stefan ; Svahn, Ola ; Davidsson, Åsa LU orcid and Cimbritz, Michael LU orcid (2026) In Water Practice and Technology 21(1). p.266-274
Abstract

To meet future demands for cleaner water and comply with the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD), many European wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) will need quaternary treatment to reduce emissions of organic micropollutants (OMPs). Quaternary treatment based on granular activated carbon (GAC) is a promising solution, yet long-term, full-scale operational data remain scarce. This study presents operational experiences from Kivik WWTP in southern Sweden – one of the first full-scale municipal installations in Europe using GAC for OMP removal. The system has treated the full plant flow for over four years, corresponding to more than 50,000 bed volumes. Thirteen of the 15 analyzed OMPs were detected, including six UWWTD... (More)

To meet future demands for cleaner water and comply with the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD), many European wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) will need quaternary treatment to reduce emissions of organic micropollutants (OMPs). Quaternary treatment based on granular activated carbon (GAC) is a promising solution, yet long-term, full-scale operational data remain scarce. This study presents operational experiences from Kivik WWTP in southern Sweden – one of the first full-scale municipal installations in Europe using GAC for OMP removal. The system has treated the full plant flow for over four years, corresponding to more than 50,000 bed volumes. Thirteen of the 15 analyzed OMPs were detected, including six UWWTD indicators. Results show >80% removal of several key compounds, even under highly variable flow conditions. However, flow variability – especially during wet seasons – complicates performance assessment due to dilution and reduced effective contact time. Weakly adsorbing compounds were most affected, while compounds with strong GAC affinity exhibited stable removal throughout the year. The findings highlight the importance of long-term monitoring when evaluating GAC performance and provide valuable input for future design, regulatory compliance and cost estimation of quaternary treatment systems.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
full-scale wastewater treatment, granular activated carbon, long-term, quaternary treatment
in
Water Practice and Technology
volume
21
issue
1
pages
9 pages
publisher
IWA Publishing
external identifiers
  • scopus:105029243234
ISSN
1751-231X
DOI
10.2166/wpt.2025.181
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5442e5f4-b534-48b1-af9a-feb12f9c3e8d
date added to LUP
2026-02-20 14:00:22
date last changed
2026-02-20 14:01:41
@article{5442e5f4-b534-48b1-af9a-feb12f9c3e8d,
  abstract     = {{<p>To meet future demands for cleaner water and comply with the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD), many European wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) will need quaternary treatment to reduce emissions of organic micropollutants (OMPs). Quaternary treatment based on granular activated carbon (GAC) is a promising solution, yet long-term, full-scale operational data remain scarce. This study presents operational experiences from Kivik WWTP in southern Sweden – one of the first full-scale municipal installations in Europe using GAC for OMP removal. The system has treated the full plant flow for over four years, corresponding to more than 50,000 bed volumes. Thirteen of the 15 analyzed OMPs were detected, including six UWWTD indicators. Results show &gt;80% removal of several key compounds, even under highly variable flow conditions. However, flow variability – especially during wet seasons – complicates performance assessment due to dilution and reduced effective contact time. Weakly adsorbing compounds were most affected, while compounds with strong GAC affinity exhibited stable removal throughout the year. The findings highlight the importance of long-term monitoring when evaluating GAC performance and provide valuable input for future design, regulatory compliance and cost estimation of quaternary treatment systems.</p>}},
  author       = {{Busck, Mathilda and Takman, Maria and Blomqvist, Stefan and Svahn, Ola and Davidsson, Åsa and Cimbritz, Michael}},
  issn         = {{1751-231X}},
  keywords     = {{full-scale wastewater treatment; granular activated carbon; long-term; quaternary treatment}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{266--274}},
  publisher    = {{IWA Publishing}},
  series       = {{Water Practice and Technology}},
  title        = {{Full-scale quaternary treatment of municipal wastewater using granular activated carbon : long-term removal of organic micropollutants}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wpt.2025.181}},
  doi          = {{10.2166/wpt.2025.181}},
  volume       = {{21}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}