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Degradation of 75 organic micropollutants in fresh human urine and water by UV advanced oxidation process

Demissie, Natnael ; Simha, Prithvi ; Lai, Foon Yin ; Ahrens, Lutz ; Mussabek, Dauren LU ; Desta, Adey and Vinnerås, Björn (2023) In Water Research 242.
Abstract

In household wastewater, a large proportion of organic micropollutants (OMPs) load is attributed to human urine. OMPs could pose a risk to human and environmental health when urine collected in source-separating sanitation systems is recycled as crop fertiliser. This study evaluated degradation of 75 OMPs in human urine treated by a UV-based advanced oxidation process. Fresh urine and water samples were spiked with a broad range of OMPs and fed into a photoreactor equipped with a UV lamp (185 and 254 nm) that generated free radicals in situ. Degradation rate constant and the energy required to degrade 90% of all the OMPs in both matrices were determined. At a UV dose of 2060 J m-2, average ΣOMP degradation of 99% (±4%) in... (More)

In household wastewater, a large proportion of organic micropollutants (OMPs) load is attributed to human urine. OMPs could pose a risk to human and environmental health when urine collected in source-separating sanitation systems is recycled as crop fertiliser. This study evaluated degradation of 75 OMPs in human urine treated by a UV-based advanced oxidation process. Fresh urine and water samples were spiked with a broad range of OMPs and fed into a photoreactor equipped with a UV lamp (185 and 254 nm) that generated free radicals in situ. Degradation rate constant and the energy required to degrade 90% of all the OMPs in both matrices were determined. At a UV dose of 2060 J m-2, average ΣOMP degradation of 99% (±4%) in water and 55% (±36%) in fresh urine was achieved. The energy demand for removal of OMPs in water was <1500 J m-2, but for removal of OMPs in urine at least 10-fold more energy was needed. A combination of photolysis and photo-oxidation can explain the degradation of OMPs during UV treatment. Organic substances (e.g. urea, creatinine) likely inhibited degradation of OMPs in urine by competitively absorbing UV-light and scavenging free radicals. There was no reduction in the nitrogen content of urine during treatment. In summary, UV treatment can reduce the load of OMPs to urine recycling sanitation systems.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Circular sanitation, Fertiliser, Nutrient recycling, Pharmaceuticals, Urine diversion, Wastewater treatment
in
Water Research
volume
242
article number
120221
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:37390654
  • scopus:85163852176
ISSN
0043-1354
DOI
10.1016/j.watres.2023.120221
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9b2cd481-8401-4a38-8730-eec32fefe90d
date added to LUP
2023-09-05 09:30:48
date last changed
2024-12-15 03:35:53
@article{9b2cd481-8401-4a38-8730-eec32fefe90d,
  abstract     = {{<p>In household wastewater, a large proportion of organic micropollutants (OMPs) load is attributed to human urine. OMPs could pose a risk to human and environmental health when urine collected in source-separating sanitation systems is recycled as crop fertiliser. This study evaluated degradation of 75 OMPs in human urine treated by a UV-based advanced oxidation process. Fresh urine and water samples were spiked with a broad range of OMPs and fed into a photoreactor equipped with a UV lamp (185 and 254 nm) that generated free radicals in situ. Degradation rate constant and the energy required to degrade 90% of all the OMPs in both matrices were determined. At a UV dose of 2060 J m<sup>-2</sup>, average ΣOMP degradation of 99% (±4%) in water and 55% (±36%) in fresh urine was achieved. The energy demand for removal of OMPs in water was &lt;1500 J m<sup>-2</sup>, but for removal of OMPs in urine at least 10-fold more energy was needed. A combination of photolysis and photo-oxidation can explain the degradation of OMPs during UV treatment. Organic substances (e.g. urea, creatinine) likely inhibited degradation of OMPs in urine by competitively absorbing UV-light and scavenging free radicals. There was no reduction in the nitrogen content of urine during treatment. In summary, UV treatment can reduce the load of OMPs to urine recycling sanitation systems.</p>}},
  author       = {{Demissie, Natnael and Simha, Prithvi and Lai, Foon Yin and Ahrens, Lutz and Mussabek, Dauren and Desta, Adey and Vinnerås, Björn}},
  issn         = {{0043-1354}},
  keywords     = {{Circular sanitation; Fertiliser; Nutrient recycling; Pharmaceuticals; Urine diversion; Wastewater treatment}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Water Research}},
  title        = {{Degradation of 75 organic micropollutants in fresh human urine and water by UV advanced oxidation process}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2023.120221}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.watres.2023.120221}},
  volume       = {{242}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}