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Pilot trials with advanced water technologies to remove micropollutants from wastewater and assessment of the technologies for wastewater reuse in public blue-green solutions

Habagil, Moshe LU ; Baresel, Christian ; Schleich, Caroline LU orcid ; Torisson, Fredrik LU ; Björksund-Tuominen, Margareta and Jönsson, Karin LU (2025) In Water Practice and Technology 20(5). p.1306-1320
Abstract

Effluent wastewater contains organic micropollutants (OMPs) that harm aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) need to expand their facilities with advanced water treatment technologies. Water scarcity and improved effluent quality is encouraging the reuse of treated effluent. This study thus has a dual purpose: first, to evaluate OMP removal using two technique combinations – ultrafiltration and granulated activated carbon (UF:GAC), and ozone:GAC; second, to evaluate the potential of the technologies to produce water for non-potable use in public blue-green solutions, nature-based solutions for urban diversity and communities to thrive. The study assesses the effluent water quality against chemical status for... (More)

Effluent wastewater contains organic micropollutants (OMPs) that harm aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) need to expand their facilities with advanced water treatment technologies. Water scarcity and improved effluent quality is encouraging the reuse of treated effluent. This study thus has a dual purpose: first, to evaluate OMP removal using two technique combinations – ultrafiltration and granulated activated carbon (UF:GAC), and ozone:GAC; second, to evaluate the potential of the technologies to produce water for non-potable use in public blue-green solutions, nature-based solutions for urban diversity and communities to thrive. The study assesses the effluent water quality against chemical status for reuse as surface water, bathing water quality, and irrigation quality. The results indicate that both technologies are applicable for wastewater reuse in public blue-green solutions. However, the UF:GAC combination demonstrated higher efficiency in microbiological removal, achieving E. coli and Total coliforms concentrations below detection levels (<10 cfu/100 mL), compared to the ozone:GAC combination. Both technologies resulted in water quality suitable for irrigation class B, as chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations exceeded 10 mg/L. High OMP removal was observed with both technologies: UF:GAC showed over 70% removal at >55,000 EBV, while ozone:GAC showed more than 95% removal at 21,500 EBV.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
blue-green infrastructures, granular activated carbon (GAC), ozone, ultrafiltration (UF), wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), water reuse
in
Water Practice and Technology
volume
20
issue
5
pages
15 pages
publisher
IWA Publishing
external identifiers
  • scopus:105007036173
ISSN
1751-231X
DOI
10.2166/wpt.2025.111
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d317f107-a711-43c5-bc96-f28ceeacd866
date added to LUP
2025-08-04 10:31:05
date last changed
2025-08-04 10:32:13
@article{d317f107-a711-43c5-bc96-f28ceeacd866,
  abstract     = {{<p>Effluent wastewater contains organic micropollutants (OMPs) that harm aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) need to expand their facilities with advanced water treatment technologies. Water scarcity and improved effluent quality is encouraging the reuse of treated effluent. This study thus has a dual purpose: first, to evaluate OMP removal using two technique combinations – ultrafiltration and granulated activated carbon (UF:GAC), and ozone:GAC; second, to evaluate the potential of the technologies to produce water for non-potable use in public blue-green solutions, nature-based solutions for urban diversity and communities to thrive. The study assesses the effluent water quality against chemical status for reuse as surface water, bathing water quality, and irrigation quality. The results indicate that both technologies are applicable for wastewater reuse in public blue-green solutions. However, the UF:GAC combination demonstrated higher efficiency in microbiological removal, achieving E. coli and Total coliforms concentrations below detection levels (&lt;10 cfu/100 mL), compared to the ozone:GAC combination. Both technologies resulted in water quality suitable for irrigation class B, as chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations exceeded 10 mg/L. High OMP removal was observed with both technologies: UF:GAC showed over 70% removal at &gt;55,000 EBV, while ozone:GAC showed more than 95% removal at 21,500 EBV.</p>}},
  author       = {{Habagil, Moshe and Baresel, Christian and Schleich, Caroline and Torisson, Fredrik and Björksund-Tuominen, Margareta and Jönsson, Karin}},
  issn         = {{1751-231X}},
  keywords     = {{blue-green infrastructures; granular activated carbon (GAC); ozone; ultrafiltration (UF); wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs); water reuse}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{1306--1320}},
  publisher    = {{IWA Publishing}},
  series       = {{Water Practice and Technology}},
  title        = {{Pilot trials with advanced water technologies to remove micropollutants from wastewater and assessment of the technologies for wastewater reuse in public blue-green solutions}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wpt.2025.111}},
  doi          = {{10.2166/wpt.2025.111}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}