A pilot study combining ultrafiltration with ozonation for the treatment of secondary urban wastewater: organic micropollutants, microbial load and biological effects

Cátia A. L. Graça*, Sara Ribeirinho-Soares*, Joana Abreu-Silva*, Inês I. Ramos*, Ana R. Ribeiro*, Sérgio M. Castro-Silva*, Marcela A. Segundo*, Célia M. Manaia*, Olga C. Nunes*, Adrián M. T. Silva*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)
36 Downloads

Abstract

Ozonation followed by ultrafiltration (O3 + UF) was employed at pilot scale for the treatment of secondary urban wastewater, envisaging its safe reuse for crop irrigation. Chemical contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and priority substances (PSs), microbial load, estrogenic activity, cell viability and cellular metabolic activity were measured before and immediately after O3 + UF treatment. The microbial load was also evaluated after one-week storage of the treated water to assess potential bacteria regrowth. Among the organic micropollutants detected, only citalopram and isoproturon were not removed below the limit of quantification. The treatment was also effective in the reduction in the bacterial loads considering current legislation in water quality for irrigation (i.e., in terms of enterobacteria and nematode eggs). However, after seven days of storage, total heterotrophs regrew to levels close to the initial, with the concomitant increase in the genes 16S rRNA and intI1. The assessment of biological effects revealed similar water quality before and after treatment, meaning that O3 + UF did not produce detectable toxic by-products. Thus, the findings of this study indicate that the wastewater treated with this technology comply with the water quality standards for irrigation, even when stored up to one week, although improvements must be made to minimise microbial overgrowth.

Original languageEnglish
Article number3458
Pages (from-to)1-16
Number of pages16
JournalWater
Volume12
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2020

Keywords

  • Advanced oxidation
  • Biological contaminants
  • Cytotoxicity
  • Membrane technology
  • Micropollutants
  • Wastewater reuse

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A pilot study combining ultrafiltration with ozonation for the treatment of secondary urban wastewater: organic micropollutants, microbial load and biological effects'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this