title: Capability of microalgae-based wastewater treatment systems to remove emerging organic contaminants: a pilot-scale study.
abstract: The effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and seasonality on the removal efficiency of 26 organic microcontaminants from urban wastewater was studied in two pilot high-rate algal ponds (HRAPs). The targeted compounds included pharmaceuticals and personal care products, fire retardants, surfactants, anticorrosive agents, pesticides and plasticizers, among others. The pilot plant, which was fed at a surface loading rate of 7-29 g of COD m(-2)d(-1), consisted of a homogenisation tank and two parallel lines, each one with a primary settler and an HRAP with a surface area of 1.5 m(2) and a volume of 0.5 m(3). The two HRAPs were operated with different HRTs (4 and 8 d). The removal efficiency ranged from negligible removal to more than 90% depending on the compound. Microcontaminant removal efficiencies were enhanced during the warm season, while the HRT effect on microcontaminant removal was only noticeable in the cold season. Our results suggest that biodegradation and photodegradation are the most important removal pathways, whereas volatilization and sorption were solely achieved for hydrophobic compounds (log Kow>4) with a moderately high Henry's law constant values (11-12 Pa m(-3)mol(-1)) such as musk fragrances. Whereas acetaminophen, ibuprofen and oxybenzone presented ecotoxicological hazard quotients (HQs) higher than 1 in the influent wastewater samples, the HQs for the effluent water samples were always below 1.
authors: Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, c/Jordi Girona, 18-26, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: victor.matamoros@idaea.csic.es.
authors: Víctor
authors: V
authors: Matamoros
authors: GEMMA-Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology, Department of Hydraulic, Maritime and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech, c/Jordi Girona, 1-3, Building D1, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Raquel
authors: R
authors: Gutiérrez
authors: GEMMA-Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology, Department of Hydraulic, Maritime and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech, c/Jordi Girona, 1-3, Building D1, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Ivet
authors: I
authors: Ferrer
authors: GEMMA-Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology, Department of Hydraulic, Maritime and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech, c/Jordi Girona, 1-3, Building D1, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Joan
authors: J
authors: García
authors: Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, c/Jordi Girona, 18-26, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Josep M
authors: JM
authors: Bayona
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003358:Cosmetics; D058086:Microalgae / Q000378:metabolism*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000378:metabolism*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012621:Seasons; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003358:Cosmetics; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Biodegradation; Emerging organic contaminants; High-rate algal pond; Microalgae; Photodegradation; Volatilization