title: The potential of the innovative SeMPAC process for enhancing the removal of recalcitrant organic micropollutants.
abstract: SeMPAC is an innovative process based on a membrane sequential batch reactor to which powdered activated carbon (PAC) is directly added. It was developed with the aim of obtaining a high quality effluent in terms of conventional pollutants and organic micropollutants (OMPs). High COD removal and nitrification efficiencies (>95%) were obtained already during the operation without PAC, although denitrification was enhanced by PAC addition. OMPs were followed in the solid and liquid matrixes so that biotransformation, sorption onto the sludge and adsorption onto the PAC could be assessed. Recalcitrant compounds, such as carbamazepine and diazepam, were readily removed only after PAC addition (>99%). Progressive saturation of PAC was observed, with increasing concentrations of OMPs in the solid phase. Removal efficiencies for recalcitrant compounds were used as indicators for new additions of PAC. An improvement in the moderately biodegradable OMPs removal was observed after PAC addition (e.g. fluoxetine, trimethoprim) which was attributed to the biofilm that grew onto the sorbent, as well as to adsorption onto PAC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Technology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: teresa.alvarino@usc.es.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alvarino
authors.affiliation: Ataturk University, Department of Environmental Engineering, 25250 Erzurum, Turkey; Middle East Technical University, Department of Environmental Engineering, 06531 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Komesli
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Technology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: sonia.suarez@usc.es.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Technology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: juan.lema@usc.es.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lema
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Technology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: francisco.omil@usc.es.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Omil
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D019149:Bioreactors; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D058440:Denitrification; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Activated carbon; Biotransformation; MBR; Organic micropollutants; Sorption