title: Assessment of full-scale biological nutrient removal systems upgraded with physico-chemical processes for the removal of emerging pollutants present in wastewaters from Mexico.
abstract: Two full-scale biological nutrient removal systems upgraded with three physico-chemical processes (coagulation, chemical precipitation, and neutral Fenton) were evaluated in order to determine the removal of emerging pollutants (EPs) present in municipal wastewater from Mexico. Between 41 and 55 EPs were detected in the influents of two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), including personal care products (PPCPs), antibiotics, analgesics, antiepileptics, antilipidemics, antihypertensives, antiseptics, stimulants, and hormones. Emerging pollutants were detected at concentrations ranging from 0.69ng/L to 94,600ng/L. High concentrations of emerging pollutants were found during dry season. WWTP 1, integrated by oxidation ditches and UV light lamps, showed removal efficiencies of EPs between 20% and 22%. On the other hand, WWTP 2 consisted of anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic tanks coupled with two disinfection processes; chlorine dioxide and UV light lamps, for which the removal of EPs was significant (up to 80%). The concentrations of emerging pollutants in WWTP 1 effluent was found within a range<limit of quantification (LOQ) to 3770ng/L. For WWTP 2, the concentrations of the emerging pollutants in the effluent were below 210ng/L. WWTP 2 showed high emerging pollutant removals, compared to those of WWTP 1, due to a greater activity of the simultaneous nitrification-denitrification processes, hydraulic retention time, and solids retention time. The compounds that were more persistent with removals below 50% in both effluents were: carbamazepine, dehydronifedipine, meprobamate, sertraline, propranolol, propoxyphene, norverapamil, diazepam, alprazolam, sulfamethoxazole, metoprolol, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, fluoxetine, erythromycin-H2O, diphenhydramine, dehydronifedipine, clarithromycin, hydrochlorothiazide, and albuterol. The application of neutral Fenton reaction as post-treatment for the two effluents from the WWTPs is promising for the removal of emerging pollutants (up to 100%) and for assuring high quality of treated water.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, Coordinación de Tratamiento y Calidad del Agua, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos 62550, Mexico. Electronic address: edson_estrada@tlaloc.imta.mx.
authors.forename: Edson Baltazar
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Estrada-Arriaga
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, Coordinación de Tratamiento y Calidad del Agua, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos 62550, Mexico.
authors.forename: Juana Enriqueta
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cortés-Muñoz
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, Coordinación de Tratamiento y Calidad del Agua, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos 62550, Mexico.
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González-Herrera
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, Coordinación de Tratamiento y Calidad del Agua, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos 62550, Mexico.
authors.forename: César Guillermo
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Calderón-Mólgora
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, Coordinación de Tratamiento y Calidad del Agua, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos 62550, Mexico.
authors.forename: Ma
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Lourdes Rivera-Huerta
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, Coordinación de Tratamiento y Calidad del Agua, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos 62550, Mexico.
authors.forename: Esperanza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Camperos
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, Coordinación de Tratamiento y Calidad del Agua, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos 62550, Mexico.
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Montellano-Palacios
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, Coordinación de Tratamiento y Calidad del Agua, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos 62550, Mexico.
authors.forename: Silvia Lucila
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Gelover-Santiago
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, Coordinación de Tratamiento y Calidad del Agua, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos 62550, Mexico.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pérez-Castrejón
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, Coordinación de Tratamiento y Calidad del Agua, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos 62550, Mexico.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cardoso-Vigueros
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, Coordinación de Tratamiento y Calidad del Agua, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos 62550, Mexico.
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martín-Domínguez
authors.affiliation: Universidad Politécnica del Estado de Morelos, Blvd. Cuauhnahuac 566, Lomas del Texcal, Jiutepec, Morelos 62550, Mexico.
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García-Sánchez
mesh_terms: D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005427:Flocculation; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D008800:Mexico; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007501:Iron; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C045076:Fenton's reagent
keywords: Biological nutrient removal; Emerging pollutants; Physico-chemical processes; Wastewater treatment plant