Krahnstöver, Thérèse;
Santos, Naiara;
Georges, Karyn;
Campos, Luiza;
Antizar-Ladislao, Blanca;
(2022)
Low-Carbon Technologies to Remove Organic Micropollutants from Wastewater: A Focus on Pharmaceuticals.
Sustainability
, 14
(18)
, Article 11686. 10.3390/su141811686.
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Abstract
Pharmaceutical residues are of environmental concern since they are found in several environmental compartments, including surface, ground and waste waters. However, the effect of pharmaceuticals on ecosystems is still under investigation. To date, the removal of these micropollutants by conventional treatment plants is generally ineffective, in addition to producing a considerable carbon footprint. In this sense, to achieve the current zero-pollution ambition, a reduction in the negative impacts of chemical substances such as pharmaceuticals on the environment must be aligned with initiatives such as the European Ecological Compact, Environment Action Programme, and Circular Economy Action Plan, among others. This review provides insight into the key drivers for changing approaches, technologies, and governance of water in Europe (Germany, Switzerland, and the UK), including improving wastewater treatment in sewage treatment plants for the removal of pharmaceuticals and their carbon footprint. In addition, an overview of emerging low-carbon technologies (e.g., constructed wetlands, anaerobic membrane bioreactors, and enzymes) for the removal of pharmaceuticals in sewage treatment works is provided. In general, the removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals could be achieved up to ca. 100% in wastewater, with the exception of highly recalcitrant pharmaceuticals such as carbamazepine (removal <60%). These technologies have the potential to help reduce the carbon footprint of wastewater treatment, which can therefore contribute to the achievement of the Europe Union’s objective of being carbon neutral by 2050.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Low-Carbon Technologies to Remove Organic Micropollutants from Wastewater: A Focus on Pharmaceuticals |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.3390/su141811686 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811686 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). |
| Keywords: | carbon neutral; carbamazepine; diclofenac; emerging green treatment technologies; ibuprofen; sulfamethoxazole; wastewater |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Civil, Environ and Geomatic Eng UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10156523 |
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