Article
Engineering, Environmental
Salma Ebrahimzadeh, Bas Wols, Arianna Azzellino, Franca Kramer, Jan Peter van Der Hoek
Summary: Powdered activated carbon (PAC) is a promising technology for removing organic micropollutants (OMPs) in water treatment plants, especially when combined with rapid sand filters (RSFs). However, the mechanism of OMPs removal by the combination of PAC and RSF is not fully understood.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
K. van Gijn, M. R. H. P. van Dam, H. A. de Wilt, V. de Wilde, H. H. M. Rijnaarts, A. A. M. Langenhoff
Summary: Ozonation is a viable option to improve the removal of micropollutants (MPs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This study investigated a combination of biological activated carbon (BAC) filtration followed by ozonation (the BO3 process) to remove MPs at low ozone doses and low energy input, and focused on the formation of toxic transformation products during ozonation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
J. Qian, P. Riede, G. Abbt-Braun, J. Parniske, S. Metzger, T. Morck
Summary: In this study, the efficacy of Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC)-Activated Sludge (AS) treatment in removing organic micropollutants (OMPs) was investigated through batch and pilot plant experiments. The results showed that the treatment was capable of achieving a high removal efficiency for nine OMPs. Additionally, intermittent dosage of PAC was found to stably remove OMPs, suggesting potential cost savings in terms of investment and maintenance.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jingyu Zhang, Sijia Yu, Jingwei Wang, Zhi-Ping Zhao, Weiwei Cai
Summary: In this study, a novel process combining powered carbon (PC) and fluidized granular activated carbon (GAC) with ultrafiltration was proposed to achieve high effluent quality and reduce membrane fouling. It was found that fluidized spherical GAC (RGAC) was highly effective in reducing fouling associated with biochar, and the overall fouling rate of the system was even lower than that of a system using powdered activated carbon (PAC). The RGAC-biochar-UF system achieved similar effluent quality but better permeability compared to the RGAC-PAC-UF system, with a 20% cost savings, making it a promising water treatment system for large-scale applications.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sangki Choi, Heejong Son, Young Mo Kim, Yunho Lee
Summary: A combined process of coagulation and powdered activated carbon (PAC) was tested as an alternative primary wastewater treatment option. The results showed that simultaneous coagulation and PAC treatment achieved higher removal rates of dissolved organic carbon and organic micropollutants.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marina Gutierrez, Andrea Ghirardini, Michela Borghesi, Stefano Bonnini, Dragana Mutavdzic Pavlovic, Paola Verlicchi
Summary: This study analyzes the removal efficiencies of a large number of micropollutants in wastewater treated in a membrane bioreactor coupled with powdered activated carbon (PAC). The study discusses the influence of operational parameters and compound physico-chemical properties on the removal mechanisms. Statistical analysis suggests that micropollutant charge and LogD(ow) play the most important role in the removal mechanisms occurring in MBR coupled with PAC.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mareike Evers, Ruben-Laurids Lange, Eva Heinz, Marc Wichern
Summary: This study investigated the application of powdered activated carbon (PAC) for removing organic micropollutants (OMP) at two different points in a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The results showed that dosing PAC into the nitrification zone simultaneously reduced the concentrations of BPA, BTRs, METF, and METO by over 80% at a dosage of 20 mg/L. The post-treatment stage requires half the amount of PAC to achieve the same removal rates.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Patrick Morsch, Sebastian Fuchs, Linda Moehlendick, Markus Suesser, Hermann Nirschl
Summary: Powdered activated carbon in combination with precoat filtration is effective in removing anthropogenic trace substances from municipal wastewater, with smaller particle sizes showing better removal efficiency. The selectivity of activated carbons towards trace substances may vary, and continuous filtration systems like pressurized filter cells can improve separation performance.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Sijia Yu, Jingwei Wang, Zhiping Zhao, Weiwei Cai
Summary: This study proposes a method that combines fluidized granular activated carbon (GAC) and PAC with the UF process to improve water treatment efficiency. The results show that fluidized GAC particles effectively remove PAC deposition and fouling. PAC improves the effluent quality by adsorbing humic acid-like substances, and the energy consumption of GAC fluidization is lower compared to conventional fouling control methods in UF. This integrated GAC-PAC-UF process is technically feasible and economically viable, potentially achieving high permeate quality and reducing membrane fouling.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Marzieh Namdari, Chang-Seo Lee, Fariborz Haghighat
Summary: This study systematically evaluated the ozone removal by various granular activated carbons and granular manganese oxide-cuprous oxide catalysts. It was found that coconut shell-based activated carbon has a substantial capacity to remove ozone at moderate and mild concentration levels, while catalysts feature a slow steady decrease of active sites over time. The material properties were found to be strongly linked to the ozone removal capacity.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Water Resources
Davidson Egirani, Mohd T. Latif, Napoleon Wessey, Nanfe . R. Poyi, Nabila Shehata
Summary: Two forms of activated carbon, granular and powdered, were tested for mercury removal in solution using African palmae shell as precursor. The results showed that powdered activated carbon demonstrated the highest adsorption efficiency with 93%, while granular activated carbon showed 92% efficiency in terms of contact time.
APPLIED WATER SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hana Atallah Al-asad, Janna Parniske, Jueying Qian, Jens Alex, Sreenivasan Ramaswami, Korbinian Kaetzl, Tobias Morck
Summary: This study presents a mathematical method to describe the removal of organic micropollutants and dissolved organic carbon from wastewater using powdered activated carbon. The developed model can predict the adsorption behavior of organic pollutants and simulate the process under different operating conditions.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Vanessa Acevedo Alonso, Tobias Kaiser, Roman Babist, Thomas Fundneider, Susanne Lackner
Summary: This study introduces a model that describes the performance of bGAC filters for the removal of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) from WWTP effluents. The model integrates adsorptive removal and biological transformation mechanisms, dividing DOC into fractions based on adsorbability and biodegradability. By incorporating Ideal Adsorbed Solution theory and biofilm kinetics, the model successfully predicted DOC breakthrough curves and relationships between empty bed contact times, DOC removal, and bGAC filter lifespan.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Nadia Gadi, Nadine C. Boelee, Raf Dewil
Summary: The study demonstrates the efficacy of coupling adsorption with the electro-Fenton process for the removal and regeneration of caffeine using low-cost granular activated carbon. The results show high degradation and mineralization rates of caffeine in different matrices, and successful regeneration of the activated carbon.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaolong Shen, Tariq Hussain, Micala Mitchek, Joe Wong, Danny Reible
Summary: Activated carbon is widely used in water treatment for sorption of organic contaminants and as in-situ treatment for legacy contaminants. This study investigates the kinetics of PCB adsorption onto two forms of activated carbon (granular and powdered) over a period of 52 weeks. The results show that equilibrium adsorption is achieved much faster with powdered activated carbon compared to granular activated carbon.
Article
Ecology
Feng Ju, Karin Beck, Xiaole Yin, Andreas Maccagnan, Christa S. McArdell, Heinz P. Singer, David R. Johnson, Tong Zhang, Helmut Burgmann
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sungeun Lim, Christa S. McArdell, Urs von Gunten
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Vittorio Albergamo, Jennifer E. Schollee, Emma L. Schymanski, Rick Helmus, Harrie Timmer, Juliane Hollender, Pim de Voogt
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2019)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Luigi Rizzo, Wolfgang Gernjak, Pawel Krzeminski, Sixto Malato, Christa S. McArdell, Jose Antonio Sanchez Perez, Heidemarie Schaar, Despo Fatta-Kassinos
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nikolas Hagemann, Hans-Peter Schmidt, Ralf Kaegi, Marc Boehler, Gabriel Sigmund, Andreas Maccagnan, Christa S. McArdell, Thomas D. Bucheli
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Birge D. Ozel Duygan, Kai M. Udert, Annette Remmele, Christa S. McArdell
Summary: The study found that the combination of nitrification and activated carbon treatment is effective in removing pharmaceuticals from urine, enabling the production of a safe fertilizer with low pharmaceutical concentrations and high nutrient content.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jennifer E. Schollee, Juliane Hollender, Christa S. McArdell
Summary: The study evaluated different wastewater treatment setups for the removal of micropollutants using high-resolution mass spectrometry data. Results showed that biological treatment effectively removed most non-target features and industrial features, while advanced treatment could remove an additional portion of non-target features and was crucial for the abatement of certain known micropollutants.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jangwoo Lee, Feng Ju, Ayella Maile-Moskowitz, Karin Beck, Andreas Maccagnan, Christa S. McArdell, Marco Dal Molin, Fabrizio Fenicia, Peter J. Vikesland, Amy Pruden, Christian Stamm, Helmut Buergmann
Summary: This study tracked the fate of the resistome in treated wastewater in two Swiss rivers using a comprehensive analysis and found that wastewater-origin ARG did not persist in rivers after 5-6.8 km downstream. The potential for direct human exposure to the resistome of wastewater-origin appeared to typically abate rapidly in the studied rivers.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Rebekka Gulde, Baptiste Clerc, Moreno Rutsch, Jakob Helbing, Elisabeth Salhi, Christa S. McArdell, Urs von Gunten
Summary: This study investigated the impact of ozonation and biological sand filtration on transformation products of micropollutants with varying ozone-reactive moieties spiked into lake water. The results showed that most transformation products were not easily abated in the biological post-treatment, and the behavior of some products remains unknown.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Cornelia Kienle, Inge Werner, Stephan Fischer, Christina Luthi, Andrea Schifferli, Harrie Besselink, Miriam Langer, Christa S. McArdell, Etienne L. M. Vermeirssen
Summary: Ozonation can effectively eliminate micropollutants in wastewater, but it may also produce reactive and potentially toxic transformation products. Additional post-treatments are recommended to further remove these products. The study found that ozonation reduced ecotoxicological effects, and post-treatments further reduced these effects. Rainbow trout liver gene expression and algal photosynthesis were sensitive indicators for evaluating the treatment efficiency.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Isabell Koepping, Christa S. McArdell, Ewa Borowska, Marc A. Boehler, Kai M. Udert
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Agnes Tekle-Roettering, Sungeun Lim, Erika Reisz, Holger Lutze, Mohammad Sajjad Abdighahroudi, Sarah Willach, Winfried Schmidt, Peter R. Tentscher, Daniel Rentsch, Christa S. McArdell, Torsten C. Schmidt, Urs von Gunten
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-WATER RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Rong-Gui Zhu, Chang-Gui Pan, Feng-Jiao Peng, Chao-Yang Zhou, Jun-Jie Hu, Kefu Yu
Summary: This comprehensive survey investigated the occurrence, bioaccumulation, and trophic magnification of parabens and their metabolite 4-HB in a marine food web. Results showed that parabens were the predominant pollutants in marine organisms, with significant bioaccumulation from sediments. The estimated trophic magnification factor indicated biomagnification for MeP and trophic dilution for 4-HB. Overall, the risks for humans consuming marine organisms were found to be low.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Andres F. Torres-Franco, Deborah Leroy-Freitas, Cristina Martinez-Fraile, Elisa Rodriguez, Pedro A. Garcia-Encina, Raul Munoz
Summary: Anaerobic and microalgae-based technologies have emerged as sustainable alternatives for municipal wastewater treatment. However, the presence of viruses in the treated wastewater is a major concern for reuse applications. This study assessed the ability of these technologies to reduce viruses during secondary wastewater treatment. The results showed that all technologies were effective in reducing the concentration of viruses, with microalgae-based treatment exhibiting the highest potential for reducing the disinfection requirements of treated wastewater.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Young Gwang Kim, Sae Yun Kwon, Spencer J. Washburn, Scott C. Brooks, Ji Won Yoon, Lucien Besnard
Summary: The study uses Hg isotope ratios to identify the sources and exposure pathways of mercury in bivalves, finding that dissolved Hg phases in the water column are the primary source and exposure pathway to bivalves. This provides new insights into using bivalves as bioindicators for sediment quality monitoring.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hui Geng, Ying Xu, Rui Liu, Dianhai Yang, Xiaohu Dai
Summary: This study investigates the effect of cation exchange resin (CER) on the sequential recovery of hydrogen and methane from anaerobic digestion (AD) and the corresponding mechanisms. The results show that CER can simultaneously enhance the production of hydrogen and methane by promoting the solubilisation, hydrolysis, and acidification of organic matter. Additionally, CER facilitates effective contact between bacteria and organic particulates and reduces the energy barrier for mass transfer during methane production. The study also reveals changes in the microbial community structure and metagenomics during the AD process.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaojing Lin, Zhan Jin, Shunfeng Jiang, Zhiquan Wang, Suqing Wu, Ke Bei, Min Zhao, Xiangyong Zheng
Summary: Dehumidification combined with addition of absorbent resin supplement (ARS) was used to achieve rapid evaporation of non-pretreated urine, resulting in high water evaporation efficiency and nutrient recovery.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yangli Che, Chaoran Lin, Shen Li, Jiao Liu, Longhai Zhu, Shilei Yu, Nan Wang, Haoshuai Li, Mutai Bao, Yang Zhou, Tonghao Si, Rui Bao
Summary: Hydrodynamic processes play a crucial role in the transmission of sediments, microbial assembly, and organic carbon redistribution in the ocean. Through experiments and analysis, we found that hydrodynamics shape the assembly of microbial communities and control the redistribution of different sourced organic carbon, thereby influencing microbial-mediated biogeochemical transformation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chao Chen, Yu Yang, Nigel J. D. Graham, Zhenyu Li, Xingtao Yang, Zhining Wang, Nadia Farhat, Johannes S. Vrouwenvelder, Li -an Hou
Summary: The fouling of seawater reverse osmosis membranes is a persistent challenge in desalination. This study monitored the operational performance of a desalination plant for 7 years and the fouling development in different areas of membrane modules. The findings showed that operational performance declined over time and fouling mainly occurred at the feed side of the modules, with the highest microbial diversity. Keystone species like Chloroflexi and Planctomycetes played an important role in maintaining community structure and biofilm maturation. Polysaccharides, soluble microbial products, marine humic acid-like substances, and inorganic substances contributed to fouling. Overall, biofouling had a significant impact on membrane fouling after 7 years of operation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dan Li, Jieyi Sun, Yibo Fu, Wentao Hong, Heli Wang, Qian Yang, Junhong Wu, Sen Yang, Jianhui Xu, Yunfei Zhang, Yirong Deng, Yin Zhong, Ping'an Peng
Summary: Sulfidation-oxidation treatment of magnetite (Fe3O4) enhances the production of dark center dot OH, which can efficiently degrade dissolved organic matter (DOM) and accelerate carbon cycling.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Cheng Yu, Kaijun Wang, Kaiyuan Zhang, Ruiyang Liu, Pingping Zheng
Summary: This study implemented a microaerobic-aerobic configuration in a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment facility and investigated the effects on sludge characteristics, pollutant removal, microbial community, and granulation mechanisms. The results showed successful transition from flocculent-activated sludge to well-defined AGS after two months of operation. The primary pathways for pollutant removal were simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal. Moreover, the incorporation of internal separators induced shifts in the flow pattern, which promoted granulation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhe Zhang, Shaoyang Hu, Guangrong Sun, Wei Wang
Summary: Halogenated aromatic disinfection byproducts (DBPs), such as halogenated phenols, have garnered widespread attention due to their high toxicity and prevalence. This study reports on the analysis, occurrence, and cytotoxicity of a group of emerging halogenated aromatic DBPs, known as halogenated polyhydroxyphenols (HPPs), in drinking water.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Shengyue Chen, Jinliang Huang, Peng Wang, Xi Tang, Zhenyu Zhang
Summary: Accurate prediction of river water quality is crucial for sustainable water management. This study introduces wavelet analysis and transfer learning techniques to assist LSTM modeling, proposing a newly coupled modeling approach that improves short-term prediction of river water quality.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bang Du, Xinmin Zhan, Piet N. L. Lens, Yifeng Zhang, Guangxue Wu
Summary: Efficient anaerobic digestion relies on the cooperation of different microorganisms with different metabolic pathways. This study investigated the effects of different operational modes and the addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) on ethanol metabolic pathways. The results showed that the SBR mode and the presence of CO2 facilitated ethanol metabolism towards propionate production, while the CFR mode with extended solids retention time enriched Geobacter. Adjusting operational modes and PAC addition can modulate anaerobic ethanol metabolism and enrich Geobacter.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wanfa Wang, Si-Liang Li, Jun Zhong, Yuanbi Yi, Fujun Yue, Zenglei Han, Qixin Wu, Ding He, Cong-Qiang Liu
Summary: This study compares the carbon biogeochemical processes in karst and non-karst regions within large thermal stratified river-reservoir systems. The results demonstrate that karst reservoirs have a reduced potential for carbon emissions and highlight the importance of considering geologic settings to improve accuracy in regional and global CO2 emission estimates.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chunxia Jiang, Zelong Zhao, Dong Zhu, Xiong Pan, Yuyi Yang
Summary: This study analyzed the occurrence and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in different environmental media of the Yangtze River using metagenomics. Core resistome dominated by multidrug resistance genes was found in all samples, while rare resistome dominated by various resistance genes was more prevalent in plasmids. Specific bacteria were identified as hosts for both core and rare resistomes, with high clinical concern ARGs found in the rare resistome. Particle-associated environment provided the most ideal conditions for resistome hosts. This study provided insights into the genetic locations of ARGs and the community assembly mechanisms of ARG hosts in freshwater environments.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yu Zhang, Yongtao He, Linchun Jia, Lei Xu, Zheng Wang, Yueling He, Ling Xiong, Xumeng Lin, Hong Chen, Gang Xue
Summary: By synergizing organic carbon source, thiosulfate, and zero-valent iron, efficient mixotrophic denitrification of oligotrophic secondary effluent can be achieved. Thiosulfate plays a vital role in promoting TN removal efficiency, while corrosion of Fe0 releases OH- to neutralize H+ from thiosulfate-driven denitrification, creating a suitable environment for denitrification. The coordination of thiosulfate and Fe0 maintains the dominance of Thiobacillus for denitrification.