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JPIWATER-Water challenges for a changing world

Sustainable Electrochemical Reduction of contaminants of emerging concern and Pathogens in WWTP effluent for Irrigation of Crops

Alternative title: Bærekraftig elektrokjemisk reduksjon av nye miljøgifter og patogener i utslipp fra avløpsrenseanlegg som brukes for vanning av planter

Awarded: NOK 1.3 mill.

The SERPIC project develops a solution to respond to the risk of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with focus on reuse of reclaimed water for irrigation purposes. The project aims to develop technology, based on a multi-barrier approach, to treat the WWTPs effluents and to maximise the reduction of CECs, including antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs). A membrane nanofiltration (NF) technology will be applied to reduce CECs in its permeate stream by at least 90 % while retaining the nutrients. A residual disinfection using chlorine dioxide produced electrochemically will be added to the stream used for crops irrigation. The CECs in the polluted concentrate stream will be reduced by at least 80 % by light driven electro-chemical oxidation. When discharged into the aquatic system, it will contribute to the quality improvement of the surface water body. A prototype treatment plant will be set-up and evaluated for irrigation in long-term tests with the help of agricultural test pots. A review investigation of CECs spread will be performed at four regional showcases in Europe and Africa. It will include a detailed assessment of the individual situation and surrounding condition. Transfer concepts will be developed to transfer the results of the treatment technology to other regions, especially in low- and middle-income countries. NIVA coordinated the development of the NF technology, to effectively separate target CECs, such as ARGs, from the nutrients essential for crops during irrigation. NIVA was responsible for experimental assessment of the NF, identification of optimal operating conditions for high rejection of CECs, and selection of best performing membranes. NIVA participates in identification of suitable NF concentrate treatment methods and in built up, testing and validation of the prototype at the full-scale municipal WWTP in Spain. Until now, indicators to assess treatment effectiveness have been selected and carried out membrane experiments allowed to identify suitable membranes based on project's key performance indicators. Selected membranes were provided for the prototype testing in Spain.

SERPIC will develop an integral technology, based on a multi-barrier approach, to treat the effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) to maximise the reduction of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC). SERPIC treatment solution delivers two streams of water with minimised CEC content: i) high quality stream of water to be used for irrigation of crops for food production (Route A) and ii) good water quality stream to be discharged into the aquatic system allowing to minimize the spread of contaminants into the environment (Route B). A membrane nanofiltration (NF) will be applied to reduce CEC in permeate stream by at least 90% while retaining the nutrients. A residual disinfection using chlorine dioxide produced electrochemically will be added to the stream used for crops irrigation (Route A). The CEC in the polluted concentrate stream will be reduced by at least 80% by light driven electrochemical oxidation. When discharged into the aquatic system (route B), it will contribute to the quality improvement of the water body. CEC spread investigation will be done at 4 regional showcases in Europe and Africa. A prototype treatment plant will be set-up and evaluated for irrigation in long-term tests using test pots. Transfer concepts will be developed to transfer the results of the treatment technology to other regions. NIVA participates in the development of the NF technology, to effectively separate target CEC from the nutrients essential for crops during irrigation. Main tasks include selection of best performing membranes, suitable concentrate treatment methods, and identification of optimal operating conditions for high rejection of CEC such as ARGs. The performance of commercially available membranes tested in the bench-scale and/or pilot-scale systems using real effluent from the Bekkelaget WWTP will be evaluated. Once completed, the best performing membrane modules will selected for integration in the membrane plant at the municipal WWTP of Ciudad Real.

Funding scheme:

JPIWATER-Water challenges for a changing world