MBR-16: The fate of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in MBR
POLIMI |
10/2006 - 09/2009 |
The presence of POP's like herbicides (atrazine, terbutylazine and its metabolites), metals and other pollutants of textile origin (like nonylphenols) may be detected in surface and groundwaters and in some regions they have been found above thresholds limits due to soil composition, land use and industrial sites discharges. For a complete understanding of POP’s removal in treatment plants both biodegradation and adsorption on activated sludge by the pollutants need to be evaluated and real POP's concentration of a polluted water, often with very low values, are to be experimented.
In this project the adsorption will be estimated (studying the adsorption on MBR sludge, by lab-scale adsorption isotherms and microcalorimetry) and a model of the phenomenon would be developed. On the other side biodegradation analysis, with respirometry and microcalorimetry by Bio-RC1, will be carried out and the presence of potential intermediate metabolites will be investigated. Through short and long term trials the inhibition and removal (biological and physical) of target compounds would be evaluated in MBR pilot plants and, then, the adaptation of these plants to the chosen pollutants will be studied through the analysis of the responses to both POP's pulses and continuous flow ones. Results obtained on drinking water sources (very low concentration of few pollutants) will be useful to understand and foresee POPs removal in wastewater treatment by MBRs.