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Related Experiment Videos

How to avoid pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment.

Tove A Larsen1, Judit Lienert, Adriano Joss

  • 1EAWAG (Swiss Federal Institute For Environmental Science And Technology), Ueberlandstrasse 133, PO Box 611, CH-8600 Duebendorf. tove.larsen@eawag.ch

Journal of Biotechnology
|September 24, 2004
PubMed
Summary
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Source separation of urine offers a sustainable solution for removing micropollutants and nutrients from wastewater. This approach enhances treatment efficiency for pharmaceuticals, minimizing environmental losses.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Water Treatment Technology
  • Chemical Engineering

Background:

  • Pharmaceuticals and micropollutants in wastewater present emerging challenges for treatment facilities and the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Potential detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems necessitate stricter wastewater treatment standards, driven by the precautionary principle or new scientific findings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate source separation, specifically urine diversion, as a sustainable solution for managing micropollutants in wastewater.
  • To highlight the potential of concentrated urine streams for more efficient removal of pharmaceuticals and nutrients.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current wastewater treatment technologies, including biological treatment and ozonation.
  • Analysis of the concept of source separation, focusing on urine diversion.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Assessment of the higher concentrations of micropollutants in separated urine streams.

    • Main Results:

    • Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) show promise with biological treatment and ozonation, but ozonation is energy-intensive.
    • End-of-pipe systems in conventional WWTPs lead to pollutant loss to the environment, especially during rain.
    • Urine source separation effectively addresses both nutrient and pharmaceutical pollution, minimizing environmental release.

    Conclusions:

    • Source separation, particularly urine diversion, presents a more sustainable long-term strategy for comprehensive wastewater management.
    • Higher micropollutant concentrations in separated urine streams facilitate more efficient removal using existing or adapted technologies.
    • Urine diversion minimizes untreated pollutant losses, offering an elegant solution to nutrient and pharmaceutical challenges in wastewater.