[Pharmwaste] Project Neptune - upgrading existing municipal
infrastructure to deal with emerging contaminants
DeBiasi,Deborah
dldebiasi at deq.virginia.gov
Thu Jan 3 15:36:11 EST 2008
Project Neptune: http://www.eu-neptune.org/project_summary/index_EN
The scope of sewage treatment is changing: Up to date municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) were seen as an end-of-pipe treatment just before discharge, having the aim to avoid eutrophication and hygienic health hazard in surface water. Due to the global demographic trends as well as new legislations (e.g. the Water Framework Directive, WFD) increased focus is put on quantity and quality of effluents: more and more seen as interface between sanitation and environment, WWTP are delivering resources to the environment and for human activities (recharge of drinking water reservoirs, recycling of nutrient, efficient energy use). This focus shift has implications on the quality goals set for WWTP products:
Existing focus: New focus:
water treatment water reuse
nutrient removal nutrient recycling
pathogens removal micropollutants and ecotoxicity removal
energy optimization energy production
sludge disposal reuse of sludge and its resources
NEPTUNE will approach these tasks by focusing on technology solutions allowing to meet present and future standards via upgrading of existing municipal infrastructure (new control strategies with online sensors; effluent upgrading with oxidation, activated carbon or wetland treatment; safe sludge processing and reuse) as well as via new techniques (fuel cell applications; new oxidation processes; production of polymer and phosphate from sludge). By including pathogens and ecotoxicity aspects into life cycle assessment studies (LCA), the project is helping to improve the comparability of various technical options and propose a suitability ranking.
WWTP are the major pollutant point source for surface water, and consequently impact on the new focus legislated by the WFD. The emerging interest on organic (eco-)toxic compounds requires characterizing treated effluent and treatment technologies concerning ecotoxicologic aspects and micropollutants. NEPTUNE is contributing to this discussion by ecotoxicity assessment and micropollutant fate studies.
By directly involving European players of the water management sector, the generated know-how is expected to contribute to the export oriented knowledge based EU eco-industry. Further NEPTUNE will contribute to sustainable growth in the EU by helping to remove the barriers faced by new environmentally friendly integrated solutions, a) by covering knowledge gaps of new solutions and b) by evidencing pros and cons of technologic alternatives through direct comparison.
Deborah L. DeBiasi
Email: dldebiasi at deq.virginia.gov
WEB site address: www.deq.virginia.gov
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Office of Water Permit Programs
Industrial Pretreatment/Toxics Management Program
PPCPs, EDCs, and Microconstituents
Mail: P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA 23218 (NEW!)
Location: 629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219
PH: 804-698-4028
FAX: 804-698-4032
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