The growing demand on water resources has increased the interest in wastewater reclamation for multiple end-use applications such as indirect and direct potable reuse. In these applications, the removal of organic micropollutants is of a greater concern than in conventional wastewater treatment. This article presents a collection of data of trace organic micropollutants in an urban wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in North East Spain using reverse osmosis (RO) membrane treatment. The RO rejection values of the organic molecules studied with a wide range of solute size and hydrophobicity were determined. Several chromatographic methods monitoring different endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were used. Results indicated that secondary effluents from this Spanish WWTP contained most of the studied organic compounds indicating incomplete removal of organics in the conventional treatment of the plant. However, the rejection of most micropollutants was high for all three RO membrane types (low energy, high rejection, fouling resistant) tested. It was observed that some selected micropollutants were less efficiently removed (e.g. the small and polar and the more hydrophobic) and the molecular weight and membrane material influenced removal efficiencies.
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Research Article|
July 01 2012
Determination and occurrence of organic micropollutants in reverse osmosis treatment for advanced water reuse
Veronica Gomez;
1Department of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, Rovira i Virgili University, Sescelades Campus, C/Marcel·lí Domingo, s/n, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
2Dow Chemical Ibérica S.L. Dow Water & Process Solutions, Autovia Tarragona-Salou, s/n, 43006 Tarragona, Spain
E-mail: [email protected]
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Katariina Majamaa;
Katariina Majamaa
2Dow Chemical Ibérica S.L. Dow Water & Process Solutions, Autovia Tarragona-Salou, s/n, 43006 Tarragona, Spain
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Eva Pocurull;
Eva Pocurull
1Department of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, Rovira i Virgili University, Sescelades Campus, C/Marcel·lí Domingo, s/n, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
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Francesc Borrull
Francesc Borrull
1Department of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, Rovira i Virgili University, Sescelades Campus, C/Marcel·lí Domingo, s/n, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
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Water Sci Technol (2012) 66 (1): 61–71.
Article history
Received:
October 25 2011
Accepted:
February 20 2012
Citation
Veronica Gomez, Katariina Majamaa, Eva Pocurull, Francesc Borrull; Determination and occurrence of organic micropollutants in reverse osmosis treatment for advanced water reuse. Water Sci Technol 1 July 2012; 66 (1): 61–71. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2012.166
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