Assessment of a multibarrier tertiary treatment for micropollutants removal from WWTP of São Paulo

Abstract

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are an important tool for environmental protection and public health, as they act as a barrier against chemical and biological contamination in water bodies. Unfortunately, the level of sewage collection and treatment in Brazil is still below developed countries. The state of São Paulo has the best sewage collection and treatment rates in Brazil, but still has most of its WWTP without adequate tertiary treatment for the current demands of environmental protection. This study aims at the development of a multibarrier treatment based on the combination of advanced effluent treatment techniques, such as ozonation, adsorption on activated carbon and membranes for the production of a high quality treated effluent, with low levels of micro-contaminants and that can be used for reuse purposes in accordance with national and international municipal wastewater reuse standards. This project foresees the optimization of the treatment system to eliminate 80% of different classes of micro-contaminants, both low and high reactivity with ozone and hydroxyl radical. To ensure the safety of the effluent produced, microbiological and ecotoxicological tests will be carried out and the operational characteristics necessary to produce a quality effluent will be determined. (AU)