Environmental releases of chemical compounds from Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) are receiving growing attention in the scientific community. Most research suggests that the main pathway for these substances to reach the environment is via Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) due to the effluents from households, industry and hospitals, which can contain substantial amounts of these compounds. Many of these contaminants are poorly treated in conventional WWTPs and are often discharged into the environment with the effluent and sludge, posing ecotoxicological risks to the wildlife and humans. Therefore, it is necessary to limit their release into the environment by controlling their discharge from WWTPs. This can be achieved by adopting advanced wastewater treatment techniques, currently not used as there are no legislative limits on PPCP compounds. However, as the scientific evidence is growing on their adverse impacts, it is only a matter of time before their advanced treatment becomes compulsory. To help guide future developments and inform policy in this area, this work considered a range of advanced treatment techniques with the aim of identifying the most sustainable options. Adopting a life cycle approach and considering all three dimensions of sustainability (economic, environmental and social), nine technologies were assessed on sustainability: four for WWTP effluent and five for sludge treatment. The advanced wastewater treatment methods considered are: (i) granular activated carbon, (ii) nanofiltration, (iii) solar photo-Fenton, and (iv) ozonation. The sludge treatment techniques comprise: (i) anaerobic digestion of sludge for agricultural application; (ii) sludge composting, also for agricultural application; (iii) incineration; (iv) pyrolysis; and (v) wet air oxidation. They were assessed on sustainability using over 28 indicators, some of which were also used to evaluate the implication of different treatment techniques for the energy-water-food (EWF) nexus. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was applied to aggregate the sustainability indicators into an overall sustainability index for each alternative and identify the most sustainable option(s). The results suggest that, among the four techniques considered for advanced effluent treatment, nanofiltration and granular activated carbon have the lowest life cycle environmental impacts. Although not preferable at all operating ranges, they have the lowest burdens and are, overall, most sustainable. The latter also has the lowest impact on the EWF nexus at mean operating parameter, and is the preferred option as the treated effluent can be used for potable water due lower concerns over the presence of PPCPs. However, the results also suggest that, from the ecotoxicological point of view, there is little benefit in using any of the advanced wastewater treatment techniques assessed. This is due to the life cycle ecotoxicological impacts from the treatment itself being similar or even higher than for the effluent released into the environment untreated. For sludge treatments, anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis are environmentally and economically preferable techniques. The former is the best with respect to the EWF nexus due to the recovery of energy and agricultural fertilizers. In relation to social aspects, wet air oxidation is amongst the most desirable for high resource recovery, together with the two former techniques. The heavy metals content in the sludge applied on agricultural soils is a major concern for freshwater ecotoxicity potential, posing risks orders of magnitude higher than PPCP compounds.

Os resíduos sólidos da indústria coureira são produzidos em diferentes etapas de limpeza, classificação e ajuste da espessura do couro, e são classificados como perigosos quando gerados nas etapas posteriores ao curtimento com cromo. Os resíduos que já passaram pela etapa de curtimento apresentam elevada estabilidade, não sendo facilmente degradados. Além disso, nas etapas do acabamento molhado do couro, em especial no tingimento, corantes são utilizados para conferir cor aos artigos. Devido à necessidade de utilização de água e corantes em excesso, são gerados, nessas etapas, efluentes coloridos. Esses efluentes possuem quantidades elevadas de substâncias solúveis e coloridas que, devido ao seu potencial recalcitrante, não são facilmente removidas em sistemas convencionais de tratamento de efluentes. Neste trabalho, é apresentada uma nova proposta para o uso dos resíduos sólidos da indústria coureira antes de seu destino final, possibilitando assim uma sobrevida a esses resíduos como adsorventes alternativos de substâncias presentes em efluentes industriais do processamento do couro, em especial, os corantes oriundos das operações de acabamento molhado, com perspectivas ao reuso dos efluentes. Os efluentes oriundos da etapa de acabamento molhado de couro em escala piloto foram caracterizados. Assim, soluções aquosas sintéticas no intervalo de concentrações de corantes de efluentes foram preparadas e foi avaliada a capacidade de adsorção de dois tipos de resíduos de couro (curtido ao cromo e vegetal) em diferentes valores de pH. As isotermas de adsorção e cinética dos corantes Amarelo Ácido 194, Vermelho Ácido 357 e Preto Ácido 210 foram obtidos para os resíduos de couro curtido ao cromo no pH ideal de adsorção (entre 2 e 3). Além disso, a remoção do corante presente em efluente de tingimento (obtido em escala piloto) foi otimizada utilizando técnicas sequenciais de planejamento de experimentos. As isotermas apresentaram diferentes comportamentos, sendo do tipo C1, H2 e H3/L3 para os corantes Amarelo 194, Vermelho 357 e Preto 210, respectivamente. Os estudos dos mecanismos de transferência de massa demonstraram que a adsorção do corante Amarelo 194 é controlada pela transferência de massa na camada limite, enquanto que para os corantes Vermelho 357 e Preto 210 também foi observada a difusão no interior da partícula. Para esses dois últimos corantes, as difusividades foram da ordem de 10-9 e 10-11 m2 min-1. Os dados termodinâmicos, associados a análises instrumentais, confirmaram a natureza de adsorção por interações entre os grupos SO3 - e NO2 - dos corantes com os grupos NH(n) + do couro. Para a remoção do corante Vermelho 357 de efluentes de tingimento, uma região de ótimo foi observada para capacidade de adsorção no equilíbrio, correspondente ao pH 3,0 e temperatura entre 16 e 18 °C, sendo obsevado aproximadamente 74 mg g-1 para a concentração de 6,0 g L-1 de adsorvente. Entretanto, na região de estudo não foi observado região de ótimo para a remoção, sendo que para isso seria necessário um deslocamento no planejamento para pH inferiores a 3 e temperaturas superiores a 35 °C, o que de certa forma é inviável. Observouse que a máxima remoção em pH 3 e 35 °C foi de 75 %. O processo de remoção do corante por adsorção foi capaz ainda de reduzir a toxicidade do efluente em cerca de 90 %. / The solid wastes from the tannery industry are produced in different steps of cleaning, sorting and adjusting the thickness of the leather, and they are classified as hazardous waste when they are produced after chrome tanning. The tanned leather wastes present high stability and are not easily degraded. Moreover, in the wet leather finish, particularly during the dyeing process, dyes are used to color the items. Due to the need of using water and dye in excess, colored effluents are generated in these steps. These effluents have high amounts of soluble and colored substances that, due to their recalcitrant potential, are not easily treated in conventional eflluent treatment systems. In this research, a new proposal for the use of solid waste in the leather industry before its final destination is presented, which enables the reuse of these wastes as alternative adsorbents of substances in industrial effluents from the leather processing, particularly dyes derived from wet finishing operations, with the aim of reusing the wastewater. The effluents from the wet leather finish steps in a pilot scale were characterized. Thus, aqueous synthetic solutions in the concentration range of effluent dyes were prepared and the adsorption capacity of two types of leather waste (chrome tanned and vegetable leather) was evaluated at different pH values. Adsorption isotherms and kinetics of Acid Yellow 194, Acid Red 357 and Acid Black 210 dyes were obtained for chrome tanned leather waste in optimal adsorption pH (between 2 and 3). Furthermore, the removal of the dyes in deing wastewater (obtained in a pilot scale) was optimized by using sequential experimental design techniques. The isotherms presented different results: C1, H2 and H3/L3 types for the Yellow 194, Red 357 and Black 210 dyes, respectively. Studies on the mechanisms of mass transfer have shown that the adsorption of the Yellow 194 dye is controlled by mass transfer in the boundary layer, whereas in Red 357 and Black 210 dyes a diffusion was also observed inside the particle. For these last two dyes, diffusivities were 10-9 and 10-11 m2 min-1. The thermodynamic data, associated with instrumental analysis, confirmed the nature of adsorption by interactions between the NO2 - and SO3 - groups of the dyes with the NHn + groups of the leather. For removing the Red 357 dye in dyeing effluents, an optimum region was observed for the adsorption capacity in equilibrium, which corresponds to pH 3.0 to 3.2 and temperature between 16 and 18 °C, with about 74 mg g-1 for the concentration of 6.0 g L-1 adsorbent. However, in the study region an optimum region for the removal was not observed, and this would require a shift in planning for pH below 3 and temperatures above 35 °C, which is somewhat impractical. It was observed that the maximum removal at pH 3 and 35 °C was 75 %. The removing process the dye by adsorption was also able to reduce the toxicity of the effluent by about 90 %.

Os resíduos sólidos da indústria coureira são produzidos em diferentes etapas de limpeza, classificação e ajuste da espessura do couro, e são classificados como perigosos quando gerados nas etapas posteriores ao curtimento com cromo. Os resíduos que já passaram pela etapa de curtimento apresentam elevada estabilidade, não sendo facilmente degradados. Além disso, nas etapas do acabamento molhado do couro, em especial no tingimento, corantes são utilizados para conferir cor aos artigos. Devido à necessidade de utilização de água e corantes em excesso, são gerados, nessas etapas, efluentes coloridos. Esses efluentes possuem quantidades elevadas de substâncias solúveis e coloridas que, devido ao seu potencial recalcitrante, não são facilmente removidas em sistemas convencionais de tratamento de efluentes. Neste trabalho, é apresentada uma nova proposta para o uso dos resíduos sólidos da indústria coureira antes de seu destino final, possibilitando assim uma sobrevida a esses resíduos como adsorventes alternativos de substâncias presentes em efluentes industriais do processamento do couro, em especial, os corantes oriundos das operações de acabamento molhado, com perspectivas ao reuso dos efluentes. Os efluentes oriundos da etapa de acabamento molhado de couro em escala piloto foram caracterizados. Assim, soluções aquosas sintéticas no intervalo de concentrações de corantes de efluentes foram preparadas e foi avaliada a capacidade de adsorção de dois tipos de resíduos de couro (curtido ao cromo e vegetal) em diferentes valores de pH. As isotermas de adsorção e cinética dos corantes Amarelo Ácido 194, Vermelho Ácido 357 e Preto Ácido 210 foram obtidos para os resíduos de couro curtido ao cromo no pH ideal de adsorção (entre 2 e 3). Além disso, a remoção do corante presente em efluente de tingimento (obtido em escala piloto) foi otimizada utilizando técnicas sequenciais de planejamento de experimentos. As isotermas apresentaram diferentes comportamentos, sendo do tipo C1, H2 e H3/L3 para os corantes Amarelo 194, Vermelho 357 e Preto 210, respectivamente. Os estudos dos mecanismos de transferência de massa demonstraram que a adsorção do corante Amarelo 194 é controlada pela transferência de massa na camada limite, enquanto que para os corantes Vermelho 357 e Preto 210 também foi observada a difusão no interior da partícula. Para esses dois últimos corantes, as difusividades foram da ordem de 10-9 e 10-11 m2 min-1. Os dados termodinâmicos, associados a análises instrumentais, confirmaram a natureza de adsorção por interações entre os grupos SO3 - e NO2 - dos corantes com os grupos NH(n) + do couro. Para a remoção do corante Vermelho 357 de efluentes de tingimento, uma região de ótimo foi observada para capacidade de adsorção no equilíbrio, correspondente ao pH 3,0 e temperatura entre 16 e 18 °C, sendo obsevado aproximadamente 74 mg g-1 para a concentração de 6,0 g L-1 de adsorvente. Entretanto, na região de estudo não foi observado região de ótimo para a remoção, sendo que para isso seria necessário um deslocamento no planejamento para pH inferiores a 3 e temperaturas superiores a 35 °C, o que de certa forma é inviável. Observouse que a máxima remoção em pH 3 e 35 °C foi de 75 %. O processo de remoção do corante por adsorção foi capaz ainda de reduzir a toxicidade do efluente em cerca de 90 %. / The solid wastes from the tannery industry are produced in different steps of cleaning, sorting and adjusting the thickness of the leather, and they are classified as hazardous waste when they are produced after chrome tanning. The tanned leather wastes present high stability and are not easily degraded. Moreover, in the wet leather finish, particularly during the dyeing process, dyes are used to color the items. Due to the need of using water and dye in excess, colored effluents are generated in these steps. These effluents have high amounts of soluble and colored substances that, due to their recalcitrant potential, are not easily treated in conventional eflluent treatment systems. In this research, a new proposal for the use of solid waste in the leather industry before its final destination is presented, which enables the reuse of these wastes as alternative adsorbents of substances in industrial effluents from the leather processing, particularly dyes derived from wet finishing operations, with the aim of reusing the wastewater. The effluents from the wet leather finish steps in a pilot scale were characterized. Thus, aqueous synthetic solutions in the concentration range of effluent dyes were prepared and the adsorption capacity of two types of leather waste (chrome tanned and vegetable leather) was evaluated at different pH values. Adsorption isotherms and kinetics of Acid Yellow 194, Acid Red 357 and Acid Black 210 dyes were obtained for chrome tanned leather waste in optimal adsorption pH (between 2 and 3). Furthermore, the removal of the dyes in deing wastewater (obtained in a pilot scale) was optimized by using sequential experimental design techniques. The isotherms presented different results: C1, H2 and H3/L3 types for the Yellow 194, Red 357 and Black 210 dyes, respectively. Studies on the mechanisms of mass transfer have shown that the adsorption of the Yellow 194 dye is controlled by mass transfer in the boundary layer, whereas in Red 357 and Black 210 dyes a diffusion was also observed inside the particle. For these last two dyes, diffusivities were 10-9 and 10-11 m2 min-1. The thermodynamic data, associated with instrumental analysis, confirmed the nature of adsorption by interactions between the NO2 - and SO3 - groups of the dyes with the NHn + groups of the leather. For removing the Red 357 dye in dyeing effluents, an optimum region was observed for the adsorption capacity in equilibrium, which corresponds to pH 3.0 to 3.2 and temperature between 16 and 18 °C, with about 74 mg g-1 for the concentration of 6.0 g L-1 adsorbent. However, in the study region an optimum region for the removal was not observed, and this would require a shift in planning for pH below 3 and temperatures above 35 °C, which is somewhat impractical. It was observed that the maximum removal at pH 3 and 35 °C was 75 %. The removing process the dye by adsorption was also able to reduce the toxicity of the effluent by about 90 %.

Os resíduos sólidos da indústria coureira são produzidos em diferentes etapas de limpeza, classificação e ajuste da espessura do couro, e são classificados como perigosos quando gerados nas etapas posteriores ao curtimento com cromo. Os resíduos que já passaram pela etapa de curtimento apresentam elevada estabilidade, não sendo facilmente degradados. Além disso, nas etapas do acabamento molhado do couro, em especial no tingimento, corantes são utilizados para conferir cor aos artigos. Devido à necessidade de utilização de água e corantes em excesso, são gerados, nessas etapas, efluentes coloridos. Esses efluentes possuem quantidades elevadas de substâncias solúveis e coloridas que, devido ao seu potencial recalcitrante, não são facilmente removidas em sistemas convencionais de tratamento de efluentes. Neste trabalho, é apresentada uma nova proposta para o uso dos resíduos sólidos da indústria coureira antes de seu destino final, possibilitando assim uma sobrevida a esses resíduos como adsorventes alternativos de substâncias presentes em efluentes industriais do processamento do couro, em especial, os corantes oriundos das operações de acabamento molhado, com perspectivas ao reuso dos efluentes. Os efluentes oriundos da etapa de acabamento molhado de couro em escala piloto foram caracterizados. Assim, soluções aquosas sintéticas no intervalo de concentrações de corantes de efluentes foram preparadas e foi avaliada a capacidade de adsorção de dois tipos de resíduos de couro (curtido ao cromo e vegetal) em diferentes valores de pH. As isotermas de adsorção e cinética dos corantes Amarelo Ácido 194, Vermelho Ácido 357 e Preto Ácido 210 foram obtidos para os resíduos de couro curtido ao cromo no pH ideal de adsorção (entre 2 e 3). Além disso, a remoção do corante presente em efluente de tingimento (obtido em escala piloto) foi otimizada utilizando técnicas sequenciais de planejamento de experimentos. As isotermas apresentaram diferentes comportamentos, sendo do tipo C1, H2 e H3/L3 para os corantes Amarelo 194, Vermelho 357 e Preto 210, respectivamente. Os estudos dos mecanismos de transferência de massa demonstraram que a adsorção do corante Amarelo 194 é controlada pela transferência de massa na camada limite, enquanto que para os corantes Vermelho 357 e Preto 210 também foi observada a difusão no interior da partícula. Para esses dois últimos corantes, as difusividades foram da ordem de 10-9 e 10-11 m2 min-1. Os dados termodinâmicos, associados a análises instrumentais, confirmaram a natureza de adsorção por interações entre os grupos SO3 - e NO2 - dos corantes com os grupos NH(n) + do couro. Para a remoção do corante Vermelho 357 de efluentes de tingimento, uma região de ótimo foi observada para capacidade de adsorção no equilíbrio, correspondente ao pH 3,0 e temperatura entre 16 e 18 °C, sendo obsevado aproximadamente 74 mg g-1 para a concentração de 6,0 g L-1 de adsorvente. Entretanto, na região de estudo não foi observado região de ótimo para a remoção, sendo que para isso seria necessário um deslocamento no planejamento para pH inferiores a 3 e temperaturas superiores a 35 °C, o que de certa forma é inviável. Observouse que a máxima remoção em pH 3 e 35 °C foi de 75 %. O processo de remoção do corante por adsorção foi capaz ainda de reduzir a toxicidade do efluente em cerca de 90 %. / The solid wastes from the tannery industry are produced in different steps of cleaning, sorting and adjusting the thickness of the leather, and they are classified as hazardous waste when they are produced after chrome tanning. The tanned leather wastes present high stability and are not easily degraded. Moreover, in the wet leather finish, particularly during the dyeing process, dyes are used to color the items. Due to the need of using water and dye in excess, colored effluents are generated in these steps. These effluents have high amounts of soluble and colored substances that, due to their recalcitrant potential, are not easily treated in conventional eflluent treatment systems. In this research, a new proposal for the use of solid waste in the leather industry before its final destination is presented, which enables the reuse of these wastes as alternative adsorbents of substances in industrial effluents from the leather processing, particularly dyes derived from wet finishing operations, with the aim of reusing the wastewater. The effluents from the wet leather finish steps in a pilot scale were characterized. Thus, aqueous synthetic solutions in the concentration range of effluent dyes were prepared and the adsorption capacity of two types of leather waste (chrome tanned and vegetable leather) was evaluated at different pH values. Adsorption isotherms and kinetics of Acid Yellow 194, Acid Red 357 and Acid Black 210 dyes were obtained for chrome tanned leather waste in optimal adsorption pH (between 2 and 3). Furthermore, the removal of the dyes in deing wastewater (obtained in a pilot scale) was optimized by using sequential experimental design techniques. The isotherms presented different results: C1, H2 and H3/L3 types for the Yellow 194, Red 357 and Black 210 dyes, respectively. Studies on the mechanisms of mass transfer have shown that the adsorption of the Yellow 194 dye is controlled by mass transfer in the boundary layer, whereas in Red 357 and Black 210 dyes a diffusion was also observed inside the particle. For these last two dyes, diffusivities were 10-9 and 10-11 m2 min-1. The thermodynamic data, associated with instrumental analysis, confirmed the nature of adsorption by interactions between the NO2 - and SO3 - groups of the dyes with the NHn + groups of the leather. For removing the Red 357 dye in dyeing effluents, an optimum region was observed for the adsorption capacity in equilibrium, which corresponds to pH 3.0 to 3.2 and temperature between 16 and 18 °C, with about 74 mg g-1 for the concentration of 6.0 g L-1 adsorbent. However, in the study region an optimum region for the removal was not observed, and this would require a shift in planning for pH below 3 and temperatures above 35 °C, which is somewhat impractical. It was observed that the maximum removal at pH 3 and 35 °C was 75 %. The removing process the dye by adsorption was also able to reduce the toxicity of the effluent by about 90 %.

No description available.

Many pharmaceuticals are found in municipal wastewater effluents due to their persistence in the human body as well as in conventional wastewater treatment processes. This discharge to the environment can lead to adverse effects in aquatic species, such as feminization of male fish. During the past decade, these findings have spawned investigations and research into suitable treatment technologies that could severely limit the discharge. Adsorption onto activated carbon has been identified as one of the two main technologies for implementation of (future) full-scale treatment. Recent research has put a closer focus on adsorption with powdered activated carbon (PAC) than on granular activated carbon (GAC). Studies where both methods are compared in parallel operation are thus still scarce and such evaluation in pilot-scale was therefore a primary objective of this thesis. Furthermore, recirculation of PAC can be used to optimize the treatment regarding the carbon consumption. Such a setup was evaluated as a separate treatment stage to comply with Swedish wastewater convention. Additionally, variation of a set of process parameters was evaluated. During successive operation at three different wastewater treatment plants an overall pharmaceutical removal of 95% could consistently be achieved with both methods. Furthermore, treatment with GAC was sensitive to a degraded effluent quality, which severely reduced the hydraulic capacity. Both treatment methods showed efficient removal of previously highlighted substances, such as carbamazepine and diclofenac, however in general a lower adsorption capacity was observed for GAC. By varying the input of process parameters, such as the continuously added dose or the contact time, during PAC treatment, a responsive change of the pharmaceutical removal could be achieved. The work in this thesis contributes some valuable field experience towards wider application of these treatment technologies in full-scale. / <p>QC 20161124</p> / MistraPharma