This work investigates the elimination of new and emerging microcontaminants (EMs) from water by means of photochemical oxidation processes, namely heterogeneous and homogeneous photocatalysis. Representative compounds of artificial sweeteners (saccharin, SAC), endocrine disruptors (bisphenol-A, BPA), and pharmaceutica ls (antipyrine, AP) of high environmental persistence and widespread occurrence in the water cycle are used as case studies. Novel concepts that can make photochemica l oxidation a more cost-effective and environmentally benign technology are tested. In Chapter 4, the photocatalytic treatment of SAC and BPA is investigated. Novel submicronic anatase-rutile nanocomposite particles with tuned phase ratio are used as catalysts to increase the photocatalytic performance under UVA irradiation. At the best-assayed conditions (C0 = 3 mg/L, catalyst = 400 mg/L), SAC and BPA are completely degraded within 90 and 150 min of photocatalytic treatment, respectively. [variables: anatase-rutile ratio; initial substrate concentration; catalyst concentration; catalyst reuse; sonication during catalyst recovery] In Chapter 5, a UVA light-emitting diode (UVA-LED) and sunlight are used as irradiation sources to reduce energy requirements and environmental impacts of photocatalytic processes. The photocatalytic degradation of SAC and BPA is studied under UVA irradiation provided by either a UVA-LED or a conventional fluoresce nt blacklight UVA lamp (UVA-BL) and solar irradiation. At the best-assayed conditions (C0 = 2.5 mg/L, TiO2 = 250 mg/L), BPA is completely degraded within 20, 30, and 120 min under UVA-LED, solar, and UVA-BL irradiation, respectively. The treatment time required for the complete elimination of SAC is 20 min under UVA-LED and 90 min under UVA-BL irradiation. [variables: initial substrate concentration; catalyst concentration; water matrix; light source; reactor configuration] In Chapter 6, a comparative study is carried out among the photocatalytic systems of Chapters 4 and 5 in terms of EMs removal, photonic and energy efficiencies. Technica l and economic aspects of all the processes are assessed. LED-driven photocatalysis achieves the highest efficiency in terms of organic removal with the minimum energy consumption, rendering it the most sustainable technology for the treatment of EMs. In Chapter 7, olive mill wastewater (OMW) is used as an iron-chelating agent in the photo-Fenton reaction to obviate the need for water acidification at pH 2.8. Conventional, OMW- and EDDS-assisted photo-Fenton treatment is applied for SAC degradation in a solar compound parabolic collector (CPC). It was found that OMW forms iron complexes able to catalyse H2O2 decomposition and generate hydroxyl radicals. At the optimal OMW dilution (1:800), 90% of SAC is degraded within 75 min. [variables: pH; iron-chelating agent; initial SAC concentration; OMW dilution] In Chapter 8, other complexing and oxidising agents, namely oxalate and persulfate, are used for the intensification of AP degradation during UVA-LED photo-Fenton treatment. Neural networks are applied for process modelling and optimisation. At the optimal conditions (hydrogen peroxide = 100 mg/L, ferrous iron = 20 mg/L, oxalic acid = 100 mg/L), complete degradation of AP and 93% mineralisation is achieved within 2.5 and 60 min, respectively. [variables: initial concentration of hydrogen peroxide, ferrous iron, oxalic acid, persulfate] It is concluded that LED-driven photocatalysis is a sustainable technology for the elimination of EMs from water. Results from this work highlight the need for development and optimisation of engineering proper LED reactors. Furthermore, this work introduces a new concept towards the sustainable operation of photo-Fenton that is based on the use of wastewaters rich in polyphenols instead of pricey and hazardous chemicals for iron chelation. The addition of ferrioxalate complexes is proposed for the intensification of EMs mineralisation during UVA-LED photo-Fenton treatment. Finally, the findings of this work encourage the use of chemometric tools as predictive and optimisation tools.

There are many situations where a linguistic description of complex phenomena allows better assessments. It is well known that the assessment of water quality continues depending heavily upon subjective judgments and interpretation, despite the huge datasets available nowadays. In that sense, the aim of this study has been to introduce intelligent linguistic operations to analyze databases, and produce self interpretable water quality indicators, which tolerate both imprecision and linguistic uncertainty. Such imprecision typically reflects the ambiguity of human thinking when perceptions need to be expressed. Environmental management concepts such as: "water quality", "level of risk", or "ecological status" are ideally dealt with linguistic variables. In the present Thesis, the flexibility of computing with words offered by fuzzy logic has been considered in these management issues. Firstly, a multipurpose hierarchical water quality index has been designed with fuzzy reasoning. It integrates a wide set of indicators including: organic pollution, nutrients, pathogens, physicochemical macro-variables, and priority micro-contaminants. Likewise, the relative importance of the water quality indicators has been dealt with the analytic hierarchy process, a decision-aiding method. Secondly, a methodology based on a hybrid approach that combines fuzzy inference systems and artificial neural networks has been used to classify ecological status in surface waters according to the Water Framework Directive. This methodology has allowed dealing efficiently with the non-linearity and subjective nature of variables involved in this classification problem. The complexity of inference systems, the appropriate choice of linguistic rules, and the influence of the functions that transform numerical variables into linguistic variables have been studied. Thirdly, a concurrent neuro-fuzzy model based on screening ecological risk assessment has been developed. It has considered the presence of hazardous substances in rivers, and incorporates an innovative ranking and scoring system, based on a self-organizing map, to account for the likely ecological hazards posed by the presence of chemical substances in freshwater ecosystems. Hazard factors are combined with environmental concentrations within fuzzy inference systems to compute ecological risk potentials under linguistic uncertainty. The estimation of ecological risk potentials allows identifying those substances requiring stricter controls and further rigorous risk assessment. Likewise, the aggregation of ecological risk potentials, by means of empirical cumulative distribution functions, has allowed estimating changes in water quality over time. The neuro-fuzzy approach has been validated by comparison with biological monitoring. Finally, a hierarchical fuzzy inference system to deal with sediment based ecological risk assessment has been designed. The study was centered in sediments, since they produce complementary findings to water quality analysis, especially when temporal trends are required. Results from chemical and eco-toxicological analyses have been used as inputs to two parallel inference systems which assess levels of contamination and toxicity, respectively. Results from both inference engines are then treated in a third inference engine which provides a final risk characterization, where the risk is provided in linguistic terms, with their respective degrees of certitude. Inputs to the risk system have been the levels of potentially toxic substances, mainly metals and chlorinated organic compounds, and the toxicity measured with a screening test which uses the photo-luminescent bacteria Vibrio fischeri. The Ebro river basin has been selected as case study, although the methodologies here explained can easily be applied to other rivers. In conclusion, this study has broadly demonstrated that the design of water quality indexes, based on fuzzy logic, emerges as suitable and alternative tool to support decision makers involved in effective sustainable river basin management plans. / Existen diversas situaciones en las cuales la descripción en términos lingüísticos de fenómenos complejos permite mejores resultados. A pesar de los volúmenes de información cuantitativa que se manejan actualmente, es bien sabido que la gestión de la calidad del agua todavía obedece a juicios subjetivos y de interpretación de los expertos. Por tanto, el reto en este trabajo ha sido la introducción de operaciones lógicas que computen con palabras durante el análisis de los datos, para la elaboración de indicadores auto-interpretables de calidad del agua, que toleren la imprecisión e incertidumbre lingüística. Esta imprecisión típicamente refleja la ambigüedad del pensamiento humano para expresar percepciones. De allí que las variables lingüísticas se presenten como muy atractivas para el manejo de conceptos de la gestión medioambiental, como es el caso de la "calidad del agua", el "nivel de riesgo" o el "estado ecológico". Por tanto, en la presente Tesis, la flexibilidad de la lógica difusa para computar con palabras se ha adaptado a diversos tópicos en la gestión de la calidad del agua. Primero, se desarrolló un índice jerárquico multipropósito de calidad del agua que se obtuvo mediante razonamiento difuso. El índice integra un extenso grupo de indicadores que incluyen: contaminación orgánica, nutrientes, patógenos, variables macroscópicas, así como sustancias prioritarias micro-contaminantes. La importancia relativa de los indicadores al interior del sistema de inferencia se estimó con un método de análisis de decisiones, llamado proceso jerárquico analítico. En una segunda fase, se utilizó una metodología híbrida que combina los sistemas de inferencia difusos y las redes neuronales artificiales, conocida como neuro-fuzzy, para el estudio de la clasificación del estado ecológico de los ríos, de acuerdo con los lineamientos de la Directiva Marco de Aguas. Esta metodología permitió un manejo adecuado de la no-linealidad y naturaleza subjetiva de las variables involucradas en este problema clasificatorio. Con ella, se estudió la complejidad de los sistemas de inferencia, la selección apropiada de reglas lingüísticas y la influencia de las funciones que transforman las variables numéricas en lingüísticas. En una tercera fase, se desarrolló un modelo conceptual neuro-fuzzy concurrente basado en la metodología de evaluación de riesgo ecológico preliminar. Este modelo consideró la presencia de sustancias peligrosas en los ríos, e incorporó un mapa auto-organizativo para clasificar las sustancias químicas, en términos de su peligrosidad hacia los ecosistemas acuáticos. Con este modelo se estimaron potenciales de riesgo ecológico por combinación de factores de peligrosidad y de concentraciones de las sustancias químicas en el agua. Debido a la alta imprecisión e incertidumbre lingüística, estos potenciales se obtuvieron mediante sistemas de inferencia difusos, y se integraron por medio de distribuciones empíricas acumuladas, con las cuales se pueden analizar cambios espacio-temporales en la calidad del agua. Finalmente, se diseñó un sistema jerárquico de inferencia difuso para la evaluación del riesgo ecológico en sedimentos de ribera. Este sistema estima los grados de contaminación, toxicidad y riesgo en los sedimentos en términos lingüísticos, con sus respectivos niveles de certeza. El sistema se alimenta con información proveniente de análisis químicos, que detectan la presencia de sustancias micro-contaminantes, y de ensayos eco-toxicológicos tipo "screening" que usan la bacteria Vibrio fischeri. Como caso de estudio se seleccionó la cuenca del río Ebro, aunque las metodologías aquí desarrolladas pueden aplicarse fácilmente a otros ríos. En conclusión, este trabajo demuestra ampliamente que el diseño y aplicación de indicadores de calidad de las aguas, basados en la metodología de la lógica difusa, constituyen una herramienta sencilla y útil para los tomadores de decisiones encargados de la gestión sostenible de las cuencas hidrográficas.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T13:21:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ArquivoTotalAnderson.pdf: 4410851 bytes, checksum: e572d62f98ca693cf1cab482619214a6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-04-04 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The occurrence and identification of organic microcontaminants has attracted the interest of many researchers for the development and improvement in processes for the removal of these contaminants from effluents. In general, degradation of microcontaminants by conventional methods is very difficult, because of the low concentrations that they are found. Thus, the photo Fenton process and Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) has been a promising alternative for the removal of such water contamination. This study aims to perform the investigation of degradation, in effluent, of atrazine (ATZ) using the photo Fenton process and degradation of the pharmaceuticals propranolol (PRO) and metronidazole (MET) using UV radiation. In the ATZ (0,1 mg L-1) degradation study, UV-A photo Fenton process was used (H2O2= 5,0 mg L-1 e Fe2+ = 5,0 mg L-1), achieving a microcontaminant degradation of about 62 %, and the UV-C photo-Fenton process (H2O2 = 5,0 mg L-1 e Fe2+ = 5,0 mg L-1), reached about 98% of ATZ degradation. The analysis of organic matter removal during the photo Fenton treatment showed no significant change in the studied parameters. In the UV photolysis degradation study of the pharmaceuticals solutions (100 mg L-1) a degradation of 35% (PRO) and 50% (MET) was obtained after 8 hours of treatment, whereas using solar radiation a degradation of 36% (PRO) and 16% (MET) were obtained. From the kinetic constants and half-lives calculated, it was found that direct photolysis using solar radiation was so effective as the system using UV-C radiation to promote photodegradation of PRO, and for the MET results showed that the pharmaceutical has a higher degradation rate when the UV-C radiation was employed. / O surgimento e a identificação dos microcontaminantes orgânicos têm atraído o interesse de inúmeros pesquisadores para o desenvolvimento e melhoria nos processos de degradação desses contaminantes de efluentes. Em geral, a degradação de microcontaminantes por processos convencionais é bastante dificultada, em razão das baixas concentrações que eles são encontrados. Desta forma, o processo foto Fenton e a Radiação Ultravioleta (UV) têm sido uma alternativa promissora na eliminação deste tipo de contaminação da água. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo realizar o estudo da degradação, em efluentes, da atrazina (ATZ) utilizando o processo foto Fenton e da degradação dos fármacos propranolol (PRO) e metronidazol (MET) utilizando radiação UV. No estudo da degradação da ATZ (0,1 mg L-1) foi utilizado o processo foto Fenton UV-A (H2O2 = 5,0 mg L-1 e Fe2+ = 5,0 mg L-1), sendo obtida uma degradação do microcontaminante de cerca de 62%, e o processo foto Fenton UV-C (H2O2 = 5,0 mg L-1 e Fe2+ = 1,0 mg L-1), obtendo 98 % de degradação da ATZ. A análise da remoção da matéria orgânica durante o tratamento foto Fenton mostrou que não houve alteração significativa nos parâmetros estudados. No estudo da degradação por fotólise UV das soluções dos fármacos (100 mg L-1), foram obtidas taxas de degradação de 35% (PRO) e 50% (MET), após 8 horas de tratamento, enquanto que no processo utilizando a luz solar foram obtidos taxas de degradação de 36% (PRO) e 16% (MET). A partir das contantes cinéticas e das meias-vidas obtidas, foi verificado que a fotólise direta utilizando a radiação solar é tão eficaz quanto o sistema utilizando radiação UV-C para promover a fotodegradação do PRO, e para o MET, os resultados mostraram que o fármaco apresenta uma maior taxa de degradação quando a radiação UV-C foi utilizada. Palavras-chave: Microcontaminantes; Radiação UV; foto Fenton O surgimento e a identificação dos microcontaminantes orgânicos têm atraídoo interesse de inúmeros pesquisadores para o desenvolvimento e melhoria nosprocessos de degradação desses contaminantes de efluentes. Em geral, adegradação de microcontaminantes por processos convencionais é bastantedificultada, em razão das baixas concentrações que eles são encontrados. Destaforma, o processo foto Fenton e a Radiação Ultravioleta (UV) têm sido umaalternativa promissora na eliminação deste tipo de contaminação da água. Opresente trabalho teve como objetivo realizar o estudo da degradação, em efluentes,da atrazina (ATZ) utilizando o processo foto Fenton e da degradação dos fármacospropranolol (PRO) e metronidazol (MET) utilizando radiação UV. No estudo dadegradação da ATZ (0,1 mg L-1) foi utilizado o processo foto Fenton UV-A (H2O2 =5,0 mg L-1 e Fe2+ = 5,0 mg L-1), sendo obtida uma degradação do microcontaminantede cerca de 62%, e o processo foto Fenton UV-C (H2O2 = 5,0 mg L-1 e Fe2+ = 1,0 mgL-1), obtendo 98 % de degradação da ATZ. A análise da remoção da matériaorgânica durante o tratamento foto Fenton mostrou que não houve alteraçãosignificativa nos parâmetros estudados. No estudo da degradação por fotólise UVdas soluções dos fármacos (100 mg L-1), foram obtidas taxas de degradação de 35%(PRO) e 50% (MET), após 8 horas de tratamento, enquanto que no processoutilizando a luz solar foram obtidos taxas de degradação de 36% (PRO) e 16%(MET). A partir das contantes cinéticas e das meias-vidas obtidas, foi verificado quea fotólise direta utilizando a radiação solar é tão eficaz quanto o sistema utilizandoradiação UV-C para promover a fotodegradação do PRO, e para o MET, osresultados mostraram que o fármaco apresenta uma maior taxa de degradaçãoquando a radiação UV-C foi utilizada.

[ES] El agua se convirtió en uno de los recursos más escasos de la Tierra. Por eso es necesario desarrollar nuevas tecnologías para el tratamiento adecuado de las aguas residuales urbanas (UWW), permitiendo su reutilización. Múltiples tecnologías han demostrado ser efectivas cuando se aplican individualmente, pero a menudo no se aplican ni se integran en el tratamiento convencional de UWW, lo que resulta en la pérdida de posibles efectos sinérgicos. Por estas razones, la investigación sobre la combinación e integración de estas tecnologías es de suma importancia. Cuando se aplican de esta manera, también se conocen como Tecnologías Integradas Avanzadas. Hecho un trabajo de investigación sobre el rendimiento de una planta piloto de nanofiltración (NF) a escala piloto para UWW, seguido de la aplicación de métodos de tratamiento (químico). Los Procesos de Oxidación Avanzada (AOP), como el proceso (solar) foto-Fenton (SPF), aprovechan el ciclo catalítico del hierro (Fe2+ y Fe3+), la luz UV-vis, junto con un agente oxidante, como el peróxido de hidrógeno (H2O2), produciendo radicales hidroxilo altamente reactivos. Este proceso de foto-Fenton (solar) se aplica a un pH 3, para evitar la precipitación del hierro, o a un pH más alto mediante agentes quelantes, como el ácido etilendiamino-N, N'-disuccínico (EDDS). Los microcontaminantes (MC) usados fueron cafeína, imidacloprid, tiacloprid, carbamazepina y diclofenaco. La preconcentración es un paso esencial antes de aplicar AOP como tratamiento terciario de los efluentes de las plantas de tratamiento de aguas residuales urbanas (EDAR), ya que reduce significativamente el volumen a tratar y, por lo tanto, los costos económicos. El tratamiento de la corriente de concentrado de la NF mediante el proceso de SPF demostró ser efectivo para la eliminación de los MC mencionados anteriormente cuando se utilizó H2O2 como agente de oxidación. Por lo tanto, a una mayor degradación de los MC se adhiere una toxicidad directamente proporcionalmente menor. Las investigaciones incluyen la valorización de los efluentes EDAR mediante la recuperación de amonio, con la eliminación combinada de MC mediante NF y diferentes AOPs, con el fin de producir corrientes de permeado para la fertilización e irrigación directa de cultivos, también conocida como 'fertirrigación'. Esto incluye el proceso de SPF, pero también se combina con procesos de electrooxidación (EO). El SPF fue más efectivo al tratar las corrientes de concentrado de NF a pH circunneutro, con una concentración de MC inferior a 1 mg/L. Las corrientes de concentrado de NF altamente salinas son ideales para ser tratadas mediante procesos de EO, por sus alta conductividad, con un consumo eléctrico significativamente menor con la asistencia solar. La eficiencia de retención de MC por NF y la toxicidad después de los tratamientos con AOP también se evaluaron mediante la determinación de la fitotoxicidad del permeado. Los resultados mostraron que los permeados utilizados para los cultivos (Sorghum saccharatum, Sinapis alba, Lepidium sativum) redujeron la germinación de las semillas. Contrariamente, se observó que la irrigación con los permeados producidos generalmente promovió el desarrollo de las raíces, mientras que el desarrollo de los brotes prosperó solo cuando se usaron permeados que tenían factores de concentración inferiores al factor de concentración 2. Los estudios mostraron que los permeados deberían diluirse primero en un mínimo del 50%, para ser adecuados para la irrigación directa. El trabajo también incluyó la evaluación de una membrana de ultrafiltración (UF) cerámica foto catalítica TiO2-ZrO2 previamente desarrollada. La disminución del flujo puede revertirse cuando se irradia la membrana UF cerámica con luz en un simulador solar. La retención microbiológica de la membrana UF fue determinada utilizando una cepa bacteriana Gram negativa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa y fue capaz de retener consistentemente hasta un orden de magnitud de 1 x 104 UFC/ml. / [CA] L'aigua es va convertir en un dels productes bàsics més escassos de la Terra. Per tant, cal desenvolupar noves tecnologies, com el tractament adequat de les aigües residuals urbanes (UWW) per a la seva reutilització. Múltiples tecnologies avançades es demostren efectives quan s'apliquen únicament. Aquestes tecnologies sovint no s'apliquen ni s'integren en el tractament UWW convencional. Com a resultat, es perd possibles efectes sinèrgics. Per aquests motius, la investigació sobre la combinació i integració d'aquestes noves tecnologies és de la màxima importància. Quan s'apliquen així, aquestes tecnologies combinades també es coneixen i s'indiquen com a Tecnologies Integrades Avançades. Es va realitzar un treball de recerca sobre el rendiment d'una planta de nanofiltració (NF) a escala pilot per a la preconcentració d'UWW, seguida de l'aplicació de mètodes de tractament (químics), per tal de tractar els corrents de concentrat i permeat produïts. Els processos d'oxidació avançats (AOP), com el procés foto-Fenton (solar) (SPF), fan servir el cicle catalític del ferro (Fe2+ i Fe3+), la llum UV-vis, juntament amb un agent oxidant, com el peròxid d'hidrogen (H2O2), produint radicals hidroxil altament reactius i no selectius. Aquest procés SPF s'aplica a pH3, per tal d'evitar la precipitació del ferro, o a pH circumneutral aplicant agents quelants com l'àcid etilendiamina-N, N¿-disuccinic (EDDS). La preconcentració és un pas essencial abans d'aplicar els AOP com a tractament terciari d'efluents d'EDAR, ja que redueix significativament el volum a tractar i, per tant, els costos globals. El tractament del corrent de concentrat del NF mitjançant el procés SPF va demostrar ser eficaç per a l'eliminació de diferents microcontaminants (MC) quan s'utilitzava H2O2 com a agent d'oxidació. Per al qual una degradació de MC més alta s'adhereix a una toxicitat menor directament proporcional. Els seleccionats (MC) van ser cafeïna, imidacloprid, tiacloprid, carbamazepina i diclofenac. Els treballs de recerca posteriors van tractar la valorització dels efluents d'EDAR mitjançant la recuperació d'amoni, amb l'eliminació combinada de MC per NF i diferents AOP avançats, per tal de produir corrents permeats per a la fertilització directa dels cultius i el reg, també anomenats "fertirrigació". Inclou SPF, però també combinat amb processos d'electrooxidació (EO). El SPF va ser més eficaç quan es tractaven corrents de concentrat de NF a pH circumneutral, a una concentració de MC inferior a 1 mg/L, per obtenir una degradació ràpida de MC. Els corrents concentrats de concentrat NF altament salins són ideals per ser tractats mitjançant processos EO, alhora que posseeixen una alta conductivitat, i un menor consum elèctric significatiu per assistència solar. També es va avaluar l'eficiència de retenció de MC per NF i la toxicitat després dels tractaments amb AOP determinant la fitotoxicitat del permeat. Els resultats van mostrar que els permeats podrien reduir la germinació de llavors si s'utilitzaven per a cultius (Sorghum saccharatum, Sinapis alba, Lepidium sativum). Al contrari d'això, es va demostrar que el reg amb els permeats produïts afavoria generalment el desenvolupament de les arrels, mentre que el desenvolupament dels brots només va prosperar quan s'utilitzaven permeats que tenien factors de concentració inferiors a 2. Els estudis de toxicitat van mostrar que els corrents de permeat s'havien de diluir primer amb un mínim del 50% aigua dolça. El treball de recerca realitzat també va incloure l'avaluació d'una membrana d'ultrafiltració ceràmica (UF) fotocatalítica TiO2-ZrO2 desenvolupada prèviament. La disminució del flux es pot revertir quan la membrana fotocatalítica UF va ser irradiada per llum en un simulador solar. La retenció microbiològica de la membrana UF es va determinar mitjançant el desplegament d'una soca bacteriana gramnegativa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, ser capaç de retenir constantment fins a un ordre de magnitud d'1 x 104 CFU/ml. / [EN] Water turned to be one of Earths scarcest commodities. Therefore, novel technologies need to be developed, as appropriate treatment of produced urban wastewaters (UWWs) for its reuse as irrigation waters or aquifer recharge. Multiple advanced technologies are proven effective when applied solely. These technologies are often not applied or integrated into conventional UWW treatment. Resulting in missing out on potential synergetic effects. For these reasons that research into the combining and integration of these novel technologies is of the utmost importance. When thus applied, these combined technologies are also known and indicated as Advanced Integrated Technologies. Research work was conducted on the performance of a pilot scale nanofiltration (NF) plant for UWW pre-concentration, followed by the application of (chemical) treatment methods, in order to treat the produced concentrate and permeate streams. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs), such as the (solar) photo-Fenton process make use of the catalytic cycle of iron (Fe2+ and Fe3+), UV-vis light, along with an oxidizing agent, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), producing highly reactive and non-selective hydroxyl radicals (¿OH). This (solar) photo-Fenton process is applied at acidic pH3, in order to prevent iron precipitation, or at circumneutral pH by applying chelating agents such as Ethylenediamine-N, N¿-disuccinic acid (EDDS). Preconcentration is an essential step before applying AOPs as tertiary treatment of UWWTP effluents, as it significantly lowers the to be treated volume, and therefore the overall costs. Treating the concentrate stream from the NF by the solar photo-Fenton process showed to be effective for the removal of different microcontaminants (MCs) when H2O2 was used as an oxidation agent. Opposite to that, the application of persulfate and its derived radicals showed lower degradation of the selected MC. For which a higher MC degradation is adhered to a directly proportional lower toxicity. Selected (MCs) were caffeine, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, carbamazepine, and diclofenac. Further research work covered UWWTP effluent valorization by the recovery of ammonium, with combined MC elimination by NF and different advanced AOPs, in order to produce permeate streams for direct crop fertilization and irrigation, also called 'fertigation'. Including solar photo-Fenton, but also combined with electrooxidation (EO) processes. Solar photo-Fenton was most effective when treating NF concentrate streams at circumneutral pH, at MC concentration lower than 1 mg/L, to obtain rapid MC degradation. High saline and concentrated NF concentrate streams are ideal to be treated by EO processes, while possessing high conductivity. Obtaining significant lower electric consumption by solar assistance. MC retention efficiency by NF and toxicity after AOP treatments was also assessed by determining the permeate phytotoxicity. Results showed that permeates could lower seed germination if they would be used for crops (Sorghum saccharatum, Sinapis alba and Lepidium sativum). Contrary to that, it was showed that irrigation with the produced permeates generally promoted root development, while shoot development only thrived when using permeates which had concentration factors lower than 2. Toxicity studies showed that permeate streams should first be diluted with a minimum of 50% fresh water, in order to be suitable for direct crop irrigation in agriculture. Conducted research work also included the assessment of a priorly developed (collaboration with an PhD within MSCA AQUAlity) photocatalytic TiO2-ZrO2 ceramic ultrafiltration (UF) membrane. Flux decline can be reversed when the photocatalytic UF membrane was irradiated by light in a solar simulator. Microbiological retention of the UF membrane was determined by deploying a Gram-negative bacterial strain, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. Aeruginosa). It was able to consistently retain till an order of magnitude of 1x10^4 CFU/ml. / This PhD Thesis has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, the AQUAlity project, under the Marie SkłodowskaCurie grant agreement No 765860. Performing research work at CIEMAT – Plataforma Solar de Almería. / Deemter, RD. (2024). Application of Advanced Integrated Technologies (Membrane and Photo-Oxidation Processes) for the Removal of CECs contained in Urban Wastewater [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/203099