The potential and challenges of activated carbon technologies for controlling emerging contaminants in water treatment and reclamation

Abstract

"The presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) in drinking water and treated wastewaters is a recent raising concern in water and wastewater treatment plants (WTPs and WWTPs), as some compounds were already implied in risk cancer increase, bacterial resistance to antibiotics and reproductive abnormalities in aquatic organisms. The control of ECs in WTPs and WWTPs is therefore a priority that requires the assessment of the risks involved, the improvement of the current barriers and, if necessary, their rehabilitation with advanced treatment technologies. Activated carbon-based technologies have been considered one of the best available solutions for they minimize the by-products formation, but their sustainability and cost-efficiency still calls for activated carbon development and process optimization. To overcome the exhisting challenges for activated carbon full-scale application and upgrade WTPs/WWTPs for ECs control our research group is working with several environmental applications of activated carbon based technologies, per se or coupled with biodegradation and membrane processes. This communication presents examples of applications and main achievements. Emphasis is given to: i) chemical enhancement of conventional wastewater treatment using “green” PAC; ii) hybrid PAC/ low-pressure membrane processes for advanced drinking water production and water reclamation aiming at water reuse; iii) biologically active carbon (BAC) filtration for drinking water treatment."