Weitergehende Reinigung kommunaler Abwässer mit Ozon sowie Aktivkohle für die Entfernung organischer Spurenstoffe

Laufzeit:
2013-2015

Advanced wastewater treatment for the removal of organic trace compounds - technical implementation of a combined ozonation - activated carbon adsorption plant

Duration:
2013-2015

Contact Person:
Norbert Kreuzinger: norbkreu@iwag.tuwien.ac.at

Project Staff:
H Schaar, J Haslinger, A Winkelbauer, S Weilguni

Partners:
Donau Chemie AG, opens an external URL in a new window
Messer Austria GmbH, opens an external URL in a new window
VA TECH WABAG GmbH, opens an external URL in a new window
Xylem Service GmbH, opens an external URL in a new window
ebswien hauptkläranlage , opens an external URL in a new window

Financing:
BMLUW Abteilung VII/6 (kpc - kommunalkredit public consulting)
BMLUW Abteilung VII/1 (DaFNE), opens an external URL in a new window

short description

The present research project deals with the application of ozone and activated carbon as advanced treatment steps for the removal of organic trace contaminants from municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent. This incorporates the determination of operational and economic fundamentals for the development of site-specific, local solutions and for process operation. Moreover, it comprises the approach and advance, respectively, of the investigated technologies to the best available technology (BAT) for advanced wastewater treatment.

The project represents a contribution to a sound preparation for discussions on the practical implementation of an issue that has not become acute yet, however, based on international trends and developments significant impacts on the Austrian water management can be expected in the future (12-18 years, i.e. 2-3 National Water Management Plan cycles). For the first time respective boards work on the development of environmental quality standards for pharmaceuticals and human sexual steroids (hormones) applied to water bodies on the European Union level. Since even municipal wastewater treatment plants operated according to the BAT, i.e. nitrogen removal, cannot sufficiently remove these substances they represent a dominant point source to the aquatic environment. As a consequence, there is an international trend to implement further treatment steps. Nowadays the following two technologies are considered appropriate for improving the removal efficiency for emerging compounds:

• Chemical oxidation by ozone
• Adsorption by activated carbon

Based on the international experience of the applicant it can be stated that there is still a lack of knowledge regarding process engineering, operational and economic fundamentals for the implementation on WWTPs. These deficits shall be tackled in the present project by investigating both technologies. The objectives of the project comprise the following issues:

• Development of operational experiences and concrete costs for an ozonation step and an activated carbon filter
• Development of fundamentals for the comparison of the two tested technologies
• Which processes and process combinations (ozone, GAC) are primarily applicable for the specific Austrian situation?
• How can existing WWTPs be upgraded with an ozonation of GAC step?

Development and improvement of Austrian know-how for the scientific community, planning offices, technology suppliers and planning authorities as a basis for discussing the implementation

• Determination of costs for ozone and GAC and estimation of capital and operating costs on the Austrian state level assuming various scenarios for the implementation which have to be accorded with the authorities
• Elimination efficiency for guiding parameters
• Control concepts for ozone and GAC
• Application of bioassays (“whole effluent assessment”) and chemical analyses (for the guiding parameters)