Transformation processes in water treatment plants

    Project Details

    Description

    A wide range of biotic and abiotic transformation processes are going on in treatment plants for groundwater. It is of particular interest whether organic chemical pollutants in trace concentrations (ug/l) can be degraded. Experiments with aromatic hydrocarbons in a pilot water works have shown very high treatment efficiencies resulting in residual concentrations of benzene, toluene, and naphthalene below 1 microg/l. This has to be further verified in larger scale, and a possible negative effect of iron precipitation has to be investigated. Studies of MTBE degradation in a full-scale water works has been conducted. MTBE was degraded efficiently from 10-50 ug/L to a few ug/L. It is planned to include a broader range of organic contaminants in the studies, including chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons and pesticides.

    Biological transformation of some of the "traditional" pollutants is still an interesting research topic (nitrification, iron and manganes removal, etc.), in particular interactions between the specific groups of organisms involved.
    Modelling of the organic and inorganic substrate removal and the simultaneous microbial growth and precipitation reactions is also considered as important. The better understanding of the processes will improve the chances of success of the modelling.
    Acronym16
    StatusFinished
    Effective start/end date01/01/199630/11/2003

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