Skip to content

Case

Wastewater management

Water management

Removal of micropollutants in wastewater through innovative use of known technology

2. September 2020
micropollutants

Solution provider

COWI

We provide state-of-the-art services within engineering, environmental science and economics with due consideration for the environment and society.

More from COWI

Want to see this solution first hand?

Add the case to your visit request and let us know that you are interested in visiting Denmark

At Brædstrup wastewater treatment plant, a development project is using known technologies in a new way to remove micropollutants – incl. pharmaceutical residues – from the wastewater. Ozonation in the main process at the WWTP combined with tertiary treatment (also with ozone) was tested and the results show that every measured micropollutant was removed to below the predicted no effect concentration (PNEC). Through ecotoxicology tests, lower levels of mutagen and hormonal effects were observed and no negative side effects were detected. Ozonation also resulted in better sludge conditions, increased removal of E. coli and antibiotic resistant bacteria as well as antibiotic resistant genomes. The last test of the project will be applying dosages of activated carbon directly in the biological process. This should result in adsorption of micropollutant by the activated carbon and thereby make it possible to remove it together with the sludge. The project is to end in 2020 with a final report.