micropollutants anticipating future challenges Origines could be multiple, one-off, diffuse… Micropollutants arrive in the natural environment mainly through municipal or industrial wastewater, agriculture, hospital activity, transport and machinery, micropollutants, direct emissions and atmospheric fallout. an environmental challenge... The change in our consumption patterns is leading to the appearance of new pollutants in water. Called “micropollutants”, these emerging pollutants are found in very low concentrations, by the micro or nanogram per litre. Even at trace levels, they are becoming a hot topic for local authorities and industries in the protection of receiving environments. The progress in the field of laboratory micropollutants by wastewater testing increasingly highlights treatment plants, controls on the presence of micropollutants outflows of micropollutants have 65 in the aquatic environment. They been mandatory since 2011 for million molecules* are recorded in encompass tens of thousands, or wastewater treatment plants with the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) perhaps even hundreds of thousands a capacity of more than 100,000 database. of molecules likely to have direct or population equivalent (PE) and since * end of January 2012 indirect potentially chronic effects 2012 for those with a capacity of Major families of micropollutants on ecosystems, even at very low more than 10,000 PE. • mineral micropollutants such as metals and metalloids, radioactive elements: concentrations. lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, antimony, radon, uranium, etc. • In Switzerland, the ordinance on • organic micropollutants: pesticides, hydrocarbons, solvents, detergents, As a specialist in water treatment, 30,000 cosmetics, medicinal substances, etc. SUEZ anticipated this problem and water protection (“OEaux”) defines substances, imported or developed the treatments needed an average purification rate of 80% manufactured in quantities of to reduce the impact on the natural in relation to raw water for some more than 1 tonne/year have been environment and to promote the indicator substances belonging to identified and had their risks increased protection and preservation the following areas of application: assessed. (European “REACH” of water resources. household chemicals, medicines regulation) …anticipated by SUEZ and biocides. This requirement relates to some one hundred Swiss development of innovative processes wastewater treatment plants which Ambitious research programmes Widespread awareness and methods in order to control the should also have a process in place whole water cycle: drinking water, • In Europe, the Water Framework to remove trace amounts of organic 100,000 For more than ten years, SUEZ, urban wastewater, storm water and Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC) substances. chemical substances on the European has been participating in various industrial waters. promotes the principle of market in 2012 research programmes* that the rectification, by focusing on the group conducts with its partners *(AMPERES, Poseidon, Rhodanos, Mediflux, source, of environmental damage. Limiting the impact (institutions, universities, local PCB-Axelera, PRISTINE Wastewater, ARMISTIQ, Europe still does not require that on the ecosystem authorities, etc.) in the field of SIPIBEL, Nanosep, etc.) wastewater treatment plants micropollutants. treat micropollutants. It has Reduce emissions at source: Controlling industrial, urban and • Effective solutions are already drawn up a list of substances that rational use of micropollutants Since March 2015, all the Group storm water discharges, measuring member states must monitor in our daily activities (industries, brands (Degrémont, Ozonia, concentrations of micropollutants available by implementing appropriate hospitals, the medical sector, Aquasource, Ondeo IS, Ameriwater, in water, and assessing the removal programmes of measures. These agriculture, at home, etc.). Infilco, Poseidon…) became SUEZ. capabilities of different purification As a specialist in water treatment, efforts are also enhanced by Meanwhile, from now own, the systems, are just some of the wastewater treatment and drinking the REACH regulation, a system • Preserve resources: by reducing technologies and know-how of facets of the various national and water production, with detailed and established in 2006 requiring the micropollutants, we can protect the our Treatment Solutions offer will international programmes seeking in-depth knowledge of numerous risks of 30,000 chemical substances environments and resources used in be distinguished with the label to guarantee the good condition of existing processes, technologies and ® to be identified and assessed. the production of drinking water. degremont . aquatic environments and the water equipment, SUEZ already has the distributed, and to maintain all water solutions and the expertise needed • In France, while the directives do activities and uses in a way that is to offer effective combinations for not yet require the implementation both sustainable and cost effective. the treatment of micropollutants of specific treatment for Ultimately, they are reflected by the present in water. 2 SUEZ - Micropollutants SUEZ - Micropollutants 3 Micropollutant removal mechanisms treatment Volatilization Settling Sand filter Filtration + Adsorption processes Biodegradation Oxidation mastered by SUEZ Biological treatment Ultrafiltration Reverse osmosis Filtration Chlorination U.V. Ozonation Adsorption Micropollutant removal mechanisms the compounds can be hydrophilic or involved depend on the physicochemical hydrophobic, adsorbable, volatile or features of each compound present semi-volatile, biodegradable, refractory, in water. Within the same family, with a high or low molecular weight. High potential for the removal of micropollutants by wastewater treatment plants Biological degradation substances that can be assimilated by Wastewater treatment plants Drinking water production plants It uses a wide variety of micro- bacteria. Wastewater treatment plants constitute a major point of In drinking water production, conventional refining processes organisms, principally bacteria which The choice of oxidant to be used is transit for micropollutants. Conventional biologic treatment remove numerous micropollutants, including pesticides. make up the purifying biomass. They dictated by its good selectivity for the technologies partly remove wastewater micropollutants In France, the national campaign for analysing medicinal convert biodegradable materials targeted pollution. before returning to the natural environment. The various residues in water conducted by the National Agency for Food, through the absorption of soluble removal mechanisms involved have variable performances Environmental and Workplace Safety (l’Agence nationale and suspended particles contained in Adsorption (from 20 to 95 %) depending on the type of the treated de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et wastewater to make simple products It results in attaching molecules on compound, the treatment process parameters and the du travail – ANSES) showed that 75% of the treated water such as carbon dioxide and additional the surface of an adsorbing solid conventional level off treatment (carbon and/or nitrogen samples analysed did not contain any of the 45 molecules biomass, or nitrate and nitrogen according to different processes removal). Additional treatments can be necessary according sought, whereas the cumulative concentrations were gas. Some bacteria mineralise the that vary in intensity. In the case of to the compulsory discharge concentrations. Considering significant in raw water. micropollutants by using them as a water treatment, activated carbon these requirements and considering the various compounds, source of carbon and energy. Aeration tends to be used for the adsorption it will be more effective to implement a combination of and stirring also cause certain of micropollutants. This material is micropollutant removal mechanisms. Presently, using molecules to volatilize. The more presented either in granular form in adsorption and/or chemical oxidation as refining treatments thorough the biological treatment a filter, or in a powder form generally is a good technical and economic compromise. is, the more effectively it removes in an activated carbon contactor/ micropollutants. separator. Physicochemical oxidation Clarification Beyond disinfection, physicochemical Settling and filtration remove oxidation is also used in water micropollutants from water, mainly treatment to degrade organic by trapping the suspended solids on compounds and to convert non- which they are attached. biodegradable pollutants into 4 SUEZ - Micropollutants SUEZ - Micropollutants 5 ® degremont technologies are ready Wastewater treatment Drinking water production Tertiary filtration treatment Refining treatment Aquazur™ Carbazur™ (Granular activated carbon filtration) Secondary Compakblue™ Ozonation treatment Ultrablue™ Clarification Pulsazur™ to meet the Ultrafor™ Ultrafiltration Biological Reverse osmosis / Nanofiltration degradation Ultragreen™ Advanced oxidation + Refining treatment Clarification Ozonation challenges of the future Pulsagreen™ Examples of combinations of treatment For each requirement, a solution The choice of a treatment technology, whether it be technologies for wastewater treatment As designers and integrators of efficient technologies conventional or advanced, depends upon the molecules Ozonation