Enhanced Evaluation of the Removal of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Decentralized Water Reuse Systems by Non-Targeted Analysis
Abstract
A key to the implementation of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) in small-scale systems is ensuring that these systems meet current water quality standards and offer superior treatment for contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). One challenge to evaluating CEC removal in any treatment system is chemical identification. Therefore, a new approach is needed that will more comprehensively identify CECs and their bio-transformation and phototransformation products, as well as evaluate the removal of these constituents in different compartments of treatment systems. This project will test various hypotheses posed regarding CEC removal and metabolite production under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and due to photolysis, by using a non-targeted analytical approach for tracking the parent compounds and metabolites in raw sewage, MBR permeate and sludge, and irradiated permeates.
