Effect of Wastewater Treatment Operational Conditions on the Fate of Emerging Trace Organic Compounds

This paper presents data and preliminary findings from the first phase of a WERF funded study on Trace Organic Compounds Removal during Wastewater Treatment. The overall goal of this study is to assess the performance of secondary treatment processes for TOrC removal based on selected TOrC indicator compounds. During the initial phase of this study the following were performed: a) literature review regarding the effects of sludge retention time on TOrC removal, b) bench-scale biotransformation batch studies using activated-sludge obtained from full-scale plants operated under nitrified versus nonnitrifed conditions c) controlled laboratory-scale flowthrough conventional wastewater treatment systems operated under differing sludge retention times. These findings will be important to the calibration of TOrC mass balance models. Preliminary findings of the literature review and laboratory studies indicate that sludge retention times and nitrifying conditions affect the removal of some TOrCs, but not all monitored TOrCs. This analysis will progress as additional full-scale activated-sludge samples are collected for biotransformation batch tests and laboratory-scale flow-through activated sludge systems are operated under varying reactor configurations (i.e., anoxic vs. anaerobic vs. aerobic zones) and temperatures.