MikroModell

 „Development of a mass balance model and guidelines

for reducing emissions of micropollutants with regard to water quality“

Project leader:              Dr. Hilmar Boernick
Scientific co-workers:    M. Sc. Stephan Beil
Funding:                      SMUL, DBU, Gelsenwasser AG
Duration:                     10/2015 – 09/2018

Water quality in central Europe has considerably improved over the last decades in large part due to the continuous advancement of urban sewer and wastewater treatment systems. Nevertheless, with the current state of technology, many anthropogenic micropollutants, e.g. pharmaceuticals, corrosion inhibitors, pesticides as well as their transformation products, cannot be sufficiently removed during conventional wastewater treatment. For some years, there has been a growing perception that the increase of concentrations of such substances is accompanied by health risks for mankind and nature, which require specific measures aimed at their reduction.

The objective of the project is to establish a mass balance model based on data with a high degree of temporal and spatial resolution, which is capable of evaluating feasible options for reducing emissions and providing sound predictions concerning specific reduction scenarios. Thereby, solution strategies, which are both source-directed as well as end-of-pipe approaches, which focus on the wastewater treatment plants, shall be comprehensively analyzed according to economic and ecological aspects in order to develop operational guidelines.

For generating the necessary database, efficient methods have to be established and realized during several measurement campaigns for trace analyses of a broad variety of micropollutants in the intake and effluent of several municipal wastewater treatment facilities and in the corresponding receiving water. Furthermore, investigations concerning the removal efficiency of a potential fourth treatment stage will be performed.