The presence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in wastewater poses significant risks to both the environment and human health, and conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have shown several limitations in the removal of these pollutants. To address these challenges, depending on WWTP size and location (nutrient-sensitive or non-nutrient-sensitive area), the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive of the European Parliament (Directive EU 2024/3019) requires European Countries to introduce quaternary treatments, aimed at removing micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, and personal care products, and tertiary treatments to reduce the release of nitrogen and phosphorus in treated urban effluents. Among the emerging technologies, electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) have garnered significant attention for their effectiveness in degrading refractory organic compounds. However, most existing studies mainly focus on the treatment of raw wastewater at laboratory scale. This paper provides an overview of EAOPs applied as tertiary and quaternary treatments of real secondary effluents, reviewing experimental conditions, removal efficiencies, potential advantages, and drawbacks. Key findings highlight that anodic oxidation (AO) is the most widely applied and effective EAOP for both urban and industrial effluents, achieving high removal rates of micropollutants while requiring limited chemical consumption, making it a competitive alternative to conventional treatments. Nitrogen removal is feasible, although influenced by electrode materials and reactive chlorine species, which can lead to the formation of toxic by-products. Finally, the strengths and limitations of large-scale EAOP application compared to conventional quaternary treatments were addressed, highlighting the need for future efforts to support their implementation across diverse wastewater treatment contexts.
Potential applications of electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) as tertiary and quaternary wastewater treatments under the new Directive EU 2024/3019: A review
Pasciucco, Erika;Pasciucco, Francesco;Iannelli, Renato;Pecorini, Isabella
2025-01-01
Abstract
The presence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in wastewater poses significant risks to both the environment and human health, and conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have shown several limitations in the removal of these pollutants. To address these challenges, depending on WWTP size and location (nutrient-sensitive or non-nutrient-sensitive area), the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive of the European Parliament (Directive EU 2024/3019) requires European Countries to introduce quaternary treatments, aimed at removing micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, and personal care products, and tertiary treatments to reduce the release of nitrogen and phosphorus in treated urban effluents. Among the emerging technologies, electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) have garnered significant attention for their effectiveness in degrading refractory organic compounds. However, most existing studies mainly focus on the treatment of raw wastewater at laboratory scale. This paper provides an overview of EAOPs applied as tertiary and quaternary treatments of real secondary effluents, reviewing experimental conditions, removal efficiencies, potential advantages, and drawbacks. Key findings highlight that anodic oxidation (AO) is the most widely applied and effective EAOP for both urban and industrial effluents, achieving high removal rates of micropollutants while requiring limited chemical consumption, making it a competitive alternative to conventional treatments. Nitrogen removal is feasible, although influenced by electrode materials and reactive chlorine species, which can lead to the formation of toxic by-products. Finally, the strengths and limitations of large-scale EAOP application compared to conventional quaternary treatments were addressed, highlighting the need for future efforts to support their implementation across diverse wastewater treatment contexts.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
