INTECH4WATER: contaminant removal using microalgae towards an integrated wastewater treatment approach

Population growth and industrial development over recent centuries have led to increasing use of water resources and consequent production of wastewater (WW), which can contain a wide range of contaminants such as inorganic nutrients (N and P), potentially pathogenic microorganisms, and heavy metals. However, a new category of emerging pollutants (EPs) is causing concern: these include pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) such as antibiotics, microplastics (MPs), bisphenols and phthalates. These substances are often not removed by conventional methods used in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and are released into the environment with obvious risks to the ecosystems and human health. The imperative to develop treatment methodologies that effectively address both traditional pollutants and EPs has given rise to the project INtegrated TECHnologies for pollutants in (waste)WATER services (INTECH4WATER). The main aim of the project is to develop an innovative integration of advanced biological and physico-chemical methods to design a flexible and modular prototype for treating WW from the sludge thickening process at the HERA SpA treatment plant in Ferrara, Italy.