LIFE Impetus

Reducing pharmaceutical compounds from urban wastewater treatment plants

Pharmaceutical compounds are classified as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). If not checked, these chemicals could pollute drinking water sources and wastewater reuse projects. LIFE Impetus tested new and ecological ways of removing such compounds from urban wastewater treatment plants in Lisbon and the Algarve. New waste treatment mixtures comprising biomass residues were compared with commercial products. Their approach was successful, easy to implement, low cost, and used less energy than traditional methods. In fact, an eco-friendly pine nutshell derivative outperformed its commercial counterpart in tests, and it should soon be on the market. The new technology can be used in most EU wastewater plants.

Coordinator
Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil, I.P.
Countries
Portugal