Anthropogenic organic micro-pollutants and pathogens in the urban water cycle: assessment, barriers and risk communication (ASKURIS)

Abstract

First published by Springer: Jekel, Martin et al.: Anthropogenic organic micro-pollutants and pathogens in the urban water cycle: assessment, barriers and risk communication (ASKURIS). - In: Environmental Sciences Europe. - ISSN 2190-4715 (online). - 25 (2013), art. 20. - doi:10.1186/2190-4715-25-20.In urban areas, water often flows along a partially closed water cycle in which treated municipal wastewater is discharged into surface waters which are one source of raw waters used for drinking water supply. A number of organic micro-pollutants (OMP) can be found in different water compartments. In the near future, climatic and demographic changes will probably contribute to an increase of OMP and antibiotic-resistant pathogens in aquatic ecosystems. The occurrence of OMP, possible adverse effects on aquatic organisms and human health and the public perception must be carefully assessed to properly manage and communicate potentially associated risks and to implement appropriate advanced treatment options at the optimum location within the water cycle. Therefore, the interdisciplinary research project ASKURIS focuses on identification and quantification, toxicological assessment and removal of organic micro-pollutants and antibiotic-resistant pathogens in the Berlin water cycle, life cycle-based economic and environmental assessment, public perception and management of potential risks

From agricultural fields to surface water systems: the overland transport of veterinary antibiotics

“…As a result, in 2011, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) initiated the funding framework RiSKWa: Risk Management of Emerging Compounds and Pathogens in the Water Cycle. RiSKWa was comprised of 12 joint research projects, including: (i) Anthropogenic Trace Organic Compounds and Pathogens in the Urban Water Cycle: Assessment, Barriers and Risk Communication (ASKURIS; Jekel et al 2013); (ii) Reduction of Micropollutants and Potentially Pathogenic Bacteria for Further Water Quality Improvement of River Schussen, a Tributary of Lake Constance (SchussenAktivplus; Triebskorn et al 2013); and (iii) Hazard-Based Risk Management of Anthropogenic Trace Substances for Protection of the Drinking Water Supply (TOX-BOX; Grummt et al 2013).…”

Impacts of Accumulated Particulate Organic Matter on Oxygen Consumption and Organic Micro-Pollutant Elimination in Bank Filtration and Soil Aquifer Treatment

“…The semi-closed water cycle in Berlin-Tegel is an example of de facto water reuse with BF and SAT as essential barriers [15]. Treated wastewater is partly discharged into Lake Tegel, which is an important water resource in the north-west of Berlin.…”

Pilot-Scale Investigation of Micropollutant Removal with Granular and Powdered Activated Carbon

“…PAC is an economical alternative for the removal of seasonally occurring taste and odor compounds in water works (Zoschke et al 2011). Numerous research projects are driven forward to investigate efficient technologies for OMP removal not only in drinking water treatment (Delgado et al 2012) but also increasingly in advanced wastewater treatment (Acero et al 2012;Altmann et al 2014;Boehler et al 2012;Jekel et al 2013;Joss et al 2008;Margot et al 2013).…”

“…Clara Eichler, Lluís Godo, and Sophia Paul are thanked for their help at the pilot plants and during lab testing. This research was conducted within the project Anthropogene Spurenstoffe und Krankheitserreger im urbanen Wasserkreislauf: Bewertung, Barrieren und Risikokommunikation (ASKURIS) (Jekel et al 2013) funded by the German Ministry for Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)) under the sponsorship number 02WRS1278A. Funding is gratefully acknowledged.…”