Improving small urban wastewater treatment plants with a nature-based reactor for tertiary treatment

Urban wastewater treatment has significantly improved in recent decades, reducing the environmental impacts of their effluents and improving the chemical and ecological status of receiving water bodies. However, specific treatments, focused on nitrogen and phosphorus removal, have been implemented p...

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Autores: Bertrans-Tubau, Lluís, Martínez Campos, Sergio, Lopez Doval, Julio, Abril, Meritxell, Pladelasala de Rocafiguera, Guillem, Ponsá Salas, Sergio, Suñer, Ana Cristina, Salvadó, Victoria, Hidalgo, Manuela, Doménech-Pascual, Anna, Romaní, Anna M, Pico-Tomàs, Anna, Balcazar, José Luis, Proia, Lorenzo
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:UVic-UCC
Repositorio:RiUVic. Repositori institucional de la UVic-UCC
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:riuvic______::249364177878aeb4e4340f1e05ca8175
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10854/180990
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126983
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Biofilms
Plàncton
Nitrogen
Aigües residuals -- Plantes de tractament
574
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spelling Improving small urban wastewater treatment plants with a nature-based reactor for tertiary treatmentBertrans-Tubau, LluísMartínez Campos, SergioLopez Doval, JulioAbril, MeritxellPladelasala de Rocafiguera, GuillemPonsá Salas, SergioSuñer, Ana CristinaSalvadó, VictoriaHidalgo, ManuelaDoménech-Pascual, AnnaRomaní, Anna MPico-Tomàs, AnnaBalcazar, José LuisProia, LorenzoBiofilmsPlànctonNitrogenAigües residuals -- Plantes de tractament574Urban wastewater treatment has significantly improved in recent decades, reducing the environmental impacts of their effluents and improving the chemical and ecological status of receiving water bodies. However, specific treatments, focused on nitrogen and phosphorus removal, have been implemented principally in large urban wastewater treatment plants (UWWTPs) serving over 10,000 population equivalents (P.E). In contrast, small UWWTPs (<10,000 P.E.) are generally not required to meet nutrient discharge limits despite the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) offer cost-effective alternatives for small facil ities as potential tertiary treatments. This research evaluated a pond-stream system, based on the biological activity of benthic (biofilms) and planktonic microbial communities (biofilm-plankton reactor, BPR), as an additional treatment step for activated sludge UWWTPs. The BPR achieved removal efficiencies for nitrogen (67.4 ±11.1 %) and Escherichia coli (75.4 ±37.3 %), while phosphorus, carbon, and targeted contaminants of emerging concern were highly variable and were not consistently removed. Microbial communities’ structure and functions were assessed through algal biomass, stoichiometry, and extracellular enzymatic activities, providing a distinctive perspective into the BPR’s microbial ecological dynamics related to removal efficiencies. Shotgun metagenomics identified a broad range of nitrogen functional genes, mainly involved in biodegradation and biosynthesis processes. This next-generation sequencing approach complemented conventional E. coli count methods, offering a deeper understanding of potential pathogen hotspots in treated effluents. Overall, the BPR system demonstrated a promising NBS for nitrogen and microbiological contaminant removal in small UWWTPs, whereas further investigation is needed to optimise the removal of other important water quality parameters.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionElsevierUniversitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya. Centre Tecnològic BETA2026202620252025info:eu-repo/semantics/article16 p.application/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10854/180990https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126983reponame:RiUVic. Repositori institucional de la UVic-UCCinstname:UVic-UCCInglésJournal of Environmental Management, 393,126983Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:dnet:riuvic______::249364177878aeb4e4340f1e05ca81752026-06-07T19:15:21Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Improving small urban wastewater treatment plants with a nature-based reactor for tertiary treatment
title Improving small urban wastewater treatment plants with a nature-based reactor for tertiary treatment
spellingShingle Improving small urban wastewater treatment plants with a nature-based reactor for tertiary treatment
Bertrans-Tubau, Lluís
Biofilms
Plàncton
Nitrogen
Aigües residuals -- Plantes de tractament
574
title_short Improving small urban wastewater treatment plants with a nature-based reactor for tertiary treatment
title_full Improving small urban wastewater treatment plants with a nature-based reactor for tertiary treatment
title_fullStr Improving small urban wastewater treatment plants with a nature-based reactor for tertiary treatment
title_full_unstemmed Improving small urban wastewater treatment plants with a nature-based reactor for tertiary treatment
title_sort Improving small urban wastewater treatment plants with a nature-based reactor for tertiary treatment
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Bertrans-Tubau, Lluís
Martínez Campos, Sergio
Lopez Doval, Julio
Abril, Meritxell
Pladelasala de Rocafiguera, Guillem
Ponsá Salas, Sergio
Suñer, Ana Cristina
Salvadó, Victoria
Hidalgo, Manuela
Doménech-Pascual, Anna
Romaní, Anna M
Pico-Tomàs, Anna
Balcazar, José Luis
Proia, Lorenzo
author Bertrans-Tubau, Lluís
author_facet Bertrans-Tubau, Lluís
Martínez Campos, Sergio
Lopez Doval, Julio
Abril, Meritxell
Pladelasala de Rocafiguera, Guillem
Ponsá Salas, Sergio
Suñer, Ana Cristina
Salvadó, Victoria
Hidalgo, Manuela
Doménech-Pascual, Anna
Romaní, Anna M
Pico-Tomàs, Anna
Balcazar, José Luis
Proia, Lorenzo
author_role author
author2 Martínez Campos, Sergio
Lopez Doval, Julio
Abril, Meritxell
Pladelasala de Rocafiguera, Guillem
Ponsá Salas, Sergio
Suñer, Ana Cristina
Salvadó, Victoria
Hidalgo, Manuela
Doménech-Pascual, Anna
Romaní, Anna M
Pico-Tomàs, Anna
Balcazar, José Luis
Proia, Lorenzo
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya. Centre Tecnològic BETA
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Biofilms
Plàncton
Nitrogen
Aigües residuals -- Plantes de tractament
574
topic Biofilms
Plàncton
Nitrogen
Aigües residuals -- Plantes de tractament
574
description Urban wastewater treatment has significantly improved in recent decades, reducing the environmental impacts of their effluents and improving the chemical and ecological status of receiving water bodies. However, specific treatments, focused on nitrogen and phosphorus removal, have been implemented principally in large urban wastewater treatment plants (UWWTPs) serving over 10,000 population equivalents (P.E). In contrast, small UWWTPs (<10,000 P.E.) are generally not required to meet nutrient discharge limits despite the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) offer cost-effective alternatives for small facil ities as potential tertiary treatments. This research evaluated a pond-stream system, based on the biological activity of benthic (biofilms) and planktonic microbial communities (biofilm-plankton reactor, BPR), as an additional treatment step for activated sludge UWWTPs. The BPR achieved removal efficiencies for nitrogen (67.4 ±11.1 %) and Escherichia coli (75.4 ±37.3 %), while phosphorus, carbon, and targeted contaminants of emerging concern were highly variable and were not consistently removed. Microbial communities’ structure and functions were assessed through algal biomass, stoichiometry, and extracellular enzymatic activities, providing a distinctive perspective into the BPR’s microbial ecological dynamics related to removal efficiencies. Shotgun metagenomics identified a broad range of nitrogen functional genes, mainly involved in biodegradation and biosynthesis processes. This next-generation sequencing approach complemented conventional E. coli count methods, offering a deeper understanding of potential pathogen hotspots in treated effluents. Overall, the BPR system demonstrated a promising NBS for nitrogen and microbiological contaminant removal in small UWWTPs, whereas further investigation is needed to optimise the removal of other important water quality parameters.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2025
2026
2026
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10854/180990
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126983
url http://hdl.handle.net/10854/180990
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126983
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Journal of Environmental Management, 393,126983
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 16 p.
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:RiUVic. Repositori institucional de la UVic-UCC
instname:UVic-UCC
instname_str UVic-UCC
reponame_str RiUVic. Repositori institucional de la UVic-UCC
collection RiUVic. Repositori institucional de la UVic-UCC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1869419153652187136
score 15,811543

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