3 Conclusions and Outlooks
The necessity of water reclamation is growing, driven by a stress on water supply
and increased statutory regulations with respect to wastewater effluent quality. More
water reclamation schemes in regions with restricted freshwater resources for both
non-potable and indirect potable purpose are on trial at full-scale operation (e.g., in
Singapore). As of today, membrane filtration processes such as NF and RO continue
to play a central role in propagating the success of water reclamation due to the
robust performance on the removal of emerging contaminants (e.g., NSAIDs). In the
future, integrated processes (i.e., to combine the advantages of biological and
chemical/mechanical processes) should be at the forefront of research considerations
as such processes have the potential to reduce the cost and enhance the application of
water reclamation.
References
1. Day RO, Graham GG (2013) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). BMJ Br Med
J 346:f3195
2. Sutherland DL, Ralph PJ (2019) Microalgal bioremediation of emerging contaminants –
opportunities and challenges. Water Res 164:114921
3. Tran NH, Reinhard M, Gin KY-H (2018) Occurrence and fate of emerging contaminants in
municipal wastewater treatment plants from different geographical regions – a review. Water
Res 133:182–207
4. Nguyen LN, Nghiem LD, Pramanik BK, Oh S (2018) Cometabolic biotransformation and
impacts of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac on activated sludge microbial communities.
Sci Total Environ
5. Clara M, Strenn B, Gans O, Martinez E, Kreuzinger N, Kroiss H (2005) Removal of selected
pharmaceuticals, fragrances and endocrine disrupting compounds in a membrane bioreactor
and conventional wastewater treatment plants. Water Res 39(19):4797–4807
6. Jewell KS, Falås P, Wick A, Joss A, Ternes TA (2016) Transformation of diclofenac in hybrid
biofilm-activated sludge processes. Water Res 105:559–567
7. Nguyen LN, Nghiem LD, Pramanik BK, Oh S (2019) Cometabolic biotransformation and
impacts of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac on activated sludge microbial communities.
Sci Total Environ 657:739–745
8. Kimura K, Amy G, Drewes JE, Heberer T, Kim T-U, Watanabe Y (2003) Rejection of organic
micropollutants (disinfection by-products, endocrine disrupting compounds, and pharmaceutically active compounds) by NF/RO membranes. J Membr Sci 227(1–2):113–121
9. Tran NH, Urase T, Kusakabe O (2010) Biodegradation characteristics of pharmaceutical
substances by whole fungal culture Trametes versicolor and its laccase. J Water Environ
Technol 8(2):125–140
10. Cui Y-W, Zhang H-Y, Lu P-F, Peng Y-Z (2016) Effects of carbon sources on the enrichment
of halophilic polyhydroxyalkanoate-storing mixed microbial culture in an aerobic dynamic
feeding process. Nat Rep 3:1–13
11. Wei Y, Liao S-A, Wang A-l (2016) The effect of different carbon sources on the nutritional
composition, microbial community and structure of bioflocs. Aquaculture 465:88–93
12. Tran NH, Urase T, Ngo HH, Hu J, Ong SL (2013) Insight into metabolic and cometabolic
activities of autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms in the biodegradation of emerging
trace organic contaminants. Bioresour Technol 146:721–731
Contemporary Methods for Removal of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs in. . .
233
The necessity of water reclamation is growing, driven by a stress on water supply
and increased statutory regulations with respect to wastewater effluent quality. More
water reclamation schemes in regions with restricted freshwater resources for both
non-potable and indirect potable purpose are on trial at full-scale operation (e.g., in
Singapore). As of today, membrane filtration processes such as NF and RO continue
to play a central role in propagating the success of water reclamation due to the
robust performance on the removal of emerging contaminants (e.g., NSAIDs). In the
future, integrated processes (i.e., to combine the advantages of biological and
chemical/mechanical processes) should be at the forefront of research considerations
as such processes have the potential to reduce the cost and enhance the application of
water reclamation.
References
1. Day RO, Graham GG (2013) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). BMJ Br Med
J 346:f3195
2. Sutherland DL, Ralph PJ (2019) Microalgal bioremediation of emerging contaminants –
opportunities and challenges. Water Res 164:114921
3. Tran NH, Reinhard M, Gin KY-H (2018) Occurrence and fate of emerging contaminants in
municipal wastewater treatment plants from different geographical regions – a review. Water
Res 133:182–207
4. Nguyen LN, Nghiem LD, Pramanik BK, Oh S (2018) Cometabolic biotransformation and
impacts of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac on activated sludge microbial communities.
Sci Total Environ
5. Clara M, Strenn B, Gans O, Martinez E, Kreuzinger N, Kroiss H (2005) Removal of selected
pharmaceuticals, fragrances and endocrine disrupting compounds in a membrane bioreactor
and conventional wastewater treatment plants. Water Res 39(19):4797–4807
6. Jewell KS, Falås P, Wick A, Joss A, Ternes TA (2016) Transformation of diclofenac in hybrid
biofilm-activated sludge processes. Water Res 105:559–567
7. Nguyen LN, Nghiem LD, Pramanik BK, Oh S (2019) Cometabolic biotransformation and
impacts of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac on activated sludge microbial communities.
Sci Total Environ 657:739–745
8. Kimura K, Amy G, Drewes JE, Heberer T, Kim T-U, Watanabe Y (2003) Rejection of organic
micropollutants (disinfection by-products, endocrine disrupting compounds, and pharmaceutically active compounds) by NF/RO membranes. J Membr Sci 227(1–2):113–121
9. Tran NH, Urase T, Kusakabe O (2010) Biodegradation characteristics of pharmaceutical
substances by whole fungal culture Trametes versicolor and its laccase. J Water Environ
Technol 8(2):125–140
10. Cui Y-W, Zhang H-Y, Lu P-F, Peng Y-Z (2016) Effects of carbon sources on the enrichment
of halophilic polyhydroxyalkanoate-storing mixed microbial culture in an aerobic dynamic
feeding process. Nat Rep 3:1–13
11. Wei Y, Liao S-A, Wang A-l (2016) The effect of different carbon sources on the nutritional
composition, microbial community and structure of bioflocs. Aquaculture 465:88–93
12. Tran NH, Urase T, Ngo HH, Hu J, Ong SL (2013) Insight into metabolic and cometabolic
activities of autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms in the biodegradation of emerging
trace organic contaminants. Bioresour Technol 146:721–731
Contemporary Methods for Removal of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs in. . .
233