The general ideas behind MOTREM project are:
a) Develop new processes or modifications of the current biological and disinfection technologies in WWTPs by advanced oxidation and biooxidation processes to achieve the removal of ECs before water reuse or the discharge of the effluents to the environment.
b) Develop new technologies for the monitoring of the wastewater treatment plant operation regarding the removal of ECs, including analytical procedures and ecotoxicology assessment.
c) Bring together the “key enabling technologies (KET)” developed in steps a) and b) to be tested in an urban wastewater treatment plant.
The general goal of the project will be accomplished through specific research objectives:
1.- To develop biooxidation processes with higher efficiency in the degradation of ECs, evaluating their feasibility in continuous non-sterile operation conditions.
2.- To increase the catalytic efficiency of TiO2 materials by novel preparation and immobilization methods, evaluating their performance, lifetime and stability under long-term operation using solar light.
3.- To develop photo-Fenton processes operating at near-neutral pH values for the simultaneous inactivation of microorganisms and removal of ECs, engineering the process for a successful scaling-up.
4.- To identify the ECs more refractory to the water treatment processes to be used as indicators of the wastewater plant operation efficiency, developing new sampling and analytical methodologies for their monitoring, making possible the link with the control strategies.
5.- To establish the mechanism of degradation of the ECs, including the identification of the transformation products and the assessment of their ecotoxicological and estrogenic impact.