As part of the international project Digital Water City (DWC), a water quality monitoring campaign was carried out by the research institute KompetenzzentrumWasser Berlin (KWB) in the Spree Canal during the summer of 2020. The Spree Canal is a sidearm of the river Spree and receives discharges of Berlin’s combined sewer system overflows. The association Flussbad e.V. investigates actions to make this water section usable as bathing water since in its current state the Spree Canal is under high hygienic pressure after heavy rainfall. The aim of this study was to monitor the presence of E.coli as indicator organism for faecal contaminations in the urban water. For this purpose a mobile and an in-situ deployed rapid E.coli measuring device by the company Fluidion SAS were tested in the field as well as under controlled laboratory conditions: the ALERT Lab and the ALERT System. The devices were evaluated regarding their detection of faecal contamination and their suitability to be used as a supplement or replacement for the more time-consuming Most Probable Number (MPN) reference method according to DIN EN ISO 9308-3 (1998) which is required by the EU-Directive 2006/7/EC (2006). The evaluation criteria included the agreement of the measurement results with the MPN reference method as well as the measurement precision of the devices. The ALERT Lab was able to achieve precisions comparable to the MPN method, but the results also revealed a systematic overestimation of the MPN reference. The ALERT System on

Thermal alkaline pretreatment (TAP) of waste activate sludge (WAS) was carried out in pilot-scale over a year to investigate its seasonal effects on anaerobic digestion and its impact on dewaterability, sludge liquor quality and formation of soluble refractory COD (sCODref). Temperature of TAP was set at 65–70 °C and pH was increased by initial dosing of sodium hydroxide [NaOH] (50% w/w, 1–2.5 mL/L sludge) as alkali agent following 2–2.5 h reaction time. Pilot digesters were fed with primary sludge (PS) and hydrolyzed WAS (HWAS) and compared to a reference digester fed with PS and untreated WAS. Biogas yield increase due to TAP of WAS showed a sinusoidal trend throughout the year with maximum in summer (+42%), minimum in winter (+3%) and average of +20%, indicating a strong seasonal effect on TAP efficiency. Ammonium [NH4+-N], orthophosphate [PO43--P] and sulphate [SO42-] in sludge liquor increased by 34.6%, 17.0% and 21.6% with TAP, respectively. Centrifugation tests showed no significant difference in dewaterability of both digestates with respect to total solids of sludge cake. Normalized capillary suction time of digestate increased due to TAP, indicating a lower capability for water release. Furthermore, detected sCODref after batch aerobic biodegradation tests showed an increase of 30.3% with TAP. Hence, implementation of TAP of WAS in full-scale will potentially lead to an increase of 0.8–1.1 mg/L of sCODref in effluent of six wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Berlin. In conclusion, TAP of WAS leads to increase in biogas production with a slighter negative impact on effluent COD quality than high-temperature thermal hydrolysis.

Vacuum degasification (VD) of ammonia from waste streams and subsequent production of nitrogen fertilizer can be one element of the effort towards closing the nitrogen (N) cycle and thus avoiding emissions harmful to the environment. This master’s thesis comprises a literature research for suitable substrates and laboratory experiments for the optimization of a design and experimental design of a VD pilot plant for ammonia recovery. Eight streams among the top 20 food waste streams in Europe and their associated streams, all digestates from digestion or co-digestion of animal waste streams, agricultural digestates and manures were identified as suitable substrates for N-recovery with VD. During 120 min of VD at pH 9.0, 190 mbar and 60 °C a total ammonia-N (TAN) removal rate of 0.81 ± 0.03 was achieved with an NaOH load of about 80 ml (L substrate)-1 in biogas digestate. The TAN removal rate during VD at 190 mbar and 60°C was dependent on pH with a dose response function. For efficient ammonia removal pH = 9.0 was necessary. Evidence for an ammonia volatilization inhibition at pH = 8.5 not explicable by the ammonia dissociation was found. At 158 % of the boiling pressure, 69 % of the TAN removal rate at boiling pressure was reached. Air stripping the hot substrate for 60 min lowered the NaOH load for maintaining pH 9.0 during VD by 30 %. Electrical conductivity (EC) and pH during the degasification treatment did not correlate. Alkaline hydrolysis could be the reason for pH decrease during VD at pH 9.5. In the pilot plant a pH sensor and a possibility to adjust the pH continuously should be installed. The pH for VD experiments at 60°C should be in the range 8.75–9.5. Pressures below the boiling pressure should not be excluded. Experiments with CO2 stripping should be conducted to exhaust the potential for NaOH saving.

Probabilistic quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) studies define model inputs as random variables and use Monte-Carlo simulation to generate distributions of potential risk outcomes. If local information on important QMRA model inputs is missing, it is widely accepted to justify assumptions about these model inputs by using external literature information. A question, which remains unexplored, is the extent to which previously published external information should influence local estimates in cases of nonexistent, scarce, and moderate local data. This question can be addressed by employing Bayesian hierarchical modeling (BHM). Thus, we study the effects and potential benefits of BHM on risk and performance target calculations at three wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in comparison to alternative statistical modeling approaches (separate modeling, no-pooling, complete pooling). The treated wastewater from the WWTPs is used for restricted irrigation, potable reuse, or influences recreational waters, respectively. We quantify the extent to which external data affects local risk estimations in each case depending on the statistical modeling approach applied. Modeling approaches are compared by calculating the pointwise expected log-predictive density for each model. As reference pathogens and example data, we use locally collected Norovirus genogroup II data with varying sample sizes (n = 4, n = 7, n = 27), and complement local information with external information from 44 other WWTPs (n = 307). Results indicate that BHM shows the highest predictive accuracy and improves estimates by reducing parameter uncertainty when data are scarce. In such situations, it may affect risk and performance target calculations by orders of magnitude in comparison to using local data alone. Furthermore, it allows making generalizable inferences about new WWTPs, while providing the necessary flexibility to adjust for different levels of information contained in the local data. Applying this flexible technique more widely may contribute to improving methods and the evidence base for decision-making in future QMRA studies.

Gülle und Gärreste werden häufig als Wirtschaftsdünger in der Landwirtschaft eingesetzt. Sie liefern sowohl organisches Material für den Boden als auch Stickstoff, der ein wichtiger Nährstoff für Pflanzen ist. Oft stimmt jedoch die gesetzlich vorgeschriebene, saisonale Ausbringung der Gülle nicht mit dem Zeitpunkt des tatsächlichen Stickstoffbedarfs der Pflanzen überein. Dies führt zu einem unerwünschten Verlust des Stickstoffs für die Pflanzen durch Emissionen ins Grundwasser (Nitrat) oder in die Atmosphäre (Ammoniak und/oder Lachgas). Besonders in Regionen mit einem hohen Gülleaufkommen und einer hohen Ausbringungsrate der Gülle kann es zu starken Umweltbelastungen kommen. Um die Zufuhr des organischen Materials für den Boden von der Stickstoffzufuhr aus der Gülle für die Pflanzen zu entkoppeln, wurde in dem EU geförderten Projekt Circular Agronomics (www.circularagronomics.eu) eine Pilotanlage entwickelt und konstruiert. Die Pilotanlage soll eine „stickstoffabgereicherte Gülle“ produzieren, die als Bodenverbesserer eingesetzt werden kann. Cirular Agronomics zielt darauf ab, zwischen 80 % und 90 % des Stickstoffs, der ursprünglich als Ammonium vorlag, aus der Gülle bzw. dem Gärrest zurückzugewinnen. In einem anschließenden Gaswäscher reagiert das Ammoniakgas mit Schwefelsäure zu einer Ammoniumsulfatlösung, welche ein typischer mineralischer Stickstoffdünger ist. Dieser kann dann ausgebracht werden, wenn die Pflanze den Stickstoff benötigt und umsetzen kann. Um den Prozess der Vakuumentgasung besser zu verstehen und die optimalen Prozessbedingungen zu untersuchen, wurden im Vorfeld Laborexperimente durchgeführt. In den Versuchen wurden der pH-Wert, die Druckbedingungen und die Prozesstemperatur variiert. Die Experimente zeigten, dass bei einem pH-Wert von 9.0, einer Temperatur von 60 °C und einem absoluten Druck von 190 mbar bis zu 88 % des Ammoniums aus dem Gärrest in Form von Ammoniak abgereichert wurden. Eine CO2-Strippung vor Anhebung des pH-Wertes auf pH 9.0, verringerte zudem die notwendige Natronlaugenzufuhr zur pH-Wert-Anhebung um 30 %. Basierend auf den Ergebnissen der Experimente wurden Schlussfolgerungen für ein optimales Design der Pilotanlage abgeleitet. Derzeit wird die Pilotanlage in Betrieb genommen und erste Versuche durchgeführt, deren Ergebnisse ebenfalls im Vortrag präsentiert werden.

Appropriate collection and disposal of medicine-related waste has been identified as one of the main ways to decrease the emission of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) into the environment. Improvement to the take-back and treatment of collected pharmaceutical waste may be considered lowhanging fruit when one is considering measures to reduce API emissions. However, comparable information that would enable estimating the potential impact of these efforts has not been available. Directive 2004/27/EC, related to medicinal products for human use, mandates that EU member states implement appropriate collection schemes for unused or expired human-use medicinal products. However, it does not provide any guidelines on practical implementation of these schemes. Several studies have pointed out significant differences among Member States in this regard. In March 2019, the European Commission published the European Union Strategic Approach to Pharmaceuticals in the Environment. The actions specified therein cover all stages of the pharmaceutical life cycle, from design and production to disposal and waste management. It emphasizes such elements as sharing good practices, co-operating at international level, and improving understanding of the risks. This report is aimed at filling knowledge gaps and proposing good practices for take-back and disposal of unused human and veterinary medicines and other pharmaceutical waste. The report is targeted to e.g. ministries, environment and medicines agencies, supervisory authorities, municipalities, hospitals, NGOs, pharmacists, doctors, and veterinarians. For the report, current national practices for take-back and disposal of unused medicines and other pharmaceutical waste in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Sweden were evaluated. The pharmaceutical waste originating from households, hospitals and other health care institutions, the pharmaceutical industry, and veterinary use was considered. The proportion of citizens who return unused pharmaceuticals via designated collection points varies greatly between Baltic Sea countries, from about 10% to 70%, with 16–80% disposing of them of as mixed household waste and 3–30% flushing them down the drain. The most commonly cited reason for improper disposal of medicines on households’ part is lack of information about their environmental impacts and how to get rid of them in an environmentally sound manner. Separate collection of unused household pharmaceuticals does not exist in Russia, and the collection mechanism functions poorly in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Information on the take-back schemes for unused human medicines is more readily available than is corresponding information on veterinary medicines. We identified, all told, 21 good practices and recommendations for take-back and disposal of unused pharmaceuticals and other pharmaceutical waste and for promoting the rational use of pharmaceuticals in the Baltic Sea region. Nevertheless, implementing them at national level requires particular consideration due to differences in national legislation and other characteristics of the EU Baltic Sea countries and Russia. The good practices identified in this report answer the call issued in the EU strategic approach for an efficient risk-reduction strategy.

Die energetischen Potenziale in kommunalen Kläranlagen werden nur unzureichend ausgeschöpft und bleiben in Klimaschutzmaßnahmen häufig unberücksichtigt. Kläranlagen gehören jedoch zu den größten kommunalen Stromverbrauchern und haben dadurch einen signifikanten CO2-Fußabdruck. Im Vorhaben REEF 2W, das von der EU im Rahmen des Programms INTERREG 2 gefördert wird, wird mit Blick auf öffentliche Infrastrukturen von Städten und Gemeinden ein Entscheidungstool zur strategischen Planung entwickelt. In diesem Tool können neue Technologien in die bestehende Anlagensituation integriert werden, um eine höhere Energieeffizienz und eine Verbesserung der Nutzung von nachwachsenden Rohstoffen zu erzielen. Dies soll durch Kombination und Integration der Sektoren Abfall- und Abwasserbehandlung erreicht werden. Das Projekt untersucht im Rahmen der Toolentwicklung die Ressourcenströme und notwendigen technischen Infrastrukturen. Ein Kernstück bildet dabei die Co-Fermentation von Klärschlamm und Bioabfall während deFaulungsprozesses, wodurch sich die Wärme- und Energieerträge (Strom oder Gas) beträchtlich steigern lassen können. Daneben werden neue Wege zur Nutzung des anfallenden Faulgases aufgezeigt, z. B. Gasaufbereitung und Einspeisung ins Gasnetz sowie Power-to-Gas Technologie. Ziel des Excel-basierten Entscheidungstools ist es letztlich, verschiedene innovative Technologiekombinationen energetisch, wirtschaftlich und ökologisch mit dem aktuellen Status zu vergleichen.

This report describes the contamination by pharmaceuticals and the environmental risks associated with their environmental levels in the Baltic Sea Region. Data were collected within the three-year project Clear Waters from Pharmaceuticals (CWPharma) funded by the EU’s Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme. Sampling was performed in the river basin districts of Vantaanjoki in Finland, Pärnu in Estonia, Lielupe and Daugava in Latvia, Vistula in Poland, Warnow-Peene in Germany and Motala ström in Sweden. Analyses were performed on surface water, coastal water, sediment and soil that was fertilized with sewage sludge or manure. Analyses were also performed on emissions from municipal wastewater treatment plants, hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, landfills, and fish and livestock farms. In total, the study covered 13 365 data points from 226 samples as well as collection of human and veterinary consumption data of selected active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Samples were screened for up to 80 APIs, representing antibiotics, antiepileptics, antihypertensives, asthma and allergy medications, gastrointestinal disease medications, hormones, metabolic disease medications, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and analgesics, other cardiovascular medicines, psychopharmaceuticals, veterinary medicines and caffeine. The measured APIs were selected based on analytical capacity, consumption rates, identified data gaps and potential environmental risks. Literature and databases were screened for ecotoxicological information. Acute toxicity tests were performed for two APIs, nebivolol and cetirizine, for which ecotoxicological data were lacking. Measured environmental concentrations were compared with predicted no-effect concentrations (PNEC) to assess environmental risks of the selected APIs.