Assessing the potential of activated carbon and anion-exchange in combination to remove organic micropollutants from wastewater – Long term pilot trials at Kungsängsverket WWTP, Uppsala, Sweden

Pharmaceuticals and per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic micropollutants (OMPs) posing environmental and health risks due to their bioaccumulative nature and potential toxicity. These OMPs spread to the environment due to the extensive use in today's society. Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not designed to effectively remove these contaminants, making WWTPs an important pathway, especially for pharmaceuticals, to the aquatic environment. This study investigates the efficiency of combining granular activated carbon (GAC) and anion exchange (AIX) for the removal of OMPs from wastewater. While GAC is a well-established method for removal of pharmaceuticals and AIX for PFAS removal, the combination of GAC and AIX for treating municipal wastewater has not been evaluated before. This research therefore focuses on long-term trials assessing the removal efficiencies of GAC and AIX filters in both bench-scale and pilot-scale setups at Kungsängsverket WWTP in Uppsala, Sweden. The combination of GAC and AIX filters showed over 90 % removal efficiency for pharmaceuticals such as diclofenac up to 20,000 treated empty bed volumes (EBV). PFAS removal was primarily achieved by AIX after the initial 5000 EBV by GAC, highlighting the complementary roles of the two technologies. The findings contribute with new insights utilizing GAC and AIX as a combined treatment approach for reducing OMPs in municipal wastewater, contributing to improved environmental and public health outcomes. • Novel Combined Treatment: Removal of organic micropollutants by combination of granular activated carbon (GAC) and anion exchange (AIX). • Focus on Persistent Contaminants: Emphasis on pharmaceuticals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). • Long-Term Trials: Extensive column and pilot-scale trials conducted at Kungsängsverket WWTP. • Effective micropollutant removal : Demonstrated substantial removal of various pharmaceuticals and PFAS.