Ultimate aims to establish and foster water smart industrial symbiosis by implementing circular economy solutions for water, material and energy recovery. The circular economy solutions shall create a win-win situation for both the water sector and the industry. In nine case studies the water sector forms those symbiosis with companies from the agro-food, beverage, petrochemical, chemical and biotech industry.

Subsurface travel time from the area of recharge to the point of abstraction during MAR is a critical parameter to ensure sufficient attenuation for hygienic parameters and other undesired substances. A new simulation tool has been developed by the SMART-Control project partners KWB and TUD for determination of groundwater hydraulic residence time (HRT) using seasonal temperature fluctuations observed in recharge water and MAR recovery wells. This tool represents a proxy for quick, costs-effective and reliable control of travel time during aquifer passage. Time series of seasonal temperature measurements observed in surface water and abstraction wells can be fitted to sinusoidal functions. Peak values represented as local maxima and local minima and turning points from the fitted sinusoidal curves are used for the approximation of travel times between surface water and abstraction well. The calculated values are adjusted by a thermal retardation factor. The developed tool is userfriendly and offers the possibility to use existing hystorical temperature measurements as well as online sensor data. Data acquisition is resolved through the internal connectivity with other web-tools developed within the SMART-Control project, providing thus an integrated simulation environment.

Im Projekt E-VENT wurden innovative Verfahren der kommunalen Abwasserreinigung und Klärschlammbehandlung untersucht, um damit den Energieverbrauch von Klärwerken und die damit verbundenen Emissionen von Treibhausgasen (THG) zu senken. Nach einem Screening verschiedener Technologien wurden dazu Labor- und Pilotversuche zur thermischen Hydrolyse von Klärschlamm und zur Abwasserbehandlung mit granuliertem Belebtschlamm im Nereda®Verfahren durchgeführt. Aufbauend auf den Versuchsergebnissen wurden für ein Berliner Klärwerk verschiedene Varianten für einen zukünftigen Neubau modelliert und bewertet, um das Potential der innovativen Verfahren zur Senkung von THG-Emissionen unter den spezifischen Randbedingungen in Berlin abzuschätzen. Abschließend wurden auch die Investitions- und Betriebskosten der neuen Verfahren mit einer konventionellen Referenzvariante verglichen. Die Versuche zur thermischen Hydrolyse zeigen, dass der Faulgasertrag aus dem Klärschlamm damit deutlich erhöht werden kann (bis zu +26%). Gleichzeitig erhöht sich aber auch die Rückbelastung des Faulschlammzentrats mit Phosphor, Stickstoff und refraktären organischen Stoffen. Neben dem erhöhten Aufwand zur Behandlung des Zentrats kann vor allem der refraktäre organische Anteil die Ablaufqualität der Klärwerke deutlich verschlechtern, besonders bei Thermo-Druck-Hydrolyse. Bei thermo-alkalischer Hydrolyse konnte im Pilotversuch ein Mehrgasertrag von +19% im Jahresmittel sowie eine moderate Belastung des entstehenden Zentrats gezeigt werden, das die Ablaufwerte des Klärwerks nicht signifikant verschlechtert. Im Pilotversuch zum Nereda®-Verfahren wurde ein stabiler Betrieb mit granuliertem Belebtschlamm erreicht, der eine gute biologische Reinigungsleistung für Phosphor und Stickstoff zeigte. Die hohen Anforderungen an die Ablaufwerte konnten jedoch nicht zuverlässig erreicht werden. Wie auch im konventionellen Belebtschlammverfahren ist dabei die Verfügbarkeit von Kohlenstoff (CSB/N-Verhältnis) ein möglicher limitierender Faktor für die biologischen Prozesse und die erreichbare Ablaufqualität. Darüber hinaus wurde ein erhöhter Anteil von Feststoffen im Ablauf des Nereda®-Verfahrens festgestellt, der zur Erreichung der vorgegebenen Zielwerte eine Nachreinigung über Filtration erforderlich macht. Vor einer großtechnischen Umsetzung sind daher weitere Untersuchungen in größerem Maßstab notwendig, um die zuverlässige Einhaltung der geforderten Überwachungswerte zu prüfen. Die Messung von Lachgas ergab relativ hohe Emissionsfaktoren dieses starken THG für die Nereda®-Pilotanlage. Die Bewertung der Verfahren für einen zukünftigen Neubau des Klärwerks Stahnsdorf zeigen, dass die innovativen Verfahren die Energiebilanz gegenüber einer konventionellen Referenz weiter verbessern können. Dabei werden die möglichen Vorteile einer thermo-alkalischen Hydrolyse im Faulgasertrag durch den Mehraufwand auf dem Klärwerk und auch durch geringere Energierückgewinnung in der Klärschlammentsorgung im Modell ausgeglichen. Beim Nereda®Verfahren sinkt der Verbrauch an Strom und Fällmitteln und verbessert so die Energiebilanz und senkt die damit verbundenen Emission von Treibhausgasen. Dabei ist zu beachten, dass wichtige Eingangsdaten weiter validiert werden sollten, um zu einer abschließenden Bewertung dieser Verfahren zu kommen. Die Schätzung der Investitions- und Betriebskosten ergab, dass die innovativen Verfahren Kostenvorteile bieten können. Insgesamt zeigte das Projekt, dass die hier untersuchten innovativen Verfahren ein Potential zur Senkung der THG-Emissionen der Abwasserreinigung bieten. Für den betrachteten Neubau des Klärwerk Stahnsdorf konnten dieser THG-Fußabdruck um bis zu 72% gesenkt werden, was einer Einsparung von 3700 Tonnen CO2Äquivalenten entspricht. Bei einer zukünftigen Einführung solcher innovativen Verfahren ist jedoch immer die zuverlässige Einhaltung der vorgegebenen Ablaufwerte als Primärziel der Abwasserreinigung zu garantieren und dafür in großtechnischem Maßstab zu überprüfen.

This report summarizes the work for monitoring of hydraulic residence time (HRT) carried out at the Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) site Berlin-Spandau waterworks. The newly installed monitoring system consists of realtime online sensor data and evaluation algorithms implemented as a web-based software tool. The combination of online data with processing tools allows time-efficient HRT evaluation. Apart from HRT estimations, the monitoring also included measurements by flow-through cytometry (FCM), meta-genomic DNA sequencing and classical microbial cultivation-based analysis. FCM cell counting allows to quantitatively detect microbial cells after staining with a DNA-binding fluorescent dye. The aim of FCM measurements was to gain insights on microbial dynamics along the flow path from the infiltration basin to the abstraction well. The FCM device was installed to measure in the infiltration basin, groundwater observation well and abstraction well in a continuously flowing sampling line that allowed for automatic and continuous monitoring in water. Microbial indicators of viruses, bacteria and protozoa were sampled and analysed by classical cultivation-based methods in parallel to the FCM measurements. The combination of FCM with cultivation-based methods aimed to establish an indicative reference cell count representing a hygienically safe water. The high-frequency flow cytometry data revealed decreasing order of total cell counts from surface water in the infiltration basin water to groundwater in the abstraction well. The fairly constant measurements in the abstraction well may allow to use FCM fingerprinting as a fast monitoring tool in combination with cultivation based methods. However, long-term measurements of FCM for at least 6 months are recommended to assess seasonal fluctuation in both source water and groundwater. Water samples were in addition characterised by DNA sequencing enabling a complete "meta genomic" analysis and taxonomic profiling including bacterial, archaea, viral, eukaryotic DNA. The DNA sequencing in combination with FCM measurements showed that total cell counts decreased along the flow path while the biodiversity increased.

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.

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.

Elevated levels of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) have been detected in the Baltic Sea for many years. These APIs are often discharged from hospitals, households, pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, and animal farms, among other sources. As APIs are not completely degraded in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), they are then transported to the Baltic Sea. Although research on the effects of APIs in the Baltic Sea has been ongoing, the consequences of API discharges on the environment, in terms of potentially risky ecological effects, have not yet been fully evaluated. The European Union’s Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme funded the Clear Waters from Pharmaceuticals (CWPharma) project, which quantified API loading into the Baltic Sea from six river basin districts. Seven Baltic Sea Region (BSR) countries were involved as CWPharma partners (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Poland and Sweden). Surface water, soil, and sediment samples were collected from coastal, rural, and agricultural locations and analysed for up to 80 APIs. By comparing the API concentrations detected in rivers with predicted no-effect levels (PNEC), the environmental risk of individual APIs was quantified. A GIS-based model was developed which allowed illustration and assessment of API loads into the Baltic Sea coming from the project partner countries, as well as evaluation of the impacts of various emission reduction scenarios. Different types of emission reduction measures were proposed. Reductions of API emission from WWTPs through the application of advanced wastewater treatment (AWT) technologies were experimentally validated at full- and pilot-scale. AWT technologies tested in CWPharma included full-scale ozonation and various post-treatment technologies, such as moving bed bioreactors, constructed wetlands, deep bed filters using sand/anthracite, and granular activated carbon. Additionally, 21 recommendations for other reduction measures focused on improving collection and disposal of unused pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical waste, targeting various groups and emitters, were also developed. By simulating the variety of API reduction methods within the API loading model, the most effective measures for reducing API emissions could be determined. Similarly, both the costs and global warming potential of upgrading various classes of WWTPs with AWT in the form of ozonation or activated carbon were calculated for each CWPharma project partner country. This report summarizes the most important recommendations elicited from the CWPharma project.

As part of their communication activities, multi-actor approach projects are required to produce short “practice abstracts” (PAs) which outline their plans and main findings. The information should be easy understandable and provided throughout the project’s life-cycle. This information must therefore be shared in a specific format (the “EIP Common format”) which is specially made so that project info and results can be shared with those who can apply the findings. The format includes: a short and understandable title, a succinct summary of the issue tackled and the main outcomes and recommendations produced, and contact details to find further information. The content of the submitted practice abstracts can be updated at any moment according to new findings.