Degradation of Dimethylacetamide from Membrane Production through Constructed Wetlands—Pathways, Ecotoxicological Effects and Consequences for Chemical Analysis

Wastewater from factories producing polysulfone-based membranes mainly contains the used organic solvent, i.e., dimethylacetamide (DMAc). Due to environmental impact of DMAc, wastewater treatment is mandatory. Several biological options based on activated sludge process are described in literature. artificial aeration, these techniques have high energy requirements. Near-nature processes such as vertical flow constructed wetlands (VF wetlands) a low demand, tolerance load fluctuations, and maintenance Therefore, high-loaded, two-stage VF an efficient option for treating wastewater. However, so far only been limited extent industrial In present study, ability laboratory-scale, high-load, treat DMAc was investigated. This included their degradation efficiency corresponding pathways, removal total carbon (TOC), nitrification denitrification nitrogen, well ecotoxicological effects (mutagenicity, genotoxicity, reactive oxygen species) untreated treated The focus determine effect different grain size distributions rates, maximum inflow loading, concentrations effluent concentrations. general, completely degraded using wetlands, with dimethylamine (DMA) identified main intermediate. TOC rates reached more than 99%. nitrogen bound nitrified. start-up without seeded filter material temporarily leads nitrite accumulation. may affect mutagenicity results show that effective containing higher comparable processes.