Tertiary Wastewater Treatment Technologies: A Review of Technical, Economic, and Life Cycle Aspects

The activated sludge process is the most widespread sewage treatment method. It typically consists of a pretreatment step, followed by primary settling tank, an aerobic degradation process, and, finally, secondary tank. effluent then usually chlorinated and discharged to water body. Tertiary aims at improving characteristics facilitate its reuse. In this work, through literature review prominent tertiary methods, benchmarking their technical efficiency, economic feasibility, environmental impact was carried out. photo-Fenton method proved be technically efficient significantly reducing microbial load pharmaceutical content (by 4.9 log 84%, respectively) effluent. Chlorination UV irradiation exhibited lowest costs (0.004 EUR/m−3) global warming potential (0.04 0.09 kg CO2eq. m−3, respectively). After all data were aggregated, decision-making tool constructed in form ternary diagram, which indicates appropriate according weight-per-process aspect (technical, economic, environmental) selected user, with chlorination, irradiation, ozonation, microalgae cultivation, wetlands prevailing final results.