Table 3.

Average concentrations of selected micropollutants in wastewater before/after biological treatment in the EGSB/SBR system followed by BACF as well as in the hydroponic system Line C and D operated in flow-through mode in 2017 and recycling mode in 2018

Target compound	ACE	CAF	CBZ	DIC	IBU	SMX	ASMX	BTZ	MBT
Conventional treatment
Effluent grit chamber	9.42	127	1.23	6.14	20.0	0.54	1.36	12.4	1.93
EGSB/SBR system
Effluent ESGB	14.5	27.6	1.19	3.85	20.8	0.93	0.36	17.8	2.19
Removal [%]	0	78	3	37	0	0	74	0	0
Effluent SBR	2.59	10.0	1.39	2.32	2.66	0.17	0.32	14.4	1.70
Removal [%]	73	92	0	62	87	69	77	0	12
Hydroponic system, Line C: reclaimed water from EGBR/SBR system
Reclaimed water	1.04	1.51	1.51	2.14	0.30	0.23	0.09	8.62	1.12
Lettuce shoots	92.5	< MQL	127	< MQL	< MQL	< MQL	< MQL	< MQL	< MQL
Lettuce roots	99.3	80.9	65.1	180	< MQL	< MQL	< MQL	525	< MQL
EGSB/SBR/BACF system
Effluent BACF	0.21	0.07	0.03	0.03	< MQL	0.02	0.06	0.86	0.18
Removal [%]	98	100	98	100	100	96	96	93	91
Hydroponic system, Line D: reclaimed water from EGBR/SBR/BACF system
Reclaimed water	0.22	0.02	0.08	0.05	< MQL	0.02	0.01	1.06	0.32
Lettuce shoots	< MQL	< MQL	7.35	< MQL	< MQL	< MQL	< MQL	< MQL	< MQL
Lettuce roots	31.4	< MQL	126	158	< MQL	< MQL	< MQL	432	228

EGSB expanded granular sludge bed reactor, SBR sequencing batch reactor, BACF biologically activated carbon filtration. Concentration in wastewater, reclaimed water: μg L⁻¹. Concentration in lettuce: μg kg⁻¹ dry weight. MQL method quantitation limit, ACE acesulfame, CAF caffeine, CBZ carbamazepine, DIC diclofenac, IBU ibuprofen, SMX sulfamethoxazole, ASMX acetyl-sulfamethoxazole, BTZ 1H-benzotriazole, MBT 4/5-methylbenzotriazole