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Biological treatment processes have the potential to remove organic micropollutants (OMPs) during water treatment. The OMP removal capacity of conventional drinking water treatment processes such as rapid sand filters (RSFs), however, has not been studied in detail. We investigated OMP removal and transformation product (TP) formation in seven full-scale RSFs all treating surface water, using high-resolution mass spectrometry based quantitative suspect and non-target screening (NTS). Additionally, we studied the microbial communities with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (NGS) in both influent and effluent waters as well as the filter medium, and integrated these data to comprehensively assess the processes that affect OMP removal. In the RSF influent, 9 to 30 of the 127 target OMPs were detected. The removal efficiencies ranged from 0 to 93%. A data-driven workflow was established to monitor TPs, based on the combination of NTS feature intensity profiles between influent and effluent samples and the prediction of biotic TPs. The workflow identified 10 TPs, including molecular structure. Microbial community composition analysis showed similar community composition in the influent and effluent of most RSFs, but different from the filter medium, implying that specific microorganisms proliferate in the RSFs. Some of these are able to perform typical processes in water treatment such as nitrification and iron oxidation. However, there was no clear relationship between OMP removal efficiency and microbial community composition. The innovative combination of quantitative analyses, NTS and NGS allowed to characterize real scale biological water treatments, emphasizing the potential of bio-stimulation applications in drinking water treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Slow sand filtration with extensive pretreatment reduces the microbial growth potential of drinking water to a minimum level at four surface water supplies in The Netherlands. The potential of these slow sand filtrates (SSFs) to promote microbial growth in warm tap water installations was assessed by measuring biofilm formation and growth of Legionella bacteria on glass and chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC) surfaces exposed to SSFs at 37 ± 2°C in a model system for up to six months. The steady-state biofilm concentration ranged from 230 to 3,980 pg ATP cm -2 on glass and 1.4 (±0.3)-times-higher levels on CPVC. These concentrations correlated significantly with the assimilable organic carbon (AOC) concentrations of the warm water (8 to 24 µg acetate-C equivalents [ac-C eq] liter -1 ), which were raised about 2 times by mixing cold and heated (70°C) SSFs. All biofilms supported growth of Legionella pneumophila with maximum concentrations ranging from 6 × 10 2 to 1.5 × 10 5 CFU cm -2 Biofilms after ≤50 days of exposure were predominated by Betaproteobacteriales , mainly Piscinibacter , Caldimonas , Methyloversatilis , and an uncultured Rhodocyclaceae bacterium. These rapidly growing primary colonizers most likely served as prey for the host amoebae of L. pneumophila Alphaproteobacteria , mostly Xanthobacteraceae , e.g., Bradyrhizobium , Pseudorhodoplanes , and other amoeba-resistant bacteria, accounted for 37.5% of the clones retrieved. A conceptual model based on a quadratic relationship between the L. pneumophila colony count and the biofilm concentration under steady-state conditions is used to explain the variations in the Legionella CFU pg -1 ATP ratios in the biofilms. IMPORTANCE in premise plumbing poses a public health threat. Extended water treatment using physicochemical and biofiltration processes, including slow sand filtration, at four surface water supplies in The Netherlands reduces the microbial growth potential of the treated water to a minimum level, and the distributed drinking water complies with high quality standards. However, heating of the water in warm tap water installations increases the concentration of easily assimilable organic compounds, thereby promoting biofilm formation and growth of L. pneumophila in premise plumbing poses a public health threat. Extended water treatment using physicochemical and biofiltration processes, including slow sand filtration, at four surface water supplies in The Netherlands reduces the microbial growth potential of the treated water to a minimum level, and the distributed drinking water complies with high quality standards. However, heating of the water in warm tap water installations increases the concentration of easily assimilable organic compounds, thereby promoting biofilm formation and growth of L. pneumophila Prevention of biofilm formation in plumbing systems by maintenance of a disinfectant residual during distribution and/or further natural organic matter (NOM) removal is not feasible in the supplies studied. Temperature management in combination with optimized hydraulics and material selection are therefore essential to prevent growth of L. pneumophila in premise plumbing systems. Still, reducing the concentration of biodegradable compounds in drinking water by appropriate water treatment is important for limiting the Legionella growth potential., (Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.)

The growth of iron-oxidizing bacteria, generally regarded as obligate microaerophilic at neutral pH conditions, has been reported in a wide range of environments, including engineered systems for drinking water production. This research focused on intensively aerated trickling filters treating deep anaerobic and subsurface aerated groundwater. The two systems, each comprising groundwater abstraction and trickling filtration, were monitored over a period of 9 months. Gallionella spp. were quantified by qPCR with specifically designed 16S rRNA primers and identified directly in the environmental samples using clone libraries with the same primers. In addition, enrichments in gradient tubes were evaluated after DGGE separation with general bacterial primers. No other iron-oxidizing bacteria than Gallionella spp. were found in the gradient tubes. qPCR provided an effective method to evaluate the growth of Gallionella spp. in these filter systems. The growth of Gallionella spp. was stimulated by subsurface aeration, but these bacteria hardly grew in the trickling filter. In the uninfluenced, natural anaerobic groundwater, Gallionella spp. were only present in low numbers, but they grew extensively in the trickling filter. Identification revealed that Gallionella spp., growing in the trickling filter were phylogenetically distinct from the species found growing during subsurface aeration, indicating that the different conditions in both systems selected for niche organisms, while inhibiting other groups. The results suggest a minor direct significance for inoculation of Gallionella spp. during filtration of subsurface aerated groundwater., (Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Activated sludge quality is one of the major factors influencing flux decline in membrane bioreactors (MBRS). Sludge filterability is a recognized parameter to characterize the physical properties of activated sludge. Decrease in filterability is linked to a higher number of submicron particles. In our present research we studied whether particle counting techniques can be used to indicate deflocculation of the sludge suspended fraction to submicron particles, causing the aforementioned filterability decrease. A total number of 105 activated sludge samples were collected in four full scale municipal MBRS. Samples were tested for filterability and particle counting in the range 2-100 microm. In 88% of the membrane tank samples the filterability varied between good and poor, characterized by the deltaR20, being 0 < deltaR20 < 1. Filterability varied following the season of the year, stability of the MBR operation and recirculation ratio. The membrane tank filterability can be improved by applying low recirculation ratio between MBR tanks. The applied particle counting methodology generated reproducible and reliable results in the range 10-100 microm. Results show that differences in filterability cannot be explained by variations in particle size distribution in the range 10-100 microm. However, measurable deflocculation might be masked by the large numbers of particles present. Therefore, we cannot exclude the suspended particles as a possible source of submicron particles that are subsequently responsible for MBR sludge filterability deterioration.

In 2000 the European Union introduced the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The aim of the WFD is having an ecological and chemical balance for all surface waters in Europe in 2015. The European Commission identified 33 priority substances and their maximum allowable concentrations, FHI-values (Fraunhofer Institute), which are specified in the Annex of the WFD. The objective of this research is to achieve the removal of suspended solids, nitrogen and total phosphorus together with priority substances. All these substances will be removed in one filter called a "One Step Total Effluent Polishing filter" i.e. 1-STEP(®) filter. For this purpose a filter pilot plant was tested at the WWTP Horstermeer. The results show that the filter can fulfil the target values in the filtrate water for total nitrogen (2.2 mg Ntotal/L) and total phosphorus (0.15 mg Ptotal/L). The majority of the priority (hazardous) substances in the WWTP effluent are already below the detection limit. Due to the low concentration ranges, the results on the removal of medicine and pesticides are only indicative. A decreasing tendency in the removal efficiency is shown for all measured compounds. The average specific ultrafiltration resistance (SUR) value decrease of the filter is 55% and the final value is always below 5·10(12) m(-2). This indicates that the filtrate water of the filter is very well filterable and can be used as ultrafiltration feedwater.

Introduction: Objectives were to give an overview of endotoxin exposure and its determinants in sewage treatment workers, and to study exposure to culturable and non-culturable microorganisms and the applicability of the LAL assay in this work environment., Material and Methods: In 43 Dutch sewage treatment plants 470 full-shift, 123 task-based personal and 54 stationary inhalable dust samples were collected. Endotoxin concentration was determined with the LAL-assay. Mixed effects models were used to investigate possible determinants of exposure. Simultaneous parallel filter samples, impinger samples and viable total bacteria and Gram-negative bacterial samples were taken to compare analytical techniques. Filter and impinger samples were analyzed with the LAL-assay, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and fluorescence microscopy., Results: Endotoxin exposure levels were moderate to low (geometric mean personal exposure 27 EU/m(3), stationary 33 EU/m(3), task-based 64 EU/m(3)), yet differences between jobs and sources and some determinants of exposure were identified. Exposure varied more from day to day than between workers. Concentrations in filter samples were higher and more consistent than in impinger samples. Fungi and Gram-positive bacteria were found in higher levels than Gram-negative bacteria. The LAL assay and GC-MS showed comparable endotoxin levels., Discussion and Conclusion: Endotoxin exposure in Dutch sewage treatment workers was relatively low. Comparison of sampling and analytical techniques suggests that the LAL-assay did not result in much exposure misclassification. It thus seems justified to perform filter measurements in combination with the LAL-assay to measure endotoxin exposure in sewage treatment plants.

The occurrence of organic micropollutants in ground- and surface waters has become an important concern for the drinking water industry, mainly because of possible related health effects. Due to the polar nature of some of these pollutants, they are not completely removed by traditional water treatment barriers. This paper offers an overview of priority organic micropollutants and their occurrence in Flemish and Dutch water sources. Furthermore, rejection by nanofiltration is qualitatively predicted for the selected priority micropollutants. The qualitative prediction is based on the values of key solute and membrane parameters in nanofiltration. Predicted values are then compared with experimental values obtained from literature. Overall, the qualitative predictions are roughly in agreement with literature values. Prediction based on key parameters may thus prove to be a very quick and useful technique to assess the implementation of nanofiltration as a treatment step for organic micropollutants in drinking water plant design.

In this study, a new method was developed for the impurity profiling of illicit MDMA tablets. The extraction efficiency, linearity, repeatability and reproducibility of the method were evaluated. Eighty two MDMA tablets coming from presumed unrelated large seizures in 2004 (n >500 tablets) were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in order to assess the discrimination power of the method. The latter was found to be practical, robust, relatively easy to perform, highly discriminative and yielding good chromatography. In addition, some new impurities were detected and identified. Their chemical structures and mass spectra are reported.

More stringent effluent criteria will be required in the near future for the so-called priority substances listed in the Annex of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60/EC. This includes heavy metals, volatile and semi-volatile organic substances, pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls. The Fraunhofer Institute suggested FHI values for these substances in water. National Dutch legislation, the Vierde Nota WaterHuishouding (NWH) introduced in 1998 'maximum tolerable risk concentrations' (MTR). These include requirements for nutrients: P(tot) < 0.15 mg/l and N(tot) < 2.2 mg/l. The MTR values are being used until the FHI values become effective. Investigation into possible effluent polishing techniques is required in order to reach these objectives. During pilot research with tertiary denitrifying multi-media and biological activated carbon filtration at the WWTP Utrecht in The Netherlands, simultaneous nutrient removal to MTR quality was observed. Furthermore, simultaneous removal of heavy metals, 17beta-estradiol, bisphenol A and nonylphenols to extreme low concentrations by denitrifying activated carbon filtrated is achieved.

Upgrading of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent as a part of the Dutch governmental policy to close the water cycle has increasing interest now. The Water Board Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland together with the project team of Witteveen + Bos Consulting Engineers, Delft University of Technology and Rossmark water treatment investigated the reuse possibilities of WWTP effluent in the region of Delfland. Therefore pilot research was carried out at WWTP Hoek van Holland applying different filtration techniques: multi-media filtration, micro- and ultrafiltration. The results show stable process performances of the different filtration techniques when proper pre-treatment was applied. For microfiltration the filtration characteristics were strongly influenced by particles which were not retained in the multi-media filter. For ultrafiltration the filtration characteristics were strongly influenced by organic components < 0.2 microm. The upgraded WWTP effluent could not be used directly as process water or for agriculture purposes, due to high concentrations of COD and salts in the WWTP effluent and filtrates. However WWTP effluent or floc filtrate could be applied directly as water for the washing of sea-sand.

In the Netherlands almost all wastewater treatment plants have been redesigned and adapted in order to remove nitrogen, phosphorus and suspended solids to a very low level. The improved effluent quality leads to a growing interest in the reuse of effluent of the modernised wastewater treatment plants. This again results in investigations on filtration techniques as deep bed filtration and membrane filtration. At the wastewater treatment plant Ede research was done on deep bed filtration in order to develop relations between particle removal and filter performance and to explore ways of optimization. The results of the experiments are rather typical for effluent of modern Dutch wastewater treatment plants. The very low concentrations of suspended solids and precipitable substances result in poor flocculating properties. From turbidity measurements it may be concluded that the best results were obtained with a dosage of flocculant. However, the particle size measurements indicated the opposite. Suspended solids calculations, based on the particle volume distributions, showed a better removal without a dosage of flocculant. From this it is concluded that a dosage of coagulant (Fe3+ or Al3+) has an adverse effect on the removal efficiencies even at low dosages (1 mg/l).

Within the scope of a research programme into wastewater treatment scenarios based on physical-chemical pretreatment, the application of direct influent filtration (DIF) as a first treatment step in a wastewater treatment system was investigated. The aim of the experimental research was to investigate the feasibility of DIF as a pretreatment step for advanced particle removal. With a large scale pilot-plant filter at WWTP Leiden-Noord, The Netherlands the removal characteristics for suspended and colloidal material were investigated as well as operational conditions of eight different filter configurations. From the experimental research it was concluded that filtration of raw wastewater is possible, notwithstanding the relatively short run-times due to clogging. In general, the filters produced a filtrate with a constant quality with low concentrations of solids and low turbidity. Without addition of chemicals hardly any colloids and solubles were retained, but only suspended particulates were removed. After dosage of iron or polymer, it was possible to remove more suspended matter and a high proportion of colloidal material. Finally it was concluded that DIF could be applied as a compact treatment system to produce a high quality primary effluent with a constant composition, but for practical application further research has to be done.

The effects of granular activated carbon filtration and of the combination of ozonation and GAC filtration on the quality of Rhine water were studied in a pilot plant. The scope of the study was to compare both systems in relation to the removal of organic contaminants in water, and to the reduction of the side effects of chlorination. The water quality was measured with organic surrogate parameters (organohalogen, -nitrogen, -phosphorus and -sulphur) and in bacterial mutagenicity assays. In this particular setting, the combination of ozonation and GAC filtration was superior in all points to GAC filtration alone. The effects of ozonation are sometimes quite different, depending on the type of water treated. Its positive influence should be confirmed in a local situation. As GAC treatment causes a shift towards formation of more brominated THM after chlorination, special attention was given to this item. A higher inorganic bromide/DOC ratio resulted in higher brominated THM concentrations after chlorination. However, the mutagens formed during chlorination in presence of more inorganic bromide could be inactivated more easily by rat liver homogenate than in the normal setting. The results of this study confirmed earlier findings stating a negative influence of chlorination on water quality.

Treatment processes which are applied in The Netherlands during the preparation of drinking water have been evaluated with regard to introduction and removal of organic mutagens as well as halogenated organics. It appeared that the most efficient processes in reducing mutagenic activity were activated carbon filtration and artificial dune recharge. In general these processes were also the most efficient in removing halogenated organics. Using low doses of chlorine dioxide (less than 1 mg C1O2/l) for safety disinfection of drinking water, no change or substantial less mutagenic activity than by chlorination (1 mg Cl/l) was found. This counts too for the formation of halogenated organics. Transport chlorination of stored river Meuse water was able to introduce or activate mutagenic nitro organics which have not been found previously. Ozone treatment under field conditions showed mostly a tendency to decrease the activity of organic mutagens. It was also shown that dependent on the water quality and treatment conditions a slight increase of mutagenic activity occurred, but this activity would be reduced by increasing the ozone dose. It seems possible to optimize the ozone treatment conditions regarding the level of ozone dose and the contact time to avoid an increase of mutagenic activity. Furthermore it was shown that when a mutagenic raw water source was used a proper combination of treatment processes is able to produce drinking water in which no mutagenic activity could be detected under the test conditions. Finally it is stated that before far-reaching decisions with respect to use mutagenicity data for a selection of water sources or treatment processes will be made, more information on the relation mutagenic activity from drinking water and effects on human health should become available.