Resiliency through Applied Research into Emerging Constituents

Emerging constituents (ECs), which are referred to as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) or emerging contaminants, include pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). ECs represent a growing challenge in wastewater treatment due to their persistence, environmental impacts, and potential health risks. This paper synthesizes findings from research focused on the behavior and fate of ECs within the Lander Street Water Renewal Facility (LSWRF). This research explores EC removal trends across treatment processes, including physical settling, biological treatment, and UV disinfection, highlighting varying efficiencies dependent on constituent characteristics. Key observations include significant reductions for some ECs, sequestering and release behaviors, and persistent concentrations of others. Temporal and spatial EC concentration variations within LSWRF underscore the influence of seasonality and facility-specific factors on treatment outcomes. The synthesis integrates these findings into a unified framework for understanding EC dynamics in water renewal facilities, emphasizing the need for resilient and adaptive infrastructure to mitigate their environmental and health impacts. This study provides critical insights to guide future research, policy development, and the design of sustainable water treatment systems.