Emerging Electron Beam Technology Targeting Hazardous Micropollutants as Quaternary Treatment in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Andrzej G. Chmielewski (), Yongxia Sun, Jianlong Wang and Shizong Wang
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Andrzej G. Chmielewski: Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, 03-195 Warsaw, Poland
Yongxia Sun: Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, 03-195 Warsaw, Poland
Jianlong Wang: Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Shizong Wang: Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-33

Abstract: Wastewater treatment plays a very important role in striving to reach the internationally agreed United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals. One of the critical challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 is the effective removal of micropollutants (MPs), including microplastics, organic contaminants, and pharmaceuticals, from wastewater. Additionally, the presence of biological hazards such as antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs), parasites, and their eggs poses significant risks to public health and aquatic ecosystems. The forthcoming European Union (EU) wastewater directive mandates the implementation of quaternary treatment processes to effectively remove micropollutants (MPOs) from wastewater. This regulatory shift underscores the need for advanced treatment technologies capable of addressing emerging contaminants to ensure environmental and public health protection. This paper presents a critical review of the present situation concerning the fate of MPOs and possible methods of their removal. Based on their experimental research, the authors propose electron beam (EB) technology as a universal solution for the treatment of wastewater and sludge. The findings demonstrate that this approach effectively meets the emerging regulatory requirements for the removal of micropollutants and biological hazards.

Keywords: antibiotics; sulfonamides; antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs); antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs); micropollutants; quaternary wastewater treatment; electron beam (EB); sludge; biogas production; sustainable development goals (SDGs) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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