In recent decades, emerging contaminants (ECs) have surfaced as one of the key environmental problems threatening ecosystems and public health. Most emerging contaminants are present in low concentrations, and therefore often remain undetected and are also referred to as ‘micropollutants’. Despite this, many ECs raise considerable concerns regarding their impacts on human and environmental health. DEMEAU (Demonstration of promising technologies to address emerging contaminants in water and wastewater), a European Seventh Framework Programme (EU-FP7, 2013-2015) project, aimed to tackle ECs in drinking and wastewater by advancing the uptake of knowledge, prototypes, practices and removal technologies. The project followed a solutions-oriented approach using applied research and demonstration sites, and explored four promising technologies for EC removal and/or degradation: Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), Hybrid Ceramic Membrane Filtration (HCMF), Automatic Neural Net Control Systems (ANCS) and Advanced Oxidation Techniques (AOT). Furthermore, Bioassays (BA) were investigated as an effect-based monitoring tool. This article shares new findings for each approach and their potential for widespread integration in the drinking- and wastewater sector. Research results from DEMEAU demonstration sites show that opportunities for synergies among these developments offer the most promising and effective methods for tackling ECs in the water sector.

Within Work Area 5 of the DEMEAU project, selected innovative technologies and tools for emerging contaminants removal and monitoring are assessed in their environmental and economic benefits and impacts by using life-cycle based tools such as environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and economic Life Cycle Costing (LCC). Six case studies were assessed to quantify their environmental and economic profiles and formulate unique selling propositions to promote market uptake and implementation. These case studies include managed aquifer recharge for groundwater replenishment or for drinking water production in combination with advanced oxidation process, hybrid ceramic membrane filtration with powdered activated carbon for tertiary wastewater treatment, automatic neural net control systems to optimize membrane operation, ozonation of wastewater treatment plant effluent, and bioassays as screening tool for water quality monitoring. This report summarizes the study layout, input data, and results of LCA and LCC for all case studies and indicates unique selling propositions based on the outcomes of the assessment.