TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF WASTEWATER EFFLUENTS TREATED WITH MULTIBARRIER SYSTEMS FOR DIRECT AND INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE

• Grant number: 25/02362-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Renato Falcão Dantas
• Grantee: Lais Roberta Deroldo Sommaggio
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Tecnologia (FT). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Limeira , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/12895-1 - Advanced processes for the degradation of emerging pollutants: catalytic materials, electroanalytical sensors and scientific dissemination, AP.TEM

Abstract

The development of new technologies aimed at improving the quality of effluents generated in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) is essential for the protection and preservation of water resources, as well as for enabling both direct and indirect potable water reuse. The multibarrier system has shown promise as a tertiary treatment for wastewater. The combination of advanced effluent treatment techniques, such as ozonation, biological activated carbon adsorption, and ultraviolet radiation, represents a promising strategy for producing high-quality effluents. However, advanced treatment processes like ozonation can generate toxic byproducts, which may hinder the reuse of treated water or negatively impact receiving water bodies. For this reason, effluents resulting from treatments that employ advanced technologies must undergo rigorous evaluations. A highly effective approach for such assessments is the use of bioassays, conducted with bioindicators recognized for their efficiency in toxicity analysis. This study will evaluate effluent samples from a WWTP, both before and after multibarrier treatment, using cytogenotoxicity bioassays with human hepatoma cell cultures (HepG2/C3A), embryotoxicity tests with the bioindicator Danio rerio, and germination and root elongation assays with Lactuca sativa. Additionally, the study will analyze antibiotic resistance genes present in these samples. By integrating these bioassays, this research aims to monitor the efficiency of advanced multibarrier treatment processes and contribute to the implementation of more efficient and safer methodologies for wastewater treatment systems. The ultimate goal is to enable the safe reuse of treated effluents while minimizing environmental impacts.