Aerobic Biological Treatment of Microconstituents

The omnipresent microconstituents (MCs) in aquatic environments arouse great public concerns. This chapter describes aerobic biological treatment systems and their applications for treatment of MCs in wastewater. Aerobic biological systems/processes (e.g., activated sludge processes, biofilm processes, lagoons, constructed wetlands) are the most commonly used technologies for mitigating MCs in wastewater. In general, the removal efficiency of different aerobic biological systems varies, depending on the nature of MCs. Membrane bioreactors may carry more promise. Significant knowledge gaps exist for some MCs (e.g., hormones and their conjugates, nanomaterials and nanoparticles, microplastics). Considerable research is still needed to understand how to treat different MCs with aerobic biosystems in a more efficient and cost-effective way.