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Risk and performance assessment of existing treatment plants to remove emerging pollutants from wastewater : a case study of Johannesburg water’s wastewater treatment plants
Dissertation (MEng (Chemical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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University of Pretoria
2026
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| _version_ | 1869484035427794944 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Iwarere, Samuel Ayodele |
| author_browse | Iwarere, Samuel Ayodele |
| author_facet | Iwarere, Samuel Ayodele |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MEng (Chemical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107939 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-07-01T04:08:29.519Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107939 Risk and performance assessment of existing treatment plants to remove emerging pollutants from wastewater : a case study of Johannesburg water’s wastewater treatment plants Iwarere, Samuel Ayodele arinao.muntswu@gmail.com Khuzwayo, Zakhele Daramola, Michael Olawale Muntswu, Arinao D. UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Emerging contaminants Emerging contaminants Effluent monitoring Water quality and Reuse Environmental risk assessment Wastewater treatment plants Dissertation (MEng (Chemical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2025. The occurrence, persistence, and removal efficiency of emerging pollutants were systematically investigated at two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) operated by Johannesburg Water, located in the City of Johannesburg, South Africa. A broad-spectrum analysis was conducted using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry to detect various pollutants. Sampling was carried out at three strategic points within each treatment plant: the influent, reactor effluent, and final effluent, to assess the dynamics and fate of multiple classes of pollutants throughout the treatment process. Across both plants, 1,109 unique compounds were detected; the overall mean match quality was 66.21% (SD = 19.85%), with a 95% confidence interval of 63.91%–68.51%. In Wastewater Treatment Plant A, only 17% of detected compounds fell below the 50% match confidence threshold, with a mean match quality of 73.19% (SD = 17.85%). In contrast, 14.31% of detected compounds fell below the 50% threshold in Wastewater Treatment Plant B. This study aimed to comprehensively assess emerging pollutants’ occurrence, behaviour, and fate within Johannesburg Water’s wastewater treatment system and identify their potential sources and pathways. The results revealed that, although certain pollutants are effectively removed, many compounds persist through multiple stages of treatment. The contaminants identified in both influent and effluent comprised a wide range of chemical classes, including halogenated hydrocarbons, organofluorine compounds, organosilicon compounds, organobromine compounds, pyridine derivatives, antioxidants, heterocyclic compounds, terpenes, insecticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and epoxides. Notably, several compounds, including Bis(chloromethyl) ether, oxalic acid, phenols, hydrazine, santolina triene, benzeneethanamine, isoxazolidine, toluene, indolizine, propargylamine, n-hexane, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, isobutylene epoxide, acetone, 1H-imidazole, fumaronitrile, Bacchotricuneatin C, 4-O-methyl-D-arabinose, pyrrolidine, aziridine, D-limonene, and thiazole, were exclusively detected in the final effluent. Their presence suggests potential formation as transformation products during treatment, raising significant concerns about their possible environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and associated public health risks within the receiving water bodies in the City of Johannesburg. The variability in biodegradability indicates that while some compounds can undergo natural breakdown during standard wastewater treatment processes, others resist microbial degradation. This resistance necessitates the implementation of more intensive remediation strategies. Compounds with high persistence and low biodegradability pose an even greater risk, as they can infiltrate natural water bodies, adversely affecting aquatic ecosystems and potentially contaminating human water supplies in South Africa. Johannesburg Water Chemical Engineering MEng (Chemical Engineering) Unrestricted Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology SDG-06: Clean water and sanitation 2026-02-06T11:55:14Z 2026-02-06T11:55:14Z 2025-05-01 2025-10-01 Dissertation * 10.25403/UPresearchdata.31280350 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107939 A2026 en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Emerging contaminants Emerging contaminants Effluent monitoring Water quality and Reuse Environmental risk assessment Wastewater treatment plants Risk and performance assessment of existing treatment plants to remove emerging pollutants from wastewater : a case study of Johannesburg water’s wastewater treatment plants |
| title | Risk and performance assessment of existing treatment plants to remove emerging pollutants from wastewater : a case study of Johannesburg water’s wastewater treatment plants |
| title_full | Risk and performance assessment of existing treatment plants to remove emerging pollutants from wastewater : a case study of Johannesburg water’s wastewater treatment plants |
| title_fullStr | Risk and performance assessment of existing treatment plants to remove emerging pollutants from wastewater : a case study of Johannesburg water’s wastewater treatment plants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Risk and performance assessment of existing treatment plants to remove emerging pollutants from wastewater : a case study of Johannesburg water’s wastewater treatment plants |
| title_short | Risk and performance assessment of existing treatment plants to remove emerging pollutants from wastewater : a case study of Johannesburg water’s wastewater treatment plants |
| title_sort | risk and performance assessment of existing treatment plants to remove emerging pollutants from wastewater a case study of johannesburg water s wastewater treatment plants |
| topic | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Emerging contaminants Emerging contaminants Effluent monitoring Water quality and Reuse Environmental risk assessment Wastewater treatment plants |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107939 |