June 9, 2019
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Micropollutants removal by full-scale UV-C/sulfate radical based Advanced Oxidation Processes

Publicated to: SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT. 630 1216-1225 - 2018-07-15 630(), DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.279

Authors:

Rodriguez-Chueca, J; Laski, E; Garcia-Canibano, C; Martin de Vidales, M J; Encinas, A; Kuch, B; Marugan, J
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Affiliations

FCC Aqualia SA, Dept Innovat & Technol, C Montesinos 28, Badajoz 06002, Spain - Author
Tech Univ Madrid UPM, Dept Chem & Environm Engn, C Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, Madrid 28006, Spain - Author
Tech Univ Madrid, Mech Chem & Ind Design Engn Dept ETSIDI, Ronda de Valencia 3, Madrid 28012, Spain - Author
Univ Rey Juan Carlos, Dept Chem & Environm Technol ESCET, C Tulipan S-N, Madrid 28933, Spain - Author
Univ Stuttgart, Inst Sanit Engn Water Qual & Solid Waste Manageme, Dept Hydrochem & Hydrobiol, Bandtale 2, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany - Author
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Abstract

The high chemical stability and the low biodegradability of a vast number of micropollutants (MPs) impede their correct treatment in urban wastewater treatment plants. In most cases, the chemical oxidation is the only way to abate them. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) have been experimentally proved as efficient in the removal of different micropollutants at lab-scale. However, there is not enough information about their application at fullscale. This manuscript reports the application of three different AOPs based on the addition of homogeneous oxidants [hydrogen peroxide, peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and persulfate anions (PS)1, in the UV-C tertiary treatment of Estiviel wastewater treatment plant (Toledo, Spain) previously designed and installed in the facility for disinfection. AOPs based on the photolytic decomposition of oxidants have been demonstrated as more efficient than UV-C radiation alone on the removal of 25 different MPs using low dosages (0.05-0.5 mM) and very low UV-C contact time (4-18 s). Photolysis of PMS and H2O2 reached similar average MPs removal in all the range of oxidant dosages, obtaining the highest efficiency with 0.5 mM and 18 s of contact time (48 and 55% respectively). Nevertheless, PMS/UV-C reached slightly higher removal than H2O2/UV-C at low dosages. So, these treatments are selective to degrade the target compounds, obtaining different removal efficiencies for each compound regarding the oxidizing agent, dosages and UV-C contact time. In all the cases, H2O2/UV-C is more efficient than PMS/UV-C, comparing the ratio cost:efficienc-y (/m(3). order). Even H2O2, UV-C treatments are more efficient than UV-C alone. Thus, the addition of 0.5 mM of H2O2 compensates the increased of UV-C contact time and therefore the increase of electrical consumption, that it should be need to increase the removal of MPs by UV-C treatments alone. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Keywords

full-scalemicropollutantssulfate radicalstertiary treatmentuv-c radiationDegradationFull-scaleHydroxyl radicalsMicropollutantsOrganic micropollutantsOrganophosphorus flame retardantsPharmaceuticalsPhotodegradationPrioritizationSulfateSulfate radicalsTertiary treatmentUv-c radiationUv/h2o2Waste-waterWwtp

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2018, it was in position 27/251, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Environmental Sciences.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 2.09. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 13, 2025)

This information is reinforced by other indicators of the same type, which, although dynamic over time and dependent on the set of average global citations at the time of their calculation, consistently position the work at some point among the top 50% most cited in its field:

  • Weighted Average of Normalized Impact by the Scopus agency: 1.91 (source consulted: FECYT Mar 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2026-04-25, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 71
  • Scopus: 86
  • Europe PMC: 33
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Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2026-04-25:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 144.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 144 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 3.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 3 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • Assignment of a Handle/URN as an identifier within the deposit in the Institutional Repository: https://oa.upm.es/95395/

As a result of the publication of the work in the institutional repository, statistical usage data has been obtained that reflects its impact. In terms of dissemination, we can state that, as of

  • Views: 14
  • Downloads: 2
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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Germany.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (RODRIGUEZ CHUECA, JORGE JESUS) .

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Awards linked to the item

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), the Spanish Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) and the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), in the frame of the collaborative international consortium WATERJPI2018 - MOTREM of the Water Challenges for a Changing World Joint Programming Initiative (Water JPI) Pilot Call. Jorge Rodriguez-Chueca also acknowledges the funding provided by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the Juan de la Cierva-formacion grant (No. FJCI-2014-20195).
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