Comparison of the Grey Water Footprint of Conventional Pollution and Micropollutants: A Case Study of the Bandung WWTP (Indonesia)
Grey water footprint refers to the amount of water required to dilute pollutants released into the aquatic environment so that the water quality remains above agreed water quality standards. This study examines the grey water footprint of micropollutants, also referred to as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), compared to commonly monitored water parameters (such as nutrients and organic pollution) in wastewater. 24-hour samples were analysed from Indonesia’s largest WWTP, which uses a stabilization pond system for wastewater treatment. The grey water footprint was calculated for 12 micropollutants and six parameters of standard chemical monitoring. The highest value of the grey water footprint in the WWTP effluent was for BOD5 (13.5 l/l). The highest value among the micropollutants in the WWTP effluent was for Fluoxetine (0.08 l/l). When using other published PNEC values, Fluoxetine reached higher grey water footprint values than BOD5. The highest value of the grey water footprint in the WWTP influent was for Ibuprofen (210.4 l/l), but this substance was effectively removed in the WWTP.
