GRK 546:  Elimination of Endocrine-Disrupting Substances From Waste Water

• Subject Area: Water Research
• Term: from 1999 to 2005
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 272843

The research training group AGEESA inquires into various processes related to the elimination of endocrine-disrupting substances from sewage. AGEESA aims at knowledge about possible performance improvements of treatment plants. Since conventional mechanical-biological waste water treatment plants cannot remove endocrine-disrupting substances to a satisfactory extent, more innovative procedures are tested concerning their retention and elimination capacity.AGEESA focuses on the employment of membrane technology in biological waste water treatment, which effects higher concentrations of activated sludge and a higher sludge age than conventional activated sludge processes. This may also improve the degradation of persistent substances such as endocrine disrupters. Additionally, this kind of biological treatment dispenses with final sedimentation, since the biomass is retained by micro- or ultra-filtration membranes. Taking advantage of the high affinity of immobilised antibody proteins, AGEESA's biological team investigates into the development of antibody filters. The projects are supported by scientists who will develop special chemical trace analysis and bioassays.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr.-Ing. Jochen Büchs; Professor Dr.-Ing. Max Dohmann; Professor Dr. Wolfgang Dott; Professor Dr. Fritz Matthias Kreuzaler; Professor Dr.-Ing. Thomas Pretz; Professor Dr. Hans Toni Ratte; Professor Dr. Horst Friedrich Schröder; Professor Dr. Ingolf Schuphan; Professor Dr. Andreas Schäffer; Professor Dr. Klaus Wolf
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr.-Ing. Thomas Melin, since 4/2004