| dc.description.abstract | Due to increased human activities in chemical production, use of pharmaceuticals and plastics, municipal wastewater is being contaminated when these byproducts are discharged into the wastewater streams. Recently, micro-chemicals and microplastics are being found more frequently in water streams. Hence, this may have a significant impact not only on ecosystems, but also human life if these micro-pollutants accumulate further in the food chain. This report takes an in-depth study into the legal issues and wastewater treatment regulations in the European union (EU) and Norway. The methods used in this research are legal documents study in EU and Norway, literature review, and e-mail correspondence with different environmental protection offices, industries, and other stakeholders. The report emphasizes and focuses more into microplastics and pharmaceutical pollution, the sources of these pollutants and how well biological wastewater treatments are working to remove them from the wastewater. However, regarding micropollution in general, more changes in legal frameworks and environmental regulations in the EU and Norway will most likely come in the near future.
Moreover, currently a lot of the microplastics and pharmaceutical is being removed in the wastewater treatment process, but far from everything, and rivers and seas are continuing to be polluted with these micropollutants. More knowledge and research are required to find the most efficient methods of cleaning wastewater thoroughly of microplastics and pharmaceuticals. In addition, new technology will be critical to clean sludge that later will be used as fertilizer in farm fields. | |