Municipal wastewater treatment using an integrated system of aerobic granular sludge, membrane, and ultraviolet processes for reuse in irrigation

Hale Ozgun; Aya Hassoun; Saba Aghdam Tabar; Yasemin Akdag; Bahriye Eryildiz-Yesir; Sadiye Kosar; Onur Isik; Ismail Koyuncu; Mustafa Evren Ersahin; Huseyin Guven

doi:10.1007/s10098-025-03366-8

Municipal wastewater treatment using an integrated system of aerobic granular sludge, membrane, and ultraviolet processes for reuse in irrigation

Hale Ozgun^*
, Aya Hassoun
, Saba Aghdam Tabar
, Yasemin Akdag
, Bahriye Eryildiz-Yesir
, Sadiye Kosar
, Onur Isik
, Ismail Koyuncu
, Mustafa Evren Ersahin
, Huseyin Guven

^*Corresponding author for this work

Istanbul Technical University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This study investigates treatment of municipal wastewater by using an integrated system involving aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process followed by two different membrane processes (microfiltration (MF) or ultrafiltration (UF)) and ultraviolet (UV) process for reuse in irrigation. Two different integrated systems (AGS-MF-UV and AGS-UF-UV systems) were compared in terms of treatment performance, filtration performance, and cost analysis. Similar removal efficiencies were achieved for the AGS–MF–UV and AGS–UF–UV systems in terms of chemical oxygen demand (> 90%), total nitrogen (> 75%), and total phosphorus (> 74%). Since UF had superior pathogen removal performance compared to MF, UV process may not be necessary after the UF system. However, the operating cost of the AGS-UF system (0.223 €/m³) was found more expensive than that of AGS-MF-UV system (0.203 €/m³). The results of the cost analysis demonstrated that AGS-MF-UV system can be considered as a more economically feasible option in comparison with AGS-UF-UV system for treatment of municipal wastewater. The reclaimed water from AGS-MF-UV and AGS-UF-UV systems met the irrigation water requirements for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and European Union (EU) standards.

Original language	English
Article number	64
Journal	Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy
Volume	28
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-025-03366-8
Publication status	Published - Mar 2026

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2026.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Keywords

Aerobic granular sludge
Membrane
Municipal wastewater treatment
Sustainability
Ultraviolet
Water reuse

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10.1007/s10098-025-03366-8

Cite this

Ozgun, H., Hassoun, A., Tabar, S. A., Akdag, Y., Eryildiz-Yesir, B., Kosar, S., Isik, O., Koyuncu, I., Ersahin, M. E., & Guven, H. (2026). Municipal wastewater treatment using an integrated system of aerobic granular sludge, membrane, and ultraviolet processes for reuse in irrigation. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 28(3), Article 64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-025-03366-8

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title = "Municipal wastewater treatment using an integrated system of aerobic granular sludge, membrane, and ultraviolet processes for reuse in irrigation",

abstract = "This study investigates treatment of municipal wastewater by using an integrated system involving aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process followed by two different membrane processes (microfiltration (MF) or ultrafiltration (UF)) and ultraviolet (UV) process for reuse in irrigation. Two different integrated systems (AGS-MF-UV and AGS-UF-UV systems) were compared in terms of treatment performance, filtration performance, and cost analysis. Similar removal efficiencies were achieved for the AGS–MF–UV and AGS–UF–UV systems in terms of chemical oxygen demand (> 90\%), total nitrogen (> 75\%), and total phosphorus (> 74\%). Since UF had superior pathogen removal performance compared to MF, UV process may not be necessary after the UF system. However, the operating cost of the AGS-UF system (0.223 €/m3) was found more expensive than that of AGS-MF-UV system (0.203 €/m3). The results of the cost analysis demonstrated that AGS-MF-UV system can be considered as a more economically feasible option in comparison with AGS-UF-UV system for treatment of municipal wastewater. The reclaimed water from AGS-MF-UV and AGS-UF-UV systems met the irrigation water requirements for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and European Union (EU) standards.",

keywords = "Aerobic granular sludge, Membrane, Municipal wastewater treatment, Sustainability, Ultraviolet, Water reuse",

author = "Hale Ozgun and Aya Hassoun and Tabar, \{Saba Aghdam\} and Yasemin Akdag and Bahriye Eryildiz-Yesir and Sadiye Kosar and Onur Isik and Ismail Koyuncu and Ersahin, \{Mustafa Evren\} and Huseyin Guven",

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doi = "10.1007/s10098-025-03366-8",

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Ozgun, H, Hassoun, A, Tabar, SA, Akdag, Y , Eryildiz-Yesir, B, Kosar, S, Isik, O , Koyuncu, I , Ersahin, ME & Guven, H 2026, 'Municipal wastewater treatment using an integrated system of aerobic granular sludge, membrane, and ultraviolet processes for reuse in irrigation', Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, vol. 28, no. 3, 64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-025-03366-8

TY - JOUR

T1 - Municipal wastewater treatment using an integrated system of aerobic granular sludge, membrane, and ultraviolet processes for reuse in irrigation

AU - Ozgun, Hale

AU - Hassoun, Aya

AU - Tabar, Saba Aghdam

AU - Akdag, Yasemin

AU - Eryildiz-Yesir, Bahriye

AU - Kosar, Sadiye

AU - Isik, Onur

AU - Koyuncu, Ismail

AU - Ersahin, Mustafa Evren

AU - Guven, Huseyin

PY - 2026/3

Y1 - 2026/3

N2 - This study investigates treatment of municipal wastewater by using an integrated system involving aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process followed by two different membrane processes (microfiltration (MF) or ultrafiltration (UF)) and ultraviolet (UV) process for reuse in irrigation. Two different integrated systems (AGS-MF-UV and AGS-UF-UV systems) were compared in terms of treatment performance, filtration performance, and cost analysis. Similar removal efficiencies were achieved for the AGS–MF–UV and AGS–UF–UV systems in terms of chemical oxygen demand (> 90%), total nitrogen (> 75%), and total phosphorus (> 74%). Since UF had superior pathogen removal performance compared to MF, UV process may not be necessary after the UF system. However, the operating cost of the AGS-UF system (0.223 €/m3) was found more expensive than that of AGS-MF-UV system (0.203 €/m3). The results of the cost analysis demonstrated that AGS-MF-UV system can be considered as a more economically feasible option in comparison with AGS-UF-UV system for treatment of municipal wastewater. The reclaimed water from AGS-MF-UV and AGS-UF-UV systems met the irrigation water requirements for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and European Union (EU) standards.

AB - This study investigates treatment of municipal wastewater by using an integrated system involving aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process followed by two different membrane processes (microfiltration (MF) or ultrafiltration (UF)) and ultraviolet (UV) process for reuse in irrigation. Two different integrated systems (AGS-MF-UV and AGS-UF-UV systems) were compared in terms of treatment performance, filtration performance, and cost analysis. Similar removal efficiencies were achieved for the AGS–MF–UV and AGS–UF–UV systems in terms of chemical oxygen demand (> 90%), total nitrogen (> 75%), and total phosphorus (> 74%). Since UF had superior pathogen removal performance compared to MF, UV process may not be necessary after the UF system. However, the operating cost of the AGS-UF system (0.223 €/m3) was found more expensive than that of AGS-MF-UV system (0.203 €/m3). The results of the cost analysis demonstrated that AGS-MF-UV system can be considered as a more economically feasible option in comparison with AGS-UF-UV system for treatment of municipal wastewater. The reclaimed water from AGS-MF-UV and AGS-UF-UV systems met the irrigation water requirements for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and European Union (EU) standards.

KW - Aerobic granular sludge

KW - Membrane

KW - Municipal wastewater treatment

KW - Sustainability

KW - Ultraviolet

KW - Water reuse

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105029051923

U2 - 10.1007/s10098-025-03366-8

DO - 10.1007/s10098-025-03366-8

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105029051923

SN - 1618-954X

VL - 28

JO - Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy

JF - Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy

IS - 3

M1 - 64

ER -

Municipal wastewater treatment using an integrated system of aerobic granular sludge, membrane, and ultraviolet processes for reuse in irrigation

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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