The technology is being developed in response to stricter requirements under the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. Fraunhofer says the process will next be demonstrated at the Wolfsburg wastewater-treatment plant using a partial-flow system treating 25–50 cubic meters per hour. Fraunhofer UMSICHT is developing ARKON, a fourth-stage wastewater-treatment process designed to remove pharmaceutical residues, pesticides, industrial chemicals and some PFAS from municipal wastewater.

The process uses resin adsorption, on-site regeneration and concentration. Treated wastewater passes through a resin bed, where micropollutants attach to the resin. The pollutants are then released using regeneration media and concentrated into a smaller trace-substance stream for disposal.

Unlike conventional adsorption systems that require frequent replacement or external regeneration of activated carbon or resin, ARKON is designed to regenerate the material within the treatment process. Fraunhofer says the system can also recover heat and keep most regeneration media within the process.

The technology is being developed in response to stricter requirements under the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. Fraunhofer says the process will next be demonstrated at the Wolfsburg wastewater-treatment plant using a partial-flow system treating 25–50 cubic meters per hour.

The demonstration will assess resin life, regeneration frequency, energy and chemical consumption, and the process’s performance under real operating conditions. The results will be compared with established technologies such as activated carbon and ozonation.