Comparative study of emerging micropollutants removal by aerobic activated sludge of large laboratory-scale membrane bioreactors and sequencing batch reactors under low-temperature conditions.

•Removal of ibuprofen, diclofenac, estrone and 17α-ethinylestradiol is studied.•Collection of micropollutants in solid phase (cells) of activated sludge was shown.•Membrane bioreactor with long SRT favours biological removal of micropollutants.•Increasing SRT to 90days improves emerging micropollutants removal at 8°C.