Occurrence of phthalates in aquatic environment and their removal during wastewater treatment processes: a review.

PubMed

Gani, Khalid Muzamil; Tyagi, Vinay Kumar; Kazmi, Absar Ahmad

2017-07-01

Phthalates are plasticizers and are concerned environmental endocrine-disrupting compounds. Due to their extensive usage in plastic manufacturing and personal care products as well as the potential to leach out from these products, phthalates have been detected in various aquatic environments including drinking water, groundwater, surface water, and wastewater. The primary source of their environmental occurrence is the discharge of phthalate-laden wastewater and sludge. This review focuses on recent knowledge on the occurrence of phthalate in different aquatic environments and their fate in conventional and advanced wastewater treatment processes. This review also summarizes recent advances in biological removal and degradation mechanisms of phthalates, identifies knowledge gaps, and suggests future research directions.

Demonstrating Advanced Oxidation Coupled with Biodegradation for Removal of Carbamazepine (WERF Report INFR6SG09)

EPA Science Inventory

Carbamazepine is an anthropogenic pharmaceutical found in wastewater effluents that is quite resistant to removal by conventional wastewater treatment processes. Hydroxyl radical-based advanced oxidation processes can transform carbamazepine into degradation products but cannot m...

Selenium: environmental significance, pollution, and biological treatment technologies.

PubMed

Tan, Lea Chua; Nancharaiah, Yarlagadda V; van Hullebusch, Eric D; Lens, Piet N L

2016-01-01

Selenium is an essential trace element needed for all living organisms. Despite its essentiality, selenium is a potential toxic element to natural ecosystems due to its bioaccumulation potential. Though selenium is found naturally in the earth's crust, especially in carbonate rocks and volcanic and sedimentary soils, about 40% of the selenium emissions to atmospheric and aquatic environments are caused by various industrial activities such as mining-related operations. In recent years, advances in water quality and pollution monitoring have shown that selenium is a contaminant of potential environmental concern. This has practical implications on industry to achieve the stringent selenium regulatory discharge limit of 5μgSeL(-1) for selenium containing wastewaters set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Over the last few decades, various technologies have been developed for the treatment of selenium-containing wastewaters. Biological selenium reduction has emerged as the leading technology for removing selenium from wastewaters since it offers a cheaper alternative compared to physico-chemical treatments and is suitable for treating dilute and variable selenium-laden wastewaters. Moreover, biological treatment has the advantage of forming elemental selenium nanospheres which exhibit unique optical and spectral properties for various industrial applications, i.e. medical, electrical, and manufacturing processes. However, despite the advances in biotechnology employing selenium reduction, there are still several challenges, particularly in achieving stringent discharge limits, the long-term stability of biogenic selenium and predicting the fate of bioreduced selenium in the environment. This review highlights the significance of selenium in the environment, health, and industry and biotechnological advances made in the treatment of selenium contaminated wastewaters. The challenges and future perspectives are overviewed considering recent biotechnological advances in the management of these selenium-laden wastewaters. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficiency, costs and benefits of AOPs for removal of pharmaceuticals from the water cycle.

PubMed

Tuerk, J; Sayder, B; Boergers, A; Vitz, H; Kiffmeyer, T K; Kabasci, S

2010-01-01

Different advanced oxidation processes (AOP) were developed for the treatment of highly loaded wastewater streams. Optimisation of removal and improvement of efficiency were carried out on a laboratory, semiworks and pilot plant scale. The persistent cytostatic drug cyclophosphamide was selected as a reference substance regarding elimination and evaluation of the various oxidation processes because of its low degradability rate. The investigated processes are cost-efficient and suitable regarding the treatment of wastewater streams since they lead to efficient elimination of antibiotics and antineoplastics. A total reduction of toxicity was proven by means of the umuC-test. However, in order to reduce pharmaceuticals from the water cycle, it must be considered that the input of more than 80 % of the pharmaceuticals entering wastewater treatment systems results from private households. Therefore, advanced technologies should also be installed at wastewater treatment plants.

Evaluation of Water Quality Renovation by Advanced Soil-Based Wastewater Treatment Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, J.; Loomis, G.; Kalen, D.; Boving, T.; Morales, I.; DeLuca, J.; Amador, J.

2013-12-01

25% of US households utilize onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) for wastewater management. Advanced technologies were designed to overcome the inadequate wastewater treatment by conventional OWTS in critical shallow water table areas, such as coastal zones, in order to protect ground water quality. In addition to the septic tank and soil drainfield that comprise a conventional OWTS, advanced systems claim improved water renovation with the addition of sand filtration, timed dosing controls, and shallow placement of the infiltrative zone. We determined water quality renovation functions under current water table and temperature conditions, in anticipation of an experiment to measure OWTS response to a climate change scenario of 30-cm increase in water table elevation and 4C temperature increase. Replicate (n=3) intact soil mesocosms were used to evaluate the effectiveness of drainfields with a conventional wastewater delivery (pipe-and-stone) compared to two types of pressurized, shallow narrow drainfield. Results under steady state conditions indicate complete removal of fecal coliform bacteria, phosphorus and BOD by all soil-based systems. By contrast, removal of total nitrogen inputs was 16% in conventional and 11% for both advanced drainfields. Effluent waters maintained a steady state pH between 3.2 - 3.7 for all technologies. Average DO readings were 2.9mg/L for conventional drainfield effluent and 4.6mg/L for advanced, showing the expected oxygen uptake with shallow placement of the infiltrative zone. The conventional OWTS is outperforming the advanced with respect to nitrogen removal, but renovating wastewater equivalently for all other contaminants of concern. The results of this study are expected to facilitate development of future OWTS regulation and planning guidelines, particularly in coastal zones and in the face of a changing climate.

A Primer on Wastewater Treatment, July 1976 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Public Affairs.

This general information pamphlet is concerned with the types of wastewater treatment systems, the need for further treatment, and advanced methods of treating waste. Current methods are described, illustrated and evaluated. Pollution problems from oxygen-demanding wastes, disease-causing agents, plant nutrients, synthetic chemicals, inorganic…

Chemical oxygen demand reduction in coffee wastewater through chemical flocculation and advanced oxidation processes.

PubMed

Zayas Pérez, Teresa; Geissler, Gunther; Hernandez, Fernando

2007-01-01

The removal of the natural organic matter present in coffee processing wastewater through chemical coagulation-flocculation and advanced oxidation processes (AOP) had been studied. The effectiveness of the removal of natural organic matter using commercial flocculants and UV/H2O2, UV/O3 and UV/H2O2/O3 processes was determined under acidic conditions. For each of these processes, different operational conditions were explored to optimize the treatment efficiency of the coffee wastewater. Coffee wastewater is characterized by a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and low total suspended solids. The outcomes of coffee wastewater treatment using coagulation-flocculation and photodegradation processes were assessed in terms of reduction of COD, color, and turbidity. It was found that a reduction in COD of 67% could be realized when the coffee wastewater was treated by chemical coagulation-flocculation with lime and coagulant T-1. When coffee wastewater was treated by coagulation-flocculation in combination with UV/H2O2, a COD reduction of 86% was achieved, although only after prolonged UV irradiation. Of the three advanced oxidation processes considered, UV/H2O2, UV/O3 and UV/H2O2/O3, we found that the treatment with UV/H2O2/O3 was the most effective, with an efficiency of color, turbidity and further COD removal of 87%, when applied to the flocculated coffee wastewater.

A Visual Basic simulation software tool for performance analysis of a membrane-based advanced water treatment plant.

PubMed

Pal, P; Kumar, R; Srivastava, N; Chaudhuri, J

2014-02-01

A Visual Basic simulation software (WATTPPA) has been developed to analyse the performance of an advanced wastewater treatment plant. This user-friendly and menu-driven software is based on the dynamic mathematical model for an industrial wastewater treatment scheme that integrates chemical, biological and membrane-based unit operations. The software-predicted results corroborate very well with the experimental findings as indicated in the overall correlation coefficient of the order of 0.99. The software permits pre-analysis and manipulation of input data, helps in optimization and exhibits performance of an integrated plant visually on a graphical platform. It allows quick performance analysis of the whole system as well as the individual units. The software first of its kind in its domain and in the well-known Microsoft Excel environment is likely to be very useful in successful design, optimization and operation of an advanced hybrid treatment plant for hazardous wastewater.

Comparison of different wastewater treatments for removal of selected endocrine-disruptors from paper mill wastewaters.

PubMed

Balabanič, Damjan; Hermosilla, Daphne; Merayo, Noemí; Klemenčič, Aleksandra Krivograd; Blanco, Angeles

2012-01-01

There is increasing concern about chemical pollutants that have the ability to mimic hormones, the so-called endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). One of the main reasons for concern is the possible effect of EDCs on human health. EDCs may be released into the environment in different ways, and one of the most significant sources is industrial wastewater. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the treatment performance of different wastewater treatment procedures (biological treatment, filtration, advanced oxidation processes) for the reduction of chemical oxygen demand and seven selected EDCs (dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, bisphenol A and nonylphenol) from wastewaters from a mill producing 100 % recycled paper. Two pilot plants were running in parallel and the following treatments were compared: (i) anaerobic biological treatment followed by aerobic biological treatment, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis (RO), and (ii) anaerobic biological treatment followed by membrane bioreactor and RO. Moreover, at lab-scale, four different advanced oxidation processes (Fenton reaction, photo-Fenton reaction, photocatalysis with TiO(2), and ozonation) were applied. The results indicated that the concentrations of selected EDCs from paper mill wastewaters were effectively reduced (100 %) by both combinations of pilot plants and photo-Fenton oxidation (98 %), while Fenton process, photocatalysis with TiO(2) and ozonation were less effective (70 % to 90 %, respectively).

Recent advances and industrial viewpoint for biological treatment of wastewaters by oleaginous microorganisms.

PubMed

Huang, Chao; Luo, Mu-Tan; Chen, Xue-Fang; Xiong, Lian; Li, Xiao-Mei; Chen, Xin-De

2017-05-01

Recently, technology of using oleaginous microorganisms for biological treatment of wastewaters has become one hot topic in biochemical and environmental engineering for its advantages such as easy for operation in basic bioreactor, having potential to produce valuable bio-products, efficient wastewaters treatment in short period, etc. To promote its industrialization, this article provides some comprehensive analysis of this technology such as its advances, issues, and outlook especially from industrial viewpoint. In detail, the types of wastewaters can be treated and the kinds of oleaginous microorganisms used for biological treatment are introduced, the potential of industrial application and issues (relatively low COD removal, low lipid yield, cost of operation, and lack of scale up application) of this technology are presented, and some critical outlook mainly on co-culture method, combination with other treatments, process controlling and adjusting are discussed systematically. By this article, some important information to develop this technology can be obtained. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contrast Experiment on Advanced Treatment of Pharmaceutical and Paper-making Wastewater through Cinder Fenton-like Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiaofeng, Jia; Xiaoyu, Chen; Wenning, Mai

2018-06-01

The Fenton-like process of catalyzing H2O2 with Fe2+ and cinder is adopted to subject pharmaceutical and paper-making wastewater to advanced treatment. The influence of each factor is determined using orthogonal experiment and single factor test. The optimal combination of influencing factors is 0.3mmol · L-1 of FeSO4 · 7H2O, [H2O2]:[Fe2+]=8:1 and 10g · L-1 of pyrites cinder. The reaction time in pharmaceutical wastewater and paper-making wastewater is 30min and 60min respectively, testifying to the fact that the reaction in pharmaceutical wastewater is faster than that in paper-making wastewater and the lower utilization rate of cinder in pharmaceutical wastewater. Under the optimal reaction condition, the COD removal rate of these two kinds of wastewater can reach as high as 65% and 72%. Characterized by simple operation and requiring less reagent dosage, this method does not have to regulate the pH of flooding water and allows the repeated usage of cinder.

Pollution loads in urban runoff and sanitary wastewater.

PubMed

Taebi, Amir; Droste, Ronald L

2004-07-05

While more attention has been paid in recent years to urban point source pollution control through the establishment of wastewater treatment plants in many developing countries, no considerable planning nor any serious measures have been taken to control urban non-point source pollution (urban stormwater runoff). The present study is a screening analysis to investigate the pollution loads in urban runoff compared to point source loads as a first prerequisite for planning and management of receiving water quality. To compare pollutant loads from point and non-point urban sources, the pollutant load is expressed as the weight of pollutant per hectare area per year (kg/ha.year). Unit loads were estimated in stormwater runoff, raw sanitary wastewater and secondary treatment effluents in Isfahan, Iran. Results indicate that the annual pollution load in urban runoff is lower than the annual pollution load in sanitary wastewater in areas with low precipitation but it is higher in areas with high precipitation. Two options, namely, advanced treatment (in lieu of secondary treatment) of sanitary wastewater and urban runoff quality control systems (such as detention ponds) were investigated as controlling systems for pollution discharges into receiving waters. The results revealed that for Isfahan, as a low precipitation urban area, advanced treatment is a more suitable option, but for high precipitation urban areas, urban surface runoff quality control installations were more effective for suspended solids and oxygen-demanding matter controls, and that advanced treatment is the more effective option for nutrient control.

Advanced oxidation-based treatment of furniture industry wastewater.

PubMed

Tichonovas, Martynas; Krugly, Edvinas; Grybauskas, Arturas; Jankūnaitė, Dalia; Račys, Viktoras; Martuzevičius, Dainius

2017-07-16

The paper presents a study on the treatment of the furniture industry wastewater in a bench scale advanced oxidation reactor. The researched technology utilized a simultaneous application of ozone, ultraviolet radiation and surface-immobilized TiO 2 nanoparticle catalyst. Various combinations of processes were tested, including photolysis, photocatalysis, ozonation, catalytic ozonation, photolytic ozonation and photocatalytic ozonation were tested against the efficiency of degradation. The efficiency of the processes was primarily characterized by the total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, indicating the remaining organic material in the wastewater after the treatment, while the toxicity changes in wastewater were researched by Daphnia magna toxicity tests. Photocatalytic ozonation was confirmed as the most effective combination of processes (99.3% of TOC reduction during 180 min of treatment), also being the most energy efficient (4.49-7.83 MJ/g). Photocatalytic ozonation and photolytic ozonation remained efficient across a wide range of pH (3-9), but the pH was an important factor in photocatalysis. The toxicity of wastewater depended on the duration of the treatment: half treated water was highly toxic, while fully treated water did not possess any toxicity. Our results indicate that photocatalytic ozonation has a high potential for the upscaling and application in industrial settings.

Comparative reduction of Giardia cysts, F+ coliphages, sulphite reducing clostridia and fecal coliforms by wastewater treatment processes.

PubMed

Nasser, Abidelfatah M; Benisti, Neta-Lee; Ofer, Naomi; Hovers, Sivan; Nitzan, Yeshayahu

2017-01-28

Advanced wastewater treatment processes are applied to prevent the environmental dissemination of pathogenic microorganisms. Giardia lamblia causes a severe disease called giardiasis, and is highly prevalent in untreated wastewater worldwide. Monitoring the microbial quality of wastewater effluents is usually based on testing for the levels of indicator microorganisms in the effluents. This study was conducted to compare the suitability of fecal coliforms, F+ coliphages and sulfide reducing clostridia (SRC) as indicators for the reduction of Giardia cysts in two full-scale wastewater treatment plants. The treatment process consists of activated sludge, coagulation, high rate filtration and either chlorine or UV disinfection. The results of the study demonstrated that Giardia cysts are highly prevalent in raw wastewater at an average concentration of 3600 cysts/L. Fecal coliforms, F+ coliphages and SRC were also detected at high concentrations in raw wastewater. Giardia cysts were efficiently removed (3.6 log 10 ) by the treatment train. The greatest reduction was observed for fecal coliforms (9.6 log 10 ) whereas the least reduction was observed for F+ coliphages (2.1 log 10 ) following chlorine disinfection. Similar reduction was observed for SRC by filtration and disinfection by either UV (3.6 log 10 ) or chlorine (3.3 log 10 ). Since F+ coliphage and SRC were found to be more resistant than fecal coliforms for the tertiary treatment processes, they may prove to be more suitable as indicators for Giardia. The results of this study demonstrated that advanced wastewater treatment may prove efficient for the removal of Giardia cysts and may prevent its transmission when treated effluents are applied for crop irrigation or streams restoration.

A Guide to the Selection of Cost-Effective Wastewater Treatment Systems. Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Note, Robert H.; And Others

The data within this publication provide guidelines for planners, engineers and decision-makers at all governmental levels to evaluate cost-effectiveness of alternative wastewater treatment proposals. The processes described include conventional and advanced treatment units as well as most sludge handling and processing units. Flow sheets, cost…

Nitrosamines in pilot-scale and full-scale wastewater treatment plants with ozonation.

PubMed

Gerrity, Daniel; Pisarenko, Aleksey N; Marti, Erica; Trenholm, Rebecca A; Gerringer, Fred; Reungoat, Julien; Dickenson, Eric

2015-04-01

Ozone-based treatment trains offer a sustainable option for potable reuse applications, but nitrosamine formation during ozonation poses a challenge for municipalities seeking to avoid reverse osmosis and high-dose ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Six nitrosamines were monitored in full-scale and pilot-scale wastewater treatment trains. The primary focus was on eight treatment trains employing ozonation of secondary or tertiary wastewater effluents, but two treatment trains with chlorination or UV disinfection of tertiary wastewater effluent and another with full advanced treatment (i.e., reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation) were also included for comparison. N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR) were the most prevalent nitrosamines in untreated (up to 89 ng/L and 67 ng/L, respectively) and treated wastewater. N-nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA) and N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) were detected at one facility each, while N-nitrosodipropylamine (NDPrA) and N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA) were less than their method reporting limits (MRLs) in all samples. Ozone-induced NDMA formation ranging from <10 to 143 ng/L was observed at all but one site, but the reasons for the variation in formation remain unclear. Activated sludge, biological activated carbon (BAC), and UV photolysis were effective for NDMA mitigation. NMOR was also removed with activated sludge but did not form during ozonation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A review on characterization and bioremediation of pharmaceutical industries' wastewater: an Indian perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rana, Rajender Singh; Singh, Prashant; Kandari, Vikash; Singh, Rakesh; Dobhal, Rajendra; Gupta, Sanjay

2017-03-01

During the past few decades, pharmaceutical industries have registered a quantum jump contributing to high economic growth, but simultaneously it has also given rise to severe environmental pollution. Untreated or allegedly treated pharmaceutical industrial wastewater (PIWW) creates a need for time to time assessment and characterization of discharged wastewater as per the standards provided by the regulatory authorities. To control environmental pollution, pharmaceutical industries use different treatment plans to treat and reuse wastewater. The characterization of PIWW using advanced and coupled techniques has progressed to a much advanced level, but in view of new developments in drug manufacture for emerging diseases and the complexities associated with them, better sophisticated instrumentation and methods of treatment are warranted. The bioremediation process to treat PIWW has undergone more intense investigation in recent decade. This results in the complete mineralization of pharmaceutical industries' wastewater and no waste product is obtained. Moreover, high efficiency and low operation cost prove it to be an effective tool for the treatment of PIWW. The present review focuses on the characterization as well as bioremediation aspects of PIWW.

An experimental investigation of wastewater treatment using electron beam irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emami-Meibodi, M.; Parsaeian, M. R.; Amraei, R.; Banaei, M.; Anvari, F.; Tahami, S. M. R.; Vakhshoor, B.; Mehdizadeh, A.; Fallah Nejad, N.; Shirmardi, S. P.; Mostafavi, S. J.; Mousavi, S. M. J.

2016-08-01

Electron beam (EB) is used for disinfection and treatment of different types of sewage and industrial wastewater. However, high capital investment required and the abundant energy consumed by this process raise doubts about its cost-effectiveness. In this paper, different wastewaters, including two textile sewages and one municipal wastewater are experimentally studied under different irradiation strategies (i.e. batch, 60 l/min and 1000 m3/day) in order to establish the reliability and the optimum conditions for the treatment process. According to the results, EB improves the efficiency of traditional wastewater treatment methods, but, for textile samples, coagulation before EB irradiation is recommended. The cost estimation of EB treatment compared to conventional methods shows that EB has been more expensive than chlorination and less expensive than activated sludge. Therefore, EB irradiation is advisable if and only if conventional methods of textile wastewater treatment are insufficient or chlorination of municipal wastewater is not allowed for health reasons. Nevertheless, among the advanced oxidation processes (AOP), EB irradiation process may be the most suitable one in industrial scale operations.

Advanced Waste Treatment, Wastewater Technology: A Two-Year Post High School Instructional Program. An Instructor's Guide for Use of Instructional Material in Wastewater Technology Training Programs. Volume VI.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gearheart, Robert A.; And Others

This document is one in a series which outlines performance objectives and instructional modules for a course of study which explains the relationship and functions of the process units in a wastewater treatment plant. The modules are arranged in order appropriate for teaching students with no experience. The modules can also be rearranged and…

Cost of phosphate removal in municipal wastewater treatment plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuessler, H.

1983-01-01

Construction and operating costs of advanced wastewater treatment for phosphate removal at municipal wastewater treatment plants have been investigated on orders from the Federal Environmental Bureau in Berlin. Particular attention has been paid to applicable kinds of precipitants for pre-, simultaneous and post-precipitation as well as to different phosphate influent and effluent concentrations. The article offers detailed comments on determination of technical data, investments, capital costs, operating costs and annual costs as well as potential cost reductions resulting from precipitation. Selected results of the cost investigation are shown in graphical form as specific investments, operating and annual costs depending on wastewater flow.

Treatment of industrial wastewater effluents using hydrodynamic cavitation and the advanced Fenton process.

PubMed

Chakinala, Anand G; Gogate, Parag R; Burgess, Arthur E; Bremner, David H

2008-01-01

For the first time, hydrodynamic cavitation induced by a liquid whistle reactor (LWR) has been used in conjunction with the advanced Fenton process (AFP) for the treatment of real industrial wastewater. Semi-batch experiments in the LWR were designed to investigate the performance of the process for two different industrial wastewater samples. The effect of various operating parameters such as pressure, H2O2 concentration and the initial concentration of industrial wastewater samples on the extent of mineralization as measured by total organic carbon (TOC) content have been studied with the aim of maximizing the extent of degradation. It has been observed that higher pressures, sequential addition of hydrogen peroxide at higher loadings and lower concentration of the effluent are more favourable for a rapid TOC mineralization. In general, the novel combination of hydrodynamic cavitation with AFP results in about 60-80% removal of TOC under optimized conditions depending on the type of industrial effluent samples. The combination described herein is most useful for treatment of bio-refractory materials where the diminution in toxicity can be achieved up to a certain level and then conventional biological oxidation can be employed for final treatment. The present work is the first to report the use of a hydrodynamic cavitation technique for real industrial wastewater treatment.

Life cycle environmental impacts of advanced wastewater treatment techniques for removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs).

PubMed

Zepon Tarpani, Raphael Ricardo; Azapagic, Adisa

2018-06-01

Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) are of increasing interest because of their ecotoxicological properties and environmental impacts. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are the main pathway for their release into freshwaters due to the inefficiency of conventional WWTPs in removing many of these contaminants from effluents. Therefore, different advanced effluent treatment techniques have been proposed for their treatment. However, it is not known at present how effective these treatment methods are and whether on a life cycle basis they cause other environmental impacts which may outweigh the benefits of the treatment. In an effort to provide an insight into this question, this paper considers life cycle environmental impacts of the following advanced treatment techniques aimed at reducing freshwater ecotoxicity potential of PPCPs: granular activated carbon (GAC), nanofiltration (NF), solar photo-Fenton (SPF) and ozonation. The results suggest that on average NF has the lowest impacts for 13 out of 18 categories considered. GAC is the best alternative for five impacts, including metals and water depletion, but it has the highest marine eutrophication. SPF and ozonation are the least sustainable for eight impacts, including ecotoxicity and climate change. GAC and NF are also more efficient in treating heavy metals while avoiding generation of harmful by-products during the treatment, thus being more suitable for potable reuse of wastewater. However, releasing the effluent without advanced treatment to agricultural land achieves a much higher reduction of freshwater ecotoxicity than treating it by any of the advanced treatments and releasing to the environment. Therefore, the use of advanced effluent treatment for agricultural purposes is not recommended. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Removal of native coliphages and coliform bacteria from municipal wastewater by various wastewater treatment processes: implications to water reuse.

PubMed

Zhang, K; Farahbakhsh, K

2007-06-01

The efficacy of a conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment process and the membrane bioreactor technology in removing microbial pathogens was investigated. Total and fecal coliforms and somatic and F-specific coliphages were used as indicators of pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Up to 5.7 logs removal of coliforms and 5.5 logs of coliphages were observed in the conventional treatment process with advanced tertiary treatment. Addition of chemical coagulants seemed to improve the efficacy of primary and secondary treatment for microorganism removal. Complete removal of fecal coliforms and up to 5.8 logs removal of coliphages was observed in the MBR system. It was shown that the MBR system was capable of high removal of coliphages despite the variation in feed coliphage concentrations. The results of this study indicated that the MBR system can achieve better microbial removal in far fewer steps than the conventional activated sludge process with advanced tertiary treatment. The final effluent from either treatment processes can be potentially reused.

[Ecological security of wastewater treatment processes: a review].

PubMed

Yang, Sai; Hua, Tao

2013-05-01

Though the regular indicators of wastewater after treatment can meet the discharge requirements and reuse standards, it doesn't mean the effluent is harmless. From the sustainable point of view, to ensure the ecological and human security, comprehensive toxicity should be considered when discharge standards are set up. In order to improve the ecological security of wastewater treatment processes, toxicity reduction should be considered when selecting and optimizing the treatment processes. This paper reviewed the researches on the ecological security of wastewater treatment processes, with the focus on the purposes of various treatment processes, including the processes for special wastewater treatment, wastewater reuse, and for the safety of receiving waters. Conventional biological treatment combined with advanced oxidation technologies can enhance the toxicity reduction on the base of pollutants removal, which is worthy of further study. For the process aimed at wastewater reuse, the integration of different process units can complement the advantages of both conventional pollutants removal and toxicity reduction. For the process aimed at ecological security of receiving waters, the emphasis should be put on the toxicity reduction optimization of process parameters and process unit selection. Some suggestions for the problems in the current research and future research directions were put forward.

Performance analysis and optimization of an advanced pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plant through a visual basic software tool (PWWT.VB).

PubMed

Pal, Parimal; Thakura, Ritwik; Chakrabortty, Sankha

2016-05-01

A user-friendly, menu-driven simulation software tool has been developed for the first time to optimize and analyze the system performance of an advanced continuous membrane-integrated pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plant. The software allows pre-analysis and manipulation of input data which helps in optimization and shows the software performance visually on a graphical platform. Moreover, the software helps the user to "visualize" the effects of the operating parameters through its model-predicted output profiles. The software is based on a dynamic mathematical model, developed for a systematically integrated forward osmosis-nanofiltration process for removal of toxic organic compounds from pharmaceutical wastewater. The model-predicted values have been observed to corroborate well with the extensive experimental investigations which were found to be consistent under varying operating conditions like operating pressure, operating flow rate, and draw solute concentration. Low values of the relative error (RE = 0.09) and high values of Willmott-d-index (d will = 0.981) reflected a high degree of accuracy and reliability of the software. This software is likely to be a very efficient tool for system design or simulation of an advanced membrane-integrated treatment plant for hazardous wastewater.

Biological nitrogen removal from plating wastewater by submerged membrane bioreactor packed with granular sulfur.

PubMed

Moon, Jinyoung; Hwang, Yongwoo; Kim, Junbeum; Kwak, Inho

Recent toughened water quality standards have necessitated improvements for existing sewer treatment facilities through advanced treatment processes. Therefore, an advanced treatment process that can be installed through simple modification of existing sewer treatment facilities needs to be developed. In this study, a new submerged membrane bioreactor process packed with granular sulfur (MBR-GS) was developed and operated to determine the biological nitrogen removal behaviors of plating wastewater containing a high concentration of NO3(-). Continuous denitrification was carried out at various nitrogen loading rates at 20 °C using synthetic wastewater, which was comprised of NO3(-) and HCO3(-), and actual plating wastewater, which was collected from the effluent water of a plating company called 'H Metals'. High-rate denitrification in synthetic plating wastewater was accomplished at 0.8 kg NO3(-)-N/m(3)·day at a nitrogen loading rate of 0.9 kg NO3(-)-N/m(3)·day. The denitrification rate further increased in actual plating wastewater to 0.91 kg NO3(-)-N/m(3)·day at a nitrogen loading rate of 1.11 kg NO3(-)-N/m(3)·day. Continuous filtration was maintained for up to 30 days without chemical cleaning with a transmembrane pressure in the range of 20 cmHg. Based on stoichiometry, SO4(2-) production and alkalinity consumption could be calculated theoretically. Experimental alkalinity consumption was lower than the theoretical value. This newly proposed MBR-GS process, capable of high-rate nitrogen removal by compulsive flux, is expected to be applicable as an alternative renovation technique for nitrogen treatment of plating wastewater as well as municipal wastewater with a low C/N ratio.

Membrane Distillation Bioreactor (MDBR) - A lower Green-House-Gas (GHG) option for industrial wastewater reclamation.

PubMed

Goh, Shuwen; Zhang, Jinsong; Liu, Yu; Fane, Anthony G

2015-12-01

A high-retention membrane bioreactor system, the Membrane Distillation Bioreactor (MDBR) is a wastewater reclamation process which has the potential to tap on waste heat generated in industries to produce high quality product water. There are a few key factors which could make MDBR an attractive advanced treatment option, namely tightening legal requirements due to increasing concerns on the micropollutants in industrial wastewater effluents as well as concerns over the electrical requirement of pressurized advanced treatment processes and greenhouse gas emissions associated with wastewater reclamation. This paper aims to provide a consolidated review on the current state of research for the MDBR system and to evaluate the system as a possible lower Green House Gas (GHG) emission option for wastewater reclamation using the membrane bioreactor-reverse osmosis (MBR-RO) system as a baseline for comparison. The areas for potential applications and possible configurations for MDBR applications are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrated nitrogen removal biofilter system with ceramic membrane for advanced post-treatment of municipal wastewater.

PubMed

Son, Dong-Jin; Yun, Chan-Young; Kim, Woo-Yeol; Zhang, Xing-Ya; Kim, Dae-Gun; Chang, Duk; Sunwoo, Young; Hong, Ki-Ho

2016-12-01

The pre-denitrification biofilm process for nitrogen removal was combined with ceramic membrane with pore sizes of 0.05-0.1 µm as a system for advanced post-treatment of municipal wastewater. The system was operated under an empty bed hydraulic retention time of 7.8 h, recirculation ratio of 3, and transmembrane pressure of 0.47 bar. The system showed average removals of organics, total nitrogen, and solids as high as 93%, 80%, and 100%, respectively. Rapid nitrification could be achieved and denitrification was performed in the anoxic filter without external carbon supplements. The residual particulate organics and nitrogen in effluent from biofilm process could be also removed successfully through membrane filtration and the removal of total coliform was noticeably improved after membrane filtration. Thus, a system composed of the pre-denitrification biofilm process with ceramic membrane would be a compact and flexible option for advanced post-treatment of municipal wastewater.

Jar Test. Operational Control Tests for Wastewater Treatment Facilities. Instructor's Manual [and] Student Workbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arasmith, E. E.

The jar test is used to determine the proper chemical dosage required for good coagulation and flocculation of water. The test is commonly used in potable water, secondary effluent prior to advanced wastewater treatment, secondary clarifier influent, and sludge conditioning practice. Designed for individuals who have completed National Pollutant…

Physicochemical treatments of anionic surfactants wastewater: Effect on aerobic biodegradability.

PubMed

Aloui, Fathi; Kchaou, Sonia; Sayadi, Sami

2009-05-15

The effect of different physicochemical treatments on the aerobic biodegradability of an industrial wastewater resulting from a cosmetic industry has been investigated. This industrial wastewater contains 11423 and 3148mgL(-1) of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and anionic surfactants, respectively. The concentration of COD and anionic surfactants were followed throughout the diverse physicochemical treatments and biodegradation experiments. Different pretreatments of this industrial wastewater using chemical flocculation process with lime and aluminium sulphate (alum), and also advanced oxidation process (electro-coagulation (Fe and Al) and electro-Fenton) led to important COD and anionic surfactants removals. The best results were obtained using electro-Fenton process, exceeding 98 and 80% of anionic surfactants and COD removals, respectively. The biological treatment by an isolated strain Citrobacter braakii of the surfactant wastewater, as well as the pretreated wastewater by the various physicochemical processes used in this study showed that the best results were obtained with electro-Fenton pretreated wastewater. The characterization of the treated surfactant wastewater by the integrated process (electro-coagulation or electro-Fenton)-biological showed that it respects Tunisian discharge standards.

Cork boiling wastewater treatment and reuse through combination of advanced oxidation technologies.

PubMed

Ponce-Robles, L; Miralles-Cuevas, S; Oller, I; Agüera, A; Trinidad-Lozano, M J; Yuste, F J; Malato, S

2017-03-01

Industrial preparation of cork consists of its immersion for approximately 1 hour in boiling water. The use of herbicides and pesticides in oak tree forests leads to absorption of these compounds by cork; thus, after boiling process, they are present in wastewater. Cork boiling wastewater shows low biodegradability and high acute toxicity involving partial inhibition of their biodegradation when conventional biological treatment is applied. In this work, a treatment line strategy based on the combination of advanced physicochemical technologies is proposed. The final objective is the reuse of wastewater in the cork boiling process; thus, reducing consumption of fresh water in the industrial process itself. Coagulation pre-treatment with 0.5 g/L of FeCl 3 attained the highest turbidity elimination (86 %) and 29 % of DOC elimination. Similar DOC removal was attained when using 1 g/L of ECOTAN BIO (selected for ozonation tests), accompanied of 64 % of turbidity removal. Ozonation treatments showed less efficiency in the complete oxidation of cork boiling wastewater, compared to solar photo-Fenton process, under the studied conditions. Nanofiltration system was successfully employed as a final purification step with the aim of obtaining a high-quality reusable permeate stream. Monitoring of unknown compounds by LC-QTOF-MS allowed the qualitative evaluation of the whole process. Acute and chronic toxicity as well as biodegradability assays were performed throughout the whole proposed treatment line.

Use of solar advanced oxidation processes for wastewater treatment: Follow-up on degradation products, acute toxicity, genotoxicity and estrogenicity.

PubMed

Brienza, M; Mahdi Ahmed, M; Escande, A; Plantard, G; Scrano, L; Chiron, S; Bufo, S A; Goetz, V

2016-04-01

Wastewater tertiary treatment by advanced oxidation processes is thought to produce a treated effluent with lower toxicity than the initial influent. Here we performed tertiary treatment of a secondary effluent collected from a Waste Water Treatment Plant via homogeneous (solar/HSO5(-)/Fe(2+)) and heterogeneous (solar/TiO2) solar advanced oxidation aiming at the assessment of their effectiveness in terms of contaminants' and toxicity abatement in a plain solar reactor. A total of 53 organic contaminants were qualitatively identified by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry after solid phase extraction. Solar advanced oxidation totally or partially removed the major part of contaminants detected within 4.5 h. Standard toxicity tests were performed using Vibrio fischeri, Daphnia magna, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Brachionus calyciflorus organisms to evaluate acute and chronic toxicity in the secondary or tertiary effluents, and the EC50% was calculated. Estrogenic and genotoxic tests were carried out in an attempt to obtain an even sharper evaluation of potential hazardous effects due to micropollutants or their degradation by-products in wastewater. Genotoxic effects were not detected in effluent before or after treatment. However, we observed relevant estrogenic activity due to the high sensitivity of the HELN ERα cell line. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment of micropollutants in municipal wastewater: ozone or powdered activated carbon?

PubMed

Margot, Jonas; Kienle, Cornelia; Magnet, Anoÿs; Weil, Mirco; Rossi, Luca; de Alencastro, Luiz Felippe; Abegglen, Christian; Thonney, Denis; Chèvre, Nathalie; Schärer, Michael; Barry, D A

2013-09-01

Many organic micropollutants present in wastewater, such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides, are poorly removed in conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). To reduce the release of these substances into the aquatic environment, advanced wastewater treatments are necessary. In this context, two large-scale pilot advanced treatments were tested in parallel over more than one year at the municipal WWTP of Lausanne, Switzerland. The treatments were: i) oxidation by ozone followed by sand filtration (SF) and ii) powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption followed by either ultrafiltration (UF) or sand filtration. More than 70 potentially problematic substances (pharmaceuticals, pesticides, endocrine disruptors, drug metabolites and other common chemicals) were regularly measured at different stages of treatment. Additionally, several ecotoxicological tests such as the Yeast Estrogen Screen, a combined algae bioassay and a fish early life stage test were performed to evaluate effluent toxicity. Both treatments significantly improved the effluent quality. Micropollutants were removed on average over 80% compared with raw wastewater, with an average ozone dose of 5.7 mg O3 l(-1) or a PAC dose between 10 and 20 mg l(-1). Depending on the chemical properties of the substances (presence of electron-rich moieties, charge and hydrophobicity), either ozone or PAC performed better. Both advanced treatments led to a clear reduction in toxicity of the effluents, with PAC-UF performing slightly better overall. As both treatments had, on average, relatively similar efficiency, further criteria relevant to their implementation were considered, including local constraints (e.g., safety, sludge disposal, disinfection), operational feasibility and cost. For sensitive receiving waters (drinking water resources or recreational waters), the PAC-UF treatment, despite its current higher cost, was considered to be the most suitable option, enabling good removal of most micropollutants and macropollutants without forming problematic by-products, the strongest decrease in toxicity and a total disinfection of the effluent. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reducing uncertainty in estimating virus reduction by advanced water treatment processes.

PubMed

Gerba, Charles P; Betancourt, Walter Q; Kitajima, Masaaki; Rock, Channah M

2018-04-15

Treatment of wastewater for potable reuse requires the reduction of enteric viruses to levels that pose no significant risk to human health. Advanced water treatment trains (e.g., chemical clarification, reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, advanced oxidation) have been developed to provide reductions of viruses to differing levels of regulatory control depending upon the levels of human exposure and associated health risks. Importance in any assessment is information on the concentration and types of viruses in the untreated wastewater, as well as the degree of removal by each treatment process. However, it is critical that the uncertainty associated with virus concentration and removal or inactivation by wastewater treatment be understood to improve these estimates and identifying research needs. We reviewed the critically literature to assess to identify uncertainty in these estimates. Biological diversity within families and genera of viruses (e.g. enteroviruses, rotaviruses, adenoviruses, reoviruses, noroviruses) and specific virus types (e.g. serotypes or genotypes) creates the greatest uncertainty. These aspects affect the methods for detection and quantification of viruses and anticipated removal efficiency by treatment processes. Approaches to reduce uncertainty may include; 1) inclusion of a virus indicator for assessing efficiency of virus concentration and detection by molecular methods for each sample, 2) use of viruses most resistant to individual treatment processes (e.g. adenoviruses for UV light disinfection and reoviruses for chlorination), 3) data on ratio of virion or genome copies to infectivity in untreated wastewater, and 4) assessment of virus removal at field scale treatment systems to verify laboratory and pilot plant data for virus removal. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spoilt for choice: A critical review on the chemical and biological assessment of current wastewater treatment technologies.

PubMed

Prasse, Carsten; Stalter, Daniel; Schulte-Oehlmann, Ulrike; Oehlmann, Jörg; Ternes, Thomas A

2015-12-15

The knowledge we have gained in recent years on the presence and effects of compounds discharged by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) brings us to a point where we must question the appropriateness of current water quality evaluation methodologies. An increasing number of anthropogenic chemicals is detected in treated wastewater and there is increasing evidence of adverse environmental effects related to WWTP discharges. It has thus become clear that new strategies are needed to assess overall quality of conventional and advanced treated wastewaters. There is an urgent need for multidisciplinary approaches combining expertise from engineering, analytical and environmental chemistry, (eco)toxicology, and microbiology. This review summarizes the current approaches used to assess treated wastewater quality from the chemical and ecotoxicological perspective. Discussed chemical approaches include target, non-target and suspect analysis, sum parameters, identification and monitoring of transformation products, computational modeling as well as effect directed analysis and toxicity identification evaluation. The discussed ecotoxicological methodologies encompass in vitro testing (cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, mutagenicity, endocrine disruption, adaptive stress response activation, toxicogenomics) and in vivo tests (single and multi species, biomonitoring). We critically discuss the benefits and limitations of the different methodologies reviewed. Additionally, we provide an overview of the current state of research regarding the chemical and ecotoxicological evaluation of conventional as well as the most widely used advanced wastewater treatment technologies, i.e., ozonation, advanced oxidation processes, chlorination, activated carbon, and membrane filtration. In particular, possible directions for future research activities in this area are provided. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Graphene-based materials supported advanced oxidation processes for water and wastewater treatment: a review.

PubMed

Nidheesh, Puthiya Veetil

2017-12-01

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) received much attention in the field of water and wastewater treatment due to its ability to mineralize persistent organic pollutants from water medium. The addition of graphene-based materials increased the efficiency of all AOPs significantly. The present review analyzes the performance of graphene-based materials that supported AOPs in detail. Recent developments in this field are highlighted. A special focus has been awarded for the performance enhancement mechanism of AOPs in the presence of graphene-based materials.

Removal Efficiency of COD, Total P and Total N Components from Municipal Wastewater using Hollow-fibre MBR.

PubMed

Petrinić, Irena; Curlin, Mirjana; Korenak, Jasmina; Simonič, Marjana

2011-06-01

The membrane bioreactor (MBR) integrates well within the conventionally activated sludge system regarding advanced membrane separation for wastewater treatment. Over the last decade, a number of MBR systems have been constructed worldwide and this system is now accepted as a technology of choice for wastewater treatment especially for municipal wastewater. The aim of this work was to investigate and compare submerged MBR with conventionally-activated sludge system for the treatment of municipal wastewater in Maribor, Slovenia. It can be concluded from the results, that the efficiencies being determined by the parameters were satisfied, such as, chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorous, and total nitrogen, which were 97%, 75%, and 90%, respectively. The efficiencies of ultrafiltration membrane for the same parameters were also determined, and compared with biological treatment. The results of this analysis show an additional effect regarding an improvement in the quality of the permeate but primary treatment is also very important. For successfully application of MBR system smaller grid for primary treatment is needed.

Applications of nanotechnology in wastewater treatment--a review.

PubMed

Bora, Tanujjal; Dutta, Joydeep

2014-01-01

Water on Earth is a precious and finite resource, which is endlessly recycled in the water cycle. Water, whose physical, chemical, or biological properties have been altered due to the addition of contaminants such as organic/inorganic materials, pathogens, heavy metals or other toxins making it unsafe for the ecosystem, can be termed as wastewater. Various schemes have been adopted by industries across the world to treat wastewater prior to its release to the ecosystem, and several new concepts and technologies are fast replacing the traditional methods. This article briefly reviews the recent advances and application of nanotechnology for wastewater treatment. Nanomaterials typically have high reactivity and a high degree of functionalization, large specific surface area, size-dependent properties etc., which makes them suitable for applications in wastewater treatment and for water purification. In this article, the application of various nanomaterials such as metal nanoparticles, metal oxides, carbon compounds, zeolite, filtration membranes, etc., in the field of wastewater treatment is discussed.

Dynamics of Nutrients Transport in Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toor, G.; De, M.

2013-05-01

Domestic wastewater is abundant in nutrients¬ that originate from various activities in the households. In developed countries, wastewater is largely managed by (1) centralized treatment where wastewater from large population is collected, treated, and discharged and (2) onsite treatment where wastewater is collected from an individual house, treated, and dispersed onsite; this system is commonly known as septic system or onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) and consist of a septic tank (collects wastewater) and drain-field (disperses wastewater in soil). In areas with porous sandy soils, the transport of nutrients from drain-field to shallow groundwater is accelerated. To overcome this limitation, elevated disposal fields (commonly called mounds) on top of the natural soil are constructed to provide unsaturated conditions for wastewater treatment. Our objective was to study the dynamics of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) transport in the vadose zone and groundwater in traditional and advanced OWTS. Soil water samples were collected from the vadose zone by using suction cup lysimeters and groundwater samples were collected by using piezometers. Collected samples (wastewater, soil-water, groundwater) were analyzed for various water quality parameters. The pH (4.39-4.78) and EC (0.28-0.34 dS/m) of groundwater was much lower than both wastewater and soil-water. In contrast to >50 mg/L of ammonium-N in wastewater, concentrations in all lysimeters (0.02-0.81 mg/L) and piezometers (0.01-0.82 mg/L) were <1 mg/L; suggesting that >99% disappeared (primarily nitrified) in the vadose zone (<1.05-m soil profile depth). In the vadose zone of advanced system, heterotrophic and autrotrophic denitrification reduced nitrate-N concentrations to <0.12 mg/L, compared with >20 mg/L in the vadose zones of traditional systems (drip dispersal and gravel trench). Concentrations of chloride showed a distinct pattern of nitrate-N breakthrough in vadose zone and groundwater; the groundwater nitrate-N was elevated upto 19.2 mg/L after wastewater delivery in tradional systems. Total P in the wastewater was ~10 mg/L, but low in all lysimeters (0.046-1.72 mg/L) and piezometers (0.01-0.78 mg/L) indicating enhanced P attenuation in the vadose zone of all systems.

Analytical tools employed to determine pharmaceutical compounds in wastewaters after application of advanced oxidation processes.

PubMed

Afonso-Olivares, Cristina; Montesdeoca-Esponda, Sarah; Sosa-Ferrera, Zoraida; Santana-Rodríguez, José Juan

2016-12-01

Today, the presence of contaminants in the environment is a topic of interest for society in general and for the scientific community in particular. A very large amount of different chemical substances reaches the environment after passing through wastewater treatment plants without being eliminated. This is due to the inefficiency of conventional removal processes and the lack of government regulations. The list of compounds entering treatment plants is gradually becoming longer and more varied because most of these compounds come from pharmaceuticals, hormones or personal care products, which are increasingly used by modern society. As a result of this increase in compound variety, to address these emerging pollutants, the development of new and more efficient removal technologies is needed. Different advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), especially photochemical AOPs, have been proposed as supplements to traditional treatments for the elimination of pollutants, showing significant advantages over the use of conventional methods alone. This work aims to review the analytical methodologies employed for the analysis of pharmaceutical compounds from wastewater in studies in which advanced oxidation processes are applied. Due to the low concentrations of these substances in wastewater, mass spectrometry detectors are usually chosen to meet the low detection limits and identification power required. Specifically, time-of-flight detectors are required to analyse the by-products.

Effects of advanced treatment systems on the removal of antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater treatment plants from Hangzhou, China.

PubMed

Chen, Hong; Zhang, Mingmei

2013-08-06

This study aimed at quantifying the concentration and removal of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in three municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) employing different advanced treatment systems [biological aerated filter, constructed wetland, and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection]. The concentrations of tetM, tetO, tetQ, tetW, sulI, sulII, intI1, and 16S rDNA genes were examined in wastewater and biosolid samples. In municipal WWTPs, ARG reductions of 1-3 orders of magnitude were observed, and no difference was found among the three municipal WWTPs with different treatment processes (p > 0.05). In advanced treatment systems, 1-3 orders of magnitude of reductions in ARGs were observed in constructed wetlands, 0.6-1.2 orders of magnitude of reductions in ARGs were observed in the biological aerated filter, but no apparent decrease by UV disinfection was observed. A significant difference was found between constructed wetlands and biological filter (p < 0.05) and between constructed wetlands and UV disinfection (p < 0.05). In the constructed wetlands, significant correlations were observed in the removal of ARGs and 16S rDNA genes (R(2) = 0.391-0.866; p < 0.05). Constructed wetlands not only have the comparable ARG removal values with WWTP (p > 0.05) but also have the advantage in ARG relative abundance removal, and it should be given priority to be an advanced treatment system for further ARG attenuation from WWTP.

WW LCI v2: A second-generation life cycle inventory model for chemicals discharged to wastewater systems.

PubMed

Kalbar, Pradip P; Muñoz, Ivan; Birkved, Morten

2018-05-01

We present a second-generation wastewater treatment inventory model, WW LCI 2.0, which on many fronts represents considerable advances compared to its previous version WW LCI 1.0. WW LCI 2.0 is a novel and complete wastewater inventory model integrating WW LCI 1.0, i.e. a complete life cycle inventory, including infrastructure requirement, energy consumption and auxiliary materials applied for the treatment of wastewater and disposal of sludge and SewageLCI, i.e. fate modelling of chemicals released to the sewer. The model is expanded to account for different wastewater treatment levels, i.e. primary, secondary and tertiary treatment, independent treatment by septic tanks and also direct discharge to natural waters. Sludge disposal by means of composting is added as a new option. The model also includes a database containing statistics on wastewater treatment levels and sludge disposal patterns in 56 countries. The application of the new model is demonstrated using five chemicals assumed discharged to wastewater systems in four different countries. WW LCI 2.0 model results shows that chemicals such as diethylenetriamine penta (methylene phosphonic acid) (DTPMP) and Diclofenac, exhibit lower climate change (CC) and freshwater ecotoxicity (FET) burdens upon wastewater treatment compared to direct discharge in all country scenarios. Results for Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen (more readily degradable) show that the CC burden depends on the country-specific levels of wastewater treatment. Higher treatment levels lead to lower CC and FET burden compared to direct discharge. WW LCI 2.0 makes it possible to generate complete detailed life cycle inventories and fate analyses for chemicals released to wastewater systems. Our test of the WW LCI 2.0 model with five chemicals illustrates how the model can provide substantially different outcomes, compared to conventional wastewater inventory models, making the inventory dependent upon the atomic composition of the molecules undergoing treatment as well as the country specific wastewater treatment levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Textile wastewater reuse after additional treatment by Fenton's reagent.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Marília Cleto Meirelles; Starling, Maria Clara V M; Leão, Mônica Maria Diniz; de Amorim, Camila Costa

2017-03-01

This study verifies textile wastewater reuse treated by the conventional activated sludge process and subjected to further treatment by advanced oxidation processes. Three alternative processes are discussed: Fenton, photo-Fenton, and UV/H 2 O 2 . Evaluation of treatments effects was based on factorial experiment design in which the response variables were the maximum removal of COD and the minimum concentration of residual H 2 O 2 in treated wastewater. Results indicated Fenton's reagent, COD/[H 2 O 2 ]/[Fe 2+ ] mass ratio of 1:2:2, as the best alternative. The selected technique was applied to real wastewater collected from a conventional treatment plant of a textile mill. The quality of the wastewater before and after the additional treatment was monitored in terms of 16 physicochemical parameters defined as suitable for the characterization of waters subjected to industrial textile use. The degradation of the wastewater was also evaluated by determining the distribution of its molecular weight along with the organic matter fractionation by ultrafiltration, measured in terms of COD. Finally, a sample of the wastewater after additional treatment was tested for reuse at pilot scale in order to evaluate the impact on the quality of dyed fabrics. Results show partial compliance of treated wastewater with the physicochemical quality guidelines for reuse. Removal and conversion of high and medium molecular weight substances into low molecular weight substances was observed, as well as the degradation of most of the organic matter originally present in the wastewater. Reuse tests indicated positive results, confirming the applicability of wastewater reuse after the suggested additional treatment. Graphical abstract Textile wastewater samples after additional treatment by Fenton's reagent, photo-Fenton and H 2 O 2 /UV tested in different conditions.

How Does Scale of Implementation Impact the Environmental Sustainability of Wastewater Treatment Integrated with Resource Recovery?

PubMed

Cornejo, Pablo K; Zhang, Qiong; Mihelcic, James R

2016-07-05

Energy and resource consumptions required to treat and transport wastewater have led to efforts to improve the environmental sustainability of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Resource recovery can reduce the environmental impact of these systems; however, limited research has considered how the scale of implementation impacts the sustainability of WWTPs integrated with resource recovery. Accordingly, this research uses life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate how the scale of implementation impacts the environmental sustainability of wastewater treatment integrated with water reuse, energy recovery, and nutrient recycling. Three systems were selected: a septic tank with aerobic treatment at the household scale, an advanced water reclamation facility at the community scale, and an advanced water reclamation facility at the city scale. Three sustainability indicators were considered: embodied energy, carbon footprint, and eutrophication potential. This study determined that as with economies of scale, there are benefits to centralization of WWTPs with resource recovery in terms of embodied energy and carbon footprint; however, the community scale was shown to have the lowest eutrophication potential. Additionally, technology selection, nutrient control practices, system layout, and topographical conditions may have a larger impact on environmental sustainability than the implementation scale in some cases.

Endocrine disruptors compounds, pharmaceuticals and personal care products in urban wastewater: implications for agricultural reuse and their removal by adsorption process.

PubMed

Grassi, Mariangela; Rizzo, Luigi; Farina, Anna

2013-06-01

In the last years, a lot of emerging contaminants, such as, endocrine disruptors compounds (EDCs), pharmaceuticals, and personal care products (PPCPs) have been detected in wastewater. Because of their toxicity and possible adverse effects on the environment and humans, their release from urban wastewater treatment plants (UWWTPs) effluents should be minimized, particularly when a wastewater reuse for crops irrigation is expected. Many processes have been investigated for advanced treatment of UWWTP effluents as well as for emerging contaminant degradation; among these, adsorption process was successfully used to remove EDCs and PPCPs from wastewater. This article shortly reviews EDCs and PPCPs removal from UWWTP effluents by adsorption process using conventional and non-conventional adsorbents. The fate of EDCs and PPCPs in UWWTPs and the implications for agricultural wastewater reuse has been addressed too. In spite of the adsorption process looking to be a valuable alternative to other advanced technologies for the removal of emerging contaminants from wastewater, some gaps still remain to evaluate the actual feasibility at full scale. However, according to a few studies available in scientific literature on the use of both powdered activated carbon and granular activated carbon at full scale, adsorption process by activated carbon is a promising, potentially effective, and economically feasible solution for producing safe wastewater for agricultural reuse.

Innovations in nanotechnology for water treatment

PubMed Central

Gehrke, Ilka; Geiser, Andreas; Somborn-Schulz, Annette

2015-01-01

Important challenges in the global water situation, mainly resulting from worldwide population growth and climate change, require novel innovative water technologies in order to ensure a supply of drinking water and reduce global water pollution. Against this background, the adaptation of highly advanced nanotechnology to traditional process engineering offers new opportunities in technological developments for advanced water and wastewater technology processes. Here, an overview of recent advances in nanotechnologies for water and wastewater treatment processes is provided, including nanobased materials, such as nanoadsorbents, nanometals, nanomembranes, and photocatalysts. The beneficial properties of these materials as well as technical barriers when compared with conventional processes are reported. The state of commercialization is presented and an outlook on further research opportunities is given for each type of nanobased material and process. In addition to the promising technological enhancements, the limitations of nanotechnology for water applications, such as laws and regulations as well as potential health risks, are summarized. The legal framework according to nanoengineered materials and processes that are used for water and wastewater treatment is considered for European countries and for the USA. PMID:25609931

Applications of nanotechnology in water and wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Qu, Xiaolei; Alvarez, Pedro J J; Li, Qilin

2013-08-01

Providing clean and affordable water to meet human needs is a grand challenge of the 21st century. Worldwide, water supply struggles to keep up with the fast growing demand, which is exacerbated by population growth, global climate change, and water quality deterioration. The need for technological innovation to enable integrated water management cannot be overstated. Nanotechnology holds great potential in advancing water and wastewater treatment to improve treatment efficiency as well as to augment water supply through safe use of unconventional water sources. Here we review recent development in nanotechnology for water and wastewater treatment. The discussion covers candidate nanomaterials, properties and mechanisms that enable the applications, advantages and limitations as compared to existing processes, and barriers and research needs for commercialization. By tracing these technological advances to the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials, the present review outlines the opportunities and limitations to further capitalize on these unique properties for sustainable water management. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced treatment technique for swine wastewater using two agents: Thermally polymerized amorphous silica and hydrated lime for color and phosphorus removal and sulfur for nitrogen removal.

PubMed

Hasegawa, Teruaki; Kurose, Yohei; Tanaka, Yasuo

2017-10-01

The efficacy of advanced treatment of swine wastewater using thermally polymerized, modified amorphous silica and hydrated lime (M-CSH-lime) for color and phosphorus removal and sulfur for nitrogen removal was examined with a demonstration-scale treatment plant. The color removal rate was approximately 78% at M-CSH-lime addition rates of > 0.055 wt/v%. The PO43--P removal rate exceeded 99.9% with > 0.023 wt/v%. pH of the effluent from the M-CSH-lime reactor increased with the addition rate till a maximum value of 12.7, which was effective in disinfection. The recovered M-CSH-lime would be suitable as a phosphorus fertilizer because the total P 2 O 5 content was approximately 10%. The nitrogen oxide (NOx-N) removal rate by sulfur denitrification increased to approximately 80% when the NOx-N loading rate was around 0.1 kg-N/ton-S/day. It was suggested that the combination of the two processes would be effective in the advanced treatment of swine wastewater. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Aquatic Plants and Wastewater Treatment (an Overview)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolverton, B. C.

1986-01-01

The technology for using water hyacinth to upgrade domestic sewage effluent from lagoons and other wastewater treatment facilities to secondary and advanced secondary standards has been sufficiently developed to be used where the climate is warm year round. The technology of using emergent plants such as bulrush combined with duckweed is also sufficiently developed to make this a viable wastewater treatment alternative. This system is suited for both temperate and semi-tropical areas found throughout most of the U.S. The newest technology in artificial marsh wastewater treatment involves the use of emergent plant roots in conjunction with high surface area rock filters. Smaller land areas are required for these systems because of the increased concentration of microorganisms associated with the rock and plant root surfaces. Approximately 75 percent less land area is required for the plant-rock system than is required for a strict artificial wetland to achieve the same level of treatment.

Sustainable wastewater treatment: how might microbial fuel cells contribute.

PubMed

Oh, Sung T; Kim, Jung Rae; Premier, Giuliano C; Lee, Tae Ho; Kim, Changwon; Sloan, William T

2010-01-01

The need for cost-effective low-energy wastewater treatment has never been greater. Clean water for our expanding and predominantly urban global population will be expensive to deliver, eats into our diminishing carbon-based energy reserves and consequently contributes to green house gases in the atmosphere and climate change. Thus every potential cost and energy cutting measure for wastewater treatment should be explored. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) could potentially yield such savings but, to achieve this, requires significant advances in our understanding in a few critical areas and in our designs of the overall systems. Here we review the research which might accelerate our progress towards sustainable wastewater treatment using MFCs: system control and modelling and the understanding of the ecology of the microbial communities that catalyse the generation of electricity. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advanced treatment of biologically pretreated coal gasification wastewater by a novel integration of heterogeneous catalytic ozonation and biological process.

PubMed

Zhuang, Haifeng; Han, Hongjun; Jia, Shengyong; Hou, Baolin; Zhao, Qian

2014-08-01

Advanced treatment of biologically pretreated coal gasification wastewater (CGW) was investigated employing heterogeneous catalytic ozonation integrated with anoxic moving bed biofilm reactor (ANMBBR) and biological aerated filter (BAF) process. The results indicated that catalytic ozonation with the prepared catalyst (i.e. MnOx/SBAC, sewage sludge was converted into sludge based activated carbon (SBAC) which loaded manganese oxides) significantly enhanced performance of pollutants removal by generated hydroxyl radicals. The effluent of catalytic ozonation process was more biodegradable and less toxic than that in ozonation alone. Meanwhile, ANMBBR-BAF showed efficient capacity of pollutants removal in treatment of the effluent of catalytic ozonation at a shorter reaction time, allowing the discharge limits to be met. Therefore, the integrated process with efficient, economical and sustainable advantages was suitable for advanced treatment of real biologically pretreated CGW. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ONSITE WASTEWATER SYSTEMS: HOW DID WE GET HERE?

EPA Science Inventory

This paper chronicles the history of onsite wastewater treatment over more than a Century in the US. The major research programs which came into existence since World War II have each contributed some advancement to certain facets of the answers to a relatively stable set of ques...

Comparison of different advanced oxidation process to reduce toxicity and mineralisation of tannery wastewater.

PubMed

Schrank, S G; José, H J; Moreira, R F P M; Schröder, H Fr

2004-01-01

Many organic compounds contained in wastewater are resistant to conventional chemical and/or biological treatment. Because of this reason different degradation techniques are studied as an alternative to biological and classical physico-chemical processes. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) probably have developed to become the best options in the near future. AOP while making use of different reaction systems, are all characterised by the same chemical feature: production of OH radicals (*OH). The versatility of AOPs is also enhanced by the fact that they offer different possibilities for OH radical production, thus allowing them to conform to specific treatment requirements. The main problem with AOPs is their high cost. The application of solar technologies to these processes could help to diminish that problem by reducing the energy consumption required for generating UV radiation. In this work, different AOPs (O3, TiO2/UV, Fenton and H2O2/UV) were examined to treat tannery wastewater or as a pre-treatment step for improving the biodegradation of tannery wastewater, at different pH and dosage of the chemicals. Under certain circumstances retardation in biodegradation and/or an increase in toxicity may be observed within these treatment steps. Two different bioassays (Daphnia magna and Vibrio fischeri) have been used for testing the progress of toxicity during the treatment. In parallel other objectives were to analyse and identify organic compounds present in the untreated wastewater and arising degradation products in AOP treated wastewater samples. For this purpose substance specific techniques, e.g., gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in positive electron impact (El(+)) mode and atmospheric pressure ionisation (API) in combination with flow injection analysis (FIA) or liquid chromatography-mass and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS or LC-MS-MS) were performed.

Occurrence and fate of endocrine disrupting compounds in wastewater treatment plants in Israel and the Palestinian West Bank.

PubMed

Dotan, Pniela; Godinger, Tal; Odeh, Wad; Groisman, Ludmila; Al-Khateeb, Nader; Rabbo, Alfred Abed; Tal, Alon; Arnon, Shai

2016-07-01

Israel and its Palestinian neighbors constitute a unique venue for evaluating the treatment efficiency and potential environmental risks of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), because of their physical proximity yet contrasting societal dynamics. Israel primarily relies on advanced tertiary sewage treatment and recycles over 85% of its treated wastewater, while in the Palestinian Authority (PA), there is only secondary treatment levels at WWTPs and reuse is minimal (<1%). To evaluate the extent of EDC occurrence and treatment efficiency, we conducted four sampling campaigns over two consecutive years, and measured the concentrations of selected EDCs in raw wastewater (WW), treated WW and sludge in six WWTPs in Israel, as well as in two Palestinian plants. Low concentrations of bisphenol A, octylphenol and triclosan measured in the raw WW in the Palestinian WWTPs reflected the relatively modest industrial activity and consumption habits as compared to the westernized consumer patterns in Israel. On the other hand, hormone concentrations in raw WW were higher in the Palestinian WWTPs than those in the Israeli WWTPs, presumably because of a dilution effect associated with a higher water per capita consumption among Israelis. Despite these differences in raw WW concentrations, the removal efficiency in all advanced WWTPs was relatively high when compared to averages reported internationally. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment of oily port wastewater effluents using the ultraviolet/hydrogen peroxide photodecomposition system.

PubMed

Siedlecka, Ewa Maria; Stepnowski, Piotr

2006-08-01

This paper presents the nonselective degradation of mechanically pretreated oily wastewater by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the presence and absence of UV irradiation. The effect of chemical oxidation on wastewater biodegradability was also examined. The exclusive use of H2O2 photolyzed by daylight results in quite efficient degradation rates for the low peroxide concentrations used. Higher hydrogen peroxide concentrations inhibit degradation of organic contaminants in the wastewater. The degradation rates of all contaminants are relatively high with an advanced oxidation system (UV/H2O2), but degradation efficiencies are not distinguishably different when 20 or 45 minutes of UV irradiation is used. The excess of H2O2 used in the process can inhibit phenolic degradation and may lead to the formation of a new phenolic fraction. The biodegradability of port wastewater did not increase significantly following the application of the advanced oxidation process.

Advanced Waste Treatment. A Field Study Training Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Univ., Sacramento. Dept. of Civil Engineering.

This operations manual represents a continuation of operator training manuals developed for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in response to the technological advancements of wastewater treatment and the changing needs of the operations profession. It is intended to be used as a home-study course manual (using the concepts…

Biological treatment of winery wastewater: an overview.

PubMed

Andreottola, G; Foladori, P; Ziglio, G

2009-01-01

The treatment of winery wastewater can realised using several biological processes based both on aerobic or anaerobic systems using suspended biomass or biofilms. Several systems are currently offered by technology providers and current research envisages the availability of new promising technologies for winery wastewater treatment. The present paper intends to present a brief state of the art of the existing status and advances in biological treatment of winery wastewater in the last decade, considering both lab, pilot and full-scale studies. Advantages, drawbacks, applied organic loads, removal efficiency and emerging aspects of the main biological treatments were considered and compared. Nevertheless in most treatments the COD removal efficiency was around 90-95% (remaining COD is due to the un-biodegradable soluble fraction), the applied organic loads are very different depending on the applied technology, varying for an order of magnitude. Applied organic loads are higher in biofilm systems than in suspended biomass while anaerobic biofilm processes have the smaller footprint but in general a higher level of complexity.

The feasibility of using combined TiO2 photocatalysis oxidation and MBBR process for advanced treatment of biologically pretreated coal gasification wastewater.

PubMed

Xu, Peng; Han, Hongjun; Hou, Baolin; Zhuang, Haifeng; Jia, Shengyong; Wang, Dexin; Li, Kun; Zhao, Qian

2015-01-01

The study examined the feasibility of using combined heterogeneous photocatalysis oxidation (HPO) and moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) process for advanced treatment of biologically pretreated coal gasification wastewater (CGW). The results indicated that the TOC removal efficiency was significantly improved in HPO. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis indicated that the HPO could be employed to eliminate bio-refractory and toxic compounds. Meanwhile, the BOD5/COD of the raw wastewater was increased from 0.08 to 0.49. Furthermore, in the integration of TiO2 photocatalysis oxidation and MBBR process, the effluent of COD, BOD5, TOC, NH4(+)-N and TN were 22.1 mg/L, 1.1 mg/L, 11.8 mg/L, 4.1mg/L and 13.7 mg/L, respectively, which all met class-I criteria of the Integrated Wastewater Discharge Standard (GB18918-2002, China). The total operating cost was 2.8CNY/t. Therefore, there is great potential for the combined system in engineering applications as a final treatment for biologically pretreated CGW. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental Pollution, Toxicity Profile and Treatment Approaches for Tannery Wastewater and Its Chemical Pollutants.

PubMed

Saxena, Gaurav; Chandra, Ram; Bharagava, Ram Naresh

Leather industries are key contributors in the economy of many developing countries, but unfortunately they are facing serious challenges from the public and governments due to the associated environmental pollution. There is a public outcry against the industry due to the discharge of potentially toxic wastewater having alkaline pH, dark brown colour, unpleasant odour, high biological and chemical oxygen demand, total dissolved solids and a mixture of organic and inorganic pollutants. Various environment protection agencies have prioritized several chemicals as hazardous and restricted their use in leather processing however; many of these chemicals are used and discharged in wastewater. Therefore, it is imperative to adequately treat/detoxify the tannery wastewater for environmental safety. This paper provides a detail review on the environmental pollution and toxicity profile of tannery wastewater and chemicals. Furthermore, the status and advances in the existing treatment approaches used for the treatment and/or detoxification of tannery wastewater at both laboratory and pilot/industrial scale have been reviewed. In addition, the emerging treatment approaches alone or in combination with biological treatment approaches have also been considered. Moreover, the limitations of existing and emerging treatment approaches have been summarized and potential areas for further investigations have been discussed. In addition, the clean technologies for waste minimization, control and management are also discussed. Finally, the international legislation scenario on discharge limits for tannery wastewater and chemicals has also been discussed country wise with discharge standards for pollution prevention due to tannery wastewater.

Multiple use of water in industry--the textile industry case.

PubMed

Rott, Ulrich

2003-08-01

The main aim of this article is to give a review on the state of the art of available processes for the advanced treatment of wastewater from Textile Processing Industry (TPI). After an introduction to the specific wastewater situation of the TPI the article reviews the options of process and production integrated measures. The available unit processes and examples of applied combinations of unit processes are described. A special place is given to the in-plant treatment, the reuse of the treated split flow or mixed wastewater and the recovery of textile auxiliaries and dyes.

Catalytic Wastewater Treatment Using Pillared Clays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perathoner, Siglinda; Centi, Gabriele

After introduction on the use of solid catalysts in wastewater treatment technologies, particularly advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), this review discussed the use of pillared clay (PILC) materials in three applications: (i) wet air catalytic oxidation (WACO), (ii) wet hydrogen peroxide catalytic oxidation (WHPCO) on Cu-PILC and Fe-PILC, and (iii) behavior of Ti-PILC and Fe-PILC in the photocatalytic or photo-Fenton conversion of pollutants. Literature data are critically analyzed to evidence the main direction to further investigate, in particularly with reference to the possible practical application of these technologies to treat industrial, municipal, or agro-food production wastewater.

Sequential ozone advanced oxidation and biological oxidation processes to remove selected pharmaceutical contaminants from an urban wastewater.

PubMed

Espejo, Azahara; Aguinaco, Almudena; García-Araya, J F; Beltrán, Fernando J

2014-01-01

Sequential treatments consisting in a chemical process followed by a conventional biological treatment, have been applied to remove mixtures of nine contaminants of pharmaceutical type spiked in a primary sedimentation effluent of a municipal wastewater. Combinations of ozone, UVA black light (BL) and Fe(III) or Fe₃O₄ catalysts constituted the chemical systems. Regardless of the Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP), the removal of pharmaceutical compounds was achieved in 1 h of reaction, while total organic carbon (TOC) only diminished between 3.4 and 6%. Among selected ozonation systems to be implemented before the biological treatment, the application of ozone alone in the pre-treatment stage is recommended due to the increase of the biodegradability observed. The application of ozone followed by the conventional biological treatment leads high TOC and COD removal rates, 60 and 61%, respectively, and allows the subsequent biological treatment works with shorter hydraulic residence time (HRT). Moreover, the influence of the application of AOPs before and after a conventional biological process was compared, concluding that the decision to take depends on the characterization of the initial wastewater with pharmaceutical compounds.

Fate of four phthalate plasticizers under various wastewater treatment processes.

PubMed

Armstrong, Dana L; Rice, Clifford P; Ramirez, Mark; Torrents, Alba

2018-05-18

The fate of four phthalate plasticizers during wastewater treatment processes at six different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) was investigated. Concentrations of benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate (DiNP), and diisodecyl phthalate (DiDP) were determined prior to either aerobic or anaerobic (conventional and advanced) treatment, after treatment, and in final, dewatered solids. Despite their elevated use worldwide, the fate of DiNP and DiDP during wastewater treatment have not been well characterized. DEHP was readily degraded during aerobic treatments while anaerobic digestion resulted in either no significant change in concentrations or an increase in concentration, in the case of more advanced anaerobic processes (thermal hydrolysis pretreatment and a two-phase acid/gas process). Impacts of the various treatment systems on DiNP, DiDP, and BBP concentrations were more varied - anaerobic digestion led to significant decreases, increases, or no significant change for these compounds, depending on the treatment facility, while aerobic treatment was generally effective at degrading the compounds. Additionally, thermal hydrolysis pretreatment of sludge prior to anaerobic digestion resulted in increases in DiNP, DiDP, and BBP concentrations. The predicted environmental concentrations for all four compounds in soils after a single biosolids application were calculated and the risk quotients for DEHP in soils were determined. The estimated toxicity risk for DEHP in soils treated with a single application of sludge from any of the six studied WWTPs is lower than the level of concern for acute and chronic risk, as defined by the US EPA.

Advanced treatment of biologically pretreated coal gasification wastewater by a novel integration of catalytic ultrasound oxidation and membrane bioreactor.

PubMed

Jia, Shengyong; Han, Hongjun; Zhuang, Haifeng; Xu, Peng; Hou, Baolin

2015-01-01

Laboratorial scale experiments were conducted to investigate a novel system integrating catalytic ultrasound oxidation (CUO) with membrane bioreactor (CUO-MBR) on advanced treatment of biologically pretreated coal gasification wastewater. Results indicated that CUO with catalyst of FeOx/SBAC (sewage sludge based activated carbon (SBAC) which loaded Fe oxides) represented high efficiencies in eliminating TOC as well as improving the biodegradability. The integrated CUO-MBR system with low energy intensity and high frequency was more effective in eliminating COD, BOD5, TOC and reducing transmembrane pressure than either conventional MBR or ultrasound oxidation integrated MBR. The enhanced hydroxyl radical oxidation, facilitation of substrate diffusion and improvement of cell enzyme secretion were the mechanisms for CUO-MBR performance. Therefore, the integrated CUO-MBR was the promising technology for advanced treatment in engineering applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced treatment of biologically pretreated coal gasification wastewater by a novel integration of three-dimensional catalytic electro-Fenton and membrane bioreactor.

PubMed

Jia, Shengyong; Han, Hongjun; Hou, Baolin; Zhuang, Haifeng

2015-12-01

Laboratorial scale experiments were conducted to investigate a novel system three-dimensional catalytic electro-Fenton (3DCEF, catalyst of sewage sludge based activated carbon which loaded Fe3O4) integrating with membrane bioreactor (3DCEF-MBR) on advanced treatment of biologically pretreated coal gasification wastewater. The results indicated that 3DCEF-MBR represented high efficiencies in eliminating COD and total organic carbon, giving the maximum removal efficiencies of 80% and 75%, respectively. The integrated 3DCEF-MBR system significantly reduced the transmembrane pressure, giving 35% lower than conventional MBR after 30 days operation. The enhanced hydroxyl radical oxidation and bacteria self repair function were the mechanisms for 3DCEF-MBR performance. Therefore, the integrated 3DCEF-MBR was expected to be the promising technology for advanced treatment in engineering applications. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

New perspectives for Advanced Oxidation Processes.

PubMed

Dewil, Raf; Mantzavinos, Dionissios; Poulios, Ioannis; Rodrigo, Manuel A

2017-06-15

Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) are called to fill the gap between the treatability attained by conventional physico-chemical and biological treatments and the day-to-day more exigent limits fixed by environmental regulations. They are particularly important for the removal of anthropogenic pollutants and for this reason, they have been widely investigated in the last decades and even applied in the treatment of many industrial wastewater flows. However, despite the great development reached, AOPs cannot be considered mature yet and there are many new fields worthy of research. Some of them are going to be briefly introduced in this paper, including hybrid processes, heterogeneous semiconductor photocatalysis, sulphate-radical oxidation and electrochemical advanced oxidation for water/wastewater treatment. Moreover, the use of photoelectrochemical processes for energy production is discussed. The work ends with some perspectives that can be of interest for the ongoing and future research. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Advanced treatment of biologically pretreated coal gasification wastewater by a novel integration of heterogeneous Fenton oxidation and biological process.

PubMed

Xu, Peng; Han, Hongjun; Zhuang, Haifeng; Hou, Baolin; Jia, Shengyong; Xu, Chunyan; Wang, Dexin

2015-04-01

Laboratorial scale experiments were conducted in order to investigate a novel system integrating heterogeneous Fenton oxidation (HFO) with anoxic moving bed biofilm reactor (ANMBBR) and biological aerated filter (BAF) process on advanced treatment of biologically pretreated coal gasification wastewater (CGW). The results indicated that HFO with the prepared catalyst (FeOx/SBAC, sewage sludge based activated carbon (SBAC) which loaded Fe oxides) played a key role in eliminating COD and COLOR as well as in improving the biodegradability of raw wastewater. The surface reaction and hydroxyl radicals (OH) oxidation were the mechanisms for FeOx/SBAC catalytic reaction. Compared with ANMBBR-BAF process, the integrated system was more effective in abating COD, BOD5, total phenols (TPs), total nitrogen (TN) and COLOR and could shorten the retention time. Therefore, the integrated system was a promising technology for engineering applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Degradation of organic pollutants and microorganisms from wastewater using different dielectric barrier discharge configurations--a critical review.

PubMed

Mouele, Emile S Massima; Tijani, Jimoh O; Fatoba, Ojo O; Petrik, Leslie F

2015-12-01

The growing global drinking water crisis requires the development of novel advanced, sustainable, and cost-effective water treatment technologies to supplement the existing conventional methods. One such technology is advanced oxidation based on dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). DBD such as single and double planar and single and double cylindrical dielectric barrier configurations have been utilized for efficient degradation of recalcitrant organic pollutants. The overall performance of the different DBD system varies and depends on several factors. Therefore, this review was compiled to give an overview of different DBD configurations vis-a-viz their applications and the in situ mechanism of generation of free reactive species for water and wastewater treatment. Our survey of the literature indicated that application of double cylindrical dielectric barrier configuration represents an ideal and viable route for achieving greater water and wastewater purification efficiency.

Dissolved effluent organic matter: Characteristics and potential implications in wastewater treatment and reuse applications.

PubMed

Michael-Kordatou, I; Michael, C; Duan, X; He, X; Dionysiou, D D; Mills, M A; Fatta-Kassinos, D

2015-06-15

Wastewater reuse is currently considered globally as the most critical element of sustainable water management. The dissolved effluent organic matter (dEfOM) present in biologically treated urban wastewater, consists of a heterogeneous mixture of refractory organic compounds with diverse structures and varying origin, including dissolved natural organic matter, soluble microbial products, endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals and personal care products residues, disinfection by-products, metabolites/transformation products and others, which can reach the aquatic environment through discharge and reuse applications. dEfOM constitutes the major fraction of the effluent organic matter (EfOM) and due to its chemical complexity, it is necessary to utilize a battery of complementary techniques to adequately describe its structural and functional character. dEfOM has been shown to exhibit contrasting effects towards various aquatic organisms. It decreases metal uptake, thus potentially reducing their bioavailability to exposed organisms. On the other hand, dEfOM can be adsorbed on cell membranes inducing toxic effects. This review paper evaluates the performance of various advanced treatment processes (i.e., membrane filtration and separation processes, activated carbon adsorption, ion-exchange resin process, and advanced chemical oxidation processes) in removing dEfOM from wastewater effluents. In general, the literature findings reveal that dEfOM removal by advanced treatment processes depends on the type and the amount of organic compounds present in the aqueous matrix, as well as the operational parameters and the removal mechanisms taking place during the application of each treatment technology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation and implementation of model based control strategies at an industrial wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Demey, D; Vanderhaegen, B; Vanhooren, H; Liessens, J; Van Eyck, L; Hopkins, L; Vanrolleghem, P A

2001-01-01

In this paper, the practical implementation and validation of advanced control strategies, designed using model based techniques, at an industrial wastewater treatment plant is demonstrated. The plant under study is treating the wastewater of a large pharmaceutical production facility. The process characteristics of the wastewater treatment were quantified by means of tracer tests, intensive measurement campaigns and the use of on-line sensors. In parallel, a dynamical model of the complete wastewater plant was developed according to the specific kinetic characteristics of the sludge and the highly varying composition of the industrial wastewater. Based on real-time data and dynamic models, control strategies for the equalisation system, the polymer dosing and phosphorus addition were established. The control strategies are being integrated in the existing SCADA system combining traditional PLC technology with robust PC based control calculations. The use of intelligent control in wastewater treatment offers a wide spectrum of possibilities to upgrade existing plants, to increase the capacity of the plant and to eliminate peaks. This can result in a more stable and secure overall performance and, finally, in cost savings. The use of on-line sensors has a potential not only for monitoring concentrations, but also for manipulating flows and concentrations. This way the performance of the plant can be secured.

Soil persistence and fate of carbamazepine, lincomycin, caffeine, and iburpofen from wastewater

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The reuse of treated wastewater for groundwater recharge is an effective way to provide advanced treatment and water storage in the desert southwest. Contaminants such as human drugs, found in treated effluent, have been identified as a potential problem for use of this water. The town of Gilbert, A...

Recirculation of gas emissions to achieve advanced denitrification of the effluent from the anaerobic treatment of domestic wastewater.

PubMed

Pelaz, L; Gómez, A; Garralón, G; Letona, A; Fdz-Polanco, M

2018-02-01

A denitrifying pilot plant was designed, constructed and operated for more than five months. The plant treated domestic wastewater with high ammonium nitrogen concentration, which had previously undergone an anaerobic process at 18 °C. The process consisted of one biofilter with 2 h of hydraulic retention time for denitritation. Different synthetic nitrite concentrations were supplied to the anoxic reactor to simulate the effluent of a nitritation process. This work investigates the advanced denitritation of wastewater using the organic matter and other alternative electron donors present in an anaerobic treatment process effluent: methane and sulfide. The denitrifying bacteria were able to treat wastewater at an inlet nitrite concentration of 75 mg NO 2 - -N/L with a removal efficiency of 92.9%. When the inlet nitrite concentration was higher, the recirculation of the gas from the top of the anoxic reactor was successful to enhance the nitrite removal, achieving a NO 2 - elimination efficiency of 98.3%. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of wastewater colloids on membrane removal of antibiotic resistance genes.

PubMed

Breazeal, Maria V Riquelme; Novak, John T; Vikesland, Peter J; Pruden, Amy

2013-01-01

Recent studies have demonstrated that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) significantly alter the magnitude and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in receiving environments, indicating that wastewater treatment represents an important node for limiting ARG dissemination. This study examined the potential for membrane treatment of microconstituent ARGs and the effect of native wastewater colloids on the extent of their removal. Plasmids containing vanA (vancomycin) and bla(TEM) (β-lactam) ARGs were spiked into three representative WWTP effluents versus a control buffer and tracked by quantitative polymerase chain reaction through a cascade of microfiltration and ultrafiltration steps ranging from 0.45 μm to 1 kDa. Significant removal of ARGs was achieved by membranes of 100 kDa and smaller, and presence of wastewater colloids resulted in enhanced removal by 10 kDa and 1 kDa membranes. ARG removal was observed to correlate significantly with the corresponding protein, polysaccharide, and total organic carbon colloidal fractions. Alumina membranes removed ARGs to a greater extent than polyvinylidene fluoride membranes of the same pore size (0.1 μm), but only in the presence of wastewater material. Control studies confirmed that membrane treatment was the primary mechanism of ARG removal, versus other potential sources of loss. This study suggests that advanced membrane treatment technology is promising for managing public health risks of ARGs in wastewater effluents and that removal may even be enhanced by colloids in real-world wastewaters. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The application of advanced oxidation technologies to the treatment of effluents from the pulp and paper industry: a review.

PubMed

Hermosilla, Daphne; Merayo, Noemí; Gascó, Antonio; Blanco, Ángeles

2015-01-01

The paper industry is adopting zero liquid effluent technologies to reduce freshwater use and meet environmental regulations, which implies closure of water circuits and the progressive accumulation of pollutants that must be removed before water reuse and final wastewater discharge. The traditional water treatment technologies that are used in paper mills (such as dissolved air flotation or biological treatment) are not able to remove recalcitrant contaminants. Therefore, advanced water treatment technologies, such as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), are being included in industrial wastewater treatment chains aiming to either improve water biodegradability or its final quality. A comprehensive review of the current state of the art regarding the use of AOPs for the treatment of the organic load of effluents from the paper industry is herein addressed considering mature and emerging treatments for a sustainable water use in this sector. Wastewater composition, which is highly dependent on the raw materials being used in the mills, the selected AOP itself, and its combination with other technologies, will determine the viability of the treatment. In general, all AOPs have been reported to achieve good organic removal efficiencies (COD removal >40%, and about an extra 20% if AOPs are combined with biological stages). Particularly, ozonation has been the most extensively reported and successfully implemented AOP at an industrial scale for effluent treatment or reuse within pulp and paper mills, although Fenton processes (photo-Fenton particularly) have actually addressed better oxidative results (COD removal ≈ 65-75%) at a lab scale, but still need further development at a large scale.

Phenol wastewater remediation: advanced oxidation processes coupled to a biological treatment.

PubMed

Rubalcaba, A; Suárez-Ojeda, M E; Stüber, F; Fortuny, A; Bengoa, C; Metcalfe, I; Font, J; Carrera, J; Fabregat, A

2007-01-01

Nowadays, there are increasingly stringent regulations requiring more and more treatment of industrial effluents to generate product waters which could be easily reused or disposed of to the environment without any harmful effects. Therefore, different advanced oxidation processes were investigated as suitable precursors for the biological treatment of industrial effluents containing phenol. Wet air oxidation and Fenton process were tested batch wise, while catalytic wet air oxidation and H2O2-promoted catalytic wet air oxidation processes were studied in a trickle bed reactor, the last two using over activated carbon as catalyst. Effluent characterisation was made by means of substrate conversion (using high liquid performance chromatography), chemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon. Biodegradation parameters (i.e. maximum oxygen uptake rate and oxygen consumption) were obtained from respirometric tests using activated sludge from an urban biological wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The main goal was to find the proper conditions in terms of biodegradability enhancement, so that these phenolic effluents could be successfully treated in an urban biological WWTP. Results show promising research ways for the development of efficient coupled processes for the treatment of wastewater containing toxic or biologically non-degradable compounds.

Membrane-based processes for wastewater nutrient recovery: Technology, challenges, and future direction.

PubMed

Xie, Ming; Shon, Ho Kyong; Gray, Stephen R; Elimelech, Menachem

2016-02-01

Wastewater nutrient recovery holds promise for more sustainable water and agricultural industries. We critically review three emerging membrane processes - forward osmosis (FO), membrane distillation (MD) and electrodialysis (ED) - that can advance wastewater nutrient recovery. Challenges associated with wastewater nutrient recovery were identified. The advantages and challenges of applying FO, MD, and ED technologies to wastewater nutrient recovery are discussed, and directions for future research and development are identified. Emphasis is given to exploration of the unique mass transfer properties of these membrane processes in the context of wastewater nutrient recovery. We highlight that hybridising these membrane processes with existing nutrient precipitation process will lead to better management of and more diverse pathways for near complete nutrient recovery in wastewater treatment facilities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coordinated management of combined sewer overflows by means of environmental decision support systems.

PubMed

Murla, Damian; Gutierrez, Oriol; Martinez, Montse; Suñer, David; Malgrat, Pere; Poch, Manel

2016-04-15

During heavy rainfall, the capacity of sewer systems and wastewater treatment plants may be surcharged producing uncontrolled wastewater discharges and a depletion of the environmental quality. Therefore there is a need of advanced management tools to tackle with these complex problems. In this paper an environmental decision support system (EDSS), based on the integration of mathematical modeling and knowledge-based systems, has been developed for the coordinated management of urban wastewater systems (UWS) to control and minimize uncontrolled wastewater spills. Effectiveness of the EDSS has been tested in a specially designed virtual UWS, including two sewers systems, two WWTP and one river subjected to typical Mediterranean rain conditions. Results show that sewer systems, retention tanks and wastewater treatment plants improve their performance under wet weather conditions and that EDSS can be very effective tools to improve the management and prevent the system from possible uncontrolled wastewater discharges. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Disinfection of an advanced primary effluent using peracetic acid or ultraviolet radiation for its reuse in public services.

PubMed

Julio, Flores R; Hilario, Terres-Peña; Mabel, Vaca M; Raymundo, López C; Arturo, Lizardi-Ramos; Ma Neftalí, Rojas-Valencia

2015-03-01

The disinfection of a continuous flow of an effluent from an advanced primary treatment (coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation) with or without posterior filtration, using either peracetic acid (PAA) or ultraviolet (UV) radiation was studied. We aimed to obtain bacteriological quality to comply with the microbiological standard established in the Mexican regulations for treated wastewater reuse (NOM-003-SEMARNAT-1997), i.e., less than 240 MPN (most probable number) FC/100 mL. The concentrations of PAA were 10, 15, and 20 mg/L, with contact times of 10, and 15 min. Fecal coliforms (FC) inactivation ranged from 0.93 up to 6.4 log units, and in all cases it reached the limits set by the mentioned regulation. Water quality influenced the PAA disinfection effectiveness. An efficiency of 91% was achieved for the unfiltered effluent, as compared to 99% when wastewater was filtered. UV radiation was applied to wastewater flows of 21, 30 and 39 L/min, with dosages from 1 to 6 mJ/cm². This treatment did not achieve the bacteriological quality required for treated wastewater reuse, since the best inactivation of FC was 1.62 log units, for a flow of 21 L/min of filtered wastewater and a UV dosage of 5.6 mJ/cm².

Self-Driven Desalination and Advanced Treatment of Wastewater in a Modularized Filtration Air Cathode Microbial Desalination Cell.

PubMed

Zuo, Kuichang; Wang, Zhen; Chen, Xi; Zhang, Xiaoyuan; Zuo, Jiaolan; Liang, Peng; Huang, Xia

2016-07-05

Microbial desalination cells (MDCs) extract organic energy from wastewater for in situ desalination of saline water. However, to desalinate salt water, traditional MDCs often require an anolyte (wastewater) and a catholyte (other synthetic water) to produce electricity. Correspondingly, the traditional MDCs also produced anode effluent and cathode effluent, and may produce a concentrate solution, resulting in a low production of diluate. In this study, nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube membranes and Pt carbon cloths were utilized as filtration material and cathode to fabricate a modularized filtration air cathode MDC (F-MDC). With real wastewater flowing from anode to cathode, and finally to the middle membrane stack, the diluate volume production reached 82.4%, with the removal efficiency of salinity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reached 93.6% and 97.3% respectively. The final diluate conductivity was 68 ± 12 μS/cm, and the turbidity was 0.41 NTU, which were sufficient for boiler supplementary or industrial cooling. The concentrate production was only 17.6%, and almost all the phosphorus and salt, and most of the nitrogen were recovered, potentially allowing the recovery of nutrients and other chemicals. These results show the potential utility of the modularized F-MDC in the application of municipal wastewater advanced treatment and self-driven desalination.

Evaluation of water quality functions of conventional and advanced soil-based onsite wastewater treatment systems.

PubMed

Cooper, Jennifer A; Loomis, George W; Kalen, David V; Amador, Jose A

2015-05-01

Shallow narrow drainfields are assumed to provide better wastewater renovation than conventional drainfields and are used for protection of surface and ground water. To test this assumption, we evaluated the water quality functions of two advanced onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) drainfields-shallow narrow (SND) and Geomat (GEO)-and a conventional pipe and stone (P&S) drainfield over 12 mo using replicated ( = 3) intact soil mesocosms. The SND and GEO mesocosms received effluent from a single-pass sand filter, whereas the P&S received septic tank effluent. Between 97.1 and 100% of 5-d biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), fecal coliform bacteria, and total phosphorus (P) were removed in all drainfield types. Total nitrogen (N) removal averaged 12.0% for P&S, 4.8% for SND, and 5.4% for GEO. A mass balance analysis accounted for 95.1% (SND), 94.1% (GEO), and 87.6% (P&S) of N inputs. When the whole treatment train (excluding the septic tank) is considered, advanced systems, including sand filter pretreatment and SND or GEO soil-based treatment, removed 99.8 to 99.9% of BOD, 100% of fecal coliform bacteria and P, and 26.0 to 27.0% of N. In contrast, the conventional system removed 99.4% of BOD and 100% of fecal coliform bacteria and P but only 12.0% of N. All drainfield types performed similarly for most water quality functions despite differences in placement within the soil profile. However, inclusion of the pretreatment step in advanced system treatment trains results in better N removal than in conventional treatment systems despite higher drainfield N removal rates in the latter. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Advanced Water Recovery Technologies for Long Duration Space Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Scan X.

2005-01-01

Extended-duration space travel and habitation require recovering water from wastewater generated in spacecrafts and extraterrestrial outposts since the largest consumable for human life support is water. Many wastewater treatment technologies used for terrestrial applications are adoptable to extraterrestrial situations but challenges remain as constraints of space flights and habitation impose severe limitations of these technologies. Membrane-based technologies, particularly membrane filtration, have been widely studied by NASA and NASA-funded research groups for possible applications in space wastewater treatment. The advantages of membrane filtration are apparent: it is energy-efficient and compact, needs little consumable other than replacement membranes and cleaning agents, and doesn't involve multiphase flow, which is big plus for operations under microgravity environment. However, membrane lifespan and performance are affected by the phenomena of concentration polarization and membrane fouling. This article attempts to survey current status of membrane technologies related to wastewater treatment and desalination in the context of space exploration and quantify them in terms of readiness level for space exploration. This paper also makes specific recommendations and predictions on how scientist and engineers involving designing, testing, and developing space-certified membrane-based advanced water recovery technologies can improve the likelihood of successful development of an effective regenerative human life support system for long-duration space missions.

Incorporating biodegradation and advanced oxidation processes in the treatment of spent metalworking fluids.

PubMed

MacAdam, Jitka; Ozgencil, Haci; Autin, Olivier; Pidou, Marc; Temple, Clive; Parsons, Simon; Jefferson, Bruce

2012-12-01

The treatment of spent metalworking fluids (MWFs) is difficult due to their complex and variable composition. Small businesses often struggle to meet increasingly stringent legislation and rising costs as they need to treat this wastewater on site annually over a short period. Larger businesses that treat their wastewater continuously can benefit from the use of biological processes, although new MWFs designed to resist biological activity represent a challenge. A three-stage treatment is generally applied, with the oil phase being removed first, followed by a reduction in COD loading and then polishing of the effluent's quality in the final stage. The performance of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), which could be of benefit to both types of businesses was studied. After assessing the biodegradability of spent MFW, different AOPs were used (UV/H2O2, photo-Fenton and UV/TiO2) to establish the treatability of this wastewater by hydroxyl radicals (*OH). The interactions of both the chemical and biological treatments were also investigated. The wastewater was found to be readily biodegradable in the Zahn-Wellens test with 69% COD and 74% DOC removal. The UV/TiO2 reactor was found to be the cheapest option achieving a very good COD removal (82% at 20 min retention time and 10 L min(-1) aeration rate). The photo-Fenton process was found to be efficient in terms of degradation rate, achieving 84% COD removal (1 M Fe2+, 40 M H2O2, 20.7 J cm(-2), pH 3) and also improving the wastewater's biodegradability. The UV/H202 process was the most effective in removing recalcitrant COD in the post-biological treatment stage.

Water-quality assessment and wastewater-management alternatives for Dardenne Creek in St Charles County, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berkas, W.R.; Lodderhose, J.R.

1985-01-01

The quality of water in the 15 mile downstream reach of Dardenne Creek in St. Charles County, Missouri, was assessed to determine if it met the Missouri water quality standards. Concentrations of dissolved oxygen and total ammonia failed to meet water quality standards downstream from the Harvester-Dardenne and St. Peters Wastewater-Treatment Plants. The QUAL-II SEMCOG water quality model was calibrated and verified using two independent data sets from Dardenne Creek. Management alternatives using current, design capacity, and future expansion wastewater discharges from the St. Peters Wastewater-Treatment Plant were evaluated. Results of the computer simulation indicate that a nitrification-type advanced-treatment facility installed at the plant would produce a 5-day carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand of 10 mg/L. An effluent limit of 5.0 mg/L of 5-day carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand would further improve the water quality of Dardenne Creek; however, an additional treatment process, such as sand filtration, would be needed to meet this criterion. (USGS)

Isotopomer analysis of production and consumption mechanisms of N2O and CH4 in an advanced wastewater treatment system.

PubMed

Toyoda, Sakae; Suzuki, Yuuri; Hattori, Shohei; Yamada, Keita; Fujii, Ayako; Yoshida, Naohiro; Kouno, Rina; Murayama, Kouki; Shiomi, Hiroshi

2011-02-01

Wastewater treatment processes are believed to be anthropogenic sources of nitrous oxide (N(2)O) and methane (CH(4)). However, few studies have examined the mechanisms and controlling factors in production of these greenhouse gases in complex bacterial systems. To elucidate production and consumption mechanisms of N(2)O and CH(4) in microbial consortia during wastewater treatment and to characterize human waste sources, we measured their concentrations and isotopomer ratios (elemental isotope ratios and site-specific N isotope ratios in asymmetric molecules of NNO) in water and gas samples collected by an advanced treatment system in Tokyo. Although the estimated emissions of N(2)O and CH(4) from the system were found to be lower than those from the typical treatment systems reported before, water in biological reaction tanks was supersaturated with both gases. The concentration of N(2)O, produced mainly by nitrifier-denitrification as indicated by isotopomer ratios, was highest in the oxic tank (ca. 4000% saturation). The dissolved CH(4) concentration was highest in in-flow water (ca. 3000% saturation). It decreased gradually during treatment. Its carbon isotope ratio indicated that the decrease resulted from bacterial CH(4) oxidation and that microbial CH(4) production can occur in anaerobic and settling tanks.

Integrative Advanced Oxidation and Biofiltration for Treating Pharmaceuticals in Wastewater.

PubMed

Lester, Yaal; Aga, Diana S; Love, Nancy G; Singh, Randolph R; Morrissey, Ian; Linden, Karl G

2016-11-01

  Advanced oxidation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in wastewater produces transformation products (TPs) that are often more biodegradable than the parent compounds. Secondary effluent from a wastewater treatment plant was treated using UV-based advanced oxidation (LPUV/H2O2 and MPUV/NO3) followed by biological aerated filtration (BAF), and different APIs and their transformation products were monitored. The advanced oxidation processes degraded the APIs by 55-87% (LPUV/H2O2) and 58-95% (MPUV/NO3), while minor loss of APIs was achieved in the downstream BAF system. Eleven TPs were detected following oxidation of carbamazepine (5) and iopromide (6); three key TPs were biodegraded in the BAF system. The other TPs remained relatively constant in the BAF. The decrease in UV absorbance (UVA254) of the effluent in the BAF system was linearly correlated to the degradation of the APIs (for the MPUV/NO3-BAF), and can be applied to monitor the biotransformation of APIs in biological-based systems.

Nitrous Oxide Production at a Fully Covered Wastewater Treatment Plant: Results of a Long-Term Online Monitoring Campaign.

PubMed

Kosonen, Heta; Heinonen, Mari; Mikola, Anna; Haimi, Henri; Mulas, Michela; Corona, Francesco; Vahala, Riku

2016-06-07

The nitrous oxide emissions of the Viikinmäki wastewater treatment plant were measured in a 12 month online monitoring campaign. The measurements, which were conducted with a continuous gas analyzer, covered all of the unit operations of the advanced wastewater-treatment process. The relation between the nitrous oxide emissions and certain process parameters, such as the wastewater temperature, influent biological oxygen demand, and ammonium nitrogen load, was investigated by applying online data obtained from the process-control system at 1 min intervals. Although seasonal variations in the measured nitrous oxide emissions were remarkable, the measurement data indicated no clear relationship between these emissions and seasonal changes in the wastewater temperature. The diurnal variations of the nitrous oxide emissions did, however, strongly correlate with the alternation of the influent biological oxygen demand and ammonium nitrogen load to the aerated zones of the activated sludge process. Overall, the annual nitrous oxide emissions of 168 g/PE/year and the emission factor of 1.9% of the influent nitrogen load are in the high range of values reported in the literature but in very good agreement with the results of other long-term online monitoring campaigns implemented at full-scale wastewater-treatment plants.

Bioenergy from Coastal bermudagrass receiving subsurface drip irrigation with advance-treated swine wastewater.

PubMed

Cantrell, Keri B; Stone, Kenneth C; Hunt, Patrick G; Ro, Kyoung S; Vanotti, Matias B; Burns, Joseph C

2009-07-01

Coastal bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) may be a potentially important source of bio-based energy in the southern US due to its vast acreage. It is often produced as part of a waste management plan with varying nutrient composition and energy characteristics on fields irrigated with livestock wastewater. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of subsurface drip irrigation with treated swine wastewater on both the quantity and quality of bermudagrass bioenergy. The treated wastewater was recycled from an advanced treatment system and used for irrigation of bermudagrass in two crop seasons. The experiment had nine water and drip line spacing treatments arrayed in a randomized complete block-design with four replicates. The bermudagrass was analyzed for calorific and mineral contents. Bermudagrass energy yields for 2004 and 2005 ranged from 127.4 to 251.4MJ ha(-1). Compared to irrigation with commercial nitrogen fertilizer, the least biomass energy density was associated with bermudagrass receiving treated swine wastewater. Yet, in 2004 the wastewater irrigated bermudagrass had greater hay yields leading to greater energy yield per ha. This decrease in energy density of wastewater irrigated bermudagrass was associated with increased concentrations of K, Ca, and Na. After thermal conversion, these compounds are known to remain in the ash portion thereby decreasing the energy density. Nonetheless, the loss of energy density using treated effluent via SDI may be offset by the positive influence of these three elements for their catalytic properties in downstream thermal conversion processes such as promoting a lesser char yield and greater combustible gas formation.

The environmental impact of sewage and wastewater outfalls in Antarctica: An example from Davis station, East Antarctica.

PubMed

Stark, Jonathan S; Corbett, Patricia A; Dunshea, Glenn; Johnstone, Glenn; King, Catherine; Mondon, Julie A; Power, Michelle L; Samuel, Angelingifta; Snape, Ian; Riddle, Martin

2016-11-15

We present a comprehensive scientific assessment of the environmental impacts of an Antarctic wastewater ocean outfall, at Davis station in East Antarctica. We assessed the effectiveness of current wastewater treatment and disposal requirements under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Macerated wastewater has been discharged from an outfall at Davis since the failure of the secondary treatment plant in 2005. Water, sediment and wildlife were tested for presence of human enteric bacteria and antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Epibiotic and sediment macrofaunal communities were tested for differences between sites near the outfall and controls. Local fish were examined for evidence of histopathological abnormalities. Sediments, fish and gastropods were tested for uptake of sewage as measured by stable isotopes of N and C. Escherichia coli carrying antibiotic resistance determinants were found in water, sediments and wildlife (the filter feeding bivalve Laternula eliptica). Fish (Trematomus bernacchii) within close proximity to the outfall had significantly more severe and greater occurrences of histopathological abnormalities than at controls, consistent with exposure to sewage. There was significant enrichment of 15 N in T. bernacchii and the predatory gastropod Neobuccinum eatoni around the outfall, providing evidence of uptake of sewage. There were significant differences between epibiotic and sediment macrofaunal communities at control and outfall sites (<1.5 km), when sites were separated into groups of similar habitat types. Benthic community composition was also strongly related to habitat and environmental drivers such as sea ice. The combined evidence indicated that the discharge of wastewater from the Davis outfall is causing environmental impacts. These findings suggest that conditions in Antarctic coastal locations, such as Davis, are unlikely to be conducive to initial dilution and rapid dispersal of wastewater as required under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Current minimum requirements for wastewater treatment and disposal in Antarctica are insufficient to ameliorate these risks and are likely to lead to accumulation of contaminants and introduction of non-native microbes and associated genetic elements. This new understanding suggests that modernised approaches to the treatment and disposal of wastewater are required in Antarctica. The most effective solution is advanced levels of wastewater treatment, which are now possible, feasible and a high priority for installation. As a direct outcome of the study, a new advanced treatment system is being installed at Davis, effectively avoiding environmental risks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of advanced secondary municipal wastewater treatment on the molecular composition of dissolved organic matter.

PubMed

Maizel, Andrew C; Remucal, Christina K

2017-10-01

There is a growing interest in water reuse and in recovery of nutrients from wastewater. Because many advanced treatment processes are designed to remove organic matter, a better understanding of the composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in wastewater is needed. To that end, we assessed DOM in the Nine Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant in Madison, Wisconsin by UV-visible spectroscopy and Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Samples were collected from the influent and effluent of two different secondary treatment processes and their respective secondary clarifiers, the UV disinfection unit, and an Ostara treatment system, which produces struvite via chemical precipitation. The optical properties reveal that DOM throughout the plant is relatively aliphatic and is low in molecular weight compared to DOM in freshwater systems. Furthermore, the DOM is rich in heteroatoms (e.g., N, S, P, and Cl) and its molecular formulas are present in the lipid-, protein-, carbohydrate-, and lignin-like regions of van Krevelen diagrams. Secondary treatment produces DOM that is more aromatic and more complex, as shown by the loss of highly saturated formulas and the increase in the number of CHO, CHON, and CHOP formulas. The two secondary treatment processes produce DOM with distinct molecular compositions, while the secondary clarifiers and UV disinfection unit result in minimal changes in DOM composition. The Ostara process decreases the molecular weight of DOM, but does not otherwise alter its composition. The optical properties agree with trends in the molecular composition of DOM within the main treatment train of the Nine Springs plant. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The synthetic activities of TiO2-moringa oleifera seed powder in the treatment of the wastewater of the coal mining industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marhaini; Legiso; Trilestari

2018-04-01

To process the coal wastewater, the combination of chemical based technology of Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) of a strong oxidizer using TiO2 photocatalyst and biological treatment of moringa seed powder (Moringa oleifera) is used in the composite form. AOP can be used as an alternative treatment of coal wastewater which is quite economical and environmentally friendly. The XRD results of TiO2 powder and the synthesis of TiO2 - is moringa seed powder in the form of tetragonal crystals. The degradation results of the quality of the coal wastewater using TiO2 powder reached a decrease of (TSS, Fe, Mn, Zn, Hg, Cu, Co, Cr, Al and Ni) by an average of 70% and the increase of pH value of 7 at 200 minute stirring time. The decrease of the wastewater quality using the synthesis of TiO2- moringa seed powder by using sunlight and without sunlight is detected negative (-) at 200 minute stirring time.

Treatment of winery wastewater by electrochemical methods and advanced oxidation processes.

PubMed

Orescanin, Visnja; Kollar, Robert; Nad, Karlo; Mikelic, Ivanka Lovrencic; Gustek, Stefica Findri

2013-01-01

The aim of this research was development of new system for the treatment of highly polluted wastewater (COD = 10240 mg/L; SS = 2860 mg/L) originating from vine-making industry. The system consisted of the main treatment that included electrochemical methods (electro oxidation, electrocoagulation using stainless steel, iron and aluminum electrode sets) with simultaneous sonication and recirculation in strong electromagnetic field. Ozonation combined with UV irradiation in the presence of added hydrogen peroxide was applied for the post-treatment of the effluent. Following the combined treatment, the final removal efficiencies of the parameters color, turbidity, suspended solids and phosphates were over 99%, Fe, Cu and ammonia approximately 98%, while the removal of COD and sulfates was 77% and 62%, respectively. A new approach combining electrochemical methods with ultrasound in the strong electromagnetic field resulted in significantly better removal efficiencies for majority of the measured parameters compared to the biological methods, advanced oxidation processes or electrocoagulation. Reduction of the treatment time represents another advantage of this new approach.

Advanced oxidation process using hydrogen peroxide/microwave system for solubilization of phosphate.

PubMed

Liao, Ping Huang; Wong, Wayne T; Lo, Kwang Victor

2005-01-01

An advanced oxidation process (AOP) combining hydrogen peroxide and microwave heating was used for the solubilization of phosphate from secondary municipal sludge from an enhanced biological phosphorus removal process. The microwave irradiation is used as a generator agent of oxidizing radicals as well as a heating source in the process. This AOP process could facilitate the release of a large amount of the sludge-bound phosphorus from the sewage sludge. More than 84% of the total phosphorous could be released at a microwave heating time of 5 min at 170 degrees C. This innovative process has the potential of being applied to simple sludge treatment processes in domestic wastewater treatment and to the recovery of phosphorus from the wastewater.

Occurrence of cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide in aqueous environment and their removal by biological and abiotic wastewater treatment processes.

PubMed

Česen, Marjeta; Kosjek, Tina; Laimou-Geraniou, Maria; Kompare, Boris; Širok, Brane; Lambropolou, Dimitra; Heath, Ester

2015-09-15

Cytostatic drug residues in the aqueous environment are of concern due to their possible adverse effects on non-target organisms. Here we report the occurrence and removal efficiency of cyclophosphamide (CP) and ifosfamide (IF) by biological and abiotic treatments including advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Cyclophosphamide was detected in hospital wastewaters (14-22,000 ng L(-1)), wastewater treatment plant influents (19-27 ng L(-1)) and effluent (17 ng L(-1)), whereas IF was detected only in hospital wastewaters (48-6800 ng L(-1)). The highest removal efficiency during biological treatment (attached growth biomass in a flow through bioreactor) was 59 ± 15% and 35 ± 9.3% for CP and IF, respectively. Also reported are the removal efficiencies of both compounds from wastewater using hydrodynamic cavitation (HC), ozonation (O3) and/or UV, either individually or in combination with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hydrodynamic cavitation did not remove CP and IF to any significant degree. The highest removal efficiencies: 99 ± 0.71% for CP and 94 ± 2.4% for IF, were achieved using UV/O3/H2O2 at 5 g L(-1) for 120 min. When combined with biological treatment, removal efficiencies were >99% for both compounds. This is the first report of combined biological and AOP treatment of CP and IF from wastewater with a removal efficiency >99%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Drivers of Microbial Risk for Direct Potable Reuse and de Facto Reuse Treatment Schemes: The Impacts of Source Water Quality and Blending.

PubMed

Chaudhry, Rabia M; Hamilton, Kerry A; Haas, Charles N; Nelson, Kara L

2017-06-13

Although reclaimed water for potable applications has many potential benefits, it poses concerns for chemical and microbial risks to consumers. We present a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) Monte Carlo framework to compare a de facto water reuse scenario (treated wastewater-impacted surface water) with four hypothetical Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) scenarios for Norovirus, Cryptosporidium , and Salmonella . Consumer microbial risks of surface source water quality (impacted by 0-100% treated wastewater effluent) were assessed. Additionally, we assessed risks for different blending ratios (0-100% surface water blended into advanced-treated DPR water) when source surface water consisted of 50% wastewater effluent. De facto reuse risks exceeded the yearly 10 -4 infections risk benchmark while all modeled DPR risks were significantly lower. Contamination with 1% or more wastewater effluent in the source water, and blending 1% or more wastewater-impacted surface water into the advanced-treated DPR water drove the risk closer to the 10 -4 benchmark. We demonstrate that de facto reuse by itself, or as an input into DPR, drives microbial risks more so than the advanced-treated DPR water. When applied using location-specific inputs, this framework can contribute to project design and public awareness campaigns to build legitimacy for DPR.

Drivers of Microbial Risk for Direct Potable Reuse and de Facto Reuse Treatment Schemes: The Impacts of Source Water Quality and Blending

PubMed Central

Chaudhry, Rabia M.; Hamilton, Kerry A.; Haas, Charles N.; Nelson, Kara L.

2017-01-01

Although reclaimed water for potable applications has many potential benefits, it poses concerns for chemical and microbial risks to consumers. We present a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) Monte Carlo framework to compare a de facto water reuse scenario (treated wastewater-impacted surface water) with four hypothetical Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) scenarios for Norovirus, Cryptosporidium, and Salmonella. Consumer microbial risks of surface source water quality (impacted by 0–100% treated wastewater effluent) were assessed. Additionally, we assessed risks for different blending ratios (0–100% surface water blended into advanced-treated DPR water) when source surface water consisted of 50% wastewater effluent. De facto reuse risks exceeded the yearly 10−4 infections risk benchmark while all modeled DPR risks were significantly lower. Contamination with 1% or more wastewater effluent in the source water, and blending 1% or more wastewater-impacted surface water into the advanced-treated DPR water drove the risk closer to the 10−4 benchmark. We demonstrate that de facto reuse by itself, or as an input into DPR, drives microbial risks more so than the advanced-treated DPR water. When applied using location-specific inputs, this framework can contribute to project design and public awareness campaigns to build legitimacy for DPR. PMID:28608808

Use of a Battery of Chemical and Ecotoxicological Methods for the Assessment of the Efficacy of Wastewater Treatment Processes to Remove Estrogenic Potency

PubMed Central

Beresford, Nicola; Baynes, Alice; Kanda, Rakesh; Mills, Matthew R.; Arias-Salazar, Karla; Collins, Terrence J.; Jobling, Susan

2016-01-01

Endocrine Disrupting Compounds pose a substantial risk to the aquatic environment. Ethinylestradiol (EE2) and estrone (E1) have recently been included in a watch list of environmental pollutants under the European Water Framework Directive. Municipal wastewater treatment plants are major contributors to the estrogenic potency of surface waters. Much of the estrogenic potency of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents can be attributed to the discharge of steroid estrogens including estradiol (E2), EE2 and E1 due to incomplete removal of these substances at the treatment plant. An evaluation of the efficacy of wastewater treatment processes requires the quantitative determination of individual substances most often undertaken using chemical analysis methods. Most frequently used methods include Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS/MS) or Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LCMS/MS) using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Although very useful for regulatory purposes, targeted chemical analysis can only provide data on the compounds (and specific metabolites) monitored. Ecotoxicology methods additionally ensure that any by-products produced or unknown estrogenic compounds present are also assessed via measurement of their biological activity. A number of in vitro bioassays including the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) are available to measure the estrogenic activity of wastewater samples. Chemical analysis in conjunction with in vivo and in vitro bioassays provides a useful toolbox for assessment of the efficacy and suitability of wastewater treatment processes with respect to estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds. This paper utilizes a battery of chemical and ecotoxicology tests to assess conventional, advanced and emerging wastewater treatment processes in laboratory and field studies. PMID:27684328

Microorganisms in bioaerosol emissions from wastewater treatment plants during summer at a Mediterranean site.

PubMed

Karra, Styliani; Katsivela, Eleftheria

2007-03-01

Measurements were conducted at a Mediterranean site (latitude 35 degrees 31' north and longitude 24 degrees 03' east) during summer, to study the concentration of microorganisms emitted from a wastewater treatment plant under intensive solar radiation (520-840 W/m2) and at elevated air temperatures (25-31 degrees C). Air samples were taken with the Air Sampler MAS 100 (Merck) at each stage of an activated-sludge wastewater treatment (pretreatment, primary settling tanks, aeration tanks, secondary settling tanks, chlorination, and sludge processors). Cultivation methods based on the viable counts of mesophilic heterotrophic bacteria, as well as of indicator microorganisms of faecal contamination (total and faecal coliforms and enterococci), and fungi were performed. During air sampling, temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity and wind speed were measured. The highest concentrations of airborne microorganisms were observed at the aerated grit removal of wastewater at the pretreatment stage. A gradual decrease of bioaerosol emissions was observed during the advanced wastewater treatment from the pretreatment to the primary, secondary and tertiary treatment (97.4% decrease of mesophilic heterotrophic bacteria, and 100% decrease of total coliforms, faecal coliforms and enterococci), 95.8% decrease of fungi. The concentration of the airborne microorganisms at the secondary and tertiary treatment of the wastewater was lower than in the outdoor control. At the same time, the reduction of the microbial load at the waste sludge processors was 19.7% for the mesophilic heterotrophic bacteria, 99.4% for the total coliforms, and 100% for the faecal coliforms and the enterococci, 84.2% for the fungi. The current study concludes that the intensive solar radiation, together with high ambient temperatures, as well as optimal wastewater treatment are the most important factors for low numbers of microbes in the air.

Recent advances in mathematical modeling of nitrous oxides emissions from wastewater treatment processes.

PubMed

Ni, Bing-Jie; Yuan, Zhiguo

2015-12-15

Nitrous oxide (N2O) can be emitted from wastewater treatment contributing to its greenhouse gas footprint significantly. Mathematical modeling of N2O emissions is of great importance toward the understanding and reduction of the environmental impact of wastewater treatment systems. This article reviews the current status of the modeling of N2O emissions from wastewater treatment. The existing mathematical models describing all the known microbial pathways for N2O production are reviewed and discussed. These included N2O production by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) through the hydroxylamine oxidation pathway and the AOB denitrification pathway, N2O production by heterotrophic denitrifiers through the denitrification pathway, and the integration of these pathways in single N2O models. The calibration and validation of these models using lab-scale and full-scale experimental data is also reviewed. We conclude that the mathematical modeling of N2O production, while is still being enhanced supported by new knowledge development, has reached a maturity that facilitates the estimation of site-specific N2O emissions and the development of mitigation strategies for a wastewater treatment plant taking into the specific design and operational conditions of the plant. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Weighing environmental advantages and disadvantages of advanced wastewater treatment of micro-pollutants using environmental life cycle assessment.

PubMed

Wenzel, H; Larsen, H F; Clauson-Kaas, J; Høibye, L; Jacobsen, B N

2008-01-01

Much research and development effort is directed towards advances in municipal wastewater treatment aiming at reducing the effluent content of micro-pollutants and pathogens. The objective is to further reduce the eco-toxicity, hormone effects and pathogenic effects of the effluent. Such further polishing of the effluent, however, involves an environmental trade-off: the reduction in eco-toxicity, hormone effects, etc. will happen at the expense of increased resource- and energy consumption. Obviously, at some point of further advances, there must be an 'environmental break-even'. This trade-off was investigated using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology and based on a literature review of advanced treatment performance. The LCA evaluation comprised sand filtration, ozonation and MBRs and assessed the effect of extending existing tertiary treatment with these technologies on a variety of micro-pollutants being: heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Ni), endocrine disruptors (E2 and EE2), PAH, DEHP, and detergents (LAS & NPE). It was found, in some of the studied scenarios, that more environmental impact may be induced than removed by the advanced treatment. The study showed that for the 3 technologies, sand filtration has the best balance between prevented and induced impacts, and sand filtration proved to have a net environmental benefit under the assumptions used in the study. But the outcome of the study suggests that this is not always the case for ozonation and MBR.

Anammox-based technologies for nitrogen removal: Advances in process start-up and remaining issues.

PubMed

Ali, Muhammad; Okabe, Satoshi

2015-12-01

Nitrogen removal from wastewater via anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox)-based process has been recognized as efficient, cost-effective and low energy alternative to the conventional nitrification and denitrification processes. To date, more than one hundred full-scale anammox plants have been installed and operated for treatment of NH4(+)-rich wastewater streams around the world, and the number is increasing rapidly. Since the discovery of anammox process, extensive researches have been done to develop various anammox-based technologies. However, there are still some challenges in practical application of anammox-based treatment process at full-scale, e.g., longer start-up period, limited application to mainstream municipal wastewater and poor effluent water quality. This paper aimed to summarize recent status of application of anammox process and researches on technological development for solving these remaining problems. In addition, an integrated system of anammox-based process and microbial fuel cell is proposed for sustainable and energy-positive wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fate and removal of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in conventional and membrane bioreactor wastewater treatment plants and by riverbank filtration.

PubMed

Petrovic, Mira; de Alda, Maria Jose Lopez; Diaz-Cruz, Silvia; Postigo, Cristina; Radjenovic, Jelena; Gros, Meritxell; Barcelo, Damià

2009-10-13

Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and drugs of abuse (DAs) are two important groups of emerging environmental contaminants that have raised an increasing interest in the scientific community. A number of studies revealed their presence in the environment. This is mainly due to the fact that some compounds are not efficiently removed during wastewater treatment processes, being able to reach surface and groundwater and subsequently, drinking waters. This paper reviews the data regarding the levels of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs detected in wastewaters and gives an overview of their removal by conventional treatment technologies (applying activated sludge) as well as advanced treatments such as membrane bioreactor. The paper also gives an overview of bank filtration practices at managed aquifer recharge sites and discusses the potential of this approach to mitigate the contamination by PhACs and DAs.

Development of a system for treatment of coconut industry wastewater using electrochemical processes followed by Fenton reaction.

PubMed

Gomes, Lúcio de Moura; Duarte, José Leandro da Silva; Pereira, Nathalia Marcelino; Martínez-Huitle, Carlos A; Tonholo, Josealdo; Zanta, Carmen Lúcia de Paiva E Silva

2014-01-01

The coconut processing industry generates a significant amount of liquid waste. New technologies targeting the treatment of industrial effluents have emerged, including advanced oxidation processes, the Fenton reaction, and electrochemical processes, which produce strong oxidizing species to remove organic matter. In this study we combined the Fenton reaction and electrochemical process to treat wastewater generated by the coconut industry. We prepared a synthetic wastewater consisting of a mixture of coconut milk and water and assessed how the Fenton reagents' concentration, the cathode material, the current density, and the implementation of associated technologies affect its treatment. Electrochemical treatment followed by the Fenton reaction diminished turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 85 and 95%, respectively. The Fenton reaction followed by the electrochemical process reduced turbidity and COD by 93 and 85%, respectively. Therefore, a combination of the Fenton and electrochemical technologies can effectively treat the effluent from the coconut processing industry.

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and its precursors in water and wastewater: A review on formation and removal.

PubMed

Sgroi, Massimiliano; Vagliasindi, Federico G A; Snyder, Shane A; Roccaro, Paolo

2018-01-01

This review summarizes major findings over the last decade related to N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in water and wastewater. In particular, the review is focused on the removal of NDMA and of its precursors by conventional and advanced water and wastewater treatment processes. New information regarding formation mechanisms and precursors are discussed as well. NDMA precursors are generally of anthropogenic origin and their main source in water have been recognized to be wastewater discharges. Chloramination is the most common process that results in formation of NDMA during water and wastewater treatment. However, ozonation of wastewater or highly contaminated surface water can also generate significant levels of NDMA. Thus, NDMA formation control and remediation has become of increasing interest, particularly during treatment of wastewater-impacted water and during potable reuse application. NDMA formation has also been associated with the use of quaternary amine-based coagulants and anion exchange resins. UV photolysis with UV fluence far higher than typical disinfection doses is generally considered the most efficient technology for NDMA mitigation. However, recent studies on the optimization of biological processes offer a potentially lower-energy solution. Options for NDMA control include attenuation of precursor materials through physical removal, biological treatment, and/or deactivation by application of oxidants. Nevertheless, NDMA precursor identification and removal can be challenging and additional research and optimization is needed. As municipal wastewater becomes increasingly used as a source water for drinking, NDMA formation and mitigation strategies will become increasingly more important. The following review provides a summary of the most recent information available. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis and advanced oxidation treatment of a persistent pharmaceutical compound in wastewater and wastewater sludge-carbamazepine.

PubMed

Mohapatra, D P; Brar, S K; Tyagi, R D; Picard, P; Surampalli, R Y

2014-02-01

Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) are considered as emerging environmental problem due to their continuous input and persistence to the aquatic ecosystem even at low concentrations. Among them, carbamazepine (CBZ) has been detected at the highest frequency, which ends up in aquatic systems via wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) among other sources. The identification and quantification of CBZ in wastewater (WW) and wastewater sludge (WWS) is of major interest to assess the toxicity of treated effluent discharged into the environment. Furthermore, WWS has been subjected for re-use either in agricultural application or for the production of value-added products through the route of bioconversion. However, this field application is disputable due to the presence of these organic compounds and in order to protect the ecosystem or end users, data concerning the concentration, fate, behavior as well as the perspective of simultaneous degradation of these compounds is urgently necessary. Many treatment technologies, including advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been developed in order to degrade CBZ in WW and WWS. AOPs are technologies based on the intermediacy of hydroxyl and other radicals to oxidize recalcitrant, toxic and non-biodegradable compounds to various by-products and eventually to inert end products. The purpose of this review is to provide information on persistent pharmaceutical compound, carbamazepine, its ecological effects and removal during various AOPs of WW and WWS. This review also reports the different analytical methods available for quantification of CBZ in different contaminated media including WW and WWS. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Removal of total and antibiotic resistant bacteria in advanced wastewater treatment by ozonation in combination with different filtering techniques.

PubMed

Lüddeke, Frauke; Heß, Stefanie; Gallert, Claudia; Winter, Josef; Güde, Hans; Löffler, Herbert

2015-02-01

Elimination of bacteria by ozonation in combination with charcoal or slow sand filtration for advanced sewage treatment to improve the quality of treated sewage and to reduce the potential risk for human health of receiving surface waters was investigated in pilot scale at the sewage treatment plant Eriskirch, Baden-Wuerttemberg/Germany. To determine the elimination of sewage bacteria, inflowing and leaving wastewater of different treatment processes was analysed in a culture-based approach for its content of Escherichia coli, enterococci and staphylococci and their resistance against selected antibiotics over a period of 17 month. For enterococci, single species and their antibiotic resistances were identified. In comparison to the established flocculation filtration at Eriskirch, ozonation plus charcoal or sand filtration (pilot-scale) reduced the concentrations of total and antibiotic resistant E. coli, enterococci and staphylococci. However, antibiotic resistant E. coli and staphylococci apparently survived ozone treatment better than antibiotic sensitive strains. Neither vancomycin resistant enterococci nor methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were detected. The decreased percentage of antibiotic resistant enterococci after ozonation may be explained by a different ozone sensitivity of species: Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis, which determined the resistance-level, seemed to be more sensitive for ozone than other Enterococcus-species. Overall, ozonation followed by charcoal or sand filtration led to 0.8-1.1 log-units less total and antibiotic resistant E. coli, enterococci and staphylococci, as compared to the respective concentrations in treated sewage by only flocculation filtration. Thus, advanced wastewater treatment by ozonation plus charcoal or sand filtration after common sewage treatment is an effective tool for further elimination of microorganisms from sewage before discharge in surface waters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

US EPA REPORT ON STORMWATER BMP INSTALLATION, MODELING, AND DESIGN

EPA Science Inventory

For the past three decades, municipalities in the United States (U.S.) have successfully addressed pollution in the watershed by collecting and treating their wastewater. Advancements to secondary level treatment, tertiary treatment, and industrial pretreatment have had great be...

A Spike Cocktail Approach to Improve Microbial Performance Monitoring for Water Reuse

EPA Science Inventory

Water reuse, via either centralized treatment of traditional wastewater or decentralized treatment and on-site reuse, is becoming an increasingly important element of sustainable water management. Despite advances in waterborne pathogen detection methods, low and highly variable ...

Effect of advanced oxidation processes on the micropollutants and the effluent organic matter contained in municipal wastewater previously treated by three different secondary methods.

PubMed

Giannakis, Stefanos; Gamarra Vives, Franco Alejandro; Grandjean, Dominique; Magnet, Anoys; De Alencastro, Luiz Felippe; Pulgarin, César

2015-11-01

In this study, wastewater from the output of three different secondary treatment facilities (Activated Sludge, Moving Bed Bioreactor and Coagulation-Flocculation) present in the municipal wastewater treatment plant of Vidy, Lausanne (Switzerland), was further treated with various oxidation processes (UV, UV/H2O2, solar irradiation, Fenton, solar photo-Fenton), at laboratory scale. For this assessment, 6 organic micropollutants in agreement with the new environmental legislation requirements in Switzerland were selected (Carbamazepine, Clarithromycin, Diclofenac, Metoprolol, Benzotriazole, Mecoprop) and monitored throughout the treatment. Also, the overall removal of the organic load was assessed. After each secondary treatment, the efficiency of the AOPs increased in the following order: Coagulation-Flocculation < Activated Sludge < Moving Bed Bioreactor, in almost all cases. From the different combinations tested, municipal wastewater subjected to biological treatment followed by UV/H2O2 resulted in the highest elimination levels. Wastewater previously treated by physicochemical treatment demonstrated considerably inhibited micropollutant degradation rates. The degradation kinetics were determined, yielding: k (UV) < k (UV/H2O2) and k (Fenton) < k (solar irradiation) < k (photo-Fenton). Finally, the evolution of global pollution parameters (COD & TOC elimination) was followed and the degradation pathways for the effluent organic matter are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent advancements in the sonophotocatalysis (SPC) and doped-sonophotocatalysis (DSPC) for the treatment of recalcitrant hazardous organic water pollutants.

PubMed

Panda, Debabrata; Manickam, Sivakumar

2017-05-01

Sonophotocatalysis (SPC) is considered to be one of the important wastewater treatment techniques and hence attracted the attention of researchers to eliminate recalcitrant hazardous organic pollutants from aqueous phase. In general, SPC refers to the integrated use of ultrasonic sound waves, ultraviolet radiation and the addition of a semiconductor material which functions as a photocatalyst. Current research has brought numerous improvements in the SPC based treatment by opting visible light irradiation, nanocomposite catalysts and numerous catalyst supports for better stability and performance. This review accomplishes a critical analysis with respect to the recent advancements. The efficiency of SPC based treatments has been analyzed by considering the individual methods i.e. sonolysis, photocatalysis, sonophotolysis, sono-ozone, photo-Fenton and sono-Fenton. Besides, the essential parameters such as solution temperature, concentrations of initial pollutant and catalyst, initial pH, dosages of Fenton's reagent and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), ultrasonic power density, gas sparging, addition of radical scavenger, addition of carbon tetrachloride and methanol have been discussed with suggestions for the selection of optimum parameters. A higher synergistic pollutant removal rate has been reported during SPC treatment as compared to individual methods and the implementation of numerous doping materials and supports for the photocatalyst enhances the degradation rate of pollutants using DSPC under both visible and UV irradiation. Overall, SPC and DSPC based wastewater treatments are emerging as potential techniques as they provide effective solution in removing the recalcitrant organic pollutants and progressive research is expected to bring out superior treatment efficiency using these advanced technologies. The review has accomplished a thorough and a critical analysis of sonophotocatalysis (SPC) based on the recently published journals. Recent advancements in the doped sonophotocatalysis (DSPC) and the mechanisms behind synergistic enhancement in the pollutant degradation rate have been discussed with justifications. Besides, the possible future works are suggested for the advancements in sonophotocatalysis based treatment. This review will be beneficial for electing a SPC based method because of the accomplished sharp comparisons among the published results. The review includes current advancements of SPC based methods which aid for a low-cost and a large-scale wastewater treatment application. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contribution of Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents to Nutrient Dynamics in Aquatic Systems: A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carey, Richard O.; Migliaccio, Kati W.

2009-08-01

Excessive nutrient loading (considering nitrogen and phosphorus) is a major ongoing threat to water quality and here we review the impact of nutrient discharges from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to United States (U.S.) freshwater systems. While urban and agricultural land uses are significant nonpoint nutrient contributors, effluent from point sources such as WWTPs can overwhelm receiving waters, effectively dominating hydrological characteristics and regulating instream nutrient processes. Population growth, increased wastewater volumes, and sustainability of critical water resources have all been key factors influencing the extent of wastewater treatment. Reducing nutrient concentrations in wastewater is an important aspect of water quality management because excessive nutrient concentrations often prevent water bodies from meeting designated uses. WWTPs employ numerous physical, chemical, and biological methods to improve effluent water quality but nutrient removal requires advanced treatment and infrastructure that may be economically prohibitive. Therefore, effluent nutrient concentrations vary depending on the particular processes used to treat influent wastewater. Increasingly stringent regulations regarding nutrient concentrations in discharged effluent, along with greater freshwater demand in populous areas, have led to the development of extensive water recycling programs within many U.S. regions. Reuse programs provide an opportunity to reduce or eliminate direct nutrient discharges to receiving waters while allowing for the beneficial use of reclaimed water. However, nutrients in reclaimed water can still be a concern for reuse applications, such as agricultural and landscape irrigation.

How green are environmental technologies? A new approach for a global evaluation: the case of WWTP effluents ozonation.

PubMed

Papa, M; Pedrazzani, R; Bertanza, G

2013-07-01

The research on the impact of chemical pollution is now increasingly attracted by the topic of organic micropollutants: as secondary biological treatment of wastewater does not provide the complete elimination of these substances, an advanced treatment downstream the biological process can be implemented. Notwithstanding, the benefits of improved effluent quality can be weakened by the negative effects on air quality, when energy consumption and related pollutants emissions deriving from the advanced treatment technologies are taken into account. It is the aim of this work to present an innovative methodology to judge the environmental compatibility of wastewater treatment processes on the basis of the damage on human health produced/avoided, expressed as an economic value. In particular, while for air pollution the established external costs were applied, for water pollution the rates of the impacts on human health have been evaluated in terms of Global Burden of Disease and measured in units of DALY (Disability-Adjusted Life Years), then converted into costs based on Gross Domestic Product. As a first application, this procedure was used for assessing environmental compatibility of a final ozonation: the results of this study showed that the reduction of water pollution achieved by means of ozonation might be beneficial for human health at an extent which is in the same order of magnitude of damage caused by air pollution, emphasizing that the question if the use of advanced (energy-intensive) treatments is a proper solution to remove organic micropollutants from wastewater remains still open. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced tertiary treatment of municipal wastewater using raw and modified diatomite.

PubMed

Wu, Jinlu; Yang, Y S; Lin, Jinhua

2005-12-09

Advanced technology for more efficient and effective wastewater treatment is always timely needed. The feasibility of using raw and modified diatomite for advanced treatment of secondary sewage effluents (SSE) was investigated in this study. Raw diatomite at a dosing rate of 300 mg/l showed a similar potential as activated carbon for removing most organic pollutants and toxic metals from SSE. Its performance was found poor in removal of arsenic and crop nutrient constituents (e.g. ammoniacal nitrogen and phosphate) and remained unsatisfactory even when the dosing rate increased up to 500 mg/l. Where modified diatomite was in lieu of raw diatomite, the removal efficiency for all target constituents was improved by 20-50%. At the dosing rate of 150 mg/l, modified diatomite enabled the post-treated effluents to satisfy the discharge consents, with the levels of all target constituents below the regulatory limits. Modified diatomite has advantages over raw diatomite in improving removal efficiency and reducing the dosing rate required for satisfactory treatment of SSE. It is concluded that modified diatomite is much more effective and efficient than raw diatomite, as an alternative to activated carbon, for economic treatment of SSE.

State of the art of biological processes for coal gasification wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Zhao, Qian; Liu, Yu

2016-01-01

The treatment of coal gasification wastewater (CGW) poses a serious challenge on the sustainable development of the global coal industry. The CGW contains a broad spectrum of high-strength recalcitrant substances, including phenolic, monocyclic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic nitrogenous compounds and long chain aliphatic hydrocarbon. So far, biological treatment of CGW has been considered as an environment-friendly and cost-effective method compared to physiochemical approaches. Thus, this reviews aims to provide a comprehensive picture of state of the art of biological processes for treating CGW wastewater, while the possible biodegradation mechanisms of toxic and refractory organic substances were also elaborated together with microbial community involved. Discussion was further extended to advanced bioprocesses to tackle high-concentration ammonia and possible options towards in-plant zero liquid discharge. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Applying fenton process in acrylic fiber wastewater treatment and practice teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chunhui; Jiang, Shan

2018-02-01

Acrylic fiber manufacturing wastewater, containing a wider range of pollutants, high concentration of refractory organics, poisonous and harmful matters, was significant to treat from the effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this work, a Fenton reactor was employed for advanced treatment of the WWTP effluents. An orthogonal test and a parametric study were carried out to determine the effect of the main operating conditions and the Fenton process attain excellent performance on the degradation of pollutants under an optimal condition of ferrous dosage was 6.25 mM, hydrogen peroxide was 75 mM and initial pH value was 3.0 in 90 min reaction time. The removal efficiency of COD, TOC, NH4 +-N and TN reached from 45% to 69%. Lastly, as a teaching advice, the Fenton reactor was used in practicing teaching nicely.

Combining micelle-clay sorption to solar photo-Fenton processes for domestic wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Brienza, Monica; Nir, Shlomo; Plantard, Gael; Goetz, Vincent; Chiron, Serge

2018-06-08

A tertiary treatment of effluent from a biological domestic wastewater treatment plant was tested by combining filtration and solar photocatalysis. Adsorption was carried out by a sequence of two column filters, the first one filled with granular activated carbon (GAC) and the second one with granulated nano-composite of micelle-montmorillonite mixed with sand (20:100, w/w). The applied solar advanced oxidation process was homogeneous photo-Fenton photocatalysis using peroxymonosulfate (PMS) as oxidant agent. This combination of simple, robust, and low-cost technologies aimed to ensure water disinfection and emerging contaminants (ECs, mainly pharmaceuticals) removal. The filtration step showed good performances in removing dissolved organic matter and practically removing all bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis from the secondary treated water. Solar advanced oxidation processes were efficient in elimination of trace levels of ECs. The final effluent presented an improved sanitary level with acceptable chemical and biological characteristics for irrigation.

Oxidative stress responses of Daphnia magna exposed to effluents spiked with emerging contaminants under ozonation and advanced oxidation processes.

PubMed

Oropesa, Ana Lourdes; Novais, Sara C; Lemos, Marco F L; Espejo, Azahara; Gravato, Carlos; Beltrán, Fernando

2017-01-01

Integration of conventional wastewater treatments with advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) has become of great interest to remove pharmaceuticals and their metabolites from wastewater. However, application of these technologies generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that may reach superficial waters through effluents from sewage treatment plants. The main objective of the present study was to elucidate if ROS present in real effluents after biological and then chemical (single ozonation, solar photolytic ozonation, solar photocatalytic ozonation (TiO 2 , Fe 3 O 4 ) and solar photocatalytic oxidation (TiO 2 )) treatments induce oxidative stress in Daphnia magna. For this, the activity of two antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and the level of lipid peroxidation were determined in Daphnia. The results of oxidative stress biomarkers studied suggest that D. magna is able to cope with the superoxide ion radical (O 2 · - ) present in the treated effluent due to single ozonation by mainly inducing the antioxidant activity superoxide dismutase, thus preventing lipid peroxidation. Lethal effects (measured in terms of immobility) were not observed in these organisms after exposure to any solution. Therefore, in order to probe the ecological efficiency of urban wastewater treatments, studies on lethal and sublethal effects in D. magna would be advisable.

Status of hormones and painkillers in wastewater effluents across several European states-considerations for the EU watch list concerning estradiols and diclofenac.

PubMed

Schröder, P; Helmreich, B; Škrbić, B; Carballa, M; Papa, M; Pastore, C; Emre, Z; Oehmen, A; Langenhoff, A; Molinos, M; Dvarioniene, J; Huber, C; Tsagarakis, K P; Martinez-Lopez, E; Pagano, S Meric; Vogelsang, C; Mascolo, G

2016-07-01

Present technologies for wastewater treatment do not sufficiently address the increasing pollution situation of receiving water bodies, especially with the growing use of personal care products and pharmaceuticals (PPCP) in the private household and health sector. The relevance of addressing this problem of organic pollutants was taken into account by the Directive 2013/39/EU that introduced (i) the quality evaluation of aquatic compartments, (ii) the polluter pays principle, (iii) the need for innovative and affordable wastewater treatment technologies, and (iv) the identification of pollution causes including a list of principal compounds to be monitored. In addition, a watch list of 10 other substances was recently defined by Decision 2015/495 on March 20, 2015. This list contains, among several recalcitrant chemicals, the painkiller diclofenac and the hormones 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol. Although some modern approaches for their removal exist, such as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), retrofitting most wastewater treatment plants with AOPs will not be acceptable as consistent investment at reasonable operational cost. Additionally, by-product and transformation product formation has to be considered. The same is true for membrane-based technologies (nanofiltration, reversed osmosis) despite of the incredible progress that has been made during recent years, because these systems lead to higher operation costs (mainly due to higher energy consumption) so that the majority of communities will not easily accept them. Advanced technologies in wastewater treatment like membrane bioreactors (MBR) that integrate biological degradation of organic matter with membrane filtration have proven a more complete elimination of emerging pollutants in a rather cost- and labor-intensive technology. Still, most of the presently applied methods are incapable of removing critical compounds completely. In this opinion paper, the state of the art of European WWTPs is reflected, and capacities of single methods are described. Furthermore, the need for analytical standards, risk assessment, and economic planning is stressed. The survey results in the conclusion that combinations of different conventional and advanced technologies including biological and plant-based strategies seem to be most promising to solve the burning problem of polluting our environment with hazardous emerging xenobiotics.

Contaminant removal by wastewater treatment plants in the Stillaguamish River Basin, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barbash, Jack E.; Moran, Patrick W.; Wagner, Richard J.; Wolanek, Michael

2015-01-01

Human activities in most areas of the developed world typically release nutrients, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, and other contaminants into the environment, many of which reach freshwater ecosystems. In urbanized areas, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are critical facilities for collecting and reducing the amounts of wastewater contaminants (WWCs) that ultimately discharge to rivers, coastal areas, and groundwater. Most WWTPs use multiple methods to remove contaminants from wastewater. These include physical methods to remove solid materials (primary treatment), biological and chemical methods to remove most organic matter (secondary treatment), advanced methods to reduce the concentrations of various contaminants such as nitrogen, phosphorus and (or) synthetic organic compounds (tertiary treatment), and disinfection prior to discharge (Metcalf and Eddy, Inc., 1979). This study examined the extent to which 114 organic WWCs were removed by each of three WWTPs, prior to discharge to freshwater and marine ecosystems, in a rapidly developing area in northwestern Washington State. Removal percentages for each WWC were estimated by comparing the concentrations measured in the WWTP influents with those measured in the effluents. The investigation was carried out in the 700-mi2Stillaguamish River Basin, the fifth largest watershed that discharges to Puget Sound (fig. 1).

Reduction of Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Fecal Indicators by Bardenpho Wastewater Treatment.

PubMed

Schmitz, Bradley W; Moriyama, Hitoha; Haramoto, Eiji; Kitajima, Masaaki; Sherchan, Samendra; Gerba, Charles P; Pepper, Ian L

2018-06-19

Increased demand for water reuse and reclamation accentuates the importance for optimal wastewater treatment to limit protozoa in effluents. Two wastewater treatment plants utilizing advanced Bardenpho were investigated over a 12-month period to determine the incidence and reduction of Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Cyclospora, and fecal indicators. Results were compared to facilities that previously operated in the same geographical area. Protozoa (oo)cysts were concentrated using an electronegative filter and subsequently detected by fluorescent microscopy and/or PCR methods. Cryptosporidium and Giardia were frequently detected in raw sewage, but Cyclospora was not detected in any wastewater samples. Facilities with Bardenpho treatment exhibited higher removals of (oo)cysts than facilities utilizing activated sludge or trickling filters. This was likely due to Bardenpho systems having increased solid wasting rates; however, this mechanism cannot be confirmed as sludge samples were not analyzed. Use of dissolved-air-flotation instead of sedimentation tanks did not result in more efficient removal of (oo)cysts. Concentrations of protozoa were compared with each other, Escherichia coli, somatic coliphage, and viruses (pepper mild mottle virus, Aichi virus 1, adenovirus, and polyomaviruses JC and BK). Although significant correlations were rare, somatic coliphage showed the highest potential as an indicator for the abundance of protozoa in wastewaters.

Advanced Treatment of Pesticide-Containing Wastewater Using Fenton Reagent Enhanced by Microwave Electrodeless Ultraviolet

PubMed Central

Cheng, Gong; Lin, Jing; Lu, Jian; Zhao, Xi; Cai, Zhengqing; Fu, Jie

2015-01-01

The photo-Fenton reaction is a promising method to treat organic contaminants in water. In this paper, a Fenton reagent enhanced by microwave electrodeless ultraviolet (MWEUV/Fenton) method was proposed for advanced treatment of nonbiodegradable organic substance in pesticide-containing biotreated wastewater. MWEUV lamp was found to be more effective for chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal than commercial mercury lamps in the Fenton process. The pseudo-first order kinetic model can well describe COD removal from pesticide-containing wastewater by MWEUV/Fenton, and the apparent rate constant (k) was 0.0125 min−1. The optimal conditions for MWEUV/Fenton process were determined as initial pH of 5, Fe2+ dosage of 0.8 mmol/L, and H2O2 dosage of 100 mmol/L. Under the optimal conditions, the reaction exhibited high mineralization degrees of organics, where COD and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration decreased from 183.2 mg/L to 36.9 mg/L and 43.5 mg/L to 27.8 mg/L, respectively. Three main pesticides in the wastewater, as Dimethoate, Triazophos, and Malathion, were completely removed by the MWEUV/Fenton process within 120 min. The high degree of pesticides decomposition and mineralization was proved by the detected inorganic anions. PMID:26347877

Industrial wastewater advanced treatment via catalytic ozonation with an Fe-based catalyst.

PubMed

Li, Xufang; Chen, Weiyu; Ma, Luming; Wang, Hongwu; Fan, Jinhong

2018-03-01

An Fe-based catalyst was used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the ozonation of industrial wastewater, and key operational parameters (pH and catalyst dosage) were studied. The results indicated that the Fe-based catalyst significantly improved the mineralization of organic pollutants in wastewater. TOC (total organic carbon) removal was high, at 78.7%, with a catalyst concentration of 200 g/L, but only 31.6% with ozonation alone. The Fe-based catalyst significantly promoted ozone decomposition by 70% in aqueous solution. Hydroxyl radicals (·OH) were confirmed to be existed directly via EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) experiments, and ·OH were verified to account for about 34.4% of TOC removal with NaHCO 3 as a radical scavenger. Through characterization by SEM-EDS (field emission scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive spectrometer), XRD (X-ray powder diffraction) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), it was deduced that FeOOH on the surface of the catalyst was the dominant contributor to the catalytic efficiency. The catalyst was certified as having good stability and excellent reusability based on 50 successive operations and could be used as a filler simultaneously. Thereby, it is a promising catalyst for practical industrial wastewater advanced treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanical properties of water desalination and wastewater treatment membranes

DOE PAGES

Wang, Kui; Abdalla, Ahmed A.; Khaleel, Mohammad A.; ...

2017-07-13

Applications of membrane technology in water desalination and wastewater treatment have increased significantly in the past fewdecades due to itsmany advantages over otherwater treatment technologies.Water treatment membranes provide high flux and contaminant rejection ability and require good mechanical strength and durability. Thus, assessing the mechanical properties of water treatment membranes is critical not only to their design, but also for studying their failure mechanisms, including the surface damage, mechanical and chemical ageing, delamination and loss of dimensional stability of the membranes. The various experimental techniques to assess themechanical properties ofwastewater treatment and desalinationmembranes are reviewed. Uniaxial tensile test, bending test,more » dynamic mechanical analysis, nanoindentation and bursting tests are the most widely used mechanical characterization methods for water treatment membranes. Mechanical degradations induced by fouling, chemical cleaning as well as membrane delamination are then discussed. Moreover, in order to study the membranesmechanical responses under similar loading conditions, the stress-state of the membranes are analyzed and advanced mechanical testing approaches are proposed. Lastly, some perspectives are highlighted to study the structure-properties relationship for wastewater treatment and water desalination membranes.« less

Mechanical properties of water desalination and wastewater treatment membranes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Kui; Abdalla, Ahmed A.; Khaleel, Mohammad A.

Applications of membrane technology in water desalination and wastewater treatment have increased significantly in the past fewdecades due to itsmany advantages over otherwater treatment technologies.Water treatment membranes provide high flux and contaminant rejection ability and require good mechanical strength and durability. Thus, assessing the mechanical properties of water treatment membranes is critical not only to their design, but also for studying their failure mechanisms, including the surface damage, mechanical and chemical ageing, delamination and loss of dimensional stability of the membranes. The various experimental techniques to assess themechanical properties ofwastewater treatment and desalinationmembranes are reviewed. Uniaxial tensile test, bending test,more » dynamic mechanical analysis, nanoindentation and bursting tests are the most widely used mechanical characterization methods for water treatment membranes. Mechanical degradations induced by fouling, chemical cleaning as well as membrane delamination are then discussed. Moreover, in order to study the membranesmechanical responses under similar loading conditions, the stress-state of the membranes are analyzed and advanced mechanical testing approaches are proposed. Lastly, some perspectives are highlighted to study the structure-properties relationship for wastewater treatment and water desalination membranes.« less

Some ozone advanced oxidation processes to improve the biological removal of selected pharmaceutical contaminants from urban wastewater.

PubMed

Espejo, Azahara; Aguinaco, Almudena; Amat, Ana M; Beltrán, Fernando J

2014-01-01

Removal of nine pharmaceutical compounds--acetaminophen (AAF), antipyrine (ANT), caffeine (CAF), carbamazepine (CRB), diclofenac (DCF), hydrochlorothiazide (HCT), ketorolac (KET), metoprolol (MET) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX)-spiked in a primary sedimentation effluent of a municipal wastewater has been studied with sequential aerobic biological and ozone advanced oxidation systems. Combinations of ozone, UVA black light and Fe(III) or Fe3O4 constituted the chemical systems. During the biological treatment (hydraulic residence time, HRT = 24 h), only AAF and CAF were completely eliminated, MET, SMX and HCT reached partial removal rates and the rest of compounds were completely refractory. With any ozone advanced oxidation process applied, the remaining pharmaceuticals disappear in less than 10 min. Fe3O4 or Fe(III) photocatalytic ozonation leads to 35% mineralization compared to 13% reached during ozonation alone after about 30-min reaction. Also, biodegradability of the treated wastewater increased 50% in the biological process plus another 150% after the ozonation processes. Both untreated and treated wastewater was non-toxic for Daphnia magna (D. magna) except when Fe(III) was used in photocatalytic ozonation. In this case, toxicity was likely due to the ferryoxalate formed in the process. Kinetic information on ozone processes reveals that pharmaceuticals at concentrations they have in urban wastewater are mainly removed through free radical oxidation.

Nutrient removal and biomass production: advances in microalgal biotechnology for wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Abinandan, Sudharsanam; Subashchandrabose, Suresh R; Venkateswarlu, Kadiyala; Megharaj, Mallavarapu

2018-05-17

Owing to certain drawbacks, such as energy-intensive operations in conventional modes of wastewater treatment (WWT), there has been an extensive search for alternative strategies in treatment technology. Biological modes for treating wastewaters are one of the finest technologies in terms of economy and efficiency. An integrated biological approach with chemical flocculation is being conventionally practiced in several-sewage and effluent treatment plants around the world. Overwhelming responsiveness to treat wastewaters especially by using microalgae is due to their simplest photosynthetic mechanism and ease of acclimation to various habitats. Microalgal technology, also known as phycoremediation, has been in use for WWT since 1950s. Various strategies for the cultivation of microalgae in WWT systems are evolving faster. However, the availability of innovative approaches for maximizing the treatment efficiency, coupled with biomass productivity, remains the major bottleneck for commercialization of microalgal technology. Investment costs and invasive parameters also delimit the use of microalgae in WWT. This review critically discusses the merits and demerits of microalgal cultivation strategies recently developed for maximum pollutant removal as well as biomass productivity. Also, the potential of algal biofilm technology in pollutant removal, and harvesting the microalgal biomass using different techniques have been highlighted. Finally, an economic assessment of the currently available methods has been made to validate microalgal cultivation in wastewater at the commercial level.

Municipal wastewater spiramycin removal by conventional treatments and heterogeneous photocatalysis.

PubMed

Lofrano, G; Libralato, G; Casaburi, A; Siciliano, A; Iannece, P; Guida, M; Pucci, L; Dentice, E F; Carotenuto, M

2018-05-15

This study assessed the effects and removal options of the macrolide spiramycin, currently used for both in human and veterinary medicine- with a special focus on advanced oxidation processes based on heterogeneous TiO 2 _ assisted photocatalysis. Spiramycin real concentrations were investigated on a seasonal basis in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (up to 35μgL -1 ), while its removal kinetics were studied considering both aqueous solutions and real wastewater samples, including by-products toxicity assessment. High variability of spiramycin removal by activated sludge treatments (from 9% (wintertime) to >99.9% (summertime)) was observed on a seasonal basis. Preliminary results showed that a total spiramycin removal (>99.9%) is achieved with 0.1gL -1 of TiO 2 in aqueous solution after 80min. Integrated toxicity showed residual slight acute effects in the photocatalytic treated solutions, independently from the amount of TiO 2 used, and could be linked to the presence of intermediate compounds. Photolysis of wastewater samples collected after activated sludge treatment during summer season (SPY 5μgL -1 ) allowed a full SPY removal after 80min. When photocatalysis with 0.1gL -1 of TiO 2 was carried out in wastewater samples collected in winter season (SPY 30μgL -1 ) after AS treatment, SPY removal was up to 91% after 80min. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Short-term exposure to municipal wastewater influences energy, growth, and swimming performance in juvenile Empire Gudgeons (Hypseleotris compressa).

PubMed

Melvin, Steven D

2016-01-01

Effectively treating domestic wastewater is paramount for preserving the health of aquatic ecosystems. Various technologies exist for wastewater treatment, ranging from simple pond-based systems to advanced filtration, and it is important to evaluate the potential for these different options to produce water that is acceptable for discharge. Sub-lethal responses were therefore assessed in juvenile Empire Gudgeons (Hypseleotris compressa) exposed for a period of two weeks to control, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100% wastewater treated through a multi-stage constructed wetland (CW) treatment system. Effects on basic energy reserves (i.e., lipids and protein), growth and condition, and swimming performance were quantified following exposure. A significant increase in weight and condition was observed in fish exposed to 50 and 100% wastewater dilutions, whereas whole-body lipid content was significantly reduced in these treatments. Maximum swimming velocity increased in a dose-dependent manner amongst treatment groups (although not significantly), whereas angular velocity was significantly reduced in the 50 and 100% dilutions. Results demonstrate that treated domestic wastewater can influence the growth and swimming performance of fish, and that such effects may be related to alterations to primary energy stores. However, studies assessing complex wastewaters present difficulties when it comes to interpreting responses, as many possible factors can contribute towards the observed effects. Future research should address these uncertainties by exploring interaction between nutrients, basic water quality characteristics and relevant contaminant mixtures, for influencing the energetics, growth, and functional performance of aquatic animals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Advanced wastewater treatment simplified through research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Souther, R.H.

A waste water treatment plant was built based on results of a small-scale pilot plant study, conducted largely in a search for efficiency as well as economy. Results were that 98 percent carbonaceous BOD (BOD/sub C/) and nitrogenous BOD (BOD/sub N/) were removed in a simplified, low-cost, single-stage advanced treatment process surpassing even some of the most sophisticated advanced complex waste treatment methods. The single-stage process treats domestic waste alone or combined with very high amounts of textile, electroplating, chemical, food, and other processing industrial wastewater. The process removed 100 percent of the sulfides above 98 percent of NH/sub 3/-N,more » over 90 percent of COD and phenols; chromium was converted from highly toxic hexavalent CrVI to nearly nontoxic trivalent chrome (CrIII). A pH up to 12 may be tolerated if no free hydroxyl (OH) ions are present. Equalization ponds, primary settling tanks, trickling filters, extra nitrogen removal tanks, carbon columns, and chemical treatment are not required. Color removal is excellent with clear effluent suitable for recycling after chlorination to water supply lakes. The construction cost of the single-stage advanced treatment plant is surprisingly low, about /sup 1///sub 2/ to /sup 1///sub 6/ as much as most conventional ineffective complex plants. This simplified, innovative process developed in independent research at Guilford College is considered by some a breakthrough in waste treatment efficiency and economy. (MU)« less

Development of nanomaterial-enabled advanced oxidation techniques for treatment of organic micropollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oulton, Rebekah Lynn

Increasing demand for limited fresh water resources necessitates that alternative water sources be developed. Nonpotable reuse of treated wastewater represents one such alternative. However, the ubiquitous presence of organic micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in wastewater effluents limits use of this resource. Numerous investigations have examined PPCP fate during wastewater treatment, focusing on their removal during conventional and advanced treatment processes. Analysis of influent and effluent data from published studies reveals that at best 1-log10 concentration unit of PPCP removal can generally be achieved with conventional treatment. In contrast, plants employing advanced treatment methods, particularly ozonation and/or membranes, remove most PPCPs often to levels below analytical detection limits. However, membrane treatment is cost prohibitive for many facilities, and ozone treatment can be very selective. Ozone-recalcitrant compounds require the use of Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs), which utilize highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (*OH) to target resistant pollutants. Due to cost and energy use concerns associated with current AOPs, alternatives such as catalytic ozonation are under investigation. Catalytic ozonation uses substrates such as activated carbon to promote *OH formation during ozonation. Here, we show that multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) represent another viable substrate, promoting *OH formation during ozonation to levels exceeding activated carbon and equivalent to conventional ozone-based AOPs. Via a series of batch reactions, we observ a strong correlation between *OH formation and MWCNT surface oxygen concentrations. Results suggest that deprotonated carboxyl groups on the CNT surface are integral to their reactivity toward ozone and corresponding *OH formation. From a practical standpoint, we show that industrial grade MWCNTs exhibit similar *OH production as their research-grade counterparts. Accelerated aging studies indicate that MWCNTs maintain surface reactivity for an extended period during ozonation treatment. Further, *OH generation is essentially unaffected in complex water matrices containing known radical scavengers, and is effective for degradation of the ozone-recalcitrant herbicide atrazine. A proof-of-concept study verified that results from batch systems can be replicated in a flow-through reactor utilizing MWCNTs immobilized on a ceramic membrane support. Collective, results suggest that CNT-enhanced ozonation may provide a viable treatment alternative for emerging organic micropollutants.

Comparison of N2O Emissions and Gene Abundances between Wastewater Nitrogen Removal Systems.

PubMed

Brannon, Elizabeth Quinn; Moseman-Valtierra, Serena M; Lancellotti, Brittany V; Wigginton, Sara K; Amador, Jose A; McCaughey, James C; Loomis, George W

2017-09-01

Biological nitrogen removal (BNR) systems are increasingly used in the United States in both centralized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and decentralized advanced onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) to reduce N discharged in wastewater effluent. However, the potential for BNR systems to be sources of nitrous oxide (NO), a potent greenhouse gas, needs to be evaluated to assess their environmental impact. We quantified and compared NO emissions from BNR systems at a WWTP (Field's Point, Providence, RI) and three types of advanced OWTS (Orenco Advantex AX 20, SeptiTech Series D, and Bio-Microbics MicroFAST) in nine Rhode Island residences ( = 3 per type) using cavity ring-down spectroscopy. We also used quantitative polymerase chain reaction to determine the abundance of genes from nitrifying () and denitrifying () microorganisms that may be producing NO in these systems. Nitrous oxide fluxes ranged from -4 × 10 to 3 × 10 µmol NO m s and in general followed the order: centralized WWTP > Advantex > SeptiTech > FAST. In contrast, when NO emissions were normalized by population served and area of treatment tanks, all systems had overlapping ranges. In general, the emissions of NO accounted for a small fraction (<1%) of N removed. There was no significant relationship between the abundance of or genes and NO emissions. This preliminary analysis highlights the need to evaluate NO emissions from wastewater systems as a wider range of technologies are adopted. A better understanding of the mechanisms of NO emissions will also allow us to better manage systems to minimize emissions. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Up-to-date modification of the anaerobic sludge digestion process introducing a separate sludge digestion mode.

PubMed

Sato, K; Ochi, S; Mizuochi, M

2001-01-01

Sewage treatment plants in Japan are subjected to advanced treatment to remove nutrients and hence control eutrophication problems in lakes and bays. This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the separate digestion treatment mode for sludge generated from advanced wastewater treatment. In the separate digestion only primary sludge is digested and the excess activated sludge is directly dewatered. Separate digestion can reduce the return load of nutrients to approximately one third, and has major potential for the beneficial use of sludge.

Carbon and nutrient removal from on-site wastewater using extended-aeration activated sludge and ion exchange.

PubMed

Safferman, Steven I; Burks, Bennette D; Parker, Robert A

2004-01-01

The need to improve on-site wastewater treatment processes is being realized as populations move into more environmentally sensitive regions and regulators adopt the total maximum daily load approach to watershed management. Under many conditions, septic systems do not provide adequate treatment; therefore, advanced systems are required. These systems must remove significant amounts of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids, and substantially nitrify, denitrify, and remove phosphorus. Many existing advanced on-site wastewater systems effectively remove BOD, suspended solids, and ammonia, but few substantially denitrify and uptake phosphorus. The purpose of this research was to design and test modifications to an existing on-site wastewater treatment system to improve denitrification and phosphorus removal. The Nayadic (Consolidated Treatment Systems, Inc., Franklin, Ohio), an established, commercially available, extended-aeration, activated sludge process, was used to represent a typical existing system. Several modifications were considered based on a literature review, and the option with the best potential was tested. To improve denitrification, a supplemental treatment tank was installed before the Nayadic and a combination flow splitter, sump, and pump box with a recirculation system was installed after it. A recirculation pump returned a high proportion of the system effluent back to the supplemental treatment tank. Two supplemental treatment tank sizes, three flowrates, and three recirculation rates were tested. Actual wastewater was dosed as brief slugs to the system in accordance with a set schedule. Several ion-exchange resins housed in a contact column were tested on the effluent for their potential to remove phosphorus. Low effluent levels of five-day biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, and total nitrogen were achieved and substantial phosphorous removal was also achieved using a 3780-L supplemental treatment tank, a recirculation ratio of 5:1, and a fine-grain activated aluminum-oxide-exchange media. Good results were also obtained with an 1890-L supplemental treatment tank and a recirculation ratio of 3:1. The most significant benefit of the supplemental treatment tank, in combination with the recirculation system, appears to be the low nitrogen concentration dosed to the Nayadic. By reducing the nitrogen concentration and spreading out its mass over time during no-flow periods, the Nayadic's inherent low-level denitrifying capacity was more closely matched and effective treatment was achieved.

Layer-by-layer carbon nanotube bio-templates for in situ monitoring of the metabolic activity of nitrifying bacteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loh, Kenneth J.; Guest, Jeremy S.; Ho, Genevieve; Lynch, Jerome P.; Love, Nancy G.

2009-03-01

Despite the wide variety of effective disinfection and wastewater treatment techniques for removing organic and inorganic wastes, pollutants such as nitrogen remain in wastewater effluents. If left untreated, these nitrogenous wastes can adversely impact the environment by promoting the overgrowth of aquatic plants, depleting dissolved oxygen, and causing eutrophication. Although nitrification/denitrification processes are employed during advanced wastewater treatment, effective and efficient operation of these facilities require information of the pH, dissolved oxygen content, among many other parameters, of the wastewater effluent. In this preliminary study, a biocompatible CNT-based nanocomposite is proposed and validated for monitoring the biological metabolic activity of nitrifying bacteria in wastewater effluent environments (i.e., to monitor the nitrification process). Using carbon nanotubes and a pH-sensitive conductive polymer (i.e., poly(aniline) emeraldine base), a layer-by-layer fabrication technique is employed to fabricate a novel thin film pH sensor that changes its electrical properties in response to variations in ambient pH environments. Laboratory studies are conducted to evaluate the proposed nanocomposite's biocompatibility with wastewater effluent environments and its pH sensing performance.

Organic Wastewater Compounds, Pharmaceuticals, andColiphage in Ground Water Receiving Discharge from OnsiteWastewater Treatment Systems near La Pine, Oregon:Occurrence and Implications for Transport

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinkle, Stephen J.; Weick, Rodney J.; Johnson, Jill M.; Cahill, Jeffery D.; Smith, Steven G.; Rich, Barbara J.

2005-01-01

The occurrence of organic wastewater compounds (components of 'personal care products' and other common household chemicals), pharmaceuticals (human prescription and nonprescription medical drugs), and coliphage (viruses that infect coliform bacteria, and found in high concentrations in municipal wastewater) in onsite wastewater (septic tank effluent) and in a shallow, unconfined, sandy aquifer that serves as the primary source of drinking water for most residents near La Pine, Oregon, was documented. Samples from two types of observation networks provided basic occurrence data for onsite wastewater and downgradient ground water. One observation network was a group of 28 traditional and innovative (advanced treatment) onsite wastewater treatment systems and associated downgradient drainfield monitoring wells, referred to as the 'innovative systems network'. The drainfield monitoring wells were located adjacent to or under onsite wastewater treatment system drainfield lines. Another observation network, termed the 'transect network', consisted of 31 wells distributed among three transects of temporary, stainless-steel-screened, direct-push monitoring wells installed along three plumes of onsite wastewater. The transect network, by virtue of its design, also provided a basis for increased understanding of the transport of analytes in natural systems. Coliphage were frequently detected in onsite wastewater. Coliphage concentrations in onsite wastewater were highly variable, ranging from less than 1 to 3,000,000 plaque forming units per 100 milliliters. Coliphage were occasionally detected (eight occurrences) at low concentrations in samples from wells located downgradient from onsite wastewater treatment system drainfield lines. However, coliphage concentrations were below method detection limits in replicate or repeat samples collected from the eight sites. The consistent absence of coliphage detections in the replicate or repeat samples is interpreted to indicate that the detections reported for ground-water samples represented low-level field or laboratory contamination, and it would appear that coliphage were effectively attenuated to less than 1 PFU/100 mL over distances of several feet of transport in the La Pine aquifer and (or) overlying unsaturated zone. Organic wastewater compounds were frequently detected in onsite wastewater. Of the 63 organic wastewater compounds in the analytical schedule, 45 were detected in the 21 samples of onsite wastewater. Concentrations of organic wastewater compounds reached a maximum of 1,300 ug/L (p-cresol). Caffeine was detected at concentrations as high as 320 ug/L. Fourteen of the 45 compounds were detected in more than 90 percent of onsite wastewater samples. Fewer (nine) organic wastewater compounds were detected in ground water, despite the presence of nitrate and chloride likely from onsite wastewater sources. The nine organic wastewater compounds that were detected in ground-water samples were acetyl-hexamethyl-tetrahydro-naphthalene (AHTN), caffeine, cholesterol, hexahydrohexamethyl-cyclopentabenzopyran, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), tetrachloroethene, tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate, tris (dichloroisopropyl) phosphate, and tributyl phosphate. Frequent detection of household-chemical type organic wastewater compounds in onsite wastewater provides evidence that some of these organic wastewater compounds may be useful indicators of human waste effluent dispersal in some hydrologic environments. The occurrence of organic wastewater compounds in ground water downgradient from onsite wastewater treatment systems demonstrates that a subgroup of organic wastewater compounds is transported in the La Pine aquifer. The consistently low concentrations (generally less than 1 ug/L) of organic wastewater compounds in water samples collected from wells located no more than 19 feet from drainfield lines indicates that the reactivity (sorption, degradation) of this suite of organic waste

Advanced treatment of swine wastewater using an agent synthesized from amorphous silica and hydrated lime.

PubMed

Tanaka, Yasuo; Hasegawa, Teruaki; Sugimoto, Kiyomi; Miura, Keiichi; Aketo, Tsuyoshi; Minowa, Nobutaka; Toda, Masaya; Kinoshita, Katsumi; Yamashita, Takahiro; Ogino, Akifumi

2014-01-01

Advanced treatment using an agent synthesized from amorphous silica and hydrated lime (M-CSH-lime) was developed and applied to swine wastewater treatment. Biologically treated wastewater and M-CSH-lime (approximately 6 w/v% slurry) were fed continuously into a column-shaped reactor from its bottom. Accumulated M-CSH-lime gradually formed a bed layer. The influent permeated this layer and contacted the M-CSH-lime, and the treatment reaction progressed. Treated liquid overflowing from the top of the reactor was neutralized with CO₂gas bubbling. The colour removal rate approximately exceeded 50% with M-CSH-lime addition rates of > 0.15 w/v%. The removal rate of PO(3⁻)(4) exceeded 80% with the addition of>0.03 w/v% of M-CSH-lime. The removal rates of coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli exceeded 99.9% with > 0.1 w/v%. Accumulated M-CSH-lime in the reactor was periodically withdrawn from the upper part of the bed layer. The content of citric-acid-soluble P₂O₅ in the recovered matter was>15% when the weight ratio of influent PO(3⁻)(4) -P to added M-CSH-lime was > 0.15. This content was comparable with commercial phosphorus fertilizer. The inhibitory effect of recovered M-CSH-lime on germination and growth of leafy vegetable komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. perviridis) was evaluated by an experiment using the Neubauer's pot. The recovered M-CSH-lime had no negative effect on germination and growth. These results suggest that advanced water treatment with M-CSH-lime was effective for simultaneous removal of colour, [Formula: see text] and coliform bacteria at an addition rate of 0.03-0.15 w/v%, and that the recovered M-CSH-lime would be suitable as phosphorus fertilizer.

Diminished Wastewater Treatment: Evaluation of Septic System Performance Under a Climate Change Scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, J.; Loomis, G.; Kalen, D.; Boving, T. B.; Morales, I.; Amador, J.

2015-12-01

The effects of climate change are expected to reduce the ability of soil-based onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS), to treat domestic wastewater. In the northeastern U.S., the projected increase in atmospheric temperature, elevation of water tables from rising sea levels, and heightened precipitation will reduce the volume of unsaturated soil and oxygen available for treatment. Incomplete removal of contaminants may lead to transport of pathogens, nutrients, and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) to groundwater, increasing the risk to public health and likelihood of eutrophying aquatic ecosystems. Advanced OWTS, which include pre-treatment steps and provide unsaturated drainfields of greater volume relative to conventional OWTS, are expected to be more resilient to climate change. We used intact soil mesocosms to quantify water quality functions for two advanced shallow narrow drainfield types and a conventional drainfield under a current climate scenario and a moderate climate change scenario of 30 cm rise in water table and 5°C increase in soil temperature. While no fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) was released under the current climate scenario, up to 109 CFU FCB/mL (conventional) and up to 20 CFU FCB/mL (shallow narrow) were released under the climate change scenario. Total P removal rates dropped from 100% to 54% (conventional) and 71% (shallow narrow) under the climate change scenario. Total N removal averaged 17% under both climate scenarios in the conventional, but dropped from 5.4% to 0% in the shallow narrow under the climate change scenario, with additional leaching of N in excess of inputs indicating release of previously held N. No significant difference was observed between scenarios for BOD removal. The initial data indicate that while advanced OWTS retain more function under the climate change scenario, all three drainfield types experience some diminished treatment capacity.

Advanced wastewater treatment using microalgae: effect of temperature on removal of nutrients and organic carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamad, Shurair; Fares, Almomani; Judd, Simon; Bhosale, Rahul; Kumar, Anand; Gosh, Ujjal; Khreisheh, Majeda

2017-05-01

This study evaluated the use of mixed indigenous microalgae (MIMA) as a treatment process for wastewaters and CO2 capturing technology at different temperatures. The study follows the growth rate of MIMA, CO2 Capturing from flue gas, removals of organic matter and nutrients from three types of wastewater (primary effluent, secondary effluent and septic effluent). A noticeable difference between the growth patterns of MIMA was observed at different CO2 and different operational temperatures. MIMA showed the highest growth grate when injected with CO2 dosage of 10% compared to the growth for the systems injected with 5% and 15 % of CO2. Ammonia and phosphorus removals for Spirulina were 69%, 75%, and 83%, and 20%, 45% and 75 % for the media injected with 0, 5 and 10% CO2. The results of this study show that simple and cost-effective microalgae-based wastewater treatment systems can be successfully employed at different temperatures as a successful CO2 capturing technology even with the small probability of inhibition at high temperatures.

Occurrence, fate and effects of Di (2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate in wastewater treatment plants: a review.

PubMed

Zolfaghari, M; Drogui, P; Seyhi, B; Brar, S K; Buelna, G; Dubé, R

2014-11-01

Phthalates, such as Di (2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP) are compounds extensively used as plasticizer for long time around the world. Due to the extensive usage, DEHP is found in many surface waters (0.013-18.5 μg/L), wastewaters (0.716-122 μg/L), landfill leachate (88-460 μg/L), sludge (12-1250 mg/kg), soil (2-10 mg/kg). DEHP is persistent in the environment and the toxicity of the byproducts resulting from the degradation of DEHP sometime exacerbates the parent compound toxicity. Water/Wastewater treatment processes might play a key role in delivering safe, reliable supplies of water to households, industry and in safeguarding the quality of water in rivers, lakes and aquifers. This review addresses state of knowledge concerning the worldwide production, occurrence, fate and effects of DEHP in the environment. Moreover, the fate and behavior of DEHP in various treatment processes, including biological, physicochemical and advanced processes are reviewed and comparison (qualitative and quantitative) has been done between the processes. The trends and perspectives for treatment of wastewaters contaminated by DEHP are also analyzed in this review. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Light-Assisted Advanced Oxidation Processes for the Elimination of Chemical and Microbiological Pollution of Wastewaters in Developed and Developing Countries.

PubMed

Giannakis, Stefanos; Rtimi, Sami; Pulgarin, Cesar

2017-06-26

In this work, the issue of hospital and urban wastewater treatment is studied in two different contexts, in Switzerland and in developing countries (Ivory Coast and Colombia). For this purpose, the treatment of municipal wastewater effluents is studied, simulating the developed countries' context, while cheap and sustainable solutions are proposed for the developing countries, to form a barrier between effluents and receiving water bodies. In order to propose proper methods for each case, the characteristics of the matrices and the targets are described here in detail. In both contexts, the use of Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) is implemented, focusing on UV-based and solar-supported ones, in the respective target areas. A list of emerging contaminants and bacteria are firstly studied to provide operational and engineering details on their removal by AOPs. Fundamental mechanistic insights are also provided on the degradation of the effluent wastewater organic matter. The use of viruses and yeasts as potential model pathogens is also accounted for, treated by the photo-Fenton process. In addition, two pharmaceutically active compound (PhAC) models of hospital and/or industrial origin are studied in wastewater and urine, treated by all accounted AOPs, as a proposed method to effectively control concentrated point-source pollution from hospital wastewaters. Their elimination was modeled and the degradation pathway was elucidated by the use of state-of-the-art analytical techniques. In conclusion, the use of light-supported AOPs was proven to be effective in degrading the respective target and further insights were provided by each application, which could facilitate their divulgation and potential application in the field.

Heterogeneous photocatalysis and its potential applications in water and wastewater treatment: a review.

PubMed

Ahmed, Syed Nabeel; Haider, Waseem

2018-08-24

There has been a considerable amount of research in the development of sustainable water treatment techniques capable of improving the quality of water. Unavailability of drinkable water is a crucial issue especially in regions where conventional drinking water treatment systems fail to eradicate aquatic pathogens, toxic metal ions and industrial waste. The research and development in this area have given rise to a new class of processes called advanced oxidation processes, particularly in the form of heterogeneous photocatalysis, which converts photon energy into chemical energy. Advances in nanotechnology have improved the ability to develop and specifically tailor the properties of photocatalytic materials used in this area. This paper discusses many of those photocatalytic nanomaterials, both metal-based and metal-free, which have been studied for water and waste water purification and treatment in recent years. It also discusses the design and performance of the recently studied photocatalytic reactors, along with the recent advancements in the visible-light photocatalysis. Additionally, the effects of the fundamental parameters such as temperature, pH, catalyst-loading and reaction time have also been reviewed. Moreover, different techniques that can increase the photocatalytic efficiency as well as recyclability have been systematically presented, followed by a discussion on the photocatalytic treatment of actual wastewater samples and the future challenges associated with it.

Industrial Waste Treatment. A Field Study Training Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Univ., Sacramento. Dept. of Civil Engineering.

This operations manual represents a continuation of operator training manuals developed for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in response to the technological advancements of wastewater treatment and the changing needs of the operations profession. It is intended to be used as a home-study course manual (using the concepts…

Sorption of pollutants by porous carbon, carbon nanotubes and fullerene- an overview.

PubMed

Gupta, Vinod K; Saleh, Tawfik A

2013-05-01

The quality of water is continuously deteriorating due to its increasing toxic threat to humans and the environment. It is imperative to perform treatment of wastewater in order to remove pollutants and to get good quality water. Carbon materials like porous carbon, carbon nanotubes and fullerene have been extensively used for advanced treatment of wastewaters. In recent years, carbon nanomaterials have become promising adsorbents for water treatment. This review attempts to compile relevant knowledge about the adsorption activities of porous carbon, carbon nanotubes and fullerene related to various organic and inorganic pollutants from aqueous solutions. A detailed description of the preparation and treatment methods of porous carbon, carbon nanotubes and fullerene along with relevant applications and regeneration is also included.

The removal of COD and NH3-N from atrazine production wastewater treatment using UV/O3: experimental investigation and kinetic modeling.

PubMed

Jing, Liang; Chen, Bing; Wen, Diya; Zheng, Jisi; Zhang, Baiyu

2018-01-01

In this study, a UV/O 3 hybrid advanced oxidation system was used to remove chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N), and atrazine (ATZ) from ATZ production wastewater. The removal of COD and NH 3 -N, under different UV and O 3 conditions, was found to follow pseudo-first-order kinetics with rate constants ranging from 0.0001-0.0048 and 0.0015-0.0056 min -1 , respectively. The removal efficiency of ATZ was over 95% after 180 min treatment, regardless the level of UV power. A kinetic model was further proposed to simulate the removal processes and to quantify the individual roles and contributions of photolysis, direct O 3 oxidation, and hydroxyl radical (OH·) induced oxidation. The experimental and kinetic modeling results agreed reasonably well with deviations of 12.2 and 13.1% for the removal of COD and NH 3 -N, respectively. Photolysis contributed appreciably to the degradation of ATZ, while OH· played a dominant role for the removal of both COD and NH 3 -N, especially in alkaline environments. This study provides insights into the treatment of ATZ containing wastewater using UV/O 3 and broadens the knowledge of kinetics of ozone-based advanced oxidation processes.

Occurrence of human-associated Bacteroidetes genetic source tracking markers in raw and treated wastewater of municipal and domestic origin and comparison to standard and alternative indicators of faecal pollution

PubMed Central

Mayer, R.E.; Bofill-Mas, S.; Egle, L.; Reischer, G.H.; Schade, M.; Fernandez-Cassi, X.; Fuchs, W.; Mach, R.L.; Lindner, G.; Kirschner, A.; Gaisbauer, M.; Piringer, H.; Blaschke, A.P.; Girones, R.; Zessner, M.; Sommer, R.; Farnleitner, A.H.

2016-01-01

This was a detailed investigation of the seasonal occurrence, dynamics, removal and resistance of human-associated genetic Bacteroidetes faecal markers (GeBaM) compared with ISO-based standard faecal indicator bacteria (SFIB), human-specific viral faecal markers and one human-associated Bacteroidetes phage in raw and treated wastewater of municipal and domestic origin. Characteristics of the selected activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) from Austria and Germany were studied in detail (WWTPs, n = 13, connected populations from 3 to 49000 individuals), supported by volume-proportional automated 24-h sampling and chemical water quality analysis. GeBaM were consistently detected in high concentrations in raw (median log10 8.6 marker equivalents (ME) 100 ml−1) and biologically treated wastewater samples (median log10 6.2–6.5 ME 100 ml−1), irrespective of plant size, type and time of the season (n = 53–65). GeBaM, Escherichia coli, and enterococci concentrations revealed the same range of statistical variability for raw (multiplicative standard deviations s* = 2.3–3.0) and treated wastewater (s* = 3.7–4.5), with increased variability after treatment. Clostridium perfringens spores revealed the lowest variability for raw wastewater (s* = 1.5). In raw wastewater correlations among microbiological parameters were only detectable between GeBaM, C. perfringens and JC polyomaviruses. Statistical associations amongst microbial parameters increased during wastewater treatment. Two plants with advanced treatment were also investigated, revealing a minimum log10 5.0 (10th percentile) reduction of GeBaM in the activated sludge membrane bioreactor, but no reduction of the genetic markers during UV irradiation (254 nm). This study highlights the potential of human-associated GeBaM to complement wastewater impact monitoring based on the determination of SFIB. In addition, human-specific JC polyomaviruses and adenoviruses seem to be a valuable support if highly specific markers are needed. PMID:26745175

The role of operating parameters and oxidative damage mechanisms of advanced chemical oxidation processes in the combat against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes present in urban wastewater.

PubMed

Michael-Kordatou, I; Karaolia, P; Fatta-Kassinos, D

2018-02-01

An upsurge in the study of antibiotic resistance in the environment has been observed in the last decade. Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly clear that urban wastewater is a key source of antibiotic resistance determinants, i.e. antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARB&ARGs). Urban wastewater reuse has arisen as an important component of water resources management in the European Union and worldwide to address prolonged water scarcity issues. Especially, biological wastewater treatment processes (i.e. conventional activated sludge), which are widely applied in urban wastewater treatment plants, have been shown to provide an ideal environment for the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance. The ability of advanced chemical oxidation processes (AOPs), e.g. light-driven oxidation in the presence of H 2 O 2 , ozonation, homogeneous and heterogeneous photocatalysis, to inactivate ARB and remove ARGs in wastewater effluents has not been yet evaluated through a systematic and integrated approach. Consequently, this review seeks to provide an extensive and critical appraisal on the assessment of the efficiency of these processes in inactivating ARB and removing ARGs in wastewater effluents, based on recent available scientific literature. It tries to elucidate how the key operating conditions may affect the process efficiency, while pinpointing potential areas for further research and major knowledge gaps which need to be addressed. Also, this review aims at shedding light on the main oxidative damage pathways involved in the inactivation of ARB and removal of ARGs by these processes. In general, the lack and/or heterogeneity of the available scientific data, as well as the different methodological approaches applied in the various studies, make difficult the accurate evaluation of the efficiency of the processes applied. Besides the operating conditions, the variable behavior observed by the various examined genetic constituents of the microbial community, may be directed by the process distinct oxidative damage mechanisms in place during the application of each treatment technology. For example, it was shown in various studies that the majority of cellular damage by advanced chemical oxidation may be on cell wall and membrane structures of the targeted bacteria, leaving the internal components of the cells relatively intact/able to repair damage. As a result, further in-depth mechanistic studies are required, to establish the optimum operating conditions under which oxidative mechanisms target internal cell components such as genetic material and ribosomal structures more intensively, thus conferring permanent damage and/or death and preventing potential post-treatment re-growth. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technical-economic modelling of integrated water management: wastewater reuse in a French island.

PubMed

Xu, P; Valette, F; Brissaud, F; Fazio, A; Lazarova, V

2001-01-01

An integrated technical-economic model is used to address water management issues in the French island of Noirmoutier. The model simulates potable water production and supply, potable and non potable water demand and consumption, wastewater collection, treatment and disposal, water storage, transportation and reuse. A variety of water management scenarios is assessed through technical, economic and environmental evaluation. The scenarios include wastewater reclamation and reuse for agricultural and landscape irrigation as well as domestic non potable application, desalination of seawater and brackish groundwater for potable water supply. The study shows that, in Noirmoutier, wastewater reclamation and reuse for crop irrigation is the most cost-effective solution to the lack of water resources and the protection of sensitive environment. Some water management projects which are regarded as having less economic benefit in the short-term may become competitive in the future, as a result of tightened environmental policy, changed public attitudes and advanced water treatment technologies. The model provides an appropriate tool for water resources planning and management.

Prospects, recent advancements and challenges of different wastewater streams for microalgal cultivation.

PubMed

Guldhe, Abhishek; Kumari, Sheena; Ramanna, Luveshan; Ramsundar, Prathana; Singh, Poonam; Rawat, Ismail; Bux, Faizal

2017-12-01

Microalgae are recognized as one of the most powerful biotechnology platforms for many value added products including biofuels, bioactive compounds, animal and aquaculture feed etc. However, large scale production of microalgal biomass poses challenges due to the requirements of large amounts of water and nutrients for cultivation. Using wastewater for microalgal cultivation has emerged as a potential cost effective strategy for large scale microalgal biomass production. This approach also offers an efficient means to remove nutrients and metals from wastewater making wastewater treatment sustainable and energy efficient. Therefore, much research has been conducted in the recent years on utilizing various wastewater streams for microalgae cultivation. This review identifies and discusses the opportunities and challenges of different wastewater streams for microalgal cultivation. Many alternative routes for microalgal cultivation have been proposed to tackle some of the challenges that occur during microalgal cultivation in wastewater such as nutrient deficiency, substrate inhibition, toxicity etc. Scope and challenges of microalgal biomass grown on wastewater for various applications are also discussed along with the biorefinery approach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inland Treatment of the Brine Generated from Reverse Osmosis Advanced Membrane Wastewater Treatment Plant Using Epuvalisation System

PubMed Central

Qurie, Mohannad; Abbadi, Jehad; Scrano, Laura; Mecca, Gennaro; Bufo, Sabino A.; Khamis, Mustafa; Karaman, Rafik

2013-01-01

The reverse osmosis (RO) brine generated from the Al-Quds University wastewater treatment plant was treated using an epuvalisation system. The advanced integrated wastewater treatment plant included an activated sludge unit, two consecutive ultrafiltration (UF) membrane filters (20 kD and 100 kD cutoffs) followed by an activated carbon filter and a reverse osmosis membrane. The epuvalisation system consisted of salt tolerant plants grown in hydroponic channels under continuous water flowing in a closed loop system, and placed in a greenhouse at Al-Quds University. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) plants were selected, and underwent two consecutive hydroponic flowing stages using different brine-concentrations: an adaptation stage, in which a 1:1 mixture of brine and fresh water was used; followed by a functioning stage, with 100% brine. A control treatment using fresh water was included as well. The experiment started in April and ended in June (2012). At the end of the experiment, analysis of the effluent brine showed a remarkable decrease of electroconductivity (EC), PO43−, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and K+ with a reduction of 60%, 74%, 70%, and 60%, respectively, as compared to the influent. The effluent of the control treatment showed 50%, 63%, 46%, and 90% reduction for the same parameters as compared to the influent. Plant growth parameters (plant height, fresh and dry weight) showed no significant difference between fresh water and brine treatments. Obtained results suggest that the epuvalisation system is a promising technique for inland brine treatment with added benefits. The increasing of channel number or closed loop time is estimated for enhancing the treatment process and increasing the nutrient uptake. Nevertheless, the epuvalisation technique is considered to be simple, efficient and low cost for inland RO brine treatment. PMID:23823802

What to do after nutrient removal?

PubMed

van der Graaf, J H

2001-01-01

In the Netherlands, interest in advanced treatment is increasing now that almost all wastewater treatment plants apply full biological treatment and nutrient removal. The resulting effluents have an excellent quality which can be improved further by applying advanced treatment processes like flocculating filtration, membrane filtration, UV or activated carbon, and others. The treated effluent can be re-used for various purposes, as process water, household water, urban water, for groundwater suppletion and drinking water. Nowadays many applications are investigated. In order to confirm the applicability pilot test investigations are done at various WWTPs. The results are promising; the cost estimations show increasing prospects. This will finally lead to the maturity of the advanced treatment. It will certainly contribute to a more sustainable water cycle.

Reduction of dioxin-like toxicity in effluents by additional wastewater treatment and related effects in fish.

PubMed

Maier, Diana; Benisek, Martin; Blaha, Ludek; Dondero, Francesco; Giesy, John P; Köhler, Heinz-R; Richter, Doreen; Scheurer, Marco; Triebskorn, Rita

2016-10-01

Efficiency of advanced wastewater treatment technologies to reduce micropollutants which mediate dioxin-like toxicity was investigated. Technologies compared included ozonation, powdered activated carbon and granular activated carbon. In addition to chemical analyses in samples of effluents, surface waters, sediments, and fish, (1) dioxin-like potentials were measured in paired samples of effluents, surface waters, and sediments by use of an in vitro biotest (reporter gene assay) and (2) dioxin-like effects were investigated in exposed fish by use of in vivo activity of the mixed-function, monooxygenase enzyme, ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) in liver. All advanced technologies studied, based on degradation or adsorption, significantly reduced dioxin-like potentials in samples and resulted in lesser EROD activity in livers of fish. Results of in vitro and in vivo biological responses were not clearly related to quantification of targeted analytes by use of instrumental analyses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Occurrence and fate of antibiotic, analgesic/anti-inflammatory, and antifungal compounds in five wastewater treatment processes.

PubMed

Guerra, P; Kim, M; Shah, A; Alaee, M; Smyth, S A

2014-03-01

The presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the aquatic environment as a result of wastewater effluent discharge is a concern in many countries. In order to expand our understanding on the occurrence and fate of PPCPs during wastewater treatment processes, 62 antibiotic, analgesic/anti-inflammatory, and antifungal compounds were analyzed in 72 liquid and 24 biosolid samples from six wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) during the summer and winter seasons of 2010-2012. This is the first scientific study to compare five different wastewater treatment processes: facultative and aerated lagoons, chemically-enhanced primary treatment, secondary activated sludge, and advanced biological nutrient removal. PPCPs were detected in all WWTP influents at median concentrations of 1.5 to 92,000 ng/L, with no seasonal differences. PPCPs were also found in all final effluents at median levels ranging from 3.6 to 4,200 ng/L with higher values during winter (p<0.05). Removal efficiencies ranged between -450% and 120%, depending on the compound, WWTP type, and season. Mass balance showed that the fate of analgesic/anti-inflammatory compounds was predominantly biodegradation during biological treatment, while antibiotics and antifungal compounds were more likely to sorb to sludge. However, some PPCPs remained soluble and were detected in effluent samples. Overall, this study highlighted the occurrence and behavior of a large set of PPCPs and determined how their removal is affected by environmental/operational factors in different WWTPs. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Conventional and advanced oxidation processes used in disinfection of treated urban wastewater.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Chueca, J; Ormad, M P; Mosteo, R; Sarasa, J; Ovelleiro, J L

2015-03-01

The purpose of the current study is to compare the inactivation of Escherichia coli in wastewater effluents using conventional treatments (chlorination) and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as UV irradiation, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)/solar irradiation, and photo-Fenton processes. In addition, an analysis of the operational costs of each treatment is carried out taking into account the optimal dosages of chemicals used. Total inactivation of bacteria (7.5 log) was achieved by means of chlorination and UV irradiation. However, bacterial regrowth was observed 6 hours after the completion of UV treatment, obtaining a disinfection value around 3 to 4 log. On the other hand, the combination H2O2/solar irradiation achieved a maximum inactivation of E. coli of 3.30 ± 0.35 log. The photo-Fenton reaction achieved a level of inactivation of 4.87 ± 0.10 log. The order of disinfection, taking into account the reagent/cost ratio of each treatment, is as follows: chlorination > UV irradiation > photo-Fenton > H2O2/sunlight irradiation.

Development of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) for biological nitrogen removal in domestic wastewater treatment (Case study: Surabaya City, Indonesia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wijaya, I. Made Wahyu; Soedjono, Eddy Setiadi; Fitriani, Nurina

2017-11-01

Domestic wastewater effluent is the main contributor to diverse water pollution problems. The contaminants contained in the wastewater lead the low quality of water. The presence of ammonium and nitrate along with phosphorus are potentially cause eutrophication and endanger aquatic life. Excess nutrients, mostly N and P is the main cause of eutrophication which is result in oxygen depletion, biodiversity reduction, fish kills, odor and increased toxicity. Most of the domestic wastewater in Surabaya City still contains nitrogen that exceeded the threshold. The range of ammonium and orthophosphate concentration in the domestic wastewater is between 6.29 mg/L - 38.91 mg/L and 0.44 mg/L - 1.86 mg/L, respectively. An advance biological nitrogen removal process called anammox is a sustainable and cost effective alternative to the basic method of nitrogen removal, such as nitrification and denitrification. Many research have been conducted through anammox and resulted promisingly way to remove nitrogen. In this process, ammonium will be oxidized with nitrite as an electron acceptor to produce nitrogen gas and low nitrate in anoxic condition. Anammox requires less oxygen demand, no needs external carbon source, and low operational cost. Based on its advantages, anammox is possible to apply in domestic wastewater treatment in Surabaya with many further studies.

Wastewater management and Marcellus Shale gas development: trends, drivers, and planning implications.

PubMed

Rahm, Brian G; Bates, Josephine T; Bertoia, Lara R; Galford, Amy E; Yoxtheimer, David A; Riha, Susan J

2013-05-15

Extraction of natural gas from tight shale formations has been made possible by recent technological advances, including hydraulic fracturing with horizontal drilling. Global shale gas development is seen as a potential energy and geopolitical "game-changer." However, widespread concern exists with respect to possible environmental consequences of this development, particularly impacts on water resources. In the United States, where the most shale gas extraction has occurred, the Marcellus Shale is now the largest natural gas producing play. To date, over 6,000,000 m(3) of wastewater has been generated in the process of extracting natural gas from this shale in the state of Pennsylvania (PA) alone. Here we examine wastewater management practices and trends for this shale play through analysis of industry-reported, publicly available data collected from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Oil and Gas Reporting Website. We also analyze the tracking and transport of shale gas liquid waste streams originating in PA using a combination of web-based and GIS approaches. From 2008 to 2011 wastewater reuse increased, POTW use decreased, and data tracking became more complete, while the average distance traveled by wastewater decreased by over 30%. Likely factors influencing these trends include state regulations and policies, along with low natural gas prices. Regional differences in wastewater management are influenced by industrial treatment capacity, as well as proximity to injection disposal capacity. Using lessons from the Marcellus Shale, we suggest that nations, states, and regulatory agencies facing new unconventional shale development recognize that pace and scale of well drilling leads to commensurate wastewater management challenges. We also suggest they implement wastewater reporting and tracking systems, articulate a policy for adapting management to evolving data and development patterns, assess local and regional wastewater treatment infrastructure in terms of capacity and capability, promote well-regulated on-site treatment technologies, and review and update wastewater management regulations and policies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formation of oxidation byproducts from ozonation of wastewater.

PubMed

Wert, Eric C; Rosario-Ortiz, Fernando L; Drury, Doug D; Snyder, Shane A

2007-04-01

Disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation in tertiary wastewater was examined after ozonation (O(3)) and advanced oxidation with O(3) and hydrogen peroxide (O(3)/H(2)O(2)). O(3) and O(3)/H(2)O(2) were applied at multiple dosages to investigate DBP formation during coliform disinfection and trace contaminant oxidation. Results showed O(3) provided superior disinfection of fecal and total coliforms compared to O(3)/H(2)O(2). Color, UV absorbance, and SUVA were reduced by O(3) and O(3)/H(2)O(2), offering wastewater utilities a few potential surrogates to monitor disinfection or trace contaminant oxidation. At equivalent O(3) dosages, O(3)/H(2)O(2) produced greater concentrations of assimilable organic carbon (5-52%), aldehydes (31-47%), and carboxylic acids (12-43%) compared to O(3) alone, indicating that organic DBP formation is largely dependent upon hydroxyl radical exposure. Bromate formation occurred when O(3) dosages exceeded the O(3) demand of the wastewater. Bench-scale tests with free chlorine showed O(3) is capable of reducing total organic halide (TOX) formation potential by at least 20%. In summary, O(3) provided superior disinfection compared to O(3)/H(2)O(2) while minimizing DBP concentrations. These are important considerations for water reuse, aquifer storage and recovery, and advanced wastewater treatment applications.

Can activated sludge treatments and advanced oxidation processes remove organophosphorus flame retardants?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cristale, Joyce; Ramos, Dayana D.; Dantas, Renato F.

2016-01-15

This study aims to determine the occurrence of 10 OPFRs (including chlorinated, nonchlorinated alkyl and aryl compounds) in influent, effluent wastewaters and partitioning into sludge of 5 wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Catalonia (Spain). All target OPFRs were detected in the WWTPs influents, and the total concentration ranged from 3.67 µg L{sup −1} to 150 µg L{sup −1}. During activated sludge treatment, most OPFRs were accumulated in the sludge at concentrations from 35.3 to 9980 ng g{sup −1} dw. Chlorinated compounds tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP) and tris(2,3-dichloropropyl) phosphate (TDCPP) were not removed by the conventional activated sludge treatmentmore » and they were released by the effluents at approximately the same inlet concentration. On the contrary, aryl compounds tris(methylphenyl) phosphate (TMPP) and 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDP) together with alkyl tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP) were not detected in any of the effluents. Advanced oxidation processes (UV/H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and O{sub 3}) were applied to investigate the degradability of recalcitrant OPFRs in WWTP effluents. Those detected in the effluent sample (TCEP, TCIPP, TDCPP, tributyl phosphate (TNBP), tri-iso-butyl phosphate (TIBP) and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP)) had very low direct UV-C photolysis rates. TBOEP, TNBP and TIBP were degraded by UV/H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and O{sub 3}. Chlorinated compounds TCEP, TDCPP and TCIPP were the most recalcitrant OPFR to the advanced oxidation processes applied. The study provides information on the partitioning and degradability pathways of OPFR within conventional activated sludge WWTPs. - Highlights: • OPFRs were detected in wastewater and sludge of all studied WWTPs. • Alkyl and chloroalkyl phosphates were present in secondary treatment effluents. • TBOEP, TNBP and TIBP were degraded by UV/H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and O{sub 3} treatment. • TCEP, TCIPP and TDCPP were resistant to both secondary and tertiary treatment.« less

Ecotoxicological and Genotoxic Evaluation of Buenos Aires City (Argentina) Hospital Wastewater

PubMed Central

Juárez, Ángela Beatriz; Dragani, Valeria; Saenz, Magalí Elizabeth; Moretton, Juan

2014-01-01

Hospital wastewater (HWW) constitutes a potential risk to the ecosystems and human health due to the presence of toxic and genotoxic chemical compounds. In the present work we investigated toxicity and genotoxicity of wastewaters from the public hospital of Buenos Aires (Argentina). The effluent from the sewage treatment plant (STP) serving around 10 million inhabitants was also evaluated. The study was carried out between April and September 2012. Toxicity and genotoxicity assessment was performed using the green algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and the Allium cepa test, respectively. Toxicity assay showed that 55% of the samples were toxic to the algae (%I of growth between 23.9 and 54.8). The A. cepa test showed that 40% of the samples were genotoxic. The analysis of chromosome aberrations (CA) and micronucleus (MN) showed no significant differences between days and significant differences between months. The sample from the STP was not genotoxic to A. cepa but toxic to the algae (%I = 41%), showing that sewage treatment was not totally effective. This study highlights the need for environmental control programs and the establishment of advanced and effective effluent treatment plants in the hospitals, which are merely dumping the wastewaters in the municipal sewerage system. PMID:25214834

An overview of nanomaterials applied for removing dyes from wastewater.

PubMed

Cai, Zhengqing; Sun, Youmin; Liu, Wen; Pan, Fei; Sun, Peizhe; Fu, Jie

2017-07-01

Organic dyes are one of the most commonly discharged pollutants in wastewaters; however, many conventional treatment methods cannot treat them effectively. Over the past few decades, we have witnessed rapid development of nanotechnologies, which offered new opportunities for developing innovative methods to treat dye-contaminated wastewater with low price and high efficiency. The large surface area, modified surface properties, unique electron conduction properties, etc. offer nanomaterials with excellent performances in dye-contaminated wastewater treatment. For examples, the agar-modified monometallic/bimetallic nanoparticles have the maximum methylene blue adsorption capacity of 875.0 mg/g, which are several times higher than conventional adsorbents. Among various nanomaterials, the carbonaceous nanomaterials, nano-sized TiO 2 , and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) are considered as the most promising nanomaterials for removing dyes from water phase. However, some challenges, such as high cost and poor separation performance, still limit their engineering application. This article reviewed the recent advances in the nanomaterials used for dye removal via adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, and biological treatment. The modification methods for improving the effectiveness of nanomaterials are highlighted. Finally, the current knowledge gaps of developing nanomaterials on the environmental application were discussed, and the possible further research direction is proposed.

Photocatalytic Nanofiltration Membranes with Self-Cleaning Property for Wastewater Treatment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lv, Yan; Zhang, Chao; He, Ai

Membrane fouling is one of the most severe problems restricting membrane separation technology for wastewater treatment. This work reports a photocatalytic nanofiltration membrane (NFM) with self-cleaning property fabricated using a facile biomimetic mineralization process. In this strategy, a polydopamine (PDA)/polyethyleneimine (PEI) intermediate layer is fabricated on an ultrafiltration membrane via a co-deposition method followed by mineralization of a photocatalytic layer consisting of beta-FeOOH nanorods. The PDA-PEI layer acts both as a nanofiltration selective layer and an intermediate layer for anchoring the beta-FeOOH nanorods via strong coordination complexes between Fe3+ and catechol groups. In visible light, the beta-(F)eOOH layer exhibits efficientmore » photocatalytic activity for degrading dyes through the photo-Fenton reaction in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, endowing the NFM concurrently with effective nanofiltration performance and self-cleaning capability. Moreover, the mineralized NFMs exhibit satisfactory stability under simultaneous filtration and photocatalysis processing, showing great potential in advanced wastewater treatment.« less

A comparison of selected diversity, similarity, and biotic indices for detecting changes in benthic-invertebrate community structure and stream quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lydy, M.J.; Crawford, Charles G.; Frey, J.W.

2000-01-01

Implementation of advanced wastewater treatment at the two municipal wastewater-treatment plants for Indianapolis, Indiana, resulted in substantial improvement in the quality of the receiving stream and significant changes in the benthic-invertebrate community. Diversity, similarity, and biotic indices were compared to determine which indices best reflected changes in the composition of the biota in the river. None of the indices perfectly reflected the changes in river quality or community structure. Similarity indices, especially percentage similarity, exhibit the most promise of the three classes of indices. Diversity indices were least useful, wrongly indicating that water quality deteriorated after the upgrade of the wastewater-treatment plants. The most descriptive tool in analyzing the data was the percentage of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa present. Using a mixture of indices and other analytical tools, such as EPT, in the analysis of biological data will ensure the most effective investigations of water quality.

Sterols indicate water quality and wastewater treatment efficiency.

PubMed

Reichwaldt, Elke S; Ho, Wei Y; Zhou, Wenxu; Ghadouani, Anas

2017-01-01

As the world's population continues to grow, water pollution is presenting one of the biggest challenges worldwide. More wastewater is being generated and the demand for clean water is increasing. To ensure the safety and health of humans and the environment, highly efficient wastewater treatment systems, and a reliable assessment of water quality and pollutants are required. The advance of holistic approaches to water quality management and the increasing use of ecological water treatment technologies, such as constructed wetlands and waste stabilisation ponds (WSPs), challenge the appropriateness of commonly used water quality indicators. Instead, additional indicators, which are direct measures of the processes involved in the stabilisation of human waste, have to be established to provide an in-depth understanding of system performance. In this study we identified the sterol composition of wastewater treated in WSPs and assessed the suitability of human sterol levels as a bioindicator of treatment efficiency of wastewater in WSPs. As treatment progressed in WSPs, the relative abundance of human faecal sterols, such as coprostanol, epicoprostanol, 24-ethylcoprostanol, and sitostanol decreased significantly and the sterol composition in wastewater changed significantly. Furthermore, sterol levels were found to be correlated with commonly used wastewater quality indicators, such as BOD, TSS and E. coli. Three of the seven sterol ratios that have previously been used to track sewage pollution in the environment, detected a faecal signal in the effluent of WSPs, however, the others were influenced by high prevalence of sterols originating from algal and fungal activities. This finding poses a concern for environmental assessment studies, because environmental pollution from waste stabilisation ponds can go unnoticed. In conclusion, faecal sterols and their ratios can be used as reliable indicators of treatment efficiency and water quality during wastewater treatment in WSPs. They can complement the use of commonly used indicators of water quality, to provide essential information on the overall performance of ponds and whether a pond is underperforming in terms of stabilising human waste. Such a holistic understanding is essential when the aim is to improve the performance of a treatment plant, build new plants or expand existing infrastructure. Future work should aim at further establishing the use of sterols as reliable water quality indicators on a broader scale across natural and engineered systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic Membrane Technology for Printing Wastewater Reuse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lin; Lu, Xujie; Chen, Jihua

As environmental regulations become rigid and the cost of freshwater increases, wastewater is considered as a major resource in China. The paper presented a study on the implementation of the advanced treatment process using dynamic membrane (DM) in reusing of printing wastewater. The DM was well formed by circulating 1.5g/L of PAC in 20 minutes, the trans-membrane pressure of 200 kPa and the cross-flow velocity of 0.75m/s. The printing effluents were treated in effluent treatment plants comprising a physicochemical option followed by biological process. The treated effluent contained chemical oxygen demand (COD), color and turbidity in the range of 45-60 mg/L, 0.030-0.045 (absorbance at 420 nm) and 3-5 NTU. The results showed that the COD, color and turbidity removal efficiencies of the DM permeate were 84%, 85% and 80%, respectively. The wastewater treated by DM was reused as process water and the final concentrated retentate could be discharged directly into sewage treatment works with no additional treatments. Cleaning and regeneration of DM were very convenient if necessary. The proper process was that the polluted DM was cleaned with tap water at high cross-flow velocity. When irreversible pollutants accumulate, it would be rinsed with chemicals tested and the membrane flux would be restored up to 95%. The result showed that DM was considered as a promising method for purification aimed at reuse of printing wastewater, resulting in direct environmental and economic benefits.

Removal of Hazardous Pollutants from Wastewaters: Applications of TiO 2 -SiO 2 Mixed Oxide Materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rasalingam, Shivatharsiny; Peng, Rui; Koodali, Ranjit T.

The direct release of untreated wastewaters from various industries and households results in the release of toxic pollutants to the aquatic environment. Advanced oxidation processes (AOP) have gained wide attention owing to the prospect of complete mineralization of nonbiodegradable organic substances to environmentally innocuous products by chemical oxidation. In particular, heterogeneous photocatalysis has been demonstrated to have tremendous promise in water purification and treatment of several pollutant materials that include naturally occurring toxins, pesticides, and other deleterious contaminants. In this work, we have reviewed the different removal techniques that have been employed for water purification. In particular, the application ofmore » TiO 2 -SiO 2 binary mixed oxide materials for wastewater treatment is explained herein, and it is evident from the literature survey that these mixed oxide materials have enhanced abilities to remove a wide variety of pollutants.« less

Removal of Hazardous Pollutants from Wastewaters: Applications of TiO 2 -SiO 2 Mixed Oxide Materials

DOE PAGES

Rasalingam, Shivatharsiny; Peng, Rui; Koodali, Ranjit T.

2014-01-01

The direct release of untreated wastewaters from various industries and households results in the release of toxic pollutants to the aquatic environment. Advanced oxidation processes (AOP) have gained wide attention owing to the prospect of complete mineralization of nonbiodegradable organic substances to environmentally innocuous products by chemical oxidation. In particular, heterogeneous photocatalysis has been demonstrated to have tremendous promise in water purification and treatment of several pollutant materials that include naturally occurring toxins, pesticides, and other deleterious contaminants. In this work, we have reviewed the different removal techniques that have been employed for water purification. In particular, the application ofmore » TiO 2 -SiO 2 binary mixed oxide materials for wastewater treatment is explained herein, and it is evident from the literature survey that these mixed oxide materials have enhanced abilities to remove a wide variety of pollutants.« less

Effect of physical property of supporting media and variable hydraulic loading on hydraulic characteristics of advanced onsite wastewater treatment system.

PubMed

Sharma, Meena Kumari; Kazmi, Absar Ahmad

2015-01-01

A laboratory-scale study was carried out to investigate the effects of physical properties of the supporting media and variable hydraulic shock loads on the hydraulic characteristics of an advanced onsite wastewater treatment system. The system consisted of two upflow anaerobic reactors (a septic tank and an anaerobic filter) accommodated within a single unit. The study was divided into three phases on the basis of three different supporting media (Aqwise carriers, corrugated ring and baked clay) used in the anaerobic filter. Hydraulic loadings were based on peak flow factor (PFF), varying from one to six, to simulate the actual conditions during onsite wastewater treatment. Hydraulic characteristics of the system were identified on the basis of residence time distribution analyses. The system showed a very good hydraulic efficiency, between 0.86 and 0.93, with the media of highest porosity at the hydraulic loading of PFF≤4. At the higher hydraulic loading of PFF 6 also, an appreciable hydraulic efficiency of 0.74 was observed. The system also showed good chemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids removal efficiency of 80.5% and 82.3%, respectively at the higher hydraulic loading of PFF 6. Plug-flow dispersion model was found to be the most appropriate one to describe the mixing pattern of the system, with different supporting media at variable loading, during the tracer study.

Solar-Enhanced Advanced Oxidation Processes for Water Treatment: Simultaneous Removal of Pathogens and Chemical Pollutants.

PubMed

Tsydenova, Oyuna; Batoev, Valeriy; Batoeva, Agniya

2015-08-14

The review explores the feasibility of simultaneous removal of pathogens and chemical pollutants by solar-enhanced advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). The AOPs are based on in-situ generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), most notably hydroxyl radicals •OH, that are capable of destroying both pollutant molecules and pathogen cells. The review presents evidence of simultaneous removal of pathogens and chemical pollutants by photocatalytic processes, namely TiO2 photocatalysis and photo-Fenton. Complex water matrices with high loads of pathogens and chemical pollutants negatively affect the efficiency of disinfection and pollutant removal. This is due to competition between chemical substances and pathogens for generated ROS. Other possible negative effects include light screening, competitive photon absorption, adsorption on the catalyst surface (thereby inhibiting its photocatalytic activity), etc. Besides, some matrix components may serve as nutrients for pathogens, thus hindering the disinfection process. Each type of water/wastewater would require a tailor-made approach and the variables that were shown to influence the processes-catalyst/oxidant concentrations, incident radiation flux, and pH-need to be adjusted in order to achieve the required degree of pollutant and pathogen removal. Overall, the solar-enhanced AOPs hold promise as an environmentally-friendly way to substitute or supplement conventional water/wastewater treatment, particularly in areas without access to centralized drinking water or sewage/wastewater treatment facilities.

Solar-Enhanced Advanced Oxidation Processes for Water Treatment: Simultaneous Removal of Pathogens and Chemical Pollutants

PubMed Central

Tsydenova, Oyuna; Batoev, Valeriy; Batoeva, Agniya

2015-01-01

The review explores the feasibility of simultaneous removal of pathogens and chemical pollutants by solar-enhanced advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). The AOPs are based on in-situ generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), most notably hydroxyl radicals •OH, that are capable of destroying both pollutant molecules and pathogen cells. The review presents evidence of simultaneous removal of pathogens and chemical pollutants by photocatalytic processes, namely TiO2 photocatalysis and photo-Fenton. Complex water matrices with high loads of pathogens and chemical pollutants negatively affect the efficiency of disinfection and pollutant removal. This is due to competition between chemical substances and pathogens for generated ROS. Other possible negative effects include light screening, competitive photon absorption, adsorption on the catalyst surface (thereby inhibiting its photocatalytic activity), etc. Besides, some matrix components may serve as nutrients for pathogens, thus hindering the disinfection process. Each type of water/wastewater would require a tailor-made approach and the variables that were shown to influence the processes—catalyst/oxidant concentrations, incident radiation flux, and pH—need to be adjusted in order to achieve the required degree of pollutant and pathogen removal. Overall, the solar-enhanced AOPs hold promise as an environmentally-friendly way to substitute or supplement conventional water/wastewater treatment, particularly in areas without access to centralized drinking water or sewage/wastewater treatment facilities. PMID:26287222

Towards energy positive wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Gikas, Petros

2017-12-01

Energy requirement for wastewater treatment is of major concern, lately. This is not only due to the increasing cost of electrical energy, but also due to the effects to the carbon footprint of the treatment process. Conventional activated sludge process for municipal wastewater treatment may consume up to 60% of the total plant power requirements for the aeration of the biological tank. One way to deal with high energy demand is by eliminating aeration needs, as possible. The proposed process is based on enhanced primary solids removal, based on advanced microsieving and filtration processes, by using a proprietary rotating fabric belt MicroScreen (pore size: 100-300 μm) followed by a proprietary Continuous Backwash Upflow Media Filter or cloth media filter. About 80-90% reduction in TSS and 60-70% reduction in BOD5 has been achieved by treating raw municipal wastewater with the above process. Then the partially treated wastewater is fed to a combination low height trickling filters, combined with encapsulated denitrification, for the removal of the remaining BOD and nitrogen. The biosolids produced by the microsieve and the filtration backwash concentrate are fed to an auger press and are dewatered to about 55% solids. The biosolids are then partially thermally dried (to about 80% solids) and conveyed to a gasifier, for the co-production of thermal (which is partly used for biosolids drying) and electrical energy, through syngas combustion in a co-generation engine. Alternatively, biosolids may undergo anaerobic digestion for the production of biogas and then electric energy. The energy requirements for complete wastewater treatment, per volume of inlet raw wastewater, have been calculated to 0.057 kWh/m 3 , (or 0.087 kWh/m 3 , if UV disinfection has been selected), which is about 85% below the electric energy needs of conventional activated sludge process. The potential for net electric energy production through gasification/co-generation, per volume of inlet raw wastewater, has been calculated to 0.172 kWh/m 3 . It is thus obvious, that the proposed process can operate on an electric energy autonomous basis. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Cost-effectiveness of nitrogen mitigation by alternative household wastewater management technologies.

PubMed

Wood, Alison; Blackhurst, Michael; Hawkins, Troy; Xue, Xiaobo; Ashbolt, Nicholas; Garland, Jay

2015-03-01

Household wastewater, especially from conventional septic systems, is a major contributor to nitrogen pollution. Alternative household wastewater management technologies provide similar sewerage management services but their life cycle costs and nitrogen flow implications remain uncertain. This paper addresses two key questions: (1) what are the total costs, nitrogen mitigation potential, and cost-effectiveness of a range of conventional and alternative municipal wastewater treatment technologies, and (2) what uncertainties influence these outcomes and how can we improve our understanding of these technologies? We estimate a household nitrogen mass balance for various household wastewater treatment systems and combine this mass balance with life cycle cost assessment to calculate the cost-effectiveness of nitrogen mitigation, which we define as nitrogen removed from the local watershed. We apply our methods to Falmouth, MA, where failing septic systems have caused heightened eutrophication in local receiving water bodies. We find that flushing and dry (composting) urine-diversion toilets paired with conventional septic systems for greywater management demonstrate the lowest life cycle cost and highest cost-effectiveness (dollars per kilogram of nitrogen removed from the watershed). Composting toilets are also attractive options in some cases, particularly best-case nitrogen mitigation. Innovative/advanced septic systems designed for high-level nitrogen removal are cost-competitive options for newly constructed homes, except at their most expensive. A centralized wastewater treatment plant is the most expensive and least cost-effective option in all cases. Using a greywater recycling system with any treatment technology increases the cost without adding any nitrogen removal benefits. Sensitivity analysis shows that these results are robust considering a range of cases and uncertainties. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Integrating sequencing batch reactor with bio-electrochemical treatment for augmenting remediation efficiency of complex petrochemical wastewater.

PubMed

Yeruva, Dileep Kumar; Jukuri, Srinivas; Velvizhi, G; Naresh Kumar, A; Swamy, Y V; Venkata Mohan, S

2015-01-01

The present study evaluates the sequential integration of two advanced biological treatment methods viz., sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and bioelectrochemical treatment systems (BET) for the treatment of real-field petrochemical wastewater (PCW). Initially two SBR reactors were operated in aerobic (SBR(Ae)) and anoxic (SBR(Ax)) microenvironments with an organic loading rate (OLR) of 9.68 kg COD/m(3)-day. Relatively, SBR(Ax) showed higher substrate degradation (3.34 kg COD/m(3)-day) compared to SBR(Ae) (2.9 kg COD/m(3)-day). To further improve treatment efficiency, the effluents from SBR process were fed to BET reactors. BET(Ax) depicted higher SDR (1.92 kg COD/m(3)-day) with simultaneous power generation (17.12 mW/m(2)) followed by BET(Ae) (1.80 kg COD/m(3)-day; 14.25 mW/m(2)). Integrating both the processes documented significant improvement in COD removal efficiency due to the flexibility of combining multiple microenvironments sequentially. Results were supported with GC-MS and FTIR, which confirmed the increment in biodegradability of wastewater. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review on the fate of organic micropollutants in wastewater treatment and water reuse with membranes.

PubMed

Siegrist, H; Joss, A

2012-01-01

A brief review of the fate of micropollutants in membrane-based wastewater treatment due to sorption, stripping, biological degradation/transformation and membrane separation is discussed, to give an overview of these technologies due to the growing importance for water reuse purposes. Compared with conventional activated sludge treatment (CAS) micropollutant removal in membrane bioreactor (MBR) is slightly improved due to complete suspended solids removal and increased sludge age. For discharge to sensitive receiving waters advanced treatment, such as post-ozonation or activated carbon adsorption, is recommended. In water reuse plants nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) efficiently reject micropollutants due to size exclusions as well as electrostatic and hydrophobic effects reaching potable quality. To remove micropollutants fully, additionally post-ozone or the addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) have to be applied, which in parallel also reduce NDMA precursors. The concentrate has to be treated if disposed to sensitive receiving waters due to its high micropollutant concentration and ecotoxicity potential. The present review summarizes principles and capabilities for the most important membrane-based applications for wastewater treatment, i.e. porous membranes in MBRs (micro- or ultrafiltration) and dense membrane applications (NF and RO) for water reuse.

Evaluation of the simultaneous removal of recalcitrant drugs (bezafibrate, gemfibrozil, indomethacin and sulfamethoxazole) and biodegradable organic matter from synthetic wastewater by electro-oxidation coupled with a biological system.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Nava, Odín; Ramírez-Saad, Hugo; Loera, Octavio; González, Ignacio

2016-12-01

Pharmaceutical degradation in conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) represents a challenge since municipal wastewater and hospital effluents contain pharmaceuticals in low concentrations (recalcitrant and persistent in WWTP) and biodegradable organic matter (BOM) is the main pollutant. This work shows the feasibility of coupling electro-oxidation with a biological system for the simultaneous removal of recalcitrant drugs (bezafibrate, gemfibrozil, indomethacin and sulfamethoxazole (BGIS)) and BOM from wastewater. High removal efficiencies were attained without affecting the performance of activated sludge. BGIS degradation was performed by advanced electrochemical oxidation and the activated sludge process for BOM degradation in a continuous reactor. The selected electrochemical parameters from microelectrolysis tests (1.2 L s(-1) and 1.56 mA cm(-2)) were maintained to operate a filter press laboratory reactor FM01-LC using boron-doped diamond as the anode. The low current density was chosen in order to remove drugs without decreasing BOM and chlorine concentration control, so as to avoid bulking formation in the biological process. The wastewater previously treated by FM01-LC was fed directly (without chemical modification) to the activated sludge reactor to remove 100% of BGIS and 83% of BOM; conversely, the BGIS contained in wastewater without electrochemical pre-treatment were persistent in the biological process and promoted bulking formation.

The use of ozone during advanced primary treatment of wastewater for its reuse in agriculture: an approach to enhance coagulation, disinfection and crop productivities.

PubMed

Campos-Reales-Pineda, A E; Orta de Velásquez, M T; Rojas-Valencia, M N

2008-01-01

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect that ozone (O(3)) has on the advanced primary treatment (APT) and disinfection of wastewaters for their reuse in agriculture. The enhancement and optimization of APT was done by applying low O(3) doses during coagulation. By applying an ozone dose of 2 mg/L during APT, the required coagulant dose may be reduced by up to 25% to achieve a similar turbidity removal (and up to 50% for total suspended solids removal), when compared to a conventional APT treatment. When the same coagulant dose was applied (60 mg/L), the volume of settleable solids was reduced from 31.0 to 25.5 mL/L, and the settling velocity increased from 0.111 to 0.139 m/min. Disinfection was also improved by the use of ozone, which leads to better plant germination rates than when using chlorination, because of reduced toxicity of the ozonated effluents. Additionally, helminth eggs content was reduced by applying ozone. Copyright IWA Publishing 2008.

Contamination level of four priority phthalates in North Indian wastewater treatment plants and their fate in sequencing batch reactor systems.

PubMed

Gani, Khalid Muzamil; Rajpal, Ankur; Kazmi, Absar Ahmad

2016-03-01

The contamination level of four phthalates in untreated and treated wastewater of fifteen wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and their fate in a full scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) based WWTP was evaluated in this study. The four phthalates were diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP) and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). All compounds were present in untreated wastewater with DEHP being present in the highest mean concentration of 28.4 ± 5.3 μg L(-1). The concentration was in the range of 7.3 μg L(-1) (BBP) to 28.4 μg L(-1) (DEHP) in untreated wastewater and 1.3 μg L(-1) (DBP) to 2.6 μg L(-1) (DEHP) in treated wastewater. The nutrient removal process and advance tertiary treatment based WWTPs showed the highest phthalate removal efficiencies of 87% and 93%, respectively. The correlation between phthalate removal and conventional performance of WWTPs was positive. Fate analysis of these phthalates in a SBR based WWTP showed that total removal of the sum of phthalates in a primary settling tank and SBR was 84% out of which 55% is removed by biodegradation and 29% was removed by sorption to primary and secondary sludge. The percentage removal of four phthalates in primary settling tanks was 18%. Comparison of the diluted effluent DEHP concentration with its environmental quality standards showed that the dilution in an effluent receiving water body can reduce the DEHP emissions to acceptable values.

Sources, mechanisms, and fate of steroid estrogens in wastewater treatment plants: a mini review.

PubMed

Ting, Yien Fang; Praveena, Sarva Mangala

2017-04-01

Steroid estrogens, such as estrone (E 1 ), 17β-estradiol (E 2 ), estriol (E 3 ), and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE 2 ), are natural and synthetic hormones released into the environment through incomplete sewage discharge. This review focuses on the sources of steroid estrogens in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The mechanisms and fate of steroid estrogens throughout the entire wastewater treatment system are also discussed, and relevant information on regulatory aspects is given. Municipal, pharmaceutical industry, and hospitals are the main sources of steroid estrogens that enter WWTPs. A typical WWTP comprises primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment units. Sorption and biodegradation are the main mechanisms for removal of steroid estrogens from WWTPs. The fate of steroid estrogens in WWTPs depends on the types of wastewater treatment systems. Steroid estrogens in the primary treatment unit are removed by sorption onto primary sludge, followed by sorption onto micro-flocs and biodegradation by microbes in the secondary treatment unit. Tertiary treatment employs nitrification, chlorination, or UV disinfection to improve the quality of the secondary effluent. Activated sludge treatment systems for steroid estrogens exhibit a removal efficiency of up to 100%, which is higher than that of the trickling filter treatment system (up to 75%). Moreover, the removal efficiency of advance treatment systems exceeds 90%. Regulatory aspects related to steroid estrogens are established, especially in the European Union. Japan is the only Asian country that implements a screening program and is actively involved in endocrine disruptor testing and assessment. This review improves our understanding of steroid estrogens in WWTPs, proposes main areas to be improved, and provides current knowledge on steroid estrogens in WWTPs for sustainable development.

Advanced oxidation process-biological system for wastewater containing a recalcitrant pollutant.

PubMed

Oller, I; Malato, S; Sánchez-Pérez, J A; Maldonado, M I; Gernjak, W; Pérez-Estrada, L A

2007-01-01

Two advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), ozonation and photo-Fenton, combined with a pilot aerobic biological reactor at field scale were employed for the treatment of industrial non-biodegradable saline wastewater (TOC around 200 mgL(-1)) containing a biorecalcitrant compound, alpha-methylphenylglycine (MPG), at a concentration of 500 mgL(-1). Ozonation experiments were performed in a 50-L reactor with constant inlet ozone of 21.9 g m(-3). Solar photo-Fenton tests were carried out in a 75-L pilot plant made up of four compound parabolic collector (CPC) units. The catalyst concentration employed in this system was 20 mgL(-1) of Fe2+ and the H2O2 concentration was kept in the range of 200-500mgL(-1). Complete degradation of MPG was attained after 1,020 min of ozone treatment, while only 195 min were required for photo-Fenton. Samples from different stages of both AOPs were taken for Zahn-Wellens biocompatibility tests. Biodegradability enhancement of the industrial saline wastewater was confirmed (>70% biodegradability). Biodegradable compounds generated during the preliminary oxidative processes were biologically mineralised in a 170-L aerobic immobilised biomass reactor (IBR). The global efficiency of both AOP/biological combined systems was 90% removal of an initial TOC of over 500 mgL(-1).

Comparison of NF membrane fouling and cleaning by two pretreatment strategies for the advanced treatment of antibiotic production wastewater.

PubMed

Wang, Jianxing; Li, Kun; Yu, Dawei; Zhang, Junya; Wei, Yuansong; Chen, Meixue; Shan, Baoqing

2016-01-01

The nanofiltration (NF) membrane fouling characteristics and cleaning strategies were investigated and compared for treating membrane bioreactor (MBR) effluent and MBR-granular activated carbon (GAC) effluent of an antibiotic production wastewater by DK membrane. Results showed that the fouling of treating MBR effluent was more severe than that of treating MBR-GAC effluent. After filtering for 216 h, the difference of membrane flux decline was obvious between MBR effluent and MBR-GAC effluent, with 14.9% and 10.3% flux decline, respectively. Further study showed that organic fouling is the main NF membrane fouling in the advanced treatment of antibiotic production wastewater for both of the two different effluents. Soluble microbial by-product like and tyrosine-like substances were the dominant components in the foulants, whereas humic-like substances existing in the effluents had little contribution to the NF membrane fouling. A satisfactory efficiency of NF chemical cleaning could be obtained using combination of acid (HCl, pH 2.0-2.5) and alkali (NaOH + 0.3 wt% NaDS, pH 10.0-10.5). The favorable cleaning strategy is acid-alkali for treating the MBR-GAC effluent, while it is alkali-acid for treating the MBR effluent.

Degradation of the commercial surfactant nonylphenol ethoxylate by advanced oxidation processes.

PubMed

da Silva, Salatiel Wohlmuth; Klauck, Cláudia Regina; Siqueira, Marco Antônio; Bernardes, Andréa Moura

2015-01-23

Four different oxidation process, namely direct photolysis (DP) and three advanced oxidation processes (heterogeneous photocatalysis - HP, eletrochemical oxidation - EO and photo-assisted electrochemical oxidation - PEO) were applied in the treatment of wastewater containing nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPnEO). The objective of this work was to determine which treatment would be the best option in terms of degradation of NPnEO without the subsequent generation of toxic compounds. In order to investigate the degradation of the surfactant, the processes were compared in terms of UV/Vis spectrum, mineralization (total organic carbon), reaction kinetics, energy efficiency and phytotoxicity. A solution containing NPnEO was prepared as a surrogate of the degreasing wastewater, was used in the processes. The results showed that the photo-assisted processes degrade the surfactant, producing biodegradable intermediates in the reaction. On the other hand, the electrochemical process influences the mineralization of the surfactant. The process of PEO carried out with a 250W lamp and a current density of 10mA/cm(2) showed the best results in terms of degradation, mineralization, reaction kinetics and energy consumption, in addition to not presenting phytotoxicity. Based on this information, this process can be a viable alternative for treating wastewater containing NPnEO, avoiding the contamination of water resources. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Micropollutant degradation, bacterial inactivation and regrowth risk in wastewater effluents: Influence of the secondary (pre)treatment on the efficiency of Advanced Oxidation Processes.

PubMed

Giannakis, Stefanos; Voumard, Margaux; Grandjean, Dominique; Magnet, Anoys; De Alencastro, Luiz Felippe; Pulgarin, César

2016-10-01

In this work, disinfection by 5 Advanced Oxidation Processes was preceded by 3 different secondary treatment systems present in the wastewater treatment plant of Vidy, Lausanne (Switzerland). 5 AOPs after two biological treatment methods (conventional activated sludge and moving bed bioreactor) and a physiochemical process (coagulation-flocculation) were tested in laboratory scale. The dependence among AOPs efficiency and secondary (pre)treatment was estimated by following the bacterial concentration i) before secondary treatment, ii) after the different secondary treatment methods and iii) after the various AOPs. Disinfection and post-treatment bacterial regrowth were the evaluation indicators. The order of efficiency was Moving Bed Bioreactor > Activated Sludge > Coagulation-Flocculation > Primary Treatment. As far as the different AOPs are concerned, the disinfection kinetics were: UVC/H2O2 > UVC and solar photo-Fenton > Fenton or solar light. The contextualization and parallel study of microorganisms with the micropollutants of the effluents revealed that higher exposure times were necessary for complete degradation compared to microorganisms for the UV-based processes and inversed for the Fenton-related ones. Nevertheless, in the Fenton-related systems, the nominal 80% removal of micropollutants deriving from the Swiss legislation, often took place before the elimination of bacterial regrowth risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The color removal and fate of organic pollutants in a pilot-scale MBR-NF combined process treating textile wastewater with high water recovery.

PubMed

Li, Kun; Jiang, Chao; Wang, Jianxing; Wei, Yuansong

2016-01-01

A combination of membrane bioreactor (MBR) and nanofiltration (NF) was tested at pilot-scale treating textile wastewater from the wastewater treatment station of a textile mill in Wuqing District of Tianjin (China). The MBR-NF process showed a much better treatment efficiency on the removal of the chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, color and turbidity in comparison with the conventional processes. The water recovery rate was enhanced to over 90% through the recycling of NF concentrate to the MBR, while the MBR-NF showed a stable permeate water quality that met with standards and could be directly discharged or further reused. The recycled NF concentrate caused an accumulation of refractory compounds in the MBR, which significantly influenced the treatment efficiency of the MBR. However, the sludge characteristics showed that the activated sludge activity was not obviously inhibited. The results of fluorescence spectra and molecular weight distribution indicated that those recalcitrant pollutants were mostly protein-like substances and a small amount of humic acid-like substances (650-6,000 Da), which contributed to membrane fouling of NF. Although the penetrated protein-like substances caused the residual color in NF permeate, the MBR-NF process was suitable for the advanced treatment and reclamation of textile wastewater under high water yield.

Simultaneous photocatalytic and microbial degradation of dye-containing wastewater by a novel g-C3N4-P25/photosynthetic bacteria composite

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xinying; Wu, Yan; Xiao, Gao; Tang, Zhenping; Wang, Meiyin; Liu, Fuchang; Zhu, Xuefeng

2017-01-01

Azo dyes are very resistant to light-induced fading and biodegradation. Existing advanced oxidative pre-treatment methods based on the generation of non-selective radicals cannot efficiently remove these dyes from wastewater streams, and post-treatment oxidative dye removal is problematic because it may leave many byproducts with unknown toxicity profiles in the outgoing water, or cause expensive complete mineralization. These problems could potentially be overcome by combining photocatalysis and biodegradation. A novel visible-light-responsive hybrid dye removal agent featuring both photocatalysts (g-C3N4-P25) and photosynthetic bacteria encapsulated in calcium alginate beads was prepared by self-assembly. This system achieved a removal efficiency of 94% for the dye reactive brilliant red X-3b and also reduced the COD of synthetic wastewater samples by 84.7%, successfully decolorized synthetic dye-contaminated wastewater and reduced its COD, demonstrating the advantages of combining photocatalysis and biocatalysis for wastewater purification. The composite apparently degrades X-3b by initially converting the dye into aniline and phenol derivatives whose aryl moieties are then attacked by free radicals to form alkyl derivatives, preventing the accumulation of aromatic hydrocarbons that might suppress microbial activity. These alkyl intermediates are finally degraded by the photosynthetic bacteria. PMID:28273118

To connect or not to connect? Modelling the optimal degree of centralisation for wastewater infrastructures.

PubMed

Eggimann, Sven; Truffer, Bernhard; Maurer, Max

2015-11-01

The strong reliance of most utility services on centralised network infrastructures is becoming increasingly challenged by new technological advances in decentralised alternatives. However, not enough effort has been made to develop planning tools designed to address the implications of these new opportunities and to determine the optimal degree of centralisation of these infrastructures. We introduce a planning tool for sustainable network infrastructure planning (SNIP), a two-step techno-economic heuristic modelling approach based on shortest path-finding and hierarchical-agglomerative clustering algorithms to determine the optimal degree of centralisation in the field of wastewater management. This SNIP model optimises the distribution of wastewater treatment plants and the sewer network outlay relative to several cost and sewer-design parameters. Moreover, it allows us to construct alternative optimal wastewater system designs taking into account topography, economies of scale as well as the full size range of wastewater treatment plants. We quantify and confirm that the optimal degree of centralisation decreases with increasing terrain complexity and settlement dispersion while showing that the effect of the latter exceeds that of topography. Case study results for a Swiss community indicate that the calculated optimal degree of centralisation is substantially lower than the current level. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conventional wastewater treatment and reuse site practices modify bacterial community structure but do not eliminate some opportunistic pathogens in reclaimed water.

PubMed

Kulkarni, Prachi; Olson, Nathan D; Paulson, Joseph N; Pop, Mihai; Maddox, Cynthia; Claye, Emma; Rosenberg Goldstein, Rachel E; Sharma, Manan; Gibbs, Shawn G; Mongodin, Emmanuel F; Sapkota, Amy R

2018-10-15

Water recycling continues to expand across the United States, from areas that have access to advanced, potable-level treated reclaimed water, to those having access only to reclaimed water treated at conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants. This expansion makes it important to further characterize the microbial quality of these conventionally-treated water sources. Therefore, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize total bacterial communities present in differentially-treated wastewater and reclaimed water (n = 67 samples) from four U.S. wastewater treatment plants and one associated spray irrigation site conducting on-site ultraviolet treatment and open-air storage. The number of observed operational taxonomic units was significantly lower (p < 0.01) in effluent, compared to influent, after conventional treatment. Effluent community structure was influenced more by treatment method than by influent community structure. The abundance of Legionella spp. increased as treatment progressed in one treatment plant that performed chlorination and in another that seasonally chlorinated. Overall, the alpha-diversity of bacterial communities in reclaimed water decreased (p < 0.01) during wastewater treatment and spray irrigation site ultraviolet treatment (p < 0.01), but increased (p < 0.01) after open-air storage at the spray irrigation site. The abundance of Legionella spp. was higher at the sprinkler system pumphouse at the spray irrigation site than in the influent from the treatment plant supplying the site. Legionella pneumophila was detected in conventionally treated effluent samples and in samples collected after ultraviolet treatment at the spray irrigation site, while Legionella feeleii persisted throughout on-site treatment at the spray irrigation site, and, along with Mycobacterium gordonae, was also detected at the sprinkler system pumphouse at the spray irrigation site. These data could inform the development of future treatment technologies and reuse guidelines that address a broader assemblage of the bacterial community of reclaimed water, resulting in reuse practices that may be more protective of public health. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of sub-micron sized resin particles for removal of endocrine disrupting compounds and pharmaceuticals from water and wastewater.

PubMed

Murray, Audrey; Örmeci, Banu; Lai, Edward P C

2017-01-01

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceuticals pose a challenge for water and wastewater treatment because they exist at very low concentrations in the presence of substances at much higher concentrations competing for adsorption sites. Sub-micron sized resin particles (approximately 300nm in diameter) (SMR) were tested to evaluate their potential as a treatment for EDCs including: 17-β estradiol (E2), 17-α ethinylestradiol (EE2), estrone (E1), bisphenol A (BPA), and diethylstilbestrol (DES) as well as 12 pharmaceuticals. SMR were able to remove 98% of spiked E2, 80% of EE2, 87% of BPA, and up to 97% of DES from water. For a 0.5ppm mixture of E2, EE2, E1, BPA and DES, the minimum removal was 24% (E2) and the maximum was 49% (DES). They were also able to remove the pharmaceuticals from deionized water and wastewater. Overall, SMR are a promising advanced treatment for removal of both EDCs and pharmaceuticals. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Estimation of GHG Emissions from Water Reclamation Plants in Beijing.

PubMed

Fan, Yupeng; Bai, Yanying; Jiao, Wentao

  A procedure for estimating Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a wastewater reclamation plant in Beijing was developed based on the process chain model. GHG emissions under two typical water reclamation treatment processes, the coagulation-sedimentation-filtration traditional process and advanced biological treatment process, were examined. The total on-site GHG emissions were estimated to be 0.0056 kg/m 3 and 0.6765 kg/m 3 respectively, while total off-site GHG emissions were estimated to be 0.3699 kg/m 3 and 0.4816 kg/m 3 . The overall GHG emissions were 0.3755 kg/m 3 under the type 1 treatment, which is much lower than that under the type 2 of 1.1581 kg/m 3 . Emissions from both processes were lower than that from the tap water production. Wastewater reclamation and reuse should be promoted as it not only saves the water resources but also can reduce the GHG emissions. Energy consumption was the most significant source of GHG emissions. Biogas recovery should be employed as it can significantly reduce the GHG emissions, especially under the type 2 treatment process. Considering the wastewater treatment and reclamation process as a whole, the type 2 treatment process has advantages in reducing the GHG emissions per unit of pollutant. This paper provides scientific basis for decision making.

Application of solar AOPs and ozonation for elimination of micropollutants in municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents.

PubMed

Prieto-Rodríguez, L; Oller, I; Klamerth, N; Agüera, A; Rodríguez, E M; Malato, S

2013-03-15

Conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants are not able to entirely degrade some organic pollutants that end up in the environment. Within this group of contaminants, Emerging Contaminants are mostly unregulated compounds that may be candidates for future regulation. In this work, different advanced technologies: solar heterogeneous photocatalysis with TiO(2), solar photo-Fenton and ozonation, are studied as tertiary treatments for the remediation of micropollutants present in real municipal wastewater treatment plants effluents at pilot plant scale. Contaminants elimination was followed by Liquid Chromatography/Quadrupole ion trap Mass Spectrometry analysis after a pre-concentration 100:1 by automatic solid phase extraction. 66 target micropollutants were identified and quantified. 16 of those contaminants at initial concentrations over 1000 ng L(-1), made up over 88% of the initial total effluent pollutant load. The order of micropollutants elimination efficiency under the experimental conditions evaluated was solar photo-Fenton > ozonation > solar heterogeneous photocatalysis with TiO(2). Toxicity analyses by Vibrio fischeri and respirometric tests showed no significant changes in the effluent toxicity after the three tertiary treatments application. Solar photo-Fenton and ozonation treatments were also compared from an economical point of view. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced Oxidation Processes: Process Mechanisms, Affecting Parameters and Landfill Leachate Treatment.

PubMed

Su-Huan, Kow; Fahmi, Muhammad Ridwan; Abidin, Che Zulzikrami Azner; Soon-An, Ong

2016-11-01

  Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are of special interest in treating landfill leachate as they are the most promising procedures to degrade recalcitrant compounds and improve the biodegradability of wastewater. This paper aims to refresh the information base of AOPs and to discover the research gaps of AOPs in landfill leachate treatment. A brief overview of mechanisms involving in AOPs including ozone-based AOPs, hydrogen peroxide-based AOPs and persulfate-based AOPs are presented, and the parameters affecting AOPs are elaborated. Particularly, the advancement of AOPs in landfill leachate treatment is compared and discussed. Landfill leachate characterization prior to method selection and method optimization prior to treatment are necessary, as the performance and practicability of AOPs are influenced by leachate matrixes and treatment cost. More studies concerning the scavenging effects of leachate matrixes towards AOPs, as well as the persulfate-based AOPs in landfill leachate treatment, are necessary in the future.

Treatment of an actual slaughterhouse wastewater by integration of biological and advanced oxidation processes: Modeling, optimization, and cost-effectiveness analysis.

PubMed

Bustillo-Lecompte, Ciro Fernando; Mehrvar, Mehrab

2016-11-01

Biological and advanced oxidation processes are combined to treat an actual slaughterhouse wastewater (SWW) by a sequence of an anaerobic baffled reactor, an aerobic activated sludge reactor, and a UV/H2O2 photoreactor with recycle in continuous mode at laboratory scale. In the first part of this study, quadratic modeling along with response surface methodology are used for the statistical analysis and optimization of the combined process. The effects of the influent total organic carbon (TOC) concentration, the flow rate, the pH, the inlet H2O2 concentration, and their interaction on the overall treatment efficiency, CH4 yield, and H2O2 residual in the effluent of the photoreactor are investigated. The models are validated at different operating conditions using experimental data. Maximum TOC and total nitrogen (TN) removals of 91.29 and 86.05%, respectively, maximum CH4 yield of 55.72%, and minimum H2O2 residual of 1.45% in the photoreactor effluent were found at optimal operating conditions. In the second part of this study, continuous distribution kinetics is applied to establish a mathematical model for the degradation of SWW as a function of time. The agreement between model predictions and experimental values indicates that the proposed model could describe the performance of the combined anaerobic-aerobic-UV/H2O2 processes for the treatment of SWW. In the final part of the study, the optimized combined anaerobic-aerobic-UV/H2O2 processes with recycle were evaluated using a cost-effectiveness analysis to minimize the retention time, the electrical energy consumption, and the overall incurred treatment costs required for the efficient treatment of slaughterhouse wastewater effluents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanoscale TiO2 films and their application in remediation of organic pollutants

EPA Science Inventory

Photocatalysis is an advanced process for treatment of air, wastewater, and drinking water, the primary advantage being its ability to mineralize many pollutants. Among several nanoscale arrangements of photocatalysts, there has been a strong push to develop them as thin films be...

Reforming the wastewater treatment sector in Italy: Implications of plant size, structure, and scale economies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraquelli, Giovanni; Giandrone, Roberto

2003-10-01

In the context of the restructuring of the water industry, this work examines the treatment processes of urban wastewaters in Italy, with reference to costs, size, and technology. The operating cost function of 103 plants confirms scope economies from vertical integration and strong economies of scale for the smaller structure, confirming the benefits coming from the aggregation of the existing little firms. A minimum efficient size at about 100,000 inhabitants, however, inhibits the creation of large monopolies at a local level and enables the maintenance of indirect competition. Among the explanatory variables of running costs, the pollution load of the input wastewater takes on a high statistical significance and suggests environmental prevention, while the strong impact of sludge concentration means it should be considered in the new tariff systems. The recent introduction of advanced treatments is expensive, but the costs are balanced by a notable improvement in the pureness of the effluent waters. As for general environmental policies, it is necessary to find a good compromise between the need to improve the effectiveness of the existing plants and the investments in areas where the water treatment service is still inexistent.

Removal of emerging contaminants in sewage water subjected to advanced oxidation with ozone.

PubMed

Ibáñez, M; Gracia-Lor, E; Bijlsma, L; Morales, E; Pastor, L; Hernández, F

2013-09-15

Advanced oxidation processes (AOP) based on ozone treatments, assisted by ultrasounds, have been investigated at a pilot-plant scale in order to evaluate the removal of emerging contaminants in sewage water. Around 60 emerging contaminants, mainly pharmaceuticals from different therapeutically classes and drugs of abuse, have been determined in urban wastewater samples (treated and untreated) by LC-MS/MS. In a first step, the removal efficiency of these contaminants in conventional sewage water treatment plants was evaluated. Our results indicate that most of the compounds were totally or partially removed during the treatment process of influent wastewater. Up to 30 contaminants were quantified in the influent and effluent samples analysed, being antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, cholesterol lowering statin drugs and angiotensin II receptor antagonists the most frequently detected. Regarding drugs of abuse, cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine were the most frequent. In a second step, the effectiveness of AOP in the removal of emerging contaminants remaining in the effluent was evaluated. Ozone treatments have been proven to be highly efficient in the removal, notably decreasing the concentrations for most of the emerging contaminants present in the water samples. The use of ultrasounds, alone or assisting ozone treatments, has been shown less effective, being practically unnecessary. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integration of biofiltration and advanced oxidation processes for tertiary treatment of an oil refinery wastewater aiming at water reuse.

PubMed

Nogueira, A A; Bassin, J P; Cerqueira, A C; Dezotti, M

2016-05-01

The combination of biological and chemical oxidation processes is an interesting approach to remove ready, poor, and non-biodegradable compounds from complex industrial wastewaters. In this study, biofiltration followed by H2O2/UV oxidation (or microfiltration) and final reverse osmosis (RO) step was employed for tertiary treatment of an oil refinery wastewater. Biofiltration alone allowed obtaining total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), UV absorbance at 254 nm (UV254), ammonium, and turbidity removal of around 46, 46, 23, 50, and 61 %, respectively. After the combined biological-chemical oxidation treatment, TOC and UV254 removal amounted to 88 and 79 %, respectively. Whereas, the treatment performance achieved with different UV lamp powers (55 and 95 W) and therefore distinct irradiance levels (26.8 and 46.3 mW/cm(2), respectively) were very similar and TOC and UV254 removal rates were highly affected by the applied C/H2O2 ratio. Silt density index (SDI) was effectively reduced by H2O2/UV oxidation, favoring further RO application. C/H2O2 ratio of 1:4, 55 W UV lamp, and 20-min oxidation reaction corresponded to the experimental condition which provided the best cost/benefit ratio for TOC, UV254, and SDI reduction from the biofilter effluent. The array of treatment processes proposed in this study has shown to be adequate for tertiary treatment of the oil refinery wastewater, ensuring the mitigation of membrane fouling problems and producing a final effluent which is suitable for reuse applications.

Occurrence, identification and removal of microplastic particles and fibers in conventional activated sludge process and advanced MBR technology.

PubMed

Lares, Mirka; Ncibi, Mohamed Chaker; Sillanpää, Markus; Sillanpää, Mika

2018-04-15

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are acting as routes of microplastics (MPs) to the environment, hence the urgent need to examine MPs in wastewaters and different types of sludge through sampling campaigns covering extended periods of time. In this study, the efficiency of a municipal WWTP to remove MPs from wastewater was studied by collecting wastewater and sludge samples once in every two weeks during a 3-month sampling campaign. The WWTP was operated based on the conventional activated sludge (CAS) process and a pilot-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR). The microplastic particles and fibers from both water and sludge samples were identified by using an optical microscope, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) microscope and Raman microscope. Overall, the retention capacity of microplastics in the studied WWTP was found to be 98.3%. Most of the MP fraction was removed before the activated sludge process. The efficiency of an advanced membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology was also examined. The main related finding is that MBR permeate contained 0.4 MP/L in comparison with the final effluent of the CAS process (1.0 MP/L). According to this study, both microplastic fibers and particles are discharged from the WWTP to the aquatic environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term performance and characterization of microbial desalination cells in treating domestic wastewater.

PubMed

Luo, Haiping; Xu, Pei; Ren, Zhiyong

2012-09-01

Microbial desalination cell represents a new technology for simultaneous wastewater treatment, water desalination, and energy production. This study characterized the long-term performance of MDC during wastewater treatment and identified the key factors that caused performance decline. The 8-month operation shows that MDC performance decreased over time, as indicated by a 47% decline in current density, a 46% drop in Columbic efficiency, and a 27% decrease in desalination efficiency. Advanced electrochemical, microscopy, and spectroscopy analyses all confirmed biofouling on the anion exchange membrane, which increased system resistance and reduced ionic transfer and energy conversion efficiency. Minor chemical scaling was found on the cation exchange membrane surface. Microbial communities became less diverse at the end of operation, and Proteobacteria spp. was dominant on both anode and AEM fouling layer surface. These results provide insights into the viability of long-term MDC operation on reactor performance and direct system development through membrane optimization. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Which chemicals drive biological effects in wastewater and recycled water?

PubMed

Tang, Janet Y M; Busetti, Francesco; Charrois, Jeffrey W A; Escher, Beate I

2014-09-01

Removal of organic micropollutants from wastewater during secondary treatment followed by reverse osmosis and UV disinfection was evaluated by a combination of four in-vitro cell-based bioassays and chemical analysis of 299 organic compounds. Concentrations detected in recycled water were below the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling. Thus the detected chemicals were considered not to pose any health risk. The detected pesticides in the wastewater treatment plant effluent and partially advanced treated water explained all observed effects on photosynthesis inhibition. In contrast, mixture toxicity experiments with designed mixtures containing all detected chemicals at their measured concentrations demonstrated that the known chemicals explained less than 3% of the observed cytotoxicity and less than 1% of the oxidative stress response. Pesticides followed by pharmaceuticals and personal care products dominated the observed mixture effects. The detected chemicals were not related to the observed genotoxicity. The large proportion of unknown toxicity calls for effect monitoring complementary to chemical monitoring. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review on fate and mechanism of removal of pharmaceutical pollutants from wastewater using biological approach.

PubMed

Tiwari, Bhagyashree; Sellamuthu, Balasubramanian; Ouarda, Yassine; Drogui, Patrick; Tyagi, Rajeshwar D; Buelna, Gerardo

2017-01-01

Due to research advancement and discoveries in the field of medical science, maintains and provides better human health and safer life, which lead to high demand for production of pharmaceutical compounds with a concomitant increase in population. These pharmaceutical (biologically active) compounds were not fully metabolized by the body and excreted out in wastewater. This micro-pollutant remains unchanged during wastewater treatment plant operation and enters into the receiving environment via the discharge of treated water. Persistence of pharmaceutical compounds in both surface and ground waters becomes a major concern due to their potential eco-toxicity. Pharmaceuticals (emerging micro-pollutants) deteriorate the water quality and impart a toxic effect on living organisms. Therefore, from last two decades, plenty of studies were conducted on the occurrence, impact, and removal of pharmaceutical residues from the environment. This review provides an overview on the fate and removal of pharmaceutical compounds via biological treatment process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wastewater treatment to enhance the economic viability of microalgae culture.

PubMed

Pires, J C M; Alvim-Ferraz, M C M; Martins, F G; Simões, M

2013-08-01

Microalgae culture is still not economically viable and it presents some negative environmental impacts, concerning water, nutrient and energy requirements. In this context, this study aims to review the recent advances on microalgal cultures in wastewaters to enhance their economic viability. We focused on three different culture concepts: (1) suspended cell systems, (2) cell immobilization, and (3) microalgae consortia. Cultures with suspended cells are the most studied. The nutrient removal efficiencies are usually high for wastewaters of different sources. However, biomass harvesting is difficult and a costly process due to the small cell size and lower culture density. On the other hand, the cell immobilization systems showed to be the solution for this problem, having as main limitation the nutrient diffusion from bulk to cells, which results in a reduced nutrient removal efficiency. The consortium between microalgae and bacteria enhances the growth of both microorganisms. This culture concept showed to be a promising technology to improve wastewater treatment, regarding not only nutrient removal but also biomass harvesting by bioflocculation. The aggregation mechanism must be studied in depth to find the process parameters that would lead to an effective and cheap harvesting process.

Cosmetic wastewater treatment by coagulation and advanced oxidation processes.

PubMed

Naumczyk, Jeremi; Bogacki, Jan; Marcinowski, Piotr; Kowalik, Paweł

2014-01-01

In this study, the treatment process of three cosmetic wastewater types has been investigated. Coagulation allowed to achieve chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 74.6%, 37.7% and 74.0% for samples A (Al2(SO4)3), B (Brentafloc F3) and C (PAX 16), respectively. The Fenton process proved to be effective as well - COD removal was equal to 75.1%, 44.7% and 68.1%, respectively. Coagulation with FeCl3 and the subsequent photo-Fenton process resulted in the best values of final COD removal equal to 92.4%, 62.8% and 90.2%. In case of the Fenton process, after coagulation these values were equal to 74.9%, 50.1% and 84.8%, while in case of the H2O2/UV process, the obtained COD removal was 83.8%, 36.2% and 80.9%. High value of COD removal in the Fenton process carried out for A and C wastewater samples was caused by a significant contribution of the final neutralization/coagulation. Very small effect of the oxidation reaction in the Fenton process in case of sample A resulting from the presence of antioxidants, 'OH radical scavengers' in the wastewater.

Dendrimers, mesoporous silicas and chitosan-based nanosorbents for the removal of heavy-metal ions: A review.

PubMed

Vunain, E; Mishra, A K; Mamba, B B

2016-05-01

The application of nanomaterials as nanosorbents in solving environmental problems such as the removal of heavy metals from wastewater has received a lot of attention due to their unique physical and chemical properties. These properties make them more superior and useful in various fields than traditional adsorbents. The present mini-review focuses on the use of nanomaterials such as dendrimers, mesoporous silicas and chitosan nanosorbents in the treatment of wastewater contaminated with toxic heavy-metal ions. Recent advances in the fabrication of these nanoscale materials and processes for the removal of heavy-metal ions from drinking water and wastewater are highlighted, and in some cases their advantages and limitations are given. These next-generation adsorbents have been found to perform very well in environmental remediation and control of heavy-metal ions in wastewater. The main objective of this review is to provide up-to-date information on the research and development in this particular field and to give an account of the applications, advantages and limitations of these particular nanosorbents in the treatment of aqueous solutions contaminated with heavy-metal ions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Monitoring the occurrence of emerging contaminants in treated wastewater and groundwater between 2008 and 2010. The Baix Llobregat (Barcelona, Spain).

PubMed

Cabeza, Y; Candela, L; Ronen, D; Teijon, G

2012-11-15

The occurrence of 166 emerging compounds and four heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Hg and Pb) in treated wastewater and groundwater has been monitored at the Llobregat delta (Barcelona, Spain) over a period of 3 years. Selected compounds were pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PCPs), dioxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and priority substances included in the 2008/105/CE Directive. Analysis was performed in tertiary treated wastewater (TWW), after an additional treatment of ultrafiltration reverse osmosis and UV disinfection, and groundwater from a deep confined aquifer. This aquifer is artificially recharged with TWW through injection wells. After the advanced treatment, 38 pharmaceuticals, 9 PCPs, 9 pesticides and 7 PAHs still showed a frequency of detection higher than 25% in the TWW, although at low concentration levels (ng/l). Not all active compounds found in the TWW were present in groundwater, indicating possible degradation within the aquifer media after the injection. A number of chemicals, mainly 10 pesticides and 10 pharmaceuticals were only present in groundwater samples, confirming a different origin than the injected TWW, probably agricultural activities and/or infiltration of poorly treated wastewater. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Degradation of selected industrial dyes using Mg-doped TiO2 polyscales under natural sun light as an alternative driving energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shivaraju, H. P.; Midhun, G.; Anil Kumar, K. M.; Pallavi, S.; Pallavi, N.; Behzad, Shahmoradi

2017-11-01

Designing photocatalytic materials with modified functionalities for the utilization of renewable energy sources as an alternative driving energy has attracted much attention in the area of sustainable wastewater treatment applications. Catalyst-assisted advanced oxidation process is an emerging treatment technology for organic pollutants and toxicants in industrial wastewater. Preparation of visible-light-responsive photocatalyst such as Mg-doped TiO2 polyscales was carried out under mild sol-gel technique. Mg-doped TiO2 polyscales were characterized by powder XRD, SEM, FTIR, and optical and photocatalytic activity techniques. The Mg-doped TiO2 showed a mixed phase of anatase and rutile with an excellent crystallinity, structural elucidations, polyscales morphology, consequent shifting of bandgap energy and adequate photocatalytic activities under visible range of light. Mg-doped TiO2 polyscales were investigated for their efficiencies in the degradation of most commonly used industrial dyes in the real-time textile wastewater. Mg-doped TiO2 polyscales showed excellent photocatalytic degradation efficiency in both model industrial dyes (65-95%) and textile wastewater (92%) under natural sunlight as an alternative and renewable driving energy.

Cost-Effectiveness of Nitrogen Mitigation by Alternative ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Household wastewater, especially from conventional septic systems, is a major contributor to nitrogen pollution. Alternative household wastewater management technologies provide similar sewerage management services but their life cycle costs and nitrogen flow implications remain uncertain. We seek to address two key questions: (1) what are the total costs, nitrogen mitigation potential, and cost-effectiveness of a range of conventional and alternative municipal wastewater treatment technologies, and (2) what uncertainties influence these outcomes, and how can we improve our understanding of these technologies? We estimate a household nitrogen mass balance for various household wastewater treatment systems and combine this mass balance with life cycle cost assessment to calculate the cost-effectiveness of nitrogen mitigation, which we define as nitrogen removed from the local watershed. We apply our methods to Falmouth, MA, where failing septic systems have caused heightened eutrophication in local receiving water bodies. We find that flushing and dry (composting) urine-diversion toilets paired with conventional septic systems for greywater management demonstrate the lowest life cycle cost and highest cost-effectiveness (dollars per kilogram of nitrogen removed from the watershed). Composting toilets and neighborhood-scale blackwater digesters are also attractive options in some cases, particularly best-case nitrogen mitigation; innovative/advanced septic system

Using ultraviolet absorbance and color to assess pharmaceutical oxidation during ozonation of wastewater.

PubMed

Wert, Eric C; Rosario-Ortiz, Fernando L; Snyder, Shane A

2009-07-01

The reduction of ultraviolet (UV) absorbance at 254 nm (UV254) and true color were identified as appropriate surrogates to assess the oxidation of six pharmaceuticals (i.e., carbamazepine, meprobamate, dilantin, primidone, atenolol, and iopromide) during ozonation of wastewater. Three tertiary-treated wastewaters were evaluated during oxidation with ozone (O3) and O3 coupled with hydrogen peroxide (O3/H2O2). The correlation between pharmaceutical oxidation and removal of UV254 was dependent upon the reactivity of each specific compound toward ozone, as measured by the second-order rate constant (k'(O3)). Oxidation of compounds with k'(O3) > 10(3) M(-1) s(-1) correlated well (R2 > 0.73) with UV254 reduction between 0-50%. Oxidation of compounds with apparent k'(O3) < 10 M(-1) s(-1) resulted primarily from hydroxyl radicals and correlated well (R2 > 0.80) with the UV254 reduction of 15-85%. The removal of true color also correlated well (R2 > 0.85) with the oxidation of pharmaceuticals during the ozonation of two wastewaters. These correlations demonstrate that UV254 reduction and true color removal may be used as surrogates to evaluate pharmaceutical oxidation in the presence or absence of dissolved ozone residual during advanced wastewater treatment with O3 or O3/H2O2. The use of online UV254 measurements would allow wastewater utilities to optimize the ozone dose required to meet their specific treatment objectives.

Bioremediation and Detoxification of the Textile Wastewater with Membrane Bioreactor Using the White-rot Fungus and Reuse of Wastewater.

PubMed

Hossain, Kaizar; Quaik, Shlrene; Ismail, Norli; Rafatullah, Mohd; Avasan, Maruthi; Shaik, Rameeja

2016-09-01

Application of membrane technology to wastewater treatment has expanded over the last decades due to increasingly stringent legislation, greater opportunities for water reuse/recycling processes and continuing advancement in membrane technology. In the present study, a bench-scale submerged microfiltration membrane bioreactor (MBR) was used to assess the treatment of textile wastewater. The decolorization capacity of white-rot fungus coriolus versicolor was confirmed through agar plate and liquid batch studies. The temperature and pH of the reactor were controlled at 29±1°C and 4.5±2, respectively. The bioreactor was operated with an average flux of 0.05 m.d -1 (HRT=15hrs) for a month. Extensive growth of fungi and their attachment to the membrane led to its fouling and associated increase of the transmembrane pressure requiring a periodic withdrawal of sludge and membrane cleaning. However, stable decoloration activity (approx. 98%), BOD (40-50%), COD (50-67%) and total organic carbon (TOC) removal (>95%) was achieved using the entire system (fungi + membrane), while the contribution of the fungi culture alone for TOC removal, as indicated by the quality of the reactor supernatant, was 35-50% and 70%, respectively. The treated wastewater quality satisfied the requirement of water quality for dyeing and finishing process excluding light coloration. Therefore, textile wastewater reclamation and reuse is a promising alternative, which can both conserve or supplement the available water resource and reduce or eliminate the environmental pollution.

A Biologically-Based Alternative Water Processor for Long Duration Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.; Pickering, Karen D.; Meyer, Caitlin; Pensinger, Stuart; Vega, Leticia; Flynn, Michael; Jackson, Andrew; Wheeler, Raymond

2015-01-01

A wastewater recovery system has been developed that combines novel biological and physicochemical components for recycling wastewater on long duration space missions. Functionally, this Alternative Water Processor (AWP) would replace the Urine Processing Assembly on the International Space Station and reduce or eliminate the need for the multifiltration beds of the Water Processing Assembly (WPA). At its center are two unique game changing technologies: 1) a biological water processor (BWP) to mineralize organic forms of carbon and nitrogen and 2) an advanced membrane processor (Forward Osmosis Secondary Treatment) for removal of solids and inorganic ions. The AWP is designed for recycling larger quantities of wastewater from multiple sources expected during future exploration missions, including urine, hygiene (hand wash, shower, oral and shave) and laundry. The BWP utilizes a single-stage membrane-aerated biological reactor for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification. The Forward Osmosis Secondary Treatment (FOST) system uses a combination of forward osmosis (FO) and reverse osmosis (RO), is resistant to biofouling and can easily tolerate wastewaters high in non-volatile organics and solids associated with shower and/or hand washing. The BWP was operated continuously for over 300 days. After startup, the mature biological system averaged 85% organic carbon removal and 44% nitrogen removal, close to maximum based on available carbon. The FOST has averaged 93% water recovery, with a maximum of 98%. If the wastewater is slighty acidified, ammonia rejection is optimal. This paper will provide a description of the technology and summarize results from ground-based testing using real wastewater.

Demonstration of Advanced Oxidation Treatment of Shipboard Blackwater and Graywater

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

Laboratory Measurement Equipment The influent, effluent and sludge flowrates were measured by electromagnetic flowmeters manufactured by Endress and... Hauser . The Proline Promag Model 53P50-EL0B1RC2BAAA is designed to measure wastewater flow in piping. The flowmeters were connected to the LWFS which

Advanced Trickling Filters. Training Module 2.112.4.77.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Layton, Ronald F.

This document is an instructional module package prepared in objective form for use by an instructor familiar with operation and maintenance of a trickling filter wastewater treatment plant. Included are objectives, instructor guides, student handouts and transparency masters. This is the third level of a three module series and considers…

Combination of granular activated carbon adsorption and deep-bed filtration as a single advanced wastewater treatment step for organic micropollutant and phosphorus removal.

PubMed

Altmann, Johannes; Rehfeld, Daniel; Träder, Kai; Sperlich, Alexander; Jekel, Martin

2016-04-01

Adsorption onto granular activated carbon (GAC) is an established technology in water and advanced wastewater treatment for the removal of organic substances from the liquid phase. Besides adsorption, the removal of particulate matter by filtration and biodegradation of organic substances in GAC contactors has frequently been reported. The application of GAC as both adsorbent for organic micropollutant (OMP) removal and filter medium for solids retention in tertiary wastewater filtration represents an energy- and space saving option, but has rarely been considered because high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and suspended solids concentrations in the influent of the GAC adsorber put a significant burden on this integrated treatment step and might result in frequent backwashing and unsatisfactory filtration efficiency. This pilot-scale study investigates the combination of GAC adsorption and deep-bed filtration with coagulation as a single advanced treatment step for simultaneous removal of OMPs and phosphorus from secondary effluent. GAC was assessed as upper filter layer in dual-media downflow filtration and as mono-media upflow filter with regard to filtration performance and OMP removal. Both filtration concepts effectively removed suspended solids and phosphorus, achieving effluent concentrations of 0.1 mg/L TP and 1 mg/L TSS, respectively. Analysis of grain size distribution and head loss within the filter bed showed that considerable head loss occurred in the topmost filter layer in downflow filtration, indicating that most particles do not penetrate deeply into the filter bed. Upflow filtration exhibited substantially lower head loss and effective utilization of the whole filter bed. Well-adsorbing OMPs (e.g. benzotriazole, carbamazepine) were removed by >80% up to throughputs of 8000-10,000 bed volumes (BV), whereas weakly to medium adsorbing OMPs (e.g. primidone, sulfamethoxazole) showed removals <80% at <5,000 BV. In addition, breakthrough behavior was also determined for gabapentin, an anticonvulsant drug recently detected in drinking water resources for which suitable removal technologies are still largely unknown. Gabapentin showed poor adsorptive removal, resulting in rapid concentration increases. Whereas previous studies classified gabapentin as not readily biodegradable, sustained removal was observed after prolonged operation and points at biological elimination of gabapentin within the GAC filter. The application of GAC as filter medium was compared to direct addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) to deep-bed filtration as a direct process alternative. Both options yielded comparable OMP removals for most compounds at similar carbon usage rates, but GAC achieved considerably higher removals for biodegradable OMPs. Based on the results, the application of GAC in combination with coagulation/filtration represents a promising alternative to powdered activated carbon and ozone for advanced wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bio-refractory dissolved organic matter and colorants in cassava distillery wastewater: Characterization, coagulation treatment and mechanisms.

PubMed

Zhang, Ming; Wang, Zhou; Li, Penghui; Zhang, Hua; Xie, Li

2017-07-01

An important portion of organic matter and colorants still remain in the biologically treated distillery wastewater, leaving the dark brown and odorous downstream with the heavy loading of chemical oxygen demand and the potential of forming disinfection byproducts. However, those bio-recalcitrant colorants have not been clearly recognized. The current study investigated the features of the bio-refractory organic matter and colorants in a typical distillery effluent, cassava distillery wastewater; special attention was paid to their change and behaviors in the coagulation treatment following the bio-processes. The wastewater analyses denoted that the fraction of high molecular weight (1-50 kDa and >50 kDa) became predominant after the anaerobic-aerobic processes. Importantly, the lignin breakdown products, melanoidins and lignin phenols were confirmed to be the leading colored components, according to the parallel factor analysis of fluorescence excitation-emission matrixes results. Compared with lignin phenols, the former two types of colorants exhibited stronger bio-refractory activity and resulted in smaller color reduction after the aerobic treatment. Neither advanced oxidation nor adsorption could perform efficiently as post-treatment for decolorization in this study. Nevertheless, high removal of color and dissolved organic matter (∼94.0% and ∼78.3%, respectively) could be achieved by the FeCl 3 -involved coagulation under the optimal conditions. The ferric coagulant was found to preferably interact with the aromatic compounds (such as lignin derivatives) and melanoidins via either surface complexation or electric charge neutralization, or both. The findings presented herein might provide an insight into the evaluation of bio-refractory organic colorants and the Fe(III)-involved decolorization mechanisms of ethanol production wastewaters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ten key research issues for integrated and sustainable wastewater reuse in the Middle East.

PubMed

Shomar, Basem; Dare, Anne

2015-04-01

Wastewater management is not limited to the technology used to collect and treat wastewater. It begins with the early planning phase of building a society and includes considerations of how that society will grow. Therefore, history, culture, religion, and socioeconomy are important components to include in any relevant and integrated studies of wastewater management and reuse. Engineering, health, chemistry, biology, food production, cultural heritage, and the needs of people of all ages should be considered together when making management decisions regarding issues so intimately tied with humanity as water and sanitation. Other escalating challenges such as poverty, food, and water scarcity, migration and instability, flooding and catastrophes, diseases and mortality, etc. should also be considered as part of wastewater management and reuse planning. Emerging contaminants could be associated with the urbanization, modernization, and industrialization of several countries. Several arid countries have developed water security strategies where wastewater reuse is a major component. The existing wastewater treatment technologies in these countries are, in most cases, unable to remove such contaminants which may affect irrigation waters, industrial products, groundwater, etc. People would have to accept that the food on their tables could be irrigated with treated wastewater that they generated a few months ago, even if very advanced technologies were used to treat it. The purpose of this review is to highlight multidisciplinary areas of research on wastewater and to propose applicable and affordable mechanisms by which we may consider wastewater as a legitimate resource.

Human health effects of residual carbon nanotubes and traditional water treatment chemicals in drinking water.

PubMed

Simate, Geoffrey S; Iyuke, Sunny E; Ndlovu, Sehliselo; Heydenrych, Mike; Walubita, Lubinda F

2012-02-01

The volume of industrial and domestic wastewater is increasing significantly year by year with the change in the lifestyle based on mass consumption and mass disposal brought about by the dramatic development of economies and industries. Therefore, effective advanced wastewater treatment is required because wastewater contains a variety of constituents such as particles, organic materials, and emulsion depending on the resource. However, residual chemicals that remain during the treatment of wastewaters form a variety of known and unknown by-products through reactions between the chemicals and some pollutants. Chronic exposure to these by-products or residual chemicals through the ingestion of drinking water, inhalation and dermal contact during regular indoor activities (e.g., showering, bathing, cooking) may pose cancer and non-cancer risks to human health. For example, residual aluminium salts in treated water may cause Alzheimer's disease (AD). As for carbon nanotubes (CNTs), despite their potential impacts on human health and the environment having been receiving more and more attention in the recent past, existing information on the toxicity of CNTs in drinking water is limited with many open questions. Furthermore, though general topics on the human health impacts of traditional water treatment chemicals have been studied, no comparative analysis has been done. Therefore, a qualitative comparison of the human health effects of both residual CNTs and traditional water treatment chemicals is given in this paper. In addition, it is also important to cover and compare the human health effects of CNTs to those of traditional water treatment chemicals together in one review because they are both used for water treatment and purification. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An advanced anaerobic biofilter with effluent recirculation for phenol removal and methane production in treatment of coal gasification wastewater.

PubMed

Li, Yajie; Tabassum, Salma; Zhang, Zhenjia

2016-09-01

An advanced anaerobic biofilter (AF) was introduced for the treatment of coal gasification wastewater (CGW), and effluent recirculation was adopted to enhance phenol removal and methane production. The results indicated that AF was reliable in treating diluted CGW, while its efficiency and stability were seriously reduced when directly treating raw CGW. However, its performance could be greatly enhanced by effluent recirculation. Under optimal effluent recirculation of 0.5 to the influent, concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total phenol in the effluent could reach as low as 234.0 and 14.2mg/L, respectively. Also, the rate of methane production reached 169.0mLCH4/L/day. Though CGW seemed to restrain the growth of anaerobic microorganisms, especially methanogens, the inhibition was temporary and reversible, and anaerobic bacteria presented strong tolerance. The activities of methanogens cultivated in CGW could quickly recover on feeding with glucose wastewater (GW). However, the adaptability of anaerobic bacteria to the CGW was very poor and the activity of methanogens could not be improved by long-term domestication. By analysis using the Haldane model, it was further confirmed that high effluent recirculation could result in high activity for hydrolytic bacteria and substrate affinity for toxic matters, but only suitable effluent recirculation could result in high methanogenic activity. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A review on the occurrence of micropollutants in the aquatic environment and their fate and removal during wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Luo, Yunlong; Guo, Wenshan; Ngo, Huu Hao; Nghiem, Long Duc; Hai, Faisal Ibney; Zhang, Jian; Liang, Shuang; Wang, Xiaochang C

2014-03-01

Micropollutants are emerging as a new challenge to the scientific community. This review provides a summary of the recent occurrence of micropollutants in the aquatic environment including sewage, surface water, groundwater and drinking water. The discharge of treated effluent from WWTPs is a major pathway for the introduction of micropollutants to surface water. WWTPs act as primary barriers against the spread of micropollutants. WWTP removal efficiency of the selected micropollutants in 14 countries/regions depicts compound-specific variation in removal, ranging from 12.5 to 100%. Advanced treatment processes, such as activated carbon adsorption, advanced oxidation processes, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and membrane bioreactors can achieve higher and more consistent micropollutant removal. However, regardless of what technology is employed, the removal of micropollutants depends on physico-chemical properties of micropollutants and treatment conditions. The evaluation of micropollutant removal from municipal wastewater should cover a series of aspects from sources to end uses. After the release of micropollutants, a better understanding and modeling of their fate in surface water is essential for effectively predicting their impacts on the receiving environment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Organic contaminants in onsite wastewater treatment systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conn, K.E.; Siegrist, R.L.; Barber, L.B.; Brown, G.K.

2007-01-01

Wastewater from thirty onsite wastewater treatment systems was sampled during a reconnaissance field study to quantify bulk parameters and the occurrence of organic wastewater contaminants including endocrine disrupting compounds in treatment systems representing a variety of wastewater sources and treatment processes and their receiving environments. Bulk parameters ranged in concentrations representative of the wide variety of wastewater sources (residential vs. non-residential). Organic contaminants such as sterols, surfactant metabolites, antimicrobial agents, stimulants, metal-chelating agents, and other consumer product chemicals, measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry were detected frequently in onsite system wastewater. Wastewater composition was unique between source type likely due to differences in source water and chemical usage. Removal efficiencies varied by engineered treatment type and physicochemical properties of the contaminant, resulting in discharge to the soil treatment unit at ecotoxicologically-relevant concentrations. Organic wastewater contaminants were detected less frequently and at lower concentrations in onsite system receiving environments. Understanding the occurrence and fate of organic wastewater contaminants in onsite wastewater treatment systems will aid in minimizing risk to ecological and human health.

Analytical and biological characterization of halogenated gemfibrozil produced through chlorination of wastewater.

PubMed

Bulloch, Daryl N; Lavado, Ramon; Forsgren, Kristy L; Beni, Szabolcs; Schlenk, Daniel; Larive, Cynthia K

2012-05-15

The cholesterol-lowering pharmaceutical gemfibrozil is a relevant environmental contaminant because of its frequency of detection in U.S. wastewaters at concentrations which have been shown to disrupt endocrine function in aquatic species. The treatment of gemfibrozil solutions with sodium hypochlorite yielded a 4'-chlorinated gemfibrozil analog (chlorogemfibrozil). In the presence of bromide ion, as is often encountered in municipal wastewater, hypobromous acid generated through a halogen exchange reaction produced an additional 4'-brominated gemfibrozil product (bromogemfibrozil). Standards of chloro- and bromogemfibrozil were synthesized, isolated and characterized using mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Mass spectrometry was used to follow the in situ halogenation reaction of gemfibrozil in deionized water and wastewater matrices, and to measure levels of gemfibrozil (254 ± 20 ng/L), chlorogemfibrozil (166 ± 121 ng/L), and bromogemfibrozil (50 ± 11 ng/L) in advanced primary wastewater treatment effluent treated by chlorination. Chlorogemfibrozil demonstrated a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the levels of 11-ketotestosterone at 55.1 μg/L and bromogemfibrozil demonstrated a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the levels of testosterone at 58.8 μg/L in vivo in Japanese medaka in a 21 day exposure. These results indicated that aqueous exposure to halogenated degradates of gemfibrozil enhanced the antiandrogenicity of the parent compound in a model fish species, demonstrating that chlorination may increase the toxicity of pharmaceutically active compounds in surface water.

Membrane-integrated physico-chemical treatment of coke-oven wastewater: transport modelling and economic evaluation.

PubMed

Kumar, Ramesh; Chakrabortty, Sankha; Pal, Parimal

2015-04-01

A modelling and simulation study with economic evaluation was carried out for an advanced membrane-integrated hybrid treatment process that ensures reuse of water with recovery of ammoniacal nitrogen as struvite from coke-oven wastewater. Linearized transport model was developed based on extended Nernst-Plank and concentration polarization modulus equation. Effects of pH, transmembrane pressure and cross-flow rate of interest on membrane charge density, solute rejection and solvent flux were investigated. The membrane module was successful in yielding a pure water flux as high as 120 L m(-2) h(-1) removing more than 95 and 96% of the cyanide and phenol, respectively, while permeating more than 90% NH4 (+)-N at a transmembrane pressure of only 15 × 10(2) KPa and at a pH of 10 for a volumetric cross-flow rate of 800 L h(-1). The Fenton's reagents were used to degrade more than 99% of pollutants present in the concentrated stream. The developed model could successfully predict the plant performance as reflected in the very low relative error (0.01-0.12) and overall high correlation coefficient (R(2) > 0.96). Economic analysis indicated that such a membrane-integrated hybrid system could be quite promising in coke wastewater treatment at low cost i.e. $0.934/m(2) of wastewater.

Wastewater treatment using hybrid treatment schemes based on cavitation and Fenton chemistry: a review.

PubMed

Bagal, Manisha V; Gogate, Parag R

2014-01-01

Advanced oxidation processes such as cavitation and Fenton chemistry have shown considerable promise for wastewater treatment applications due to the ease of operation and simple reactor design. In this review, hybrid methods based on cavitation coupled with Fenton process for the treatment of wastewater have been discussed. The basics of individual processes (Acoustic cavitation, Hydrodynamic cavitation, Fenton chemistry) have been discussed initially highlighting the need for combined processes. The different types of reactors used for the combined processes have been discussed with some recommendations for large scale operation. The effects of important operating parameters such as solution temperature, initial pH, initial pollutant concentration and Fenton's reagent dosage have been discussed with guidelines for selection of optimum parameters. The optimization of power density is necessary for ultrasonic processes (US) and combined processes (US/Fenton) whereas the inlet pressure needs to be optimized in the case of Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) based processes. An overview of different pollutants degraded under optimized conditions using HC/Fenton and US/Fenton process with comparison with individual processes have been presented. It has been observed that the main mechanism for the synergy of the combined process depends on the generation of additional hydroxyl radicals and its proper utilization for the degradation of the pollutant, which is strongly dependent on the loading of hydrogen peroxide. Overall, efficient wastewater treatment with high degree of energy efficiency can be achieved using combined process operating under optimized conditions, as compared to the individual process. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Real Science, Real Scientists: Student's Experiments with Natural and Artificial Wastewater Treatment in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdogan, Ibrahim

2006-01-01

In this extended biology, ecology, and earth science activity, students construct hands-on models of natural wastewater treatment and wastewater treatment facilities to achieve an understanding of wastewater treatment process in nature and wastewater treatment facilities. During this simulation activity, students have opportunities to learn…

Assessing the feasibility of wastewater recycling and treatment efficiency of wastewater treatment units.

PubMed

Lou, Jie-Chung; Lin, Yung-Chang

2008-02-01

Wastewater reuse can significantly reduce environmental pollution and save the water sources. The study selected Cheng-Ching Lake water treatment plant in southern Taiwan to discuss the feasibility of wastewater recycling and treatment efficiency of wastewater treatment units. The treatment units of this plant include wastewater basin, sedimentation basin, sludge thickener and sludge dewatering facility. In this study, the treatment efficiency of SS and turbidity were 48.35-99.68% and 24.15-99.36%, respectively, showing the significant removal efficiency of the wastewater process. However, the removal efficiencies of NH(3)-N, total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) are limited by wastewater treatment processes. Because NH(3)-N, TOC and COD of the mixing supernatant and raw water are regulated raw water quality standards, supernatant reuse is feasible and workable during wastewater processes at this plant. Overall, analytical results indicated that supernatant reuse is feasible.

Ozone-UV-catalysis based advanced oxidation process for wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Tichonovas, Martynas; Krugly, Edvinas; Jankunaite, Dalia; Racys, Viktoras; Martuzevicius, Dainius

2017-07-01

A bench-scale advanced oxidation (AO) reactor was investigated for the degradation of six pollutants (2-naphthol, phenol, oxalic acid, phthalate, methylene blue, and D-glucose) in a model wastewater at with the aim to test opportunities for the further upscale to industrial applications. Six experimental conditions were designed to completely examine the experimental reactor, including photolysis, photocatalysis, ozonation, photolytic ozonation, catalytic ozonation, and photocatalytic ozonation. The stationary catalyst construction was made from commercially available TiO 2 nanopowder by mounting it on a glass support and subsequently characterized for morphology (X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy) as well as durability. The ozone was generated in a dielectrical barrier discharge reactor using air as a source of oxygen. The degradation efficiency was estimated by the decrease in total organic carbon (TOC) concentration as well as toxicity using Daphnia magna, and degradation by-products by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The photocatalytic ozonation was the most effective for the treatment of all model wastewater. The photocatalytic ozonation was most effective against ozonation and photolytic ozonation at tested pH values. A complete toxicity loss was obtained after the treatment using photocatalytic ozonation. The possible degradation pathway of the phthalate by oxidation was suggested based on aromatic ring opening reactions. The catalyst used at this experiment confirmed as a durable for continuous use with almost no loss of activity over time. The design of the reactor was found to be very effective for water treatment using photocatalytic ozonation. Such design has a high potential and can be further upscaled to industrial applications due to the simplicity and versatility of manufacturing and maintenance.

Degradation of anti-inflammatory drugs in municipal wastewater by heterogeneous photocatalysis and electro-Fenton process.

PubMed

Villanueva-Rodríguez, Minerva; Bello-Mendoza, Ricardo; Hernández-Ramírez, Aracely; Ruiz-Ruiz, Edgar J

2018-03-01

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are compounds frequently found in municipal wastewater and their degradation by conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) is generally incomplete. This study compared the efficiency of two advanced oxidation processes (AOP), namely heterogeneous photocatalysis (HP) and electro-Fenton (EF), in the degradation of a mixture of common NSAID (diclofenac, ibuprofen and naproxen) dissolved in either deionized water or effluent from a WWTP. Both processes were effective in degrading the NSAID mixture and the trend of degradation was as follows, diclofenac > naproxen > ibuprofen. EF with a current density of 40 mA cm -2 and 0.3 mmol Fe 2+  L -1 was the most efficient process to mineralize the organic compounds, achieving up to 92% TOC removal in deionized water and 90% in the WWTP effluent after 3 h of reaction. HP with 1.4 g TiO 2  L -1 at pH 7 under sunlight, produced 85% TOC removal in deionized water and 39% in WWTP effluent also after 3 h treatment. The lower TOC removal efficiency shown by HP with the WWTP effluent was attributed mainly to the scavenging of reactive species by background organic matter in the wastewater. On the contrary, inorganic ions in the wastewater may produce oxidazing species during the EF process, which contributes to a higher degradation efficiency. EF is a promising option for the treatment of anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals in municipal WWTP at competitive electrical energy efficiencies.

Thermochemical Wastewater Valorization via Enhanced Microbial Toxicity Tolerance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beckham, Gregg T; Thelhawadigedara, Lahiru Niroshan Jayakody; Johnson, Christopher W

Thermochemical (TC) biomass conversion processes such as pyrolysis and liquefaction generate considerable amounts of wastewater, which often contains highly toxic compounds that are incredibly challenging to convert via standard wastewater treatment approaches such as anaerobic digestion. These streams represent a cost for TC biorefineries, and a potential valorization opportunity, if effective conversion methods are developed. The primary challenge hindering microbial conversion of TC wastewater is toxicity. In this study, we employ a robust bacterium, Pseudomonas putida, with TC wastewater streams to demonstrate that aldehydes are the most inhibitory compounds in these streams. Proteomics, transcriptomics, and fluorescence-based immunoassays of P. putidamore » grown in a representative wastewater stream indicate that stress results from protein damage, which we hypothesize is a primary toxicity mechanism. Constitutive overexpression of the chaperone genes, groEL, groES, and clpB, in a genome-reduced P. putida strain improves the tolerance towards multiple TC wastewater samples up to 200-fold. Moreover, the concentration ranges of TC wastewater are industrially relevant for further bioprocess development for all wastewater streams examined here, representing different TC process configurations. Furthermore, we demonstrate proof-of-concept polyhydroxyalkanoate production from the usable carbon in an exemplary TC wastewater stream. Overall, this study demonstrates that protein quality control machinery and repair mechanisms can enable substantial gains in microbial tolerance to highly toxic substrates, including heterogeneous waste streams. When coupled to other metabolic engineering advances such as expanded substrate utilization and enhanced product accumulation, this study generally enables new strategies for biological conversion of highly-toxic, organic-rich wastewater via engineered aerobic monocultures or designer consortia.« less

Towards a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions inventory for biosolids.

PubMed

Alvarez-Gaitan, J P; Short, Michael D; Lundie, Sven; Stuetz, Richard

2016-06-01

Effective handling and treatment of the solids fraction from advanced wastewater treatment operations carries a substantial burden for water utilities relative to the total economic and environmental impacts from modern day wastewater treatment. While good process-level data for a range of wastewater treatment operations are becoming more readily available, there remains a dearth of high quality operational data for solids line processes in particular. This study seeks to address this data gap by presenting a suite of high quality, process-level life cycle inventory data covering a range of solids line wastewater treatment processes, extending from primary treatment through to biosolids reuse in agriculture. Within the study, the impacts of secondary treatment technology and key parameters such as sludge retention time, activated sludge age and primary-to-waste activated sludge ratio (PS:WAS) on the life cycle inventory data of solids processing trains for five model wastewater treatment plant configurations are presented. BioWin(®) models are calibrated with real operational plant data and estimated electricity consumption values were reconciled against overall plant energy consumption. The concept of "representative crop" is also introduced in order to reduce the uncertainty associated with nitrous oxide emissions and soil carbon sequestration offsets under biosolids land application scenarios. Results indicate that both the treatment plant biogas electricity offset and the soil carbon sequestration offset from land-applied biosolids, represent the main greenhouse gas mitigation opportunities. In contrast, fertiliser offsets are of relatively minor importance in terms of the overall life cycle emissions impacts. Results also show that fugitive methane emissions at the plant, as well as nitrous oxide emissions both at the plant and following agricultural application of biosolids, are significant contributors to the overall greenhouse gas balance and combined are higher than emissions associated with transportation. Sensitivity analyses for key parameters including digester PS:WAS and sludge retention time, and assumed biosolids nitrogen content and agricultural availability also provide additional robustness and comprehensiveness to our inventory data and will facilitate more customised user analyses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

INL-EXT--18-50231-Revision-0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Snyder, Seth W; Simon, A.J.

There is an urgency to advancing wastewater technologies due to aging water infrastructure and emerging regulations. A crosscutting working group proposes a conceptual design for a test bed network to understand and evaluate wastewater technologies to drive acceptance and deployment of new technologies to enhance performance. The working group includes contributors from the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and the Water Research Foundation (formerly known as the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation). In “The Water-Energy Nexus: Challenges and Opportunities” (June 2014), the U.S. Department of Energy identified key issues with water-energymore » interdependencies and identified water resource recovery (broadly referred to as “wastewater management” or “sewage treatment”) as a locus of opportunities to improve energy and water security. Traditional sewage treatment uses more than 30 billion kWh per year, almost one percent of our electricity supply (EPRI 2013), and energy use grew 74 percent from 1996 to 2011 (Tarallo 2014). Wastewater is a potential alternative source to address water scarcity. In addition, wastewater contains valuable energy, nutrient, and mineral resources. Traditional sewage treatment does not recover water or other resources. With improved technology and design, reclaimed wastewater could supplement existing water supplies and mitigate water stress. The energy (biogas and heat), nutrients (primarily nitrogen and phosphorus), and minerals in wastewater could displace fossil sources, reduce America’s dependence on imported energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If fully implemented, resource recovery would reduce discharges to the environment and provide ecosystem services. The primary role of both public and private wastewater facilities is to reduce risk to human health and the environment. The institutional driver is to meet regulatory requirements. Capital budgets and revenue from taxes and services are limited at wastewater utilities, reducing the ability to invest in innovation. Therefore, utilities are very risk averse and slow to adopt new technologies that go beyond their traditional historical mandate.« less

Removal of antibiotics in conventional and advanced wastewater treatment: implications for environmental discharge and wastewater recycling.

PubMed

Watkinson, A J; Murby, E J; Costanzo, S D

2007-10-01

Removal of 28 human and veterinary antibiotics was assessed in a conventional (activated sludge) and advanced (microfiltration/reverse osmosis) wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Brisbane, Australia. The dominant antibiotics detected in wastewater influents were cephalexin (med. 4.6 microg L(-1), freq. 100%), ciprofloxacin (med. 3.8 microg L(-1), freq. 100%), cefaclor (med. 0.5 microg L(-1), freq. 100%), sulphamethoxazole (med. 0.36 microg L(-1), freq. 100%) and trimethoprim (med. 0.34 microg L(-1), freq. 100%). Results indicated that both treatment plants significantly reduced antibiotic concentrations with an average removal rate from the liquid phase of 92%. However, antibiotics were still detected in both effluents from the low-to-mid ng L(-1) range. Antibiotics detected in effluent from the activated sludge WWTP included ciprofloxacin (med. 0.6 microg L(-1), freq. 100%), sulphamethoxazole (med. 0.27 microg L(-1), freq. 100%) lincomycin (med. 0.05 microg L(-1), freq. 100%) and trimethoprim (med. 0.05 microg L(-1), freq. 100%). Antibiotics identified in microfiltration/reverse osmosis product water included naladixic acid (med. 0.045 microg L(-1), freq. 100%), enrofloxacin (med. 0.01 microg L(-1), freq. 100%), roxithromycin (med. 0.01 microg L(-1), freq. 100%), norfloxacin (med. 0.005 microg L(-1), freq. 100%), oleandomycin (med. 0.005 microg L(-1), freq. 100%), trimethoprim (med. 0.005 microg L(-1), freq. 100%), tylosin (med. 0.001 microg L(-1), freq. 100%), and lincomycin (med. 0.001 microg L(-1), freq. 66%). Certain traditional parameters, including nitrate concentration, conductivity and turbidity of the effluent were assessed as predictors of total antibiotic concentration, however only conductivity demonstrated any correlation with total antibiotic concentration (p=0.018, r=0.7). There is currently a lack of information concerning the effects of these chemicals to critically assess potential risks for environmental discharge and water recycling.

Evaluation of a long-term operation of a submerged nanofiltration membrane bioreactor (NF MBR) for advanced wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Choi, J H; Fukushi, K; Ng, H Y; Yamamoto, K

2006-01-01

Nanofiltration (NF) is considered as one of the most promising separation technologies to obtain a very good-quality permeate in water and wastewater treatment. A submerged NF membrane bioreactor (NF MBR) using polyamide membranes was tested for a long-term operation and the performance of the NF MBR was compared with that of a microfiltration MBR (MF MBR). Total organic carbon (TOC) concentration in the permeate of the NF MBR ranged from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/L, whereas that of the MF MBR showed an average of 5 mg/L. This could be explained by the tightness of the NF membrane. Although the concentration of organic matter in the supernatant of the NF MBR was higher than that in the permeate due to high rejection by the NF membrane, the NF MBR showed excellent treatment efficiency and satisfactory operational stability for a long-term operation.

A good life environment for all through conceptual, technological and social innovations.

PubMed

Lettinga, G

2006-01-01

In conventional environmental protection the parallel development of advanced technical solutions alongside ever more stringent environmental standards increasingly conflicts with the moral and practical imperatives to ensure sustainability and drastically improve the life conditions of the world's poor. Such priorities are far better tackled by technological and social innovations based on relatively simple and highly sustainable concepts: e.g., applying Natural Biological Mineralization Routes (NBMR) for wastewater and waste treatment, implementing Decentralized Sanitation and Resource Recovery and Reuse (DESAR3) where transport of waste(water)s is kept to an optimum level and pollutants valorized, etc. With developing countries now taking a lead in applying these concepts in public sanitation, the more prosperous countries will gradually abandon the expensive, vulnerable and non-sustainable conventional approaches to wastes treatment and environmental protection.

Advanced Mathematics. Training Module 1.303.3.77.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirkwood Community Coll., Cedar Rapids, IA.

This document is an instructional module prepared in objective form for use by an instructor familiar with mathematics as applied to water and wastewater treatment plant operation. Included are objectives, instructor guides and student handouts. This is the third level of a three module series and is concerned with statistics, total head, steady…

Advanced Chemistry for Operators. Training Module 1.321.3.77.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirkwood Community Coll., Cedar Rapids, IA.

This document is an instructional module package prepared in objective form for use by an instructor familiar with inorganic and general organic chemistry as applied to water and wastewater treatment. Included are objectives, instructor guides, and student handouts. The module contains material related to chemical reactions in water solutions,…

Advanced Rotating Biological Surface Operation. Training Module 2.122.4.77.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulson, W. L.

This document is an instructional module package prepared in objective form for use by an instructor familiar with operation and maintenance of a rotating biological surface (RBS) wastewater treatment system. Included are objectives, instructor guides, student handouts, and transparency masters. This is the third level of a three module series and…

Use of dissolved oxygen modeling results in the management of river quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rickert, D.A.

1984-01-01

In 1973, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a study of the Willamette River, Oregon, to determine the major causes of dissolved oxygen (DO) depletion, and whether advanced treatment of municipal wastewaters was needed to achieve the DO standards. The study showed that rates of carbonaceous decay were low (kr = 0.03-0.06/day) and that point-source loadings of carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) accounted for less than one-third of the satisfied oxygen demand. Nitrification of industrially discharged ammonia was the dominant cause of DO depletion. The study led to the calibration and verification of a steady-state DO model which was used to examine selected scenarios of BOD loading, ammonia loading, and flow augmentation. In 1976, the modeling projections for the Willamette River were presented to resource managers. A review in 1981 indicated that the State of Oregon had instituted an effluent standard on the major discharger of ammonia, rescinded an order for all municipal wastewaters to receive advanced secondary treatment by 1980, and more fully acknowledged the need for flow augmentation during summer to attain the DO standards.

A system coupling hybrid biological method with UV/O3 oxidation and membrane separation for treatment and reuse of industrial laundry wastewater.

PubMed

Mozia, Sylwia; Janus, Magdalena; Brożek, Piotr; Bering, Sławomira; Tarnowski, Krzysztof; Mazur, Jacek; Morawski, Antoni W

2016-10-01

The possibilities of application of a three-step system combining hybrid biological treatment followed by advanced UV/O3 oxidation with in situ generated O3 and membrane separation (ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofiltration (NF)) to treat and reuse the wastewater from an industrial laundry are presented. By the application of a hybrid moving bed biofilm reactor (HMBBR), the total organic carbon concentration was reduced for about 90 %. However, since the HMBBR effluent still contained organic contaminants as well as high concentrations of inorganic ions and exhibited significant turbidity (8.2 NTU), its further treatment before a possible reuse in the laundry was necessary. The UV/O3 pretreatment prior to UF was found to be an efficient method of the membrane fouling alleviation. During UF, the turbidity of wastewater was reduced below 0.3 NTU. To remove the inorganic salts, the UF permeate was further treated during NF. The NF permeate exhibited very low conductivity (27-75 μS/cm) and contained only small amounts of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+); thus ,it could be reused at any stage of the laundry process.

Impact of the Clean Water Act on the levels of toxic metals in urban estuaries: The Hudson River estuary revisited

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanudo-Wilhelmy, S.A.; Gill, G.A.

1999-10-15

To establish the impact of the Clean Water Act on the water quality of urban estuaries, dissolved trace metals and phosphate concentrations were determined in surface waters collected along the Hudson River estuary between 1995 and 1997 and compared with samples collected in the mid-1970s by Klinkhammer and Bender. The median concentrations along the estuary have apparently declined 36--56% for Cu, 55--89% for Cd, 53--85% for Ni, and 53--90% for Zn over a period of 23 years. These reductions appear to reflect improvements in controlling discharges from municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants since the Clean Water Act was enactedmore » in 1972. In contrast, levels of dissolved nutrients (PO{sub 4}) have remained relatively constant during the same period of time, suggesting that wastewater treatment plant improvements in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area have not been as effective at reducing nutrient levels within the estuary. While more advanced wastewater treatment could potentially reduce the levels of Ag and PO{sub 4} along the estuary, these improvements would have a more limited effect on the levels of other trace metals.« less

Destination of organic pollutants during electrochemical oxidation of biologically-pretreated dye wastewater using boron-doped diamond anode.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiuping; Ni, Jinren; Wei, Junjun; Xing, Xuan; Li, Hongna

2011-05-15

Electrochemical oxidation of biologically-pretreated dye wastewater was performed in a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode system. After electrolysis of 12h, the COD was decreased from 532 to 99 mg L(-1) (<100 mg L(-1), the National Discharge Standard of China). More importantly, the destination of organic pollutants during electrochemical oxidation process was carefully investigated by molecular weight distribution measurement, resin fractionation, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, HPLC and GC-MS analysis, and toxicity test. As results, most organic pollutants were completely removed by electrochemical oxidation and the rest was primarily degraded to simpler compounds (e.g., carboxylic acids and short-chain alkanes) with less toxicity, which demonstrated that electrochemical oxidation of biologically-pretreated dye wastewater with BDD anode was very effective and safe. Especially, the performance of BDD anode system in degradation of large molecular organics such as humic substances makes it very promising in practical applications as an advanced treatment of biologically-pretreated wastewaters. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transport of Nitrogen and Phosphorus from Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems to Shallow Groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toor, G.

2014-12-01

The knowledge about the nutrients transport from the vadose zone of onsite wastewater treatment systems (commonly called septic systems) is crucial to protect groundwater quality as 25% of US population uses septic systems to discharge household wastewater. For example, our preliminary data showed that about 47% of applied water was recovered at 60-cm below drainfield of septic systems. This implies that contaminants present in wastewater, if not attenuated in the vadose zone, can be transported to shallow groundwater. This presentation will focus on the biophysical and hydrologic controls on the transport of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from the vadose of two conventional (drip dispersal, gravel trench) and an advanced (with aerobic and anaerobic medias) system. These systems were constructed using two rows of drip pipe (37 emitters/mound) placed 0.3 m apart in the center of 6 m x 0.6 m drainfield. Each system received 120 L of wastewater per day. During 20-month period (May 2012 to December 2013), soil-water samples were collected from the vadose zone using suction cup lysimeters installed at 0.30, 0.60, and 1.05 m depth and groundwater samples were collected from piezometers installed at 3-3.30 m depth below the drainfield. A complimentary 1-year study using smaller drainfields (0.5 m long, 0.9 m wide, 0.9 m high) was conducted to obtain better insights in the vadose zone. A variety of instruments (multi-probe sensors, suction cup lysimeters, piezometers, tensiometers) were installed in the vadose zones. Results showed that nitrification controlled N evolution in drainfield and subsequent transport of N plumes (>10 mg/L) into groundwater. Most of the wastewater applied soluble inorganic P (>10 mg/L) was quickly attenuated in the drainfield due to fixation (sorption, precipitation) in the vadose zone (<0.10 mg/L), which was further reduced to <0.05 mg/L in groundwater. The hydrologic controls (primarily rainfall during June-September) facilitated transport of N, but not P, to shallow groundwater. The advanced system was extremely effective as it removed >95% N from wastewater, but was less effective at removing P. This presentation will conclude with importance of better septic system design and soil-based processes in reducing N and P transport to groundwater and protecting water quality in aquifers.

An Alternative Water Processor for Long Duration Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.; Pickering, Karen D.; Meyer, Caitlin; Pennsinger, Stuart; Vega, Leticia; Flynn, Michael; Jackson, Andrew; Wheeler, Raymond

2014-01-01

A new wastewater recovery system has been developed that combines novel biological and physicochemical components for recycling wastewater on long duration human space missions. Functionally, this Alternative Water Processor (AWP) would replace the Urine Processing Assembly on the International Space Station and reduce or eliminate the need for the multi-filtration beds of the Water Processing Assembly (WPA). At its center are two unique game changing technologies: 1) a biological water processor (BWP) to mineralize organic forms of carbon and nitrogen and 2) an advanced membrane processor (Forward Osmosis Secondary Treatment) for removal of solids and inorganic ions. The AWP is designed for recycling larger quantities of wastewater from multiple sources expected during future exploration missions, including urine, hygiene (hand wash, shower, oral and shave) and laundry. The BWP utilizes a single-stage membrane-aerated biological reactor for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification. The Forward Osmosis Secondary Treatment (FOST) system uses a combination of forward osmosis (FO) and reverse osmosis (RO), is resistant to biofouling and can easily tolerate wastewaters high in non-volatile organics and solids associated with shower and/or hand washing. The BWP has been operated continuously for over 300 days. After startup, the mature biological system averaged 85% organic carbon removal and 44% nitrogen removal, close to stoichiometric maximum based on available carbon. To date, the FOST has averaged 93% water recovery, with a maximum of 98%. If the wastewater is slighty acidified, ammonia rejection is optimal. This paper will provide a description of the technology and summarize results from ground-based testing using real wastewater

Bioremediation and Detoxification of the Textile Wastewater with Membrane Bioreactor Using the White-rot Fungus and Reuse of Wastewater

PubMed Central

Hossain, Kaizar; Quaik, Shlrene; Ismail, Norli; Rafatullah, Mohd; Avasan, Maruthi; Shaik, Rameeja

2016-01-01

Background Application of membrane technology to wastewater treatment has expanded over the last decades due to increasingly stringent legislation, greater opportunities for water reuse/recycling processes and continuing advancement in membrane technology. Objectives In the present study, a bench-scale submerged microfiltration membrane bioreactor (MBR) was used to assess the treatment of textile wastewater. Materials and Methods The decolorization capacity of white-rot fungus coriolus versicolor was confirmed through agar plate and liquid batch studies. The temperature and pH of the reactor were controlled at 29±1°C and 4.5±2, respectively. The bioreactor was operated with an average flux of 0.05 m.d-1 (HRT=15hrs) for a month. Results Extensive growth of fungi and their attachment to the membrane led to its fouling and associated increase of the transmembrane pressure requiring a periodic withdrawal of sludge and membrane cleaning. However, stable decoloration activity (approx. 98%), BOD (40-50%), COD (50-67%) and total organic carbon (TOC) removal (>95%) was achieved using the entire system (fungi + membrane), while the contribution of the fungi culture alone for TOC removal, as indicated by the quality of the reactor supernatant, was 35-50% and 70%, respectively. Conclusions The treated wastewater quality satisfied the requirement of water quality for dyeing and finishing process excluding light coloration. Therefore, textile wastewater reclamation and reuse is a promising alternative, which can both conserve or supplement the available water resource and reduce or eliminate the environmental pollution. PMID:28959331

Evaluation of Treatment Technologies for Wastewater from Insensitive Munitions Production. Phase 1: Technology Down-Selection

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-01

the AOP reactor according to the target process formulation. Gases were vented to a GAC vessel. ERDC/EL TR-13-20 94 10.2.2 Results and Discussion...destructive and filtration methods such as biological treatment (destructive), chemical reduction (destructive), reverse osmosis (RO)/nano- filtration ... filtration ), and advanced oxidation processes (destructive). A comprehensive evaluation of alternatives relies on a detailed list of criteria, allowing for

The Role of Ultrasound on Advanced Oxidation Processes.

PubMed

Babu, Sundaram Ganesh; Ashokkumar, Muthupandian; Neppolian, Bernaurdshaw

2016-10-01

This chapter describes the use of ultrasound in remediation of wastewater contaminated with organic pollutants in the absence and presence of other advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as sonolysis, sono-ozone process, sonophotocatalysis, sonoFenton systems and sonophoto-Fenton methods in detail. All these methods are explained with the suitable literature illustrations. In most of the cases, hybrid AOPs (combination of ultrasound with one or more AOPs) resulted in superior efficacy to that of individual AOP. The advantageous effects such as additive and synergistic effects obtained by operating the hybrid AOPs are highlighted with appropriate examples. It is worth to mention here that the utilization of ultrasound is not only restricted in preparation of modern active catalysts but also extensively used for the wastewater treatment. Interestingly, ultrasound coupled AOPs are operationally simple, efficient, and environmentally benign, and can be readily applied for large scale industrial processes which make them economically viable.

Optimising design, operation and energy consumption of biological aerated filters (BAF) for nitrogen removal of municipal wastewater.

PubMed

Rother, E; Cornel, P

2004-01-01

The Biofiltration process in wastewater treatment combines filtration and biological processes in one reactor. In Europe it is meanwhile an accepted technology in advanced wastewater treatment, whenever space is scarce and a virtually suspended solids-free effluent is demanded. Although more than 500 plants are in operation world-wide there is still a lack of published operational experiences to help planners and operators to identify potentials for optimisation, e.g. energy consumption or the vulnerability against peakloads. Examples from pilot trials are given how the nitrification and denitrification can be optimised. Nitrification can be quickly increased by adjusting DO content of the water. Furthermore carrier materials like zeolites can store surplus ammonia during peak loads and release afterwards. Pre-denitrification in biofilters is normally limited by the amount of easily degradable organic substrate, resulting in relatively high requirements for external carbon. The combination of pre-DN, N and post-DN filters is much more advisable for most municipal wastewaters, because the recycle rate can be reduced and external carbon can be saved. Exemplarily it is shown for a full scale preanoxic-DN/N/postanoxic-DN plant of 130,000 p.e. how 15% energy could be saved by optimising internal recycling and some control strategies.

Contribution of the Antibiotic Chloramphenicol and Its Analogues as Precursors of Dichloroacetamide and Other Disinfection Byproducts in Drinking Water.

PubMed

Chu, Wenhai; Krasner, Stuart W; Gao, Naiyun; Templeton, Michael R; Yin, Daqiang

2016-01-05

Dichloroacetamide (DCAcAm), a disinfection byproduct, has been detected in drinking water. Previous research showed that amino acids may be DCAcAm precursors. However, other precursors may be present. This study explored the contribution of the antibiotic chloramphenicol (CAP) and two of its analogues (thiamphenicol, TAP; florfenicol, FF) (referred to collectively as CAPs), which occur in wastewater-impacted source waters, to the formation of DCAcAm. Their formation yields were compared to free and combined amino acids, and they were investigated in filtered waters from drinking-water-treatment plants, heavily wastewater-impacted natural waters, and secondary effluents from wastewater treatment plants. CAPs had greater DCAcAm formation potential than two representative amino acid precursors. However, in drinking waters with ng/L levels of CAPs, they will not contribute as much to DCAcAm formation as the μg/L levels of amino acids. Also, the effect of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) on DCAcAm formation from CAPs in real water samples during subsequent chlorination was evaluated. Preoxidation of CAPs with AOPs reduced the formation of DCAcAm during postchlorination. The results of this study suggest that CAPs should be considered as possible precursors of DCAcAm, especially in heavily wastewater-impacted waters.

Application of membrane bioreactors in the preliminary treatment of early planetary base wastewater for long-duration space missions.

PubMed

Zhang, Kai; Choi, Hyeok; Dionysiou, Dionysios D; Oerther, Daniel B

2008-12-01

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are the preferred technology for the preliminary treatment of Early Planetary Base Wastewater (EPBW) because of their compact configuration and promising treatment performance. For long-duration space missions, irreversible membrane biofouling resulting from the strong attachment of biomass and the formation of biofilms are major concerns for the MBR process. In this study, a MBR was operated for 230 days treating synthetic EPBW. The reactor demonstrated excellent treatment performance, in terms of chemical oxygen demand removal and nitrification. Filtration resistance is mainly caused by concentration polarization, reversible fouling, and irreversible fouling. Analysis of the microbial communities in the planktonic and corresponding sessile biomass suggested that the microbial community of the planktonic biomass was significantly different from the one of the sessile biomass. This study provides valuable information for the development of the water reuse component in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (Washington, D.C.) Advanced Life Support system for long-term space missions.

Treatment of Arctic wastewater by chemical coagulation, UV and peracetic acid disinfection.

PubMed

Chhetri, Ravi Kumar; Klupsch, Ewa; Andersen, Henrik Rasmus; Jensen, Pernille Erland

2017-02-16

Conventional wastewater treatment is challenging in the Arctic region due to the cold climate and scattered population. Thus, no wastewater treatment plant exists in Greenland, and raw wastewater is discharged directly to nearby waterbodies without treatment. We investigated the efficiency of physicochemical wastewater treatment, in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Raw wastewater from Kangerlussuaq was treated by chemical coagulation and UV disinfection. By applying 7.5 mg Al/L polyaluminium chloride (PAX XL100), 73% of turbidity and 28% phosphate was removed from raw wastewater. E. coli and Enterococcus were removed by 4 and 2.5 log, respectively, when UV irradiation of 0.70 kWh/m 3 was applied to coagulated wastewater. Furthermore, coagulated raw wastewater in Denmark, which has a chemical quality similar to Greenlandic wastewater, was disinfected by peracetic acid or UV irradiation. Removal of heterotrophic bacteria by applying 6 and 12 mg/L peracetic acid was 2.8 and 3.1 log, respectively. Similarly, removal of heterotrophic bacteria by applying 0.21 and 2.10 kWh/m 3 for UV irradiation was 2.1 and greater than 4 log, respectively. Physicochemical treatment of raw wastewater followed by UV irradiation and/or peracetic acid disinfection showed the potential for treatment of arctic wastewater.

Application of ozone for the removal of bisphenol A from water and wastewater--a review.

PubMed

Umar, Muhammad; Roddick, Felicity; Fan, Linhua; Aziz, Hamidi Abdul

2013-02-01

The extensive use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in the plastics industry has led to increasing reports of its presence in the aquatic environment, with concentrations of ng L(-1) to μg L(-1). Various advanced oxidation processes, including ozonation, have been shown to effectively degrade BPA. This paper reviews the current advancements in using ozone to remove BPA from water and wastewater. Most of the published work on the oxidation of BPA by ozone has focused on the efficiency of BPA removal in terms of the disappearance of BPA, and the effect of various operational parameters such as ozone feed rate, contact time and pH; some information is available on the estrogenic activity of the treated water. Due to increasing operational reliability and cost effectiveness, there is great potential for industrial scale application of ozone for the treatment of BPA. However, there is a significant lack of information on the formation of oxidation by-products and their toxicities, particularly in more complex matrices such as wastewater, and further investigation is needed for a better understanding of the environmental fate of BPA. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can activated sludge treatments and advanced oxidation processes remove organophosphorus flame retardants?

PubMed

Cristale, Joyce; Ramos, Dayana D; Dantas, Renato F; Machulek Junior, Amilcar; Lacorte, Silvia; Sans, Carme; Esplugas, Santiago

2016-01-01

This study aims to determine the occurrence of 10 OPFRs (including chlorinated, nonchlorinated alkyl and aryl compounds) in influent, effluent wastewaters and partitioning into sludge of 5 wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Catalonia (Spain). All target OPFRs were detected in the WWTPs influents, and the total concentration ranged from 3.67 µg L(-1) to 150 µg L(-1). During activated sludge treatment, most OPFRs were accumulated in the sludge at concentrations from 35.3 to 9980 ng g(-1) dw. Chlorinated compounds tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP) and tris(2,3-dichloropropyl) phosphate (TDCPP) were not removed by the conventional activated sludge treatment and they were released by the effluents at approximately the same inlet concentration. On the contrary, aryl compounds tris(methylphenyl) phosphate (TMPP) and 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDP) together with alkyl tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP) were not detected in any of the effluents. Advanced oxidation processes (UV/H2O2 and O3) were applied to investigate the degradability of recalcitrant OPFRs in WWTP effluents. Those detected in the effluent sample (TCEP, TCIPP, TDCPP, tributyl phosphate (TNBP), tri-iso-butyl phosphate (TIBP) and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP)) had very low direct UV-C photolysis rates. TBOEP, TNBP and TIBP were degraded by UV/H2O2 and O3. Chlorinated compounds TCEP, TDCPP and TCIPP were the most recalcitrant OPFR to the advanced oxidation processes applied. The study provides information on the partitioning and degradability pathways of OPFR within conventional activated sludge WWTPs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the Unintentional Reuse of Municipal Wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okasaki, S.; Fono, L.; Sedlak, D. L.; Dracup, J. A.

2002-12-01

Many surface waters that receive wastewater effluent also serve as source waters for drinking water treatment plants. Recent research has shown that a number of previously undiscovered wastewater-derived contaminants are present in these surface waters, including pharmaceuticals and human hormones, several of which are suspected carcinogens or endocrine disrupters and are, as of yet, unregulated through drinking water standards. This research has been designed to determine the extent of contamination of specific wastewater-derived contaminants in surface water bodies that both receive wastewater effluent and serve as a source of drinking water to a sizeable population. We are testing the hypothesis that surface water supplies during low flow are potentially of worse quality than carefully monitored reclaimed water. The first phase of our research involves: (1) the selection of sites for study; (2) a hydrologic analysis of the selected sites to determine average flow of the source water during median- and low-flow conditions; and (3) the development and testing of chemical analyses, including both conservative and reactive tracers that have been studied in microcosms and wetlands for attenuation rates. The second phase involves the development and use of the hydrologic model QUAL2E to simulate each of the selected watersheds in order to estimate potential stream water quality impairments at the drinking water intake at each site. The results of the model are verified with field sampling at designated locations at each site. We expect to identify several critical river basins where surface water at the drinking water intake contains sufficient wastewater-derived contaminants to warrant concern. If wastewater-derived contaminants are detected, we will estimate the average annual exposure of consumers of this water. We will compare these expected and actual concentrations with typical constituent concentrations found in wastewater that has undergone advanced treatment for reclamation. We may demonstrate that the surface water supplies during low flow are actually of worse quality than carefully monitored reclaimed water.

Reaction of gadolinium chelates with ozone and hydroxyl radicals.

PubMed

Cyris, Maike; Knolle, Wolfgang; Richard, Jessica; Dopp, Elke; von Sonntag, Clemens; Schmidt, Torsten C

2013-09-03

Gadolinium chelates are used in increasing amounts as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging, and their fate in wastewater treatment has recently become the focus of research. Oxidative processes, in particular the application of ozone, are currently discussed or even implemented for advanced wastewater treatment. However, reactions of the gadolinium chelates with ozone are not yet characterized. In this study, therefore, rate constants with ozone were determined for the three commonly used chelates Gd-DTPA, Gd-DTPA-BMA, and Gd-BT-DO3A, which were found to be 4.8 ± 0.88, 46 ± 2.5, and 24 ± 1.5 M(-1) s(-1), respectively. These low rate constants indicate that a direct reaction with ozone in wastewater is negligible. However, application of ozone in wastewater leads to substantial yields of (•)OH. Different methods have been applied and compared for determination of k((•)OH+Gd chelate). From rate constants determined by pulse radiolysis experiments (k((•)OH+Gd-DTPA) = 2.6 ± 0.2 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), k((•)OH+Gd-DTPA-BMA) = 1.9 ± 0.7 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), k((•)OH+Gd-BT-DO3A) = 4.3 ± 0.2 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1)), it is concluded that a reaction in wastewater via (•)OH radicals is feasible. Toxicity has been tested for educt and product mixtures of both reactions. Cytotoxicity (MTT test) and genotoxicity (micronuclei assay) were not detectable.

Assessment of wastewater effluent quality in Thessaly region, Greece, for determining its irrigation reuse potential.

PubMed

Bakopoulou, S; Emmanouil, C; Kungolos, A

2011-02-01

The objective of the present study is to assess wastewater effluent quality in Thessaly region, Greece, in relation to its physicochemical and microbiological burden as well as its toxic potential on a number of organisms. Wastewater may be used for agricultural as well as for landscape irrigation purposes; therefore, its toxicity potential is quite important. Thessaly region has been chosen since this region suffers from a distinct water shortage in summer period necessitating alternative water resources. During our research, treated effluents from four wastewater treatment plants operating in the region (Larissa, Volos, Karditsa, and Tirnavos) were tested for specific physicochemical and microbiological parameters [biochemical oxygen demand (BOD(5)), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), pH, electrical conductivity, selected metals presence (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, As), and fecal coliforms' (FC) number]. The effluents were also tested for their toxicity using two different bioassays (Daphnia magna immobilization test and Phytotoxkit microbiotest). The findings were compared to relative regulations and guidelines regarding wastewater reuse for irrigation. The results overall show that secondary effluents in Thessaly region are generally acceptable for reuse for irrigation purposes according to limits set by legislation, if effective advanced treatment methods are applied prior to reuse. However, their potential toxicity should be closely monitored, since it was found that it may vary significantly in relation to season and location, when indicator plant and zooplankton organisms are used. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 721.10636 - Slimes and sludges, automotive coating, wastewater treatment, solid waste.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., wastewater treatment, solid waste. 721.10636 Section 721.10636 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL..., wastewater treatment, solid waste. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified as slimes and sludges, automotive coating, wastewater treatment...

40 CFR 721.10636 - Slimes and sludges, automotive coating, wastewater treatment, solid waste.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., wastewater treatment, solid waste. 721.10636 Section 721.10636 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL..., wastewater treatment, solid waste. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified as slimes and sludges, automotive coating, wastewater treatment...

Advanced treatment of biotreated textile industry wastewater with ozone, virgin/ozonated granular activated carbon and their combination.

PubMed

Arslan-Alaton, Idil; Seremet, Ozden

2004-01-01

Biotreated textile wastewater (CODo = 248 mg L(-1); TOCo = 58 mg L(-1); A620 = 0.007 cm(-1); A525 = 0.181 cm(-1); A436 = 0.198 cm(-1)) was subjected to advanced treatment with ozonation, granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption in serial and simultaneous applications. Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of applied ozone dose, ozone absorption rate, specific ozone absorption efficiency, GAC dose, and reaction pH on the treatment performance of the selected tertiary treatment scheme. In separate experiments, the impact of virgin GAC ozonation on its adsorptive capacity for biotreated and biotreated + ozonated textile effluent was also investigated. Ozonation appeared to be more effective for decolorization (kd = 0.15 min(-1) at pH = 3), whereas GAC adsorption yielded higher COD removal rates (54% at pH = 3). It was also found that GAC addition (4 g/L) at pH = 7 and 9 enhanced the COD abatement rate of the ozonation process significantly and that the sequential application of ozonation (at pH = 3-11, 675 mg L(-1) O3) followed by GAC adsorption (at pH = 3-7, 10 g L(-1) GAC) resulted in the highest treatment performances both in terms of color and COD reduction. Simultaneous application of GAC and ozone at acidic and alkaline pH seriously inhibited COD abatement rates as a consequence of competitive adsorption and partial oxidation of textile components and GAC. It could also be established that ozone absorption efficiency decreased after color removal was complete. Ozonation of biotreated textile wastewater with 113 mg L(-1) ozone resulted in an appreciable enhancement of GAC adsorptive capacity in terms of residual color removal. Ozonation of GAC at relatively low doses (= 10.8 mg/g GAC) did not improve its overall adsorption capacity.

Occurrence and removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in an advanced wastewater reclamation plant.

PubMed

Yang, Xin; Flowers, Riley C; Weinberg, Howard S; Singer, Philip C

2011-10-15

The occurrence of nineteen pharmaceutically active compounds and personal care products was followed monthly for 12 months after various stages of treatment in an advanced wastewater reclamation plant in Gwinnett County, GA, U.S.A. Twenty-four hour composite samples were collected after primary clarification, activated sludge biological treatment, membrane filtration, granular media filtration, granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption, and ozonation in the wastewater reclamation plant. Compounds were identified and quantified using high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after solid-phase extraction. Standard addition methods were employed to compensate for matrix effects. Sixteen of the targeted compounds were detected in the primary effluent; sulfadimethoxine, doxycycline, and iopromide were not found. Caffeine and acetaminophen were found at the highest concentrations (∼10(5) ng/L), followed by ibuprofen (∼10(4) ng/L), sulfamethoxazole and DEET (∼10(3) ng/L). Most of the other compounds were found at concentrations on the order of hundreds of ng/L. After activated sludge treatment and membrane filtration, the concentrations of caffeine, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, DEET, tetracycline, and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) had decreased by more than 90%. Erythromycin and carbamazepine, which were resistant to biological treatment, were eliminated by 74 and 88%, on average, by GAC. Primidone, DEET, and caffeine were not amenable to adsorption by GAC. Ozonation oxidized most of the remaining compounds by >60%, except for primidone and DEET. Of the initial 16 compounds identified in the primary effluent, only sulfamethoxazole, primidone, caffeine and DEET were frequently detected in the final effluent, but at concentrations on the order of 10-100 ng/L. Removal of the different agents by the various treatment processes was related to the physical-chemical properties of the compounds. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanoparticles in Constanta-North Wastewater Treatment Plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panaitescu, I. M.; Panaitescu, Fanel-Viorel L.; Panaitescu, Ileana-Irina F. V.

2015-02-01

In this paper we describe the route of the nanoparticles in the WWTP and demonstrate how to use the simulation flow sensitivity analysis within STOATTM program to evaluate the effect of variation of the constant, "k" in the equation v= kCh settling on fixed concentration of nanoparticles in sewage water from a primary tank of physical-biological stage. Wastewater treatment facilities are designed to remove conventional pollutants from sanitary waste. Major processes of treatment includes: a) physical treatment-remove suspended large solids by settling or sedimentation and eliminate floating greases; b) biological treatment-degradation or consumption of the dissolved organic matter using the means of cultivated in activated sludge or the trickling filters; c) chemical treatment-remove other matters by the means of chemical addition or destroying pathogenic organisms through disinfection; d) advanced treatment- removing specific constituents using processes such as activated carbon, membrane separation, or ion exchange. Particular treatment processes are: a) sedimentation; b) coagulation and flocculation; c) activated sludge; d) sand filters; e) membrane separation; f) disinfection. Methods are: 1) using the STOATTM program with input and output data for primary tank and parameters of wastewater. 2) generating a data file for influent using a sinusoidal model and we accepted defaults STOATTM data. 3) After this, getting spreadsheet data for various characteristics of wastewater for 48 hours:flow, temperature, pH, volatile fatty acids, soluble BOD, COD inert soluble particulate BOD, COD inert particles, volatile solids, volatile solids, ammonia, nitrate and soluble organic nitrogen. Findings and Results:1.Graphics after 48 hour;. 2.Graphics for parameters - flow,temperature, pH/units hours; 3.Graphics of nanoparticles; 4. Graphics of others volatile and non-volatile solids; 5. Timeseries data and summary statistics. Biodegradation of nanoparticles is the breakdown of organic molecules that may cause changes in the physical structure or the surface characteristic of the material.

Potential for beneficial application of sulfate reducing bacteria in sulfate containing domestic wastewater treatment.

PubMed

van den Brand, T P H; Roest, K; Chen, G H; Brdjanovic, D; van Loosdrecht, M C M

2015-11-01

The activity of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) in domestic wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) is often considered as a problem due to H2S formation and potential related odour and corrosion of materials. However, when controlled well, these bacteria can be effectively used in a positive manner for the treatment of wastewater. The main advantages of using SRB in wastewater treatment are: (1) minimal sludge production, (2) reduction of potential pathogens presence, (3) removal of heavy metals and (4) as pre-treatment of anaerobic digestion. These advantages are accessory to efficient and stable COD removal by SRB. Though only a few studies have been conducted on SRB treatment of domestic wastewater, the many studies performed on industrial wastewater provide information on the potential of SRB in domestic wastewater treatment. A key-parameter analyses literature study comprising pH, organic substrates, sulfate, salt, temperature and oxygen revealed that the conditions are well suited for the application of SRB in domestic wastewater treatment. Since the application of SRB in WWTP has environmental benefits its application is worth considering for wastewater treatment, when sulfate is present in the influent.

Mathematical modeling of wastewater-derived biodegradable dissolved organic nitrogen.

PubMed

Simsek, Halis

2016-11-01

Wastewater-derived dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) typically constitutes the majority of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) discharged to surface waters from advanced wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). When considering the stringent regulations on nitrogen discharge limits in sensitive receiving waters, DON becomes problematic and needs to be reduced. Biodegradable DON (BDON) is a portion of DON that is biologically degradable by bacteria when the optimum environmental conditions are met. BDON in a two-stage trickling filter WWTP was estimated using artificial intelligence techniques, such as adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems, multilayer perceptron, radial basis neural networks (RBNN), and generalized regression neural networks. Nitrite, nitrate, ammonium, TDN, and DON data were used as input neurons. Wastewater samples were collected from four different locations in the plant. Model performances were evaluated using root mean square error, mean absolute error, mean bias error, and coefficient of determination statistics. Modeling results showed that the R(2) values were higher than 0.85 in all four models for all wastewater samples, except only R(2) in the final effluent sample for RBNN modeling was low (0.52). Overall, it was found that all four computing techniques could be employed successfully to predict BDON.

ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL SYSTEMS (1980 EDITION) AND ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS MANUAL (2002 EDITION)

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) first issued detailed guidance on the design, construction, and operation of onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs) in 1980. Design Manual: Onsite Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems (USEPA.1980) was the most comprehens...

Pilot-scale UV/H2O2 advanced oxidation process for municipal reuse water: Assessing micropollutant degradation and estrogenic impacts on goldfish (Carassius auratus L.).

PubMed

Shu, Zengquan; Singh, Arvinder; Klamerth, Nikolaus; McPhedran, Kerry; Bolton, James R; Belosevic, Miodrag; Gamal El-Din, Mohamed

2016-09-15

Low concentrations (ng/L-μg/L) of emerging micropollutant contaminants in municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents affect the possibility to reuse these waters. Many of those micropollutants elicit endocrine disrupting effects in aquatic organisms resulting in an alteration of the endocrine system. A potential candidate for tertiary municipal wastewater treatment of these micropollutants is ultraviolet (UV)/hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as an advanced oxidation process (AOP) which was currently applied to treat the secondary effluent of the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant (GBWWTP) in Edmonton, AB, Canada. A new approach is presented to predict the fluence-based degradation rate constants (kf') of environmentally occurring micropollutants including carbamazepine [(0.87-1.39) × 10(-3) cm(2)/mJ] and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) [(0.60-0.91) × 10(-3) cm(2)/mJ for 2,4-D] in a medium pressure (MP) UV/H2O2 system based on a previous bench-scale investigation. Rather than using removal rates, this approach can be used to estimate the performance of the MP UV/H2O2 process for degrading trace contaminants of concern found in municipal wastewater. In addition to the ability to track contaminant removal/degradation, evaluation of the MP UV/H2O2 process was also accomplished by identifying critical ecotoxicological endpoints (i.e., estrogenicity) of the treated wastewater. Using quantitative PCR, mRNA levels of estrogen-responsive (ER) genes ERα1, ERα2, ERβ1, ERβ2 and NPR as well as two aromatase encoding genes (CYP19a and CYP19b) in goldfish (Carassius auratus L.) were measured during exposure to the GBWWTP effluent before and after MP UV/H2O2 treatment (a fluence of 1000 mJ/cm(2) and 20 mg/L of H2O2) in spring, summer and fall. Elevated expression of estrogen-responsive genes in goldfish exposed to UV/H2O2 treated effluent (a 7-day exposure) suggested that the UV/H2O2 process may induce acute estrogenic disruption to goldfish principally because of the possible formation of various oxidation by-products. However, prolonged exposure of goldfish (60 days) in UV/H2O2 treated effluent showed a restoration trend of ER gene expressions, especially in the summer. Collectively, our findings provide valuable indications regarding the long-term in vivo assessment of the MP UV/H2O2 process for removing/degrading endocrine disrupting compounds detected in the municipal wastewater effluents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Wastewater Treatment Efficiency in a Soft Drinks Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boguniewicz-Zabłocka, Joanna; Capodaglio, Andrea G.; Vogel, Daniel

2017-10-01

During manufacturing processes, most industrial plants generate wastewater which could become harmful to the environment. Discharge of untreated or improperly treated industrial wastewaters into surface water could, in fact, lead to deterioration of the receiving water body's quality. This paper concerns wastewater treatment solutions used in the soft drink production industry: wastewater treatment plant effectiveness analysis was determined in terms of basic pollution indicators, such as BOD, COD, TSS and variable pH. Initially, the performance of mechanic-biological systems for the treatment of wastewater from a specific beverages production process was studied in different periods, due to wastewater flow fluctuation. The study then showed the positive effects on treatment of wastewater augmentation by methanol, nitrogen and phosphorus salts dosed into it during the treatment process. Results confirm that after implemented modification (methanol, nitrogen and phosphorus additions) pollution removal occurs mostly with higher efficiency.

Urban net-zero water treatment and mineralization: experiments, modeling and design.

PubMed

Englehardt, James D; Wu, Tingting; Tchobanoglous, George

2013-09-01

Water and wastewater treatment and conveyance account for approximately 4% of US electric consumption, with 80% used for conveyance. Net zero water (NZW) buildings would alleviate demands for a portion of this energy, for water, and for the treatment of drinking water for pesticides and toxic chemical releases in source water. However, domestic wastewater contains nitrogen loads much greater than urban/suburban ecosystems can typically absorb. The purpose of this work was to identify a first design of a denitrifying urban NZW treatment process, operating at ambient temperature and pressure and circum-neutral pH, and providing mineralization of pharmaceuticals (not easily regulated in terms of environmental half-life), based on laboratory tests and mass balance and kinetic modeling. The proposed treatment process is comprised of membrane bioreactor, iron-mediated aeration (IMA, reported previously), vacuum ultrafiltration, and peroxone advanced oxidation, with minor rainwater make-up and H2O2 disinfection residual. Similar to biological systems, minerals accumulate subject to precipitative removal by IMA, salt-free treatment, and minor dilution. Based on laboratory and modeling results, the system can produce potable water with moderate mineral content from commingled domestic wastewater and 10-20% rainwater make-up, under ambient conditions at individual buildings, while denitrifying and reducing chemical oxygen demand to below detection (<3 mg/L). While economics appear competitive, further development and study of steady-state concentrations and sludge management options are needed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in hormone and stress-inducing activities of municipal wastewater in a conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Wojnarowicz, Pola; Yang, Wenbo; Zhou, Hongde; Parker, Wayne J; Helbing, Caren C

2014-12-01

Conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants do not efficiently remove contaminants of emerging concern, and so are primary sources for contaminant release into the aquatic environment. Although these contaminants are present in effluents at ng-μg/L concentrations (i.e. microcontaminants), many compounds can act as endocrine disrupting compounds or stress-inducing agents at these levels. Chemical fate analyses indicate that additional levels of wastewater treatment reduce but do not always completely remove all microcontaminants. The removal of microcontaminants from wastewater does not necessarily correspond to a reduction in biological activity, as contaminant metabolites or byproducts may still be biologically active. To evaluate the efficacy of conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants to remove biological activity, we examined the performance of a full scale conventional activated sludge municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. We assessed reductions in levels of conventional wastewater parameters and thyroid hormone disrupting and stress-inducing activities in wastewater at three phases along the treatment train using a C-fin assay. Wastewater treatment was effective at reducing total suspended solids, chemical and biochemical oxygen demand, and stress-inducing bioactivity. However, only minimal reduction was observed in thyroid hormone disrupting activities. The present study underscores the importance of examining multiple chemical and biological endpoints in evaluating and monitoring the effectiveness of wastewater treatment for removal of microcontaminants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Iohexol degradation in wastewater and urine by UV-based Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs): Process modeling and by-products identification.

PubMed

Giannakis, Stefanos; Jovic, Milica; Gasilova, Natalia; Pastor Gelabert, Miquel; Schindelholz, Simon; Furbringer, Jean-Marie; Girault, Hubert; Pulgarin, César

2017-06-15

In this work, an Iodinated Contrast Medium (ICM), Iohexol, was subjected to treatment by 3 Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) (UV, UV/H 2 O 2 , UV/H 2 O 2 /Fe 2+ ). Water, wastewater and urine were spiked with Iohexol, in order to investigate the treatment efficiency of AOPs. A tri-level approach has been deployed to assess the UV-based AOPs efficacy. The treatment was heavily influenced by the UV transmittance and the organics content of the matrix, as dilution and acidification improved the degradation but iron/H 2 O 2 increase only moderately. Furthermore, optimization of the treatment conditions, as well as modeling of the degradation was performed, by step-wise constructed quadratic or product models, and determination of the optimal operational regions was achieved through desirability functions. Finally, global chemical parameters (COD, TOC and UV-Vis absorbance) were followed in parallel with specific analyses to elucidate the degradation process of Iohexol by UV-based AOPs. Through HPLC/MS analysis the degradation pathway and the effects the operational parameters were monitored, thus attributing the pathways the respective modifications. The addition of iron in the UV/H 2 O 2 process inflicted additional pathways beneficial for both Iohexol and organics removal from the matrix. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of advanced wastewater treatment on the quality of White River, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crawford, Charles G.; Wangsness, David J.

1991-01-01

In 1983, the City of Indianapolis, Indiana, completed construction of advanced wastewater treatment (AWT) systems to enlarge and upgrade its existing Belmont Road and Southport Road secondary treatment plants. A nonparametric statistical procedure, a modified form of the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank-sum test, was used to test for trends in water quality at two upstream and two downstream sites on White River and at the two treatment plants. Results comparing the pre- (1978-1980) and post- (1983-1988) AWT periods show statistically significant improvements in the quality of the treated effluent and of the White River downstream from the plants. Water quality at sites upstream from the city was relatively constant during the period of study. Total ammonia (as N) decreased 14.6 mg/L and BOD5 (five-day biochemical oxygen demand) decreased 10 to 19 mg/L in the two effluents. Total ammonia in the river downstream from the plants decreased 0.8 to 1.9 mg/L and BOD5 decreased 2.3 to 2.5 mg/L. Nitrate (as N) increased 14.5 mg/L in the plant effluents and 2.0 to 2.4 mg/L in the river because of in-plant nitrification. Dissolved oxygen concentration in the river increased about 3 mg/L because of reduced oxygen demand for nitrification and biochemical oxidation processes.

Operation, Maintenance and Management of Wastewater Treatment Facilities: A Bibliography of Technical Documents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Himes, Dottie

This is an annotated bibliography of wastewater treatment manuals. Fourteen manuals are abstracted including: (1) A Planned Maintenance Management System for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants; (2) Anaerobic Sludge Digestion, Operations Manual; (3) Emergency Planning for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facilities; (4) Estimating Laboratory Needs…

40 CFR 721.10667 - Slimes and sludges, aluminum and iron casting, wastewater treatment, solid waste.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... casting, wastewater treatment, solid waste. 721.10667 Section 721.10667 Protection of Environment... iron casting, wastewater treatment, solid waste. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses... and iron casting, wastewater treatment, solid waste (PMN P-12-560; CAS No. 1391739-82-4; chemical...

40 CFR 721.10667 - Slimes and sludges, aluminum and iron casting, wastewater treatment, solid waste.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... casting, wastewater treatment, solid waste. 721.10667 Section 721.10667 Protection of Environment... iron casting, wastewater treatment, solid waste. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses... and iron casting, wastewater treatment, solid waste (PMN P-12-560; CAS No. 1391739-82-4; chemical...

IMPACT OF INFLUENT MICROORGANISMS UPON POOR SOLIDS SEPARATION IN THE QUIESCENT ZONE OF AN INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

One of the most common biological treatment systems used to clean wastewater is suspended growth activated sludge wastewater treatment (AS). When AS is adapted for the treatment of wastewater from industrial manufacturing processes, unanticipated difficulties can arise. For the s...

Orientation to Municipal Wastewater Treatment. Training Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Water Program Operations (EPA), Cincinnati, OH. National Training and Operational Technology Center.

Introductory-level material on municipal wastewater treatment facilities and processes is presented. Course topics include sources and characteristics of municipal wastewaters; objectives of wastewater treatment; design, operation, and maintenance factors; performance testing; plant staffing; and laboratory considerations. Chapter topics include…

The effect of activated carbon addition on membrane bioreactor processes for wastewater treatment and reclamation - A critical review.

PubMed

Skouteris, George; Saroj, Devendra; Melidis, Paraschos; Hai, Faisal I; Ouki, Sabèha

2015-06-01

This review concentrates on the effect of activated carbon (AC) addition to membrane bioreactors (MBRs) treating wastewaters. Use of AC-assisted MBRs combines adsorption, biodegradation and membrane filtration. This can lead to advanced removal of recalcitrant pollutants and mitigation of membrane fouling. The relative contribution of adsorption and biodegradation to overall removal achieved by an AC-assisted MBR process can vary, and "biological AC" may not fully develop due to competition of target pollutants with bulk organics in wastewater. Thus periodic replenishment of spent AC is necessary. Sludge retention time (SRT) governs the frequency of spent AC withdrawal and addition of fresh AC, and is an important parameter that significantly influences the performance of AC-assisted MBRs. Of utmost importance is AC dosage because AC overdose may aggravate membrane fouling, increase sludge viscosity, impair mass transfer and reduce sludge dewaterability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Construction and Operation Costs of Wastewater Treatment and Implications for the Paper Industry in China.

PubMed

Niu, Kunyu; Wu, Jian; Yu, Fang; Guo, Jingli

2016-11-15

This paper aims to develop a construction and operation cost model of wastewater treatment for the paper industry in China and explores the main factors that determine these costs. Previous models mainly involved factors relating to the treatment scale and efficiency of treatment facilities for deriving the cost function. We considered the factors more comprehensively by adding a regional variable to represent the economic development level, a corporate ownership factor to represent the plant characteristics, a subsector variable to capture pollutant characteristics, and a detailed-classification technology variable. We applied a unique data set from a national pollution source census for the model simulation. The major findings include the following: (1) Wastewater treatment costs in the paper industry are determined by scale, technology, degree of treatment, ownership, and regional factors; (2) Wastewater treatment costs show a large decreasing scale effect; (3) The current level of pollutant discharge fees is far lower than the marginal treatment costs for meeting the wastewater discharge standard. Key implications are as follows: (1) Cost characteristics and impact factors should be fully recognized when planning or making policies relating to wastewater treatment projects or technology development; (2) There is potential to reduce treatment costs by centralizing wastewater treatment via industrial parks; (3) Wastewater discharge fee rates should be increased; (4) Energy efficient technology should become the future focus of wastewater treatment.

Wastewater treatment by nanofiltration membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulyanti, R.; Susanto, H.

2018-03-01

Lower energy consumption compared to reverse osmosis (RO) and higher rejection compared to ultrafiltration make nanofiltration (NF) membrane get more and more attention for wastewater treatment. NF has become a promising technology not only for treating wastewater but also for reusing water from wastewater. This paper presents various application of NF for wastewater treatments. The factors affecting the performance of NF membranes including operating conditions, feed characteristics and membrane characteristics were discussed. In addition, fouling as a severe problem during NF application is also presented. Further, future prospects and challenges of NF for wastewater treatments are explained.

Are Endocrine Disrupting Compounds a Health Risk in Drinking Water?

PubMed Central

Falconer, Ian R.

2006-01-01

There has been a great deal of international discussion on the nature and relevance of endocrine disrupting compounds in the environment. Changes in reproductive organs of fish and mollusks have been demonstrated in rivers downstream of sewage discharges in Europe and in North America, which have been attributed to estrogenic compounds in the effluent. The anatomical and physiological changes in the fauna are illustrated by feminization of male gonads. The compounds of greatest hormonal activity in sewage effluent are the natural estrogens 17β-estradiol, estrone, estriol and the synthetic estrogen ethinylestradiol. Androgens are also widely present in wastewaters. Investigations of anthropogenic chemical contaminants in freshwaters and wastewaters have shown a wide variety of organic compounds, many of which have low levels of estrogenic activity. In many highly populated countries the drinking water is sourced from the same rivers and lakes that are the recipients of sewage and industrial discharge. The River Thames which flows through London, England, has overall passed through drinking water and sewage discharge 5 times from source to mouth of the river. Under these types of circumstance, any accumulation of endocrine disrupting compounds from sewage or industry potentially affects the quality of drinking water. Neither basic wastewater treatment nor basic drinking water treatment will eliminate the estrogens, androgens or detergent breakdown products from water, due to the chemical stability of the structures. Hence a potential risk to health exists; however present data indicate that estrogenic contamination of drinking water is very unlikely to result in physiologically detectable effects in consumers. Pesticide, detergent and industrial contamination remain issues of concern. As a result of this concern, increased attention is being given to enhanced wastewater treatment in locations where the effluent is directly or indirectly in use for drinking water. In some places at which heavy anthropogenic contamination of drinking water sources occurs, advanced drinking water treatment is increasingly being implemented. This treatment employs particle removal, ozone oxidation of organic material and activated charcoal adsorption of the oxidation products. Such processes will remove industrial organic chemicals, pesticides, detergents, pharmaceutical products and hormones. Populations for which only basic wastewater and drinking water treatment are available remain vulnerable. PMID:16823090

An evaluation of the sustainability of onsite wastewater treatment systems for nutrient management.

PubMed

Diaz-Elsayed, Nancy; Xu, Xiaofan; Balaguer-Barbosa, Maraida; Zhang, Qiong

2017-09-15

The impairment of water bodies from nutrient pollution is a challenging environmental problem that could lead to high eutrophic conditions, fish kills, and human illness, while negatively impacting industries that rely on thriving water bodies. Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs) are a major source of nutrients, however no prior studies have conducted a holistic sustainability assessment of OWTSs that considers their ability to manage nutrients at the household-level in the United States. The aim of this study is therefore to evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of conventional and advanced OWTSs with respect to their ability to remove total nitrogen (TN). Septic tank and drainfield materials were varied for conventional systems, and the advanced systems evaluated consisted of aerobic treatment units (ATUs) and passive nitrogen reduction systems (PNRSs) with nitrification and denitrification stages. Life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis were performed to evaluate OWTSs operating in different soil and temperature conditions. Nutrient management of the advanced OWTSs outperformed the conventional systems (96.7-100% vs. 61-65% TN removal), and resulted in less than 40% of the freshwater (0.06-0.14 vs. 0.37-0.40 kg P-eq/kg TN) and marine eutrophication (0.04-0.06 vs. 0.54-0.65 kg N-eq/kg TN). However, the tradeoff for nutrient management was higher life cycle costs ($101-$121 vs. $45-$58 USD 2015/kg TN) and environmental impacts for the remaining impact categories. Lastly, when the TN removed by the drainfield was <20%, the advanced system had lower impacts than conventional OWTSs across all impact categories except ecotoxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Post-treatment of biologically treated wastewater containing organic contaminants using a sequence of H2O2 based advanced oxidation processes: photolysis and catalytic wet oxidation.

PubMed

Rueda-Márquez, J J; Sillanpää, M; Pocostales, P; Acevedo, A; Manzano, M A

2015-03-15

In this paper the feasibility of a multi-barrier treatment (MBT) for the regeneration of synthetic industrial wastewater (SIWW) was evaluated. Industrial pollutants (orange II, phenol, 4-chlorophenol and phenanthrene) were added to the effluent of municipal wastewater treatment plant. The proposed MBT begins with a microfiltration membrane pretreatment (MF), followed by hydrogen peroxide photolysis (H2O2/UVC) and finishing, as a polishing step, with catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) using granular activated carbon (GAC) at ambient conditions. During the microfiltration step (0.7 μm) the decrease of suspended solids concentration, turbidity and Escherichia coli in treated water were 88, 94 and 99%, respectively. Also, the effluent's transmittance (254 nm) was increased by 14.7%. Removal of more than 99.9% of all added pollutants, mineralization of 63% of organic compounds and complete disinfection of total coliforms were reached during the H2O2/UVC treatment step (H2O2:TOC w/w ratio = 5 and an UVC average dose accumulated by wastewater 8.80 WUVC s cm(-2)). The power and efficiency of the lamp, the water transmittance and photoreactor geometry are taken into account and a new equation to estimate the accumulated dose in water is suggested. Remaining organic pollutants with a higher oxidation state of carbon atoms (+0.47) and toxic concentration of residual H2O2 were present in the effluent of the H2O2/UVC process. After 2.3 min of contact time with GAC at CWPO step, 90 and 100% of total organic carbon and residual H2O2 were removed, respectively. Also, the wastewater toxicity was studied using Vibrio fischeri and Sparus aurata larvae. The MBT operational and maintenance costs (O&M) was estimated to be 0.59 € m(-3). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 35.2125 - Treatment of wastewater from industrial users.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Treatment of wastewater from industrial... Treatment of wastewater from industrial users. (a) Grant assistance shall not be provided for a project... project and the system is for the treatment of domestic wastewater of the entire community, area, region...

40 CFR 35.2125 - Treatment of wastewater from industrial users.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Treatment of wastewater from industrial... Treatment of wastewater from industrial users. (a) Grant assistance shall not be provided for a project... project and the system is for the treatment of domestic wastewater of the entire community, area, region...

40 CFR 35.2125 - Treatment of wastewater from industrial users.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Treatment of wastewater from industrial... Treatment of wastewater from industrial users. (a) Grant assistance shall not be provided for a project... project and the system is for the treatment of domestic wastewater of the entire community, area, region...

40 CFR 35.2125 - Treatment of wastewater from industrial users.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Treatment of wastewater from industrial... Treatment of wastewater from industrial users. (a) Grant assistance shall not be provided for a project... project and the system is for the treatment of domestic wastewater of the entire community, area, region...

40 CFR 35.2125 - Treatment of wastewater from industrial users.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Treatment of wastewater from industrial... Treatment of wastewater from industrial users. (a) Grant assistance shall not be provided for a project... project and the system is for the treatment of domestic wastewater of the entire community, area, region...

Synthetic hospital wastewater treatment by coupling submerged membrane bioreactor and electrochemical advanced oxidation process: Kinetic study and toxicity assessment.

PubMed

Ouarda, Yassine; Tiwari, Bhagyashree; Azaïs, Antonin; Vaudreuil, Marc-Antoine; Ndiaye, Sokhna Dieng; Drogui, Patrick; Tyagi, Rajeshwhar Dayal; Sauvé, Sébastien; Desrosiers, Mélanie; Buelna, Gerardo; Dubé, Rino

2018-02-01

In this work, the combination of membrane bioreactor (MBR) and electro-oxidation (EO) process was studied for the treatment of a synthetic hospital wastewater fortified with four pharmaceutical pollutants namely carbamazepine (CBZ), ibuprofen (IBU), estradiol (E-E) at a concentration of 10 μg L -1 venlafaxine (VEN) at 0.2 μg L -1 . Two treatment configurations were studied: EO process as pre-treatment and post-treatment. Wastewater treatment with MBR alone shows high removal percentages of IBU and E-E (∼90%). Unlikely for CBZ and VEN, a low elimination percentage (∼10%) was observed. The hydraulic and the solid retention times (HRT and SRT) were 18 h and 140 d respectively, while the biomass concentration in the MBR was 16.5 g L -1 . To enhance pharmaceuticals elimination, an EO pretreatment was conducted during 40 min at 2 A. This configuration allowed a 92% removal for VEN, which was far greater than both treatments alone, with lower than 30% and 50% for MBR and EO, respectively. The MBR-EO coupling (EO as post-treatment) allows high removal percentages (∼97%) of the four pharmaceutical pollutants after 40 min of treatment at a current intensity of 0.5 A with Nb/BDD as electrodes. This configuration appears to be very effective compared to the first configuration (EO-MBR) where EO process is used as a pre-treatment. Toxicity assessment showed that the treated effluent of this configuration is not toxic to Daphnia magna except at 100% v/v. The MBR-EO coupling appears to be a promising treatment for contaminated hospital effluents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occurrence and fate of amisulpride, sulpiride, and lamotrigine in municipal wastewater treatment plants with biological treatment and ozonation.

PubMed

Bollmann, Anna Franka; Seitz, Wolfram; Prasse, Carsten; Lucke, Thomas; Schulz, Wolfgang; Ternes, Thomas

2016-12-15

This study examines the transformation and removal of the atypical antipsychotics amisulpride and sulpiride and the anticonvulsant lamotrigine in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Amisulpride, sulpiride and lamotrigine were selected using a tailored non-target screening approach. In WWTPs, lamotrigine concentrations increased from 1.1 to 1.6μg/L while sulpiride and amisulpride exhibited similar concentrations, up to 1.1μg/L and 1.3μg/L, respectively. It was found that N2-glucuronide conjugates of lamotrigine were cleaved to form lamotrigine. Both lamotrigine and amisulpride were detected in groundwater with a concentration of 0.07μg/L. Sulpiride was identified but not quantified. This demonstrates that amisulpride, sulpiride and lamotrigine might be used as indicators for treated wastewater in raw waters used for drinking water production. Furthermore, it could be shown that all three pharmaceutical compounds are efficiently oxidized by ozonation, leading mainly to N-oxide oxidation products. No significant removal of the N-oxides of amisulpride, sulpiride and lamotrigine was observed in the bench-scale biodegradation experiments with activated sludge. This indicated their high biological persistence. Therefore, N-oxides might be appropriate as indicators for post-ozonation as a major technology for the advanced treatment of secondary effluent. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Glutaraldehyde degradation in hospital wastewater by photoozonation.

PubMed

Kist, Lourdes Teresinha; Rosa, Ellen Caroline; Machado, Enio Leandro; Camargo, Maria Emilia; Moro, Celso Camilo

2013-01-01

In this paper, we assessed aqueous solutions of glutaraldehyde (GA), a chemical used for the disinfection of hospital materials, using advanced oxidative processes, O3, and UV, and the combination of the latter two. Assays with different ozone concentrations at distinct pH levels were conducted to determine the best treatment process. GA concentrations before and after each treatment were measured by spectrophotometry. The best treatment was that which combined O3 and UV, yielding a degradation of 72.0-75.0% in relation to the initial concentration with pH between 4 and 9. Kinetics demonstrated that GA degradation is not dependent on pH, as there was a first-order reaction with a rate constant of k = 0.0180 min(-1) for initial pH 9 and of k = 0.0179 min(-1) for initial pH 7, that is, the values are virtually the same. Secondary wastewater samples were also analysed using the septic tank/filter system of a regional hospital in Vale do Rio Pardo, state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. In this case, the characteristics of the wastewater were described and, after treatment, a GA degradation rate of 23.3% was noted, with reductions of 75% for chemical oxygen demand, 81% for biochemical oxygen demand, 68% for turbidity, 70% for surfactants and total disinfection in terms of thermotolerant coliforms.

The electronic nose as a rapid sensor for volatile compounds in treated domestic wastewater.

PubMed

Dewettinck, T; Van Hege, K; Verstraete, W

2001-07-01

An electronic nose consisting of 12 metal oxide sensors was used to monitor volatile compounds in effluent of a domestic wastewater treatment plant. Effluent and reference (deionized water) samples were heated to 60 and 90 degrees C to promote the volatilization and to increase the sensitivity. An effluent measuring campaign of 12 weeks was conducted and the repeatability and reproducibility of the procedure and the apparatus were determined. Processing the obtained fingerprints with principal component analysis (PCA) allowed interpretation and differentiation of the samples in terms of origin and quality, relative to the reference. To minimize the variance due to sensitivity fluctuations of the apparatus and to detect effluents with deviating qualities, two new concepts were defined, i.e. the relative sensorial odour perception (in short: rSOP) and the relative fingerprint. Correlations between the relative overall electronic nose output, expressed as rSOP, and selected routine parameters were weak except for the parameter "volatile suspended solids" (VSS), indicating adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) onto the organic particles. The results clearly demonstrate the possibility to use the electronic nose as a rapid alarm generator towards volatile compounds, e.g. in specific advanced treatment processes to produce reclaimed water from effluent of the domestic wastewater treatment plant under scrutiny.

Synthesis of biomass derived carbon materials for environmental engineering and energy storage applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huggins, Mitchell Tyler

Biomass derived carbon (BC) can serve as an environmentally and cost effective material for both remediation and energy production/storage applications. The use of locally derived biomass, such as unrefined wood waste, provides a renewable feedstock for carbon material production compared to conventional unrenewable resources like coal. Additionally, energy and capital cost can be reduced through the reduction in transport and processing steps and the use of spent material as a soil amendment. However, little work has been done to evaluate and compare biochar to conventional materials such as granular activated carbon or graphite in advanced applications of Environmental Engineering. In this work I evaluated the synthesis and compared the performance of biochar for different applications in wastewater treatment, nutrient recovery, and energy production and storage. This includes the use of biochar as an electrode and filter media in several bioelectrochemical systems (BES) treating synthetic and industrial wastewater. I also compared the treatment efficiency of granular biochar as a packed bed adsorbent for the primary treatment of high strength brewery wastewater. My studies conclude with the cultivation of fungal biomass to serve as a template for biochar synthesis, controlling the chemical and physical features of the feedstock and avoiding some of the limitations of waste derived materials.

Enhanced degradation of persistent pharmaceuticals found in wastewater treatment effluents using TiO2 nanobelt photocatalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Robert; Hu, Anming; Li, Wenjuan; Zhou, Y. Norman

2013-10-01

Pharmaceuticals in wastewater effluents are a current and emerging global problem and the development of cost-effective methods to facilitate their removal is needed to mitigate this issue. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), in particular UV/TiO2, have potential for wastewater treatment. In this study, TiO2 anatase phase nanobelts (30-100 nm in width and 10 μm in length) have been synthesized using a high temperature hydrothermal method as a means to photocatalyze the oxidation of pharmaceutical contaminants. We have investigated a model dye (malachite green), three pharmaceuticals and personal care products—naproxen, carbamazepine, and theophylline—that are difficult to oxidize without AOP processes. TiO2 nanobelts were exposed to 365 nm UV illumination and the measured photocatalytic degradation rates and adsorption parameters of pharmaceuticals were explored using kinetic models. Furthermore we have determined the degree of pharmaceutical degradation as a function of solution pH, illumination time, temperature, and concentration of contaminant. In addition, the roles of active oxygen species—hydroxyl radial (OH·), positive holes (h+), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)—involved were also investigated in the degradation process. These studies offer additional applications of hierarchical TiO2 nanobelt membranes, including those harnessing sunlight for water treatment.

Radiological Risk Assessment for King County Wastewater Treatment Division

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strom, Daniel J.

Staff of the King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) have concern about the aftermath of a radiological dispersion event (RDE) leading to the introduction of significant quantities of radioactive material into the combined sanitary and storm sewer system in King County, Washington. Radioactive material could come from the use of a radiological dispersion device (RDD). RDDs include "dirty bombs" that are not nuclear detonations but are explosives designed to spread radioactive material (National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) 2001). Radioactive material also could come from deliberate introduction or dispersion of radioactive material into the environment, including waterways andmore » water supply systems. This document develops plausible and/or likely scenarios, including the identification of likely radioactive materials and quantities of those radioactive materials to be involved. These include 60Co, 90Sr, 137Cs, 192Ir, 226Ra, plutonium, and 241Am. Two broad categories of scenarios are considered. The first category includes events that may be suspected from the outset, such as an explosion of a "dirty bomb" in downtown Seattle. The explosion would most likely be heard, but the type of explosion (e.g., sewer methane gas or RDD) may not be immediately known. Emergency first responders must be able to quickly detect the radioisotopes previously listed, assess the situation, and deploy a response to contain and mitigate (if possible) detrimental effects resulting from the incident. In such scenarios, advance notice of about an hour or two might be available before any contaminated wastewater reaches a treatment plant. The second category includes events that could go initially undetected by emergency personnel. Examples of such a scenario would be the inadvertent or surreptitious introduction of radioactive material into the sewer system. Intact rogue radioactive sources from industrial radiography devices, well-logging apparatus, or moisture density gages may get into wastewater and be carried to a treatment plant. Other scenarios might include a terrorist deliberately putting a dispersible radioactive material into wastewater. Alternatively, a botched terrorism preparation of an RDD may result in radioactive material entering wastewater without anyone's knowledge. Drinking water supplies may also be contaminated, with the result that some or most of the radioactivity ends up in wastewater.« less

Treatment of Wastewater From Car Washes Using Natural Coagulation and Filtration System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Gheethi, A. A.; Mohamed, R. M. S. R.; Rahman, M. A. A.; Johari, M. R.; Kassim, A. H. M.

2016-07-01

Wastewater generated from carwash is one of the main wastewater resources, which contribute effectively in the increasing of environmental contamination due to the chemical characteristics of the car wastes. The present work aimed to develop an integrated treatment system for carwash wastewater based on coagulation and flocculation using Moringa oleifera and Ferrous Sulphate (FeSO4.7H2O) as well as natural filtration system. The carwash wastewater samples were collected from carwash station located at Parit Raja, Johor, Malaysia. The treatment system of car wash wastewater was designed in the lab scale in four stages included, aeration, coagulation and flocculation, sedimentation and filtration. The coagulation and flocculation unit was carried out using different dosage (35, 70, 105 and 140 mg L-1) of M. oleifera and FeSO4.7H2O, respectively. The efficiency of the integrated treatment system to treat carwash wastewater and to meet Environmental Quality Act (EQA 1974) was evaluated based on the analysis of pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity (NTU). The integrated treatment system was efficient for treatment of raw carwash wastewater. The treated carwash wastewaters meet EQA 1974 regulation 2009 (Standards A) in the term of pH and DO while, turbidity and COD reduced in the wastewater to meet Standards B. The integrated treatment system designed here with natural coagulant (M. oleifera) and filtration unit were effective for primary treatment of carwash wastewater before the final disposal or to be reused again for carwash process.

A comparative study on the anaerobic membrane bioreactor performance during the treatment of domestic wastewaters of various origins.

PubMed

Saddoud, A; Ellouze, M; Dhouib, A; Sayadi, S

2006-09-01

This study examined the practical performance of a cross-flow ultrafiltration membrane coupled to an anaerobic bioreactor, for treatment of raw domestic wastewater (RDW), at a pilot-scale plant. Wastewaters used in this study originated from two different domestic wastewater treatment plans (DWTPs) (Sfax and Ksour Essef). During the treatment in the membrane bioreactor (MBR) of the RDW originating from Sfax DWTP, the bioreactor did not reach its stationary phase because the anaerobic biomass was unable to adapt to the wastewater. This was explained by the considerable fluctuations in the domestic wastewater composition and a possible contamination of Sfax wastewater by industrial discharges. However, the treatment of RDW originating from Ksour Essef (DWTP) was successful. In both cases, the treatment led to a total removal of all tested pathogens. The quality of treated wastewater fits largely with WHO guidelines for unrestricted irrigation. The phytotoxicity and the microtoxicity tests, using Lepidium sativum and Vibrio fischeri respectively, demonstrated that wastewater from Sfax exhibited higher toxicity than that from Ksour Sssef.

Decontamination of soil washing wastewater using solar driven advanced oxidation processes.

PubMed

Bandala, Erick R; Velasco, Yuridia; Torres, Luis G

2008-12-30

Decontamination of soil washing wastewater was performed using two different solar driven advanced oxidation processes (AOPs): the photo-Fenton reaction and the cobalt/peroxymonosulfate/ultraviolet (Co/PMS/UV) process. Complete sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), the surfactant agent used to enhance soil washing process, degradation was achieved when the Co/PMS/UV process was used. In the case of photo-Fenton reaction, almost complete SDS degradation was achieved after the use of almost four times the actual energy amount required by the Co/PMS/UV process. Initial reaction rate in the first 15min (IR15) was determined for each process in order to compare them. Highest IR15 value was determined for the Co/PMS/UV process (0.011mmol/min) followed by the photo-Fenton reaction (0.0072mmol/min) and the dark Co/PMS and Fenton processes (IR15=0.002mmol/min in both cases). Organic matter depletion in the wastewater, as the sum of surfactant and total petroleum hydrocarbons present (measured as chemical oxygen demand, COD), was also determined for both solar driven processes. It was found that, for the case of COD, the highest removal (69%) was achieved when photo-Fenton reaction was used whereas Co/PMS/UV process yielded a slightly lower removal (51%). In both cases, organic matter removal achieved was over 50%, which can be consider proper for the coupling of the tested AOPs with conventional wastewater treatment processes such as biodegradation.

Advanced purification of petroleum refinery wastewater by catalytic vacuum distillation.

PubMed

Yan, Long; Ma, Hongzhu; Wang, Bo; Mao, Wei; Chen, Yashao

2010-06-15

In our work, a new process, catalytic vacuum distillation (CVD) was utilized for purification of petroleum refinery wastewater that was characteristic of high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and salinity. Moreover, various common promoters, like FeCl(3), kaolin, H(2)SO(4) and NaOH were investigated to improve the purification efficiency of CVD. Here, the purification efficiency was estimated by COD testing, electrolytic conductivity, UV-vis spectrum, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and pH value. The results showed that NaOH promoted CVD displayed higher efficiency in purification of refinery wastewater than other systems, where the pellucid effluents with low salinity and high COD removal efficiency (99%) were obtained after treatment, and the corresponding pH values of effluents varied from 7 to 9. Furthermore, environment estimation was also tested and the results showed that the effluent had no influence on plant growth. Thus, based on satisfied removal efficiency of COD and salinity achieved simultaneously, NaOH promoted CVD process is an effective approach to purify petroleum refinery wastewater. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recovery oriented phosphorus adsorption process in decentralized advanced Johkasou.

PubMed

Ebie, Y; Kondo, T; Kadoya, N; Mouri, M; Maruyama, O; Noritake, S; Inamori, Y; Xu, K

2008-01-01

Decentralized advanced wastewater treatment using adsorption and desorption process for recovery and recycling oriented phosphorus removal was developed. Adsorbent particles made of zirconium were set in a column, and it was installed as subsequent stage of BOD and nitrogen removal type Johkasou, a household domestic wastewater treatment facility. The water quality of the effluent of adsorption column in a number of experimental sites was monitored. The effluent phosphorus concentration was kept below 1 mg l(-1) during 90 days at all the sites. Furthermore, over 80% of the sites achieved 1 mg l(-1) of T-P during 200 days. This adsorbent was durable, and deterioration of the particles was not observed over a long duration. The adsorbent collected from each site was immersed in alkali solution to desorb phosphorus. Then the adsorbent was reactivated by soaking in acid solution. The reactivated adsorbent was reused and showed almost the same phosphorus adsorption capacity as a new one. Meanwhile, the desorbed phosphorus was recovered with high purity as trisodium phosphate by crystallization. It is proposed as a new decentralized system for recycling phosphorus that paves the way to high-purity recovery of finite phosphorus. IWA Publishing 2008.

A novel integration of three-dimensional electro-Fenton and biological activated carbon and its application in the advanced treatment of biologically pretreated Lurgi coal gasification wastewater.

PubMed

Hou, Baolin; Han, Hongjun; Zhuang, Haifeng; Xu, Peng; Jia, Shengyong; Li, Kun

2015-11-01

A novel integrated process with three-dimensional electro-Fenton (3D EF) and biological activated carbon (BAC) was employed in advanced treatment of biologically pretreated Lurgi coal gasification wastewater. SAC-Fe (sludge deserved activated carbon from sewage and iron sludge) and SAC (sludge deserved activated carbon) were used in 3D EF as catalytic particle electrodes (CPEs) and in BAC as carriers respectively. Results indicated that 3D EF with SAC-Fe as CPEs represented excellent pollutants and COLOR removals as well as biodegradability improvement. The efficiency enhancement attributed to generating more H2O2 and OH. The integrated process exhibited efficient performance of COD, BOD5, total phenols, TOC, TN and COLOR removals at a much shorter retention time, with the corresponding concentrations in effluent of 31.18, 6.69, 4.29, 17.82, 13.88mg/L and <20 times, allowing discharge criteria to be met. The integrated system was efficient, cost-effective and ecological sustainable and could be a promising technology for engineering applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced treatment of biologically pretreated coal chemical industry wastewater using the catalytic ozonation process combined with a gas-liquid-solid internal circulating fluidized bed reactor.

PubMed

Li, Zhipeng; Liu, Feng; You, Hong; Ding, Yi; Yao, Jie; Jin, Chao

2018-04-01

This paper investigated the performance of the combined system of catalytic ozonation and the gas-liquid-solid internal circulating fluidized bed reactor for the advanced treatment of biologically pretreated coal chemical industry wastewater (CCIW). The results indicated that with ozonation alone for 60min, the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) could reach 34%. The introduction of activated carbon, pumice, γ-Al 2 O 3 carriers improved the removal performance of COD, and the removal efficiency was increased by 8.6%, 4.2%, 2%, respectively. Supported with Mn, the catalytic performance of activated carbon and γ-Al 2 O 3 were improved significantly with COD removal efficiencies of 46.5% and 41.3%, respectively; however, the promotion effect of pumice supported with Mn was insignificant. Activated carbon supported with Mn had the best catalytic performance. The catalytic ozonation combined system of MnO X /activated carbon could keep ozone concentration at a lower level in the liquid phase, and promote the transfer of ozone from the gas phase to the liquid phase to improve ozonation efficiency.

Microwave discharge electrodeless lamps (MDEL). V. Microwave-assisted photolytic disinfection of Bacillus subtilis in simulated electroplating wash wastewaters.

PubMed

Horikoshi, Satoshi; Tsuchida, Akihiro; Abe, Masahiko; Ohba, Naoki; Uchida, Masayoshi; Serpone, Nick

2010-01-01

This short article examines the microwave-assisted photolytic disinfection of aqueous solutions contaminated by Bacillus subtilis microorganisms using UV and vacuum-UV radiation emitted from a microwave discharge electrodeless lamp (MDEL), a device containing a Hg/Ar gas-fill that was proposed recently for use in Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs). Results of the disinfection are compared with those obtained from UV radiation emitted by a low-pressure electrode Hg lamp and by an excimer lamp. Also examined is the disinfection of B. subtilis aqueous media that contained Au3+ or Ni2+ ions, species often found in the treatment of electroplating wash wastewaters.

Mobile Wastewater Treatment Technology for Contingency Bases

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-24

Def nse Cent rgy and Environment Contingency Base Wastewater Treatment Options Option Advantages Disadvantages Tanking and Trucking Offsite Low...National Defense Center for Energy and Environment Mobile Wastewater Treatment f or Contingency Bases, May 2012 1 National Def nse Cent rgy and...Environment DoD Executive Agent Mobile Wastewater Treatment Technology for Contingency Bases Shan Abeywickrama, NDCEE/CTC Elizabeth Keysar

A comparative study of ultrasonication, Fenton's oxidation and ferro-sonication treatment for degradation of carbamazepine from wastewater and toxicity test by Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) assay.

PubMed

Mohapatra, D P; Brar, S K; Tyagi, R D; Picard, P; Surampalli, R Y

2013-03-01

A comparative study of ultrasonication (US), Fenton's oxidation (FO) and ferro-sonication (FS) (combination of ultrasonication and Fenton's oxidation) advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ) from wastewater (WW) is reported for the first time. CBZ is a worldwide used antiepileptic drug, found as a persistent emerging contaminant in many wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) effluents and other aquatic environments. The oxidation treatments of WW caused an effective removal of the drug. Among the various US, FO and FS pre-treatments carried out, higher soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and soluble organic carbon (SOC) increment (63 to 86% and 21 to 34%, respectively) was observed during FO pre-treatment process, resulting in higher removal of CBZ (84 to 100%) from WW. Furthermore, analysis of by-products formed during US, FO and FS pre-treatment in WW was carried out by using laser diode thermal desorption-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (LDTD-APCI) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). LDTD-APCI-MS/MS analysis indicated formation of two by-products, such as epoxycarbamazepine and hydroxycarbamazepine due to the reaction of hydroxyl radicals (OH) with CBZ during the three types of pre-treatment processes. In addition, the estrogenic activity of US, FO and FS pre-treated sample with CBZ and its by-products was carried out by Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) assay method. Based upon the YES test results, none of the pre-treated samples showed estrogenic activity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pluggable microbial fuel cell stacks for septic wastewater treatment and electricity production.

PubMed

Yazdi, Hadi; Alzate-Gaviria, Liliana; Ren, Zhiyong Jason

2015-03-01

Septic tanks and other decentralized wastewater treatment systems play an important role in protecting public health and water resource for remote or developing communities. Current septic systems do not have energy production capability, yet such feature can be very valuable for areas lack access to electricity. Here we present an easy-to-operate microbial fuel cell (MFC) stack that consists a common base and multiple pluggable units, which can be connected in either series or parallel for electricity generation during waste treatment in septic tanks. Lab studies showed such easy configuration obtained a power density of 142±6.71mWm(-2) when 3 units are connected in parallel, and preliminary calculation indicates that a system that costs approximately US $25 can power a 6-watt LED light for 4h per day with great improvement potential. Detailed electrochemical characterizations provide insights on system internal loss and technology advancement needed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ferrous ions reused as catalysts in Fenton-like reactions for remediation of agro-food industrial wastewater.

PubMed

Leifeld, Vanessa; Dos Santos, Tâmisa Pires Machado; Zelinski, Danielle Wisniewski; Igarashi-Mafra, Luciana

2018-09-15

Cassava is the most important tuberous root in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, being the third largest source of carbohydrates. The root processing is related to the production of starch, an important industrial input, which releases a highly toxic liquid wastewater due to its complex composition, which inhibits high performances of conventional effluent treatments. This study aims to evaluate Fenton-like and photo-Fenton-like reactions for treatment of cassava wastewater, reusing ferrous ions from the preliminary coagulation stage. Pre-treated cassava wastewater was submitted to oxidation in three variations of hydrogen peroxide concentrations, with more relevant analytical responses verified in color, turbidity, COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), and acute toxicity in Artemia salina, besides the action of radicals during Fenton-like reactions. At higher peroxide concentrations, a decrease of 68% in turbidity and 70% in COD on the photo-Fenton-like system was observed, even at slow reaction rates (fastest rate constant k = 2 × 10 -4 min -1 ). Inclusion of UV increases the viability of the Fenton-like reactions by supplementing the reaction medium with hydroxyl radicals, verified by the tert-butanol tests. The oxidation process leads to high EC 50 values in 24 h of incubation in Fenton-like reactions and 48 h in photo-Fenton-like reactions. Final COD and turbidity suggests that the reuse of iron, which remains in the preliminary treatment step shows a great potential as a catalyst for Fenton-like advanced oxidation processes. Tertiary treatment can be less expensive and harmful to the environment, reducing production of residual sludge and metal content in the final effluent, which reduces polluting potential of the effluent regarding solid waste. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the ultrasound effect on treated municipal wastewater.

PubMed

Vázquez-López, Monserrat; Amabilis-Sosa, Leonel Ernesto; Moeller-Chávez, Gabriela Eleonora; Roé-Sosa, Adriana; Neumann, Patricio; Vidal, Gladys

2018-06-18

In this research, ultrasound (US; 26 kHz) application was evaluated as tertiary treatment of treated municipal wastewater coming from conventional activated sludge (AS) and constructed wetland (CW) systems. The degree of disinfection was evaluated through the total (TC) and faecal (FC) coliforms and by somatic coliphages (SCs) determinations. The experiments were carried out without temperature control at times of 200, 400 and 600 s and with temperature control (298.1 K) at 600, 1200 and 1800 s. Changes in the concentrations of C, N and P were also studied. The results shown that treatment without temperature control allowed 100% inactivation for TC, FC and SC at 600 s, while maximum with temperature was achieved at 1800 s. Temperature was an important factor influencing pathogens inactivation. In both cases, microorganism concentrations complied with different international guidelines for the reuse of treated wastewater. At 1800 s sonication concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and total phosphorus were reduced 39.5, 39.4, 50.0 and 37.3% TN in the AS-treated water and 24.0, 49.8, 20.2 and 7.7% in the CW-treated water, respectively. In both cases, the formation of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] radicals is most likely related to the observed pollutants removal. While energy consumption of ultrasound was higher than other advanced treatments such as electrocoagulation, its implementation allows the simultaneous removal of pathogens and organic pollutants without the generation of toxic by-products. In conclusion, ultrasound can be implemented as tertiary treatment of municipal wastewater for the removal of biological and organic pollution, according to reuse guidelines in terms of pathogens presence.

Red cabbage yield, heavy metal content, water use and soil chemical characteristics under wastewater irrigation.

PubMed

Tunc, Talip; Sahin, Ustun

2016-04-01

The objective of this 2-year field study was to evaluate the effects of drip irrigation with urban wastewaters reclaimed using primary (filtration) and secondary (filtration and aeration) processes on red cabbage growth and fresh yield, heavy metal content, water use and efficiency and soil chemical properties. Filtered wastewater (WW1), filtered and aerated wastewater (WW2), freshwater and filtered wastewater mix (1:1 by volume) (WW3) and freshwater (FW) were investigated as irrigation water treatments. Crop evapotranspiration decreased significantly, while water use efficiency increased under wastewater treatments compared to FW. WW1 treatment had the lowest value (474.2 mm), while FW treatments had the highest value (556.7 mm). The highest water use efficiency was found in the WW1 treatment as 8.41 kg m(-3), and there was a twofold increase with regard to the FW. Wastewater irrigation increased soil fertility and therefore red cabbage yield. WW2 treatment produced the highest total fresh yield (40.02 Mg ha(-1)). However, wastewater irrigation increased the heavy metal content in crops and soil. Cd content in red cabbage heads was above the safe limit, and WW1 treatment had the highest value (0.168 mg kg(-1)). WW3 treatment among wastewater treatments is less risky in terms of soil and crop heavy metal pollution and faecal coliform contamination. Therefore, WW3 wastewater irrigation for red cabbage could be recommended for higher yield and water efficiency with regard to freshwater irrigation.

Toxicity and genotoxicity of hospital laundry wastewaters treated with photocatalytic ozonation.

PubMed

Kern, Deivid I; Schwaickhardt, Rômulo de O; Mohr, Geane; Lobo, Eduardo A; Kist, Lourdes T; Machado, Ênio L

2013-01-15

The aim of the present study was to assess the efficiency of advanced oxidative processes based on photocatalytic ozonation (O(3), UV, UV/O(3), UV/O(3)/Fe(2+) 50 mg L(-1) and 150 mg L(-1)) in the treatment of hospital laundry wastewaters. The analysis of the investigated wastewater revealed high chemical oxygen demand (COD - 3343.8 mg L(-1)), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD(5) - 1906.4 mg L(-1)), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN - 79.8 mg L(-1)) and Daphnia magna toxicity (EC50=1.73). Genotoxic effects were also detected for Allium cepa. Reductions of some parameters occurred after photocatalytic ozonation. The UV/O(3)/Fe(2+) 150 mg L(-1) method was more efficient in reducing COD (59.1%), BOD(5) (50.3%) and TKN (86.8%). There was significant reduction (p<0.05) in D. magna toxicity, O(3) (EC50=47.3%), UV (EC50=50.6%) and UV/O(3)/Fe(2+) 150 mg L(-1) (EC50=45.4%) processes. Normalization of the mitotic index and reduction of micronucleated cells were observed in A. cepa after the treatments. Results demonstrate that these methods were efficient in the degradation of hospital laundry wastewaters, representing a thriving alternative for the removal of pollutants that cause toxicity and genotoxicity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization and modeling of reduction of wastewater sludge water content and turbidity removal using magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MION).

PubMed

Hwang, Jeong-Ha; Han, Dong-Woo

2015-01-01

Economic and rapid reduction of sludge water content in sewage wastewater is difficult and requires special advanced treatment technologies. This study focused on optimizing and modeling decreased sludge water content (Y1) and removing turbidity (Y2) with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4, MION) using a central composite design (CCD) and response surface methodology (RSM). CCD and RSM were applied to evaluate and optimize the interactive effects of mixing time (X1) and MION concentration (X2) on chemical flocculent performance. The results show that the optimum conditions were 14.1 min and 22.1 mg L(-1) for response Y1 and 16.8 min and 8.85 mg L(-1) for response Y2, respectively. The two responses were obtained experimentally under this optimal scheme and fit the model predictions well (R(2) = 97.2% for Y1 and R(2) = 96.9% for Y2). A 90.8% decrease in sludge water content and turbidity removal of 29.4% were demonstrated. These results confirm that the statistical models were reliable, and that the magnetic flocculation conditions for decreasing sludge water content and removing turbidity from sewage wastewater were appropriate. The results reveal that MION are efficient for rapid separation and are a suitable alterative to sediment sludge during the wastewater treatment process.

Wastewater use in algae production for generation of renewable resources: a review and preliminary results

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Microalgae feedstock production can be integrated with wastewater and industrial sources of carbon dioxide. This study reviews the literature on algae grown on wastewater and includes a preliminary analysis of algal production based on anaerobic digestion sludge centrate from the Howard F. Curren Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (HFC AWTP) in Tampa, Florida and secondary effluent from the City of Lakeland wastewater treatment facilities in Lakeland, Florida. It was demonstrated that a mixed culture of wild algae species could successfully be grown on wastewater nutrients and potentially scaled to commercial production. Algae have demonstrated the ability to naturally colonize low-nutrient effluent water in a wetland treatment system utilized by the City of Lakeland. The results from these experiments show that the algae grown in high strength wastewater from the HFC AWTP are light-limited when cultivated indoor since more than 50% of the outdoor illumination is attenuated in the greenhouse. An analysis was performed to determine the mass of algae that can be supported by the wastewater nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorous) available from the two Florida cities. The study was guided by the growth and productivity data obtained for algal growth in the photobioreactors in operation at the University of South Florida. In the analysis, nutrients and light are assumed to be limited, while CO2 is abundantly available. There is some limitation on land, especially since the HFC AWTP is located at the Port of Tampa. The temperature range in Tampa is assumed to be suitable for algal growth year round. Assuming that the numerous technical challenges to achieving commercial-scale algal production can be met, the results presented suggest that an excess of 71 metric tons per hectare per year of algal biomass can be produced. Two energy production options were considered; liquid biofuels from feedstock with high lipid content, and biogas generation from anaerobic digestion of algae biomass. The total potential oil volume was determined to be approximately 337,500 gallons per year, which may result in the annual production of 270,000 gallons of biodiesel when 80% conversion efficiency is assumed. This production level would be able to sustain approximately 450 cars per year on average. Potential biogas production was estimated to be above 415,000 kg/yr, the equivalent of powering close to 500 homes for a year. PMID:23289706

Wastewater use in algae production for generation of renewable resources: a review and preliminary results.

PubMed

Dalrymple, Omatoyo K; Halfhide, Trina; Udom, Innocent; Gilles, Benjamin; Wolan, John; Zhang, Qiong; Ergas, Sarina

2013-01-05

Microalgae feedstock production can be integrated with wastewater and industrial sources of carbon dioxide. This study reviews the literature on algae grown on wastewater and includes a preliminary analysis of algal production based on anaerobic digestion sludge centrate from the Howard F. Curren Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (HFC AWTP) in Tampa, Florida and secondary effluent from the City of Lakeland wastewater treatment facilities in Lakeland, Florida. It was demonstrated that a mixed culture of wild algae species could successfully be grown on wastewater nutrients and potentially scaled to commercial production. Algae have demonstrated the ability to naturally colonize low-nutrient effluent water in a wetland treatment system utilized by the City of Lakeland. The results from these experiments show that the algae grown in high strength wastewater from the HFC AWTP are light-limited when cultivated indoor since more than 50% of the outdoor illumination is attenuated in the greenhouse.An analysis was performed to determine the mass of algae that can be supported by the wastewater nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorous) available from the two Florida cities. The study was guided by the growth and productivity data obtained for algal growth in the photobioreactors in operation at the University of South Florida. In the analysis, nutrients and light are assumed to be limited, while CO2 is abundantly available. There is some limitation on land, especially since the HFC AWTP is located at the Port of Tampa. The temperature range in Tampa is assumed to be suitable for algal growth year round. Assuming that the numerous technical challenges to achieving commercial-scale algal production can be met, the results presented suggest that an excess of 71 metric tons per hectare per year of algal biomass can be produced. Two energy production options were considered; liquid biofuels from feedstock with high lipid content, and biogas generation from anaerobic digestion of algae biomass. The total potential oil volume was determined to be approximately 337,500 gallons per year, which may result in the annual production of 270,000 gallons of biodiesel when 80% conversion efficiency is assumed. This production level would be able to sustain approximately 450 cars per year on average. Potential biogas production was estimated to be above 415,000 kg/yr, the equivalent of powering close to 500 homes for a year.

Elimination of micropollutants and transformation products from a wastewater treatment plant effluent through pilot scale ozonation followed by various activated carbon and biological filters.

PubMed

Knopp, Gregor; Prasse, Carsten; Ternes, Thomas A; Cornel, Peter

2016-09-01

Conventional wastewater treatment plants are ineffective in removing a broad range of micropollutants, resulting in the release of these compounds into the aquatic environment, including natural drinking water resources. Ozonation is a suitable treatment process for micropollutant removal, although, currently, little is known about the formation, behavior, and removal of transformation products (TP) formed during ozonation. We investigated the elimination of 30 selected micropollutants (pharmaceuticals, X-ray contrast media, industrial chemicals, and TP) by biological treatment coupled with ozonation and, subsequently, in parallel with two biological filters (BF) or granular activated carbon (GAC) filters. The selected micropollutants were removed to very different extents during the conventional biological wastewater treatment process. Ozonation (specific ozone consumption: 0.87 ± 0.29 gO3 gDOC(-1), hydraulic retention time: 17 ± 3 min) eliminated a large number of the investigated micropollutants. Although 11 micropollutants could still be detected after ozonation, most of these were eliminated in subsequent GAC filtration at bed volumes (BV) of approximately 25,000 m(3) m(-3). In contrast, no additional removal of micropollutants was achieved in the BF. Ozonation of the analgesic tramadol led to the formation of tramadol-N-oxide that is effectively eliminated by GAC filters, but not by BF. For the antiviral drug acyclovir, the formation of carboxy-acyclovir was observed during activated sludge treatment, with an average concentration of 3.4 ± 1.4 μg L(-1) detected in effluent samples. Subsequent ozonation resulted in the complete elimination of carboxy-acyclovir and led to the formation of N-(4-carbamoyl-2-imino-5-oxo imidazolidin)-formamido-N-methoxyacetetic acid (COFA; average concentration: 2.6 ± 1.0 μg L(-1)). Neither the BF nor the GAC filters were able to remove COFA. These results highlight the importance of considering TP in the evaluation of advanced wastewater treatment processes. The results further indicate that post-treatment of ozonated wastewater with GAC filtration seems to be more suitable than BF, due to the sorption of formed TP to the activated carbon. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sources and transformations of anthropogenic nitrogen along an urban river-estuarine continuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennino, Michael J.; Kaushal, Sujay S.; Murthy, Sudhir N.; Blomquist, Joel D.; Cornwell, Jeff C.; Harris, Lora A.

2016-11-01

Urbanization has altered the fate and transport of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) in rivers and estuaries globally. This study evaluates the capacity of an urbanizing river-estuarine continuum to transform N inputs from the world's largest advanced (e.g., phosphorus and biological N removal) wastewater treatment facility. Effluent samples and surface water were collected monthly along the Potomac River estuary from Washington D.C. to the Chesapeake Bay over a distance of 150 km. In conjunction with box model mass balances, nitrate stable isotopes and mixing models were used to trace the fate of urban wastewater nitrate. Nitrate concentrations and δ15N-NO3- values were higher down-estuary from the Blue Plains wastewater outfall in Washington D.C. (2.25 ± 0.62 mg L-1 and 25.7 ± 2.9 ‰, respectively) compared to upper-estuary concentrations (1.0 ± 0.2 mg L-1 and 9.3 ± 1.4 ‰, respectively). Nitrate concentration then decreased rapidly within 30 km down-estuary (to 0.8 ± 0.2 mg L-1), corresponding to an increase in organic nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon, suggesting biotic uptake and organic transformation. TN loads declined down-estuary (from an annual average of 48 000 ± 5000 kg day-1 at the sewage treatment plant outfall to 23 000 ± 13 000 kg day-1 at the estuary mouth), with the greatest percentage decrease during summer and fall. Annually, there was a 70 ± 31 % loss in wastewater NO3- along the estuary, and 28 ± 6 % of urban wastewater TN inputs were exported to the Chesapeake Bay, with the greatest contribution of wastewater TN loads during the spring. Our results suggest that biological transformations along the urban river-estuary continuum can significantly transform wastewater N inputs from major cities globally, and more work is necessary to evaluate the potential of organic nitrogen and carbon to contribute to eutrophication and hypoxia.

TiO2 used as photocatalyst for rhodamine B degradation under solar radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ariyanti, Dessy; Maillot, Mathilde; Gao, Wei

2017-07-01

Transition metal oxide photocatalysis is a relatively new method representing advanced oxidation process to be applied in industrial wastewater treatment especially for degradation of organic pollutants. We investigate TiO2 as a photocatalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under simulated sunlight. Various parameters and their effectiveness have been studied. The effects of processing parameters including catalyst loading and feed concentration were investigated; and the degradation pathway was proposed based on the UHPLC-MS analysis. The result showed that a higher kinetic rate can be obtained by employing low catalyst loading and feed concentration, i.e., 0.5 g/L of TiO2 loading and 5 ppm of RhB concentration, respectively. For this particular system, the optimum degradation rate (k) can achieve 0.297/min. The effectiveness of solar light-TiO2 system for RhB degradation shows this method can be used for wastewater treatment.

Evaluation of membrane bioreactor for advanced treatment of industrial wastewater and reverse osmosis pretreatment

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The evaluation of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) for pretreatment of reverse osmosis (RO) in order to reuse and reclamation of industrial town wastewater treatment plant was investigated in this study. Performance of MBR effluent through water quality in term of parameters such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen (TN) and total coliform (TC) were measured. Also Silt density index (SDI) was used as indicator for RO feed water. The results of this study demonstrated that MBR produce a high quality permeate water. Approximately 75%, 98%, 74% and 99.9% removal of COD, TSS, TN and TC were recorded, respectively. Also SDI of the permeate effluent from membrane was below 3 for most of the times. It means that pilot yield a high quality treated effluent from the membrane module which can be used as RO feed water. PMID:24355199

New challenges for the management of plant nutrients and pathogens in the Waikato River, New Zealand.

PubMed

Vant, W N

2001-01-01

The water quality of the Waikato River is currently much better than it was in the 1950s. Major improvements in the treatment of the sewage and industrial wastewaters which are discharged to the river mean that levels of indicator bacteria in the lower reaches of the river are now many times lower than in the past. Eve so, conditions are still not suitable for swimming, and blue-green algal blooms occur at times. Non-point or diffuse sources of contaminants now dominate the nutrient and pathogens budgets. Progressively-intensifying farming, particularly in lowland areas, is thought to contribute the majority of the contaminants found in the river. Future improvements in water quality will therefore depend more on activities like changes to farming practice--such as retiring the riparian margins of lowland tributaries of the river--than on further advances in wastewater treatment.

Rapid Start-up and Loading of an Attached Growth, Simultaneous Nitrification/Denitrification Membrane Aerated Bioreactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, Caitlin E.; Pensinger, Stuart; Pickering, Karen D.; Barta, Daniel; Shull, Sarah A.; Vega, Letticia M.; Christenson, Dylan; Jackson, W. Andrew

2015-01-01

Membrane aerated bioreactors (MABR) are attached-growth biological systems used for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification to reclaim water from waste. This design is an innovative approach to common terrestrial wastewater treatments for nitrogen and carbon removal and implementing a biologically-based water treatment system for long-duration human exploration is an attractive, low energy alternative to physiochemical processes. Two obstacles to implementing such a system are (1) the "start-up" duration from inoculation to steady-state operations and (2) the amount of surface area needed for the biological activity to occur. The Advanced Water Recovery Systems (AWRS) team at JSC explored these two issues through two tests; a rapid inoculation study and a wastewater loading study. Results from these tests demonstrate that the duration from inoculation to steady state can be reduced to under two weeks, and that despite low ammonium removal rates, the MABRs are oversized.

Solar treatment (H2O2, TiO2-P25 and GO-TiO2 photocatalysis, photo-Fenton) of organic micropollutants, human pathogen indicators, antibiotic resistant bacteria and related genes in urban wastewater.

PubMed

Moreira, Nuno F F; Narciso-da-Rocha, Carlos; Polo-López, M Inmaculada; Pastrana-Martínez, Luisa M; Faria, Joaquim L; Manaia, Célia M; Fernández-Ibáñez, Pilar; Nunes, Olga C; Silva, Adrián M T

2018-05-15

Solar-driven advanced oxidation processes were studied in a pilot-scale photoreactor, as tertiary treatments of effluents from an urban wastewater treatment plant. Solar-H 2 O 2 , heterogeneous photocatalysis (with and/or without the addition of H 2 O 2 and employing three different photocatalysts) and the photo-Fenton process were investigated. Chemical (sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, and diclofenac) and biological contaminants (faecal contamination indicators, their antibiotic resistant counterparts, 16S rRNA and antibiotic resistance genes), as well as the whole bacterial community, were characterized. Heterogeneous photocatalysis using TiO 2 -P25 and assisted with H 2 O 2 (P25/H 2 O 2 ) was the most efficient process on the degradation of the chemical organic micropollutants, attaining levels below the limits of quantification in less than 4 h of treatment (corresponding to Q UV  < 40 kJ L -1 ). This performance was followed by the same process without H 2 O 2 , using TiO 2 -P25 or a composite material based on graphene oxide and TiO 2 . Regarding the biological indicators, total faecal coliforms and enterococci and their antibiotic resistant (tetracycline and ciprofloxacin) counterparts were reduced to values close, or beneath, the detection limit (1 CFU 100 mL -1 ) for all treatments employing H 2 O 2 , even upon storage of the treated wastewater for 3-days. Moreover, P25/H 2 O 2 and solar-H 2 O 2 were the most efficient processes in the reduction of the abundance (gene copy number per volume of wastewater) of the analysed genes. However, this reduction was transient for 16S rRNA, intI1 and sul1 genes, since after 3-days storage of the treated wastewater their abundance increased to values close to pre-treatment levels. Similar behaviour was observed for the genes qnrS (using TiO 2 -P25), bla CTX-M and bla TEM (using TiO 2 -P25 and TiO 2 -P25/H 2 O 2 ). Interestingly, higher proportions of sequence reads affiliated to the phylum Proteobacteria (Beta- and Gammaproteobacteria) were found after 3-days storage of treated wastewater than before its treatment. Members of the genera Pseudomonas, Rheinheimera and Methylotenera were among those with overgrowth. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ecosystem function in waste stabilisation ponds: Improving water quality through a better understanding of biophysical coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghadouani, Anas; Reichwaldt, Elke S.; Coggins, Liah X.; Ivey, Gregory N.; Ghisalberti, Marco; Zhou, Wenxu; Laurion, Isabelle; Chua, Andrew

2014-05-01

Wastewater stabilisation ponds (WSPs) are highly productive systems designed to treat wastewater using only natural biological and chemical processes. Phytoplankton, microbial communities and hydraulics play important roles for ecosystem functionality of these pond systems. Although WSPs have been used for many decades, they are still considered as 'black box' systems as very little is known about the fundamental ecological processes which occur within them. However, a better understanding of how these highly productive ecosystems function is particularly important for hydrological processes, as treated wastewater is commonly discharged into streams, rivers, and oceans, and subject to strict water quality guidelines. WSPs are known to operate at different levels of efficiency, and treatment efficiency of WSPs is dependent on physical (flow characteristics and sludge accumulation and distribution) and biological (microbial and phytoplankton communities) characteristics. Thus, it is important to gain a better understanding of the role and influence of pond hydraulics and vital microbial communities on pond performance and WSP functional stability. The main aim of this study is to investigate the processes leading to differences in treatment performance of WSPs. This study uses a novel and innovative approach to understand these factors by combining flow cytometry and metabolomics to investigate various biochemical characteristics, including the metabolite composition and microbial community within WSPs. The results of these analyses will then be combined with results from the characterisation of pond hydrodynamics and hydraulic performance, which will be performed using advanced hydrodynamic modelling and advanced sludge profiling technology. By understanding how hydrodynamic and biological processes influence each other and ecosystem function and stability in WSPs, we will be able to propose ways to improve the quality of the treatment using natural processes, with less reliance on chemical treatment. This will in turn contribute to the reduction in the cost of operation, but more importantly reduce the impact on the environment (i.e., discharge, GHGs), and increase water quality and the potential for water reuse worldwide.

Net positive energy wastewater treatment plant via thermal pre-treatment of sludge: A theoretical case study.

PubMed

Farno, Ehsan; Baudez, Jean Christophe; Parthasarathy, Rajarathinam; Eshtiaghi, Nicky

2017-04-16

In a wastewater treatment process, energy is mainly used in sludge handling and heating, while energy is recovered by biogas production in anaerobic digestion process. Thermal pre-treatment of sludge can change the energy balance in a wastewater treatment process since it reduces the viscosity and yield stress of sludge and increases the biogas production. In this study, a calculation based on a hypothetical wastewater treatment plant is provided to show the possibility of creating a net positive energy wastewater treatment plant as a result of implementing thermal pre-treatment process before the anaerobic digester. The calculations showed a great energy saving in pumping and mixing of the sludge by thermal pre-treatment of sludge before anaerobic digestion process.

Synthesis of adsorbent from Tamarix hispida and modified by lanthanum metal for fluoride ions removal from wastewater: Adsorbent characteristics and real wastewater treatment data.

PubMed

Habibi, Nasim; Rouhi, Parham; Ramavandi, Bahman

2017-08-01

This data article describes a facile method for production of an adsorbent from Tamarix hispida wasted wood and modified by lanthanum metal for fluoride ions removal from wastewater. The main characteristics of the adsorbent consist of BET surface area, functional groups, and elemental analysis is presented. The data for attenuating the pollutants from a real wastewater treatment which was provided from a glass factory is also represented. More than 90% of fluoride content of the real wastewater was treated by the adsorbent. Generally, these data would be informative for extend research aim to industrial wastewater treatment and those who work in the wastewater treatment plants.

Aquatic risk assessment of a polycarboxylate dispersant polymer used in laundry detergents.

PubMed

Hamilton, J D; Freeman, M B; Reinert, K H

1996-09-01

Polycarboxylates enhance detergent soil removal properties and prevent encrustation of calcium salts on fabrics during washing. Laundry wastewater typically reaches wastewater treatment plants, which then discharge into aquatic environments. The yearly average concentration of a 4500 molecular weight (MW) sodium acrylate homopolymer reaching U.S. wastewater treatment plants will be approximately 0.7 mg/L. Publications showing the low to moderate acute aquatic toxicity of polycarboxylates are readily available. However, there are no published evaluations that estimate wastewater removal and characterize the probability of exceedance of acceptable chronic aquatic exposure. WW-TREAT can be used to estimate removal during wastewater treatment and PG-GRIDS can be applied to characterize risk for exceedance in wastewater treatment plant outfalls. After adjustments for the MW distribution of the homopolymer, WW-TREAT predicted that 6.5% will be removed in primary treatment plants and 60% will be removed in combined primary and activated sludge treatment plants. These estimates are consistent with wastewater fate tests, but underestimate homopolymer removal when homopolymer precipitation is included. Acceptable levels of chronic outfall (receiving water) exposure were based on aquatic toxicity testing in algae, fish, and Daphnia magna. PG-GRIDS predicted that no unreasonable risk for exceedance of acceptable chronic exposure will occur in the outfalls of U.S. wastewater plants. Future development of wastewater treatment models should consider polymer MW distribution and precipitation as factors that may alter removal of materials from wastewater.

Comparison of Fenton process and adsorption method for treatment of industrial container and drum cleaning industry wastewater.

PubMed

Güneş, Elçin; Çifçi, Deniz İzlen; Çelik, Suna Özden

2018-04-01

The present study aims to explore the characterization of industrial container and drum cleaning (ICDC) industry wastewater and treatment alternatives of this wastewater using Fenton and adsorption processes. Wastewater derived from ICDC industry is usually treated by chemical coagulation and biological treatment in Turkey and then discharged in a centralized wastewater treatment facility. It is required that the wastewater COD is below 1500 mg/L to treat in a centralized wastewater treatment facility. The wastewater samples were characterized for parameters of pH, conductivity, COD, BOD 5 , TSS, NH 3 -N, TN, TOC, TP, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Hg. Initial COD values were in the range of 11,300-14,200 mg/L. The optimum conditions for Fenton treatment were 35-40 g/L for H 2 O 2 , 2-5 g/L for Fe 2+ , and 13-36 for H 2 O 2 /Fe 2+ molar ratio. The optimum conditions of PAC doses and contact times in adsorption studies were 20-30 g/L and 5-12 h, respectively. Removal efficiencies of characterized parameters for the three samples were compared for both Fenton and adsorption processes under optimum conditions. The results suggest that these wastewaters are suitable for discharge to a centralized wastewater treatment plant.

Operator decision support system for integrated wastewater management including wastewater treatment plants and receiving water bodies.

PubMed

Kim, Minsoo; Kim, Yejin; Kim, Hyosoo; Piao, Wenhua; Kim, Changwon

2016-06-01

An operator decision support system (ODSS) is proposed to support operators of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in making appropriate decisions. This system accounts for water quality (WQ) variations in WWTP influent and effluent and in the receiving water body (RWB). The proposed system is comprised of two diagnosis modules, three prediction modules, and a scenario-based supporting module (SSM). In the diagnosis modules, the WQs of the influent and effluent WWTP and of the RWB are assessed via multivariate analysis. Three prediction modules based on the k-nearest neighbors (k-NN) method, activated sludge model no. 2d (ASM2d) model, and QUAL2E model are used to forecast WQs for 3 days in advance. To compare various operating alternatives, SSM is applied to test various predetermined operating conditions in terms of overall oxygen transfer coefficient (Kla), waste sludge flow rate (Qw), return sludge flow rate (Qr), and internal recycle flow rate (Qir). In the case of unacceptable total phosphorus (TP), SSM provides appropriate information for the chemical treatment. The constructed ODSS was tested using data collected from Geumho River, which was the RWB, and S WWTP in Daegu City, South Korea. The results demonstrate the capability of the proposed ODSS to provide WWTP operators with more objective qualitative and quantitative assessments of WWTP and RWB WQs. Moreover, the current study shows that ODSS, using data collected from the study area, can be used to identify operational alternatives through SSM at an integrated urban wastewater management level.

Biological treatment of wastewater discharged from biodiesel fuel production plant with alkali-catalyzed transesterification.

PubMed

Suehara, Ken-ichiro; Kawamoto, Yoshihiro; Fujii, Eiko; Kohda, Jiro; Nakano, Yasuhisa; Yano, Takuo

2005-10-01

The biological treatment of wastewater discharged from a biodiesel fuel (BDF) production plant conducting alkali catalysis transesterification was investigated. BDF wastewater has a high pH and high hexane-extracted oil and low nitrogen concentrations, and inhibits the growth of microorganisms. The biological treatment of BDF wastewater is difficult because the composition of such wastewater is not suitable for microbial growth. To apply the microbiological treatment of BDF wastewater using an oil degradable yeast, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, the pH was adjusted to 6.8 and several nutrients such as a nitrogen source (ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride or urea), yeast extract, KH2PO4 and MgSO4.7H2O were added to the wastewater. The optimal initial concentration of yeast extract was 1 g/l and the optimal C/N ratio was between 17 and 68 when using urea as a nitrogen source. A growth inhibitor was also present in the BDF wastewater, and this growth inhibitor could be detected by measuring the solid content in an aqueous phase after the hexane extraction of the wastewater. Microorganisms could not grow at solid contents higher than 2.14 g/l in the wastewater. To avoid the growth inhibition, the BDF wastewater was diluted with the same volume of water. Oil degradation in the diluted BDF wastewater was observed and the best result was obtained under the determined optimal conditions. This treatment system is simple because no controllers, except for a temperature, are necessary. These results suggest that the biological treatment system developed for BDF wastewater is useful for small-scale BDF production plants.

Antibiotics in Wastewater of a Rural and an Urban Hospital before and after Wastewater Treatment, and the Relationship with Antibiotic Use—A One Year Study from Vietnam

PubMed Central

Lien, La Thi Quynh; Hoa, Nguyen Quynh; Chuc, Nguyen Thi Kim; Thoa, Nguyen Thi Minh; Phuc, Ho Dang; Diwan, Vishal; Dat, Nguyen Thanh; Tamhankar, Ashok J.; Lundborg, Cecilia Stålsby

2016-01-01

Hospital effluents represent an important source for the release of antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria into the environment. This study aims to determine concentrations of various antibiotics in wastewater before and after wastewater treatment in a rural hospital (60 km from the center of Hanoi) and in an urban hospital (in the center of Hanoi) in Vietnam, and it aims to explore the relationship between antibiotic concentrations in wastewater before wastewater treatment and quantities of antibiotics used in the rural hospital, over a period of one year in 2013. Water samples were collected using continuous sampling for 24 h in the last week of every month. The data on quantities of antibiotics delivered to all inpatient wards were collected from the Pharmacy department in the rural hospital. Solid-phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were used for chemical analysis. Significant concentrations of antibiotics were present in the wastewater both before and after wastewater treatment of both the rural and the urban hospital. Ciprofloxacin was detected at the highest concentrations in the rural hospital’s wastewater (before treatment: mean = 42.8 µg/L; after treatment: mean = 21.5 µg/L). Metronidazole was detected at the highest concentrations in the urban hospital’s wastewater (before treatment: mean = 36.5 µg/L; after treatment: mean = 14.8 µg/L). A significant correlation between antibiotic concentrations in wastewater before treatment and quantities of antibiotics used in the rural hospital was found for ciprofloxacin (r = 0.78; p = 0.01) and metronidazole (r = 0.99; p < 0.001). PMID:27314366

Antibiotics in Wastewater of a Rural and an Urban Hospital before and after Wastewater Treatment, and the Relationship with Antibiotic Use-A One Year Study from Vietnam.

PubMed

Lien, La Thi Quynh; Hoa, Nguyen Quynh; Chuc, Nguyen Thi Kim; Thoa, Nguyen Thi Minh; Phuc, Ho Dang; Diwan, Vishal; Dat, Nguyen Thanh; Tamhankar, Ashok J; Lundborg, Cecilia Stålsby

2016-06-14

Hospital effluents represent an important source for the release of antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria into the environment. This study aims to determine concentrations of various antibiotics in wastewater before and after wastewater treatment in a rural hospital (60 km from the center of Hanoi) and in an urban hospital (in the center of Hanoi) in Vietnam, and it aims to explore the relationship between antibiotic concentrations in wastewater before wastewater treatment and quantities of antibiotics used in the rural hospital, over a period of one year in 2013. Water samples were collected using continuous sampling for 24 h in the last week of every month. The data on quantities of antibiotics delivered to all inpatient wards were collected from the Pharmacy department in the rural hospital. Solid-phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were used for chemical analysis. Significant concentrations of antibiotics were present in the wastewater both before and after wastewater treatment of both the rural and the urban hospital. Ciprofloxacin was detected at the highest concentrations in the rural hospital's wastewater (before treatment: mean = 42.8 µg/L; after treatment: mean = 21.5 µg/L). Metronidazole was detected at the highest concentrations in the urban hospital's wastewater (before treatment: mean = 36.5 µg/L; after treatment: mean = 14.8 µg/L). A significant correlation between antibiotic concentrations in wastewater before treatment and quantities of antibiotics used in the rural hospital was found for ciprofloxacin (r = 0.78; p = 0.01) and metronidazole (r = 0.99; p < 0.001).

Comparative analysis of effluent water quality from a municipal treatment plant and two on-site wastewater treatment systems.

PubMed

Garcia, Santos N; Clubbs, Rebekah L; Stanley, Jacob K; Scheffe, Brian; Yelderman, Joe C; Brooks, Bryan W

2013-06-01

Though decentralized on-site technologies are extensively employed for wastewater treatment around the globe, an understanding of effluent water quality impairments associated with these systems remain less understood than effluent discharges from centralized municipal wastewater treatment facilities. Using a unique experimental facility, a novel comparative analysis of effluent water quality was performed from model decentralized aerobic (ATS) and septic (STS) on-site wastewater treatment systems and a centralized municipal wastewater treatment plant (MTP). The ATS and STS units did not benefit from further soil treatment. Each system received common influent wastewater from the Waco, Texas, USA Metropolitan Area Regional Sewerage System. We tested the hypothesis that MTP effluent would exhibit higher water quality than on-site effluents, based on parameters selected for study. A tiered testing approach was employed to assess the three effluent discharges: select routine water quality parameters (Tier I), whole effluent toxicity (Tier II), and select endocrine-active compounds (Tier III). Contrary to our hypothesis, ATS effluent was not statistically different from MTP effluents, based on Tier I and III parameters, but reproductive responses of Daphnia magna were slightly more sensitive to ATS than MTP effluents. STS effluent water quality was identified as most degraded of the three wastewater treatment systems. Parameters used to assess centralized wastewater treatment plant effluent water quality such as whole effluent toxicity and endocrine active substances appear useful for water quality assessments of decentralized discharges. Aerobic on-site wastewater treatment systems may represent more robust options than traditional septic systems for on-site wastewater treatment in watersheds with appreciable groundwater - surface water exchange. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biodegradability of tannin-containing wastewater from leather industry.

PubMed

He, Qiang; Yao, Kai; Sun, Danhong; Shi, Bi

2007-08-01

Tannins occur commonly in the wastewaters from forestry, plant medicine, paper and leather industries. The treatment of this kind of wastewaters, including settling and biodegradation, is usually difficult because tannins are highly soluble in water and would inhibit the growth of microorganisms in activated sludge. The objective of this study is to investigate biodegradability of tannin-containing wastewaters, so as to characterize the pollution properties of such wastewaters and provide a reference for their biological treatment in wastewater treatment plants. The research was typified by using the wastewater collected from vegetable tanning process in leather industry. A model was developed to describe the activated sludge process, and the biodegradation kinetics of vegetable tanning wastewater (VET wastewater) was studied. It was found that the biodegradability of tannin-containing wastewater varies heavily with the content of tannins in wastewater. The biodegradation of VET wastewater with tannin content around 4,900 mg/l occurred inefficiently due to the inhibition of tannins to the activated sludge process, and only 34.7% of biodegradation extent was reached in 14 days of incubation. The optimal biodegradability of VET wastewater was observed when its tannin content was diluted to 490 mg/l, where the COD and tannin removals reached 51.3% and 45.1% respectively in 6 days. Hence, it is suggested that a proper control of tannin content is necessary to achieve an effective biodegradation of tannin-containing wastewaters in wastewater treatment plants.

Study of different pretreatments for reverse osmosis reclamation of a petrochemical secondary effluent.

PubMed

Benito-Alcázar, C; Vincent-Vela, M C; Gozálvez-Zafrilla, J M; Lora-García, J

2010-06-15

Conventionally treated petrochemical wastewaters contain substantial quantities of hazardous pollutants. In addition, wastewater reuse is being enhanced as a consequence of the shortage of fresh water. Advanced petrochemical wastewater treatment for water reuse will reduce hazardous pollutants discharges as well as water consumption. Reverse osmosis is a suitable technology to obtain pure water. This work studies the adequacy of different pretreatments applied to a petrochemical secondary effluent to produce a suitable feeding for reverse osmosis treatment. The permeate obtained can be used in the petrochemical industry for different processes. In this work, several experiments (granulated activated carbon filtration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and granulated activated carbon filtration coupled with nanofiltration) were performed to improve the conventional pretreatment. Total organic carbon, chemical oxygen demand, turbidity and silt density index were used to evaluate water quality for reverse osmosis feeding. In granulated activated carbon filtration, all the measured parameters but silt density index indicated a good filtrate quality to feed reverse osmosis membranes. Although the ultrafiltration permeate obtained was suitable for reverse osmosis, nanofiltration and granulated activated carbon filtration coupled with NF provided a better effluent quality for reverse osmosis than the other pretreatments studied. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrated, long term, sustainable, cost effective biosolids management at a large Canadian wastewater treatment facility.

PubMed

Leblanc, R J; Allain, C J; Laughton, P J; Henry, J G

2004-01-01

The Greater Moncton Sewerage Commission's 115,000 m3/d advanced, chemically assisted primary wastewater treatment facility located in New Brunswick, Canada, has developed an integrated, long term, sustainable, cost effective programme for the management and beneficial utilization of biosolids from lime stabilized raw sludge. The paper overviews biosolids production, lime stabilization, conveyance, and odour control followed by an indepth discussion of the wastewater sludge as a resource programme, namely: composting, mine site reclamation, landfill cover, land application for agricultural use, tree farming, sod farm base as a soil enrichment, topsoil manufacturing. The paper also addresses the issues of metals, pathogens, organic compounds, the quality control program along with the regulatory requirements. Biosolids capital and operating costs are presented. Research results on removal of metals from primary sludge using a unique biological process known as BIOSOL as developed by the University of Toronto, Canada to remove metals and destroy pathogens are presented. The paper also discusses an ongoing cooperative research project with the Université de Moncton where various mixtures of plant biosolids are composted with low quality soil. Integration, approach to sustainability and "cumulative effects" as part of the overall biosolids management strategy are also discussed.

Effective removal of effluent organic matter (EfOM) from bio-treated coking wastewater by a recyclable aminated hyper-cross-linked polymer.

PubMed

Yang, Wenlan; Li, Xuchun; Pan, Bingcai; Lv, Lu; Zhang, Weiming

2013-09-01

Effluent organic matter (EfOM) is a complex matrix of organic substance mainly from bio-treated sewage effluent and is considered as the main constraint to further advanced treatment. Here a recyclable aminated hyper-cross-linked polymeric adsorbent (NDA-802) featured with aminated functional groups, large specific surface area, and sufficient micropore region was synthesized for effective removal of EfOM from the bio-treated coking wastewater (BTCW), and its removal characteristics was investigated. It was found that hydrophobic fraction was the main constituent (64.8% of DOC) in EfOM of BTCW, and the hydrophobic-neutral fraction had the highest SUVA level (7.06 L mg(-1) m(-1)), which were significantly different from that in the domestic wastewater. Column adsorption experiments showed that NDA-802 exhibited much higher removal efficiency of EfOM than other polymeric adsorbents D-301, XAD-4, and XAD-7, and the efficiency could be readily sustained according to continuous 28-cycle batch adsorption-regeneration experiments. Moreover, dissolved organic matter (DOM) fractionation and excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy study indicated that NDA-802 showed attractive adsorption preference as well as high removal efficiency of hydrophobic and aromatic compounds. Possibly ascribed to the presence of functional aminated groups, relatively large specific surface area and micropore region of the unique polymer, NDA-802 possesses high and sustained efficiency for the removal of EfOM, and provides a potential alternative for the advanced treatment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decision making tools for selecting sustainable wastewater treatment technologies in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wongburi, Praewa; Park, Jae K.

2018-05-01

Wastewater consists of valuable resources that could be recovered or reused. Still it is under threat because of ineffective wastewater management and systems. In Thailand, less than 25% of wastewater generated may be treated while then rest is inadequately treated and sent back directly into waterbodies or the environment. Furthermore, the technologies that have been applied may be inefficient and unsustainable. Efficiency, sustainability, and simplicity are important concepts when designing an appropriate wastewater treatment system in developing countries. The objectives of this study were to review and evaluate wastewater treatment technologies and propose a method to improve or select an appropriate technology. An expert system in Excel® program was developed to determine the best solution. Sensitivity analysis was applied to compare and assess uncertainty factors. Due to the different conditions of each area, the key factor of interest was varied. Furthermore, Robust Decision Making tool was applied to determine the best way to improve existing wastewater treatment facility and to choose the most appropriate wastewater treatment technology.

Treatment of winery wastewater in a conventional municipal activated sludge process: five years of experience.

PubMed

Bolzonella, D; Zanette, M; Battistoni, P; Cecchi, F

2007-01-01

A full-scale wastewater treatment plant where municipal and winery wastewaters were co-treated was studied for five years. The experimental results showed that suspended solids, COD, nitrogen and phosphorous were effectively removed both during the treatment of municipal wastewater and the cotreatment of municipal and winery wastewater. The sludge production increase from 4 tons to 5.5 tons per day during the harvesting and wine making period. In any case the specific sludge production was 0.2 kgMLVSS per kgCOD(removed) despite the organic loading increasing. About 70% of the COD was removed through respiration. Also the energy demand increased from 6,000 to 7,000 kWh per day. The estimated costs for the treatment of the winery wastewater was 0.2-0.3 Euros per m3 of treated wastewater. With reference to the process efficiency, the nitrogen removal was just 20%. The co-treatment of municipal and winery wastewater in conventional activated sludge processes can be a feasible solution for the treatment of these streams at relatively low costs.

Non-hydroxyl radical mediated photochemical processes for dye degradation.

PubMed

Liu, Xitong; Song, Xiaojie; Zhang, Shujuan; Wang, Mengshu; Pan, Bingcai

2014-04-28

Using solar energy for the decontamination of wastewater is a promising solution to the water-energy nexus. Current advanced oxidation processes have an unsatisfactory efficiency in the treatment of dye wastewater due to the non-selectivity of hydroxyl radicals. More efficient photochemical approaches for dye degradation are highly needed. Three diketones, biacetyl, acetylacetone, and acetonylacetone, were proven to be potent activators for the photodecoloration of azo, triarylmethane and anthraquinone dyes. The photodegradation kinetics of Acid Orange 7 in the UV/diketone processes was much faster than that in the UV/H2O2 system. Photo-induced energy and electron transfer were possible mechanisms for dye degradation in the diketone systems. Adducts of dye and acetylacetone were identified, indicating a unique dye degradation route through adduct formation and decomposition. Unlike acting only as the target substrate of ˙OH in advanced oxidation processes, the dyes played vital roles in the UV/diketone processes. The findings here provide new insights for designing more efficient technologies for environmental remediation, based on diketone photochemistry.

Comparison of different advanced degradation processes for the removal of the pharmaceutical compounds diclofenac and carbamazepine from liquid solutions.

PubMed

Capodaglio, Andrea G; Bojanowska-Czajka, Anna; Trojanowicz, Marek

2018-04-18

Carbamazepine and diclofenac are two examples of drugs with widespread geographical and environmental media proliferation that are poorly removed by traditional wastewater treatment processes. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been proposed as alternative methods to remove these compounds in solution. AOPs are based on a wide class of powerful technologies, including UV radiation, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, Fenton process, catalytic wet peroxide oxidation, heterogeneous photocatalysis, electrochemical oxidation and their combinations, sonolysis, and microwaves applicable to both water and wastewater. Moreover, processes rely on the production of oxidizing radicals (•OH and others) in a solution to decompose present pollutants. Water radiolysis-based processes, which are an alternative to the former, involve the use of concentrated energy (beams of accelerated electrons or γ-rays) to split water molecules, generating strong oxidants and reductants (radicals) at the same time. In this paper, the degradation of carbamazepine and diclofenac by means of all these processes is discussed and compared. Energy and byproduct generation issues are also addressed.

Bioanalytical tools for the evaluation of organic micropollutants during sewage treatment, water recycling and drinking water generation.

PubMed

Macova, Miroslava; Toze, Simon; Hodgers, Leonie; Mueller, Jochen F; Bartkow, Michael; Escher, Beate I

2011-08-01

A bioanalytical test battery was used for monitoring organic micropollutants across an indirect potable reuse scheme testing sites across the complete water cycle from sewage to drinking water to assess the efficacy of different treatment barriers. The indirect potable reuse scheme consists of seven treatment barriers: (1) source control, (2) wastewater treatment plant, (3) microfiltration, (4) reverse osmosis, (5) advanced oxidation, (6) natural environment in a reservoir and (7) drinking water treatment plant. Bioanalytical results provide complementary information to chemical analysis on the sum of micropollutants acting together in mixtures. Six endpoints targeting the groups of chemicals with modes of toxic action of particular relevance for human and environmental health were included in the evaluation: genotoxicity, estrogenicity (endocrine disruption), neurotoxicity, phytotoxicity, dioxin-like activity and non-specific cell toxicity. The toxicity of water samples was expressed as toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQ), a measure that translates the effect of the mixtures of unknown and potentially unidentified chemicals in a water sample to the effect that a known reference compound would cause. For each bioassay a different representative reference compound was selected. In this study, the TEQ concept was applied for the first time to the umuC test indicative of genotoxicity using 4-nitroquinoline as the reference compound for direct genotoxicity and benzo[a]pyrene for genotoxicity after metabolic activation. The TEQ were observed to decrease across the seven treatment barriers in all six selected bioassays. Each bioassay showed a differentiated picture representative for a different group of chemicals and their mixture effect. The TEQ of the samples across the seven barriers were in the same order of magnitude as seen during previous individual studies in wastewater and advanced water treatment plants and reservoirs. For the first time a benchmarking was performed that allows direct comparison of different treatment technologies and covers several orders of magnitude of TEQ from highly contaminated sewage to drinking water with TEQ close or below the limit of detection. Detection limits of the bioassays were decreased in comparison to earlier studies by optimizing sample preparation and test protocols, and were comparable to or lower than the quantification limits of the routine chemical analysis, which allowed monitoring of the presence and removal of micropollutants post Barrier 2 and in drinking water. The results obtained by bioanalytical tools were reproducible, robust and consistent with previous studies assessing the effectiveness of the wastewater and advanced water treatment plants. The results of this study indicate that bioanalytical results expressed as TEQ are useful to assess removal efficiency of micropollutants throughout all treatment steps of water recycling. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Removal of helminth eggs by centralized and decentralized wastewater treatment plants in South Africa and Lesotho: health implications for direct and indirect exposure to the effluents.

PubMed

Amoah, Isaac Dennis; Reddy, Poovendhree; Seidu, Razak; Stenström, Thor Axel

2018-05-01

Wastewater may contain contaminants harmful to human health; hence, there is the need for treatment before discharge. Centralized wastewater treatment systems are the favored treatment options globally, but these are not necessarily superior in reduction of pathogens as compared to decentralized wastewater treatment systems (collectively called DEWATS). This study was therefore undertaken to assess the soil-transmitted helminth (STH) and Taenia sp. egg reduction efficiency of selected anaerobic baffled reactors and planted gravel filters compared to centralized wastewater treatment plants in South Africa and Lesotho. The risk of ascariasis with exposure to effluents from the centralized wastewater treatment plants was also assessed using the quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) approach. Eggs of Ascaris spp., hookworm, Trichuris spp., Taenia spp., and Toxocara spp. were commonly detected in the untreated wastewater. The DEWATS plants removed between 95 and 100% of the STH and Taenia sp. eggs, with centralized plants removing between 67 and 100%. Helminth egg concentrations in the final effluents from the centralized wastewater treatment plants were consistently higher than those in the WHO recommended guideline (≤ 1 helminth egg/L) for agricultural use resulting in higher risk of ascariasis. Therefore, in conclusion, DEWATS plants may be more efficient in reducing the concentration of helminth eggs in wastewater, resulting in lower risks of STH infections upon exposure.

Solar-mediated thermo-electrochemical oxidation of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate by modulating the effective oxidation potential and pathway for green remediation of wastewater.

PubMed

Gu, Di; Gao, Simeng; Jiang, TingTing; Wang, Baohui

2017-03-15

To match the relentless pursuit of three research hot points - efficient solar utilization, green and sustainable remediation of wastewater and advanced oxidation processes, solar-mediated thermo-electrochemical oxidation of surfactant was proposed and developed for green remediation of surfactant wastewater. The solar thermal electrochemical process (STEP), fully driven with solar energy to electric energy and heat and without an input of other energy, sustainably serves as efficient thermo-electrochemical oxidation of surfactant, exemplified by SDBS, in wastewater with the synergistic production of hydrogen. The electrooxidation-resistant surfactant is thermo-electrochemically oxidized to CO 2 while hydrogen gas is generated by lowing effective oxidation potential and suppressing the oxidation activation energy originated from the combination of thermochemical and electrochemical effect. A clear conclusion on the mechanism of SDBS degradation can be proposed and discussed based on the theoretical analysis of electrochemical potential by quantum chemical method and experimental analysis of the CV, TG, GC, FT-IR, UV-vis, Fluorescence spectra and TOC. The degradation data provide a pilot for the treatment of SDBS wastewater that appears to occur via desulfonation followed by aromatic-ring opening. The solar thermal utilization that can initiate the desulfonation and activation of SDBS becomes one key step in the degradation process.

Solar-mediated thermo-electrochemical oxidation of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate by modulating the effective oxidation potential and pathway for green remediation of wastewater

PubMed Central

Gu, Di; Gao, Simeng; Jiang, TingTing; Wang, Baohui

2017-01-01

To match the relentless pursuit of three research hot points - efficient solar utilization, green and sustainable remediation of wastewater and advanced oxidation processes, solar-mediated thermo-electrochemical oxidation of surfactant was proposed and developed for green remediation of surfactant wastewater. The solar thermal electrochemical process (STEP), fully driven with solar energy to electric energy and heat and without an input of other energy, sustainably serves as efficient thermo-electrochemical oxidation of surfactant, exemplified by SDBS, in wastewater with the synergistic production of hydrogen. The electrooxidation-resistant surfactant is thermo-electrochemically oxidized to CO2 while hydrogen gas is generated by lowing effective oxidation potential and suppressing the oxidation activation energy originated from the combination of thermochemical and electrochemical effect. A clear conclusion on the mechanism of SDBS degradation can be proposed and discussed based on the theoretical analysis of electrochemical potential by quantum chemical method and experimental analysis of the CV, TG, GC, FT-IR, UV-vis, Fluorescence spectra and TOC. The degradation data provide a pilot for the treatment of SDBS wastewater that appears to occur via desulfonation followed by aromatic-ring opening. The solar thermal utilization that can initiate the desulfonation and activation of SDBS becomes one key step in the degradation process. PMID:28294180

Solar-mediated thermo-electrochemical oxidation of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate by modulating the effective oxidation potential and pathway for green remediation of wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Di; Gao, Simeng; Jiang, Tingting; Wang, Baohui

2017-03-01

To match the relentless pursuit of three research hot points - efficient solar utilization, green and sustainable remediation of wastewater and advanced oxidation processes, solar-mediated thermo-electrochemical oxidation of surfactant was proposed and developed for green remediation of surfactant wastewater. The solar thermal electrochemical process (STEP), fully driven with solar energy to electric energy and heat and without an input of other energy, sustainably serves as efficient thermo-electrochemical oxidation of surfactant, exemplified by SDBS, in wastewater with the synergistic production of hydrogen. The electrooxidation-resistant surfactant is thermo-electrochemically oxidized to CO2 while hydrogen gas is generated by lowing effective oxidation potential and suppressing the oxidation activation energy originated from the combination of thermochemical and electrochemical effect. A clear conclusion on the mechanism of SDBS degradation can be proposed and discussed based on the theoretical analysis of electrochemical potential by quantum chemical method and experimental analysis of the CV, TG, GC, FT-IR, UV-vis, Fluorescence spectra and TOC. The degradation data provide a pilot for the treatment of SDBS wastewater that appears to occur via desulfonation followed by aromatic-ring opening. The solar thermal utilization that can initiate the desulfonation and activation of SDBS becomes one key step in the degradation process.

Improved wastewater treatment at Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporations`s Steubenville East Coke Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goshe, A.J.; Nodianos, M.J.

1995-12-01

Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation recently improved its wastewater treatment at it`s by-products coke plant. This has led to greatly improved effluent quality. Excess ammonia liquor, along with wastewater from the light oil recovery plant, desulfurization facility, and coal pile runoff, must be treated prior to being discharged into the Ohio River. This is accomplished using a biological wastewater treatment plant to remove 99.99% of the organic contaminants and ammonia. Biologically treated, clarified wastewater is now polished in the newly constructed tertiary treatment plant.

Recent improvements in oily wastewater treatment: Progress, challenges, and future opportunities.

PubMed

Jamaly, Sanaa; Giwa, Adewale; Hasan, Shadi Wajih

2015-11-01

Oily wastewater poses significant threats to the soil, water, air and human beings because of the hazardous nature of its oil contents. The objective of this review paper is to highlight the current and recently developed methods for oily wastewater treatment through which contaminants such as oil, fats, grease, and inorganics can be removed for safe applications. These include electrochemical treatment, membrane filtration, biological treatment, hybrid technologies, use of biosurfactants, treatment via vacuum ultraviolet radiation, and destabilization of emulsions through the use of zeolites and other natural minerals. This review encompasses innovative and novel approaches to oily wastewater treatment and provides scientific background for future work that will be aimed at reducing the adverse impact of the discharge of oily wastewater into the environment. The current challenges affecting the optimal performance of oily wastewater treatment methods and opportunities for future research development in this field are also discussed. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Discussion on Coking Wastewater Treatment and Control Measures in Iron and Steel Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lei; Hwang, Jiannyang; Leng, Ting; Xue, Gaifeng; Wu, Gaoming

According to the water quality characteristics of coking wastewater and the environmental protection requirements, the status of coking wastewater treatment technologies at home and abroad was described. Several methods and control measures of coking wastewater treatment were discussed in the effluent from iron and steel enterprises. It is an effective way to makes use of cleaner production technologies to reduce the amount of coking phenol cyanide wastewater produced from the source, and then adopt water supply for different water quality or series classification in-house according to the demand of water characters. It is necessary though looking for the available disposal way to reduce the coking wastewater effluent, which can provide a reference for process selection and research on treatment of coking wastewater in iron and steel enterprise.

Antibiotic resistance genes fate and removal by a technological treatment solution for water reuse in agriculture.

PubMed

Luprano, Maria Laura; De Sanctis, Marco; Del Moro, Guido; Di Iaconi, Claudio; Lopez, Antonio; Levantesi, Caterina

2016-11-15

In order to mitigate the potential effects on the human health which are associated to the use of treated wastewater in agriculture, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are required to be carefully monitored in wastewater reuse processes and their spread should be prevented by the development of efficient treatment technologies. Objective of this study was the assessment of ARGs reduction efficiencies of a novel technological treatment solution for agricultural reuse of municipal wastewaters. The proposed solution comprises an advanced biological treatment (Sequencing Batch Biofilter Granular Reactor, SBBGR), analysed both al laboratory and pilot scale, followed by sand filtration and two different disinfection final stages: ultraviolet light (UV) radiation and peracetic acid (PAA) treatments. By Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), the presence of 9 ARGs (ampC, mecA, ermB, sul1, sul2, tetA, tetO, tetW, vanA) were analysed and by quantitative PCR (qPCR) their removal was determined. The obtained results were compared to the reduction of total bacteria (16S rDNA gene) and of a faecal contamination indicator (Escherichia coli uidA gene). Only four of the analysed genes (ermB, sul1, sul2, tetA) were detected in raw wastewater and their abundance was estimated to be 3.4±0.7 x10(4) - 9.6±0.5 x10(9) and 1.0±0.3 x10(3) to 3.0±0.1 x10(7) gene copies/mL in raw and treated wastewaters, respectively. The results show that SBBGR technology is promising for the reduction of ARGs, achieving stable removal performance ranging from 1.0±0.4 to 2.8±0.7 log units, which is comparable to or higher than that reported for conventional activated sludge treatments. No reduction of the ARGs amount normalized to the total bacteria content (16S rDNA), was instead obtained, indicating that these genes are removed together with total bacteria and not specifically eliminated. Enhanced ARGs removal was obtained by sand filtration, while no reduction was achieved by both UV and PAA disinfection treatments tested in our study. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Treatment Technology Evaluation and Development

EPA Science Inventory

This project will assess the effectiveness of a Biomass Concentrator Reactor (BCR) to remove endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) from wastewater. This technology could provide an alternative to traditional wastewater treatment methods.

Application of solar photo-Fenton toward toxicity removal and textile wastewater reuse.

PubMed

Starling, Maria Clara V M; Dos Santos, Paulo Henrique Rodrigues; de Souza, Felipe Antônio Ribeiro; Oliveira, Sílvia Corrêa; Leão, Mônica M D; Amorim, Camila C

2017-05-01

Solar photo-Fenton represents an innovative and low-cost option for the treatment of recalcitrant industrial wastewater, such as the textile wastewater. Textile wastewater usually shows high acute toxic and variability and may be composed of many different chemical compounds. This study aimed at optimizing and validating solar photo-Fenton treatment of textile wastewater in a semi-pilot compound parabolic collector (CPC) for toxicity removal and wastewater reclamation. In addition, treated wastewater reuse feasibility was investigated through pilot tests. Experimental design performed in this study indicated optimum condition for solar photo-Fenton reaction (20 mg L -1 of Fe 2+ and 500 mg L -1 of H 2 O 2 ; pH 2.8), which achieved 96 % removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and 99 % absorbance removal. A toxicity peak was detected during treatment, suggesting that highly toxic transformation products were formed during reaction. Toxic intermediates were properly removed during solar photo-Fenton (SPF) treatment along with the generation of oxalic acid as an ultimate product of degradation and COS increase. Different samples of real textile wastewater were treated in order to validate optimized treatment condition with regard to wastewater variability. Results showed median organic carbon removal near 90 %. Finally, reuse of treated textile wastewater in both dyeing and washing stages of production was successful. These results confirm that solar photo-Fenton, as a single treatment, enables wastewater reclamation in the textile industry. Graphical abstract Solar photo-Fenton as a revolutionary treatment technology for "closing-the-loop" in the textile industry.

Removal of Emerging Contaminants and Estrogenic Activity from Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent with UV/Chlorine and UV/H2O2 Advanced Oxidation Treatment at Pilot Scale

PubMed Central

Kuch, Bertram; Lange, Claudia; Richter, Philipp; Kugele, Amélie; Minke, Ralf

2018-01-01

Effluent of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was treated on-site with the UV/chlorine (UV/HOCl) advanced oxidation process (AOP) using a pilot plant equipped with a medium pressure UV lamp with an adjustable performance of up to 1 kW. Results obtained from parallel experiments with the same pilot plant, where the state of the art UV/H2O2 AOP was applied, were compared regarding the removal of emerging contaminants (EC) and the formation of adsorbable organohalogens (AOX). Furthermore, the total estrogenic activity was measured in samples treated with the UV/chlorine AOP. At an energy consumption of 0.4 kWh/m3 (0.4 kW, 1 m3/h) and in a range of oxidant concentrations from 1 to 6 mg/L, the UV/chlorine AOP had a significantly higher EC removal yield than the UV/H2O2 AOP. With free available chlorine concentrations (FAC) in the UV chamber influent of at least 5 mg/L (11 mg/L of dosed Cl2), the total estrogenic activity could be reduced by at least 97%. To achieve a certain concentration of FAC in the UV chamber influent, double to triple the amount of dosed Cl2 was needed, resulting in AOX concentrations of up to 520 µg/L. PMID:29735959

Understanding the operational parameters affecting NDMA formation at Advanced Water Treatment Plants.

PubMed

Farré, Maria José; Döderer, Katrin; Hearn, Laurence; Poussade, Yvan; Keller, Jurg; Gernjak, Wolfgang

2011-01-30

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) can be formed when secondary effluents are disinfected by chloramines. By means of bench scale experiments this paper investigates operational parameters than can help Advanced Water Treatment Plants (AWTPs) to reduce the formation of NDMA during the production of high quality recycled water. The formation of NDMA was monitored during a contact time of 24h using dimethylamine as NDMA model precursor and secondary effluent from wastewater treatment plants. The three chloramine disinfection strategies tested were pre-formed and in-line formed monochloramine, and pre-formed dichloramine. Although the latter is not employed on purpose in full-scale applications, it has been suggested as the main contributing chemical generating NDMA during chloramination. After 24h, the NDMA formation decreased in both matrices tested in the order: pre-formed dichloramine>in-line formed monochloramine≫pre-formed monochloramine. The most important parameter to consider for the inhibition of NDMA formation was the length of contact time between disinfectant and wastewater. Formation of NDMA was initially inhibited for up to 6h with concentrations consistently <10 ng/L during these early stages of disinfection, regardless of the disinfection strategy. The reduction of the contact time was implemented in Bundamba AWTP (Queensland, Australia), where NDMA concentrations were reduced by a factor of 20 by optimizing the disinfection strategy. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Removal of Emerging Contaminants and Estrogenic Activity from Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent with UV/Chlorine and UV/H₂O₂ Advanced Oxidation Treatment at Pilot Scale.

PubMed

Rott, Eduard; Kuch, Bertram; Lange, Claudia; Richter, Philipp; Kugele, Amélie; Minke, Ralf

2018-05-07

Effluent of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was treated on-site with the UV/chlorine (UV/HOCl) advanced oxidation process (AOP) using a pilot plant equipped with a medium pressure UV lamp with an adjustable performance of up to 1 kW. Results obtained from parallel experiments with the same pilot plant, where the state of the art UV/H₂O₂ AOP was applied, were compared regarding the removal of emerging contaminants (EC) and the formation of adsorbable organohalogens (AOX). Furthermore, the total estrogenic activity was measured in samples treated with the UV/chlorine AOP. At an energy consumption of 0.4 kWh/m³ (0.4 kW, 1 m³/h) and in a range of oxidant concentrations from 1 to 6 mg/L, the UV/chlorine AOP had a significantly higher EC removal yield than the UV/H₂O₂ AOP. With free available chlorine concentrations (FAC) in the UV chamber influent of at least 5 mg/L (11 mg/L of dosed Cl₂), the total estrogenic activity could be reduced by at least 97%. To achieve a certain concentration of FAC in the UV chamber influent, double to triple the amount of dosed Cl₂ was needed, resulting in AOX concentrations of up to 520 µg/L.

UV254 absorbance as real-time monitoring and control parameter for micropollutant removal in advanced wastewater treatment with powdered activated carbon.

PubMed

Altmann, Johannes; Massa, Lukas; Sperlich, Alexander; Gnirss, Regina; Jekel, Martin

2016-05-01

This study investigates the applicability of UV absorbance measurements at 254 nm (UVA254) to serve as a simple and reliable surrogate parameter to monitor and control the removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in advanced wastewater treatment applying powdered activated carbon (PAC). Correlations between OMP removal and corresponding UVA254 reduction were determined in lab-scale adsorption batch tests and successfully applied to a pilot-scale PAC treatment stage to predict OMP removals in aggregate samples with good accuracy. Real-time UVA254 measurements were utilized to evaluate adapted PAC dosing strategies and proved to be effective for online monitoring of OMP removal. Furthermore, active PAC dosing control according to differential UVA254 measurements was implemented and tested. While precise removal predictions based on real-time measurements were not accurate for all OMPs, UVA254-controlled dynamic PAC dosing was capable of achieving stable OMP removals. UVA254 can serve as an effective surrogate parameter for OMP removal in technical PAC applications. Even though the applicability as control parameter to adjust PAC dosing to water quality changes might be limited to applications with fast response between PAC adjustment and adsorptive removal (e.g. direct filtration), UVA254 measurements can also be used to monitor the adsorption efficiency in more complex PAC applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical Waste and Allied Products.

PubMed

Hung, Yung-Tse; Aziz, Hamidi Abdul; Ramli, Siti Fatihah; Yeh, Ruth Yu-Li; Liu, Lian-Huey; Huhnke, Christopher Robert

2016-10-01

This review of literature published in 2015 focuses on waste related to chemical and allied products. The topics cover the waste management, physicochemical treatment, aerobic granular, aerobic waste treatment, anaerobic granular, anaerobic waste treatment, chemical waste, chemical wastewater, fertilizer waste, fertilizer wastewater, pesticide wastewater, pharmaceutical wastewater, ozonation. cosmetics waste, groundwater remediation, nutrient removal, nitrification denitrification, membrane biological reactor, and pesticide waste.

Tracking acidic pharmaceuticals, caffeine, and triclosan through the wastewater treatment process.

PubMed

Thomas, Paul M; Foster, Gregory D

2005-01-01

Pharmaceuticals are a class of emerging contaminants whose fate in the wastewater treatment process has received increasing attention in past years. Acidic pharmaceuticals (ibuprofen, naproxen, mefenamic acid, ketoprofen, and diclofenac), caffeine, and the antibacterial triclosan were quantified at four different steps of wastewater treatment from three urban wastewater treatment plants. The compounds were extracted from wastewater samples on Waters Oasis hydrophilic-lipophilic balance solid-phase extraction columns, silylated, and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. For the chemicals studied, it was found that the majority of the influent load was removed during secondary treatment (51-99%), yielding expected surface water concentrations of 13 to 56 ng/L.

Wastewater treatments and the impact on environment and agriculture: A case city of Annaba (north eastern of Algeria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abour, Fella; Hannouche, Mani; Belksier, Mohamed Salah

2018-05-01

The present study deals with wastewater treatment which represents a real challenge in the world especially for developing countries. Our investigation takes place in the Annaba (North Eastern of Algeria) which represents one of big cities in the country. The wastewater is treated collectively in the Allalik station which provides a global wastewater treatment to guarantee the sustainability of the ecosystem. The obtained results on treated wastewater show a contamination with Selenium (IS index for Selenium = 5.9). Whereas the other analysed parameters highlight values without exceeding standards excepting the nitrites. The microbiological analyses and Bourgeois index indicate the human origin for pollution (IB >1). In spite of the actual treatment, the pollution selenium and nitrites suggest the improvement of the process of wastewater treatment.

Seasonal bacterial community succession in four typical wastewater treatment plants: correlations between core microbes and process performance.

PubMed

Zhang, Bo; Yu, Quanwei; Yan, Guoqi; Zhu, Hubo; Xu, Xiang Yang; Zhu, Liang

2018-03-15

To understand the seasonal variation of the activated sludge (AS) bacterial community and identify core microbes in different wastewater processing systems, seasonal AS samples were taken from every biological treatment unit within 4 full-scale wastewater treatment plants. These plants adopted A2/O, A/O and oxidation ditch processes and were active in the treatment of different types and sources of wastewater, some domestic and others industrial. The bacterial community composition was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technology. The correlations among microbial community structure, dominant microbes and process performance were investigated. Seasonal variation had a stronger impact on the AS bacterial community than any variation within different wastewater treatment system. Facing seasonal variation, the bacterial community within the oxidation ditch process remained more stable those in either the A2/O or A/O processes. The core genera in domestic wastewater treatment systems were Nitrospira, Caldilineaceae, Pseudomonas and Lactococcus. The core genera in the textile dyeing and fine chemical industrial wastewater treatment systems were Nitrospira, Thauera and Thiobacillus.

Community composition of known and uncultured archaeal lineages in anaerobic or anoxic wastewater treatment sludge.

PubMed

Kuroda, Kyohei; Hatamoto, Masashi; Nakahara, Nozomi; Abe, Kenichi; Takahashi, Masanobu; Araki, Nobuo; Yamaguchi, Takashi

2015-04-01

Microbial systems are widely used to treat different types of wastewater from domestic, agricultural, and industrial sources. Community composition is an important factor in determining the successful performance of microbial treatment systems; however, a variety of uncultured and unknown lineages exist in sludge that requires identification and characterization. The present study examined the archaeal community composition in methanogenic, denitrifying, and nitrogen-/phosphate-removing wastewater treatment sludge by Archaea-specific 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis using Illumina sequencing technology. Phylotypes belonging to Euryarchaeota, including methanogens, were most abundant in all samples except for nitrogen-/phosphate-removing wastewater treatment sludge. High levels of Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent Group 6 (DHVEG-6), WSA2, Terrestrial Miscellaneous Euryarchaeotal Group, and Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotic Group were also detected. Interestingly, DHVEG-6 was dominant in nitrogen-/phosphate-removing wastewater treatment sludge, indicating that unclear lineages of Archaea still exist in the anaerobic wastewater treatment sludges. These results reveal a previously unknown diversity of Archaea in sludge that can potentially be exploited for the development of more efficient wastewater treatment strategies.

Microbial Community Profiles in Wastewaters from Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Technology

PubMed Central

Jałowiecki, Łukasz; Chojniak, Joanna Małgorzata; Dorgeloh, Elmar; Hegedusova, Berta; Ejhed, Helene; Magnér, Jörgen; Płaza, Grażyna Anna

2016-01-01

The aim of the study was to determine the potential of community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs) methodology as an assay for characterization of the metabolic diversity of wastewater samples and to link the metabolic diversity patterns to efficiency of select onsite biological wastewater facilities. Metabolic fingerprints obtained from the selected samples were used to understand functional diversity implied by the carbon substrate shifts. Three different biological facilities of onsite wastewater treatment were evaluated: fixed bed reactor (technology A), trickling filter/biofilter system (technology B), and aerated filter system (the fluidized bed reactor, technology C). High similarities of the microbial community functional structures were found among the samples from the three onsite wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), as shown by the diversity indices. Principal components analysis (PCA) showed that the diversity and CLPPs of microbial communities depended on the working efficiency of the wastewater treatment technologies. This study provided an overall picture of microbial community functional structures of investigated samples in WWTPs and discerned the linkages between microbial communities and technologies of onsite WWTPs used. The results obtained confirmed that metabolic profiles could be used to monitor treatment processes as valuable biological indicators of onsite wastewater treatment technologies efficiency. This is the first step toward understanding relations of technology types with microbial community patterns in raw and treated wastewaters. PMID:26807728

Simulation of Constructed Wetland in treating Wastewater using Fuzzy Logic Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudarsan, J. S.; Subramani, Sheekha; Rajan, Rajitha J.; Shah, Isha; Nithiyanantham, S.

2018-04-01

Constructed wetlands act as a natural alternative to conventional methods of wastewater treatment. CW are found effective in wastewater containing inorganic matter, organic matter, toxic compounds, metals, nitrogen, phosphorous, heavy metals, organic chemicals, and pathogens. The treatment efficiency by the adaptation of CWs in treatment process is achieved by a complex interaction between plants, microorganisms, soil matrix and substances in the wastewater. Constructed wetland treatment systems are engineered systems designed in such a manner that it could take advantages of those processes occurring in natural wetlands in treating the wastewater concerned, but in a more controlled environment. Petrochemical wastewater was the type of wastewater taken for the study. Characteristics of petrochemical wastewater mainly oil, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical oxygen demand (COD) were selected for treatment in constructed wetland as they are predominant in petrochemical wastewater. The conventional methods followed in the treatment are chemical and biological treatment. In this study, a fuzzy model for water quality assessment has been developed and water quality index value was obtained. The experiment conducted and further analysis using fuzzy logic indicated that interpretation of certain imprecise data can be improved within fuzzy inference system (FIS). Based on the analysis, we could observe that Typha sp contained wetland cell showed greater efficiency in removal of parameters such as COD and BOD than Phragmites sp. wetland cell.

Degradation of estrone in water and wastewater by various advanced oxidation processes.

PubMed

Sarkar, Shubhajit; Ali, Sura; Rehmann, Lars; Nakhla, George; Ray, Madhumita B

2014-08-15

A comprehensive study was conducted to determine the relative efficacy of various advanced oxidation processes such as O3, H2O2, UV, and combinations of UV/O3, UV/H2O2 for the removal of estrone (E1) from pure water and secondary effluent. In addition to the parent compound (E1) removal, performance of the advanced oxidation processes was characterized using removal of total organic carbon (TOC), and estrogenicity of the effluent. Although E1 removal was high for all the AOPs, intermediates formed were more difficult to degrade leading to slow TOC removal. Energy calculations and cost analysis indicated that, although UV processes have low electricity cost, ozonation is the least cost option ($ 0.34/1000 gallons) when both capital and operating costs were taken into account. Ozonation also is superior to the other tested AOPs due to higher removal of TOC and estrogenicity. The rate of E1 removal decreased linearly with the background TOC in water, however, E1 degradation in the secondary effluent from a local wastewater treatment plant was not affected significantly due to the low COD values in the effluent. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent advances in nanomaterials for water protection and monitoring.

PubMed

Das, Rasel; Vecitis, Chad D; Schulze, Agnes; Cao, Bin; Ismail, Ahmad Fauzi; Lu, Xianbo; Chen, Jiping; Ramakrishna, Seeram

2017-11-13

The efficient handling of wastewater pollutants is a must, since they are continuously defiling limited fresh water resources, seriously affecting the terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial flora and fauna. Our vision is to undertake an exhaustive examination of current research trends with a focus on nanomaterials (NMs) to considerably improve the performance of classical wastewater treatment technologies, e.g. adsorption, catalysis, separation, and disinfection. Additionally, NM-based sensor technologies are considered, since they have been significantly used for monitoring water contaminants. We also suggest future directions to inform investigators of potentially disruptive NM technologies that have to be investigated in more detail. The fate and environmental transformations of NMs, which need to be addressed before large-scale implementation of NMs for water purification, are also highlighted.

Comparing Nutrient Removal from Membrane Filtered and Unfiltered Domestic Wastewater Using Chlorella vulgaris

PubMed Central

Mayhead, Elyssia; Llewellyn, Carole A.; Fuentes-Grünewald, Claudio

2018-01-01

The nutrient removal efficiency of Chlorella vulgaris cultivated in domestic wastewater was investigated, along with the potential to use membrane filtration as a pre-treatment tool during the wastewater treatment process. Chlorella vulgaris was batch cultivated for 12 days in a bubble column system with two different wastewater treatments. Maximum uptake of 94.18% ammonium (NH4-N) and 97.69% ortho-phosphate (PO4-P) occurred in 0.2 μm membrane filtered primary wastewater. Membrane filtration enhanced the nutrient uptake performance of C. vulgaris by removing bacteria, protozoa, colloidal particles and suspended solids, thereby improving light availability for photosynthesis. The results of this study suggest that growing C. vulgaris in nutrient rich membrane filtered wastewater provides an option for domestic wastewater treatment to improve the quality of the final effluent. PMID:29351200

NPDES Permit for Riverview Estates Wastewater Treatment Facility in North Dakota

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit number ND-0031143, the Riverview Estates Wastewater Treatment Facility is authorized to discharge from its wastewater treatment facility in designated locations as described in the permit.

ETV REPORT - EVALUATION OF DAVIS TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORP. - INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract: Evaluation of Davis Technologies International Corp. Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant

The Davis Technologies International Corp. (DTIC) Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant (IWTP) was tested, under actual production conditions, processing metalworking and ...

Strategies for development of industrial wastewater reuse in Thailand.

PubMed

Visvanathan, C; Cippe, A

2001-01-01

Majority of the industrial activities in Thailand are concentrated around Bangkok Metropolitan Area. The ever increasing industrial activities have led to over exploitation of water resources and discharge of significant pollution load. Therefore, it is important to identify the wastewater reuse potentials and develop strategies for its promotion within the industrial sector. Although technological advances have made it possible to treat effluents for industrial re-use, in practice, the Thai industries do lack in implementation of such technologies. Promotion of cleaner production concepts and advanced new technologies such as membrane technologies could assist the industry for the implementation of wastewater reuse projects in Thailand. This paper discusses various technical, institutional and management related issues to promote industrial wastewater reuse, with few case studies.

Treatment of Wastewater from Electroplating, Metal Finishing and Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing. Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants Volume 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Univ., Sacramento. Dept. of Civil Engineering.

One of four manuals dealing with the operation of wastewater plants, this document was designed to address the treatment of wastewater from electroplating, metal finishing, and printed circuit board manufacturing. It emphasizes how to operate and maintain facilities which neutralize acidic and basic waters; treat waters containing metals; destroy…

Enterobius vermicularis as a Novel Surrogate for the Presence of Helminth Ova in Tertiary Wastewater Treatment Plants.

PubMed

Rudko, Sydney P; Ruecker, Norma J; Ashbolt, Nicholas J; Neumann, Norman F; Hanington, Patrick C

2017-06-01

Significant effort has gone into assessing the fate and removal of viruses, bacteria, and protozoan parasites during wastewater treatment to provide data addressing potential health risks associated with reuse options. Comparatively less is known about the fate of parasitic worm species ova in these complex systems. It is largely assumed that these helminths settle, are removed with the sludge, and consequently represent a relatively low risk for wastewater reuse applications. However, helminths are a highly diverse group of organisms that display a wide range of physical properties that complicate the application of a single treatment for helminth reduction during wastewater treatment. Moreover, their diverse biological and physical properties make some ova highly resistant to both disinfection (i.e., with chlorine or UV treatment) and physical removal (settling) through the wastewater treatment train, indicating that there may be reason to broaden the scope of our investigations into whether parasitic worm eggs can be identified in treated wastewater. The ubiquitous human parasitic nematode Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) produces small, buoyant ova. Utilizing a novel diagnostic quantitative PCR (qPCR), this study monitored E. vermicularis presence at two full-scale wastewater treatment plants over the course of 8 months and demonstrated incomplete physical removal of E. vermicularis ova through tertiary treatment, with removal efficiencies approximating only 0.5 and 1.6 log 10 at the two wastewater treatment plants based on qPCR. These findings demonstrate the need for more-diverse surrogates of helminthic ova to fully assess treatment performance with respect to reclaimed wastewaters. IMPORTANCE Helminths, despite being a diverse and environmentally resistant class of pathogens, are often underestimated and ignored when treatment performance at modern wastewater treatment plants is considered. A one-size-fits-all surrogate for removal of helminth ova may be inappropriate to adequately assess risk and ensure public safety when treated and partially treated wastewaters are encountered. This study argues for the use of human pinworm as a conservative indicator of the presence of helminth ova due to its small size, buoyancy, prevalence in humans, and environmental resistance. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Enterobius vermicularis as a Novel Surrogate for the Presence of Helminth Ova in Tertiary Wastewater Treatment Plants

PubMed Central

Rudko, Sydney P.; Ruecker, Norma J.; Ashbolt, Nicholas J.; Neumann, Norman F.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Significant effort has gone into assessing the fate and removal of viruses, bacteria, and protozoan parasites during wastewater treatment to provide data addressing potential health risks associated with reuse options. Comparatively less is known about the fate of parasitic worm species ova in these complex systems. It is largely assumed that these helminths settle, are removed with the sludge, and consequently represent a relatively low risk for wastewater reuse applications. However, helminths are a highly diverse group of organisms that display a wide range of physical properties that complicate the application of a single treatment for helminth reduction during wastewater treatment. Moreover, their diverse biological and physical properties make some ova highly resistant to both disinfection (i.e., with chlorine or UV treatment) and physical removal (settling) through the wastewater treatment train, indicating that there may be reason to broaden the scope of our investigations into whether parasitic worm eggs can be identified in treated wastewater. The ubiquitous human parasitic nematode Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) produces small, buoyant ova. Utilizing a novel diagnostic quantitative PCR (qPCR), this study monitored E. vermicularis presence at two full-scale wastewater treatment plants over the course of 8 months and demonstrated incomplete physical removal of E. vermicularis ova through tertiary treatment, with removal efficiencies approximating only 0.5 and 1.6 log10 at the two wastewater treatment plants based on qPCR. These findings demonstrate the need for more-diverse surrogates of helminthic ova to fully assess treatment performance with respect to reclaimed wastewaters. IMPORTANCE Helminths, despite being a diverse and environmentally resistant class of pathogens, are often underestimated and ignored when treatment performance at modern wastewater treatment plants is considered. A one-size-fits-all surrogate for removal of helminth ova may be inappropriate to adequately assess risk and ensure public safety when treated and partially treated wastewaters are encountered. This study argues for the use of human pinworm as a conservative indicator of the presence of helminth ova due to its small size, buoyancy, prevalence in humans, and environmental resistance. PMID:28341675

Selenium contaminated waters: An overview of analytical methods, treatment options and recent advances in sorption methods.

PubMed

Santos, Sílvia; Ungureanu, Gabriela; Boaventura, Rui; Botelho, Cidália

2015-07-15

Selenium is an essential trace element for many organisms, including humans, but it is bioaccumulative and toxic at higher than homeostatic levels. Both selenium deficiency and toxicity are problems around the world. Mines, coal-fired power plants, oil refineries and agriculture are important examples of anthropogenic sources, generating contaminated waters and wastewaters. For reasons of human health and ecotoxicity, selenium concentration has to be controlled in drinking-water and in wastewater, as it is a potential pollutant of water bodies. This review article provides firstly a general overview about selenium distribution, sources, chemistry, toxicity and environmental impact. Analytical techniques used for Se determination and speciation and water and wastewater treatment options are reviewed. In particular, published works on adsorption as a treatment method for Se removal from aqueous solutions are critically analyzed. Recent published literature has given particular attention to the development and search for effective adsorbents, including low-cost alternative materials. Published works mostly consist in exploratory findings and laboratory-scale experiments. Binary metal oxides and LDHs (layered double hydroxides) have presented excellent adsorption capacities for selenium species. Unconventional sorbents (algae, agricultural wastes and other biomaterials), in raw or modified forms, have also led to very interesting results with the advantage of their availability and low-cost. Some directions to be considered in future works are also suggested. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A soil biotechnology system for wastewater treatment: technical, hygiene, environmental LCA and economic aspects.

PubMed

Kamble, Sheetal Jaisingh; Chakravarthy, Yogita; Singh, Anju; Chubilleau, Caroline; Starkl, Markus; Bawa, Itee

2017-05-01

Soil biotechnology (SBT) is a green engineering approach for wastewater treatment and recycling. Five SBT units located in the Mumbai region were under consideration of which holistic assessment of two SBT plants was carried out considering its technical, environmental and economic aspects and was compared with published research of other three. LCA has been done to evaluate the environmental impacts of construction and operation phase of SBT. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) removal of more than 90% can be achieved using this technology. Also, the nutrient removal proficiency (nitrate, nitrite, ammoniacal nitrogen, TKN, total nitrogen and phosphates) of this technique is good. On the other hand, SBT has low annual operation and maintenance cost, comparable to land-based systems and lower than conventional or advanced technologies. From the life cycle impact assessment, the main contributors for overall impact from the plant were identified as electricity consumption, discharges of COD, P-PO 4 3- and N-NH 4 + and disposal of sludge. The construction phase was found to have significantly more impact than the operation phase of the plant. This study suggests plant I is not relatively as efficient enough regarding sanitation. SBT provides several benefits over other conventional technologies for wastewater treatment. It is based on a bio-conversion process and is practically maintenance free. It does not produce any odorous bio-sludge and consumes the least energy.

Nutrient and suspended solids removal from petrochemical wastewater via microalgal biofilm cultivation.

PubMed

Hodges, Alan; Fica, Zachary; Wanlass, Jordan; VanDarlin, Jessica; Sims, Ronald

2017-05-01

Wastewater derived from petroleum refining currently accounts for 33.6 million barrels per day globally. Few wastewater treatment strategies exist to produce value-added products from petroleum refining wastewater. In this study, mixed culture microalgal biofilm-based treatment of petroleum refining wastewater using rotating algae biofilm reactors (RABRs) was compared with suspended-growth open pond lagoon reactors for removal of nutrients and suspended solids. Triplicate reactors were operated for 12 weeks and were continuously fed with petroleum refining wastewater. Effluent wastewater was monitored for nitrogen, phosphorus, total suspended solids (TSS), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). RABR treatment demonstrated a statistically significant increase in removal of nutrients and suspended solids, and increase in biomass productivity, compared to the open pond lagoon treatment. These trends translate to a greater potential for the production of biomass-based fuels, feed, and fertilizer as value-added products. This study is the first demonstration of the cultivation of mixed culture biofilm microalgae on petroleum refining wastewater for the dual purposes of treatment and biomass production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occurrence and fate of the cytostatic drugs cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide in wastewater and surface waters.

PubMed

Buerge, Ignaz J; Buser, Hans-Rudolf; Poiger, Thomas; Müller, Markus D

2006-12-01

The two oxazaphosphorine compounds cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide are important cytostatic drugs used in the chemotherapy of cancer and in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Their mechanism of action, involving metabolic activation and unspecific alkylation of nucleophilic compounds, accounts for genotoxic effects described in the literature and is reason for environmental concern. The occurrence and fate of cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide were studied in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and surface waters in Switzerland, using a highly sensitive analytical method based on solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The compounds were detected in untreated and treated wastewater at concentrations of <0.3-11 ng/L, which corresponded well with concentrations predicted from consumption data and typical renal excretion rates. Weekly loads determined in influent and effluent wastewater were comparable and suggested a high persistence in WWTPs. Furthermore, no degradation was observed in activated sludge incubation experiments within 24 h at concentrations of approximately 100 ng/L. Processes that may be relevant for elimination in natural waterbodies were studied with a set of incubation experiments in the laboratory. After extrapolation to natural conditions in surface waters, a slow dark-chemical degradation (half-lives on the order of years) is the most important transformation process. Degradation by photochemically formed HO* radicals may be of some relevance only in shallow, clear, and nitrate-rich waterbodies but could be further exploited for elimination of these compounds by advanced oxidation processes, i.e., in a treatment of hospital wastewater. In surface waters, concentrations ranged from < or =50 to 170 pg/L and were thus several orders of magnitude lower than the levels at which acute ecotoxicological effects have been reported in the literature (mg/L range). However, due to a lack of studies on chronic effects on aquatic organisms and data on occurrence and effects of metabolites, a final risk assessment cannot be made.

Operation and Maintenance of Wastewater Treatment Facilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drury, Douglas D.

1978-01-01

Presents the 1978 literature review of wastewater treatment: (1) operators, training, and certification; (2) solutions to operating problems; (3) collection systems; (4) operations manuals; (5) wastewater treatment facility case histories; (5) land application; and (6) treatment of industrial wastes. A list of 36 references is also presented. (HM)

Life cycle assessment as development and decision support tool for wastewater resource recovery technology.

PubMed

Fang, Linda L; Valverde-Pérez, Borja; Damgaard, Anders; Plósz, Benedek Gy; Rygaard, Martin

2016-01-01

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been increasingly used in the field of wastewater treatment where the focus has been to identify environmental trade-offs of current technologies. In a novel approach, we use LCA to support early stage research and development of a biochemical system for wastewater resource recovery. The freshwater and nutrient content of wastewater are recognized as potential valuable resources that can be recovered for beneficial reuse. Both recovery and reuse are intended to address existing environmental concerns, for example, water scarcity and use of non-renewable phosphorus. However, the resource recovery may come at the cost of unintended environmental impacts. One promising recovery system, referred to as TRENS, consists of an enhanced biological phosphorus removal and recovery system (EBP2R) connected to a photobioreactor. Based on a simulation of a full-scale nutrient and water recovery system in its potential operating environment, we assess the potential environmental impacts of such a system using the EASETECH model. In the simulation, recovered water and nutrients are used in scenarios of agricultural irrigation-fertilization and aquifer recharge. In these scenarios, TRENS reduces global warming up to 15% and marine eutrophication impacts up to 9% compared to conventional treatment. This is due to the recovery and reuse of nutrient resources, primarily nitrogen. The key environmental concerns obtained through the LCA are linked to increased human toxicity impacts from the chosen end use of wastewater recovery products. The toxicity impacts are from both heavy metals release associated with land application of recovered nutrients and production of AlCl3, which is required for advanced wastewater treatment prior to aquifer recharge. Perturbation analysis of the LCA pinpointed nutrient substitution and heavy metals content of algae biofertilizer as critical areas for further research if the performance of nutrient recovery systems such as TRENS is to be better characterized. Our study provides valuable feedback to the TRENS developers and identifies the importance of system expansion to include impacts outside the immediate nutrient recovery system itself. The study also show for the first time the successful evaluation of urban-to-agricultural water systems in EASETECH. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Two-year survey of specific hospital wastewater treatment and its impact on pharmaceutical discharges.

PubMed

Wiest, Laure; Chonova, Teofana; Bergé, Alexandre; Baudot, Robert; Bessueille-Barbier, Frédérique; Ayouni-Derouiche, Linda; Vulliet, Emmanuelle

2018-04-01

It is well known that pharmaceuticals are not completely removed by conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment plants. Hospital effluents are of major concern, as they present high concentrations of pharmaceutically active compounds. Despite this, these specific effluents are usually co-treated with domestic wastewaters. Separate treatment has been recommended. However, there is a lack of information concerning the efficiency of separate hospital wastewater treatment by activated sludge, especially on the removal of pharmaceuticals. In this context, this article presents the results of a 2-year monitoring of conventional parameters, surfactants, gadolinium, and 13 pharmaceuticals on the specific study site SIPIBEL. This site allows the characterization of urban and hospital wastewaters and their separate treatment using the same process. Flow proportional sampling, solid-phase extraction, and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry were used in order to obtain accurate data and limits of quantification consistent with ultra-trace detection. Thanks to these consolidated data, an in-depth characterization of urban and hospital wastewaters was realized, as well as a comparison of treatment efficiency between both effluents. Higher concentrations of organic carbon, AOX, phosphates, gadolinium, paracetamol, ketoprofen, and antibiotics were observed in hospital wastewaters compared to urban wastewaters. Globally higher removals were observed in the hospital wastewater treatment plant, and some parameters were shown to be of high importance regarding removal efficiencies: hydraulic retention time, redox conditions, and ambient temperature. Eleven pharmaceuticals were still quantified at relevant concentrations in hospital and urban wastewaters after treatment (e.g., up to 1 μg/L for sulfamethoxazole). However, as the urban flow was about 37 times higher than the hospital flow, the hospital contribution appeared relatively low compared to domestic discharges. Thanks to the SIPIBEL site, data obtained from this 2-year program are useful to evaluate the relevance of separate hospital wastewater treatment.

Prokaryotic community profiling of local algae wastewaters using advanced 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

PubMed

Limayem, Alya; Micciche, Andrew; Nayak, Bina; Mohapatra, Shyam

2018-01-01

Algae biomass-fed wastewaters are a promising source of lipid and bioenergy manufacture, revealing substantial end-product investment returns. However, wastewaters would contain lytic pathogens carrying drug resistance detrimental to algae yield and environmental safety. This study was conducted to simultaneously decipher through high-throughput advanced Illumina 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing, the cultivable and uncultivable bacterial community profile found in a single sample that was directly recovered from the local wastewater systems. Samples were collected from two previously documented sources including anaerobically digested (AD) municipal wastewater and swine wastewater with algae namely Chlorella spp. in addition to control samples, swine wastewater, and municipal wastewater without algae. Results indicated the presence of a significant level of Bacteria in all samples with an average of approximately 95.49% followed by Archaea 2.34%, in local wastewaters designed for algae cultivation. Taxonomic genus identification indicated the presence of Calothrix, Pseudomonas, and Clostridium as the most prevalent strains in both local municipal and swine wastewater samples containing algae with an average of 17.37, 12.19, and 7.84%, respectively. Interestingly, swine wastewater without algae displayed the lowest level of Pseudomonas strains < 0.1%. The abundance of some Pseudomonas species in wastewaters containing algae indicates potential coexistence between these strains and algae microenvironment, suggesting further investigations. This finding was particularly relevant for the earlier documented adverse effects of some nosocomial Pseudomonas strains on algae growth and their multidrug resistance potential, requiring the development of targeted bioremediation with regard to the beneficial flora.

Occurrence and removal efficiency of parasitic protozoa in Swedish wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Berglund, Björn; Dienus, Olaf; Sokolova, Ekaterina; Berglind, Emma; Matussek, Andreas; Pettersson, Thomas; Lindgren, Per-Eric

2017-11-15

Giardia intestinalis, Cryptosporidium spp., Entamoeba histolytica and Dientamoeba fragilis are parasitic protozoa and causative agents of gastroenteritis in humans. G. intestinalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in particular are the most common protozoa associated with waterborne outbreaks in high-income countries. Surveillance of protozoan prevalence in wastewater and evaluation of wastewater treatment removal efficiencies of protozoan pathogens is therefore imperative for assessment of human health risk. In this study, influent and effluent wastewater samples from three wastewater treatment plants in Sweden were collected over nearly one year and assessed for prevalence of parasitic protozoa. Quantitative real-time PCR using primers specific for the selected protozoa Cryptosporidium spp., G. intestinalis, E. histolytica, Entamoeba dispar and D. fragilis was used for protozoan DNA detection and assessment of wastewater treatment removal efficiencies. Occurrence of G. intestinalis, E. dispar and D. fragilis DNA was assessed in both influent (44, 30 and 39 out of 51 samples respectively) and effluent wastewater (14, 9 and 33 out of 51 samples respectively) in all three wastewater treatment plants. Mean removal efficiencies of G. intestinalis, E. dispar and D. fragilis DNA quantities, based on all three wastewater treatment plants studied varied between 67 and 87%, 37-75% and 20-34% respectively. Neither E. histolytica nor Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in any samples. Overall, higher quantities of protozoan DNA were observed from February to June 2012. The high prevalence of protozoa in influent wastewater indicates the need for continued monitoring of these pathogens in wastewater-associated aquatic environments to minimise the potential risk for human infection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of filling ratio and carrier type on organic matter removal in a moving bed biofilm reactor with pretreatment of electrocoagulation in wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Lopez-Lopez, C; Martín-Pascual, J; González-Martínez, A; Calderón, K; González-López, J; Hontoria, E; Poyatos, J M

2012-01-01

At present, there is great concern about limited water resources and water quality, which require a more advanced technology. The Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) has been shown to be an efficient technology for removal of organic matter and nutrients in industrial and urban wastewater treatment. However, there are some pollutants which are more difficult to remove by biological processes, so this process can be improved with additional physical and chemical treatments such as electrocoagulation, which appears to be a promising technology in electrochemical treatments. In this research, urban wastewater was treated in an MBBR plant with an electrocoagulation pre-treatment. K1 from AnoxKaldnes and AQWISE ABC5 from Aqwise were the carriers studied under three different filling ratios (20, 35, and 50%). The experimental pilot plant had four bioreactors with 20 L of operation volume and a common feed tank with 100 L of operation volume. The movement of the carriers was generated by aeration and stirrer systems. Organic matter removal was studied by analysis of soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD). The maximum organic matter removal in this MBBR system was 65.8% ± 1.4% and 78.4% ± 0.1% for K1 and Aqwise ABC5 carriers, respectively. Moreover, the bacterial diversity of the biofilm was studied by temperature-gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) of PCR-amplified partial 16S rRNA genes. 20 prominent TGGE bands were successfully reamplified and sequenced, being the predominant population: β-Proteobacteria, α-Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria.

Evaluation of different wastewater treatment techniques in three WWTPs in Istanbul for the removal of selected EDCs in liquid phase.

PubMed

Can, Zehra Semra; Fırlak, Melike; Kerç, Aslıhan; Evcimen, Serkan

2014-01-01

Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) are exogenous substances that cause adverse health effects in an intact organism, or its progeny, subsequent to the changes in endocrine function. Recent studies have shown that wastewater treatment plant effluents play an important role in the release of EDCs into aquatic environments. Therefore, in this study, influent and effluent samples from three different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Istanbul were analysed for the presence of the principal EDCs. These chemicals include steroids and synthetic organic chemicals. Thus, the occurrence and fate of EDCs of great health concern were monitored at three WWTPs in Istanbul. Furthermore, these WWTPs are employing different treatment processes. Therefore, the EDC removal performances of different treatment regimes were also evaluated. Phytosterol was the most abundant EDC in the influent samples. Second group of compounds at high influent levels were alkyl phenols. Pesticide levels of all three WWTP influent samples were low. Pasakoy Advanced WWTP is more effective at eliminating EDCs. Kadikoy Primary WWTP exhibits the lowest EDC elimination efficiencies. To the best of our knowledge, this work comprises the first detailed report on the occurrence and behaviour of both natural and synthetic EDCs in WWTPs of Istanbul and Turkey. The steroid estrogen levels of this study are higher than the previously documented values, except the levels given for Gaobeidian WWTP in Beijing, China. This is attributed to higher population densities of Beijing and Istanbul and as well as to lower individual water consumption rates in the two cities.

Synthetic Biology and Microbial Fuel Cells: Towards Self-Sustaining Life Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogan, John Andrew

2014-01-01

NASA ARC and the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) collaborated to investigate the development of advanced microbial fuels cells (MFCs) for biological wastewater treatment and electricity production (electrogenesis). Synthetic biology techniques and integrated hardware advances were investigated to increase system efficiency and robustness, with the intent of increasing power self-sufficiency and potential product formation from carbon dioxide. MFCs possess numerous advantages for space missions, including rapid processing, reduced biomass and effective removal of organics, nitrogen and phosphorus. Project efforts include developing space-based MFC concepts, integration analyses, increasing energy efficiency, and investigating novel bioelectrochemical system applications

Effects of wastewater effluent discharge and treatment facility upgrades on environmental and biological conditions of the upper Blue River, Johnson County, Kansas and Jackson County, Missouri, January 2003 through March 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graham, Jennifer L.; Stone, Mandy L.; Rasmussen, Teresa J.; Poulton, Barry C.

2010-01-01

The Johnson County Blue River Main Wastewater Treatment Facility discharges into the upper Blue River near the border between Johnson County, Kansas and Jackson County, Missouri. During 2005 through 2007 the wastewater treatment facility underwent upgrades to increase capacity and include biological nutrient removal. The effects of wastewater effluent on environmental and biological conditions of the upper Blue River were assessed by comparing an upstream site to two sites located downstream from the wastewater treatment facility. Environmental conditions were evaluated using previously and newly collected discrete and continuous data, and were compared with an assessment of biological community composition and ecosystem function along the upstream-downstream gradient. This evaluation is useful for understanding the potential effects of wastewater effluent on water quality, biological community structure, and ecosystem function. In addition, this information can be used to help achieve National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) wastewater effluent permit requirements after additional studies are conducted. The effects of wastewater effluent on the water-quality conditions of the upper Blue River were most evident during below-normal and normal streamflows (about 75 percent of the time), when wastewater effluent contributed more than 20 percent to total streamflow. The largest difference in water-quality conditions between the upstream and downstream sites was in nutrient concentrations. Total and inorganic nutrient concentrations at the downstream sites during below-normal and normal streamflows were 4 to 15 times larger than at the upstream site, even after upgrades to the wastewater treatment facility were completed. However, total nitrogen concentrations decreased in wastewater effluent and at the downstream site following wastewater treatment facility upgrades. Similar decreases in total phosphorus were not observed, likely because the biological phosphorus removal process was not optimized until after the study was completed. Total nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater treatment facility contributed a relatively small percentage (14 to 15 percent) to the annual nutrient load in the upper Blue River, but contributed substantially (as much as 75 percent) to monthly loads during seasonal low-flows in winter and summer. During 2007 and 2008, annual discharge from the wastewater treatment facility was about one-half maximum capacity, and estimated potential maximum annual loads were 1.6 to 2.4 times greater than annual loads before capacity upgrades. Even when target nutrient concentrations are met, annual nutrient loads will increase when the wastewater treatment facility is operated at full capacity. Regardless of changes in annual nutrient loads, the reduction of nutrient concentrations in the Blue River Main wastewater effluent will help prevent further degradation of the upper Blue River. The Blue River Main Wastewater Treatment Facility wastewater effluent caused changes in concentrations of several water-quality constituents that may affect biological community structure and function including larger concentrations of bioavailable nutrients (nitrate and orthophosphorus) and smaller turbidities. Streambed-sediment conditions were similar along the upstream-downstream gradient and measured constituents did not exceed probable effect concentrations. Habitat conditions declined along the upstream-downstream gradient, largely because of decreased canopy cover and riparian buffer width and increased riffle-substrate fouling. Algal biomass, primary production, and the abundance of nutrient-tolerant diatoms substantially increased downstream from the wastewater treatment facility. Likewise, the abundance of intolerant macroinvertebrate taxa and Kansas Department of Health and Environment aquatic-life-support scores, derived from macroinvertebrate data, significantly decreased downstream from the wastewater

Experimental and numerical study of wastewater pollution in Yuhui channel, Jiashan city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Lei; Peng, Zhenhua; You, Aiju

2018-02-01

Due to the development of economics and society in China, the huge amount of wastewater becomes a serious problem in most of the Chinese cities. Therefore, the construction of wastewater treatment plant draws much more attentions than before. The discharge from the wastewater treatment plant is then considered as a point source in most of the important rivers and channels in China. In this study, a typical wastewater treatment plant extension project is introduced as a case study, a filed monitoring experiment is designed and executed to observe required data, then, a two-dimensional model is estabilished to simulate the water quality downsteam of the wastewater treatment plant, CODCr is considered as a typical pollutant during the simulation. The simulation results indicate that different discharge conditions will lead to different CODCr concentration downstream of the wastewater treatment plant, and an emergency plan should be prepared to minimize the risk of the pollution in the channel under unusual and accident conditions.

Define of internal recirculation coefficient for biological wastewater treatment in anoxic and aerobic bioreactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossinskyi, Volodymyr

2018-02-01

The biological wastewater treatment technologies in anoxic and aerobic bioreactors with recycle of sludge mixture are used for the effective removal of organic compounds from wastewater. The change rate of sludge mixture recirculation between bioreactors leads to a change and redistribution of concentrations of organic compounds in sludge mixture in bioreactors and change hydrodynamic regimes in bioreactors. Determination of the coefficient of internal recirculation of sludge mixture between bioreactors is important for the choice of technological parameters of biological treatment (wastewater treatment duration in anoxic and aerobic bioreactors, flow capacity of recirculation pumps). Determination of the coefficient of internal recirculation of sludge mixture requires integrated consideration of hydrodynamic parameter (flow rate), kinetic parameter (rate of oxidation of organic compounds) and physical-chemical parameter of wastewater (concentration of organic compounds). The conducted numerical experiment from the proposed mathematical equations allowed to obtain analytical dependences of the coefficient of internal recirculation sludge mixture between bioreactors on the concentration of organic compounds in wastewater, the duration of wastewater treatment in bioreactors.

Landfill Leachate Toxicity Removal in Combined Treatment with Municipal Wastewater

PubMed Central

Kalka, J.

2012-01-01

Combined treatment of landfill leachate and municipal wastewater was performed in order to investigate the changes of leachate toxicity during biological treatment. Three laboratory A2O lab-scale reactors were operating under the same parameters (Q-8.5–10 L/d; HRT-1.4–1.6 d; MLSS 1.6–2.5 g/L) except for the influent characteristic and load. The influent of reactor I consisted of municipal wastewater amended with leachate from postclosure landfill; influent of reactor II consisted of leachate collected from transient landfill and municipal wastewater; reactor III served as a control and its influent consisted of municipal wastewater only. Toxicity of raw and treated wastewater was determinted by four acute toxicity tests with Daphnia magna, Thamnocephalus platyurus, Vibrio fischeri, and Raphidocelis subcapitata. Landfill leachate increased initial toxicity of wastewater. During biological treatment, significant decline of acute toxicity was observed, but still mixture of leachate and wastewater was harmful to all tested organisms. PMID:22623882

Wastewater treatment plant effluent as a source of microplastics: review of the fate, chemical interactions and potential risks to aquatic organisms.

PubMed

Ziajahromi, Shima; Neale, Peta A; Leusch, Frederic D L

2016-11-01

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent has been identified as a potential source of microplastics in the aquatic environment. Microplastics have recently been detected in wastewater effluent in Western Europe, Russia and the USA. As there are only a handful of studies on microplastics in wastewater, it is difficult to accurately determine the contribution of wastewater effluent as a source of microplastics. However, even the small amounts of microplastics detected in wastewater effluent may be a remarkable source given the large volumes of wastewater treatment effluent discharged to the aquatic environment annually. Further, there is strong evidence that microplastics can interact with wastewater-associated contaminants, which has the potential to transport chemicals to aquatic organisms after exposure to contaminated microplastics. In this review we apply lessons learned from the literature on microplastics in the aquatic environment and knowledge on current wastewater treatment technologies, with the aim of identifying the research gaps in terms of (i) the fate of microplastics in WWTPs, (ii) the potential interaction of wastewater-based microplastics with trace organic contaminants and metals, and (iii) the risk for aquatic organisms.

Renewable Energy in Water and Wastewater Treatment Applications; Period of Performance: April 1, 2001--September 1, 2001

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Argaw, N.

2003-06-01

This guidebook will help readers understand where and how renewable energy technologies can be used for water and wastewater treatment applications. It is specifically designed for rural and small urban center water supply and wastewater treatment applications. This guidebook also provides basic information for selecting water resources and for various kinds of commercially available water supply and wastewater treatment technologies and power sources currently in the market.

Organic Contaminant Abatement in Reclaimed Water by UV/H2O2 and a Combined Process Consisting of O3/H2O2 Followed by UV/H2O2: Prediction of Abatement Efficiency, Energy Consumption, and Byproduct Formation.

PubMed

Lee, Yunho; Gerrity, Daniel; Lee, Minju; Gamage, Sujanie; Pisarenko, Aleksey; Trenholm, Rebecca A; Canonica, Silvio; Snyder, Shane A; von Gunten, Urs

2016-04-05

UV/H2O2 processes can be applied to improve the quality of effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plants by attenuating trace organic contaminants (micropollutants). This study presents a kinetic model based on UV photolysis parameters, including UV absorption rate and quantum yield, and hydroxyl radical (·OH) oxidation parameters, including second-order rate constants for ·OH reactions and steady-state ·OH concentrations, that can be used to predict micropollutant abatement in wastewater. The UV/H2O2 kinetic model successfully predicted the abatement efficiencies of 16 target micropollutants in bench-scale UV and UV/H2O2 experiments in 10 secondary wastewater effluents. The model was then used to calculate the electric energies required to achieve specific levels of micropollutant abatement in several advanced wastewater treatment scenarios using various combinations of ozone, UV, and H2O2. UV/H2O2 is more energy-intensive than ozonation for abatement of most micropollutants. Nevertheless, UV/H2O2 is not limited by the formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and bromate whereas ozonation may produce significant concentrations of these oxidation byproducts, as observed in some of the tested wastewater effluents. The combined process of O3/H2O2 followed by UV/H2O2, which may be warranted in some potable reuse applications, can achieve superior micropollutant abatement with reduced energy consumption compared to UV/H2O2 and reduced oxidation byproduct formation (i.e., NDMA and/or bromate) compared to conventional ozonation.

Degradation of dye Procion Red MX-5B by electrolytic and electro-irradiated technologies using diamond electrodes.

PubMed

Cotillas, Salvador; Clematis, Davide; Cañizares, Pablo; Carpanese, Maria Paola; Rodrigo, Manuel A; Panizza, Marco

2018-05-01

This work focuses on the treatment of synthetic wastewater polluted with dye Procion Red MX-5B by different Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Processes (EAOP) based on diamond anodes. The influence of the current density and the supporting electrolyte has been studied on dye removal and total mineralization of the organic matter. Results show that electrolysis with diamond electrodes is a suitable technology for an efficient degradation of dye. Nonetheless, the process efficiency increases when using chloride as supporting electrolyte because of the electrochemical generation of hypochlorite in wastewater which significantly contribute to dye removal. On the contrary, the total mineralization of the organic matter is more efficient in sulfate media. In this case, large amounts of peroxodisulfate are electrogenerated, favoring the complete removal of total organic carbon (TOC). On the other hand, lower current densities (10 mA cm -2 ) lead to a more efficient removal of both dye and TOC due to the mass transfer limitations of the technology. Finally, the coupling of UV light irradiation or ultrasound to electrolysis significantly improves the process performance, being photoelectrolysis the most efficient technology for the treatment of wastewater polluted with Procion Red MX-5B. This fact is due to the potential production of free chlorine or sulfate radicals that takes place by the activation of the electrogenerated oxidants. These species are more reactive than oxidants and, therefore, they quickly attack the organic matter present in wastewater. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mutagenicity and cytotoxicity evaluation of photo-catalytically treated petroleum refinery wastewater using an array of bioassays.

PubMed

Iqbal, Munawar; Nisar, Jan; Adil, Muhammad; Abbas, Mazhar; Riaz, Muhammad; Tahir, M Asif; Younus, Muhammad; Shahid, Muhammad

2017-02-01

Degradation and detoxification of petroleum refinery wastewater (PRW) was carried out by advanced oxidation processes (UV/TiO 2 /H 2 O 2 and gamma radiation/H 2 O 2 ). Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the independent variables. The cytotoxicity was evaluated using Allium cepa, brime shrimp and haemolytic assays; whereas mutagenicity was tested by Ames tests (TA98 and TA100 strains). Maximum reductions in COD and BOD were recorded as 78% and 87% for UV/TiO 2 /H 2 O 2 and 77% and 86% for gamma ray/H 2 O 2 , respectively. Treatments with both methods at optimized conditions reduced the cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of PRW, however, UV/TiO 2 /H 2 O 2 system was found slightly efficient as compared to gamma ray/H 2 O 2 . From the results, it can be concluded that AOP's can successfully be utilized for the degradation of toxic pollutants in petroleum refinery wastewater. Moreover, the bioassays used in this study offered a good reliability for checking the detoxification of treated and un-treated PRW wastewater. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seabrook, N.H. Wastewater Treatment Plant Chief Operator Recognized for Outstanding Service

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Dustin Price, a resident of Berwick Maine and the Chief Operator of the Seabrook, N.H. Wastewater Treatment Plant, was honored by EPA with a 2016 Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator of the Year Excellence Award.

Chromium toxicity to nitrifying bacteria: implications to wastewater treatment

EPA Science Inventory

Chromium, a heavy metal that enters wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) through industrial discharges, can be toxic to microorganisms carrying out important processes within biological wastewater treatment systems. The effect of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) on ammonia dependent specific ox...

Recent advances on biosorption by aerobic granular sludge.

PubMed

Wang, Li; Liu, Xiang; Lee, Duu-Jong; Tay, Joo-Hwa; Zhang, Yi; Wan, Chun-Li; Chen, Xiao-Feng

2018-06-04

Aerobic granular sludge is a form of microbial auto-aggregation, and a promising biotechnology for wastewater treatment. This review aims at providing the first comprehensive, systematic, and in-depth overview on the application of aerobic granules as biosorbents. The target pollutants encompass heavy metals (both cationic and oxyanionic), nuclides, dyes, and inorganic non-metal substances. Different granule types are discussed, i.e. intact and fragmented, compact and fluffy, original and modified, and the effects of granule surface modification are introduced. A detailed comparison is conducted on the characteristics of granular biomass, the conditions of the adsorption tests, and the resultant performance towards various sorbates. Analytical and mathematical tools typically employed are presented, and possible interactions between the pollutants and granules are theorized, leading to an analysis on the mechanisms of the adsorption processes. Original granules appear highly effective towards cationic metals, while surface modification by organic and inorganic agents can expand their applicability to other pollutants. Combined with their advantages of high mechanical strength, density, and settling speed, aerobic granules possess exceptional potential in real wastewater treatment as biosorbents. Possible future research, both fundamental and practical, is suggested to gain more insights into the mechanism of their function, and to advance their industrial application. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Advanced Wastewater Treatment Engineering—Investigating Membrane Fouling in both Rotational and Static Membrane Bioreactor Systems Using Empirical Modelling

PubMed Central

Paul, Parneet; Jones, Franck Anderson

2016-01-01

Advanced wastewater treatment using membranes are popular environmental system processes since they allow reuse and recycling. However, fouling is a key limiting factor and so proprietary systems such as Avanti’s RPU-185 Flexidisks membrane bioreactor (MBR) use novel rotating membranes to assist in ameliorating it. In earlier research, this rotating process was studied by creating a simulation model based on first principles and traditional fouling mechanisms. In order to directly compare the potential benefits of this rotational system, this follow-up study was carried out using Avanti’s newly developed static (non-rotating) Flexidisks MBR system. The results from operating the static pilot unit were simulated and modelled using the rotational fouling model developed earlier however with rotational switching functions turned off and rotational parameters set to a static mode. The study concluded that a rotating MBR system could increase flux throughput when compared against a similar static system. It is thought that although the slowly rotating spindle induces a weak crossflow shear, it is still able to even out cake build up across the membrane surface, thus reducing the likelihood of localised critical flux being exceeded at the micro level and lessening the potential of rapid trans-membrane pressure increases at the macro level. PMID:26742053

Archaeal Diversity in Biofilm Technologies Applied to Treat Urban and Industrial Wastewater: Recent Advances and Future Prospects

PubMed Central

Calderón, Kadiya; González-Martínez, Alejandro; Gómez-Silván, Cinta; Osorio, Francisco; Rodelas, Belén; González-López, Jesús

2013-01-01

Biological wastewater treatment (WWT) frequently relies on biofilms for the removal of anthropogenic contaminants. The use of inert carrier materials to support biofilm development is often required, although under certain operating conditions microorganisms yield structures called granules, dense aggregates of self-immobilized cells with the characteristics of biofilms maintained in suspension. Molecular techniques have been successfully applied in recent years to identify the prokaryotic communities inhabiting biofilms in WWT plants. Although methanogenic Archaea are widely acknowledged as key players for the degradation of organic matter in anaerobic bioreactors, other biotechnological functions fulfilled by Archaea are less explored, and research on their significance and potential for WWT is largely needed. In addition, the occurrence of biofilms in WWT plants can sometimes be a source of operational problems. This is the case for membrane bioreactors (MBR), an advanced technology that combines conventional biological treatment with membrane filtration, which is strongly limited by biofouling, defined as the undesirable accumulation of microbial biofilms and other materials on membrane surfaces. The prevalence and spatial distribution of archaeal communities in biofilm-based WWT as well as their role in biofouling are reviewed here, in order to illustrate the significance of this prokaryotic cellular lineage in engineered environments devoted to WWT. PMID:24022691

Uncertainty assessment of a model for biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal: Application to a large wastewater treatment plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mannina, Giorgio; Cosenza, Alida; Viviani, Gaspare

In the last few years, the use of mathematical models in WasteWater Treatment Plant (WWTP) processes has become a common way to predict WWTP behaviour. However, mathematical models generally demand advanced input for their implementation that must be evaluated by an extensive data-gathering campaign, which cannot always be carried out. This fact, together with the intrinsic complexity of the model structure, leads to model results that may be very uncertain. Quantification of the uncertainty is imperative. However, despite the importance of uncertainty quantification, only few studies have been carried out in the wastewater treatment field, and those studies only included a few of the sources of model uncertainty. Seeking the development of the area, the paper presents the uncertainty assessment of a mathematical model simulating biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal. The uncertainty assessment was conducted according to the Generalised Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) methodology that has been scarcely applied in wastewater field. The model was based on activated-sludge models 1 (ASM) and 2 (ASM2). Different approaches can be used for uncertainty analysis. The GLUE methodology requires a large number of Monte Carlo simulations in which a random sampling of individual parameters drawn from probability distributions is used to determine a set of parameter values. Using this approach, model reliability was evaluated based on its capacity to globally limit the uncertainty. The method was applied to a large full-scale WWTP for which quantity and quality data was gathered. The analysis enabled to gain useful insights for WWTP modelling identifying the crucial aspects where higher uncertainty rely and where therefore, more efforts should be provided in terms of both data gathering and modelling practises.

Evaluation of the removal of antiestrogens and antiandrogens via ozone and granular activated carbon using bioassay and fluorescent spectroscopy.

PubMed

Ma, Dehua; Chen, Lujun; Wu, Yuchao; Liu, Rui

2016-06-01

Antiestrogens and antiandrogens are relatively rarely studied endocrine disrupting chemicals which can be found in un/treated wastewaters. Antiestrogens and antiandrogens in the wastewater treatment effluents could contribute to sexual disruption of organisms. In this study, to assess the removal of non-specific antiestrogens and antiandrogens by advanced treatment processes, ozonation and adsorption to granular activated carbon (GAC), the biological activities and excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy of wastewater were evaluated. As the applied ozone dose increased to 12 mg/L, the antiestrogenic activity dramatically decreased to 3.2 μg 4-hydroxytamoxifen equivalent (4HEQ)/L, with a removal efficiency of 84.8%, while the antiandrogenic activity was 23.1 μg flutamide equivalent (FEQ)/L, with a removal efficiency of 75.5%. The removal of antiestrogenic/antiandrogenic activity has high correlation with the removal of fulvic acid-like materials and humic acid-like organics, suggesting that they can be used as surrogates for antiestrogenic/antiandrogenic activity during ozonation. The adsorption kinetics of antiestrogenic activity and antiandrogenic activity were well described by pseudo-second-order kinetics models. The estimated equilibrium concentration of antiestrogenic activity is 7.9 μg 4HEQ/L with an effective removal efficiency of 70.5%, while the equilibrium concentration of antiandrogenic activity is 33.7 μg FEQ/L with a removal efficiency of 67.0%. Biological activity evaluation of wastewater effluents is an attractive way to assess the removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals by different treatment processes. Fluorescence spectroscopy can be used as a surrogate measure of bioassays during ozonation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation and risk evaluation of the occurrence of carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, their human metabolites and transformation products in the urban water cycle.

PubMed

Brezina, Elena; Prasse, Carsten; Meyer, Johannes; Mückter, Harald; Ternes, Thomas A

2017-06-01

Trace organic contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products and industrial chemicals are frequently detected in the urban water cycle, including wastewater, surface water and groundwater, as well as drinking water. These also include human metabolites (HMs), which are formed in the human body and then excreted via urine or feces, as well as transformation products (TPs) formed in engineered treatment systems and the aquatic environment. In the current study, the occurrence of HMs as well as their TPs of the anticonvulsants carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OXC) were investigated using LC tandem MS in effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), surface water and groundwater. Highest concentrations were observed in raw wastewater for 10,11-dihydro-10,11-dihydroxycarbamazepine (DiOHCBZ), 10,11-dihydro-10-hydroxy-cabamazepine (10OHCBZ) and CBZ with concentrations ranging up to 2.7 ± 0.4, 1.7 ± 0.2 and 1.07 ± 0.06 μg L -1 , respectively. Predictions of different toxicity endpoints using a Distributed Structure-Searchable Toxicity (DSSTox) expert system query indicated that several HMs and TPs, in particular 9-carboxy-acridine (9-CA-ADIN) and acridone (ADON), may exhibit an increased genotoxicity compared to the parent compound CBZ. As 9-CA-ADIN was also detected in groundwater, a detailed investigation of the genotoxicity of 9-CA-ADIN is warranted. Investigations of an advanced wastewater treatment plant further revealed that the discharge of the investigated compounds into the aquatic environment could be substantially reduced by ozonation followed by granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of White Charcoal on COD Reduction in Wastewater Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pijarn, Nuchanaporn; Butsee, Manipa; Buakul, Kanokwan; Seng, Hasan; Sribuarai, Tinnphat; Phonprasert, Pongtep; Taneeto, Kla; Atthameth, Prasertsil

2017-06-01

The objective of this study is to compare the COD reduction in wastewater between using coconut shell and coconut spathe white charcoal from Khlong Wat NongPra-Ong, Krathumbaen, SamutSakhon province, Thailand. The waste water samples were collected using composite sampling method. The experimental section can be divided into 2 parts. The first part was study the optimum of COD adsorption time using both white charcoals. The second part was study the optimum amount of white charcoal for chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction. The pre-treatment of wastewater was examined in parameters include temperature, alkalinity (pH), conductivity, turbidity, suspended solid (SS), total dissolved solid (TDS), and COD. The results show that both white charcoals can reduce COD of wastewater. The pH of pre-treatment wastewater had pH 9 but post-treatment wastewaters using both white charcoals have pH 8. The COD of pre-treatment wastewater had COD as 258 mg/L but post-treatment wastewater using coconut shell white charcoal had COD steady at 40 mg/L in 30 min and the amount of white charcoals 4 g. The COD of post-treatment wastewater using coconut spathe white charcoal had COD steady at 71 mg/L in 30 min and the amount of white charcoals 4 g. Therefore comparison of COD reduction between coconut shell white charcoal versus coconut spathe white charcoal found that the coconut shell white charcoal had efficiency for COD reduction better than coconut spathe white charcoal.

Study on evaluation index system of operational performance of municipal wastewater treatment plants in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiaoxin, Zhang; Jin, Huang; Ling, Lin; Yan, Li

2018-05-01

According to the undeveloped evaluation method for the operational performance of the municipal wastewater treatment plants, this paper analyzes the policies related to sewage treatment industry based on the investigation of the municipal wastewater treatment plants. The applicable evaluation method for the operational performance was proposed from environmental protection performance, resources and energy consumption, technical and economic performance, production management and main equipment, providing a reliable basis for scientific evaluation of the operation as well as improving the operational performance of municipal wastewater treatment plant.

Examination of the operator and compensator tank role in urban wastewater treatment using activated sludge method.

PubMed

Mokhtari Azar, Akbar; Ghadirpour Jelogir, Ali; Nabi Bidhendi, Gholam Reza; Zaredar, Narges

2011-04-01

No doubt, operator is one of the main fundaments in wastewater treatment plants. By identifying the inadequacies, the operator could be considered as an important key in treatment plant. Several methods are used for wastewater treatment that requires spending a lot of cost. However, all investments of treatment facilities are usable when the expected efficiency of the treatment plant was obtained. Using experienced operator, this goal is more easily accessible. In this research, the wastewater of an urban community contaminated with moderated, diluted and highly concentrated pollution has been treated using surface and deep aeration treatment method. Sampling of these pilots was performed during winter 2008 to summer 2009. The results indicate that all analyzed parameters were eliminated using activated sludge and surface aeration methods. However, in activated sludge and deep aeration methods in combination with suitable function of operator, more pollutants could be eliminated. Hence, existence of operator in wastewater treatment plants is the basic principle to achieve considered efficiency. Wastewater treatment system is not intelligent itself and that is the operator who can organize even an inefficient system by its continuous presence. The converse of this fact is also real. Despite the various units and appropriate design of wastewater treatment plant, without an operator, the studied process cannot be expected highly efficient. In places frequently affected by the shock of organic and hydraulic loads, the compensator tank is important to offset the wastewater treatment process. Finally, in regard to microbial parameters, existence of disinfection unit is very useful.

Determining a sustainable and economically optimal wastewater treatment and discharge strategy.

PubMed

Hardisty, Paul E; Sivapalan, Mayuran; Humphries, Robert

2013-01-15

Options for treatment and discharge of wastewater in regional Western Australia (WA) are examined from the perspective of overall sustainability and social net benefit. Current practice in the state has typically involved a basic standard of treatment deemed to be protective of human health, followed by discharge to surface water bodies. Community and regulatory pressure to move to higher standards of treatment is based on the presumption that a higher standard of treatment is more protective of the environment and society, and thus is more sustainable. This analysis tests that hypothesis for Western Australian conditions. The merits of various wastewater treatment and discharge strategies are examined by quantifying financial costs (capital and operations), and by monetising the wider environmental and social costs and benefits of each option over an expanded planning horizon (30 years). Six technical treatment-disposal options were assessed at a test site, all of which met the fundamental criterion of protecting human health. From a financial perspective, the current business-as-usual option is preferred - it is the least cost solution. However, valuing externalities such as water, greenhouse gases, ecological impacts and community amenity, the status quo is revealed as sub-optimal. Advanced secondary treatment with stream disposal improves water quality and provides overall net benefit to society. All of the other options were net present value (NPV) negative. Sensitivity analysis shows that the favoured option outperforms all of the others under a wide range of financial and externality values and assumptions. Expanding the findings across the state reveals that moving from the identified socially optimal level of treatment to higher (tertiary) levels of treatment would result in a net loss to society equivalent to several hundred million dollars. In other words, everyone benefits from improving treatment to the optimum point. But society, the environment, and the Corporation are all worse off when treatment levels are pushed beyond what is economic and sustainable. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential of combining mechanical and physicochemical municipal wastewater pre-treatment with direct membrane filtration.

PubMed

Hey, Tobias; Väänänen, Janne; Heinen, Nicolas; la Cour Jansen, Jes; Jönsson, Karin

2017-01-01

At a full-scale wastewater treatment plant, raw municipal wastewater from the sand trap outlet was mechanically and physicochemically pre-treated before microfiltration (MF) in a large pilot-scale study. MF was performed using a low transmembrane pressure (0.03 bar) without backflushing for up to 159 h (∼6.6 d). Pre-filtration ensured stable MF operation compared with the direct application of raw wastewater on the membrane. The combination of physicochemical pre-treatment, such as coagulation, flocculation, and microsieving, with MF meets the European and Swedish discharge limits for small- and medium-sized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The specific electricity footprint was 0.3-0.4 kWh·m -3 , which is an improvement compared to the median footprint of 0.75 kWh·m -3 found in 105 traditional Swedish WWTPs with sizes of 1500-10,000 person equivalents. Furthermore, the biological treatment step can be omitted, and the risk of releasing greenhouse gases was eliminated. The investigated wastewater treatment process required less space than conventional wastewater treatment processes, and more carbon was made available for biogas production.

Tracking antibiotic resistome during wastewater treatment using high throughput quantitative PCR.

PubMed

An, Xin-Li; Su, Jian-Qiang; Li, Bing; Ouyang, Wei-Ying; Zhao, Yi; Chen, Qing-Lin; Cui, Li; Chen, Hong; Gillings, Michael R; Zhang, Tong; Zhu, Yong-Guan

2018-05-08

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contain diverse antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and thus are considered as a major pathway for the dissemination of these genes into the environments. However, comprehensive evaluations of ARGs dynamic during wastewater treatment process lack extensive investigations on a broad spectrum of ARGs. Here, we investigated the dynamics of ARGs and bacterial community structures in 114 samples from eleven Chinese WWTPs using high-throughput quantitative PCR and 16S rRNA-based Illumina sequencing analysis. Significant shift of ARGs profiles was observed and wastewater treatment process could significantly reduce the abundance and diversity of ARGs, with the removal of ARGs concentration by 1-2 orders of magnitude. Whereas, a considerable number of ARGs were detected and enriched in effluents compared with influents. In particular, seven ARGs mainly conferring resistance to beta-lactams and aminoglycosides and three mobile genetic elements persisted in all WWTPs samples after wastewater treatment. ARGs profiles varied with wastewater treatment processes, seasons and regions. This study tracked the footprint of ARGs during wastewater treatment process, which would support the assessment on the spread of ARGs from WWTPs and provide data for identifying management options to improve ARG mitigation in WWTPs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Life cycle cost of a hybrid forward osmosis - low pressure reverse osmosis system for seawater desalination and wastewater recovery.

PubMed

Valladares Linares, R; Li, Z; Yangali-Quintanilla, V; Ghaffour, N; Amy, G; Leiknes, T; Vrouwenvelder, J S

2016-01-01

In recent years, forward osmosis (FO) hybrid membrane systems have been investigated as an alternative to conventional high-pressure membrane processes (i.e. reverse osmosis (RO)) for seawater desalination and wastewater treatment and recovery. Nevertheless, their economic advantage in comparison to conventional processes for seawater desalination and municipal wastewater treatment has not been clearly addressed. This work presents a detailed economic analysis on capital and operational expenses (CAPEX and OPEX) for: i) a hybrid forward osmosis - low-pressure reverse osmosis (FO-LPRO) process, ii) a conventional seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination process, and iii) a membrane bioreactor - reverse osmosis - advanced oxidation process (MBR-RO-AOP) for wastewater treatment and reuse. The most important variables affecting economic feasibility are obtained through a sensitivity analysis of a hybrid FO-LPRO system. The main parameters taken into account for the life cycle costs are the water quality characteristics (similar feed water and similar water produced), production capacity of 100,000 m(3) d(-1) of potable water, energy consumption, materials, maintenance, operation, RO and FO module costs, and chemicals. Compared to SWRO, the FO-LPRO systems have a 21% higher CAPEX and a 56% lower OPEX due to savings in energy consumption and fouling control. In terms of the total water cost per cubic meter of water produced, the hybrid FO-LPRO desalination system has a 16% cost reduction compared to the benchmark for desalination, mainly SWRO. Compared to the MBR-RO-AOP, the FO-LPRO systems have a 7% lower CAPEX and 9% higher OPEX, resulting in no significant cost reduction per m(3) produced by FO-LPRO. Hybrid FO-LPRO membrane systems are shown to have an economic advantage compared to current available technology for desalination, and comparable costs with a wastewater treatment and recovery system. Based on development on FO membrane modules, packing density, and water permeability, the total water cost could be further reduced. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simultaneously bio treatment of textiles and food industries effluent at difference ratios with the aid of e-beam radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakar, Khomsaton Abu; Selambakkannu, Sarala; Ting, Teo Ming; Shariff, Jamaliah

2012-09-01

The combination of irradiation and biological technique was used to study COD, BOD5 and colour removal of textiles effluent in the presence of food industry wastewater at two different ratios. Two biological treatment system, the first consisting a mix of unirradiated textile and food industry wastewater and the second a mix of irradiated textile wastewater and food industry wastewater were operated in parallel. The experiment was conducted by batch. For the first batch the ratio was use for textile wastewater and food industry wastewater in biological treatment was 1:1. Meanwhile, for the second batch the ratio used for textile wastewater and food industry wastewater in biological treatment was 1:2. The results obtained for the first and second batch varies from each other. After irradiation, COD reduce in textile wastewater for the both batches are roughly 29% - 33% from the unirradiated wastewater. But after undergoing the biological treatment the percentage of COD reduction for first batch and second batch was 62.1% and 80.7% respectively. After irradiation the BOD5 of textile wastewater reduced by 22.2% for the first batch and 55.1% for the second batch. But after biological treatment, the BOD5 value for the first batch was same as its initial, 36mg/l and 40.4mg/l for the second batch. Colour had decreased from 899.5 ADMI to 379.3 ADMI after irradiation and decrease to 109.3 after undergoes biological treatment for the first batch. Meantime for the batch two, colour had decreased from 1000.44 ADMI to 363.40 ADMI after irradiation and dropped to 79.20 ADMI after biological treatment. The experiment show that 1:2 ratio show better reduction on COD, BOD5 and colour, compared to the ratio of 1:1.

Monitoring the biological activity of micropollutants during advanced wastewater treatment with ozonation and activated carbon filtration.

PubMed

Macova, M; Escher, B I; Reungoat, J; Carswell, S; Chue, K Lee; Keller, J; Mueller, J F

2010-01-01

A bioanalytical test battery was used to monitor the removal efficiency of organic micropollutants during advanced wastewater treatment in the South Caboolture Water Reclamation Plant, Queensland, Australia. This plant treats effluent from a conventional sewage treatment plant for industrial water reuse. The aqueous samples were enriched using solid-phase extraction to separate some organic micropollutants of interest from metals, nutrients and matrix components. The bioassays were chosen to provide information on groups of chemicals with a common mode of toxic action. Therefore they can be considered as sum indicators to detect certain relevant groups of chemicals, not as the most ecologically or human health relevant endpoints. The baseline toxicity was quantified with the bioluminescence inhibition test using the marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri. The specific modes of toxic action that were targeted with five additional bioassays included aspects of estrogenicity, dioxin-like activity, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and phytotoxicity. While the accompanying publication discusses the treatment steps in more detail by drawing from the results of chemical analysis as well as the bioanalytical results, here we focus on the applicability and limitations of using bioassays for the purpose of determining the treatment efficacy of advanced water treatment and for water quality assessment in general. Results are reported in toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQ), that is, the concentration of a reference compound required to elicit the same response as the unknown and unidentified mixture of micropollutants actually present. TEQ proved to be useful and easily communicable despite some limitations and uncertainties in their derivation based on the mixture toxicity theory. The results obtained were reproducible, robust and sensitive. The TEQ in the influent ranged in the same order of magnitude as typically seen in effluents of conventional sewage treatment plants. In the initial steps of the treatment chain, no significant degradation of micropollutants was observed, and the high levels of dissolved organic carbon probably affected the outcome of the bioassays. The steps of coagulation/flocculation/dissolved air flotation/sand filtration and ozonation decreased the effect-based micropollutant burden significantly. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment of cotton textile wastewater using lime and ferrous sulfate.

PubMed

Georgiou, D; Aivazidis, A; Hatiras, J; Gimouhopoulos, K

2003-05-01

This technical note summarizes the results of a textile wastewater treatment process aiming at the destruction of the wastewater's color by means of coagulation/flocculation techniques using ferrous sulfate and/or lime. All the experiments were run in a pilot plant that simulated an actual industrial wastewater treatment plant. Treatment with lime alone proved to be very effective in removing the color (70-90%) and part of the COD (50-60%) from the textile wastewater. Moreover, the treatment with ferrous sulfate regulating the pH in the range 9.0+/-0.5 using lime was equally effective. Finally, the treatment with lime in the presence of increasing doses of ferrous sulfate was tested successfully, however; it proved to be very costly mainly due to the massive production of solids that precipitated.

ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS MANUAL - REVISED FEBRUARY 2002

EPA Science Inventory

This update of the 1980 Design Manual: Onsite Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems was developed to provide supplemental and new information for wastewater treatment professionals in both the public and private sectors. This manual is not intended to replace the previous man...

WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND ITS MANAGEMENT OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS

EPA Science Inventory

Research has shown that wastewater treatment (WWT) can be a significant source of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) to the environment. WWT can include centralized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) or on-site WWT technologies. EDCs found in WWT effluents (aqueous and biosol...

Opportunities for Combined Heat and Power at Wastewater Treatment Facilities: Market Analysis and Lessons from the Field

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This report presents the opportunities for combined heat and power (CHP) applications in the municipal wastewater treatment sector, and it documents the experiences of the wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) operators who have employed CHP.

Crystallization techniques in wastewater treatment: An overview of applications.

PubMed

Lu, Haijiao; Wang, Jingkang; Wang, Ting; Wang, Na; Bao, Ying; Hao, Hongxun

2017-04-01

As a by-product of industrial or domestic activities, wastewater of different compositions has caused serious environmental problems all over the world. Facing the challenge of wastewater treatment, researchers have begun to make use of crystallization techniques in wastewater treatment. Crystallization techniques have many advantages, such as high efficiency, energy saving, low costs, less space occupation and so on. In recent decades, crystallization is considered as one of promising techniques for wastewater treatment, especially for desalination, water and salt recovery. It has been widely used in engineering applications all over the world. In this paper, various crystallization techniques in wastewater treatment are summarized, mainly including evaporation crystallization, cooling crystallization, reaction crystallization, drowning-out crystallization and membrane distillation crystallization. Overall, they are mainly used for desalination, water and salt recovery. Their applications, advantages and disadvantages were compared and discussed in detail. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lagrangian sampling of wastewater treatment plant effluent in Boulder Creek, Colorado, and Fourmile Creek, Iowa, during the summer of 2003 and spring of 2005--Hydrological and chemical data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barber, Larry B.; Keefe, Steffanie H.; Kolpin, Dana W.; Schnoebelen, Douglas J.; Flynn, Jennifer L.; Brown, Gregory K.; Furlong, Edward T.; Glassmeyer, Susan T.; Gray, James L.; Meyer, Michael T.; Sandstrom, Mark W.; Taylor, Howard E.; Zaugg, Steven D.

2011-01-01

This report presents methods and data for a Lagrangian sampling investigation into chemical loading and in-stream attenuation of inorganic and organic contaminants in two wastewater treatment-plant effluent-dominated streams: Boulder Creek, Colorado, and Fourmile Creek, Iowa. Water-quality sampling was timed to coincide with low-flow conditions when dilution of the wastewater treatment-plant effluent by stream water was at a minimum. Sample-collection times corresponded to estimated travel times (based on tracer tests) to allow the same "parcel" of water to reach downstream sampling locations. The water-quality data are linked directly to stream discharge using flow- and depth-integrated composite sampling protocols. A range of chemical analyses was made for nutrients, carbon, major elements, trace elements, biological components, acidic and neutral organic wastewater compounds, antibiotic compounds, pharmaceutical compounds, steroid and steroidal-hormone compounds, and pesticide compounds. Physical measurements were made for field conditions, stream discharge, and time-of-travel studies. Two Lagrangian water samplings were conducted in each stream, one in the summer of 2003 and the other in the spring of 2005. Water samples were collected from five sites in Boulder Creek: upstream from the wastewater treatment plant, the treatment-plant effluent, and three downstream sites. Fourmile Creek had seven sampling sites: upstream from the wastewater treatment plant, the treatment-plant effluent, four downstream sites, and a tributary. At each site, stream discharge was measured, and equal width-integrated composite water samples were collected and split for subsequent chemical, physical, and biological analyses. During the summer of 2003 sampling, Boulder Creek downstream from the wastewater treatment plant consisted of 36 percent effluent, and Fourmile Creek downstream from the respective wastewater treatment plant was 81 percent effluent. During the spring of 2005 samplings, Boulder Creek downstream from the wastewater treatment plant was 40 percent effluent, and Fourmile Creek downstream from that wastewater treatment plant was 28 percent effluent. At each site, 300 individual constituents were determined to characterize the water. Most of the inorganic constituents were detected in all of the stream and treatment-plant effluent samples, whereas detection of synthetic organic compounds was more limited and contaminants typically occurred only in wastewater treatment-plant effluents and at downstream sites. Concentrations ranged from nanograms per liter to milligrams per liter.

Wastewater treatment in the pulp-and-paper industry: A review of treatment processes and the associated greenhouse gas emission.

PubMed

Ashrafi, Omid; Yerushalmi, Laleh; Haghighat, Fariborz

2015-08-01

Pulp-and-paper mills produce various types of contaminants and a significant amount of wastewater depending on the type of processes used in the plant. Since the generated wastewaters can be potentially polluting and very dangerous, they should be treated in wastewater treatment plants before being released to the environment. This paper reviews different wastewater treatment processes used in the pulp-and-paper industry and compares them with respect to their contaminant removal efficiencies and the extent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. It also evaluates the impact of operating parameters on the performance of different treatment processes. Two mathematical models were used to estimate GHG emission in common biological treatment processes used in the pulp-and-paper industry. Nutrient removal processes and sludge treatment are discussed and their associated GHG emissions are calculated. Although both aerobic and anaerobic biological processes are appropriate for wastewater treatment, their combination known as hybrid processes showed a better contaminant removal capacity at higher efficiencies under optimized operating conditions with reduced GHG emission and energy costs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fluorochemical Mass Flows in a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facility

PubMed Central

Schultz, Melissa M.; Higgins, Christopher P.; Huset, Carin A.; Luthy, Richard G.; Barofsky, Douglas F.; Field, Jennifer A.

2008-01-01

Fluorochemicals have widespread applications and are released into municipal wastewater treatment plants via domestic wastewater. A field study was conducted at a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant to determine the mass flows of selected fluorochemicals. Flow-proportional, 24-h samples of raw influent, primary effluent, trickling filter effluent, secondary effluent, and final effluent and grab samples of primary, thickened, activated, and anaerobically-digested sludge were collected over ten days and analyzed by liquid chromatography electrospray-ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Significant decreases in the mass flows of perfluorohexane sulfonate and perfluorodecanoate occurred during trickling filtration and primary clarification, while activated sludge treatment decreased the mass flow of perfluorohexanoate. Mass flows of the 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate and perfluorooctanoate were unchanged as a result of wastewater treatment, which indicates that conventional wastewater treatment is not effective for removal of these compounds. A net increase in the mass flows for perfluorooctane and perfluorodecane sulfonates occurred from trickling filtration and activated sludge treatment. Mass flows for perfluoroalkylsulfonamides and perfluorononanoate also increased during activated sludge treatment and are attributed to degradation of precursor molecules. PMID:17180988

Electrolyte selection and microbial toxicity for electrochemical oxidative water treatment using a boron-doped diamond anode to support site specific contamination incident response.

PubMed

Phillips, Rebecca B; James, Ryan R; Magnuson, Matthew L

2018-04-01

Intentional and unintentional contamination incidents, such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and accidental spills, can result in large volumes of contaminated water. These waters may require pre-treatment before disposal and assurances that treated waters will not adversely impact biological processes at wastewater treatment facilities, or receiving waters. Based on recommendations of an industrial workgroup, this study addresses such concerns by studying electrochemical advanced oxidation process (EAOP) pre-treatment for contaminated waters, using a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode, prior to discharge to wastewater treatment facilities. Reaction conditions were investigated, and microbial toxicity was assessed using the Microtox ® toxicity assay and the Nitrification Inhibition test. A range of contaminants were studied including herbicides, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and flame retardants. Resulting toxicities varied with supporting electrolyte from 5% to 92%, often increasing, indicating that microbial toxicity, in addition to parent compound degradation, should be monitored during treatment. These toxicity results are particularly novel because they systematically compare the microbial toxicity effects of a variety of supporting electrolytes, indicating some electrolytes may not be appropriate in certain applications. Further, these results are the first known report of the use of the Nitrification Inhibition test for this application. Overall, these results systematically demonstrate that anodic oxidation using the BDD anode is useful for addressing water contaminated with refractory organic contaminants, while minimizing impacts to wastewater plants or receiving waters accepting EAOP-treated effluent. The results of this study indicate nitrate can be a suitable electrolyte for incident response and, more importantly, serve as a baseline for site specific EAOP usage. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Process simulation and dynamic control for marine oily wastewater treatment using UV irradiation.

PubMed

Jing, Liang; Chen, Bing; Zhang, Baiyu; Li, Pu

2015-09-15

UV irradiation and advanced oxidation processes have been recently regarded as promising solutions in removing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from marine oily wastewater. However, such treatment methods are generally not sufficiently understood in terms of reaction mechanisms, process simulation and process control. These deficiencies can drastically hinder their application in shipping and offshore petroleum industries which produce bilge/ballast water and produced water as the main streams of marine oily wastewater. In this study, the factorial design of experiment was carried out to investigate the degradation mechanism of a typical PAH, namely naphthalene, under UV irradiation in seawater. Based on the experimental results, a three-layer feed-forward artificial neural network simulation model was developed to simulate the treatment process and to forecast the removal performance. A simulation-based dynamic mixed integer nonlinear programming (SDMINP) approach was then proposed to intelligently control the treatment process by integrating the developed simulation model, genetic algorithm and multi-stage programming. The applicability and effectiveness of the developed approach were further tested though a case study. The experimental results showed that the influences of fluence rate and temperature on the removal of naphthalene were greater than those of salinity and initial concentration. The developed simulation model could well predict the UV-induced removal process under varying conditions. The case study suggested that the SDMINP approach, with the aid of the multi-stage control strategy, was able to significantly reduce treatment cost when comparing to the traditional single-stage process optimization. The developed approach and its concept/framework have high potential of applicability in other environmental fields where a treatment process is involved and experimentation and modeling are used for process simulation and control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel approaches based on ultrasound for treatment of wastewater containing potassium ferrocyanide.

PubMed

Jawale, Rajashree H; Tandale, Akash; Gogate, Parag R

2017-09-01

Industrial wastewaters containing biorefractory compounds like cyanide offer significant environmental problems attributed to the fact that the conventional methods have limited effectiveness and hence developing efficient treatment approaches is an important requirement. The present work investigates the use of novel treatment approach of ultrasound (US) combined with advanced oxidation techniques for the degradation of potassium ferrocyanide (KFC) for the first time. An ultrasonic bath equipped with longitudinal horn (1kW rated power and 25kHz frequency) has been used. The effect of initial pH (2-9) on the progress of degradation has been investigated initially and subsequently using the optimized pH, effect of addition of hydrogen peroxide (ratio of KFC:H 2 O 2 varied over the range of 1:0.5-1:5) and TiO 2 in the presence of H 2 O 2 (1:1 ratio by weight of TiO 2 ) as process intensifying approach has been studied. Combination of ultrasonic irradiation with ozone (O 3 ) (100-400mg/h) and ultraviolet irradiation (UV) has also been investigated. Use of combination of US with H 2 O 2, H 2 O 2 +TiO 2 and ozone resulted in extent of KFC degradation as 54.2%, 74.82% and 82.41% respectively. Combination of US with both UV and ozone was established to be the best approach yielding 92.47% degradation. The study also focused on establishing kinetic rate constants for all the treatment approaches which revealed that all the approaches followed first order kinetic mechanism with higher rate constants for the combination approaches. Overall, it has been conclusively established that ultrasound based combined treatment schemes are very effective for the treatment of KFC containing wastewaters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the photocatalytic activity of Ln3+-TiO2 nanomaterial using fluorescence technique for real wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Saif, M; Aboul-Fotouh, S M K; El-Molla, S A; Ibrahim, M M; Ismail, L F M

2014-07-15

Evaluation the photocatalytic activity of different Ln(3+) modified TiO2 nanomaterials using fluorescence based technique has rarely been reported. In the present work, xmol Ln(3+) modified TiO2 nanomaterials (Ln = Nd(3+), Sm(3+), Eu(3+), Gd(3+), Dy(3+) and Er(3+) ions; x = 0.005, 0.008, 0.01, 0.02 and 0.03) were synthesized by sol-gel method and characterized using different advanced techniques. The photocatalytic efficiency of the modified TiO2 expressed in the charge carrier separation and OH radicals formation were assigned using TiO2 fluorescence quenching and fluorescence probe methods, respectively. The obtained fluorescence measurements confirm that doping treatment significantly decreases the electron-hole recombination probability in the obtained Ln(3+)/TiO2. Moreover, the rate of OH radicals formation is increased by doping. The highly active nanoparticles (0.02Gd(3+)/TiO2 and 0.01Eu(3+)/TiO2) were applied for industrial wastewater treatment using solar radiation as a renewable energy source. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from USAF Wastewater Treatment Plants in Ozone Nonattainment Areas

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-09-01

Wastewater Treatment 39 Industrial Sources 39 Household Products 39 Fate Mechanisms for VOCs in Wastewater 40 Volatilization 40 Gas Stripping 40...industrial sources, and household products (16:33-35; 51:51-53; 52:56; 53:6-7). Water and Wastewater Treatment. Chlorine is typically added to...of tetrachloroethene. Household Products . Cleaners, personal care items (deodorants, cosmetics, deodorizers), lawn and garden products, paints and

Installation Restoration Program (IRP) Stage 3. McClellan Air Force Base. Operable Unit B. Preliminary Assessment Summary Report. Volume 2. Appendix B (Part 2)

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-10-01

the Industrial Wastewater Collection System (IWCS) for leaks and analyzed wastewater passing through the wastewater lines (the IWL) at McClellan AFB (EG...Wastewater Collection System (IWCS) is a system of underground pipes and lift stations used to collect the wastewater from the various base processes...and work areas for treatment at one centralized Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant (IWTP) located in OU C McClellan AFB. Most of the system is

Assessment of airborne bacteria and noroviruses in air emission from a new highly-advanced hospital wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Uhrbrand, K; Schultz, A C; Koivisto, A J; Nielsen, U; Madsen, A M

2017-04-01

Exposure to bioaerosols can pose a health risk to workers at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and to habitants of their surroundings. The main objective of this study was to examine the presence of harmful microorganisms in the air emission from a new type of hospital WWTP employing advanced wastewater treatment technologies. Air particle measurements and sampling of inhalable bacteria, endotoxin and noroviruses (NoVs) were performed indoor at the WWTP and outside at the WWTP ventilation air exhaust, downwind of the air exhaust, and upwind of the WWTP. No significant differences were seen in particle and endotoxin concentrations between locations. Bacterial concentrations were comparable or significantly lower in the exhaust air than inside the WWTP and in the upwind reference. Bacterial isolates were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In total, 35 different bacterial genera and 64 bacterial species were identified in the air samples. Significantly higher genus and species richness was found with an Andersen Cascade Impactor compared with filter-based sampling. No pathogenic bacteria were found in the exhaust air. Streptomyces was the only bacterium found in the air both inside the WWTP and at the air emission, but not in the upwind reference. NoV genomes were detected in the air inside the WWTP and at the air exhaust, albeit in low concentrations. As only traces of NoV genomes could be detected in the exhaust air they are unlikely to pose a health risk to surroundings. Hence, we assess the risk of airborne exposure to pathogenic bacteria and NoVs from the WWTP air emission to surroundings to be negligible. However, as a slightly higher NoV concentration was detected inside the WWTP, we cannot exclude the possibility that exposure to airborne NoVs can pose a health risk to susceptible to workers inside the WWTP, although the risk may be low. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Presence of parasitic protozoa and helminth in sewage and efficiency of sewage treatment in Tunisia.

PubMed

Ben Ayed, L; Schijven, J; Alouini, Z; Jemli, M; Sabbahi, S

2009-08-01

Helminth eggs and protozoan cysts were enumerated in raw and treated wastewater in Tunisia in order to determine their removal by wastewater treatment and to provide quantitative data for developing regulations for wastewater quality that are currently lacking. Raw and treated wastewater samples were collected from 17 plants in Tunisia during 2006-2007 and analyzed for parasites using the modified Bailenger method. Two groups of parasites, namely, Ascaris sp., Entamoeba coli, Enterobius vermicularis, and Taenia sp. (group 1) and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Giardia sp., and Taenia sp. (group 2) could statistically be distinguished according to their removal by wastewater treatment. Group 1 parasites were removed by 1.1 log(10) (92.4%) and group 2 parasites by 0.61 log(10) (76%). The ubiquitous presence of parasitic protozoa in Tunisian wastewater and ineffective wastewater treatment lead to their proliferation in surface waters with a high probability of exposure of human and animals to these parasites and consequent adverse health effects, as is apparent from epidemiologic data as well. This study provides a quantitative basis for risk assessment studies and development of mitigation strategies, such as improving wastewater treatment efficiency.

Marine carbohydrates of wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Sudha, Prasad N; Gomathi, Thandapani; Vinodhini, P Angelin; Nasreen, K

2014-01-01

Our natural heritage (rivers, seas, and oceans) has been exploited, mistreated, and contaminated because of industrialization, globalization, population growth, urbanization with increased wealth, and more extravagant lifestyles. The scenario gets worse when the effluents or contaminants are discharged directly. So wastewater treatment is a very important and necessary in nowadays to purify wastewater before it enters a body of natural water, or it is applied to the land, or it is reused. Various methods are available for treating wastewater but with many disadvantages. Recently, numerous approaches have been studied for the development of cheaper and more effective technologies, both to decrease the amount of wastewater produced and to improve the quality of the treated effluent. Biosorption is an emerging technology, which uses natural materials as adsorbents for wastewater treatment. Low-cost adsorbents of polysaccharide-based materials obtained from marine, such as chitin, chitosan, alginate, agar, and carrageenan, are acting as rescue for wastewater treatment. This chapter reviews the treatment of wastewater up to the present time using marine polysaccharides and its derivatives. Special attention is paid to the advantages of the natural adsorbents, which are a wonderful gift for human survival. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

COMPARISON OF ESCHERICHIA COLI, TOTAL COLIFORM, AND FECAL COLIFORM POPULATIONS AS INDICATORS OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT EFFICIENCY

EPA Science Inventory

Escherichia coli, total coliform, and fecal coliform data were collected from two wastewater treatment facilities, a subsurface constructed wetlands, and the receiving stream. Results are presented from individual wastewater treatment process streams, final effluent and river sit...

MANAGING ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS USING EXISTING AND INNOVATIVE WASTEWATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES

EPA Science Inventory

Research has shown that wastewater (WW) can be a significant source of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) to the environment. WW treatment (WWT) may include centralized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) or smaller on-site WWT technologies. EDCs found in WWT effluents (aqueou...

Instrumentation and Automation of Wastewater Collection and Treatment Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roesler, Joseph F.; Cummins, Michael D.

1978-01-01

Presents a literature review of the use of instrumentation and automation of wastewater treatment systems, covering publications of 1976-77. This review includes automatic control systems and cost effectiveness of automation of wastewater treatment. A list of 115 references is also presented. (HM)

Reconnaissance of Pharmaceutical Chemicals in Urban Streams of the Tualatin River Basin, Oregon, 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rounds, Stewart A.; Doyle, Micelis C.; Edwards, Patrick M.; Furlong, Edward T.

2009-01-01

A reconnaissance of pharmaceutical chemicals in urban streams of the Tualatin River basin was conducted in July 2002 in an effort to better understand the occurrence and distribution of such compounds, and to determine whether they might be useful indicators of human-related stream contamination. Of the 21 pharmaceutical chemicals and metabolites tested, only 6 (acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazepine, codeine, cotinine, and sulfamethoxazole) were detected in filtered stream samples from 10 sites. The concentrations of most of the detected compounds were relatively low (less than 0.05 microgram per liter). The most frequently detected compounds were cotinine (a nicotine metabolite, 8 of 10 samples) and caffeine (a stimulant, 7 of 10 samples). More compounds were detected in urban stream samples than in samples from forested or agricultural drainages. Filtered water samples also were collected from four locations within an advanced wastewater treatment facility to quantify the relative amounts of these chemicals in a municipal waste stream and to determine the degree to which those chemicals are removed by treatment processes. Fifteen pharmaceutical chemicals or metabolites were detected in wastewater treatment facility influent, with concentrations far exceeding those measured in streams. Only five of those compounds, however, were detected in the treated effluent (carbamazepine, cotinine, ibuprofen, metformin, and sulfamethoxazole) and most of those were at concentrations less than 0.2 microgram per liter. The target pharmaceutical chemicals and metabolites showed limited potential for use as tracers of specific types of human-related contamination in Tualatin River basin streams because of widespread sources (caffeine, for example) or extremely low concentrations. Caffeine and cotinine are likely to be good indicators of sources that can occur in urban areas, such as sewage spills or leaks or the widespread use and careless disposal of tobacco products and caffeine-containing beverages. Neither compound, however, is likely to be a good tracer for a specific source unless that source is large. The presence of 1,7-dimethylxanthine (a caffeine metabolite) concurrently with caffeine might indicate the presence of untreated wastewater; in contrast, the absence of the metabolite might help rule out that source. Acetaminophen might make a good tracer for untreated wastewater because of its common usage, high concentration in raw wastewater, and effective removal via treatment. Carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole have the potential to be good indicators of treated wastewater because of their incomplete removal in treatment facilities. Some of these pharmaceutical chemicals, either singly or in combination, might prove useful as tracers of contamination after further study.

Wastewater treatment evaluation for enterprises based on fuzzy-AHP comprehensive evaluation: a case study in industrial park in Taihu Basin, China.

PubMed

Hu, Wei; Liu, Guangbing; Tu, Yong

2016-01-01

This paper applied the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) technique and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) procedure to evaluate the wastewater treatment for enterprises. Based on the characteristics of wastewater treatment for enterprises in Taihu basin, an evaluating index system was established for enterprise and analysis hierarchy process method was applied to determine index weight. Then the AHP and FCE methods were combined to validate the wastewater treatment level of 3 representative enterprises. The results show that the evaluation grade of enterprise 1, enterprise 2 and enterprise 3 was middle, good and excellent, respectively. Finally, the scores of 3 enterprises were calculated according to the hundred-mark system, and enterprise 3 has the highest wastewater treatment level, followed by enterprise 2 and enterprises 1. The application of this work can make the evaluation results more scientific and accurate. It is expected that this work may serve as an assistance tool for managers of enterprise in improving the wastewater treatment level.

LAND APPLICATION AND SLUDGE TREATMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Fecal matter potentially containing pathogenic microorganisms and chemical contaminants enters community wastewater collection systems from hospitals, funeral homes, animal slaughtering operations, and dwellings. While these wastewaters are cleansed in the wastewater treatment p...

Domestic wastewater treatment as a net energy producer--can this be achieved?

PubMed

McCarty, Perry L; Bae, Jaeho; Kim, Jeonghwan

2011-09-01

In seeking greater sustainability in water resources management, wastewater is now being considered more as a resource than as a waste-a resource for water, for plant nutrients, and for energy. Energy, the primary focus of this article, can be obtained from wastewater's organic as well as from its thermal content. Also, using wastewater's nitrogen and P nutrients for plant fertilization, rather than wasting them, helps offset the high energy cost of producing synthetic fertilizers. Microbial fuel cells offer potential for direct biological conversion of wastewater's organic materials into electricity, although significant improvements are needed for this process to be competitive with anaerobic biological conversion of wastewater organics into biogas, a renewable fuel used in electricity generation. Newer membrane processes coupled with complete anaerobic treatment of wastewater offer the potential for wastewater treatment to become a net generator of energy, rather than the large energy consumer that it is today.

Use of ozone in a pilot-scale plant for textile wastewater pre-treatment: physico-chemical efficiency, degradation by-products identification and environmental toxicity of treated wastewater.

PubMed

Somensi, Cleder A; Simionatto, Edésio L; Bertoli, Sávio L; Wisniewski, Alberto; Radetski, Claudemir M

2010-03-15

In this study, ozonation of raw textile wastewater was conducted in a pilot-scale plant and the efficiency of this treatment was evaluated based on the parameters color removal and soluble organic matter measured as chemical oxygen demand (COD), at two pH values (9.1 and 3.0). Identification of intermediate and final degradation products of ozone pre-treatment, as well as the evaluation of the final ecotoxicity (Lumistox test) of pre-treated wastewater, was also carried out. After 4h of ozone treatment with wastewater recirculation (flow rate of 0.45 m(3)h(-1)) the average efficiencies for color removal were 67.5% (pH 9.1) and 40.6% (pH 3.0), while COD reduction was 25.5% (pH 9.1) and 18.7% (pH 3.0) for an ozone production capacity of 20 g h(-1). Furthermore, ozonation enhances the biodegradability of textile wastewater (BOD(5)/COD ratios) by a factor of up to 6.8-fold. A GC-MS analysis of pre-treated textile wastewater showed that some products were present at the end of the pre-treatment time. In spite of this fact, the bacterial luminescence inhibition test (Lumistox test) showed a significant toxicity reduction on comparing the raw and treated textile wastewater. In conclusion, pre-ozonation of textile wastewater is an important step in terms of improving wastewater biodegradability, as well as reducing acute ecotoxicity, which should be removed completely through sequential biological treatment. (c) 2009. Published by Elsevier B.V.

San Francisco Biofuel Program: Brown Grease to Biodiesel Demonstration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jolis, Domènec; Martis, Mary; Jones, Bonnie

2013-03-01

Municipal wastewater treatment facilities have typically been limited to the role of accepting wastewater, treating it to required levels, and disposing of its treatment residuals. However, a new view is emerging which includes wastewater treatment facilities as regional resource recovery centers. This view is a direct result of increasingly stringent regulations, concerns over energy use, carbon footprint, and worldwide depletion of fossil fuel resources. Resources in wastewater include chemical and thermal energy, as well as nutrients, and water. A waste stream such as residual grease, which concentrates in the drainage from restaurants (referred to as Trap Waste), is a goodmore » example of a resource with an energy content that can be recovered for beneficial reuse. If left in wastewater, grease accumulates inside of the wastewater collection system and can lead to increased corrosion and pipe blockages that can cause wastewater overflows. Also, grease in wastewater that arrives at the treatment facility can impair the operation of preliminary treatment equipment and is only partly removed in the primary treatment process. In addition, residual grease increases the demand in treatment materials such as oxygen in the secondary treatment process. When disposed of in landfills, grease is likely to undergo anaerobic decay prior to landfill capping, resulting in the atmospheric release of methane, a greenhouse gas (GHG). This research project was therefore conceptualized and implemented by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) to test the feasibility of energy recovery from Trap Waste in the form of Biodiesel or Methane gas.« less

Biological treatment and toxicity of low concentrations of oily wastewater (bilgewater).

PubMed

Stamper, David M; Montgomery, Michael T

2008-08-01

The biodegradability and toxicity of low concentrations of oily wastewater (bilgewater) were tested under simulated sanitary wastewater treatment conditions. This was done to establish the feasibility of a combined shipboard oily and nonoily wastewater treatment system. The biodegradability of oily wastewater was determined by proxy; 14C-labeled dodecane, toluene, and phenanthrene (representing alkane, aromatic, and polyaromatic compounds, respectively) were mineralized in petroleum fuels and lubricants. We found that low concentrations of oily wastewater components were mineralized, even in the presence of more abundant substrates (such as synthetic graywater, containing vegetable oil, detergent, gelatin, and starch). The toxic effects of diesel fuel and several other components of oily wastewater (such as surfactants and a synthetic lubricant) on a naïve wastewater assemblage was also tested. In concentrations much higher than would be expected under normal shipboard conditions, we found no evidence of toxic effects of the bilgewater compounds tested. Thus, a combined shipboard bilgewater and sanitary wastewater system might be feasible.

A review of polymeric membranes and processes for potable water reuse

PubMed Central

Warsinger, David M.; Chakraborty, Sudip; Tow, Emily W.; Plumlee, Megan H.; Bellona, Christopher; Loutatidou, Savvina; Karimi, Leila; Mikelonis, Anne M.; Achilli, Andrea; Ghassemi, Abbas; Padhye, Lokesh P.; Snyder, Shane A.; Curcio, Stefano; Vecitis, Chad; Arafat, Hassan A.; Lienhard, John H.

2018-01-01

Conventional water resources in many regions are insufficient to meet the water needs of growing populations, thus reuse is gaining acceptance as a method of water supply augmentation. Recent advancements in membrane technology have allowed for the reclamation of municipal wastewater for the production of drinking water, i.e., potable reuse. Although public perception can be a challenge, potable reuse is often the least energy-intensive method of providing additional drinking water to water stressed regions. A variety of membranes have been developed that can remove water contaminants ranging from particles and pathogens to dissolved organic compounds and salts. Typically, potable reuse treatment plants use polymeric membranes for microfiltration or ultrafiltration in conjunction with reverse osmosis and, in some cases, nanofiltration. Membrane properties, including pore size, wettability, surface charge, roughness, thermal resistance, chemical stability, permeability, thickness and mechanical strength, vary between membranes and applications. Advancements in membrane technology including new membrane materials, coatings, and manufacturing methods, as well as emerging membrane processes such as membrane bioreactors, electrodialysis, and forward osmosis have been developed to improve selectivity, energy consumption, fouling resistance, and/or capital cost. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of the role of polymeric membranes in the treatment of wastewater to potable water quality and highlight recent advancements in separation processes. Beyond membranes themselves, this review covers the background and history of potable reuse, and commonly used potable reuse process chains, pretreatment steps, and advanced oxidation processes. Key trends in membrane technology include novel configurations, materials and fouling prevention techniques. Challenges still facing membrane-based potable reuse applications, including chemical and biological contaminant removal, membrane fouling, and public perception, are highlighted as areas in need of further research and development. PMID:29937599

Distribution of trace metals in the vicinity of a wastewater treatment plant on the Potomac River, Washington, DC, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, J. P.; Muller, A. C.

2013-05-01

Predicting the fate and distribution of anthropogenic-sourced trace metals in riverine and estuarine systems is challenging due to multiple and varying source functions and dynamic physiochemical conditions. Between July 2011 and November 2012, sediment and water column samples were collected from over 20 sites in the tidal-fresh Potomac River estuary, Washington, DC near the outfall of the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (BPWTP) for measurement of select trace metals. Field observations of water column parameters (conductivity, temperature, pH, turbidity) were also made at each sampling site. Trace metal concentrations were normalized to the "background" composition of the river determined from control sites in order to investigate the distribution BPWTP-sourced in local Potomac River receiving waters. Temporal differences in the observed distribution of trace metals were attributed to changes in the relative contribution of metals from different sources (wastewater, riverine, other) coupled with differences in the physiochemical conditions of the water column. Results show that normalizing near-source concentrations to the background composition of the water body and also to key environmental parameters can aid in predicting the fate and distribution of anthropogenic-sourced trace metals in dynamic riverine and estuarine systems like the tidal-fresh Potomac River.

Antibiotics with anaerobic ammonium oxidation in urban wastewater treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Ruipeng; Yang, Yuanming

2017-05-01

Biofilter process is based on biological oxidation process on the introduction of fast water filter design ideas generated by an integrated filtration, adsorption and biological role of aerobic wastewater treatment process various purification processes. By engineering example, we show that the process is an ideal sewage and industrial wastewater treatment process of low concentration. Anaerobic ammonia oxidation process because of its advantage of the high efficiency and low consumption, wastewater biological denitrification field has broad application prospects. The process in practical wastewater treatment at home and abroad has become a hot spot. In this paper, anammox bacteria habitats and species diversity, and anaerobic ammonium oxidation process in the form of diversity, and one and split the process operating conditions are compared, focusing on a review of the anammox process technology various types of wastewater laboratory research and engineering applications, including general water quality and pressure filtrate sludge digestion, landfill leachate, aquaculture wastewater, monosodium glutamate wastewater, wastewater, sewage, fecal sewage, waste water salinity wastewater characteristics, research progress and application of the obstacles. Finally, we summarize the anaerobic ammonium oxidation process potential problems during the processing of the actual waste water, and proposed future research focus on in-depth study of water quality anammox obstacle factor and its regulatory policy, and vigorously develop on this basis, and combined process optimization.

Treatment of hydraulic fracturing wastewater by wet air oxidation.

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Yan, Xiuyi; Zhou, Jinghui; Ma, Jiuli

2016-01-01

Wastewater produced by hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas production is characterized by high salinity and high chemical oxygen demand (COD). We applied a combination of flocculation and wet air oxidation technology to optimize the reduction of COD in the treatment of hydraulic fracturing wastewater. The experiments used different values of flocculant, coagulant, and oxidizing agent added to the wastewater, as well as different reaction times and treatment temperatures. The use of flocculants for the pretreatment of fracturing wastewater was shown to improve treatment efficiency. The addition of 500 mg/L of polyaluminum chloride (PAC) and 20 mg/L of anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) during pretreatment resulted in a COD removal ratio of 8.2% and reduced the suspended solid concentration of fracturing wastewater to 150 mg/L. For a solution of pretreated fracturing wastewater with 12 mL of added H2O2, the COD was reduced to 104 mg/L when reacted at 300 °C for 75 min, and reduced to 127 mg/L when reacted at the same temperature for 45 min while using a 1 L autoclave. An optimal combination of these parameters produced treated wastewater that met the GB 8978-1996 'Integrated Wastewater Discharge Standard' level I emission standard.

Control of occupational exposure to phenol in industrial wastewater treatment plant of a petroleum refinery in Alexandria, Egypt: An intervention application case study.

PubMed

Zaki, Gehan R; El-Marakby, Fadia A; Ramadan, Alaa El-Din K; Issa, Ahmed I; Nofal, Faten H

2016-11-01

Phenol exposure is one of the hazards in the industrial wastewater treatment basin of any refinery. It additively interacts with hydrogen sulfide emitted from the wastewater basin. Consequently, its concentration should be greatly lower than its threshold limit value. The present study aimed at controlling occupational exposure to phenol in the work environment of wastewater treatment plant in a refinery by reducing phenolic compounds in the industrial wastewater basin. This study was conducted on both laboratory and refinery scales. The first was completed by dividing each wastewater sample from the outlets of different refinery units into three portions; the first was analyzed for phenolic compounds. The second and third were for laboratory scale charcoal and bacterial treatments. The two methods were compared regarding their simplicities, design, and removal efficiencies. Accordingly, bacterial treatment by continuous flow of sewage water containing Pseudomonas Aeruginosa was used for refinery scale treatment. Laboratory scale treatment of phenolic compounds revealed higher removal efficiency of charcoal [100.0(0.0) %] than of bacteria [99.9(0.013) %]. The refinery scale bacterial treatment was [99.8(0.013) %] efficient. Consequently, level of phenol in the work environment after refinery-scale treatment [0.069(0.802) mg/m(3)] was much lower than that before [5.700(26.050) mg/m(3)], with removal efficiency of [99.125(2.335) %]. From the present study, we can conclude that bacterial treatment of phenolic compounds in industrial wastewater of the wastewater treatment plant using continuous flow of sewage water containing Pseudomonas Aeruginosa reduces the workers' exposure to phenol.

Determination of the priority indexes for the oil refinery wastewater treatment process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chesnokova, M. G.; Myshlyavtsev, A. V.; Kriga, A. S.; Shaporenko, A. P.; Markelov, V. V.

2017-08-01

The wastewater biological treatment intensity and effectiveness are influenced by many factors: temperature, pH, presence and concentration of toxic substances, the biomass concentration et al. Regulation of them allows controlling the biological treatment process. Using the Bayesian theorem the link between changes was determined and the wastewater indexes normative limits exceeding influence for activated sludge characteristics alteration probability was evaluated. The estimation of total, or aposterioric, priority index presence probability, which characterizes the wastewater treatment level, is an important way to use the Bayesian theorem in activated sludge swelling prediction at the oil refinery biological treatment unit.

40 CFR 63.138 - Process wastewater provisions-performance standards for treatment processes managing Group 1...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... each treatment process. (b) Control options: Group 1 wastewater streams for Table 9 compounds. The... section. (c) Control options: Group 1 wastewater streams for Table 8 compounds. The owner or operator...) Residuals. For each residual removed from a Group 1 wastewater stream, the owner or operator shall control...

40 CFR 63.138 - Process wastewater provisions-performance standards for treatment processes managing Group 1...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... each treatment process. (b) Control options: Group 1 wastewater streams for Table 9 compounds. The... section. (c) Control options: Group 1 wastewater streams for Table 8 compounds. The owner or operator...) Residuals. For each residual removed from a Group 1 wastewater stream, the owner or operator shall control...

40 CFR 63.138 - Process wastewater provisions-performance standards for treatment processes managing Group 1...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... each treatment process. (b) Control options: Group 1 wastewater streams for Table 9 compounds. The... section. (c) Control options: Group 1 wastewater streams for Table 8 compounds. The owner or operator...) Residuals. For each residual removed from a Group 1 wastewater stream, the owner or operator shall control...

Metagenomic analysis of an ecological wastewater treatment plant's microbial communities and their potential to metabolize pharmaceuticals.

PubMed

Balcom, Ian N; Driscoll, Heather; Vincent, James; Leduc, Meagan

2016-01-01

Pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants have been detected in drinking water, groundwater, surface water, and soil around the world. Even in locations where wastewater treatment is required, they can be found in drinking water wells, municipal water supplies, and agricultural soils. It is clear conventional wastewater treatment technologies are not meeting the challenge of the mounting pressures on global freshwater supplies. Cost-effective ecological wastewater treatment technologies have been developed in response. To determine whether the removal of micropollutants in ecological wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is promoted by the plant-microbe interactions, as has been reported for other recalcitrant xenobiotics, biofilm microbial communities growing on the surfaces of plant roots were profiled by whole metagenome sequencing and compared to the microbial communities residing in the wastewater. In this study, the concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were quantified in each treatment tank of the ecological WWTP treating human wastewater at a highway rest stop and visitor center in Vermont. The concentrations of detected PPCPs were substantially greater than values reported for conventional WWTPs likely due to onsite recirculation of wastewater. The greatest reductions in PPCPs concentrations were observed in the anoxic treatment tank where Bacilli dominated the biofilm community. Benzoate degradation was the most abundant xenobiotic metabolic category identified throughout the system. Collectively, the microbial communities residing in the wastewater were taxonomically and metabolically more diverse than the immersed plant root biofilm. However, greater heterogeneity and higher relative abundances of xenobiotic metabolism genes was observed for the root biofilm.

Metagenomic analysis of an ecological wastewater treatment plant’s microbial communities and their potential to metabolize pharmaceuticals

PubMed Central

Balcom, Ian N.; Driscoll, Heather; Vincent, James; Leduc, Meagan

2016-01-01

Pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants have been detected in drinking water, groundwater, surface water, and soil around the world. Even in locations where wastewater treatment is required, they can be found in drinking water wells, municipal water supplies, and agricultural soils. It is clear conventional wastewater treatment technologies are not meeting the challenge of the mounting pressures on global freshwater supplies. Cost-effective ecological wastewater treatment technologies have been developed in response. To determine whether the removal of micropollutants in ecological wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is promoted by the plant-microbe interactions, as has been reported for other recalcitrant xenobiotics, biofilm microbial communities growing on the surfaces of plant roots were profiled by whole metagenome sequencing and compared to the microbial communities residing in the wastewater. In this study, the concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were quantified in each treatment tank of the ecological WWTP treating human wastewater at a highway rest stop and visitor center in Vermont. The concentrations of detected PPCPs were substantially greater than values reported for conventional WWTPs likely due to onsite recirculation of wastewater. The greatest reductions in PPCPs concentrations were observed in the anoxic treatment tank where Bacilli dominated the biofilm community. Benzoate degradation was the most abundant xenobiotic metabolic category identified throughout the system. Collectively, the microbial communities residing in the wastewater were taxonomically and metabolically more diverse than the immersed plant root biofilm. However, greater heterogeneity and higher relative abundances of xenobiotic metabolism genes was observed for the root biofilm. PMID:27610223

What happens in hospitals does not stay in hospitals: antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospital wastewater systems.

PubMed

Hocquet, D; Muller, A; Bertrand, X

2016-08-01

Hospitals are hotspots for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) and play a major role in both their emergence and spread. Large numbers of these ARB will be ejected from hospitals via wastewater systems. In this review, we present quantitative and qualitative data of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli, vancomycin-resistant enterococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in hospital wastewaters compared to community wastewaters. We also discuss the fate of these ARB in wastewater treatment plants and in the downstream environment. Published studies have shown that hospital effluents contain ARB, the burden of these bacteria being dependent on their local prevalence. The large amounts of antimicrobials rejected in wastewater exert a continuous selective pressure. Only a few countries recommend the primary treatment of hospital effluents before their discharge into the main wastewater flow for treatment in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Despite the lack of conclusive data, some studies suggest that treatment could favour the ARB, notably ESBL-producing E. coli. Moreover, treatment plants are described as hotspots for the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacterial species. Consequently, large amounts of ARB are released in the environment, but it is unclear whether this release contributes to the global epidemiology of these pathogens. It is reasonable, nevertheless, to postulate that it plays a role in the worldwide progression of antibiotic resistance. Antimicrobial resistance should now be seen as an 'environmental pollutant', and new wastewater treatment processes must be assessed for their capability in eliminating ARB, especially from hospital effluents. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Waste-assimilation study of Koshkonong Creek below sewage-treatment plant at Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grant, R. Stephen

1976-01-01

A waste-load-assimilation study of a reach of Koshkonong Creek below the Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, sewage-treatment-plant outfall indicated that a high level of treatment would be required to meet Wisconsin water-quality standards. To maintain a minimum dissolved-oxygen concentration of 5 mg/liter during the critical summer low-flow period, 5-day carbonaceous biochemical-oxygen demand in waste discharges should not exceed 5 mg/liter and ammonium nitrogen should not exceed 1.5 mg/liter. Advanced treatment with denitrification is required because stream-reaeration coefficients are not high enough to offset deoxygenation caused by an abundance of attached biological slimes. The slimes apparently consumed dissolved oxygen at a rate of about 110 mg/liter per day at the time of the stream survey. During the critical summer low-flow period, natural stream discharge is very small compared to waste-water discharge , so benefits of dilution are insignificant. An evaluation of two proposed alternative waste-water discharge sites indicated that the present discharge site is hydraulically superior to these sites. Stream-reaeration coefficients used in the study were based on measurements using the radioactive-tracer method. (Woodard-USGS)

Selection of organic process and source indicator substances for the anthropogenically influenced water cycle.

PubMed

Jekel, Martin; Dott, Wolfgang; Bergmann, Axel; Dünnbier, Uwe; Gnirß, Regina; Haist-Gulde, Brigitte; Hamscher, Gerd; Letzel, Marion; Licha, Tobias; Lyko, Sven; Miehe, Ulf; Sacher, Frank; Scheurer, Marco; Schmidt, Carsten K; Reemtsma, Thorsten; Ruhl, Aki Sebastian

2015-04-01

An increasing number of organic micropollutants (OMP) is detected in anthropogenically influenced water cycles. Source control and effective natural and technical barriers are essential to maintain a high quality of drinking water resources under these circumstances. Based on the literature and our own research this study proposes a limited number of OMP that can serve as indicator substances for the major sources of OMP, such as wastewater treatment plants, agriculture and surface runoff. Furthermore functional indicators are proposed that allow assessment of the proper function of natural and technical barriers in the aquatic environment, namely conventional municipal wastewater treatment, advanced treatment (ozonation, activated carbon), bank filtration and soil aquifer treatment as well as self-purification in surface water. These indicator substances include the artificial sweetener acesulfame, the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen, the anticonvulsant carbamazepine, the corrosion inhibitor benzotriazole and the herbicide mecoprop among others. The chemical indicator substances are intended to support comparisons between watersheds and technical and natural processes independent of specific water cycles and to reduce efforts and costs of chemical analyses without losing essential information. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Calculation of energy recovery and greenhouse gas emission reduction from palm oil mill effluent treatment by an anaerobic granular-sludge process.

PubMed

Show, K Y; Ng, C A; Faiza, A R; Wong, L P; Wong, L Y

2011-01-01

Conventional aerobic and low-rate anaerobic processes such as pond and open-tank systems have been widely used in wastewater treatment. In order to improve treatment efficacy and to avoid greenhouse gas emissions, conventional treatment can be upgraded to a high performance anaerobic granular-sludge system. The anaerobic granular-sludge systems are designed to capture the biogas produced, rendering a potential for claims of carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) would be issued, which can be exchanged between businesses or bought and sold in international markets at the prevailing market prices. As the advanced anaerobic granular systems are capable of handling high organic loadings concomitant with high strength wastewater and short hydraulic retention time, they render more carbon credits than other conventional anaerobic systems. In addition to efficient waste degradation, the carbon credits can be used to generate revenue and to finance the project. This paper presents a scenario on emission avoidance based on a methane recovery and utilization project. An example analysis on emission reduction and an overview of the global emission market are also outlined.

A greenhouse gas source of surprising significance: anthropogenic CO2 emissions from use of methanol in sewage treatment.

PubMed

Willis, John L; Al-Omari, Ahmed; Bastian, Robert; Brower, Bill; DeBarbadillo, Christine; Murthy, Sudhir; Peot, Christopher; Yuan, Zhiguo

2017-05-01

The impact of methanol (CH 3 OH) as a source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in denitrification at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has never been quantified. CH 3 OH is the most commonly purchased carbon source for sewage denitrification. Until recently, greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting protocols consistently ignored the liberation of anthropogenic CO 2 attributable to CH 3 OH. This oversight can likely be attributed to a simplifying notion that CO 2 produced through activated-sludge-process respiration is biogenic because most raw-sewage carbon is un-sequestered prior to entering a WWTP. Instead, a biogenic categorization cannot apply to fossil-fuel-derived carbon sources like CH 3 OH. This paper provides a summary of how CH 3 OH use at DC Water's Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (AWTP; Washington, DC, USA) amounts to 60 to 85% of the AWTP's Scope-1 emissions. The United States Environmental Protection Agency and Water Environment Federation databases suggest that CH 3 OH CO 2 likely represents one quarter of all Scope-1 GHG emissions attributable to sewage treatment in the USA. Finally, many alternatives to CH 3 OH use exist and are discussed.

Wastewater Treatment Energy Recovery Potential For Adaptation To Global Change: An Integrated Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breach, Patrick A.; Simonovic, Slobodan P.

2018-04-01

Approximately 20% of wastewaters globally do not receive treatment, whereas wastewater discharges are projected to increase, thereby leading to excessive water quality degradation of surface waters on a global scale. Increased treatment could help alleviate water quality issues by constructing more treatment plants; however, in many areas there exist economic constraints. Energy recovery methods including the utilization of biogas and incineration of biosolids generated during the treatment process may help to alleviate treatment costs. This study explores the potential for investments in energy recovery from wastewater to increase treatment levels and thus improve surface water quality. This was done by examining the relationships between nutrient over-enrichment, wastewater treatment, and energy recovery at a global scale using system dynamics simulation as part of the ANEMI integrated assessment model. The results show that a significant amount of energy can be recovered from wastewater, which helps to alleviate some of the costs of treatment. It was found that wastewater treatment levels could be increased by 34%, helping to offset the higher nutrient loading from a growing population with access to improved sanitation. The production of renewable natural gas from biogas was found to have the potential to prolong the depletion of natural gas resources used to produce electricity and heat. It is recommended that agricultural nutrient discharges be better managed to help reduce nutrient over-enrichment on global scale. To increase the utility of the simulation, a finer spatial scale should be used to consider regional treatment, economic, and water quality characteristics.

Wastewater Treatment Energy Recovery Potential For Adaptation To Global Change: An Integrated Assessment.

PubMed

Breach, Patrick A; Simonovic, Slobodan P

2018-04-01

Approximately 20% of wastewaters globally do not receive treatment, whereas wastewater discharges are projected to increase, thereby leading to excessive water quality degradation of surface waters on a global scale. Increased treatment could help alleviate water quality issues by constructing more treatment plants; however, in many areas there exist economic constraints. Energy recovery methods including the utilization of biogas and incineration of biosolids generated during the treatment process may help to alleviate treatment costs. This study explores the potential for investments in energy recovery from wastewater to increase treatment levels and thus improve surface water quality. This was done by examining the relationships between nutrient over-enrichment, wastewater treatment, and energy recovery at a global scale using system dynamics simulation as part of the ANEMI integrated assessment model. The results show that a significant amount of energy can be recovered from wastewater, which helps to alleviate some of the costs of treatment. It was found that wastewater treatment levels could be increased by 34%, helping to offset the higher nutrient loading from a growing population with access to improved sanitation. The production of renewable natural gas from biogas was found to have the potential to prolong the depletion of natural gas resources used to produce electricity and heat. It is recommended that agricultural nutrient discharges be better managed to help reduce nutrient over-enrichment on global scale. To increase the utility of the simulation, a finer spatial scale should be used to consider regional treatment, economic, and water quality characteristics.

Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF): Decentralized Wastewater Treatment

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Decentralized wastewater treatment is an onsite or clustered system used to collect, treat, and disperse or reclaim wastewater from a small community or service area (e.g., septic systems, cluster systems, lagoons).

Evaluation of control strategies using an oxidation ditch benchmark.

PubMed

Abusam, A; Keesman, K J; Spanjers, H; van, Straten G; Meinema, K

2002-01-01

This paper presents validation and implementation results of a benchmark developed for a specific full-scale oxidation ditch wastewater treatment plant. A benchmark is a standard simulation procedure that can be used as a tool in evaluating various control strategies proposed for wastewater treatment plants. It is based on model and performance criteria development. Testing of this benchmark, by comparing benchmark predictions to real measurements of the electrical energy consumptions and amounts of disposed sludge for a specific oxidation ditch WWTP, has shown that it can (reasonably) be used for evaluating the performance of this WWTP. Subsequently, the validated benchmark was then used in evaluating some basic and advanced control strategies. Some of the interesting results obtained are the following: (i) influent flow splitting ratio, between the first and the fourth aerated compartments of the ditch, has no significant effect on the TN concentrations in the effluent, and (ii) for evaluation of long-term control strategies, future benchmarks need to be able to assess settlers' performance.

Rapid Startup and Loading of an Attached Growth, Simultaneous Nitrification/Denitrification Membrane Aerated Bioreactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, Caitlin; Vega, Leticia

2014-01-01

The Membrane Aerated Bioreactor (MABR) is an attached-growth biological system for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification. This design is an innovative approach to common terrestrial wastewater treatments for nitrogen and carbon removal. Implementing a biologically-based water treatment system for long-duration human exploration is an attractive, low energy alternative to physiochemical processes. Two obstacles to implementing such a system are (1) the "start-up" duration from inoculation to steady-state operations and (2) the amount of surface area needed for the biological activity to occur. The Advanced Water Recovery Systems (AWRS) team at JSC explored these two issues through two tests; a rapid inoculation study and a wastewater loading study. Results from these tests demonstrate that the duration from inoculation to steady state can be reduced to two weeks and that the surface area to volume ratio baseline used in the Alternative Water Processor (AWP) test was higher than what was needed to remove the organic carbon and ammonium from the system.

Determination of the acute toxicities of physicochemical pretreatment and advanced oxidation processes applied to dairy effluents on activated sludge.

PubMed

Sivrioğlu, Özge; Yonar, Taner

2015-04-01

In this study, the acute toxicities of raw, physicochemical pre-treated, ozonated, and Fenton reagent applied samples of dairy wastewater toward activated sludge microorganisms, evaluated using the International Organization for Standardization's respiration inhibition test (ISO 8192), are presented. Five-day biological oxygen demand (BOD5) was measured to determine the biodegradability of physicochemical treatment, ozonation, Fenton oxidation or no treatment (raw samples) of dairy wastewater. Chemical pretreatment positively affected biodegradability, and the inhibition exhibited by activated sludge was removed to a considerable degree. Ozonation and the Fenton process exhibited good chemical oxygen demand removal (61%) and removal of toxins. Low sludge production was observed for the Fenton process applied to dairy effluents. We did not determine the inhibitory effect of the Fenton-process on the activated sludge mixture. The pollutant-removal efficiencies of the applied processes and their associated operating costs were determined. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Toxicity of leather tanning wastewater effluents in sea urchin early development and in marine microalgae.

PubMed

Meriç, Süreyya; De Nicola, Elena; Iaccarino, Mario; Gallo, Marialuisa; Di Gennaro, Annamaria; Morrone, Gaetano; Warnau, Michel; Belgiorno, Vincenzo; Pagano, Giovanni

2005-10-01

This study was designed to investigate the composition and the toxicity of leather tanning wastewater and conditioned sludge collected at the leather tanning wastewater treatment plant (CODISO) located in Solofra, Avellino (Southern Italy). Samples were analyzed for their conventional parameters (COD, TSS, chromium and ammonia) and for metal content. Effluent samples included raw wastewater, and samples collected following coagulation/flocculation process and biological treatment. A set of toxicity endpoints were tested using sea urchin and marine microalgal bioassays by evaluating acute embryotoxicity, developmental defects, changes in sperm fertilization success and transmissible damage from sperm to the offspring, and changes in algal growth rate. Dose-related toxicity to sea urchin embryogenesis and sperm fertilization success was exerted by effluent or sludge samples according to the following rank: conditioned sludge > coagulated effluent > or = raw influent > effluent from biological treatment. Offspring quality was not affected by sperm exposure to any wastewater or to sludge samples. Algal growth was inhibited by raw or coagulated effluent to a similar extent and, again, the effluent from the biological treatment resulted in a decreased toxicity. The results suggest that coagulated effluent and conditioned sludge result in higher toxicity than raw influent in sea urchin embryos and sperm, whereas the biological wastewater treatment of coagulated effluent, in both sea urchins and algae, cause a substantial improvement of wastewater quality. Hence a final biological wastewater treatment should be operated to minimize any environmental damage from tannery wastewater.

Energy Efficiency Strategies for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daw, J.; Hallett, K.; DeWolfe, J.

2012-01-01

Water and wastewater systems are significant energy consumers with an estimated 3%-4% of total U.S. electricity consumption used for the movement and treatment of water and wastewater. Water-energy issues are of growing importance in the context of water shortages, higher energy and material costs, and a changing climate. In this economic environment, it is in the best interest for utilities to find efficiencies, both in water and energy use. Performing energy audits at water and wastewater treatment facilities is one way community energy managers can identify opportunities to save money, energy, and water. In this paper the importance of energymore » use in wastewater facilities is illustrated by a case study of a process energy audit performed for Crested Butte, Colorado's wastewater treatment plant. The energy audit identified opportunities for significant energy savings by looking at power intensive unit processes such as influent pumping, aeration, ultraviolet disinfection, and solids handling. This case study presents best practices that can be readily adopted by facility managers in their pursuit of energy and financial savings in water and wastewater treatment. This paper is intended to improve community energy managers understanding of the role that the water and wastewater sector plays in a community's total energy consumption. The energy efficiency strategies described provide information on energy savings opportunities, which can be used as a basis for discussing energy management goals with water and wastewater treatment facility managers.« less

Wastewater and sludge management and research in Oman: An overview.

PubMed

Jaffar Abdul Khaliq, Suaad; Ahmed, Mushtaque; Al-Wardy, Malik; Al-Busaidi, Ahmed; Choudri, B S

2017-03-01

It is well recognized that management of wastewater and sludge is a critical environmental issue in many countries. Wastewater treatment and sludge production take place under different technical, economic, and social contexts, thus requiring different approaches and involving different solutions. In most cases, a regular and environmentally safe wastewater treatment and associated sludge management requires the development of realistic and enforceable regulations, as well as treatment systems appropriate to local circumstances. The main objective of this paper is to provide useful information about the current wastewater and sludge treatment, management, regulations, and research in Oman. Based on the review and discussion, the wastewater treatment and sludge management in Oman has been evolving over the years. Further, the land application of sewage sludge should encourage revision of existing standards, regulations, and policies for the management and beneficial use of sewage sludge in Oman. Wastewater treatment and sludge management in Oman have been evolving over the years. Sludge utilization has been a challenge due to its association with human waste. Therefore, composting of sewage sludge is the best option in agriculture activities. Sludge and wastewater utilization can add up positively in the economic aspects of the country in terms of creating jobs and improving annual income rate. The number of research projects done on wastewater reuse and other ongoing ones related to the land application of sewage sludge should encourage revision of existing standards, regulations, and policies for the management and beneficial use of sewage sludge in Oman.

DESIGN MANUAL: ODOR AND CORROSION CONTROL IN SANITARY SEWERAGE SYSTEMS AND TREATMENT PLANTS

EPA Science Inventory

Wastewater is known to the public for its potential to create odor nuisance. Sometimes it is the odors escaping from sewer manholes that cause complaints; more commonly, the odor source is a wastewater treatment facility. Yet there are wastewater treatment facilities that are fr...

Carbon sequestration in surface flow constructed wetland after 12 years of swine wastewater treatment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Constructed wetlands used for the treatment of swine wastewater may potentially sequester significant amounts of carbon. In past studies, we evaluated the treatment efficiency of wastewater in marsh-pond-marsh design wetland system. The functionality of this system was highly dependent on soil carbo...

Distribution, partition and removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during coking wastewater treatment processes.

PubMed

Zhang, Wanhui; Wei, Chaohai; An, Guanfeng

2015-05-01

In this study, we report the performance of a full-scale conventional activated sludge (A-O1-O2) treatment in eliminating polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Both aqueous and solid phases along with the coking wastewater treatment processes were analyzed for the presence of 18 PAHs. It was found that the target compounds occurred widely in raw coking wastewater, treated effluent and sludge samples. In the coking wastewater treatment system, 4-5 ring PAHs were the dominant compounds, while 4 rings PAHs predominated in the sludge samples. Over 98% of the PAH removal was achieved in the coking wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), with the total concentration of PAHs being 21.3 ± 1.9 μg L(-1) in the final effluent. During the coking wastewater treatment processes, the association of the lower molecular weight PAH with suspended solids was generally less than 60%, while the association of higher molecular weight PAHs was greater than 90%. High distribution efficiencies (Kdp and Kds) were found, suggesting that adsorption was the potential removal pathway of PAHs. Finally, the mass balances of PAHs in various stages of the coking WWTP were obtained, and the results indicated that adsorption to sludge was the main removal pathway for PAHs in the coking wastewater treatment processes.

Influences of mechanical pretreatment on the non-biological treatment of municipal wastewater by forward osmosis.

PubMed

Hey, Tobias; Zarebska, Agata; Bajraktari, Niada; Vogel, Jörg; Hélix-Nielsen, Claus; la Cour Jansen, Jes; Jönsson, Karin

2017-09-01

Municipal wastewater treatment involves mechanical, biological and chemical treatment steps for protecting the environment from adverse effects. The biological treatment step consumes the most energy and can create greenhouse gases. This study investigates municipal wastewater treatment without the biological treatment step, including the effects of different pretreatment configurations, for example, direct membrane filtration before forward osmosis. Forward osmosis was tested using raw wastewater and wastewater subjected to different types of mechanical pretreatment, for example, microsieving and microfiltration permeation, as a potential technology for municipal wastewater treatment. Forward osmosis was performed using Aquaporin Inside™ and Hydration Technologies Inc. (HTI) membranes with NaCl as the draw solution. Both types of forward osmosis membranes were tested in parallel for the different types of pretreated feed and evaluated in terms of water flux and solute rejection, that is, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 7 ) and total and soluble phosphorus contents. The Aquaporin and HTI membranes achieved a stable water flux with rejection rates of more than 96% for BOD 7 and total and soluble phosphorus, regardless of the type of mechanical pretreated wastewater considered. This result indicates that forward osmosis membranes can tolerate exposure to municipal waste water and that the permeate can fulfil the Swedish discharge limits.

Pathogen and Particle Associations in Wastewater: Significance and Implications for Treatment and Disinfection Processes.

PubMed

Chahal, C; van den Akker, B; Young, F; Franco, C; Blackbeard, J; Monis, P

2016-01-01

Disinfection guidelines exist for pathogen inactivation in potable water and recycled water, but wastewater with high numbers of particles can be more difficult to disinfect, making compliance with the guidelines problematic. Disinfection guidelines specify that drinking water with turbidity ≥1 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) is not suitable for disinfection and therefore not fit for purpose. Treated wastewater typically has higher concentrations of particles (1-10NTU for secondary treated effluent). Two processes widely used for disinfecting wastewater are chlorination and ultraviolet radiation. In both cases, particles in wastewater can interfere with disinfection and can significantly increase treatment costs by increasing operational expenditure (chemical demand, power consumption) or infrastructure costs by requiring additional treatment processes to achieve the required levels of pathogen inactivation. Many microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, protozoans) associate with particles, which can allow them to survive disinfection processes and cause a health hazard. Improved understanding of this association will enable development of cost-effective treatment, which will become increasingly important as indirect and direct potable reuse of wastewater becomes more widespread in both developed and developing countries. This review provides an overview of wastewater and associated treatment processes, the pathogens in wastewater, the nature of particles in wastewater and how they interact with pathogens, and how particles can impact disinfection processes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification and significance of sulphonamides (p-TSA, o-TSA, BSA) in an urban water cycle (Berlin, Germany).

PubMed

Richter, Doreen; Massmann, Gudrun; Dünnbier, Uwe

2008-03-01

Because of the nature of the water cycle in Berlin, a number of persistent wastewater residues are present in the surface water and may potentially reach the groundwater via bank filtration and artificial recharge. The occurrence and behaviour of the wastewater residues para-toluenesulphonamide (p-TSA), ortho-toluenesulphonamide (o-TSA) and benzenesulphonamide (BSA) through wastewater treatment, surface water, bank filtration and drinking water treatment was studied. In addition, groundwater below a former sewage farm was investigated. All three compounds are ubiquitous in the aquatic environment of Berlin. p-TSA concentrations are much higher than those of o-TSA and BSA. p-TSA was found in high concentrations in the wastewater influent (2 to 15microg/L), in the wastewater effluent (<0.15 to 2.34microg/L) and in sewage farm groundwater (<0.05 to 20microg/L) and in lower concentrations in the surface water (<0.05 to 1.15microg/L), bank filtrate (<0.05 to 0.30microg/L) and drinking water (<0.05 to 0.54microg/L). p-TSA is considerably depleted during waste- and drinking water treatment ( approximately 90% reduction each). The concentration ranges for o-TSA and BSA in wastewater influents were 0.11 to 8microg/L and <0.05 to 0.64microg/L, respectively, while the values for wastewater effluents were 0.14 to 4microg/L for o-TSA and 0.25 to 0.49microg/L for BSA. Wastewater treatment and drinking water treatment do not reduce the concentrations of o-TSA and BSA. The behaviour of o-TSA during wastewater treatment varies largely between different wastewater treatment plants where concentrations increase, remain constant or decrease. BSA forms during treatment. The concentrations measured in surface water, sewage farm groundwater, bank filtrate and drinking water were <0.05 to 1.74microg/L for o-TSA and <0.05 to 0.53microg/L for BSA.

Simulation for Supporting Scale-Up of a Fluidized Bed Reactor for Advanced Water Oxidation

PubMed Central

Abdul Raman, Abdul Aziz; Daud, Wan Mohd Ashri Wan

2014-01-01

Simulation of fluidized bed reactor (FBR) was accomplished for treating wastewater using Fenton reaction, which is an advanced oxidation process (AOP). The simulation was performed to determine characteristics of FBR performance, concentration profile of the contaminants, and various prominent hydrodynamic properties (e.g., Reynolds number, velocity, and pressure) in the reactor. Simulation was implemented for 2.8 L working volume using hydrodynamic correlations, continuous equation, and simplified kinetic information for phenols degradation as a model. The simulation shows that, by using Fe3+ and Fe2+ mixtures as catalyst, TOC degradation up to 45% was achieved for contaminant range of 40–90 mg/L within 60 min. The concentration profiles and hydrodynamic characteristics were also generated. A subsequent scale-up study was also conducted using similitude method. The analysis shows that up to 10 L working volume, the models developed are applicable. The study proves that, using appropriate modeling and simulation, data can be predicted for designing and operating FBR for wastewater treatment. PMID:25309949

Fractions of calcium in the plant-soil system affected by the application of olive oil wastewater.

PubMed

Gallardo-Lara, F; Azcón, M; Quesada, J L; Polo, A

1998-09-01

A pot experiment using calcareous soil was conducted in a growth chamber to examine the effects of olive oil wastewater applications on Ca fractions in the plant and on exchangeable Ca in soil after plant growth. The experimental treatments consisted of two rates of olive oil wastewater, two mineral fertilizer treatments including K, which supplied K in amounts equivalent to the K supplied by the olive oil wastewater treatments, a mineral fertilizer without K treatment (F), and a control. The pots were sown with ryegrass which was harvested 3 times at monthly intervals. The high rate of olive oil wastewater resulted in a prolonged increases in dry matter production. It also resulted in a reduction in the concentrations of soluble Ca, bound Ca, inorganic insoluble Ca and organic insoluble Ca in the plant shoots relative to the control and the F treatment. The low rate of olive oil wastewater produced similar but less marked effects, with decreases being observed in the soluble Ca and bound Ca fractions. After 3 months of plant growth, soil exchangeable Ca was higher in the control and F treatment soils than in the soils receiving olive oil wastewater or K fertilizer. At this time, there were no significant differences in exchangeable Ca between the soils receiving olive oil wastewater and those treated with K fertilizer.

Electrokinetic treatment of polluted soil at pilot level coupled to an advanced oxidation process of its wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ochoa, B.; Ramos, L.; Garibay, A.; Pérez-Corona, M.; Cuevas, M. C.; Cárdenas, J.; Teutli, M.; Bustos, E.

2016-02-01

Soil contaminated with hydrocarbons is a current problem of great importance. These contaminants may be toxic, can retain water and block gas exchange with the atmosphere, which produces a poor-quality soil unsuitable for ecological health. Electroremediation is among the treatments for the removal of such contaminants. In this research, a pilot-level electroremediation test was applied using a circular arrangement of electrodes with a Ti cathode at the middle of the cell surrounded by six IrO2-Ta2O5 | Ti anodes. The presence of an NaOH electrolyte helps to develop the electromigration and electro-osmosis of gasoline molecules (at 1126 mg kg-1) surrounded by Na+ ions. The hydrocarbons are directed towards the cathode and subsequently removed in an aqueous Na+ - hydrocarbon solution, and the -OH migrates to the anode. During electrokinetic treatment, the physicochemical characteristics of the soil close to either the cathode or anode and at the half-cell were evaluated during the three weeks of treatment. During that time, more than 80% of hydrocarbons were removed. Hydrocarbons removed by the electrokinetic treatment of gasoline-polluted soil were collected in a central wastewater compartment and subsequently treated with a Fenton-type advanced oxidation process. This achieved more than 70% mineralization of the hydrocarbons to CO2 and H2O within 1.5 h; its low toxicity status was verified using the Deltatox® kit test. With this approach, the residual water complied with the permissible limits of COD, pH, and electrical conductivity for being discharged into water bodies, according to Mexican norm NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996.

Decentralized approaches to wastewater treatment and management: applicability in developing countries.

PubMed

Massoud, May A; Tarhini, Akram; Nasr, Joumana A

2009-01-01

Providing reliable and affordable wastewater treatment in rural areas is a challenge in many parts of the world, particularly in developing countries. The problems and limitations of the centralized approaches for wastewater treatment are progressively surfacing. Centralized wastewater collection and treatment systems are costly to build and operate, especially in areas with low population densities and dispersed households. Developing countries lack both the funding to construct centralized facilities and the technical expertise to manage and operate them. Alternatively, the decentralized approach for wastewater treatment which employs a combination of onsite and/or cluster systems is gaining more attention. Such an approach allows for flexibility in management, and simple as well as complex technologies are available. The decentralized system is not only a long-term solution for small communities but is more reliable and cost effective. This paper presents a review of the various decentralized approaches to wastewater treatment and management. A discussion as to their applicability in developing countries, primarily in rural areas, and challenges faced is emphasized all through the paper. While there are many impediments and challenges towards wastewater management in developing countries, these can be overcome by suitable planning and policy implementation. Understanding the receiving environment is crucial for technology selection and should be accomplished by conducting a comprehensive site evaluation process. Centralized management of the decentralized wastewater treatment systems is essential to ensure they are inspected and maintained regularly. Management strategies should be site specific accounting for social, cultural, environmental and economic conditions in the target area.

A Guide for Developing Standard Operating Job Procedures for the Primary Sedimentation Process Wastewater Treatment Facility. SOJP No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charles County Community Coll., La Plata, MD.

This guide describes standard operating job procedures for the primary sedimentation process of wastewater treatment plants. The primary sedimentation process involves removing settleable and suspended solids, in part, from wastewater by gravitational forces, and scum and other floatable solids from wastewater by mechanical means. Step-by-step…

Phytoavailability and extractability of potassium, magnesium and manganese in calcareous soil amended with olive oil wastewater.

PubMed

Gallardo-Lara, F; Azcón, M; Polo, A

2000-09-01

Land disposal of olive oil wastewater using it as a soil amendment requires a knowledge of the effects that its application may produce on the status of the mineral nutrients in the plant-soil system. A pot experiment using calcareous soil was performed in a growth chamber to examine the effects of olive oil wastewater on the availability and postharvest soil extractability of K, Mg and Mn. The experiment included 6 treatments: two rates of olive oil wastewater, two mineral fertilizer treatments containing K (which supplied K in amounts equivalent to the K supplied by the olive oil wastewater treatments), a K-free mineral fertilizer treatment, and a control. The pots were sown with ryegrass as the test plant, harvesting 3 times at intervals of one month. Olive oil wastewater has demonstrated a considerable capacity for supplying K that can be assimilated by the plant, tending in fact to surpass the mineral potassium fertilizer tested. The application of olive oil wastewater tends to reduce the concentration of Mg in the plant, similarly to the effect of adding mineral potassium fertilizer. An enhancement of Mn availability takes place in the soil amended with olive oil wastewater, which on occasion has produced Mn concentrations in plant that could be considered phytotoxic or at least excessive. After harvesting, we observed an increase in the amount of exchangeable K in soil with added industrial wastewater. However, these increases are lower than those in soil treated with mineral potassium fertilizer. The levels of exchangeable, carbonate-bound, organic-bound and residual Mg in soil were higher in treatments incorporating olive oil wastewater than in those with added mineral K, with the opposite tendency occurring in the amount of Fe-Mn oxides-bound Mg in soil. Treatments based on olive oil wastewater, especially in high doses, increased the amount of exchangeable and carbonate-bound Mn in soil, in comparison with treatments adding mineral fertilizers with or without K. In contrast, the addition of industrial wastewater caused a drop in the amount of Fe-Mn oxides-bound and organic-bound Mn in soil.

Environmental management aspects for TBT antifouling wastes from the shipyards.

PubMed

Kotrikla, Anna

2009-02-01

Tributyltin (TBT)-based antifouling paints have been successfully used for over 40 years to protect a ship's hull from biofouling. However, due to its high toxicity to marine organisms, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in 1990, adopted a resolution recommending governments to adopt measures to eliminate antifouling paints containing TBT. High concentrations of TBT are detected in the vicinity of ports and shipyards. TBT is also usually detected in the sediment, in which it accumulates. This study reviews recent literature for the best management practices (BMPs) in order to minimize the environmental effects of TBT. The paper focuses on the evaluation of the available techniques for the removal of TBT from shipyard wastes and from the sediment. The most effective treatment methods are highlighted. BMPs include recycling of abrasive materials, use of cleaner abrasive materials, reuse of spent abrasive materials, substitution of hydroblasting by vacuum blasting or containment or ultra-high-pressure water blasting and confinement of pollution by enclosure and containment systems. The treatment of the TBT wastes by conventional biological wastewater treatment processes is probably not suitable, because the concentrations of TBT found in shipyards' wastewaters are toxic to microorganisms. Advanced technologies such as activated carbon adsorption and dissolved air flotation, in combination with filtration and coagulation-clarification, photodegradation and electrochemical treatment, are required to remove TBT. However, advanced methods should be further optimized to meet the regulatory limit of 200 ng/L. To date, only one published work examines the efficiency of incineration for the treatment of solid sandblast wastes. Regarding the treatment of sediment, land deposition of the less polluted fraction of sediment is a feasible option. Such treatment must take into account the risk of contamination of groundwater and the surroundings, and it requires extended areas of land. Other treatment methods, such as thermal and electrochemical treatment, are promising options but due to the large amounts of dredged material, they have high capital and operational costs.

MIUS wastewater technology evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poradek, J. C.

1976-01-01

A modular integrated utility system wastewater-treatment process is described. Research in the field of wastewater treatment is reviewed, treatment processes are specified and evaluated, and recommendations for system use are made. The treatment processes evaluated are in the broad categories of preparatory, primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment, physical-chemical processing, dissolved-solids removal, disinfection, sludge processing, and separate systems. Capital, operating, and maintenance costs are estimated, and extensive references are given.

Technologies for reducing sludge production in wastewater treatment plants: State of the art.

PubMed

Wang, Qilin; Wei, Wei; Gong, Yanyan; Yu, Qiming; Li, Qin; Sun, Jing; Yuan, Zhiguo

2017-06-01

This review presents the state-of-the-art sludge reduction technologies applied in both wastewater and sludge treatment lines. They include chemical, mechanical, thermal, electrical treatment, addition of chemical un-coupler, and predation of protozoa/metazoa in wastewater treatment line, and physical, chemical and biological pretreatment in sludge treatment line. Emphasis was put on their effect on sludge reduction performance, with 10% sludge reduction to zero sludge production in wastewater treatment line and enhanced TS (total solids) or volatile solids removal of 5-40% in sludge treatment line. Free nitrous acid (FNA) technology seems good in wastewater treatment line but it is only under the lab-scale trial. In sludge treatment line, thermal, ultrasonic (<4400kJ/kg TS), FNA pretreatment and temperature-phased anaerobic digestion (TPAD) are promising if pathogen inactivation is not a concern. However, thermal pretreatment and TPAD are superior to other pretreatment technologies when pathogen inactivation is required. The new wastewater treatment processes including SANI®, high-rate activated sludge coupled autotrophic nitrogen removal and anaerobic membrane bioreactor coupled autotrophic nitrogen removal also have a great potential to reduce sludge production. In the future, an effort should be put on the effect of sludge reduction technologies on the removal of organic micropollutants and heavy metals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estimation of contamination sources of human enteroviruses in a wastewater treatment and reclamation system by PCR-DGGE.

PubMed

Ji, Zheng; Wang, Xiaochang C; Xu, Limei; Zhang, Chongmiao; Funamizu, Naoyuki; Okabe, Satoshi; Sano, Daisuke

2014-06-01

A polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) method was employed to estimate the contamination sources of human enteroviruses and understand how their dominant strains vary in a wastewater treatment and reclamation system consisting of sewage collection, wastewater treatment with membrane bioreactor and open lakes for reclaimed water storage and reuse. After PCR-DGGE using a selected primer set targeting enteroviruses, phylogenetic analysis of acquired enterovirus gene sequences was performed. Enteroviruses identified from the septic tank were much more diverse than those from grey water and kitchen wastewater. Several unique types of enterovirus different from those in wastewater samples were dominant in a biological wastewater treatment unit. Membrane filtration followed by chlorination was proved effective for physically eliminating enteroviruses; however, secondary contamination likely occurred as the reclaimed water was stored in artificial lakes. Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) viral pathogen, was detected mainly from the artificial lakes, implying that wastewater effluent was not the contamination source of EV71 and that there were unidentified non-point sources of the contamination with the HFMD viral pathogen in the reclaimed water stored in the artificial lakes. The PCR-DGGE targeting enteroviruses provided robust evidence about viral contamination sources in the wastewater treatment and reclamation system.

Research on common methods for evaluating the operation effect of integrated wastewater treatment facilities of iron and steel enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bingsheng, Xu

2017-04-01

Considering the large quantities of wastewater generated from iron and steel enterprises in China, this paper is aimed to research the common methods applied for evaluating the integrated wastewater treatment effect of iron and steel enterprises. Based on survey results on environmental protection performance, technological economy, resource & energy consumption, services and management, an indicator system for evaluating the operation effect of integrated wastewater treatment facilities is set up. By discussing the standards and industrial policies in and out of China, 27 key secondary indicators are further defined on the basis of investigation on main equipment and key processes for wastewater treatment, so as to determine the method for setting key quantitative and qualitative indicators for evaluation indicator system. It is also expected to satisfy the basic requirements of reasonable resource allocation, environmental protection and sustainable economic development, further improve the integrated wastewater treatment effect of iron and steel enterprises, and reduce the emission of hazardous substances and environmental impact.

Treatability study of pesticide-based industrial wastewater.

PubMed

Shah, Kinnari; Chauhan, L I; Galgale, A D

2012-10-01

This paper finds out appropriate treatment methods for wastewater of an Organophosphorus viz, chloropyrifos pesticide manufacturing industry. The characterization of wastewater generated during trial production of chloropyrifos was carried out. Based on the characterization of wastewater, various treatability studies were conducted. The most desirable results were obtained with treatment scheme employing acidification, chlorination with NaOCl, suspended growth biological treatment, chemical precipitation for phosphorous removal and activated carbon treatment. Acidification of wastewater helps in by-product recovery as well as reduction in COD upto 36.26%. Chlorination followed by biological treatment was found to be effective to reduce the COD level by 62.06%. To comply with permissible limits prescribed by Effluent Channel Project Ltd.(ECPL)* and Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) for discharge of industrial effluent into channel, further treatment in the form of chemical precipitation (for phosphorous removal) and granular activated carbon is suggested.

Modeling Nitrogen Losses in Conventional and Advanced Soil-Based Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems under Current and Changing Climate Conditions.

PubMed

Morales, Ivan; Cooper, Jennifer; Amador, José A; Boving, Thomas B

2016-01-01

Most of the non-point source nitrogen (N) load in rural areas is attributed to onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). Nitrogen compounds cause eutrophication, depleting the oxygen in marine ecosystems. OWTS rely on physical, chemical and biological soil processes to treat wastewater and these processes may be affected by climate change. We simulated the fate and transport of N in different types of OWTS drainfields, or soil treatment areas (STA) under current and changing climate scenarios, using 2D/3D HYDRUS software. Experimental data from a mesocosm-scale study, including soil moisture content, and total N, ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) concentrations, were used to calibrate the model. A water content-dependent function was used to compute the nitrification and denitrification rates. Three types of drainfields were simulated: (1) a pipe-and-stone (P&S), (2) advanced soil drainfields, pressurized shallow narrow drainfield (PSND) and (3) Geomat (GEO), a variation of SND. The model was calibrated with acceptable goodness-of-fit between the observed and measured values. Average root mean square error (RSME) ranged from 0.18 and 2.88 mg L-1 for NH4+ and 4.45 mg L-1 to 9.65 mg L-1 for NO3- in all drainfield types. The calibrated model was used to estimate N fluxes for both conventional and advanced STAs under current and changing climate conditions, i.e. increased soil temperature and higher water table. The model computed N losses from nitrification and denitrification differed little from measured losses in all STAs. The modeled N losses occurred mostly as NO3- in water outputs, accounting for more than 82% of N inputs in all drainfields. Losses as N2 were estimated to be 10.4% and 9.7% of total N input concentration for SND and Geo, respectively. The highest N2 losses, 17.6%, were estimated for P&S. Losses as N2 increased to 22%, 37% and 21% under changing climate conditions for Geo, PSND and P&S, respectively. These findings can provide practitioners with guidelines to estimate N removal efficiencies for traditional and advanced OWTS, and predict N loads and spatial distribution for identifying non-point sources. Our results show that N losses on OWTS can be modeled successfully using HYDRUS. Furthermore, the results suggest that climate change may increase the removal of N as N2 in the drainfield, with the magnitude of the effect depending on a drainfield type.

Modeling Nitrogen Losses in Conventional and Advanced Soil-Based Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems under Current and Changing Climate Conditions

PubMed Central

Cooper, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Most of the non-point source nitrogen (N) load in rural areas is attributed to onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). Nitrogen compounds cause eutrophication, depleting the oxygen in marine ecosystems. OWTS rely on physical, chemical and biological soil processes to treat wastewater and these processes may be affected by climate change. We simulated the fate and transport of N in different types of OWTS drainfields, or soil treatment areas (STA) under current and changing climate scenarios, using 2D/3D HYDRUS software. Experimental data from a mesocosm-scale study, including soil moisture content, and total N, ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) concentrations, were used to calibrate the model. A water content-dependent function was used to compute the nitrification and denitrification rates. Three types of drainfields were simulated: (1) a pipe-and-stone (P&S), (2) advanced soil drainfields, pressurized shallow narrow drainfield (PSND) and (3) Geomat (GEO), a variation of SND. The model was calibrated with acceptable goodness-of-fit between the observed and measured values. Average root mean square error (RSME) ranged from 0.18 and 2.88 mg L-1 for NH4+ and 4.45 mg L-1 to 9.65 mg L-1 for NO3- in all drainfield types. The calibrated model was used to estimate N fluxes for both conventional and advanced STAs under current and changing climate conditions, i.e. increased soil temperature and higher water table. The model computed N losses from nitrification and denitrification differed little from measured losses in all STAs. The modeled N losses occurred mostly as NO3- in water outputs, accounting for more than 82% of N inputs in all drainfields. Losses as N2 were estimated to be 10.4% and 9.7% of total N input concentration for SND and Geo, respectively. The highest N2 losses, 17.6%, were estimated for P&S. Losses as N2 increased to 22%, 37% and 21% under changing climate conditions for Geo, PSND and P&S, respectively. These findings can provide practitioners with guidelines to estimate N removal efficiencies for traditional and advanced OWTS, and predict N loads and spatial distribution for identifying non-point sources. Our results show that N losses on OWTS can be modeled successfully using HYDRUS. Furthermore, the results suggest that climate change may increase the removal of N as N2 in the drainfield, with the magnitude of the effect depending on a drainfield type. PMID:27355369

Synthesis and Technological Innovation of Applying Oxide Nanomaterials in Wastewater Treatment by Flotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Covaliu, C. I.; Moga, I. C.; Matache, M. G.; Paraschiv, G.; Gageanu, I.; Vasile, E.

2018-06-01

The appearance and development of nanotechnology gave new and efficient modalities for pollutants removal from wastewaters by using new compounds called nanomaterials which possess unique structural and morphological properties. In this paper we investigated the application of CoFe2O4 nanomaterial for increasing the efficiency of oily wastewater treatment by flotation. CoFe2O4 nanomaterial was prepared by precipitation method. Prior testing their application in wastewater treatment by flotation, the oxide nanomaterial was structural and morphological characterized by XRD and TEM analyses. The influence of CoFe2O4nanomaterial on oily wastewater depollution by flotation process was investigated by measuring the following parameters: treatment efficiency [%] and the stability of froth.

Evaluation Criteria for Implementation of a Sustainable Sanitation and Wastewater Treatment System at Jiuzhaigou National Park, Sichuan Province, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaulke, Linda S.; Weiyang, Xiao; Scanlon, Andrew; Henck, Amanda; Hinckley, Tom

2010-01-01

The administration of Jiuzhaigou National Park in Sichuan Province, China, is in the process of considering a range of upgrades to their sanitation and wastewater treatment systems. Their case history involves an ongoing series of engineering design flaws and management failures. The administration of the Park identified sustainability, environmental protection, and education goals for their sanitation and wastewater treatment system. To meet the goal of sustainability, environmental and economic concerns of the Park’s administration had to be balanced with socio-cultural needs. An advanced reconnaissance method was developed that identified reasons for previous failures, conducted stakeholder analysis and interviews, determined evaluation criteria, and introduced innovative alternatives with records of successful global implementations. This evaluation also helped the Park to better define their goals . To prevent future failures, the administration of the Park must commit to a balanced and thorough evaluation process for selection of a final alternative and institute effective long-term management and monitoring of systems. In addition, to meet goals and achieve energy efficient, cost-effective use of resources, the Park must shift their thinking from one of waste disposal to resource recovery. The method and criteria developed for this case study provides a framework to aid in the successful implementation of sanitation projects in both underdeveloped and developed areas of the world, incorporating socio-cultural values and resource recovery for a complex group of stakeholders.

EDCs, estrogenicity and genotoxicity reduction in a mixed (domestic + textile) secondary effluent by means of ozonation: a full-scale experience.

PubMed

Bertanza, G; Papa, M; Pedrazzani, R; Repice, C; Mazzoleni, G; Steimberg, N; Feretti, D; Ceretti, E; Zerbini, I

2013-08-01

WWTP (wastewater treatment plant) effluents are considered to be a major source for the release in the aquatic environment of EDCs (Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds), a group of anthropogenic substances able to alter the normal function of the endocrine system. The application of conventional processes (e.g. activated sludge with biological nitrogen removal) does not provide complete elimination of all these micropollutants and, consequently, an advanced treatment should be implemented. This experimental work was conducted on the tertiary ozonation stage of a 140,000 p.e. activated sludge WWTP, treating a mixed domestic and textile wastewater: an integrated monitoring, including both chemical (nonylphenol, together with the parent compounds mono- and di-ethoxylated, and bisphenol A were chosen as model EDCs) and biological (estrogenic and genotoxic activities) analyses, was carried out. Removal efficiencies of measured EDCs varied from 20% to 70%, depending on flow conditions (ozone dosage being 0.5 gO3/gTOC). Biological tests, furthermore, displayed that the oxidation stage did not significantly reduce (only by 20%) the estrogenicity of the effluent and revealed the presence and/or formation of genotoxic compounds. These results highlight the importance of the application of an integrated (biological+chemical) analytical procedure for a global evaluation of treatment suitability; poor performances recorded in this study have been attributed to the presence of a significant industrial component in the influent wastewater. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Principles for scaling of distributed direct potable water reuse systems: a modeling study.

PubMed

Guo, Tianjiao; Englehardt, James D

2015-05-15

Scaling of direct potable water reuse (DPR) systems involves tradeoffs of treatment facility economy-of-scale, versus cost and energy of conveyance including energy for upgradient distribution of treated water, and retention of wastewater thermal energy. In this study, a generalized model of the cost of DPR as a function of treatment plant scale, assuming futuristic, optimized conveyance networks, was constructed for purposes of developing design principles. Fractal landscapes representing flat, hilly, and mountainous topographies were simulated, with urban, suburban, and rural housing distributions placed by modified preferential growth algorithm. Treatment plants were allocated by agglomerative hierarchical clustering, networked to buildings by minimum spanning tree. Simulations assume advanced oxidation-based DPR system design, with 20-year design life and capability to mineralize chemical oxygen demand below normal detection limits, allowing implementation in regions where disposal of concentrate containing hormones and antiscalants is not practical. Results indicate that total DPR capital and O&M costs in rural areas, where systems that return nutrients to the land may be more appropriate, are high. However, costs in urban/suburban areas are competitive with current water/wastewater service costs at scales of ca. one plant per 10,000 residences. This size is relatively small, and costs do not increase significantly until plant service areas fall below 100 to 1000 homes. Based on these results, distributed DPR systems are recommended for consideration for urban/suburban water and wastewater system capacity expansion projects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detection and Molecular Characterization of Hepatitis A Virus from Tunisian Wastewater Treatment Plants with Different Secondary Treatments

PubMed Central

Ouardani, Imen; Turki, Syrine; Aouni, Mahjoub

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the main causative agent of hepatitis infection associated with waterborne outbreaks worldwide. In Tunisia, there is no specific surveillance system for HAV and current secondary wastewater treatment processes are unable to remove viral particles, which present a potential public health problem. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of HAV in 271 raw and treated wastewater samples from five sewage treatment plants (STPs) during 13 months was performed. Moreover, the efficiency of three secondary wastewater treatment processes (conventional activated sludge, extended aeration, and oxidation ditch activated sludge) was evaluated. Data obtained demonstrated that HAV is endemic in Tunisia and circulates with high prevalence in both raw (66.9%) and treated (40.7%) wastewater. HAV circulates throughout the year in the coastal areas, with the highest rates found during summer and autumn, whereas in central Tunisia, high levels were shown in autumn and winter. Total virus removal was not achieved, since no difference in mean HAV loads was observed in effluents (6.0 × 103 genome copies [GC]/ml) and influents (2.7 × 103 GC/ml). The comparison of the HAV removal values of the three different wastewater treatment methods indicates that extended aeration and oxidation ditch activated sludge had better efficiency in removing viruses than conventional activated sludge did. Molecular characterization revealed that the vast majority of HAV strains belonged to subgenotype IA, with the cocirculation of subgenotype IB in wastewater treatment plants that collect tourism wastewater. IMPORTANCE This report provides important data on the incidence, behavior, seasonality, and genotype distribution of HAV in the environment in Tunisia, as well as the risk of infection derived from its occurrence in effluents due to inadequate wastewater treatment. In addition, these findings seem to confirm that the prevalence of HAV depends on socioeconomic level, sanitary conditions in the communities, sewage facilities, the locality, and the climate. The wide dispersion of HAV in effluents proves the inefficacity of the current wastewater treatment processes used in Tunisia to remove virus; therefore, establishment of tertiary treatment processes or replacement of the medium-charge activated sludge (conventional activated sludge) by the low-charge version (oxidation ditch activated sludge) is absolutely needed. Rapid detection of the HAV genome in wastewater may provide a timely warning sign to health authorities to implement population protection measures. PMID:27107113

A global, spatially-explicit assessment of irrigated croplands influenced by urban wastewater flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thebo, A. L.; Drechsel, P.; Lambin, E. F.; Nelson, K. L.

2017-07-01

When urban areas expand without concomitant increases in wastewater treatment capacity, vast quantities of wastewater are released to surface waters with little or no treatment. Downstream of many urban areas are large areas of irrigated croplands reliant on these same surface water sources. Case studies document the widespread use of untreated wastewater in irrigated agriculture, but due to the practical and political challenges of conducting a true census of this practice, its global extent is not well known except where reuse has been planned. This study used GIS-based modeling methods to develop the first spatially-explicit estimate of the global extent of irrigated croplands influenced by urban wastewater flows, including indirect wastewater use. These croplands were further classified by their likelihood of using poor quality water based on the spatial proximity of croplands to urban areas, urban wastewater return flow ratios, and proportion of wastewater treated. This study found that 65% (35.9 Mha) of downstream irrigated croplands were located in catchments with high levels of dependence on urban wastewater flows. These same catchments were home to 1.37 billion urban residents. Of these croplands, 29.3 Mha were located in countries with low levels of wastewater treatment and home to 885 million urban residents. These figures provide insight into the key role that water reuse plays in meeting the water and food needs of people around the world, and the need to invest in wastewater treatment to protect public health.

Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants. Volume 1. A Field Study Training Program. Third Edition. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Univ., Sacramento. Dept. of Civil Engineering.

The purpose of this wastewater treatment field study training program is to: (1) develop new qualified wastewater treatment plant operators; (2) expand the abilities of existing operators, permitting better service both to employers and public; and (3) prepare operators for civil service and certification examinations (examinations administered by…

Design Seminar for Land Treatment of Municipal Wastewater Effluents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demirjian, Y. A.

This document reports the development and operation of a country-wide wastewater treatment program. The program was designed to treat liquid wastewater by biological treatment in aerated lagoons, store it, and then spray irrigate on crop farmland during the growing season. The text discusses the physical design of the system, agricultural aspects,…

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Detected at Four U.S. Wastewater Treatment Plants

PubMed Central

Goldstein, Rachel E. Rosenberg; Micallef, Shirley A.; Gibbs, Shawn G.; Davis, Johnnie A.; He, Xin; George, Ashish; Kleinfelter, Lara M.; Schreiber, Nicole A.; Mukherjee, Sampa; Joseph, Sam W.

2012-01-01

Background: The incidence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections is increasing in the United States, and it is possible that municipal wastewater could be a reservoir of this microorganism. To date, no U.S. studies have evaluated the occurrence of MRSA in wastewater. Objective: We examined the occurrence of MRSA and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) at U.S. wastewater treatment plants. Methods: We collected wastewater samples from two Mid-Atlantic and two Midwest wastewater treatment plants between October 2009 and October 2010. Samples were analyzed for MRSA and MSSA using membrane filtration. Isolates were confirmed using biochemical tests and PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by Sensititre® microbroth dilution. Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) screening, and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were performed to further characterize the strains. Data were analyzed by two-sample proportion tests and analysis of variance. Results: We detected MRSA (n = 240) and MSSA (n = 119) in 22 of 44 (50%) and 24 of 44 (55%) wastewater samples, respectively. The odds of samples being MRSA-positive decreased as treatment progressed: 10 of 12 (83%) influent samples were MRSA-positive, while only one of 12 (8%) effluent samples was MRSA-positive. Ninety-three percent and 29% of unique MRSA and MSSA isolates, respectively, were multidrug resistant. SCCmec types II and IV, the pvl gene, and USA types 100, 300, and 700 (PFGE strain types commonly found in the United States) were identified among the MRSA isolates. Conclusions: Our findings raise potential public health concerns for wastewater treatment plant workers and individuals exposed to reclaimed wastewater. Because of increasing use of reclaimed wastewater, further study is needed to evaluate the risk of exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria in treated wastewater. PMID:23124279

A pilot scale comparison of advanced oxidation processes for estrogenic hormone removal from municipal wastewater effluent.

PubMed

Pešoutová, Radka; Stříteský, Luboš; Hlavínek, Petr

2014-01-01

This study investigates the oxidation of selected endocrine disrupting compounds (estrone, 17β-estradiol, estriol and 17α-ethinylestradiol) during ozonation and advanced oxidation of biologically treated municipal wastewater effluents in a pilot scale. Selected estrogenic substances were spiked in the treated wastewater at levels ranging from 1.65 to 3.59 μg · L(-1). All estrogens were removed by ozonation by more than 99% at ozone doses ≥1.8 mg · L(-1). At a dose of 4.4 · mg L(-1) ozonation reduced concentrations of estrone, 17β-estradiol, estriol and 17α-ethinylestradiol by 99.8, 99.7, 99.9 and 99.7%, respectively. All tested advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) achieved high removal rates but they were slightly lower compared to ozonation. The lower removal rates for all tested advanced oxidation processes are caused by the presence of naturally occurring hydroxyl radical scavengers - carbonates and bicarbonates.

2014 Radiological Monitoring Results Associated with the Advanced Test Reactor Complex Cold Waste Pond

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lewis, Mike

2015-02-01

This report summarizes radiological monitoring performed of the Idaho National Laboratory Site’s Advanced Test Reactor Complex Cold Waste wastewater prior to discharge into the Cold Waste Pond and of specific groundwater monitoring wells associated with the Industrial Wastewater Reuse Permit (#LA-000161-01, Modification B). All radiological monitoring is performed to fulfill Department of Energy requirements under the Atomic Energy Act.