Evaluation of kenaf fibers as moving bed biofilm carriers in algal membrane photobioreactor.

PubMed

Derakhshan, Zahra; Mahvi, Amir Hossein; Ehrampoush, Mohammad Hassan; Ghaneian, Mohammad Taghi; Yousefinejad, Saeed; Faramarzian, Mohammad; Mazloomi, Seyed Mohammad; Dehghani, Mansooreh; Fallahzadeh, Hossein

2018-05-15

In this lab-scale study, the feasibility of using kenaf fibers as moving bed biofilm carriers in hybrid microalgal membrane photobioreactors (HMPBR) in organic matter and atrazine elimination from real secondary effluent was evaluated. For evaluating the kinetics of biofilm substrate consumption, an experimental model was proposed. Inoculation of wastewater samples with free carriers resulted in the greater removal of target pollutants. Removal efficiency of atrazine and chemical oxygen demand (COD) increased to 27% and 16%, with respect to the control, respectively. The total biomass accumulation in HMPBR exceeded 5g/L, and the microalgae tended to aggregate and attached to biofilm carriers. The removal efficiency of HMPBR improved significantly via inoculation of kenaf fiber carriers with bioremediation microalgal strains (p < 0.01). A lower stabilization ratio (VSS/TSS) was also recorded. The biomass in HMPBR included more lipids and carbohydrates. The results revealed that kenaf fibers could improve and upgrade the biological activity of different wastewater treatment applications, considering the great potential of biofilm carriers and their effluent quality. Copyright © 2018 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.

Effects of advanced treatment of municipal wastewater on the White River near Indianapolis, Indiana; trends in water quality, 1978-86

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crawford, Charles G.; Wangsness, David J.

1993-01-01

The City of Indianapolis has constructed state-of-the-art advanced municipal wastewater-treatment systems to enlarge and upgrade the existing secondary-treatment processes at its Belmont and Southport treatment plants. These new advanced-wastewater-treatment plants became operational in 1983. A nonparametric statistical procedure--a modified form of the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank-sum test--was used to test for trends in time-series water-quality data from four sites on the White River and from the Belmont and Southport wastewater-treatment plants. Time-series data representative of pre-advanced- (1978-1980) and post-advanced- (1983--86) wastewater-treatment conditions were tested for trends, and the results indicate substantial changes in water quality of treated effluent and of the White River downstream from Indianapolis after implementation of advanced wastewater treatment. Water quality from 1981 through 1982 was highly variable due to plant construction. Therefore, this time period was excluded from the analysis. Water quality at sample sites located upstream from the wastewater-treatment plants was relatively constant during the period of study (1978-86). Analysis of data from the two plants and downstream from the plants indicates statistically significant decreasing trends in effluent concentrations of total ammonia, 5-day biochemical-oxygen demand, fecal-coliform bacteria, total phosphate, and total solids at all sites where sufficient data were available for testing. Because of in-plant nitrification, increases in nitrate concentration were statistically significant in the two plants and in the White River. The decrease in ammonia concentrations and 5-day biochemical-oxygen demand in the White River resulted in a statistically significant increasing trend in dissolved-oxygen concentration in the river because of reduced oxygen demand for nitrification and biochemical oxidation processes. Following implementation of advanced wastewater treatment, the number of river-quality samples that failed to meet the water-quality standards for ammonia and dissolved oxygen that apply to the White River decreased substantially.

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.

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.

The effectiveness of sewage treatment processes to remove faecal pathogens and antibiotic residues

PubMed Central

Hendricks, Rahzia; Pool, Edmund John

2012-01-01

Pathogens and antibiotics enter the aquatic environment via sewage effluents and may pose a health risk to wild life and humans. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of faecal bacteria, and selected antibiotic residues in raw wastewater and treated sewage effluents from three different sewage treatment plants in the Western Cape, South Africa. Sewage treatment plant 1 and 2 use older technologies, while sewage treatment plant 3 has been upgraded and membrane technologies were incorporated in the treatment processes. Coliforms and Escherichia coli (E. coli) were used as bioindicators for faecal bacteria. A chromogenic test was used to screen for coliforms and E. coli. Fluoroquinolones and sulfamethoxazole are commonly used antibiotics and were selected to monitor the efficiency of sewage treatment processes for antibiotic removal. Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISAs) were used to quantitate antibiotic residues in raw and treated sewage. Raw intake water at all treatment plants contained total coliforms and E. coli. High removal of E. coli by treatment processes was evident for treatment plant 2 and 3 only. Fluoroquinolones and sulfamethoxazole were detected in raw wastewater from all sewage treatment plants. Treatment processes at plant 1 did not reduce the fluoroquinolone concentration in treated sewage effluents. Treatment processes at plant 2 and 3 reduced the fluoroquinolone concentration by 21% and 31%, respectively. Treatment processes at plant 1 did not reduce the sulfamethoxazole concentration in treated sewage effluents. Treatment processes at plant 2 and 3 reduced sulfamethoxazole by 34% and 56%, respectively. This study showed that bacteria and antibiotic residues are still discharged into the environment. Further research needs to be undertaken to improve sewage treatment technologies, thereby producing a better quality treated sewage effluent. PMID:22242882

Nitrogen removal by recycle water nitritation as an attractive alternative for retrofit technologies in municipal wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Gil, K I; Choi, E

2004-01-01

The recycle water from sludge processing in municipal wastewater treatment plants causes many serious problems in the efficiency and stability of the mainstream process. Thus, the design approach for recycle water is an important part of any biological nutrient removal system design when a retrofit technology is required for upgrading an existing plant. Moreover, the application of nitrogen removal from recycle water using the nitritation process has recently increased due to economic reasons associated with an effective carbon allocation as well as the minimization of aeration costs. However, for the actual application of recycle water nitritation, it has not been fully examined whether or not additional volume would be required in an existing plant. In this paper, the addition of recycle water nitritation to an existing plant was evaluated based on a volume analysis and estimation of final effluent quality. It was expected that using the reserve volume of the aeration tank in existing plants, recycle water nitritation could be applied to a plant without any enlargement. With the addition of recycle water nitritation, it was estimated that the final effluent quality would be improved and stabilized, especially in the winter season.

[Occurrence and Removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Their Derivatives in Typical Wastewater Treatment Plants in Beijing].

PubMed

Qiao, Meng; Qi, Wei-xiao; Zhao, Xu; Liu, Hui-juan; Qu, Jiu-hui

2016-04-15

Substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (SPAHs) can be emitted to the environment not only through the incomplete combustion, but also through the transformation from parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by photo chemical and biological processes. The toxicities of some SPAHs are higher than their corresponding PAHs. Samples were collected from the wastewater treatment plants in Beijing. Three types of SPAHs, including oxy-PAHs (OPAHs), methyl-PAHs (MPAHs) and nitro-PAHs (NPAHs), as well as 16 PAHs were analyzed, in order to study the occurrence and behavior of these compounds during the wastewater biological treatment process. MPAHs, OPAHs and PAHs were detected in the influent and effluent, but no NPAHs. The concentrations of PAHs in the influent in both the aquatic and particulate phases ranged from 1.94 to 4.34 µg · L⁻¹, and SPAHs from 1.16 to 2.20 µg · L⁻¹. The concentrations of PAHs in the effluent were between 0.77 and 0.98 µg · L⁻¹, and SPAHs from 0.39 to 0.45 µg · L⁻¹. The concentrations of the MPAHs were lower than their corresponding PAHs, while OPAHs were higher. The removal efficiencies of all the compounds ranged from 53% to 83%. PAHs and SPAHs were mainly removed by adsorption and biodegradation during the activated sludge treatment processes. Some OPAHs could be transformed from PAHs, and could be accumulated. The PAHs were mainly originated from incomplete combustion of wood and coal, and some from combustion of petroleum, while only a little from the discharge of petroleum. The concentrations of PAHs and SPAHs in the effluent were higher in autumn than summer and winter. Most of the SPAHs and PAHs were discharged to the agriculture area through the river-water irrigation, which might pose potential risk to the humans. As a result, it is necessary to upgrade the wastewater treatment process to improve the removal efficiency of PAHs and SPAHs.

Identification of pollutant sources in a rapidly developing urban river catchment in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jingshui; Yin, Hailong; Jomma, Seifeddine; Rode, Michael; Zhou, Qi

2016-04-01

Rapid economic development and urbanization worldwide cause serious ecological and environmental problems. A typical region that is in transition and requires systemic research for effective intervention is the rapidly developing city of Hefei in central P. R. China. In order to investigate the sources of pollutants over a one-year period in Nanfei River catchment that drains the city of Hefei, discharges were measured and water samples were taken and measured along the 14km river section at 10 sites for 4 times from 2013 to 2014. Overflow concentrations of combined sewer and separate storm drains were also measured by selecting 15 rain events in 4 typical drainage systems. Loads and budgets of water and different pollutant sources i.e., wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, urban drainage overflow, unknown wastewater were calculated. The water balance demonstrated that >70% of the discharge originated from WWTP effluent. Lack of clean upstream inflow thereby is threatening ecological safety and water quality. Furthermore, mass fluxes calculations revealed that >40% of the COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) loads were from urban drainage overflow because of a large amount of discharge of untreated wastewater in pumping stations during rain events. WWTP effluent was the predominant source of the total nitrogen loads (>60%) and ammonia loads (>45%). However, the total phosphorous loads from three different sources are similar (˜1/3). Thus, our research provided a basis for appropriate and prior mitigation strategies (state-of-art of WWTP upgrade, sewer systems modification, storm water regulation and storage capacity improvement, etc.) for different precedence-controlled pollutants with the limited infrastructure investments in these rapidly developing urban regions.

Spatial Trends of Pharmaceuticals in an Urbanized Estuary: Influence of Wastewater Effluents in Narragansett Bay, RI, USA

EPA Science Inventory

For years, pharmaceuticals have been routinely detected in wastewater treatment plant effluents and freshwater systems. Wastewater effluent serves as a primary source of pharmaceutical compounds to natural waters. Many marine and estuarine systems receive inputs either directly...

Detection, identification and formation of new iodinated disinfection byproducts in chlorinated saline wastewater effluents.

PubMed

Gong, Tingting; Zhang, Xiangru

2015-01-01

The use of seawater for toilet flushing introduces high levels of inorganic ions, including iodide ions, into a city's wastewater treatment systems, resulting in saline wastewater effluents. Chlorination is widely used in disinfecting wastewater effluents owing to its low cost and high efficiency. During chlorination of saline wastewater effluents, iodide may be oxidized to hypoiodous acid, which may further react with effluent organic matter to form iodinated disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Iodinated DBPs show significantly higher toxicity than their brominated and chlorinated analogues and thus have been drawing increasing concerns. In this study, polar iodinated DBPs were detected in chlorinated saline wastewater effluents using a novel precursor ion scan method. The major polar iodinated DBPs were identified and quantified, and their organic precursors and formation pathways were investigated. The formation of iodinated DBPs under different chlorine doses and contact times was also studied. The results indicated that a few polar iodinated DBPs were generated in the chlorinated saline primary effluent, but few were generated in the chlorinated saline secondary effluent. Several major polar iodinated DBPs in the chlorinated saline primary effluent were proposed with structures, among which a new group of polar iodinated DBPs, iodo-trihydroxybenzenesulfonic acids, were identified and quantified. The organic precursors of this new group of DBPs were found to be 4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid and 1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene, and the formation pathways of these new DBPs were tentatively proposed. Both chlorine dose and contact time affected the formation of iodinated DBPs in the chlorinated saline wastewater effluents.

Recovery of benthic-invertebrate communities in the White River near Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, following implementation of advanced treatment of municipal wastewater

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crawford, Charles G.; Wangsness, David J.

1992-01-01

The City of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, completed construction of advanced-wastewater-treatment systems to enlarge and upgrade existing secondary-treatment processes at the City’s two municipal wastewater-treatment plants in 1983. These plants discharge their effluent to the White River. A study was begun in 1981 to evaluate the effects of municipal wastewater on the quality of the White River near Indianapolis. As part of this study, benthic-invertebrate samples were collected from one riffle upstream and two riffles downstream from the treatment plants annually from 1981 through 1987 (2 times before and 5 times after the plant improvements became operational). Samples were collected during periods of late-summer or early-fall low streamflow with a Surber sampler. Upstream from the wastewater-treatment plants, mayflies and caddisflies were the predominant organisms in the benthic-invertebrate community (from 32 to 93 percent of all organisms; median value is 67 percent) with other insects and mollusks also present. Before implementation of advanced wastewater-treatment, the benthic-invertebrate community downstream from the wastewater treatment plants was predominantly chironomids and oligochaetes (more than 98 percent of all organisms)-organisms that generally are tolerant of organic wastes. Few intolerant species, such as mayflies or caddisflies were found. Following implementation of advanced wastewater treatment, mayflies and caddisflies became numerically dominant in samples collected downstream from the plants. By 1986, these organisms accounted for more than 90 percent of all organisms found at the two downstream sites. The diversity of benthic invertebrates found in these samples resembled that at the upstream site. The improvement in the quality of municipal wastewater effluent resulted in significant improvements in the water quality of the White River downstream from Indianapolis. These changes in river quality, in turn, have resulted in a shift from mostly pollution-tolerant to mostly pollution-intolerant organisms in the benthic-invertebrate community of the White River downstream from Indianapolis. The recovery was not immediate, however, with one of the downstream sites requiring 3 years before pollution-intolerant organisms became numerically dominant.

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.

Changes in phosphorus concentrations and loads in the Assabet River, Massachusetts, October 2008 through April 2014

USGS Publications Warehouse

Savoie, Jennifer G.; DeSimone, Leslie A.; Mullaney, John R.; Zimmerman, Marc J.; Waldron, Marcus C.

2016-10-24

Treated effluent discharged from municipal wastewater-treatment plants to the Assabet River in central Massachusetts includes phosphorus, which leads to increased growth of nuisance aquatic plants that decrease the river’s water quality and aesthetics in impounded reaches during the growing season. To improve the river’s water quality and aesthetics, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved a total maximum daily load for phosphorus in 2004 that directed the wastewater-treatment plants to reduce the amount of total phosphorus discharged to the river by 2012. The permitted total phosphorus monthly average of 0.75 milligrams per liter during the aquatic plant growing season (April 1 through October 31) was reduced by the total maximum daily load to a target of 0.1 milligrams per liter by 2012, and the nongrowing-season limit was unchanged at 1.0 milligrams per liter.From October 2008 through April 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, measured streamflow and collected weekly flow-proportional, composite samples of water from the Assabet River for analysis of concentrations of total phosphorus and orthophosphate. Streamflow and concentration data were used to estimate total phosphorus and orthophosphate loads in the river. The purpose of this monitoring effort was to evaluate phosphorus concentrations and loads in the river before, during, and after the wastewater-treatment-plant upgrades and to assess the effects of seasonal differences in permitted discharges. The locations of water-quality-monitoring stations, with respect to the Hudson and Ben Smith impoundments, enabled examination of effects of phosphorus entering and leaving the impoundments.Annual median concentrations of total phosphorus in wastewater-treatment plants were reduced by more than 80 percent with the plant upgrades. Measured instream annual median concentrations of total phosphorus in the Assabet River decreased by about 38 to 50 percent at three of the four monitoring stations following the wastewater-treatment-plant upgrades. At the station farthest upstream, the median total phosphorus concentration remained unchanged throughout the study; this may be attributed to the site location and potential resuspension of particulate organic matter during periods of increased streamflow. Annual median loads from the wastewater-treatment plants were reduced by up to 91 percent following the upgrades, instream annual median total phosphorus loads at the three downstream stations decreased by 71 to 76 percent, and instream orthophosphate loads at the three downstream stations decreased by 79 to 87 percent.Seasonal fluctuations (growing versus nongrowing) of total phosphorus and orthophosphate were observed instream before the upgrades. However, after the upgrades, fluctuations in phosphorus released from the treatment plants were slight and seasonal changes were typically not observed instream.Annual loads entering and leaving the two impoundments were inconclusive in determining whether the impoundments were sources or sinks of total phosphorus during the study. Total phosphorus loads entering the Hudson impoundment were consistently greater than those leaving; however, there was uncertainty about the loads at the monitoring station upstream from this impoundment. At the Ben Smith impoundment, total phosphorus and orthophosphate loads downstream were slightly greater than those upstream from the impoundment, but the differences may reflect additions from tributaries and overland runoff.Estimated instream total phosphorus concentrations and loads indicated that the decreases in total phosphorus in wastewater-treatment-plant discharges were accompanied by reductions measured in the Assabet River. A statistical analysis which incorporates the effect of varying flow conditions demonstrated significant reductions in total phosphorus concentrations after the wastewater-treatment-plant upgrades at three of the four instream monitoring stations. No significant change was observed at the most upstream location, the Assabet River at Port Street at Hudson, Massachusetts (station number 01096835), which may have been affected by flow-related resuspension of particulate phosphorus.

Urban wastewater development in Central and Eastern Europe.

PubMed

Somlyódy, László; Patziger, Miklós

2012-01-01

In the early nineties the region of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE, more than 1 million km² and 100 million inhabitants) went through fundamental political, economic and social changes which eventually led to the European integration process. This positively influenced urban water and wastewater management , which had an unbalanced structure and rather low level of development. The paper outlines first the 1990 situation (water supply, sewerage and wastewater treatment (WWT)) and the infrastructure development of the last two decades, on the basis of a comprehensive data collection for six countries (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia). Austria serves as a reference basis. Alterations of some of the drivers such as GDP (Gross Domestic Product), water tariff, investment funding and legislation are studied in detail. Then, the paper focuses on WWT by analyzing data of 20 large plants. Influent and effluent quality is evaluated. Technology indicators are estimated and assessed. They include plant removal rates and violation ratios assuming the application of the Urban Wastewater Directive, primary clarifier removal rates, actual anoxic volume and sludge age in comparison with the recommendations of the ATV guideline, criteria of secondary settling tanks and energy consumption. Finally, nutrient removal rates and upgrading options are outlined.

Wastewater effluent, combined sewer overflows, and other sources of organic compounds to Lake Champlain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phillips, P.; Chalmers, A.

2009-01-01

Some sources of organic wastewater compounds (OWCs) to streams, lakes, and estuaries, including wastewater-treatment-plant effluent, have been well documented, but other sources, particularly wet-weather discharges from combined-sewer-overflow (CSO) and urban runoff, may also be major sources of OWCs. Samples of wastewater-treatment-plant (WWTP) effluent, CSO effluent, urban streams, large rivers, a reference (undeveloped) stream, and Lake Champlain were collected from March to August 2006. The highest concentrations of many OWCs associated with wastewater were in WWTP-effluent samples, but high concentrations of some OWCs in samples of CSO effluent and storm runoff from urban streams subject to leaky sewer pipes or CSOs were also detected. Total concentrations and numbers of compounds detected differed substantially among sampling sites. The highest total OWC concentrations (10-100 ??g/l) were in samples of WWTP and CSO effluent. Total OWC concentrations in samples from urban streams ranged from 0.1 to 10 ??g/l, and urban stream-stormflow samples had higher concentrations than baseflow samples because of contributions of OWCs from CSOs and leaking sewer pipes. The relations between OWC concentrations in WWTP-effluent and those in CSO effluent and urban streams varied with the degree to which the compound is removed through normal wastewater treatment. Concentrations of compounds that are highly removed during normal wastewater treatment [including caffeine, Tris(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate, and cholesterol] were generally similar to or higher in CSO effluent than in WWTP effluent (and ranged from around 1 to over 10 ??g/l) because CSO effluent is untreated, and were higher in urban-stream stormflow samples than in baseflow samples as a result of CSO discharge and leakage from near-surface sources during storms. Concentrations of compounds that are poorly removed during treatment, by contrast, are higher in WWTP effluent than in CSO, due to dilution. Results indicate that CSO effluent and urban stormwaters can be a significant major source of OWCs entering large water bodies such as Burlington Bay. ?? 2008 American Water Resources Association.

The use of semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) to concentrate inducers of fish hepatic mixed function oxygenase (MFO): Chapter 12

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parrott, Joanne L.; Tillitt, Donald E.

1997-01-01

Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) are sampling and concentrating devices comprised of a thin polyethylene membrane containing a small quantity of triolein. They have previously been used to sample air, water and sediments and have concentrated fish tainting compounds from pulp mill effluents. The ability to induce mixed function oxygenases (MFOs) is a property of a variety of organic effluents, but the compound(s) responsible for induction have not been identified. We wanted to see if SPMDs would accumulate the MFO-inducing chemical(s) from pulp mill effluents and oil refinery effluents. Dialysates of effluent-exposed SPMDs induced ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity in a fish (Poeciliopsis lucida) hepatoma cell line, PLHC-1. In pulp mill effluents and oil sands mining and refining wastewaters, potencies varied greatly, from a few to thousands of pg TCDD-EQ/g SPMD. Low levels of inducers were seen in four pulp mills on the Athabasca R., and higher levels at one New Brunswick bleached sulphite and two Ontario bleached kraft pulp mills. The highest levels of MFO inducers were in SPMDs deployed for 14 days in wastewater from an oil sands upgrading facility, as well as SPMDs deployed at two sites on Athabasca River tributaries in the oil sands area. This suggests that natural erosion and weathering, as well as industrial processing of the oil sands, can release potent MFO inducers. Background (reference) induction by SPMD extracts ranged from non-detectable (<1) to 20 pg TCDD-EQ/g SPMD. Reactive clean-up of one of the bleached kraft mill effluent-exposed SPMD extracts on a sulfuric acid/silica gel column resulted in loss of the inducer(s), which suggested a polyaromatic hydrocarbon-type of inducing chemical(s), rather than a dioxin or furan inducer. SPMD deployments proved useful in the detection of inducers within the pulp mill process streams as extracts of SPMDs exposed to untreated bleached sulphite effluent were ten to twenty times as potent as those from secondary-treated effluent. Little is known about the nature and identity of the MFO inducers from pulp mill and refinery effluents, but the use of SPMDs as concentrators of MFO-inducing substances appears a promising avenue for future research.

Changes in waste stabilisation pond performance resulting from the retrofit of activated sludge treatment upstream: part I--water quality issues.

PubMed

Cromar, N J; Sweeney, D G; O'Brien, M J; Fallowfield, H J

2005-01-01

This paper describes changes in effluent quality occurring before and after an upgrade to the Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant in South Australia. Trickling filters (TF) were replaced with an activated sludge (AS) plant, prior to tertiary treatment using waste stabilisation ponds (WSPs). The water quality in the WSPs following the upgrade was significantly improved. Reductions in total and soluble BOD, COD, TKN, suspended solids and organic nitrogen were recorded and the predominant form of inorganic nitrogen changed from NH(4)-N to NO(2)/NO(3)-N. The reduction in ammonium and potentially toxic free ammonia removed a control upon the growth of zooplankton, which may have contributed to decreases in algal biomass in the final ponds and consequently lower dissolved oxygen. Additionally, changes in inorganic nitrogen speciation contributed to a slightly elevated pH which reduced numbers of faecal coliforms in WSPs. The AS pretreated influent recorded significantly lower inorganic molar N:P ratio (10-4:1) compared to those fed with TF effluent (17-13:1). Algae within the WSPs may now be nitrogen limited, a condition which may favour the growth of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria. The decrease in algal biomass and in dissolved oxygen levels may enhance sedimentary denitrification, further driving the system towards nitrogen limitation.

Wastewater treatment plants as a pathway for microplastics: Development of a new approach to sample wastewater-based microplastics.

PubMed

Ziajahromi, Shima; Neale, Peta A; Rintoul, Llew; Leusch, Frederic D L

2017-04-01

Wastewater effluent is expected to be a pathway for microplastics to enter the aquatic environment, with microbeads from cosmetic products and polymer fibres from clothes likely to enter wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). To date, few studies have quantified microplastics in wastewater. Moreover, the lack of a standardized and applicable method to identify microplastics in complex samples, such as wastewater, has limited the accurate assessment of microplastics and may lead to an incorrect estimation. This study aimed to develop a validated method to sample and process microplastics from wastewater effluent and to apply the developed method to quantify and characterise wastewater-based microplastics in effluent from three WWTPs that use primary, secondary and tertiary treatment processes. We applied a high-volume sampling device that fractionated microplastics in situ and an efficient sample processing procedure to improve the sampling of microplastics in wastewater and to minimize the false detection of non-plastic particles. The sampling device captured between 92% and 99% of polystyrene microplastics using 25 μm-500 μm mesh screens in laboratory tests. Microplastic type, size and suspected origin in all studied WWTPs, along with the removal efficiency during the secondary and tertiary treatment stages, was investigated. Suspected microplastics were characterised using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, with between 22 and 90% of the suspected microplastics found to be non-plastic particles. An average of 0.28, 0.48 and 1.54 microplastics per litre of final effluent was found in tertiary, secondary and primary treated effluent, respectively. This study suggests that although low concentrations of microplastics are detected in wastewater effluent, WWTPs still have the potential to act as a pathway to release microplastics given the large volumes of effluent discharged to the aquatic environment. This study focused on a single sampling campaign, with long-term monitoring recommended to further characterise microplastics in wastewater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Colorado River Sewer System Joint Venture to Upgrade Wastewater System

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

SAN FRANCISCO -Today, the Colorado River Sewer System Joint Venture, located in Parker, Ariz. entered into an agreement with the EPA to upgrade their wastewater treatment system to meet stringent water quality standards. The cost of the upgrade is ap

Solutions to microplastic pollution - Removal of microplastics from wastewater effluent with advanced wastewater treatment technologies.

PubMed

Talvitie, Julia; Mikola, Anna; Koistinen, Arto; Setälä, Outi

2017-10-15

Conventional wastewater treatment with primary and secondary treatment processes efficiently remove microplastics (MPs) from the wastewater. Despite the efficient removal, final effluents can act as entrance route of MPs, given the large volumes constantly discharged into the aquatic environments. This study investigated the removal of MPs from effluent in four different municipal wastewater treatment plants utilizing different advanced final-stage treatment technologies. The study included membrane bioreactor treating primary effluent and different tertiary treatment technologies (discfilter, rapid sand filtration and dissolved air flotation) treating secondary effluent. The MBR removed 99.9% of MPs during the treatment (from 6.9 to 0.005 MP L -1 ), rapid sand filter 97% (from 0.7 to 0.02 MP L -1 ), dissolved air flotation 95% (from 2.0 to 0.1 MP L -1 ) and discfilter 40-98.5% (from 0.5 - 2.0 to 0.03-0.3 MP L -1 ) of the MPs during the treatment. Our study shows that with advanced final-stage wastewater treatment technologies WWTPs can substantially reduce the MP pollution discharged from wastewater treatment plants into the aquatic environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occurrence and risk assessment of pharmaceutically active compounds in wastewater treatment plants. A case study: Seville city (Spain).

PubMed

Santos, J L; Aparicio, I; Alonso, E

2007-05-01

The occurrence of four anti-inflammatory drugs (diclofenac, ibuprofen, ketoprofen and naproxen), an antiepileptic drug (carbamazepine) and a nervous stimulant (caffeine) in influent and effluent samples from four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Seville was evaluated. Removal rates in the WWTPs and risk assessment of the pharmaceutically active compounds have been studied. Analytical determination was carried out by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array (DAD) and fluorescence (Fl) detectors after sample clean up and concentration by solid phase extraction. All pharmaceutically active compounds, except diclofenac, were detected not only in wastewater influents but also in wastewater effluents. Mean concentrations of caffeine, carbamazepine, ketoprofen and naproxen ranged between 0.28-11.44 microg l(-1) and 0.21-2.62 microg l(-1) in influent and effluent wastewater, respectively. Ibuprofen was present in the highest concentrations in the range 12.13-373.11 microg l(-1) and 0.78-48.24 microg l(-1) in influent and effluent wastewater, respectively. Removal rates of the pharmaceuticals ranged between 6 and 98%. Risk quotients, expressed as ratios between the measured environmental concentration (MEC) and the predicted no effect concentrations (PNEC) were higher than 1 for ibuprofen and naproxen in influent wastewater and for ibuprofen in effluent wastewater.

Formation of nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) during chlorine disinfection of wastewater effluents prior to use in irrigation systems.

PubMed

Pehlivanoglu-Mantas, Elif; Hawley, Elisabeth L; Deeb, Rula A; Sedlak, David L

2006-01-01

The probable human carcinogen nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is produced when wastewater effluent is disinfected with chlorine. In systems where wastewater effluent is used for landscape or crop irrigation, relatively high chlorine doses (i.e., up to 2,000,mg-min/L) are often used to ensure adequate disinfection and to minimize biofouling in the irrigation system. To assess the formation of NDMA in such systems, samples were collected from several locations in full-scale wastewater treatment systems and their associated irrigation systems. Up to 460 ng/L of NDMA was produced in full-scale systems in which chloramines were formed when wastewater effluent was disinfected with chlorine in the presence of ammonia. Less than 20 ng/L of NDMA was produced in systems that used free chlorine (i.e., HOCl/OCl(-)) for disinfection in the absence of ammonia. The production of NDMA in ammonia-containing systems was correlated with the concentration of NDMA precursors in the wastewater effluent and the overall dose of chlorine applied. Much of the NDMA formation occurred in chlorine contact basins or in storage basins where water that contained chloramines was held after disinfection. When landscape or crop irrigation is practiced with ammonia-containing wastewater effluent, NDMA production can be controlled by use of lower chlorine doses or by application of alternative disinfectants.

Occurrence of antibiotics in hospital, residential, and dairy effluent, municipal wastewater, and the Rio Grande in New Mexico.

PubMed

Brown, Kathryn D; Kulis, Jerzy; Thomson, Bruce; Chapman, Timothy H; Mawhinney, Douglas B

2006-08-01

This study had three objectives: 1) determine occurrence of antibiotics in effluent from hospitals, residential facilities, and dairies, and in municipal wastewater 2) determine antibiotic removal at a large wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Albuquerque, NM, and 3) determine concentrations of antibiotics in the Rio Grande, which receives wastewater from the Albuquerque WWTP. Twenty-three samples of wastewater and 3 samples of Rio Grande water were analyzed for the presence of 11 antibiotics. Fifty-eight percent of samples had at least one antibiotic present while 25% had three or more. Hospital effluent had detections of sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, lincomycin, and penicillin G, with 4 of 5 hospital samples having at least one antibiotic detected and 3 having four or more. At the residential sampling sites, ofloxacin was found in effluent from assisted living and retirement facilities, while the student dormitory had no detects. Only lincomycin was detected in dairy effluent (in 2 of 8 samples, at 700 and 6600 ng/L). Municipal wastewater had detections of sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin, with 4 of 6 samples having at least one antibiotic present and 3 having 3 or more. The relatively high concentrations (up to 35,500 ng/L) of ofloxacin found in hospital and residential effluent may be of concern due to potential genotoxic effects and development of antibiotic resistance. At the Albuquerque WWTP, both raw wastewater and treated effluent had detections of sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and ofloxacin, at concentrations ranging from 110 to 470 ng/L. However, concentrations in treated effluent were reduced by 20% to 77%. No antibiotics were detected in the Rio Grande upstream of the Albuquerque WWTP discharge, and only one antibiotic, sulfamethoxazole, was detected in the Rio Grande (300 ng/L) below the WWTP.

Evaluation of advanced wastewater treatment systems for water reuse in the era of advanced wastewater treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kon, Hisao; Watanabe, Masahiro

This study focuses on effluent COD concentration from wastewater treatment in regards to the reduction of pathogenic bacteria and trace substances in public waters. The main types of secondary wastewater treatment were conventional activated sludge processes. Recently, however, advance wastewater treatment processes have been developed aimed at the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus, and the effluent quality of these processes was analyzed in this study. Treatment processes for water reclamation that make effluent to meet the target water quality for reuse purposes were selected and also optimum design parameters for these processes were proposed. It was found that the treatment cost to water reclamation was greatly affected by the effluent COD of the secondary treatment. It is important to maintain low COD concentration in the secondary treated effluent. Therefore, it is considered that adequate cost benefits would be obtained by achieving target COD quality through shifting from a conventional activated sludge process to an advanced treatment process.

Jaffrey, N.H. Facility to Upgrade its Wastewater Treatment Systems Under Clean Water Act Settlement

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Under the terms of a Consent Decree lodged in federal court, EMD Millipore Corp. of Jaffrey, N.H., will upgrade its on-site wastewater treatment system to comply with the terms of the company’s industrial wastewater discharge permit & prevent...

Surface-Water to Groundwater Transport of Pharmaceuticals in a Wastewater-Impacted Stream in the U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradley, P. M.; Barber, L. B.; Duris, J. W.; Foreman, W. T.; Furlong, E. T.; Hubbard, L. E.; Hutchinson, K. J.; Keefe, S. H.; Kolpin, D. W.

2014-12-01

Wastewater pharmaceutical contamination of shallow groundwater is a substantial concern in effluent-dominated streams, due to aqueous mobility and designed bioactivity of pharmaceuticals and due to effluent-driven hydraulic gradients. Improved understanding of the environmental fate and transport of wastewater-derived pharmaceuticals is essential for effective protection of vital aquatic ecosystem services, environmental health, and drinking-water supplies. Substantial longitudinal (downstream) transport of pharmaceutical contaminants has been documented in effluent-impacted streams. The comparative lack of information on vertical and lateral transport (infiltration) of wastewater contaminants from surface-water to hyporheic and shallow groundwater compartments is a critical scientific data gap, given the potential for contamination of groundwater supplies in effluent-impacted systems. Growing dependencies on bank filtration and artificial recharge applications for release of wastewater to the environment and for pretreatment of poor-quality surface-water for drinking water emphasize the critical need to better understand the exchange of wastewater contaminants, like pharmaceuticals, between surface-water and groundwater compartments. The potential transport of effluent-derived pharmaceutical contaminants from surface-water to hyporheic-water and shallow groundwater compartments was examined in a wastewater-treatment-facility (WWTF) impacted stream in Ankeny, Iowa under effluent-dominated (71-99% of downstream flow) conditions. Strong hydraulic gradients and hydrologic connectivity were evident between surface-water and shallow-groundwater compartments in the vicinity of the WWTF outfall. Carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, and immunologically-related compounds were detected in groundwater 10-20 meters from the stream bank. Direct aqueous-injection HPLC-MS/MS revealed high percentage detections of pharmaceuticals (110 total analytes) in surface-water and groundwater samples. The results demonstrate the importance of effluent discharge as a driver of local hydrologic conditions in an effluent-impacted stream and thus as a fundamental control on surface-water to groundwater transport of effluent-derived pharmaceutical contaminants.

Traveltime, reaeration, and water-quality characteristics during low-flow conditions in Wilsons Creek and the James River near Springfield, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berkas, W.R.

1987-01-01

Before upgrading the Southwest Wastewater-Treatment Plant near Springfield, Missouri, to tertiary treatment, adverse water quality conditions resulting from discharge of wastewater effluent to Wilson Creek were documented in the creek and in the James River. About 7 years after the upgrading of the treatment plant, traveltime, reaeration, and water quality characteristics were determined in Wilsons Creek and the James River. Traveltime was measured once in Wilsons Creek and twice in the James River during low-flow conditions. Traveltimes in the James River were estimated for discharge between 55 and 200 cu ft/sec at a site near Boaz. Reaeration coefficients were calculated for five reaches in Wilsons Creek and the James River using the modified-tracer technique. Calculated reaeration coefficients were compared with coefficients predicted by twelve empirical equations and one equation was chosen that best fit the data. Water quality data were collected during two 44-hr periods, August 14 to 16, 1984, and July 23 to 25, 1985. Samples were collected at the outflow of the Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant at seven sites along Wilsons Creek and the James River. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations in Wilsons Creek and the James River were all larger than Missouri 's water quality standard of 5.0 mg/l. Ammonia concentrations and 5-day carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demands were small, which indicated that the oxygen consumption by oxidizing ammonia and carbonaceous organic materials would be insignificant. Measured streambed oxygen demand in the James River was largest directly downstream from Wilsons Creek. (USGS)

[Energy Consumption Comparison and Energy Saving Approaches for Different Wastewater Treatment Processes in a Large-scale Reclaimed Water Plant].

PubMed

Yang, Min; Li, Ya-ming; Wei, Yuan-song; Lü, Jian; Yu, Da-wei; Liu, Ji-bao; Fan, Yao-bo

2015-06-01

Energy consumption is the main performance indicator of reclaimed water plant (RWP) operation. Methods of specific energy consumption analysis, unit energy consumption analysis and redundancy analysis were applied to investigate the composition and spatio-temporal distribution of energy consumption in Qinghe RWP with inverted A2/O, A2/O and A2/O-MBR processes. And the A2/ O-MBR process was mainly analyzed to identify the main nodes and causes for high energy consumption, approaches for energy saving were explored, and the energy consumption before and after upgrading for energy saving was compared. The results showed that aeration was the key factor affecting energy consumption in both conventional and A2/O-MBR processes, accounting for 42.97% and 50.65% of total energy consumption, respectively. A pulsating aeration allowed an increasing membrane flux and remarkably reduced the energy consumption of the A2/O-MBR process while still meeting the effluent standard, e.g., the membrane flux was increased by 20%, and the energy consumptions per kiloton wastewater and kilogram COD(removed) were decreased by 42.39% to 0.53 kW-h-kg-3 and by 54.74% to 1.29 kW x h x kg(-1), respectively. The decrease of backflow ratio in the A2/O-MBR process within a certain range would not deteriorate the effluent quality due to its insignificant correlation with the effluent quality, and therefore may be considered as one of the ways for further energy saving.

Unsupervised Analysis of the Effects of a Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent on the Fathead Minnow Ovarian Transcriptome

EPA Science Inventory

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents contain complex mixtures of chemicals, potentially including endocrine active chemicals (EACs), pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Due to the complex and variable nature of effluents, biological monitori...

Identification of critical contaminants in wastewater effluent for managed aquifer recharge.

PubMed

Yuan, Jie; Van Dyke, Michele I; Huck, Peter M

2017-04-01

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) using highly treated effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plants has been recognized as a promising strategy for indirect potable water reuse. Treated wastewater effluent can contain a number of residual contaminants that could have adverse effects on human health, and some jurisdictions have regulations in place to govern these. For those that do not, but where reuse may be under consideration, it is of crucial importance to develop a strategy for identifying priority contaminants, which can then be used to understand the water treatment technologies that might be required. In this study, a multi-criteria approach to identify critical contaminants in wastewater effluent for MAR was developed and applied using a case study site located in southern Ontario, Canada. An important aspect of this approach was the selection of representative compounds for each group of contaminants, based on potential for occurrence in wastewater and expected health or environmental impacts. Due to a lack of MAR regulations in Canada, the study first proposed potential recharge water quality targets. Predominant contaminants, potential additional contaminants, and potential emerging contaminants, which together comprise critical contaminants for MAR with reclaimed water, were then selected based on the case study wastewater effluent monitoring data and literature data. This paper proposes an approach for critical contaminant selection, which will be helpful to guide future implementation of MAR projects using wastewater treatment plant effluents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of brewery wastewater obtained from different phases of treatment plant on seed germination of chickpea (Cicer arietinum), maize (Zea mays), and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan).

PubMed

Salian, Rupa; Wani, Suhas; Reddy, Ramamohan; Patil, Mukund

2018-03-01

Brewing industry releases large quantities of wastewater after product generation. Brewery wastewater contains organic compounds which are biodegradable in nature. These biodegradable wastes can be recycled and reused and hence considered as suitable products for agriculture. But before using wastewater for agriculture, it is better to evaluate the phytotoxic effects of wastewater on crops. Hence, the main objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of brewery effluent on seed germination and growth parameters of selected crop species like chickpea (Cicer arietinum), maize (Zea mays), and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan). Study comprised seven types of water treatments-tap water as control, diluted UASBR effluent (50% effluent + 50% distilled water): UASBR50, undiluted UASBR effluent: UASBR100, diluted TC effluent (50% effluent + 50% distilled water): ETP50,TC effluent without dilution: ETP100, 10% diluted reverse osmosis (RO10) reject (10% RO reject + 90% distilled water), and 25% diluted reverse osmosis(RO25) reject (25% RO reject + 75% distilled water) with three replications in completely randomized design. Germination test was performed in petri plates for 5 days. Parameters like germination percentage, germination rate index, seedling length, phytotoxicity index, seed vigor index, and biomass were calculated. All parameters decreased with increase in respective effluent concentration. Among all treatments, RO25 showed highest inhibitory effect on all three crops. Even though undiluted effluent of UASBR and ETP effluent showed positive effect on germination, seedling growth of three crops was promoted to the maximum by UASBR50 and ETP50. Hence, from the study, it was concluded that dilution of brewery effluent can be recommended before using it for irrigational purpose.

Assessment of wastewater treatment plant effluent on fish reproduction utilizing the adverse outcome pathway conceptual framework

EPA Science Inventory

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are a known contributor of chemical mixture inputs into the environment. Whole effluent testing guidelines were developed to screen these complex mixtures for acute toxicity. However, efficient and cost-effective approaches for screenin...

Direct quantification of bacterial biomass in influent, effluent and activated sludge of wastewater treatment plants by using flow cytometry.

PubMed

Foladori, P; Bruni, L; Tamburini, S; Ziglio, G

2010-07-01

A rapid multi-step procedure, potentially amenable to automation, was proposed for quantifying viable and active bacterial cells, estimating their biovolume using flow cytometry (FCM) and to calculate their biomass within the main stages of a wastewater treatment plant: raw wastewater, settled wastewater, activated sludge and effluent. Fluorescent staining of bacteria using SYBR-Green I + Propidium Iodide (to discriminate cell integrity or permeabilisation) and BCECF-AM (to identify enzymatic activity) was applied to count bacterial cells by FCM. A recently developed specific procedure was applied to convert Forward Angle Light Scatter measured by FCM into the corresponding bacterial biovolume. This conversion permits the calculation of the viable and active bacterial biomass in wastewater, activated sludge and effluent, expressed as Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS) or particulate Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). Viable bacterial biomass represented only a small part of particulate COD in raw wastewater (4.8 +/- 2.4%), settled wastewater (10.7 +/- 3.1%), activated sludge (11.1 +/- 2.1%) and effluent (3.2 +/- 2.2%). Active bacterial biomass counted for a percentage of 30-47% of the viable bacterial biomass within the stages of the wastewater treatment plant. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 412.46 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... production areas. There must be no discharge of manure, litter, or process wastewater pollutants into waters... practice effluent limitations designed to ensure no discharge of manure, litter, or process wastewater... such effluent limitations, “no discharge of manure, litter, or process wastewater pollutants,” as used...

Influence of ozonation on the in vitro mutagenic and toxic potential of secondary effluents.

PubMed

Petala, M; Samaras, P; Zouboulis, A; Kungolos, A; Sakellaropoulos, G P

2008-12-01

Reclamation of municipal effluents by advanced treatment processes is an attractive perspective for facing certain water shortage problems. However, the application of tertiary techniques should be thoroughly examined for their potential hazardous effects. Ozonation is an efficient chemical oxidation method, often used in wastewater reclamation, which may result in by-products that may alter the toxic and mutagenic properties of effluents. In this study, Ames test and Microtox test were used for the evaluation of ozonation efficiency to upgrade secondary effluents quality. In general, the toxic response and mutagenic effect without metabolic activation of test species were influenced mainly by the ozone dose and ozonation duration, whereas the mutagenic effect with metabolic activation was influenced mainly by ozone dose, indicating that ozone conditions strongly affect the formation of by-products. In most cases, the toxicity was increased and reached up to 100% (in relation to that of secondary effluent) after ozonation with 8.0 mg O3/L for 5 min. On the contrary, in most cases the mutagenic activity towards strain TA98 without metabolic activation was reduced, when ozone dose and contact time increased. However, the mutagenicity was also increased after ozonation at low ozone doses and for contact times less than 5 min. The mutagenic activity of treated effluents towards strain TA98 with metabolic activation remained about the same or was reduced, compared to that of secondary effluent, and was even eliminated after ozonation with 8.0 mg O3/L for contact times higher than 5 min.

A Course on Operational Considerations in Wastewater Treatment Plant Design. Instructor's Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, John W.; And Others

This manual contains 17 instructional units (sequenced to correspond to parallel chapters in a student's manual) focusing on upgrading the design of wastewater plant facilities and serving as a reference source for establishing criteria for upgrading wastewater treatment plants. The manual also furnishes information for modifying plant design to…

Multiple-endpoints gene alteration-based (MEGA) assay: A toxicogenomics approach for water quality assessment of wastewater effluents.

PubMed

Fukushima, Toshikazu; Hara-Yamamura, Hiroe; Nakashima, Koji; Tan, Lea Chua; Okabe, Satoshi

2017-12-01

Wastewater effluents contain a significant number of toxic contaminants, which, even at low concentrations, display a wide variety of toxic actions. In this study, we developed a multiple-endpoints gene alteration-based (MEGA) assay, a real-time PCR-based transcriptomic analysis, to assess the water quality of wastewater effluents for human health risk assessment and management. Twenty-one genes from the human hepatoblastoma cell line (HepG2), covering the basic health-relevant stress responses such as response to xenobiotics, genotoxicity, and cytotoxicity, were selected and incorporated into the MEGA assay. The genes related to the p53-mediated DNA damage response and cytochrome P450 were selected as markers for genotoxicity and response to xenobiotics, respectively. Additionally, the genes that were dose-dependently regulated by exposure to the wastewater effluents were chosen as markers for cytotoxicity. The alterations in the expression of an individual gene, induced by exposure to the wastewater effluents, were evaluated by real-time PCR and the results were validated by genotoxicity (e.g., comet assay) and cell-based cytotoxicity tests. In summary, the MEGA assay is a real-time PCR-based assay that targets cellular responses to contaminants present in wastewater effluents at the transcriptional level; it is rapid, cost-effective, and high-throughput and can thus complement any chemical analysis for water quality assessment and management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 420.23 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... wet air pollution control system. The following table presents BAT limitations for sintering operations with wet air pollution control systems: Subpart B—Effluent Limitations (BAT) Regulated parameter... water is co-treated with ironmaking wastewater. 3 Applicable only when sintering process wastewater is...

40 CFR 420.23 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... wet air pollution control system. The following table presents BAT limitations for sintering operations with wet air pollution control systems: Subpart B—Effluent Limitations (BAT) Regulated parameter... water is co-treated with ironmaking wastewater. 3 Applicable only when sintering process wastewater is...

Restaurant oil and grease management in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Yau, Yiu-Hung; Rudolph, Victor; Lo, Cat Chui-Man; Wu, Kam-Chau

2018-06-24

Oil and grease (O&G) in wastewater can be considered as two parts or proportion contained in emulsion which exceeded O&G standard. Most of oil becomes emulsified with water when they pass through grease trap and discharged in the effluents. Thus, it may indicate that either treatment of grease traps or standards for O&G content stipulated in technical memorandum of Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO) do not reflect the actual situation. Existing grease traps should be upgraded to meet the requirements of WPCO. Alternative technologies need to be developed to tackle this unsolved problem. Good management and practices are also important to ensure proper collection and waste recycling rather than just disposing effluent into drains. Collected O&G content can be recycled as valuable products such as biofuel, flotation agent, or other derivatives. This approach not only protects the environment by improving water quality, it also encourages large flow restaurant operators to recycle oil and grease content towards cleaner production.

State of the art: wastewater management in the beverage industry

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

Joyce, M.E.; Scaief, J.F.; Cochrane, M.W.

The water pollution impact caused by the wastes from the beverage industry and the methods available to combat the associated problems were studied. The size of each industry is discussed along with production processes, wastewater sources and effluent characteristics. Wastewater management techniques are described in terms of in-plant recycling, by-product recovery and end-of-pipe treatment along with the economics of treatment. The malt liquor, malting, soft drinks and flavoring industries primarily dispose of their effluents in municipal sewers. In-plant recycling and by-product recovery techniques have been developed in these industries to reduce their raw waste load. The wine and brandy andmore » distilled spirits industries in many cases must treat their own effluents so they have developed wastewater management systems including industry-owned treatment plants that yield good effluents. The technology to adequately treat rum distillery wastewater has not been demonstrated. The information basis for this study was a literature search, an effluent guidelines report done for EPA, limited site visits, personal communications and an unpublished report conducted for EPA that included questionaire surveys of the industries.« less

Pollution control of industrial wastewater from soap and oil industries: a case study.

PubMed

Abdel-Gawad, S; Abdel-Shafy, M

2002-01-01

Industrial wastewater from soap and oil industries represents a heavy pollution source on their receiving water body. This paper studies a case of pollution control at Tanta Soap and Oil Company, Banha Factory, Egypt. The factory production includes soap, edible oil, and animal fodder. About 4,347 m3/day of industrial wastewater effluent was discharged via gravity sewers to the public sewerage system. Most of the effluent was cooling water because the cooling process in the factory was open circle. In spite of the huge quantity of cooling water being disposed of, disposal of wastewater was violating pertinent legislation. Three procedures were used for controlling the pollution at the Banha Factory. Firstly, all open circuit cooling systems were converted to closed circuit thus reducing the quantity of the discharged wastewater down to 767 m3/day. Secondly, the heavily polluted oil and grease (O&G) wastewater from the refinery unit is treated via two gravity oil separator (GOS) units, dissolved air floatation (DAF), and biological units in order to reduce the high levels of O&G, BOD, COD, and SS to the allowable limits. Thirdly, the heavily polluted waste effluent from the 'red water' saponification unit is treated separately by acidification to convert the emulsified fatty acid to free form in order to be separated through an oil separation unit. The effluent is then passed to liming stage to neutralize excess acidity and precipitate some of the dissolved matters. The mixture is finally clarified and the pH is adjusted to the allowable limits. The effluent wastewater from the three processes is collected and mixed in a final equalization tank for discharging effluent to the public sewerage system. The characteristics of the effluent water are very good with respect to the allowable Egyptian limits for discharging effluent to the public sewerage system.

Enhanced nitrogen removal in the combined activated sludge-biofilter system of the Southpest Wastewater Treatment Plant.

PubMed

Jobbágy, A; Tardy, G M; Literáthy, B

2004-01-01

In 1999 the existing activated sludge unit of the Southpest Wastewater Treatment Plant was supplemented by a two-stage biofilter system aiming for nitrification and post-denitrification. In this arrangement excess biomass of the filters is wasted through the activated sludge unit, facilitating backseeding, and recirculation of the nitrate-rich effluent of the N-filter serves for decreasing the methanol demand of the DN-filter and for saving aeration energy at the same time. The paper reports on the development of an ASM1-based mathematical model that proved to be adequate for describing the interactions in the combined system and was used to compare the efficiency of different treatment options. Full-scale results verified that backseeding may considerably improve performance. However, nitrification ability of the activated sludge unit depends on the treatment temperature and, if unexpected, can be limited by insufficient oxygen supply. The upgrading possibilities outlined may serve as a new perspective for implementation of combined activated sludge-biofilter systems.

Kinetic and Isotherm Modelling of the Adsorption of
Phenolic Compounds from Olive Mill Wastewater onto Activated Carbon

PubMed Central

Casazza, Alessandro A.; Perego, Patrizia

2015-01-01

Summary The adsorption of phenolic compounds from olive oil wastewater by commercial activated carbon was studied as a function of adsorbent quantity and temperature. The sorption kinetics and the equilibrium isotherms were evaluated. Under optimum conditions (8 g of activated carbon per 100 mL), the maximum sorption capacity of activated carbon expressed as mg of caffeic acid equivalent per g of activated carbon was 35.8 at 10 °C, 35.4 at 25 °C and 36.1 at 40 °C. The pseudo-second-order model was considered as the most suitable for kinetic results, and Langmuir isotherm was chosen to better describe the sorption system. The results confirmed the efficiency of activated carbon to remove almost all phenolic compound fractions from olive mill effluent. The preliminary results obtained will be used in future studies. The carbohydrate fraction of this upgraded residue could be employed to produce bioethanol, and adsorbed phenolic compounds can be recovered and used in different industries. PMID:27904350

Anxiety-like behaviour in mice exposed to tannery wastewater: The effect of photoelectrooxidation treatment.

PubMed

Siqueira, Ionara Rodrigues; Vanzella, Cláudia; Bianchetti, Paula; Rodrigues, Marco Antonio Siqueira; Stülp, Simone

2011-01-01

The leather industry is a major producer of wastewaters and releases large quantities of many different chemical agents used in hide processing into the environment. Since the central nervous system is sensitive to many different contaminants, our aim was to investigate the neurobehavioral effects of exposure of mice to tannery effluents using animal models of depression and anxiety, namely forced swim and elevated plus-maze. In order to propose a clean technology for the treatment of this effluent, we also investigated the exposure of mice to effluents treated by photoelectrooxidation process (PEO). Adult male Swiss albino mice (CF1 strain) were given free access to water bottles containing an effluent treated by a tannery (non-PEO) or PEO-treated tannery wastewater (0.1 and 1% in drinking water). Exposure to tannery wastewater induced behavioural changes in the mice in elevated plus-maze. Exposure to non-PEO 1% decreased the percentage of time spent in the open arms, indicating anxiety-like behaviour. Exposure to tannery wastewater did not alter immobility time in the forced swim test, suggesting that tannery effluents did not induce depression-like behaviour in the mice. These behavioural data suggest that non-PEO tannery effluent has an anxiogenic effect, whereas PEO-treated tannery effluents do not alter anxiety levels. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distribution of effluent injected into the Boulder Zone of the Floridan aquifer system at the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, southeastern Florida, 1997–2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

King, Jeffrey N.; Decker, Jeremy D.

2018-02-09

Nonhazardous, secondarily treated, domestic wastewater (effluent) has been injected about 1 kilometer below land surface into the Boulder Zone of the Floridan aquifer system at the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant in southeastern Florida. The Boulder Zone contains saline, nonpotable water. Effluent transport out of the injection zone is a risk of underground effluent injection. At the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, injected effluent was detected outside the Boulder Zone. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, investigated effluent transport from the Boulder Zone to overlying permeable zones in the Floridan aquifer system.One conceptual model is presented to explain the presence of effluent outside of the injection zone in which effluent injected into the Boulder Zone was transported to the Avon Park permeable zone, forced by buoyancy and injection pressure. In this conceptual model, effluent injected primarily into the Boulder Zone reaches a naturally occurring feature (a karst-collapse structure) near an injection well, through which the effluent is transported vertically upward to the uppermost major permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer. The effluent is then transported laterally through the uppermost major permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer to another naturally occurring feature northwest of the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, through which it is then transported vertically upward into the Avon Park permeable zone. In addition, a leak within a monitoring well, between monitoring zones, allowed interflow between the Avon Park permeable zone and the Upper Floridan aquifer. A groundwater flow and effluent transport simulation of the hydrogeologic system at the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, based on the hypothesized and non-unique conceptualization of the subsurface hydrogeology and flow system, generally replicated measured effluent constituent concentration trends. The model was calibrated to match observed concentration trends for total ammonium (NH4+) and total dissolved solids.The investigation qualitatively indicates that fractures, karst-collapse structures, faults, or other hydrogeologic features may permit effluent injected into the Boulder Zone to be transported to overlying permeable zones in the Floridan aquifer system. These findings, however, are qualitative because the locations of transport pathways that might exist from the Boulder Zone to the Avon Park permeable zone are largely unknown.

Role of membrane fouling substances on the rejection of N-nitrosamines by reverse osmosis.

PubMed

Fujioka, Takahiro; Kodamatani, Hitoshi; Aizawa, Hidenobu; Gray, Stephen; Ishida, Kenneth P; Nghiem, Long D

2017-07-01

The impact of fouling substances on the rejection of four N-nitrosamines by a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane was evaluated by characterizing individual organic fractions in a secondary wastewater effluent and deploying a novel high-performance liquid chromatography-photochemical reaction-chemiluminescence (HPLC-PR-CL) analytical technique. The HPLC-PR-CL analytical technique allowed for a systematic examination of the correlation between the fouling level and the permeation of N-nitrosamines in the secondary wastewater effluent and synthetic wastewaters through an RO membrane. Membrane fouling caused by the secondary wastewater effluent led to a notable decrease in the permeation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) while a smaller but nevertheless discernible decrease in the permeation of N-nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA), N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) and N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR) was also observed. Fluorescence spectrometry analysis revealed that major foulants in the secondary wastewater effluent were humic and fulvic acid-like substances. Analysis using the size exclusion chromatography technique also identified polysaccharides and proteins as additional fouling substances. Thus, further examination was conducted using solutions containing model foulants (i.e., sodium alginate, bovine serum albumin, humic acid and two fulvic acids). Similar to the secondary wastewater effluent, membrane fouling with fulvic acid solutions resulted in a decrease in N-nitrosamine permeation. In contrast, membrane fouling with the other model foulants resulted in a negligible impact on N-nitrosamine permeation. Overall, these results suggest that the impact of fouling on the permeation of N-nitrosamines by RO is governed by specific small organic fractions (e.g. fulvic acid-like organics) in the secondary wastewater effluent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Uptake of three antibiotics and an anti-epileptic drug by wheat plants spray irrigated with wastewater treatment plant effluent

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

With rising demands on water supplies necessitating water reuse, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent is often used to irrigate agricultural lands. Emerging contaminants, like pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), are frequently found in effluent due to limited removal during WWT...

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

Role of effluent organic matter in the photochemical degradation of compounds of wastewater origin.

PubMed

Bodhipaksha, Laleen C; Sharpless, Charles M; Chin, Yu-Ping; MacKay, Allison A

2017-03-01

The photoreactivity of treated wastewater effluent organic matter differs from that of natural organic matter, and the indirect phototransformation rates of micropollutants originating in wastewater are expected to depend on the fractional contribution of wastewater to total stream flow. Photodegradation rates of four common compounds of wastewater origin (sulfamethoxazole, sulfadimethoxine, cimetidine and caffeine) were measured in river water, treated municipal wastewater effluent and mixtures of both to simulate various effluent-stream water mixing conditions that could occur in environmental systems. Compounds were chosen for their unique photodegradation pathways with the photochemically produced reactive intermediates, triplet-state excited organic matter ( 3 OM*), singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ), and hydroxyl radicals (OH). For all compounds, higher rates of photodegradation were observed in effluent relative to upstream river water. Sulfamethoxazole degraded primarily via direct photolysis, with some contribution from OH and possibly from carbonate radicals and other unidentified reactive intermediates in effluent-containing samples. Sulfadimethoxine also degraded mainly by direct photolysis, and natural organic matter appeared to inhibit this process to a greater extent than predicted by light screening. In the presence of effluent organic matter, sulfadimethoxine showed additional reactions with OH and 1 O 2 . In all water samples, cimetidine degraded by reaction with 1 O 2 (>95%) and caffeine by reaction with OH (>95%). In river water mixtures, photodegradation rate constants for all compounds increased with increasing fractions of effluent. A conservative mixing model was able to predict reaction rate constants in the case of hydroxyl radical reactions, but it overestimated rate constants in the case of 3 OM* and 1 O 2 pathways. Finally, compound degradation rate constants normalized to the rate of light absorption by water correlated with E 2 /E 3 ratios (sample absorbance at 254 nm divided by sample absorbance at 365 nm), suggesting that organic matter optical properties may hold promise to predict indirect compound photodegradation rates for various effluent mixing ratios. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Degradation of fifteen emerging contaminants at microg L(-1) initial concentrations by mild solar photo-Fenton in MWTP effluents.

PubMed

Klamerth, N; Rizzo, L; Malato, S; Maldonado, Manuel I; Agüera, A; Fernández-Alba, A R

2010-01-01

The degradation of 15 emerging contaminants (ECs) at low concentrations in simulated and real effluent of municipal wastewater treatment plant with photo-Fenton at unchanged pH and Fe=5 mg L(-1) in a pilot-scale solar CPC reactor was studied. The degradation of those 15 compounds (Acetaminophen, Antipyrine, Atrazine, Caffeine, Carbamazepine, Diclofenac, Flumequine, Hydroxybiphenyl, Ibuprofen, Isoproturon, Ketorolac, Ofloxacin, Progesterone, Sulfamethoxazole and Triclosan), each with an initial concentration of 100 microg L(-1), was found to depend on the presence of CO(3)(2-) and HCO(3)(-) (hydroxyl radicals scavengers) and on the type of water (simulated water, simulated effluent wastewater and real effluent wastewater), but is relatively independent of pH, the type of acid used for release of hydroxyl radicals scavengers and the initial H(2)O(2) concentration used. Toxicity tests with Vibrio fisheri showed that degradation of the compounds in real effluent wastewater led to toxicity increase. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peracetic acid (PAA) disinfection of primary, secondary and tertiary treated municipal wastewaters.

PubMed

Koivunen, J; Heinonen-Tanski, H

2005-11-01

The efficiency of peracetic acid (PAA) disinfection against enteric bacteria and viruses in municipal wastewaters was studied in pilot-scale. Disinfection pilot-plant was fed with the primary or secondary effluent of Kuopio municipal wastewater treatment plant or tertiary effluent from the pilot-scale dissolved air flotation (DAF) unit. Disinfectant doses ranged from 2 to 7 mg/l PAA in the secondary and tertiary effluents, and from 5 to 15 mg/l PAA in the primary effluents. Disinfection contact times were 4-27 min. Disinfection of secondary and tertiary effluents with 2-7 mg/l PAA and 27 min contact time achieved around 3 log reductions of total coliforms (TC) and enterococci (EC). PAA disinfection also significantly improved the hygienic quality of the primary effluents: 10-15 mg/l PAA achieved 3-4 log reductions of TC and EC, 5 mg/l PAA resulting in below 2 log reductions. F-RNA coliphages were more resistant against the PAA disinfection and around 1 log reductions of these enteric viruses were typically achieved in the disinfection treatments of the primary, secondary and tertiary effluents. Most of the microbial reductions occurred during the first 4-18 min of contact time, depending on the PAA dose and microorganism. The PAA disinfection efficiency remained relatively constant in the secondary and tertiary effluents, despite of small changes of wastewater quality (COD, SS, turbidity, 253.7 nm transmittance) or temperature. The disinfection efficiency clearly decreased in the primary effluents with substantially higher microbial, organic matter and suspended solids concentrations. The results demonstrated that PAA could be a good alternative disinfection method for elimination of enteric microbes from different wastewaters.

Health Effects in Fish of Long-Term Exposure to Effluents from Wastewater Treatment Works

PubMed Central

Liney, Katherine E.; Hagger, Josephine A.; Tyler, Charles R.; Depledge, Michael H.; Galloway, Tamara S.; Jobling, Susan

2006-01-01

Concern has been raised in recent years that exposure to wastewater treatment effluents containing estrogenic chemicals can disrupt the endocrine functioning of riverine fish and cause permanent alterations in the structure and function of the reproductive system. Reproductive disorders may not necessarily arise as a result of estrogenic effects alone, and there is a need for a better understanding of the relative importance of endocrine disruption in relation to other forms of toxicity. Here, the integrated health effects of long-term effluent exposure are reported (reproductive, endocrine, immune, genotoxic, nephrotoxic). Early life-stage roach, Rutilus rutilus, were exposed for 300 days to treated wastewater effluent at concentrations of 0, 15.2, 34.8, and 78.7% (with dechlorinated tap water as diluent). Concentrations of treated effluents that induced feminization of male roach, measured as vitellogenin induction and histological alteration to gonads, also caused statistically significant alterations in kidney development (tubule diameter), modulated immune function (differential cell count, total number of thrombocytes), and caused genotoxic damage (micronucleus induction and single-strand breaks in gill and blood cells). Genotoxic and immunotoxic effects occurred at concentrations of wastewater effluent lower than those required to induce recognizable changes in the structure and function of the reproductive endocrine system. These findings emphasize the need for multiple biological end points in tests that assess the potential health effects of wastewater effluents. They also suggest that for some effluents, genotoxic and immune end points may be more sensitive than estrogenic (endocrine-mediated) end points as indicators of exposure in fish. PMID:16818251

Reusing effluent of flue gas desulfurization wastewater treatment process as an economical calcium source for phosphorus removal.

PubMed

Dou, Weixiao; Zhou, Zhen; Ye, Jiongjiong; Huang, Rongwei; Jiang, Lu-Man; Chen, Guofeng; Fei, Xiaoyun

2017-09-01

Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater treatment by conventional neutralization, chemical precipitation and coagulation process removes most suspended solids and heavy metals, and provides an effluent rich in calcium, alkalinity and chloride, which obstructs its reclamation and reuse but is in favor of phosphorus (P) precipitation. The goals of this study were to investigate feasibility of reusing FGD effluent as a calcium source for P removal from P-rich wastewater. Results revealed that increasing the volumetric ratio between FGD effluent and P-rich wastewater achieved higher pH value and Ca/P ratio, and thus enhanced P removal efficiency to 94.3% at the ratio of 40%. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope analysis of harvested precipitates showed that increasing pH from 8 to 10 induced the conversion of hydroxyapatite to tri-calcium phosphate, and then to whitlockite. This study demonstrated that for reusing FGD effluent for P removal was highly feasible, both technically and economically. This process not only saves the cost of precipitants for P removal, but also provides an economical alternative for current zero liquid discharge technology for FGD wastewater, which requires high energy consumption and capital costs.

Pathogens Assessment in Reclaimed Effluent Used for Industrial Crops Irrigation

PubMed Central

Al-Sa’ed, R.

2007-01-01

Reuse of treated effluent is a highly valued water source in Palestine, however with limited success due to public health concerns. This paper assesses the potential pathogens in raw, treated and reclaimed wastewater at Albireh urban wastewater treatment facility, and provides scientific knowledge to update the Palestinian reuse guidelines. Laboratory analyses of collected samples over a period of 4 months have indicated that the raw wastewater from Albireh city contained high numbers of fecal coliforms and worm eggs while 31% of the samples were Salmonella positive. Treated effluent suitable for restricted irrigation demonstrated that the plant was efficient in removing indicator bacteria, where fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci removal averaged 99.64% and 93.44%, respectively. Although not disinfected, treated effluent was free of Salmonella and parasites, hence safe for restricted agricultural purposes. All samples of the reclaimed effluent and three samples of irrigated grass were devoid of microbial pathogens indicating a safe use in unrestricted agricultural utilization. Adequate operation of wastewater treatment facilities, scientific updating of reuse guidelines and launching public awareness campaigns are core factors for successful and sustainable large-scale wastewater reuse schemes in Palestine. PMID:17431318

Endocrine disrupting alkylphenolic chemicals and other contaminants in wastewater treatment plant effluents, urban streams and fish in the Great Lakes Region and Upper Mississippi River

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Urban streams are an integral part of the municipal wastewater treatment process by providing a point of discharge for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and additional attenuation through dilution and transformation processes. The receiving surface waters also are a conduit for contaminan...

Planning of Eka Hospital Pekanbaru wastewater recycling facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jecky, A.; Andrio, D.; Sasmita, A.

2018-04-01

The Ministry of Public Works No. 06 2011 required the large scale of water to conserve the water resource, Eka Hospital Pekanbaru have to improve the sewage treatment plant through the wastewater recycling. The effluent from the plant can be used to landscape gardening and non-potable activities. The wastewater recycling design was done by analyzing the existing condition of thesewage treatment plant, determine the effluent quality standards for wastewater recycling, selected of alternative technology and processing, design the treatment unit and analyze the economic aspects. The design of recycling facility by using of combination cartridge filters processing, ultrafiltration membranes, and desinfection by chlorination. The wastewater recycling capacity approximately of 75 m3/day or 75% of the STP effluent. The estimated costs for installation of wastewater recycling and operation and maintenance per month are Rp 111,708,000 and Rp 2,498,000 respectively.

Required ozone doses for removing pharmaceuticals from wastewater effluents.

PubMed

Antoniou, Maria G; Hey, Gerly; Rodríguez Vega, Sergio; Spiliotopoulou, Aikaterini; Fick, Jerker; Tysklind, Mats; la Cour Jansen, Jes; Andersen, Henrik Rasmus

2013-07-01

The aim of the this study was to investigate the ozone dosage required to remove active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from biologically treated wastewater of varying quality, originated from different raw wastewater and wastewater treatment processes. Secondary effluents from six Swedish wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) were spiked with 42 APIs (nominal concentration μg/L) and treated with different O₃ doses (0.5-12.0 mg/L ozone) in bench-scale experiments. In order to compare the sensitivity of APIs in each matrix, the specific dose of ozone required to achieve reduction by one decade of each investigated API (DDO₃) was determined for each effluent by fitting a first order equation to the remaining concentration of API at each applied ozone dose. Ozone dose requirements were found to vary significantly between effluents depending on their matrix characteristics. The specific ozone dose was then normalized to the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) of each effluent. The DDO₃/DOC ratios were comparable for each API between the effluents. 15 of the 42 investigated APIs could be classified as easily degradable (DDO₃/DOC ≤ 0.7), while 19 were moderately degradable (0.7 < DDO₃/DOC ≤ 1.4), and 8 were recalcitrant towards O₃-treatment (DDO₃/DOC >1.4). Furthermore, we predict that a reasonable estimate of the ozone dose required to remove any of the investigated APIs may be attained by multiplying the experimental average DDO₃/DOC obtained with the actual DOC of any effluent. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Removal Efficiency of Faecal Indicator Organisms, Nutrients and Heavy Metals from a Peri-Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant in Thohoyandou, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

PubMed

Edokpayi, Joshua N; Odiyo, John O; Msagati, Titus A M; Popoola, Elizabeth O

2015-06-29

Wastewater treatment facilities are known sources of fresh water pollution. This study was carried out from January to June 2014 to assess the reduction efficiency of some selected contaminants in the Thohoyandou wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The pH and electrical conductivity of the effluent fell within the South African wastewater discharge guidelines. The WWTP showed the chemical oxygen demand reduction efficiency required by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) guidelines of 75 mg/L for the months of April and June, although it was below this standard in March and May. Free chlorine concentration varied between 0.26-0.96 mg/L and exceeded the DWA guideline value of 0.25 mg/L. The concentration of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3(-) N) in the influent and effluent varied between 0.499-2.31 mg/L and 7.545-19.413 mg/L, respectively. The concentration of NO3- N in the effluent complied with DWA effluent discharge standard of 15 mg/L, except in April and May. Phosphate concentrations in the influent and effluent were in the ranges of 0.552-42.646 mg/L and 1.572-32.554 mg/L, respectively. The WWTP showed reduction efficiencies of E. coli and Enterococci during some sampling periods but the level found in the effluent exceeded the recommended guideline value of 1000 cfu/100 mL for faecal indicator organisms in wastewater effluents. Consistent removal efficiencies were observed for Al (32-74%), Fe (7-32%) and Zn (24-94%) in most of the sampling months. In conclusion, the Thohoyandou WWTP is inefficient in treating wastewater to the acceptable quality before discharge.

Removal Efficiency of Faecal Indicator Organisms, Nutrients and Heavy Metals from a Peri-Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant in Thohoyandou, Limpopo Province, South Africa

PubMed Central

Edokpayi, Joshua N.; Odiyo, John O.; Msagati, Titus A. M.; Popoola, Elizabeth O.

2015-01-01

Wastewater treatment facilities are known sources of fresh water pollution. This study was carried out from January to June 2014 to assess the reduction efficiency of some selected contaminants in the Thohoyandou wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The pH and electrical conductivity of the effluent fell within the South African wastewater discharge guidelines. The WWTP showed the chemical oxygen demand reduction efficiency required by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) guidelines of 75 mg/L for the months of April and June, although it was below this standard in March and May. Free chlorine concentration varied between 0.26–0.96 mg/L and exceeded the DWA guideline value of 0.25 mg/L. The concentration of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3− N) in the influent and effluent varied between 0.499–2.31 mg/L and 7.545–19.413 mg/L, respectively. The concentration of NO3− N in the effluent complied with DWA effluent discharge standard of 15 mg/L, except in April and May. Phosphate concentrations in the influent and effluent were in the ranges of 0.552–42.646 mg/L and 1.572–32.554 mg/L, respectively. The WWTP showed reduction efficiencies of E. coli and Enterococci during some sampling periods but the level found in the effluent exceeded the recommended guideline value of 1000 cfu/100 mL for faecal indicator organisms in wastewater effluents. Consistent removal efficiencies were observed for Al (32–74%), Fe (7–32%) and Zn (24–94%) in most of the sampling months. In conclusion, the Thohoyandou WWTP is inefficient in treating wastewater to the acceptable quality before discharge. PMID:26132481

Hydrogen and electricity production from a food processing wastewater using fermentation and microbial fuel cell technologies.

PubMed

Oh, Sang Eun; Logan, Bruce E

2005-11-01

Hydrogen can be produced from fermentation of sugars in wastewaters, but much of the organic matter remains in solution. We demonstrate here that hydrogen production from a food processing wastewater high in sugar can be linked to electricity generation using a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to achieve more effective wastewater treatment. Grab samples were taken from: plant effluent at two different times during the day (Effluents 1 and 2; 735+/-15 and 3250+/-90 mg-COD/L), an equalization tank (Lagoon; 1670+/-50mg-COD/L), and waste stream containing a high concentration of organic matter (Cereal; 8920+/-150 mg-COD/L). Hydrogen production from the Lagoon and effluent samples was low, with 64+/-16 mL of hydrogen per liter of wastewater (mL/L) for Effluent 1, 21+/-18 mL/L for Effluent 2, and 16+/-2 mL/L for the Lagoon sample. There was substantially greater hydrogen production using the Cereal wastewater (210+/-56 mL/L). Assuming a theoretical maximum yield of 4 mol of hydrogen per mol of glucose, hydrogen yields were 0.61-0.79 mol/mol for the Cereal wastewater, and ranged from 1 to 2.52 mol/mol for the other samples. This suggests a strategy for hydrogen recovery from wastewater based on targeting high-COD and high-sugar wastewaters, recognizing that sugar content alone is an insufficient predictor of hydrogen yields. Preliminary tests with the Cereal wastewater (diluted to 595 mg-COD/L) in a two-chambered MFC demonstrated a maximum of 81+/-7 mW/m(2) (normalized to the anode surface area), or 25+/-2 mA per liter of wastewater, and a final COD of <30 mg/L (95% removal). Using a one-chambered MFC and pre-fermented wastewater, the maximum power density was 371+/-10 mW/m(2) (53.5+/-1.4 mA per liter of wastewater). These results suggest that it is feasible to link biological hydrogen production and electricity producing using MFCs in order to achieve both wastewater treatment and bioenergy production.

Microplastic pollution is widely detected in US municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent.

PubMed

Mason, Sherri A; Garneau, Danielle; Sutton, Rebecca; Chu, Yvonne; Ehmann, Karyn; Barnes, Jason; Fink, Parker; Papazissimos, Daniel; Rogers, Darrin L

2016-11-01

Municipal wastewater effluent has been proposed as one pathway for microplastics to enter the aquatic environment. Here we present a broad study of municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent as a pathway for microplastic pollution to enter receiving waters. A total of 90 samples were analyzed from 17 different facilities across the United States. Averaging all facilities and sampling dates, 0.05 ± 0.024 microparticles were found per liter of effluent. Though a small value on a per liter basis, even minor municipal wastewater treatment facilities process millions of liters of wastewater each day, yielding daily discharges that ranged from ∼50,000 up to nearly 15 million particles. Averaging across the 17 facilities tested, our results indicate that wastewater treatment facilities are releasing over 4 million microparticles per facility per day. Fibers and fragments were found to be the most common type of particle within the effluent; however, some fibers may be derived from non-plastic sources. Considerable inter- and intra-facility variation in discharge concentrations, as well as the relative proportions of particle types, was observed. Statistical analysis suggested facilities serving larger populations discharged more particles. Results did not suggest tertiary filtration treatments were an effective means of reducing discharge. Assuming that fragments and pellets found in the effluent arise from the 'microbeads' found in many cosmetics and personal care products, it is estimated that between 3 and 23 billion (with an average of 13 billion) of these microplastic particles are being released into US waterways every day via municipal wastewater. This estimate can be used to evaluate the contribution of microbeads to microplastic pollution relative to other sources (e.g., plastic litter and debris) and pathways (e.g., stormwater) of discharge. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Novel test procedure to evaluate the treatability of wastewater with ozone.

PubMed

Schindler Wildhaber, Yael; Mestankova, Hana; Schärer, Michael; Schirmer, Kristin; Salhi, Elisabeth; von Gunten, Urs

2015-05-15

Organic micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals, estrogens or pesticides enter the environment continuously through the effluent of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Enhanced treatment of wastewater (WW) by ozone (O3) is probably one of the simplest measures for abatement of organic micropollutants to avoid their discharge to the aquatic environment. During ozonation most organic micropollutants present in treated WW are oxidized either by a direct reaction with O3 or by secondarily formed hydroxyl radicals (OH). However, undesired oxidation by-products from the oxidative transformation of matrix components can also be formed. A modular laboratory decision tool based on the findings of previous investigations is presented to test the feasibility of ozonation as an option to upgrade specific WWTPs. These modules consist of investigations to assess (i) the matrix effects on ozone stability, (ii) the efficiency of micropollutant removal, (iii) the oxidation by-product formation, as well as (iv) bioassays to measure specific and unspecific toxicity of the treated WWs. Matrix effects on ozone stability (quantified as O3 and OH exposures) can give first indications on the suitability of an ozonation step. Ozonation of WWs yielding O3 and OH exposures and micropollutant abatement similar to reference values evoked a significant improvement of the water quality as indicated by a broad range of bioassays. Irregular behavior of the ozonation points towards unknown compounds, possibly leading to the formation of undesired degradation products. It has been observed that in such WWs ozonation partly enhanced toxicity. In summary, the presented tiered laboratory test procedure represents a relatively cheap and straight-forward methodology to evaluate the feasibility of ozonation to upgrade specific WWTPs for micropollutant removal based on chemical and biological measurements. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water reuse at highway rest stations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-01-01

A laboratory biological wastewater treatment system was operated to investigate the effects of wastewater effluent recycle on the treatment system and the effluent water quality. This concept is being investigated for use at highway rest areas in the...

Ultimate disposal of scrubber wastes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohenour, B. C.

1978-01-01

Part of the initial concern with using the wet scrubbers on the hypergolic propellants was the subsequential disposal of the liquid wastes. To do this, consideration was given to all possible methods to reduce the volume of the wastes and stay within the guidelines established by the state and federal environmental protection agencies. One method that was proposed was the use of water hyacinths in disposal ponds to reduce the waste concentration in the effluent to less than EPA tolerable levels. This method was under consideration and even in use by private industry, municipal governments, and NASA for upgrading existing wastewater treatment facilities to a tertiary system. The use of water hyacinths in disposal ponds appears to be a very cost-effective method for reduction and disposal of hypergolic propellants.

Wastewater treatment plant effluent introduces recoverable shifts in microbial community composition in urban streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ledford, S. H.; Price, J. R.; Ryan, M. O.; Toran, L.; Sales, C. M.

2017-12-01

New technologies are allowing for intense scrutiny of the impact of land use on microbial communities in stream networks. We used a combination of analytical chemistry, real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and targeted amplicon sequencing for a preliminary study on the impact of wastewater treatment plant effluent discharge on urban streams. Samples were collected on two dates above and below treatment plants on the Wissahickon Creek, and its tributary, Sandy Run, in Montgomery County, PA, USA. As expected, effluent was observed to be a significant source of nutrients and human and non-specific fecal associated taxa. There was an observed increase in the alpha diversity at locations immediately below effluent outflows, which contributed many taxa involved in wastewater treatment processes and nutrient cycling to the stream's microbial community. Unexpectedly, modeling of microbial community shifts along the stream was not controlled by concentrations of measured nutrients. Furthermore, partial recovery, in the form of decreasing abundances of bacteria and nutrients associated with wastewater treatment plant processes, nutrient cycling bacteria, and taxa associated with fecal and sewage sources, was observed between effluent sources. Antecedent moisture conditions impacted overall microbial community diversity, with higher diversity occurring after rainfall. These findings hint at resilience in stream microbial communities to recover from wastewater treatment plant effluent and are vital to understanding the impacts of urbanization on microbial stream communities.

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.

40 CFR 420.92 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... wastewaters. 2 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. (5) Fume scrubbers. Subpart I Pollutant or pollutant property... fume scrubber associated with a sulfuric acid pickling operation. (b) Hydrochloric acid pickling (spent... pickling wastewaters are treated with cold rolling wastewaters. 2 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. (4) Fume...

40 CFR 420.92 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... wastewaters. 2 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. (5) Fume scrubbers. Subpart I Pollutant or pollutant property... fume scrubber associated with a sulfuric acid pickling operation. (b) Hydrochloric acid pickling (spent... pickling wastewaters are treated with cold rolling wastewaters. 2 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. (4) Fume...

40 CFR 420.92 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... wastewaters. 2 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. (5) Fume scrubbers. Subpart I Pollutant or pollutant property... fume scrubber associated with a sulfuric acid pickling operation. (b) Hydrochloric acid pickling (spent... pickling wastewaters are treated with cold rolling wastewaters. 2 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. (4) Fume...

40 CFR 420.92 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... wastewaters. 2 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. (5) Fume scrubbers. Subpart I Pollutant or pollutant property... fume scrubber associated with a sulfuric acid pickling operation. (b) Hydrochloric acid pickling (spent... pickling wastewaters are treated with cold rolling wastewaters. 2 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. (4) Fume...

40 CFR 420.92 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... wastewaters. 2 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. (5) Fume scrubbers. Subpart I Pollutant or pollutant property... fume scrubber associated with a sulfuric acid pickling operation. (b) Hydrochloric acid pickling (spent... pickling wastewaters are treated with cold rolling wastewaters. 2 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. (4) Fume...

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.

Effect of fermented wastewaters from butter production on phosphates removal in a sequencing batch reactor.

PubMed

Janczukowicz, Wojciech; Rodziewicz, Joanna; Thornton, Arthur; Czaplicka, Kamila

2012-09-01

This study determined the potential for fermented wastewaters from butter production plant to act as a carbon source to facilitate phosphates removal. Synthetic dairy wastewaters were treated using SBR, with doses of fermented wastewaters. An increase in the fermented wastewater doses were found to improve the effluent quality in respect of phosphates and nitrates. The lowest concentrations of phosphate and nitrates, respectively 0.10 ± 0.04 mg PO(4)-PL(-1) and 1.03 ± 0.22 mg NO(3)-NL(-1), were noted in the effluent from the reactor fed with fermented wastewaters in a dose of 0.25 L d(-1) per 0.45 L d(-1) of wastewaters fed to the reactor. In the case of the two highest doses, an increase in effluent COD was stated. The higher effectiveness resulted from the fact that the introduction of fermented wastewaters caused an increase in the easily-available carbon compounds content and the predominance of acetic acid amongst VFAs available to dephosphatating and denitrifying bacteria. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of wastewater treatment plant effluent effects on fish reproduction

EPA Science Inventory

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are known contributors of chemical mixtures into the environment. Of particular concern are endocrine-disrupting compounds that can affect hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function in exposed organisms. The present study examined t...

Characterization of persistent colors and decolorization of effluent from biologically treated cellulosic ethanol production wastewater.

PubMed

Shan, Lili; Liu, Junfeng; Yu, Yanling; Ambuchi, John J; Feng, Yujie

2016-05-01

The high chroma of cellulosic ethanol production wastewater poses a serious environmental concern; however, color-causing compounds are still not fully clear. The characteristics of the color compounds and decolorization of biologically treated effluent by electro-catalytic oxidation were investigated in this study. Excitation-emission matrix (EEM), fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), UV-Vis spectra, and ultrafiltration (UF) fractionation were used to analyze color compounds. High chroma of wastewater largely comes from humic materials, which exhibited great fluorescence proportion (67.1 %) in the biologically treated effluent. Additionally, the color compounds were mainly distributed in the molecular weight fractions with 3-10 and 10-30 kDa, which contributed 53.5 and 34.6 % of the wastewater color, respectively. Further decolorization of biologically treated effluent by electro-catalytic oxidation was investigated, and 98.3 % of color removal accompanied with 97.3 % reduction of humic acid-like matter was achieved after 180 min. The results presented herein will facilitate the development of a well decolorization for cellulosic ethanol production wastewater and better understanding of the biological fermentation.

Endocrine active chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals of concern in surface water, wastewater-treatment plant effluent, and bed sediment, and biological characteristics in selected streams, Minnesota-design, methods, and data, 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, Kathy E.; Langer, Susan K.; Barber, Larry B.; Writer, Jeff H.; Ferrey, Mark L.; Schoenfuss, Heiko L.; Furlong, Edward T.; Foreman, William T.; Gray, James L.; ReVello, Rhiannon C.; Martinovic, Dalma; Woodruff, Olivia R.; Keefe, Steffanie H.; Brown, Greg K.; Taylor, Howard E.; Ferrer, Imma; Thurman, E. Michael

2011-01-01

This report presents the study design, environmental data, and quality-assurance data for an integrated chemical and biological study of selected streams or lakes that receive wastewater-treatment plant effluent in Minnesota. This study was a cooperative effort of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, St. Cloud State University, the University of St. Thomas, and the University of Colorado. The objective of the study was to identify distribution patterns of endocrine active chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other organic and inorganic chemicals of concern indicative of wastewater effluent, and to identify biological characteristics of estrogenicity and fish responses in the same streams. The U.S. Geological Survey collected and analyzed water, bed-sediment, and quality-assurance samples, and measured or recorded streamflow once at each sampling location from September through November 2009. Sampling locations included surface water and wastewater-treatment plant effluent. Twenty-five wastewater-treatment plants were selected to include continuous flow and periodic release facilities with differing processing steps (activated sludge or trickling filters) and plant design flows ranging from 0.002 to 10.9 cubic meters per second (0.04 to 251 million gallons per day) throughout Minnesota in varying land-use settings. Water samples were collected from the treated effluent of the 25 wastewater-treatment plants and at one point upstream from and one point downstream from wastewater-treatment plant effluent discharges. Bed-sediment samples also were collected at each of the stream or lake locations. Water samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, trace elements, pharmaceuticals, phytoestrogens and pharmaceuticals, alkylphenols and other neutral organic chemicals, carboxylic acids, and steroidal hormones. A subset (25 samples) of the bed-sediment samples were analyzed for carbon, wastewater-indicator chemicals, and steroidal hormones; the remaining samples were archived. Biological characteristics were determined by using an in-vitro bioassay to determine total estrogenicity in water samples and a caged fish study to determine characteristics of fish from experiments that exposed fish to wastewater effluent in 2009. St. Cloud State University deployed and processed caged fathead minnows at 13 stream sites during September 2009 for the caged fish study. Measured fish data included length, weight, body condition factor, and vitellogenin concentrations.

TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL VARIABILITY IN THE ESTROGENICITY OF A MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER EFFLUENT

EPA Science Inventory

Estrogenicity of a municipal wastewater effluent was monitored using the vitellogenin biomarker in adult male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). Variability in expression of the vitellogenin biomarker was evident among monitoring periods. Significant increases in plasma vit...

The fate of wastewater-derived NDMA precursors in the aquatic environment.

PubMed

Pehlivanoglu-Mantas, Elif; Sedlak, David L

2006-03-01

To assess the stability of precursors of the chloramine disinfection byproduct N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) under conditions expected in effluent-dominated surface waters, effluent samples from four municipal wastewater treatment plants were subjected to chlorination and chloramination followed by incubation in the presence of inocula derived from activated sludge. Samples subjected to free chlorine disinfection showed lower initial concentrations of NDMA precursors than those that were not chlorinated or were disinfected with pre-formed chloramines. For chloraminated and control (unchlorinated) treatments, the concentration of NDMA precursors decreased by an average of 24% over the 30-day incubation in samples from three of the four facilities. At the fourth facility, where samples were collected on three different days, NDMA precursor concentrations decreased by approximately 80% in one sample and decreased by less than 20% in the other two samples. In contrast to the low reactivity of the NDMA precursors, NDMA disappeared within 30 days under the conditions employed in these experiments. These results and measurements made in an effluent-dominated river suggest that although NDMA may be removed after wastewater effluent is discharged, wastewater-derived NDMA precursors could persist long enough to form significant concentrations of NDMA in drinking water treatment plants that use water originating from sources that are subjected to wastewater effluent discharges.

Cost-benefit analysis of the Swiss national policy on reducing micropollutants in treated wastewater.

PubMed

Logar, Ivana; Brouwer, Roy; Maurer, Max; Ort, Christoph

2014-11-04

Contamination of freshwater with micropollutants (MPs) is a growing concern worldwide. Even at very low concentrations, MPs can have adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems and possibly also on human health. Switzerland is one of the first countries to start implementing a national policy to reduce MPs in the effluents of municipal sewage treatment plants (STPs). This paper estimates the benefits of upgrading STPs based on public's stated preferences. To assess public demand for the reduction of the environmental and health risks of MPs, we conducted a choice experiment in a national online survey. The results indicate that the average willingness to pay per household is CHF 100 (US$ 73) annually for reducing the potential environmental risk of MPs to a low level. These benefits, aggregated over households in the catchment of the STPs to be upgraded, generate a total annual economic value of CHF 155 million (US$ 113 million). This compares with estimated annual costs for upgrading 123 STPs of CHF 133 million (US$ 97 million) or CHF 86 (US$ 63) per household connected to these STPs. Hence, a cost-benefit analysis justifies the investment decision from an economic point of view and supports the implementation of the national policy in the ongoing political discussion.

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.

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Analysis of Bath Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades - slides

EPA Science Inventory

Many municipalities are facing the call to increase nutrient removal performance of their wastewater treatment plants in order to limit the impacts of eutrophication on the receiving waterbodies. The associated upgrades often demand investment in new technologies and increases in...

Toxicity of municipal wastewater effluents contaminated by pentachlorophenol in southwest Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wylie, G.D.; Finger, S.E.; Crawford, R.W.

1990-01-01

Toxicity of effluents from two sewage treatment plants in Joplin, Missouri, was tested using Ceriodaphnia dubia and Pimephales promelas. No test organisms survived in effluents from either plant, in effluents diluted with water from Turkey Creek (the receiving stream), or in water from Turkey Creek. Mortality was complete in all but the most dilute treatments of effluents, in which reconstituted water was used as the diluent. High concentrations of pentachlorophenol (130–970 μg liter−1) in effluents and the receiving stream likely caused mortality during the 7-day tests. Detectable concentrations of other phenolic compounds indicated the presence in Turkey Creek of other toxic by-products of pentachlorophenol manufacture. This study demonstrated the utility of biological tests of whole effluents to determine toxicity of wastewater effluents.

Surveillance of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria from Wastewater Effluents Across the United States

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation will inform the audience of the purpose and importance of the antibiotic resistant bacteria surveillances that have been conducted to date. And an overview of why the EPA is looking into this problem in wastewater effluents.

Concentrations of Prioritized Pharmaceuticals in Effluents from 50 Large Wastewater Treatment Plants in the US and Implications for Risk Estimation

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

PDF file of Concentrations of Prioritized Pharmaceuticals in Effluents from 50 Large Wastewater Treatment Plants in the US and Implications for Risk Estimation by Mitchell Kostich, Angella Batt, and James Lazorchak

Evaluation of Combined Peracetic acid and UV treatment for Disinfection of Secondary Wastewater Effluent

EPA Science Inventory

The current study evaluates the effectiveness of the combined application of Peracetic acid and ultraviolet radiation as alternative disinfectant agents to the traditional chlorination of wastewater effluents. Various pathogens (E. coli, enterococci and fecal coliforms) were eval...

Effect of treatment in a constructed wetland on toxicity of textile wastewater

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baughman, G.L.; Perkins, W.S.; Lasier, P.J.; Winger, P.V.

2003-01-01

Constructed wetlands for treating wastewater have proliferated in recent years and their characteristics have been studied extensively. In most cases, constructed wetlands have been used primarily for removal of nutrients and heavy metals. Extensive literature is available concerning construction and use of wetlands for treatment of wastewater. Even so, quantitative descriptions of wetland function and processes are highly empirical and difficult to extrapolate. The processes involved in removal of pollutants by wetlands are poorly understood, especially for waste streams as complex as textile effluents. The few studies conducted on treatment of textile wastewater in constructed wetlands were cited in earlier publications. Results of a two-year study of a full-scale wetland treating textile effluent are presented here. The paper describes the effects of the wetland on aquatic toxicity of the wastewater and draws conclusions about the utility and limitations of constructed wetlands for treatment of textile effluents.

Treatment of textile wastewater by a hybrid electrocoagulation/nanofiltration process.

PubMed

Aouni, Anissa; Fersi, Cheïma; Ben Sik Ali, Mourad; Dhahbi, Mahmoud

2009-09-15

Untreated effluents from textile industries are usually highly coloured and contain a considerable amount of contaminants and pollutants. Stringent environmental regulation for the control of textile effluents is enforced in several countries. Previous studies showed that many techniques have been used for the treatment of textile wastewater, such as adsorption, biological treatment, oxidation, coagulation and/or flocculation, among them coagulation is one of the most commonly used techniques. Electrocoagulation is a process consisting in creating metallic hydroxide flocks within the wastewater by the electrodissolution of soluble anodes, usually made of iron or aluminium. This method has been practiced for most of the 20th century with limited success. In recent years, however, it started to regain importance with the progress of the electrochemical processes and the increase in environmental restrictions in effluent wastewater. This paper examines the use of electrocoagulation treatment process followed by nanofiltration process of a textile effluent sample. The electrocoagulation process was studied under several conditions such as various current densities and effect of experimental tense. Efficiencies of COD and turbidity reductions and colour removal were studied for each experiment. The electrochemical treatment was indented primarily to remove colour and COD of wastewater while nanofiltration was used to further improve the removal efficiency of the colour, COD, conductivity, alkalinity and total dissolved solids (TDS). The experimental results, throughout the present study, have indicated that electrocoagulation treatment followed by nanofiltration processes were very effective and were capable of elevating quality of the treated textile wastewater effluent.

Wastewater retreatment and reuse system for agricultural irrigation in rural villages.

PubMed

Kim, Minyoung; Lee, Hyejin; Kim, Minkyeong; Kang, Donghyeon; Kim, Dongeok; Kim, YoungJin; Lee, Sangbong

2014-01-01

Climate changes and continuous population growth increase water demands that will not be met by traditional water resources, like surface and ground water. To handle increased water demand, treated municipal wastewater is offered to farmers for agricultural irrigation. This study aimed to enhance the effluent quality from worn-out sewage treatment facilities in rural villages, retreat effluent to meet water quality criteria for irrigation, and assess any health-related and environmental impacts from using retreated wastewater irrigation on crops and in soil. We developed the compact wastewater retreatment and reuse system (WRRS), equipped with filters, ultraviolet light, and bubble elements. A pilot greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate lettuce growth patterns and quantify the heavy metal concentration and pathogenic microorganisms on lettuce and in soil after irrigating with tap water, treated wastewater, and WRRS retreated wastewater. The purification performance of each WRRS component was also assessed. The study findings revealed that existing worn-out sewage treatment facilities in rural villages could meet the water quality criteria for treated effluent and also reuse retreated wastewater for crop growth and other miscellaneous agricultural purposes.

Cryptosporidium and Giardia removal by secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Taran-Benshoshan, Marina; Ofer, Naomi; Dalit, Vaizel-Ohayon; Aharoni, Avi; Revhun, Menahem; Nitzan, Yeshayahu; Nasser, Abidelfatah M

2015-01-01

Wastewater disposal may be a source of environmental contamination by Cryptosporidium and Giardia. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts in raw and treated wastewater effluents. A prevalence of 100% was demonstrated for Giardia cysts in raw wastewater, at a concentration range of 10 to 12,225 cysts L(-1), whereas the concentration of Cryptosporidium oocysts in raw wastewater was 4 to 125 oocysts L(-1). The removal of Giardia cysts by secondary and tertiary treatment processes was greater than those observed for Cryptosporidium oocysts and turbidity. Cryptosporidium and Giardia were present in 68.5% and 76% of the tertiary effluent samples, respectively, at an average concentration of 0.93 cysts L(-1) and 9.94 oocysts L(-1). A higher detection limit of Cryptosporidium oocysts in wastewater was observed for nested PCR as compared to immune fluorescent assay (IFA). C. hominis was found to be the dominant genotype in wastewater effluents followed by C. parvum and C. andersoni or C. muris. Giardia was more prevalent than Cryptosporidium in the studied community and treatment processes were more efficient for the removal of Giardia than Cryptosporidium. Zoonotic genotypes of Cryptosporidium were also present in the human community. To assess the public health significance of Cryptosporidium oocysts present in tertiary effluent, viability (infectivity) needs to be assessed.

Domestic wastewater treatment and biofuel production by using microalga Scenedesmus sp. ZTY1.

PubMed

Zhang, Tian-Yuan; Wu, Yin-Hu; Hu, Hong-Ying

2014-01-01

Cultivation of microalgae for biomass production is a promising way to dispose of wastewater and recover nutrients simultaneously. The properties of nutrient removal and biomass production in domestic wastewater of a newly isolated microalga Scenedesmus sp. ZTY1 were investigated in this study. Scenedesmus sp. ZTY1, which was isolated from a wastewater treatment plant in Beijing, grew well in both the primary and secondary effluents of a wastewater treatment plant during the 21-day cultivation, with a maximal algal density of 3.6 × 10(6) and 1.9 × 10(6) cells · mL(-1), respectively. The total phosphorus concentrations in both effluents could be efficiently removed by over 97% after the cultivation. A high removal rate (over 90%) of total nitrogen (TN) was also observed. After cultivation in primary effluent for 21 days, the lipid content of Scenedesmus sp. ZTY1 in dry weight had reached about 32.2%. The lipid and triacylglycerol (TAG) production of Scenedesmus sp. ZTY1 was increased significantly with the extension of cultivation time. The TAG production of Scenedesmus sp. ZTY1 increased from 32 mg L(-1) at 21 d to 148 mg L(-1) at 45 d in primary effluent. All the experiments were carried out in non-sterilized domestic wastewater and Scenedesmus sp. ZTY1 showed good adaptability to the domestic wastewater environment.

Removal of organic wastewater contaminants in septic systems using advanced treatment technologies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilcox, J.D.; Bahr, J.M.; Hedman, C.J.; Hemming, J.D.C.; Barman, M.A.E.; Bradbury, K.R.

2009-01-01

The detection of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants (OWCs) in ground water and surface-water bodies has raised concerns about the possible ecological impacts of these compounds on nontarget organisms. On-site wastewater treatment systems represent a potentially significant route of entry for organic contaminants to the environment. In this study, effluent samples were collected and analyzed from conventional septic systems and from systems using advanced treatment technologies. Six of 13 target compounds were detected in effluent from at least one septic system. Caffeine, paraxanthine, and acetaminophen were the most frequently detected compounds, and estrogenic activity was detected in 14 of 15 systems. The OWC concentrations were significantly lower in effluent after sand filtration (p < 0.01) or aerobic treatment (p < 0.05) as compared with effluent that had not undergone advanced treatment. In general, concentrations in conventional systems were comparable to those measured in previous studies of municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent, and concentrations in systems after advanced treatment were comparable to previously measured concentrations in WWTP effluent. These data indicate that septic systems using advanced treatment can reduce OWCs in treated effluent to similar concentrations as municipal WWTPs. Copyright ?? 2009 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Mass Balance of Fipronil and Total Toxicity of Fipronil-Related Compounds in Process Streams during Conventional Wastewater and Wetland Treatment

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Attenuation of the pesticide fipronil and its major degradates was determined during conventional wastewater treatment and wetland treatment. Analysis of flow-weighted composite samples by liquid and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry showed fipronil occurrence at 12–31 ng/L in raw sewage, primary effluent, secondary effluent, chlorinated effluent, and wetland effluent. Mean daily loads of total fipronil related compounds in raw sewage and in plant effluent after chlorination were statistically indistinguishable (p = 0.29; n = 10), whereas fipronil itself was partially removed (25 ± 3%; p = 0.00025; n = 10); the associated loss in toxicity was balanced by the formation of toxic fipronil degradates, showing conventional treatment to be unfit for reducing overall toxicity. In contrast to these findings at the municipal wastewater treatment, both parental fipronil and the sum of fipronil-related compounds were removed in the wetland with efficiencies of 44 ± 4% and 47 ± 13%, respectively. Total fipronil concentrations in plant effluent (28 ± 6 ng/L as fipronil) were within an order of magnitude of half-maximal effective concentrations (EC50) of nontarget invertebrates. This is the first systematic assessment of the fate of fipronil and its major degradates during full-scale conventional wastewater and constructed wetland treatment. PMID:26710933

Investigation of the behaviour of zero-valent iron nanoparticles and their interactions with Cd2+ in wastewater by single particle ICP-MS.

PubMed

Vidmar, Janja; Oprčkal, Primož; Milačič, Radmila; Mladenovič, Ana; Ščančar, Janez

2018-04-12

Zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) exhibit great potential for the removal of metal contaminants from wastewater. After their use, there is a risk that nZVI will remain dispersed in remediated water and represent potential nano-threats to the environment. Therefore, the behaviour of nZVI after remediation must be explored. To accomplish this, we optimised a novel method using single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) for the sizing and quantification of nZVI in wastewater matrices. H 2 reaction gas was used in MS/MS mode for the sensitive and interference-free determination of low concentrations of nZVI with a low size limit of detection (36nm). This method was applied to study the influence of different iron (Fe) loads (0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0gL -1 ) and water matrices (Milli-Q water, synthetic and effluent wastewater) on the behaviour of nZVI, their interactions with Cd 2+ and the efficiency of Cd 2+ removal. The aggregation and sedimentation of nZVI increased with settling time. Sedimentation was slower in effluent wastewater than in Milli-Q water or synthetic wastewater. Consequently, Cd 2+ was more efficiently (86%) removed from effluent wastewater than from synthetic wastewater (73%), while its removal from Milli-Q water was inefficient (19%). The trace amounts of Cd 2+ that remained in the remediated water were either dissolved or sorbed to residual nZVI. The results of the nanoremediation of effluent wastewater with varying Fe loads showed that sedimentation was faster at higher initial concentrations of nZVI. After seven days of settling, low concentrations of Fe remained in the effluent wastewater at Fe loads of 0.5gL -1 or higher, which could indicate that the use of nZVI in nanoremediation under the described conditions may not represent an environmental nano-threat. However, further studies are needed to assess the ecotoxicological impact of Fe-related NPs used for the nanoremediation of wastewaters. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of residential wastewater treatment systems on ground-water quality in west-central Jefferson County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hall, Dennis C.; Hillier, D.E.; Nickum, Edward; Dorrance, W.G.

1981-01-01

The use of residential wastewater-treatment systems in Evergreen Meadows, Marshdale, and Herzman Mesa, Colo., has degraded ground-water quality to some extent in each community. Age of community; average lot size; slope of land surface; composition, permeability, and thickness of surficial material; density, size , and orientation of fractures; maintenance of wastewater-treatment systems; and presence of animals are factors possibly contributing to the degradation of ground-water quality. When compared with effluent from aeration-treatment tanks, effluent fom septic-treatment tanks is characterized by greater biochemical oxygen demand and greater concentrations of detergents. When compared with effluent from septic-treatment tanks, effluent from aeration-treatment tanks is characterized by greater concentrations of dissolved oxygen, nitrite, nitrate, sulfate, and dissolved solids. (USGS)

40 CFR 420.97 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... cold rolling wastewaters. 2 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. (2) Bar, billet and bloom. Subpart I... treated with cold rolling wastewaters. 2 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. (3) Strip, sheet and plate... are treated with cold rolling wastewaters. 2 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. (4) Pipe, tube and other...

Method for treating wastewater using microorganisms and vascular aquatic plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolverton, B. C. (Inventor)

1983-01-01

A method for treating wastewater compresses subjecting the wastewater to an anaerobic setting step for at least 6 hours and passing the liquid effluent from the anaerobic settling step through a filter cell in an upflow manner. There the effluent is subjected first to the action of anaerobic and facultative microorganisms, and then to the action of aerobic microorganisms and the roots of at least one vascular aquatic plant.

Transformation of molecular weight distributions of dissolved organic carbon and UV-absorbing compounds at full-scale wastewater-treatment plants.

PubMed

Esparza-Soto, Mario; Fox, Peter; Westerhoff, Paul

2006-03-01

The molecular-weight distribution (MWD) of wastewater dissolved-organic carbon (DOC) was determined in samples from seven full-scale wastewater-treatment plants (WWTPs) that use different biological treatments (air activated sludge [air-AS], pure-oxygen AS [O2-AS], and trickling filters). The research objective was to determine how different biological treatments influenced the MWD of wastewater DOC. Primary sedimentation effluent DOC from most of the WWTPs exhibited a skewed distribution toward the low-molecular-weight fraction (MWF) (40 to 50%, < 0.5 K Daltons [KDa]). The Air-AS effluent DOC exhibited a centrally clustered distribution, with the majority of DOC in the intermediate MWF (0.5 to 3 KDa). The O2-AS effluent DOC exhibited a skewed distribution toward the high MWF (> 3 KDa). The removal of DOC by air- and O2-AS bacteria followed trends predicted by a macromolecule degradation model. Trickling-filter effluent DOC exhibited a skewed distribution toward the high MWF (50% DOC, > 3 KDa).

Effect of heat recovery from raw wastewater on nitrification and nitrogen removal in activated sludge plants.

PubMed

Wanner, Oskar; Panagiotidis, Vassileios; Clavadetscher, Peter; Siegrist, Hansruedi

2005-11-01

By recovery of heat from the raw wastewater in the sewer system, the influent temperature of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is reduced. This can have a negative effect on nitrification in the WWTP, since this process strongly depends on temperature. The analysis of the temperature regime in the WWTP of Zurich, Switzerland, revealed that in the cold season, the effluent temperature is about 0.7 degrees C higher than the influent temperature and that nitrification is not affected by a decrease of the influent wastewater temperature lasting for a couple of hours only, but is significantly affected by a longer lasting temperature decrease. Three diagrams were developed with a steady-state model, from which the consequences of a permanent temperature decrease on the nitrification safety factor, aerobic sludge retention time and total nitrogen removal can be evaluated. Using simulations with a dynamic model, calibrated for the Zurich WWTP, a quantitative relationship between the wastewater temperature and the ammonium effluent concentration was established. This relationship can, in combination with measured effluent concentrations of an existing WWTP, be used to predict the increase of the ammonium effluent concentration in this plant resulting from a permanent decrease of the wastewater influent temperature.

Contribution of hospital effluents to the load of pharmaceuticals in urban wastewaters: identification of ecologically relevant pharmaceuticals.

PubMed

Santos, Lúcia H M L M; Gros, Meritxell; Rodriguez-Mozaz, Sara; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Pena, Angelina; Barceló, Damià; Montenegro, M Conceição B S M

2013-09-01

The impact of effluent wastewaters from four different hospitals: a university (1456 beds), a general (350 beds), a pediatric (110 beds) and a maternity hospital (96 beds), which are conveyed to the same wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), was evaluated in the receiving urban wastewaters. The occurrence of 78 pharmaceuticals belonging to several therapeutic classes was assessed in hospital effluents and WWTP wastewaters (influent and effluent) as well as the contribution of each hospital in WWTP influent in terms of pharmaceutical load. Results indicate that pharmaceuticals are widespread pollutants in both hospital and urban wastewaters. The contribution of hospitals to the input of pharmaceuticals in urban wastewaters widely varies, according to their dimension. The estimated total mass loadings were 306 g d(-1) for the university hospital, 155 g d(-1) for the general one, 14 g d(-1) for the pediatric hospital and 1.5 g d(-1) for the maternity hospital, showing that the biggest hospitals have a greater contribution to the total mass load of pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, analysis of individual contributions of each therapeutic group showed that NSAIDs, analgesics and antibiotics are among the groups with the highest inputs. Removal efficiency can go from over 90% for pharmaceuticals like acetaminophen and ibuprofen to not removal for β-blockers and salbutamol. Total mass load of pharmaceuticals into receiving surface waters was estimated between 5 and 14 g/d/1000 inhabitants. Finally, the environmental risk posed by pharmaceuticals detected in hospital and WWTP effluents was assessed by means of hazard quotients toward different trophic levels (algae, daphnids and fish). Several pharmaceuticals present in the different matrices were identified as potentially hazardous to aquatic organisms, showing that especial attention should be paid to antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, azithromycin and clarithromycin, since their hazard quotients in WWTP effluent revealed that they could pose an ecotoxicological risk to algae. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Research on the enhancement of biological nitrogen removal at low temperatures from ammonium-rich wastewater by the bio-electrocoagulation technology in lab-scale systems, pilot-scale systems and a full-scale industrial wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Li, Liang; Qian, Guangsheng; Ye, Linlin; Hu, Xiaomin; Yu, Xin; Lyu, Weijian

2018-09-01

In cold areas, nitrogen removal performance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) declines greatly in winter. This paper systematically describes the enhancement effect of a periodic reverse electrocoagulation technology on biological nitrogen removal at low temperatures. The study showed that in the lab-scale systems, the electrocoagulation technology improved the biomass amount, enzyme activity and the amount of nitrogen removal bacteria (Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter, Paracoccus, Thauera and Enterobacter). This enhanced nitrification and denitrification of activated sludge at low temperatures. In the pilot-scale systems, the electrocoagulation technology increased the relative abundance of cold-adapted microorganisms (Luteimonas and Trueperaceae) at low temperatures. In a full-scale industrial WWTP, comparison of data from winter 2015 and winter 2016 showed that effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH 4 + -N, and NO 3 - -N reduced by 10.37, 3.84, and 136.43 t, respectively, throughout the winter, after installation of electrocoagulation devices. These results suggest that the electrocoagulation technology is able to improve the performance of activated sludge under low-temperature conditions. This technology provides a new way for upgrading of the performance of WWTPs in cold areas. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Industrial wastewater platform: upgrading of the biological process and operative configurations for best performance.

PubMed

Eusebi, Anna Laura; Massi, Alessandro; Sablone, Emiliano; Santinelli, Martina; Battistoni, Paolo

2012-01-01

The treatment of industrial liquid wastes is placed in a wide context of technologies and is related to the high variability of the influent physical-chemical characteristics. In this condition, the achievement of satisfactory biological unit efficiency could be complicated. An alternate process (AC) with aerobic and anoxic phases fed in a continuous way was evaluated as an operative solution to optimize the performance of the biological reactor in a platform for the treatment of industrial liquid wastes. The process application has determined a stable quality effluent with an average concentration of 25 mg TN L(-1), according to the law limits. The use of discharged wastewaters as rapid carbon sources to support the anoxic phase of the alternate cycle, realizes a reduction of TN of 95% without impact on the total operative costs. The evaluation of the micro-pollutants behaviour has highlighted a bio-adsorption phenomenon in the first reactor. The implementation of the process defined 31% of energy saving during period 1 and 19% for the periods 2, 3 and 4.

Trends in nitrogen isotope ratios of juvenile winter flounder reflect changing nitrogen inputs to Rhode Island, USA estuarine systems.

PubMed

Pruell, Richard J; Taplin, Bryan K; Miller, Kenneth M

2017-05-15

Nitrogen isotope ratios (δ 15 N) in juvenile winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, were used to examine changes in nitrogen inputs to several Rhode Island, USA estuarine systems. Fish were collected over two three-year periods with a ten-year interval between sampling periods (2002-2004 and 2012-2014). During that interval numerous changes to nutrient management practices were initiated in the watersheds of these estuarine systems including the upgrade of several major wastewater treatment facilities that discharge to Narragansett Bay, which significantly reduced nitrogen inputs. Following these reductions, the δ 15 N values of flounder in several of the systems decreased as expected; however, isotope ratios in fish from upper Narragansett Bay significantly increased. We believe that low δ 15 N values measured in 2002-2004 were related to concentration-dependent fractionation at this location. Increased δ 15 N values measured between 2012 and 2014 may indicate reduced fractionation or that changes in wastewater treatment processes altered the nitrogen isotopic ratios of the effluents. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Human infective potential of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in urban wastewater treatment plant effluents

EPA Science Inventory

Cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, and microsporidiosis are important waterborne diseases. In the standard for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents in China and other countries, fecal coliform is the only microbial indicator, raising concerns about the potential for pathogen t...

TOXICITY REDUCTION EVALUATION (TRE) AT A MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT USING MUTAGENICITY AS AN END- POINT

EPA Science Inventory

Previous work revealed substantial levels of mutagenicity in effluents from certain municipal wastewater treatment plants. One of these treatment plants was selected for further study to track the effluent mutagenicity to its sources, to chemically characterize the mutagenicity, ...

Growth, chemical composition and soil properties of Tipuana speciosa (Benth.) Kuntze seedlings irrigated with sewage effluent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Hayssam M.; Khamis, Mohamed H.; Hassan, Fatma A.

2012-06-01

This study was carried out at a greenhouse of Sabahia Horticulture Research Station, Alexandria, Egypt, to study the effect of sewage effluent on the growth and chemical composition of Tipuana speciosa (Benth.) Kuntze seedlings as well as on soil properties for three stages. The irrigation treatments were primary-treated wastewater and secondary-treated wastewater, in addition to tap water as control. Therefore, the treated wastewater was taken from oxidation ponds of New Borg El-Arab City. Results of these study revealed that the primary effluent treatment explored the highest significant values for vegetative growth and biomass, compared to the other treatments. In addition, the higher significant concentration and uptake of chemical composition in different plant parts were obtained from the primary effluent treatment during the three stages of irrigation. It was found that the concentration of heavy metals in either plant or soil was below as compared to the world-recommended levels. These findings suggested that the use of sewage effluent in irrigating T. speciosa seedlings grown in calcareous soil was beneficial for the improvement of soil properties and production of timber trees, and also important for the safe manner of disposal of wastewater.

Source analysis of organic matter in swine wastewater after anaerobic digestion with EEM-PARAFAC.

PubMed

Zeng, Zhuo; Zheng, Ping; Ding, Aqiang; Zhang, Meng; Abbas, Ghulam; Li, Wei

2017-03-01

Swine wastewater is one of the most serious pollution sources, and it has attracted a great public concern in China. Anaerobic digestion technology is extensively used in swine wastewater treatment. However, the anaerobic digestion effluents are difficult to meet the discharge standard. The results from batch experiments showed that plenty of refractory organic matter remained in the effluents after mesophilic anaerobic digestion for 30 days. The effluent total COD (tCOD) and soluble COD (sCOD) were 483 and 324 mg/L, respectively, with the sCOD/tCOD ratio of 0.671. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) revealed that the dissolved organic matter in the effluents was tryptophan-like substance, humic acid substance, and fulvic acid substance. Based on the appearance time during anaerobic digestion, tryptophan-like substance and humic acid substance were inferred to originate from the raw swine wastewater, and the fulvic acid substance was inferred to be formed in the anaerobic digestion. This work has revealed the source of residual organic matter in anaerobic digestion of swine wastewater and has provided some valuable information for the post-treatment.

A Review on Advanced Treatment of Pharmaceutical Wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Y.; Qi, P. S.; Liu, Y. Z.

2017-05-01

The composition of pharmaceutical wastewater is complex, which is high concentration of organic matter, microbial toxicity, high salt, and difficult to biodegrade. After secondary treatment, there are still trace amounts of suspended solids and dissolved organic matter. To improve the quality of pharmaceutical wastewater effluent, advanced treatment is essential. In this paper, the classification of the pharmaceutical technology was introduced, and the characteristics of pharmaceutical wastewater effluent quality were summarized. The methods of advanced treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater were reviewed afterwards, which included coagulation and sedimentation, flotation, activated carbon adsorption, membrane separation, advanced oxidation processes, membrane separation and biological treatment. Meanwhile, the characteristics of each process were described.

Fate of wastewater effluent hER-agonists and hER-antagonists during soil aquifer treatment.

PubMed

Otakuye, Conroy; Quanrud, David M; Ela, Wendell P; Wicke, Daniel; Lansey, Kevin E; Arnold, Robert G

2005-04-01

Estrogen activity was measured in wastewater effluent before and after polishing via soil-aquifer treatment (SAT) using both a (hER-beta) competitive binding assay and a transcriptional activation (yeast estrogen screen, YES) assay. From the competitive binding assay, the equivalent 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) concentration in secondary effluent was 4.7 nM but decreased to 0.22 nM following SAT. The YES assay indicated that the equivalent EE2 concentration in the same effluent sample was below the method-detection limit (<2.5 x 10(-3) nM) but increased to 0.68 nM in effluent polished via SAT processes. It was hypothesized thattest-dependent differences arose because the competitive binding assay responds positively to both estrogen mimics and anti-estrogens; the YES assay responds to estrogen mimics, but test response is inhibited by anti-estrogens. The hypothesis was supported when organics extracted from wastewater effluent inhibited the YES test response to EE2 (anti-estrogenic effect). A similar extract prepared from SAT-polished effluent augmented the EE2 curve (agonist response). When hydrophobic organics in secondary effluent were fractionated, assay results indicated that several physically distinct anti-estrogens were present in the sample. From this work, it is evident that transcription-activation bioassays alone should not be relied upon to measure estrogenic activity in complex environmental samples because the simultaneous presence of both agonists and antagonist compounds can yield false negatives. Multiple in vitro bioassays, sample fractionation or tests designed to measure anti-estrogenic activity can be used to overcome this problem. It is also clear that there are circumstances under which SAT does not completely remove estrogenic activity during municipal wastewater effluent polishing.

Wastewater use in agriculture: irrigation of sugar cane with effluents from the Cañaveralejo wastewater treatment plant in Cali, Colombia.

PubMed

Madera, C A; Silva, J; Mara, D D; Torres, P

2009-09-01

In Valle del Cauca, south-west Colombia, surface and ground waters are used for sugar cane irrigation at a rate of 100 m3 of water per tonne of sugar produced. In addition large quantities of artificial fertilizers and pesticides are used to grow the crop. Preliminary experiments were undertaken to determine the feasibility of using effluents from the Cañaveralejo primary wastewater treatment plant in Cali. Sugar cane variety CC 8592 was planted in 18 box plots, each 0.5 m2. Six were irrigated with conventional primary effluent, six with chemically enhanced primary effluent and six with groundwater. For each set of six box plots, three contained local soil and three a 50:50 mixture of sand and rice husks. The three irrigation waters were monitored for 12 months, and immediately after harvest the sugar content of the sugar cane juice determined. All physico-chemical quality parameters for the three irrigation waters were lower than the FAO guideline values for irrigation water quality; on the basis of their sodium absorption ratios and electrical conductivity values, both wastewater effluents were in the USDA low-to-medium risk category C2S1. There was no difference in the sugar content of the cane juice irrigated with the three waters. However, the microbiological quality (E. coli and helminth numbers) of the two effluents did not meet the WHO guidelines and therefore additional human exposure control measures are required in order to minimize any resulting adverse health risks to those working in the wastewater-irrigated fields.

High-resolution Mass Spectrometry of Skin Mucus for Monitoring Physiological Impacts in Fish Exposed to Wastewater Effluent at a Great Lakes AOC

EPA Science Inventory

High-resolution mass spectrometry is advantageous for monitoring physiological impacts and contaminant biotransformation products in fish exposed to complex wastewater effluent. We evaluated this technique using skin mucus from male and female fathead minnows (Pimephales promela...

High‐resolution mass spectrometry of skin mucus for monitoring physiological impacts and contaminant biotransformation products in fathead minnows exposed to wastewater effluent

EPA Science Inventory

High‐resolution mass spectrometry is advantageous for monitoring physiological impacts and contaminant biotransformation products in fish exposed to complex wastewater effluent. We evaluated this technique using skin mucus from male and female fathead minnows (Pimephales pr...

The Developmental Effects Of A Municipal Wastewater Effluent On The Northern Leopard Frog, Rana pipiens

EPA Science Inventory

Wastewater effluents are complex mixtures containing a variety of anthropogenic compounds, many of which are known endocrine disruptors. In order to characterize the development and behavorial effects of such a complex mixture, northern leopard frogs, Rana pipiens, were e...

Developmental Effects Of A Municipal Wastewater Effluent On Two Generations Of The Fathead Minnow, Pimephales promelas

EPA Science Inventory

Municipal wastewater effluents have been shown to contain a variety of anthropogenic compounds, many of which are know to display estrogenic properties. While multiple laboratory studies have shown the effects of such compounds on an individual basis at elevated concentrations, ...

Concentrations of prioritized pharmaceuticals in effluents from 50 large wastewater treatment plants in the US and implications for risk estimation

EPA Science Inventory

We measured the concentrations of 56 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and seven metabolites, including 50 prioritized APIs, in 24-hour composite effluent samples collected from 50 very large municipal wastewater treatment plants across the US. Hydrochlorothiazide was foun...

Pathway-based approaches for assessment of real-time exposure to an estrogenic wastewater treatment plant effluent on fathead minnow reproduction

EPA Science Inventory

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are known contributors of chemical mixtures into the environment. Of particular concern are endocrine-disrupting compounds, such as estrogens, that can affect hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function in exposed organisms. The presen...

In-situ biogas sparging enhances the performance of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) with mesh filter in low-strength wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Li, Na; Hu, Yi; Lu, Yong-Ze; Zeng, Raymond J; Sheng, Guo-Ping

2016-07-01

In the recent years, anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology is being considered as a very attractive alternative for wastewater treatment due to the striking advantages such as upgraded effluent quality. However, fouling control is still a problem for the application of AnMBR. This study investigated the performance of an AnMBR using mesh filter as support material to treat low-strength wastewater via in-situ biogas sparging. It was found that mesh AnMBR exhibited high and stable chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies with values of 95 ± 5 % and an average methane yield of 0.24 L CH4/g CODremoved. Variation of transmembrane pressure (TMP) during operation indicated that mesh fouling was mitigated by in-situ biogas sparging and the fouling rate was comparable to that of aerobic membrane bioreactor with mesh filter reported in previous researches. The fouling layer formed on the mesh exhibited non-uniform structure; the porosity became larger from bottom layer to top layer. Biogas sparging could not change the composition but make thinner thickness of cake layer, which might be benefit for reducing membrane fouling rate. It was also found that ultrasonic cleaning of fouled mesh was able to remove most foulants on the surface or pores. This study demonstrated that in-situ biogas sparging enhanced the performance of AnMBRs with mesh filter in low-strength wastewater treatment. Apparently, AnMBRs with mesh filter can be used as a promising and sustainable technology for wastewater treatment.

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.

Wastewater indicator compounds in wastewater effluent, surface water, and bed sediment in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and implications for water resources and aquatic biota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, 2007-08

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tomasek, Abigail A.; Lee, Kathy E.; Hansen, Donald S.

2012-01-01

The results of this study indicate that aquatic biota in the St. Croix River are exposed to a wide variety of organic contaminants that originate from diverse sources including WWTP effluent. The data on wastewater indicator compounds indicate that exposures are temporally and spatially variable and that OWCs may accumulate in bed sediment. These results also indicate that OWCs in water and bed sediment increase downstream from discharges of wastewater effluent to the St. Croix River; however, the presence of OWCs in surface water and bed sediment at the Sunrise site indicates that potential sources of compounds, such as WWTPs or other sources, are upstream from the Taylors Falls-St. Croix Falls area.

Acute toxicity and chemical evaluation of coking wastewater under biological and advanced physicochemical treatment processes.

PubMed

Dehua, Ma; Cong, Liu; Xiaobiao, Zhu; Rui, Liu; Lujun, Chen

2016-09-01

This study investigated the changes of toxic compounds in coking wastewater with biological treatment (anaerobic reactor, anoxic reactor and aerobic-membrane bioreactor, A1/A2/O-MBR) and advanced physicochemical treatment (Fenton oxidation and activated carbon adsorption) stages. As the biological treatment stages preceding, the inhibition effect of coking wastewater on the luminescence of Vibrio qinghaiensis sp. Nov. Q67 decreased. Toxic units (TU) of coking wastewater were removed by A1/A2/O-MBR treatment process, however approximately 30 % TU remained in the biologically treated effluent. There is a tendency that fewer and fewer residual organic compounds could exert equal acute toxicity during the biological treatment stages. Activated carbon adsorption further removed toxic pollutants of biologically treated effluent but the Fenton effluent increased acute toxicity. The composition of coking wastewater during the treatment was evaluated using the three-dimensional fluorescence spectra, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The organic compounds with high polarity were the main cause of acute toxicity in the coking wastewater. Aromatic protein-like matters in the coking wastewater with low biodegradability and high toxicity contributed mostly to the remaining acute toxicity of the biologically treated effluents. Chlorine generated from the oxidation process was responsible for the acute toxicity increase after Fenton oxidation. Therefore, the incorporation of appropriate advanced physicochemical treatment process, e.g., activated carbon adsorption, should be implemented following biological treatment processes to meet the stricter discharge standards and be safer to the environment.

Duckweed based wastewater stabilization ponds for wastewater treatment (a low cost technology for small urban areas in Zimbabwe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalu, J. M.; Ndamba, J.

A three-year investigation into the potential use of duckweed based wastewater stabilizations ponds for wastewater treatment was carried out at two small urban areas in Zimbabwe. The study hoped to contribute towards improved environmental management through improving the quality of effluent being discharged into natural waterways. This was to be achieved through the development and facilitation of the use of duckweed based wastewater stabilizations ponds. The study was carried out at Nemanwa and Gutu Growth Points both with a total population of 23 000. The two centers, like more than 70% of Zimbabwe’s small urban areas, relied on algae based ponds for domestic wastewater treatment. The final effluent is used to irrigate gum plantations before finding its way into the nearest streams. Baseline wastewater quality information was collected on a monthly basis for three months after which duckweed ( Lemna minor) was introduced into the maturation ponds to at least 50% pond surface cover. The influent and effluent was then monitored on a monthly basis for chemical, physical and bacteriological parameters as stipulated in the Zimbabwe Water (Waste and Effluent Disposal) regulations of 2000. After five months, the range of parameters tested for was narrowed to include only those that sometimes surpassed the limits. These included: phosphates, nitrates, pH, biological oxygen demand, iron, conductivity, chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, total dissolved solids and total suspended solids. Significant reductions to within permissible limits were obtained for most of the above-mentioned parameters except for phosphates, chemical and biological oxygen demand and turbidity. However, in these cases, more than 60% reductions were observed when the influent and effluent levels were compared. It is our belief that duckweed based waste stabilization ponds can now be used successfully for the treatment of domestic wastewater in small urban areas of Zimbabwe.

Ozonation of piggery wastewater for enhanced removal of contaminants by S. quadricauda and the impact on organic characteristics.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun-Chul; Choi, Wook Jin; Maeng, Sung Kyu; Kim, Hyung Joo; Kim, Han Soo; Song, Kyung Guen

2014-05-01

The feasibility of using ozonation pretreatment was investigated for a better performance of post microalgae-based wastewater remediation when treating piggery effluent which was anaerobically digested and subsequently micro-filtered. Ozonation pretreatment at a dose of 1.1mg-O3 mg-C(-1) or higher significantly improved the transmittance of light illumination through the mixed liquor by decolorizing the piggery effluent as culture media, which resulted in increasing both the productivity of algal biomass and the associated removal of inorganic nutrients from the effluent. Ozonation also converted refractory organic constituents in the piggery effluent to a large number of biodegradable fractions via both partial-mineralization and low-molecularization. These fractions were facilely removed through biological assimilation during the mixotrophic cultivation of a microalga S. quadricauda. The results revealed that ozonation could be one of the most promising strategies for the pretreatment of highly-colored piggery effluent prior to algae-based wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temporal and spatial variability in the estrogenicity of a municipal wastewater effluent.

PubMed

Hemming, Jon M; Allen, H Joel; Thuesen, Kevin A; Turner, Philip K; Waller, William T; Lazorchak, James M; Lattier, David; Chow, Marjorie; Denslow, Nancy; Venables, Barney

2004-03-01

The estrogenicity of a municipal wastewater effluent was monitored using the vitellogenin biomarker in adult male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). The variability in the expression of vitellogenin was evident among the monitoring periods. Significant (alpha< or =0.05) increases in plasma vitellogenin concentrations were detected in March and December, but not in August or June. Additionally, the magnitude of expression was variable. Variability in the spatial scale was also evident during the March and June exposure months. Concurrent exposures in both the creek receiving the effluent from a wastewater treatment plant and an experimental wetland showed estrogenicity to be different with distance from the respective effluent inflow sites. March exposures showed estrogenicity to be somewhat persistent in the receiving creek (>600 m), but to decrease rapidly within the experimental wetland (<40 m). Results are discussed relative to the monitoring season, to the spatial distribution of the response in both receiving systems, and to possible causative factors contributing to the effluent estrogenicity.

Combined sewer overflows: an environmental source of hormones and wastewater micropollutants

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phillips, P.J.; Chalmers, A.T.; Gray, J.L.; Kolpin, D.W.; Foreman, W.T.; Wall, G.R.

2012-01-01

Data were collected at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Burlington, Vermont, USA, (serving 30,000 people) to assess the relative contribution of CSO (combined sewer overflow) bypass flows and treated wastewater effluent to the load of steroid hormones and other wastewater micropollutants (WMPs) from a WWTP to a lake. Flow-weighted composite samples were collected over a 13 month period at this WWTP from CSO bypass flows or plant influent flows (n = 28) and treated effluent discharges (n = 22). Although CSO discharges represent 10% of the total annual water discharge (CSO plus treated plant effluent discharges) from the WWTP, CSO discharges contribute 40–90% of the annual load for hormones and WMPs with high (>90%) wastewater treatment removal efficiency. By contrast, compounds with low removal efficiencies (<90%) have less than 10% of annual load contributed by CSO discharges. Concentrations of estrogens, androgens, and WMPs generally are 10 times higher in CSO discharges compared to treated wastewater discharges. Compound concentrations in samples of CSO discharges generally decrease with increasing flow because of wastewater dilution by rainfall runoff. By contrast, concentrations of hormones and many WMPs in samples from treated discharges can increase with increasing flow due to decreasing removal efficiency.

Can constructed wetlands treat wastewater for reuse in agriculture? Review of guidelines and examples in South Europe.

PubMed

Lavrnić, Stevo; Mancini, Maurizio L

2016-01-01

South Europe is one of the areas negatively affected by climate change. Issues with water shortage are already visible, and are likely to increase. Since agriculture is the biggest freshwater consumer, it is important to find new water sources that could mitigate the climate change impact. In order to overcome problems and protect the environment, a better approach towards wastewater management is needed. That includes an increase in the volume of wastewater that is treated and a paradigm shift towards a more sustainable system where wastewater is actually considered as a resource. This study evaluates the potential of constructed wetlands (CWs) to treat domestic wastewater and produce effluent that will be suitable for reuse in agriculture. In South Europe, four countries (Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain) have national standards that regulate wastewater reuse in agriculture. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that are based on CWs in these four countries were analysed and their effluents compared with the quality needed for reuse. In general, it was found that CWs have trouble reaching the strictest standards, especially regarding microbiological parameters. However, their effluents are found to be suitable for reuse in areas that do not require water of the highest quality.

Combined Sewer Overflows: An Environmental Source of Hormones and Wastewater Micropollutants

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Data were collected at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Burlington, Vermont, USA, (serving 30,000 people) to assess the relative contribution of CSO (combined sewer overflow) bypass flows and treated wastewater effluent to the load of steroid hormones and other wastewater micropollutants (WMPs) from a WWTP to a lake. Flow-weighted composite samples were collected over a 13 month period at this WWTP from CSO bypass flows or plant influent flows (n = 28) and treated effluent discharges (n = 22). Although CSO discharges represent 10% of the total annual water discharge (CSO plus treated plant effluent discharges) from the WWTP, CSO discharges contribute 40–90% of the annual load for hormones and WMPs with high (>90%) wastewater treatment removal efficiency. By contrast, compounds with low removal efficiencies (<90%) have less than 10% of annual load contributed by CSO discharges. Concentrations of estrogens, androgens, and WMPs generally are 10 times higher in CSO discharges compared to treated wastewater discharges. Compound concentrations in samples of CSO discharges generally decrease with increasing flow because of wastewater dilution by rainfall runoff. By contrast, concentrations of hormones and many WMPs in samples from treated discharges can increase with increasing flow due to decreasing removal efficiency. PMID:22540536

Effect of dairy wastewater on changes in COD fractions in technical-scale SBR type reactors.

PubMed

Struk-Sokołowska, Joanna; Rodziewicz, Joanna; Mielcarek, Artur

2017-04-01

The annual global production of milk is approximately 630,000 million litres and the volume of generated dairy wastewater accounts for 3.2 m 3 ·m -3 product. Dairy wastewater is characterized by a high load of chemical oxygen demand (COD). In many wastewater plants dairy wastewater and municipal wastewater are co-treated. The effect of dairy wastewater contribution on COD fraction changes in municipal sewage which has been treated with a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) in three wastewater treatment plants in north-east Poland is presented. In these plants the real contribution of dairy wastewater was 10, 13 and 17%. In raw wastewater, S S fraction (readily biodegradable dissolved organic matter) was dominant and ranged from 38.3 to 62.6%. In the effluent, S S fraction was not noted, which is indicative of consumption by microorganisms. The presence of dairy wastewater in municipal sewage does not cause changes in the content of the X I fraction (insoluble fractions of non-biodegradable organic matter). SBR effluents were dominated by non-biodegradable dissolved organic matter S I , which from 57.7 to 61.7%. In raw wastewater S I ranged from 1.0 to 4.6%. X s fraction (slowly biodegradable non-soluble organic matter) in raw wastewater ranged from 24.6 to 45.5% while in treated wastewater it ranged from 28.6 to 30.8%. In the control object (fourth wastewater plant) which does not process dairy wastewater, the S S , S I , X s and X I fraction in inflow was 28.7, 2.4, 51.7 and 17.2% respectively. In the effluent the S S , S I , X s and X I fraction was below 0.1, 33.6, 50.0 and 16.4% respectively.

Replacement of chemical oxygen demand (COD) with total organic carbon (TOC) for monitoring wastewater treatment performance to minimize disposal of toxic analytical waste.

PubMed

Dubber, Donata; Gray, Nicholas F

2010-10-01

Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is widely used for wastewater monitoring, design, modeling and plant operational analysis. However this method results in the production of hazardous wastes including mercury and hexavalent chromium. The study examined the replacement of COD with total organic carbon (TOC) for general performance monitoring by comparing their relationship with influent and effluent samples from 11 wastewater treatment plants. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) was also included in the comparison as a control. The results show significant linear relationships between TOC, COD and BOD5 in settled (influent) domestic and municipal wastewaters, but only between COD and TOC in treated effluents. The study concludes that TOC can be reliably used for the generic replacement of both COD (COD=49.2+3.00*TOC) and BOD5 (BOD5=23.7+1.68*TOC) in influent wastewaters but only for COD (COD=7.25+2.99*TOC) in final effluents.

Trace analysis of antidepressant pharmaceuticals and their select degradates in aquatic matrixes by LC/ESI/MS/MS

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schultz, M.M.; Furlong, E.T.

2008-01-01

Treated wastewater effluent is a potential environmental point source for antidepressant pharmaceuticals. A quantitative method was developed for the determination of trace levels of antidepressants in environmental aquatic matrixes using solid-phase extraction coupled with liquid chromatography- electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Recoveries of parent antidepressants from matrix spiking experiments for the individual antidepressants ranged from 72 to 118% at low concentrations (0.5 ng/L) and 70 to 118% at high concentrations (100 ng/L) for the solid-phase extraction method. Method detection limits for the individual antidepressant compounds ranged from 0.19 to 0.45 ng/L. The method was applied to wastewater effluent and samples collected from a wastewater-dominated stream. Venlafaxine was the predominant antidepressant observed in wastewater and river water samples. Individual antidepressant concentrations found in the wastewater effluent ranged from 3 (duloxetine) to 2190 ng/L (venlafaxine), whereas individual concentrations in the waste-dominated stream ranged from 0.72 (norfluoxetine) to 1310 ng/L (venlafaxine). ?? 2008 American Chemical Society.

The effect of the feeding pattern of complex industrial wastewater on activated sludge characteristics and the chemical and ecotoxicological effluent quality.

PubMed

Caluwé, Michel; Dobbeleers, Thomas; Daens, Dominique; Blust, Ronny; Geuens, Luc; Dries, Jan

2017-04-01

Research has demonstrated that the feeding pattern of synthetic wastewater plays an important role in sludge characteristics during biological wastewater treatment. Although considerable research has been devoted to synthetic wastewater, less attention has been paid to industrial wastewater. In this research, three different feeding strategies were applied during the treatment of tank truck cleaning (TTC) water. This industry produces highly variable wastewaters that are often loaded with hazardous chemicals, which makes them challenging to treat with activated sludge (AS). In this study, it is shown that the feeding pattern has a significant influence on the settling characteristics. Pulse feeding resulted in AS with a sludge volume index (SVI) of 68 ± 15 mL gMLSS -1 . Slowly and continuously fed AS had to contend with unstable SVI values that fluctuated between 100 and 600 mL gMLSS -1 . These fluctuations were clearly caused by the feeding solution. The obtained settling characteristics are being supported by the microscopic analysis, which revealed a clear floc structure for the pulse fed AS. Ecotoxicological effluent assessment with bacteria, Crustacea and algae identified algae as the most sensitive organism for all effluents from all different reactors. Variable algae growth inhibitions were measured between the different reactors. The chemical and ecotoxicological effluent quality was comparable between the reactors.

A comparison of the suitability of different willow varieties to treat on-site wastewater effluent in an Irish climate.

PubMed

Curneen, S J; Gill, L W

2014-01-15

Short rotation coppiced willow trees can be used to treat on-site wastewater effluent with the advantage that, if planted in a sealed basin and sized correctly, they produce no effluent discharge. This paper has investigated the evapotranspiration rate of four different willow varieties while also monitoring the effects of three different effluent types on each variety. The willow varieties used are all cultivars of Salix viminalis. The effluents applied were primary (septic tank) effluent, secondary treated effluent and rain water (control). The results obtained showed that the addition of effluent had a positive effect on the evapotranspiration. The willows were also found to uptake a high proportion of the nitrogen and phosphorus from the primary and secondary treated effluents added during the first year. The effect of the different effluents on the evapotranspiration rate has been used to design ten full scale on-site treatment systems which are now being monitored. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Course on Operational Considerations in Wastewater Treatment Plant Design. Student Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stottler, Stag and Associates, San Antonio, TX.

This manual was designed to furnish information for upgrading the design of wastewater treatment plant facilities and to serve as a resource for establishing criteria for upgrading these plants. The manual also furnishes information for modifying plant design to compensate for current organic and hydraulic overloads and/or to meet more stringent…

Effects of wastewater effluent discharge on stream quality in Indian Creek, Johnson County, Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graham, Jennifer L.; Foster, Guy M.

2014-01-01

Contaminants from point and other urban sources affect stream quality in Indian Creek, which is one of the most urban drainage basins in Johnson County, Kansas. The Johnson County Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin and Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Treatment Facilities discharge to Indian Creek. Data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Johnson County Wastewater, during June 2004 through June 2013 were used to evaluate stream quality in Indian Creek. This fact sheet summarizes the effects of wastewater effluent discharge on physical, chemical, and biological conditions in Indian Creek downstream from the Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin and Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Treatment Facilities.

Adsorption, sedimentation, and inactivation of E. coli within wastewater treatment wetlands.

PubMed

Boutilier, L; Jamieson, R; Gordon, R; Lake, C; Hart, W

2009-09-01

Bacteria fate and transport within constructed wetlands must be understood if engineered wetlands are to become a reliable form of wastewater treatment. This study investigated the relative importance of microbial treatment mechanisms in constructed wetlands treating both domestic and agricultural wastewater. Escherichia coli (E. coli) inactivation, adsorption, and settling rates were measured in the lab within two types of wastewater (dairy wastewater lagoon effluent and domestic septic tank effluent). In situ E. coli inactivation was also measured within a domestic wastewater treatment wetland and the adsorption of E. coli was also measured within the wetland effluent. Inactivation of E. coli appears to be the most significant contributor to E. coli removal within the wastewaters and wetland environments examined in this study. E. coli survived longer within the dairy wastewater (DW) compared to the domestic wastewater treatment wetland water (WW). First order rate constants for E. coli inactivation within the WW in the lab ranged from 0.09 day(-1) (d(-1)) at 7.6 degrees C to 0.18d(-1) at 22.8 degrees C. The average in situ rate constant observed within the domestic wetland ranged from 0.02 d(-1) to 0.03 d(-1) at an average water temperature of 17 degrees C. First order rate constants for E. coli inactivation within the DW ranged from 0.01 d(-1) at 7.7 degrees C to 0.04 d(-1) at 24.6 degrees C. Calculated distribution coefficients (K(d)) were 19,000 mL g(-1), 324,000 mL g(-1), and 293 mL g(-1) for E. coli with domestic septic tank effluent (STE), treated wetland effluent (WLE), and DW, respectively. Approximately 50%, 20%, and 90% of E. coli were "free floating" or associated with particles <5 microm in size within the STE, WLE, and DW respectively. Although 10-50% of E. coli were found to associate with particles >5 microm within both the STE and DW, settling did not appear to contribute to E. coli removal within sedimentation experiments, indicating that the particles the bacteria were associated with had very small settling velocities. The results of this study highlight the importance of wastewater characterization when designing a treatment wetland system for bacterial removal. This study illustrated the level of variability in E. coli removal processes that can be observed within different wastewater, and wetland environments.

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.

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.

Effect of treated tannery effluent with domestic wastewater and amendments on growth and yield of cotton.

PubMed

Jagathjothi, N; Amanullah, M Mohamed; Muthukrishnan, P

2013-11-15

Pot culture and field experiments were carried out at the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), Dindigul during kharif 2011-12 to investigate the influence of irrigation of treated tannery effluent along with domestic wastewater on growth, yield attributes and yield of cotton. The pot culture was in a factorial completely randomized design and field experiment laid out in factorial randomized block design with four replications. The results revealed that the mixing proportion of 25% Treated Tannery Effluent (TTE)+75% domestic wastewater (DWW) application recorded taller plants, higher dry matter production, number of sympodial branches plant(-1), number of fruiting points plant(-1), number of bolls plant(-1) and seed cotton yield with yield reduction of 15.28 and 16.11% compared to normal water irrigation under pot culture and field experiment, respectively. Regarding amendments, gypsum application registered higher seed cotton yield followed by VAM.

Export of Dissolved Methane and Carbon Dioxide with Effluents from Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants.

PubMed

Alshboul, Zeyad; Encinas-Fernández, Jorge; Hofmann, Hilmar; Lorke, Andreas

2016-06-07

Inland waters play an important role for regional and global scale carbon cycling and are significant sources of the atmospheric greenhouse gases methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Although most studies considered the input of terrestrially derived organic and inorganic carbon as the main sources for these emissions, anthropogenic sources have rarely been investigated. Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) could be additional sources of carbon by discharging the treated wastewater into the surrounding aquatic ecosystems. Here we analyze seasonally resolved measurements of dissolved CH4 and CO2 concentrations in effluents and receiving streams at nine WWTPs in Germany. We found that effluent addition significantly altered the physicochemical properties of the streamwater. Downstream of the WWTPs, the concentrations of dissolved CH4 and CO2 were enhanced and the atmospheric fluxes of both gases increased by a factor of 1.2 and 8.6, respectively. The CH4 exported with discharged effluent, however, accounted for only a negligible fraction (0.02%) of the estimated total CH4 emissions during the treatment process. The CH4 concentration in the effluent water was linearly related to the organic load of the wastewater, which can provide an empirical basis for future attempts to add WWTPs inputs to regional-scale models for inland water-carbon fluxes.

Monitoring hospital wastewaters for their probable genotoxicity and mutagenicity.

PubMed

Sharma, Pratibha; Mathur, N; Singh, A; Sogani, M; Bhatnagar, P; Atri, R; Pareek, S

2015-01-01

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Excluding the genetic factors, environmental factors, mainly the pollutants, have been implicated in the causation of the majority of cancers. Wastewater originated from health-care sectors such as hospitals may carry vast amounts of carcinogenic and genotoxic chemicals to surface waters or any other source of drinking water, if discharged untreated. Humans get exposed to such contaminants through a variety of ways including drinking water. The aim of the present study was, thus, to monitor the genotoxic and mutagenic potential of wastewaters from three big hospitals located in Jaipur (Rajasthan), India. One of them was operating an effluent treatment plant (ETP) for treatment of its wastewater and therefore both the untreated and treated effluents from this hospital were studied for their genotoxicity. Two short-term bacterial bioassays namely the Salmonella fluctuation assay and the SOS chromotest were used for the purpose. Results of fluctuation assay revealed the highly genotoxic nature of all untreated effluent samples with mutagenicity ratios (MR) up to 23.13 ± 0.18 and 42.25 ± 0.35 as measured with Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100, respectively. As determined with the chromotest, all untreated effluents produced significant induction factors (IF) ranging from 3.29 ± 1.11 to 13.35 ± 3.58 at higher concentrations. In contrast, treated effluent samples were found to be slightly genotoxic in fluctuation test only with an MR = 3.75 ± 0.35 for TA100 at 10 % concentration. Overall, the results indicated that proper treatment of hospital wastewaters may render the effluents safe for disposal contrary to the untreated ones, possessing high genotoxic potential.

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in wastewater: Significance of unknown precursors, manufacturing shifts, and likely AFFF impacts.

PubMed

Houtz, Erika F; Sutton, Rebecca; Park, June-Soo; Sedlak, Margaret

2016-05-15

In late 2014, wastewater effluent samples were collected from eight treatment plants that discharge to San Francisco (SF) Bay in order to assess poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) currently released from municipal and industrial sources. In addition to direct measurement of twenty specific PFAS analytes, the total concentration of perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) precursors was also indirectly measured by adapting a previously developed oxidation assay. Effluent from six municipal treatment plants contained similar amounts of total PFASs, with highest median concentrations of PFHxA (24 ng/L), followed by PFOA (23 ng/L), PFBA (19 ng/L), and PFOS (15 ng/L). Compared to SF Bay municipal wastewater samples collected in 2009, the short chain perfluorinated carboxylates PFBA and PFHxA rose significantly in concentration. Effluent samples from two treatment plants contained much higher levels of PFASs: over two samplings, wastewater from one municipal plant contained an average of 420 ng/L PFOS and wastewater from an airport industrial treatment plant contained 560 ng/L PFOS, 390 ng/L 6:2 FtS, 570 ng/L PFPeA, and 500 ng/L PFHxA. The elevated levels observed in effluent samples from these two plants are likely related to aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) sources impacting their influent; PFASs attributable to both current use and discontinued AFFF formulations were observed. Indirectly measured PFAA precursor compounds accounted for 33%-63% of the total molar concentration of PFASs across all effluent samples and the PFAA precursors indicated by the oxidation assay were predominately short-chained. PFAS levels in SF Bay effluent samples reflect the manufacturing shifts towards shorter chained PFASs while also demonstrating significant impacts from localized usage of AFFF. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost effective and advanced phosphorus removal in membrane bioreactors for a decentralised wastewater technology.

PubMed

Gnirss, R; Lesjean, B; Adam, C; Buisson, H

2003-01-01

Future stringent phosphorus regulations (down to 50 microg/L in some cases) together with the availability of more cost effective and/or innovative membrane processes, are the bases for this project. In contrast to conventional activated sludge plants, process parameters are not optimised and especially enhanced biological phosphorus (Bio-P) removal in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are not proven yet. Current practice of P-removal in MBRs is the addition of coagulants in a co-precipitation mode. Enhanced biological phosphorus removal, when adapted to MBR technology, might be a cost-effective process. For very stringent effluent criteria additional P-adsorption on activated clay after membrane filtration can be also an interesting solution. The objective of this research project is to identify and test various phosphorus removal processes or process combinations, including MBR technologies. This should enable us to establish efficient and cost effective P-removal strategies for upgrading small sewage treatment units (up to 10,000 PE), as needed in some decentralised areas of Berlin. In particular, enhanced Bio-P removal technology was developed and optimised in MBR. Combinations of co-precipitation and post-adsorption will be tested when low P-values down to 50 microg/L are required in the effluent. One MBR bench-scale plant of 200 to 250 L and two MBR pilot plants of 1 to 3 m3 each were operated in parallel to a conventional wastewater treatment plant (Ruhleben WWTP, Berlin, Germany). The MBR bench-scale and pilot plants were operated under sludge ages of respectively 15 and 25 days. In both cases, Bio-P was possible, and phosphorus effluent concentration of about 0.1 mg/L could be achieved. A similar effluent quality was observed with the conventional WWTP. Investigations with lab columns indicated that P-adsorption could lead to concentrations down to 50 microg/L and no particle accumulation occurred in the filter media. The three tested materials exhibited great differences in break-through curves. Granulated ferric hydroxyde (GEH) showed higher capacity than activated alumina and FerroSorpPlus.

Probabilistic analysis of risks to US drinking water intakes from 1,4-dioxane in domestic wastewater treatment plant effluents.

PubMed

Simonich, Staci Massey; Sun, Ping; Casteel, Ken; Dyer, Scott; Wernery, Dave; Garber, Kevin; Carr, Gregory; Federle, Thomas

2013-10-01

The risks of 1,4-dioxane (dioxane) concentrations in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, receiving primarily domestic wastewater, to downstream drinking water intakes was estimated using distributions of measured dioxane concentrations in effluents from 40 WWTPs and surface water dilution factors of 1323 drinking water intakes across the United States. Effluent samples were spiked with a d8 -1,4-dioxane internal standard in the field immediately after sample collection. Dioxane was extracted with ENVI-CARB-Plus solid phase columns and analyzed by GC/MS/MS, with a limit of quantification of 0.30 μg/L. Measured dioxane concentrations in domestic wastewater effluents ranged from <0.30 to 3.30 μg/L, with a mean concentration of 1.11 ± 0.60 μg/L. Dilution of upstream inputs of effluent were estimated for US drinking water intakes using the iSTREEM model at mean flow conditions, assuming no in-stream loss of dioxane. Dilution factors ranged from 2.6 to 48 113, with a mean of 875. The distributions of dilution factors and dioxane concentration in effluent were then combined using Monte Carlo analysis to estimate dioxane concentrations at drinking water intakes. This analysis showed the probability was negligible (p = 0.0031) that dioxane inputs from upstream WWTPs could result in intake concentrations exceeding the USEPA drinking water advisory concentration of 0.35 μg/L, before any treatment of the water for drinking use. © 2013 SETAC.

Evaluation of Shiraz wastewater treatment plant effluent quality for agricultural irrigation by Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI)

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Using treated wastewater in agriculture irrigation could be a realistic solution for the shortage of fresh water in Iran, however, it is associated with environmental and health threats; therefore, effluent quality assessment is quite necessary before use. The present study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical and microbial quality of Shiraz wastewater treatment plant effluent for being used in agricultural irrigation. In this study, 20 physicochemical and 3 microbial parameters were measured during warm (April to September) and cold months (October to march). Using the measured parameters and the Canadian Water Quality Index, the quality of the effluent was determined in both warm and cold seasons and in all the seasons together. Results The calculated index for the physicochemical parameters in the effluent was equal (87) in warm and cold months and it was obtained as 85 for the seasons all together. When the microbial parameters were used in order to calculate the index, it declined to 67 in warm and cold seasons and 64 in all the seasons together. Also, it was found that three physicochemical parameters (TDS, EC, and NO3) and three microbial parameters (Fecal coliform, Helminthes egg, and Total coliform) had the most contribution to the reduction of the index value. Conclusions The results showed that the physicochemical quality of Shiraz Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent was good for irrigation in the warm, cold, and total of the two kinds of seasons. However, by applying the microbial parameter, the index value declined dramatically and the quality of the effluent was marginal. PMID:23566673

Nutrient loading on subsoils from on-site wastewater effluent, comparing septic tank and secondary treatment systems.

PubMed

Gill, L W; O'Luanaigh, N; Johnston, P M; Misstear, B D R; O'Suilleabhain, C

2009-06-01

The performance of six separate percolation areas was intensively monitored to ascertain the attenuation effects of unsaturated subsoils with respect to on-site wastewater effluent: three sites receiving septic tank effluent, the other three sites receiving secondary treated effluent. The development of a biomat across the percolation areas receiving secondary treated effluent was restricted on these sites compared to those sites receiving septic tank effluent and this created significant differences in terms of the potential nitrogen loading to groundwater. The average nitrogen loading per capita at 1.0m depth of unsaturated subsoil equated to 3.9 g total-N/d for the sites receiving secondary treated effluent, compared to 2.1 g total-N/d for the sites receiving septic tank effluent. Relatively high nitrogen loading was, however, found on the septic tank sites discharging effluent into highly permeable subsoil that counteracted any significant denitrification. Phosphorus removal was generally very good on all of the sites although a clear relationship to the soil mineralogy was determined.

Microalgae-based advanced municipal wastewater treatment for reuse in water bodies.

PubMed

Wang, Jing-Han; Zhang, Tian-Yuan; Dao, Guo-Hua; Xu, Xue-Qiao; Wang, Xiao-Xiong; Hu, Hong -Ying

2017-04-01

Reuse of secondary municipal effluent from wastewater treatment plants in water bodies could effectively alleviate freshwater resource shortage. However, excessive nutrients must be efficiently removed to prevent eutrophication. Compared with other means of advanced wastewater treatment, microalgae-based processes display overwhelming advantages including efficient and simultaneous N and P removal, no requirement of additional chemicals, O 2 generation, CO 2 mitigation, and potential value-added products from harvested biomass. One particular challenge of microalgae-based advanced municipal wastewater treatment compared to treatment of other types of wastewater is that concentrations of nutrients and N:P ratios in secondary municipal effluent are much lower and imbalanced. Therefore, there should be comprehensive considerations on nutrient removal from this specific type of effluent. Removal of nutrients and organic substances, and other environmental benefits of microalgae-based advanced municipal wastewater treatment systems were summarized. Among the existing studies on microalgal advanced nutrient removal, much information on major parameters is absent, rendering performances between studies not really comparable. Mechanisms of microalgae-based nitrogen and phosphorus removal were respectively analyzed to better understand advanced nutrient removal from municipal secondary effluent. Factors influencing microalgae-based nutrient removal were divided into intrinsic, environmental, and operational categories; several factors were identified in each category, and their influences on microalgal nutrient removal were discussed. A multiplicative kinetic model was integrated to estimate microalgal growth-related nutrient removal based majorly on environmental and intrinsic factors. Limitations and prospects of future full-scale microalgae-based advanced municipal wastewater treatment were also suggested. The manuscript could offer much valuable information for future studies on microalgae-based advanced wastewater treatment and water reuse.

Developing a Program for Water/Wastewater Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valentine, Ivan E.; And Others

1979-01-01

Describes a water/wastewater technician program that provides: (1) entry-level skills for individuals seeking employment as water/wastewater technicians, (2) upgrading courses for operators and technicians already employed, and (3) instruction for those who are preparing for Colorado state water/wastewater certification. (LRA)

Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the Boise River from Veterans Memorial Parkway, Boise to Star, Idaho, October 1987 to March 1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frenzel, S.A.

1988-01-01

Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the Boise River were examined from October 1987 to March 1988 to determine whether trace elements in effluents from two Boise wastewater treatment facilities were detrimental to aquatic communities. Cadmium, chromium, hexavalent chromium, cyanide, lead, nickel, and silver concentrations in the Boise River were less than or near analytical detection levels and were less than chronic toxicity criteria when detectable. Arsenic, copper, and zinc were detected in concentrations less than chronic toxicity criteria. Concentrations of trace elements in bottom material generally were small and could not be attributed to effluents from wastewater treatment facilities. From October to December 1987, mean density of benthic invertebrates colonizing artificial substrates was from 6,100 individuals/substrate downstream from the West Boise wastewater treatment facility to 14,000 individuals per substrate downstream from the Lander Street wastewater treatment facility. From January to March 1988 , mean density of benthic invertebrates colonizing artificial substrates was from 7,100 individuals per substrate downstream from the West Boise facility to 10,000 individuals per substrate near Star. Insect communities upstream and downstream from the wastewater treatment facilities were strongly associated, and coeffients of community loss indicated that effluents had benign enriching effects. Distribution of mayflies indicates that trace-element concentrations in effluents did not adversely affect intolerant organisms in the Boise River. Condition factor of whitefish was significantly increased downstream from the Lander Street wastewater treatment facility and was significantly decreased downstream from the West Boise wastewater treatment facility.

Impact of solids retention time on dissolved organic nitrogen and its biodegradability in treated wastewater.

PubMed

Simsek, Halis; Kasi, Murthy; Ohm, Jae-Bom; Murthy, Sudhir; Khan, Eakalak

2016-04-01

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and its biodegradability in treated wastewater have recently gained attention due to increased regulatory requirements on effluent quality to protect receiving waters. Laboratory scale chemostat experiments were conducted at 9 different solids retention times (SRTs) (0.3, 0.7, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 13 days) to examine whether SRT could be used to control DON, biodegradable DON (BDON), and DON biodegradability (BDON/DON) levels in treated wastewater. Results indicated no trend between effluent DON and SRTs. Effluent BDON was comparable for SRTs of 0.3-4 days and had a decreasing trend with SRT after that. Effluent DON biodegradability (effluent BDON/effluent DON) ranging from 23% to 59% tended to decrease with SRT. Chemostat during longer SRTs, however, was contributing to non-biodegradable DON (NBDON) and this fraction of DON increased with SRT above 4 days. Model calibration results indicated that ammonification rate, and growth rates for ordinary heterotrophs, ammonia oxidizing bacteria and nitrite oxidizing bacteria were not constants but have a decreasing trend with increasing SRT. This study indicates the benefit of high SRTs in term of producing effluent with less DON biodegradability leading to relatively less oxygen consumption and nutrient support in receiving waters. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Isolation, Identification and Characteristic Analysis of an Oil-producing Chlorella sp. Tolerant to High-strength Anaerobic Digestion Effluent].

PubMed

Yang, Chuang; Wang, Wen-guo; Ma, Dan-wei; Tang, Xiao-yu; Hu, Qi-chun

2015-07-01

A Chlorella strain tolerant to high-strength anaerobic digestion effluent was isolated from the anaerobic digestion effluent with a long-term exposure to air. The strain was identified as a Chlorella by morphological and molecular biological methods, and named Chlorella sp. BWY-1, The anaerobic digestion effluent used in this study was from a biogas plant with the raw materials of swine wastewater after solid-liquid separation. The Chlorella regularis (FACHB-729) was used as the control strain. The comparative study showed that Chlorella sp, BWY-Ihad relatively higher growth rate, biomass accumulation capacity and pollutants removal rate in BG11. and different concentrations of anaerobic digestion effluent. Chlorella sp. BWY-1 had the highest growth rate and biomass productivity (324.40 mg.L-1) in BG11, but its lipid productivity and lipid content increased with the increase of anaerobic digestion effluent concentration, In undiluted anaerobic digestion effluent, the lipid productivity and lipid content of Chlorella sp. BWY-1 were up to 44. 43% and 108. 70 mg.L-1, respectively. Those results showed that the isolated algal strain bad some potential applications in livestock wastewater treatment and bioenergy production, it could be combined with a solid-liquid separation, anaerobic fermentation and other techniques for processing livestock wastewater and producing biodiesel.

Effluent Charts Help | ECHO | US EPA

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Effluent Charts present dynamic charts and tables of permitted effluent limits, releases, and violations over time for Clean Water Act (CWA) wastewater discharge permits issued under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).

Osmosis process for leachate treatment in industrial platform: Economic and performances evaluations to zero liquid discharge.

PubMed

Cingolani, Diego; Eusebi, Anna Laura; Battistoni, Paolo

2017-12-01

The industrial processes require large quantities of water. The presence of discharges results not only in significant environmental impact but implies wastage of water resources. This problem could be solved treating and reusing the produced wastewaters and applying the new zero liquid discharge approach. This paper discusses the design and the performances of reverse osmosis membranes for the upgrading of full scale platform for industrial liquid wastes. The final effluent from the ultrafiltration unit of the full scale plant was monitored to design the reverse osmosis unit. Previous modelling phase was used to evaluate the specific ordinary and maintenance costs and the final effluent quality (2.7 €/m 3 ). The system was designed in triple stages at different operative pressures. The economic feasibility and the payback period of the technology at different percentages of produced permeate were determined. The recovery of 90% was identified as profitable for the reverse osmosis application. One experimental pilot plant applying the reverse osmosis was used to test the final effluent. Moreover, the same flow was treated with second pilot system based on the forward osmosis process. The final efficiencies were compared. Removals higher than 95% using the reverse system were obtained for the main macropollutants and ions. No sustainable applicability of the forward osmosis was determined. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New insights into impacts of anthropogenic nutrients on urban ecosystem processes on the Southern California coastal shelf: Introduction and synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, Meredith D. A.; Kudela, Raphael M.; McLaughlin, Karen

2017-02-01

Anthropogenic nutrient inputs are one of the most important factors contributing to eutrophication of coastal waters. Coastal upwelling regions are naturally highly variable, exhibiting faster flushing and lower retention times than estuarine systems. As such, these regions are considered more resilient to anthropogenic influences than other coastal waters. Recent studies have shown our perception of the sustainability of these systems may be flawed and that anthropogenic nutrients can have an impact at local and regional spatial scales within these larger upwelling ecosystems. Maintenance of an outfall pipe discharging wastewater effluent to the Southern California Bight (SCB) provided an opportunity to study effects of anthropogenic nutrient inputs on a near-shore coastal ecosystem. The diversion of wastewater effluent from a primary, offshore outfall to a secondary, near-shore outfall set up a large-scale, in situ experiment allowing researchers to track the fate of wastewater plumes as they were "turned off" in one area and "turned on" in another. In this introduction to a special issue, we synthesize results of one such wastewater diversion conducted by the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) during fall 2012. Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) from point-source discharges altered biogeochemical cycling and the community composition of bacteria and phytoplankton. Nitrification of ammonium to nitrate in wastewater effluent close to outfalls constituted a significant source of N utilized by the biological community that should be considered in quantifying "new" production. The microbial-loop component of the plankton community played a significant role, exemplified by a large response of heterotrophic bacteria to wastewater effluent that resulted in nutrient immobilization within the bacterial food web. This response, combined with the photosynthetic inhibition of phytoplankton due to disinfection byproducts, suppressed phytoplankton responses. Our findings have ramifications for future studies and regulatory monitoring, emphasizing the need to consider chemical and biological responses to wastewater effluent in assessing effects of anthropogenic nutrient inputs on urbanized coastal ecosystems.

Reduction of clarithromycin and sulfamethoxazole-resistant Enterococcus by pilot-scale solar-driven Fenton oxidation.

PubMed

Karaolia, Popi; Michael, Irene; García-Fernández, Irene; Agüera, Ana; Malato, Sixto; Fernández-Ibáñez, Pilar; Fatta-Kassinos, Despo

2014-01-15

The presence of pathogenic antibiotic-resistant bacteria in aquatic environments has become a health threat in the last few years. Their presence has increased due to the presence of antibiotics in wastewater effluents, which are not efficiently removed by conventional wastewater treatments. As a result there is a need to study the possible ways of removal of the mixtures of antibiotics present in wastewater effluents and the antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which may also spread the antibiotic resistance genes to other bacterial populations. In this study the degradation of a mixture of antibiotics i.e. sulfamethoxazole and clarithromycin, the disinfection of total enterococci and the removal of those resistant to: a) sulfamethoxazole, b) clarithromycin and c) to both antibiotics have been examined, along with the toxicity of the whole effluent mixture after treatment to the luminescent aquatic bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Solar Fenton treatment (natural solar driven oxidation) using Fenton reagent doses of 50 mg L(-1) of hydrogen peroxide and 5 mg L(-1) of Fe(3+) in a pilot-scale compound parabolic collector plant was used to examine the disinfection and antibiotic resistance removal efficiency in different aqueous matrices, namely distilled water, simulated and real wastewater effluents. There was a faster complete removal of enterococci and of antibiotics in all aqueous matrices by applying solar Fenton when compared to photolytic treatment of the matrices. Sulfamethoxazole was more efficiently degraded than clarithromycin in all three aqueous matrices (95% removal of sulfamethoxazole and 70% removal of clarithromycin in real wastewater). The antibiotic resistance of enterococci towards both antibiotics exhibited a 5-log reduction with solar Fenton in real wastewater effluent. Also after solar Fenton treatment, there were 10 times more antibiotic-resistant enterococci in the presence of sulfamethoxazole than in the presence of clarithromycin. Finally, the toxicity of the treated wastewater to V. fischeri remained very low throughout the treatment time. © 2013.

Microalgae cultivation for bioenergy production using wastewaters from a municipal WWTP as nutritional sources.

PubMed

Cho, Sunja; Lee, Nakyeong; Park, Seonghwan; Yu, Jaecheul; Luong, Thanh Thao; Oh, You-Kwan; Lee, Taeho

2013-03-01

In order to reduce input cost for microalgal cultivation, we investigated the feasibility of wastewater taken from a municipal WWTP in Busan, Korea as wastewater nutrients. The wastewaters used in this study were the effluent from a primary settling tank (PS), the effluent from an anaerobic digestion tank (AD), the conflux of wastewaters rejected from sludge-concentrate tanks and dewatering facilities (CR), and two combined wastewaters of AD:PS (10:90, v/v) and AD:CR (10:90, v/v). Chlorella sp. ADE5, which was isolated from the AD, was selected for the feasibility test. The highest biomass production (3.01 g-dry cell weight per liter) of the isolate was obtained with the combined wastewater ADCR, and it was 1.72 times higher than that with BG 11 medium. Interestingly, the cells cultivated with wastewater containing PS wastewater were easily separated from the culture and improved lipid content, especially oleic acid content, in their cells. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Opportunities for Open Automated Demand Response in Wastewater Treatment Facilities in California - Phase II Report. San Luis Rey Wastewater Treatment Plant Case Study

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

Thompson, Lisa; Lekov, Alex; McKane, Aimee

2010-08-20

This case study enhances the understanding of open automated demand response opportunities in municipal wastewater treatment facilities. The report summarizes the findings of a 100 day submetering project at the San Luis Rey Wastewater Treatment Plant, a municipal wastewater treatment facility in Oceanside, California. The report reveals that key energy-intensive equipment such as pumps and centrifuges can be targeted for large load reductions. Demand response tests on the effluent pumps resulted a 300 kW load reduction and tests on centrifuges resulted in a 40 kW load reduction. Although tests on the facility?s blowers resulted in peak period load reductions ofmore » 78 kW sharp, short-lived increases in the turbidity of the wastewater effluent were experienced within 24 hours of the test. The results of these tests, which were conducted on blowers without variable speed drive capability, would not be acceptable and warrant further study. This study finds that wastewater treatment facilities have significant open automated demand response potential. However, limiting factors to implementing demand response are the reaction of effluent turbidity to reduced aeration load, along with the cogeneration capabilities of municipal facilities, including existing power purchase agreements and utility receptiveness to purchasing electricity from cogeneration facilities.« less

Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) describes the aggregate toxic effect of an aqueous sample (e.g., whole effluent wastewater discharge) as measured by an organism's response upon exposure to the sample (e.g., lethality, impaired growth, or reproduction).

Occurrence of pharmaceutically active compounds during 1-year period in wastewaters from four wastewater treatment plants in Seville (Spain).

PubMed

Santos, J L; Aparicio, I; Callejón, M; Alonso, E

2009-05-30

Several pharmaceutically active compounds have been monitored during 1-year period in influent and effluent wastewater from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to evaluate their temporal evolution and removal from wastewater and to know which variables have influence in their removal rates. Pharmaceutical compounds monitored were four antiinflammatory drugs (diclofenac, ibuprofen, ketoprofen and naproxen), an antiepileptic drug (carbamazepine) and a nervous stimulant (caffeine). All of the pharmaceutically active compounds monitored, except diclofenac, were detected in influent and effluent wastewater. Mean concentrations measured in influent wastewater were 6.17, 0.48, 93.6, 1.83 and 5.41 microg/L for caffeine, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, ketoprofen and naproxen, respectively. Mean concentrations measured in effluent wastewater were 2.02, 0.56, 8.20, 0.84 and 2.10 microg/L for caffeine, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, ketoprofen and naproxen, respectively. Mean removal rates of the pharmaceuticals varied from 8.1% (carbamazepine) to 87.5% (ibuprofen). The existence of relationships between the concentrations of the pharmaceutical compounds, their removal rates, the characterization parameters of influent wastewaters and the WWTP control design parameters has been studied by means of statistical analysis (correlation and principal component analysis). With both statistical analyses, high correlations were obtained between the concentration of the pharmaceutical compounds and the characterization parameters of influent wastewaters; and between the removal rates of the pharmaceutical compounds, the removal rates of the characterization parameters of influent wastewaters and the WWTP hydraulic retention times. Principal component analysis showed the existence of two main components accounting for 76% of the total variability.

The removal of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, endocrine disruptors and illicit drugs during wastewater treatment and its impact on the quality of receiving waters.

PubMed

Kasprzyk-Hordern, Barbara; Dinsdale, Richard M; Guwy, Alan J

2009-02-01

A 5-month monitoring program was undertaken in South Wales in the UK to determine the fate of 55 pharmaceuticals, personal care products, endocrine disruptors and illicit drugs (PPCPs) in two contrasting wastewater plants utilising two different wastewater treatment technologies: activated sludge and trickling filter beds. The impact of treated wastewater effluent on the quality of receiving waters was also assessed. PPCPs were found to be present at high loads reaching 10kgday(-1) in the raw sewage. Concentrations of PPCPs in raw sewage were found to correlate with their usage/consumption patterns in Wales and their metabolism. The efficiency of the removal of PPCPs was found to be strongly dependent on the technology implemented in the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In general, the WWTP utilising trickling filter beds resulted in, on average, less than 70% removal of all 55 PPCPs studied, while the WWTP utilising activated sludge treatment gave a much higher removal efficiency of over 85%. The monitoring programme revealed that treated wastewater effluents were the main contributors to PPCPs concentrations (up to 3kg of PPCPsday(-1)) in the rivers studied. Bearing in mind that in the cases examined here the WWTP effluents were also major contributors to rivers' flows (dilution factor for the studied rivers did not exceed 23 times) the effect of WWTP effluent on the quality of river water is significant and cannot be underestimated.

Comparison between UV and VUV photolysis for the pre- and post-treatment of coking wastewater.

PubMed

Xing, Rui; Zheng, Zhongyuan; Wen, Donghui

2015-03-01

In this study, ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photolysis were investigated for the pre-treatment and post-treatment of coking wastewater. First, 6-fold diluted raw coking wastewater was irradiated by UV and VUV. It was found that 15.9%-35.4% total organic carbon (TOC) was removed after 24 hr irradiation. The irradiated effluent could be degraded by the acclimated activated sludge. Even though the VUV photolysis removed more chemical oxygen demand (COD) than UV, the UV-irradiated effluent demonstrated better biodegradability. After 4 hr UV irradiation, the biological oxygen demand BOD5/COD ratio of irradiated coking wastewater increased from 0.163 to 0.224, and its toxicity decreased to the greatest extent. Second, the biologically treated coking wastewater was irradiated by UV and VUV. Both of them were able to remove 37%-47% TOC within 8 hr irradiation. Compared to UV, VUV photolysis could significantly improve the transparency of the bio-treated effluent. VUV also reduced 7% more ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), 17% more nitrite nitrogen (NO2--N), and 18% more total nitrogen (TN) than UV, producing 35% less nitrite nitrogen (NO3--N) as a result. In conclusion, UV irradiation was better in improving the biodegradability of coking wastewater, while VUV was more effective at photolyzing the residual organic compounds and inorganic N-species in the bio-treated effluent. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Vibrio Species in Wastewater Final Effluents and Receiving Watershed in South Africa: Implications for Public Health.

PubMed

Okeyo, Allisen N; Nontongana, Nolonwabo; Fadare, Taiwo O; Okoh, Anthony I

2018-06-15

Wastewater treatment facilities in South Africa are obliged to make provision for wastewater effluent quality management, with the aim of securing the integrity of the surrounding watersheds and environments. The Department of Water Affairs has documented regulatory parameters that have, over the years, served as a guideline for quality monitoring/management purposes. However, these guidelines have not been regularly updated and this may have contributed to some of the water quality anomalies. Studies have shown that promoting the monitoring of the current routinely monitored parameters (both microbial and physicochemical) may not be sufficient. Organisms causing illnesses or even outbreaks, such as Vibrio pathogens with their characteristic environmental resilience, are not included in the guidelines. In South Africa, studies that have been conducted on the occurrence of Vibrio pathogens in domestic and wastewater effluent have made it apparent that these pathogens should also be monitored. The importance of effective wastewater management as one of the key aspects towards protecting surrounding environments and receiving watersheds, as well as protecting public health, is highlighted in this review. Emphasis on the significance of the Vibrio pathogen in wastewater is a particular focus.

An assessment of the public health hazard potential of wastewater reuse for crop production. A case of Bulawayo city, Zimbabwe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutengu, Sherman; Hoko, Zvikomborero; Makoni, Fungai. S.

Wastewater reuse is one possible way in which food production can be improved especially in developing countries where food is often scarce. However, the potential public health risks associated with wastewater use is of major concern. Health concerns are centered on pathogens and other health related pollutants that normally occur in the effluent. This research was conducted in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe during the period December 2005-May 2006. Bulawayo is a semi-arid area, with an average rainfall of 460 mm/annum and experiences frequent droughts. The study aimed at assessing the potential health impacts of effluent reuse for irrigating crops. Some 110 farmers are using wastewater for irrigation of vegetable crops on plots of about 500 m 2 each. Samples were collected from the effluent, the fields and vegetables and analyzed for selected quality parameters of health significance. Results were compared to national and international guidelines for effluent use in irrigation. Farmers’ knowledge on potential risks and practices were investigated through interviews. The results show that 70% of the respondents were aware of related health risks of using wastewater for irrigation. Respondents reported no major disease outbreaks. Mean values of pH were 8.1 and 7.3 for effluent and field soil and were within the FAO range of 6.5-8.5 for irrigation. Average temperature was 22.6 °C, while electrical conductivity ranged from 784 to 957 μS/cm and was less than the guideline value of 2000 μS/cm. Total coliforms in the effluent were found to be 7291 cfu/100 ml, while faecal coliforms were 5836 cfu/100 ml compared to the WHO limit of 1000 cfu/100 ml for irrigation. For effluent, cadmium were 0.04 mg/l and exceeded the long-term threshold limit of 0.01 mg/l, while lead was within the limit of 20 mg/l, with an average of 7.2 mg/l. No cadmium and lead were detected in the vegetables. It can be concluded that there is some health risks related to use of the effluent in the field, while for consumption of the vegetables there appears to be no risk. It is recommended that appropriate wastewater treatment mechanisms such as maturation ponds be put in place to reduce the coliform levels. Farmers must minimize direct contact with the effluent. The long-term impact of the irrigation on the soil for about 30 years and the seasonal impact to see variations on results need further studies.

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.

Surface wastewater in Samara and their impact on water basins as water supply sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strelkov, Alexander; Shuvalov, Mikhail; Gridneva, Marina

2017-10-01

The paper gives an overview of surface wastewater outlets in Samara through the rainwater sewer system into the Saratov water reservoir and the Samara river. The rainwater sewer system in Samara is designed and executed according to a separate scheme, except for the old part of the city, where surface run-off is dumped into the sewer system through siphoned drain. The rainwater system disposes of surface, drainage, industrial clean-contamined waters, emergency and technology discharges from the city’s heat supply and water supply systems. The effluent discharge is carried out by means of separate wastewater outlets into ravines or directly into the Samara river and the Saratov water reservoir without cleaning. The effluent discharge is carried out through the rainwater sewer system with 17 wastewater outlets into the Saratov water reservoir. In the Samara river, surface runoff drainage and clean-contamined water of industrial enterprises is carried out through 14 wastewater outlets. This study emphasizes the demand to arrange effluent discharge and construction of sewage treatment plants to prevent contamination of water objects by surface run-off from residential areas and industrial territories.

Effects of residual organics in municipal wastewater on hydrogenotrophic denitrifying microbial communities.

PubMed

Xing, Wei; Li, Jinlong; Li, Peng; Wang, Chong; Cao, Yanan; Li, Desheng; Yang, Yunfeng; Zhou, Jizhong; Zuo, Jiane

2018-03-01

Hydrogenotrophic denitrification is promising for tertiary nitrogen removal from municipal wastewater. To reveal the influence of residual organics in municipal wastewater on hydrogenotrophic denitrifiers, we adopted high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to examine microbial communities in hydrogenotrophic denitrification enrichments. Using effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant as water source, COD, nitrate and pH were controlled the same except for a gradient of biodegradable carbon (i.e., primary effluent (PE), secondary effluent (SE), or combined primary and secondary effluent (CE)). Inorganic synthetic water (IW) was used as a control. Hydrogenophaga, a major facultative autotroph, accounted for 17.1%, 5.3%, 32.7% and 12.9% of the sequences in PE, CE, SE and IW, respectively, implicating that Hydrogenophaga grew well with or without organics. Thauera, which contains likely obligate autotrophic denitrifiers, appeared to be the most dominant genera (23.6%) in IW and accounted for 2.5%, 4.6% and 8.9% in PE, CE and SE, respectively. Thermomonas, which is related to heterotrophic denitrification, accounted for 4.2% and 7.9% in PE and CE fed with a higher content of labile organics, respectively. In contrast, Thermomonas was not detected in IW and accounted for only 0.6% in SE. Our results suggest that Thermomonas are more competitive than Thauera in hydrogenotrophic denitrification with biodegradable organics. Moreover, facultative autotrophic denitrifiers, Hydrogenophaga, are accommodating to residual organic in effluent wastewater, thus we propose that hydrogenotrophic denitrification is amenable for tertiary nitrogen removal. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effect of recirculation on organic matter removal in a hybrid constructed wetland system.

PubMed

Ayaz, S C; Findik, N; Akça, L; Erdoğan, N; Kinaci, C

2011-01-01

This research project aimed to determine the technologically feasible and applicable wastewater treatment systems which will be constructed to solve environmental problems caused by small communities in Turkey. Pilot-scale treatment of a small community's wastewater was performed over a period of more than 2 years in order to show applicability of these systems. The present study involves removal of organic matter and suspended solids in serially operated horizontal (HFCW) and vertical (VFCW) sub-surface flow constructed wetlands. The pilot-scale wetland was constructed downstream of anaerobic reactors at the campus of TUBITAK-MRC. Anaerobically pretreated wastewater was introduced into this hybrid two-stage sub-surface flow wetland system (TSCW). Wastewater was first introduced into the horizontal sub-surface flow system and then the vertical flow system before being discharged. Recirculation of the effluent was tested in the system. When the recirculation ratio was 100%, average removal efficiencies for TSCW were 91 +/- 4% for COD, 83 +/- 10% for BOD and 96 +/- 3% for suspended solids with average effluent concentrations of 9 +/- 5 mg/L COD, 6 +/- 3 mg/L BOD and 1 mg/L for suspended solids. Comparing non-recirculation and recirculation periods, the lowest effluent concentrations were obtained with a 100% recirculation ratio. The effluent concentrations met the Turkish regulations for discharge limits of COD, BOD and TSS in each case. The study showed that a hybrid constructed wetland system with recirculation is a very effective method of obtaining very low effluent organic matter and suspended solids concentrations downstream of anaerobic pretreatment of domestic wastewaters in small communities.

A novel image processing-based system for turbidity measurement in domestic and industrial wastewater.

PubMed

Mullins, Darragh; Coburn, Derek; Hannon, Louise; Jones, Edward; Clifford, Eoghan; Glavin, Martin

2018-03-01

Wastewater treatment facilities are continually challenged to meet both environmental regulations and reduce running costs (particularly energy and staffing costs). Improving the efficiency of operational monitoring at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) requires the development and implementation of appropriate performance metrics; particularly those that are easily measured, strongly correlate to WWTP performance, and can be easily automated, with a minimal amount of maintenance or intervention by human operators. Turbidity is the measure of the relative clarity of a fluid. It is an expression of the optical property that causes light to be scattered and absorbed by fine particles in suspension (rather than transmitted with no change in direction or flux level through a fluid sample). In wastewater treatment, turbidity is often used as an indicator of effluent quality, rather than an absolute performance metric, although correlations have been found between turbidity and suspended solids. Existing laboratory-based methods to measure turbidity for WWTPs, while relatively simple, require human intervention and are labour intensive. Automated systems for on-site measuring of wastewater effluent turbidity are not commonly used, while those present are largely based on submerged sensors that require regular cleaning and calibration due to fouling from particulate matter in fluids. This paper presents a novel, automated system for estimating fluid turbidity. Effluent samples are imaged such that the light absorption characteristic is highlighted as a function of fluid depth, and computer vision processing techniques are used to quantify this characteristic. Results from the proposed system were compared with results from established laboratory-based methods and were found to be comparable. Tests were conducted using both synthetic dairy wastewater and effluent from multiple WWTPs, both municipal and industrial. This system has an advantage over current methods as it provides a multipoint analysis that can be easily repeated for large volumes of wastewater effluent. Although the system was specifically designed and tested for wastewater treatment applications, it could have applications such as in drinking water treatment, and in other areas where fluid turbidity is an important measurement.

40 CFR 429.21 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... all mechanical barking installations: There shall be no discharge of process wastewater pollutants... hydraulic barking installations: Subpart A Pollutant or pollutant property BPT effluent limitations Maximum...

40 CFR 429.21 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... all mechanical barking installations: There shall be no discharge of process wastewater pollutants... hydraulic barking installations: Subpart A Pollutant or pollutant property BPT effluent limitations Maximum...

40 CFR 420.73 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS IRON AND STEEL MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Hot Forming... there are not significant quantities of toxic pollutants in hot forming wastewaters after compliance...

40 CFR 420.113 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS IRON AND STEEL MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Alkaline... determined that there are not significant quantities of toxic pollutants in alkaline cleaning wastewaters...

40 CFR 463.23 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS PLASTICS MOLDING AND FORMING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Cleaning... determined that there are insignificant quantities of toxic pollutants in cleaning process wastewaters after...

Toxicity assessment on combined biological treatment of pharmaceutical industry effluents.

PubMed

Inanc, B; Calli, B; Alp, K; Ciner, F; Mertoglu, B; Ozturk, I

2002-01-01

This paper describes the wastewater characterization and aerobic/anaerobic treatability (oxygen uptake rate and biogas production measurement) of chemical-synthesis based pharmaceutical industry effluents in a nearby baker's yeast industry treatment plant. Preliminary experiments by the industry had indicated strong anaerobic toxicity. On the other hand, aerobic treatability was also uncertain due to complexity and unknown composition of the wastewater. The work in this study has indicated that the effluents of the pharmaceutical industry can be treated without toxicity in the aerobic stage of the treatment plant. Methanogenic activity tests with anaerobic sludge from the anaerobic treatment stage of the wastewater treatment plant and acetate as substrate have confirmed the strong toxicity, while showing that 30 min aeration or coagulation with an alum dose of 300 mg/l is sufficient for reducing the toxicity almost completely. Powdered activated carbon, lime and ferric chloride (100-1,000 mg/l) had no effect on reduction of the toxicity. Consequently, the pharmaceutical industry was recommended to treat its effluents in the anaerobic stage of the nearby baker's yeast industry wastewater treatment plan at which there will be no VOC emission and toxicity problem, provided that pretreatment is done.

Characterization of the resistome in manure, soil and wastewater from dairy and beef production systems.

PubMed

Noyes, Noelle R; Yang, Xiang; Linke, Lyndsey M; Magnuson, Roberta J; Cook, Shaun R; Zaheer, Rahat; Yang, Hua; Woerner, Dale R; Geornaras, Ifigenia; McArt, Jessica A; Gow, Sheryl P; Ruiz, Jaime; Jones, Kenneth L; Boucher, Christina A; McAllister, Tim A; Belk, Keith E; Morley, Paul S

2016-04-20

It has been proposed that livestock production effluents such as wastewater, airborne dust and manure increase the density of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and genes in the environment. The public health risk posed by this proposed outcome has been difficult to quantify using traditional microbiological approaches. We utilized shotgun metagenomics to provide a first description of the resistome of North American dairy and beef production effluents, and identify factors that significantly impact this resistome. We identified 34 mechanisms of antimicrobial drug resistance within 34 soil, manure and wastewater samples from feedlot, ranch and dairy operations. The majority of resistance-associated sequences found in all samples belonged to tetracycline resistance mechanisms. We found that the ranch samples contained significantly fewer resistance mechanisms than dairy and feedlot samples, and that the resistome of dairy operations differed significantly from that of feedlots. The resistome in soil, manure and wastewater differed, suggesting that management of these effluents should be tailored appropriately. By providing a baseline of the cattle production waste resistome, this study represents a solid foundation for future efforts to characterize and quantify the public health risk posed by livestock effluents.

Characterization of the resistome in manure, soil and wastewater from dairy and beef production systems

PubMed Central

Noyes, Noelle R.; Yang, Xiang; Linke, Lyndsey M.; Magnuson, Roberta J.; Cook, Shaun R.; Zaheer, Rahat; Yang, Hua; Woerner, Dale R.; Geornaras, Ifigenia; McArt, Jessica A.; Gow, Sheryl P.; Ruiz, Jaime; Jones, Kenneth L.; Boucher, Christina A.; McAllister, Tim A.; Belk, Keith E.; Morley, Paul S.

2016-01-01

It has been proposed that livestock production effluents such as wastewater, airborne dust and manure increase the density of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and genes in the environment. The public health risk posed by this proposed outcome has been difficult to quantify using traditional microbiological approaches. We utilized shotgun metagenomics to provide a first description of the resistome of North American dairy and beef production effluents, and identify factors that significantly impact this resistome. We identified 34 mechanisms of antimicrobial drug resistance within 34 soil, manure and wastewater samples from feedlot, ranch and dairy operations. The majority of resistance-associated sequences found in all samples belonged to tetracycline resistance mechanisms. We found that the ranch samples contained significantly fewer resistance mechanisms than dairy and feedlot samples, and that the resistome of dairy operations differed significantly from that of feedlots. The resistome in soil, manure and wastewater differed, suggesting that management of these effluents should be tailored appropriately. By providing a baseline of the cattle production waste resistome, this study represents a solid foundation for future efforts to characterize and quantify the public health risk posed by livestock effluents. PMID:27095377

Impact of treated urban wastewater for reuse in agriculture on crop response and soil ecotoxicity.

PubMed

Belhaj, Dalel; Jerbi, Bouthaina; Medhioub, Mounir; Zhou, John; Kallel, Monem; Ayadi, Habib

2016-08-01

The scarcity of freshwater resources is a serious problem in arid regions, such as Tunisia, and marginal quality water is gradually being used in agriculture. This study aims to study the impact of treated urban wastewater for reuse in agriculture on the health of soil and food crops. The key findings are that the effluents of Sfax wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) did not meet the relevant guidelines, therefore emitting a range of organic (e.g., up to 90 mg L(-1) COD and 30 mg L(-1) BOD5) and inorganic pollutants (e.g., up to 0.5 mg L(-1) Cu and 0.1 mg L(-1) Cd) in the receiving aquatic environments. Greenhouse experiments examining the effects of wastewater reuse on food plants such as tomato, lettuce, and radish showed that the treated effluent adversely affected plant growth, photosynthesis, and antioxidant enzyme contents. However, the pollution burden and biological effects on plants were substantially reduced by using a 50 % dilution of treated sewage effluent, suggesting the potential of reusing treated effluent in agriculture so long as appropriate monitoring and control is in place.

Assessment of the disinfection capacity and eco-toxicological impact of atmospheric cold plasma for treatment of food industry effluents.

PubMed

Patange, Apurva; Boehm, Daniela; Giltrap, Michelle; Lu, Peng; Cullen, P J; Bourke, Paula

2018-08-01

Generation of wastewater is one of the main environmental sustainability issues across food sector industries. The constituents of food process effluents are often complex and require high energy and processing for regulatory compliance. Wastewater streams are the subject of microbiological and chemical criteria, and can have a significant eco-toxicological impact on the aquatic life. Thus, innovative treatment approaches are required to mitigate environmental impact in an energy efficient manner. Here, dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) was evaluated for control of key microbial indicators encountered in food industry effluent. This study also investigated the eco-toxicological impact of cold plasma treatment of the effluents using a range of aquatic bioassays. Continuous ACP treatment was applied to synthetic dairy and meat effluents. Microbial inactivation showed treatment time dependence with significant reduction in microbial populations within 120 s, and to undetectable levels after 300 s. Post treatment retention time emerged as critical control parameter which promoted ACP bacterial inactivation efficiency. Moreover, ACP treatment for 20 min achieved significant reduction (≥2 Log 10 ) in Bacillus megaterium endospores in wastewater effluent. Acute aquatic toxicity was assessed using two fish cell lines (PLHC-1 and RTG-2) and a crustacean model (Daphnia magna). Untreated effluents were toxic to the aquatic models, however, plasma treatment limited the toxic effects. Differing sensitivities were observed to ACP treated effluents across the different test bio-assays in the following order: PLHC-1 > RTG-2 ≥ D. magna; with greater sensitivity retained to plasma treated meat effluent than dairy effluent. The toxic effects were dependent on concentration and treatment time of the ACP treated effluent; with 30% cytotoxicity in D. magna and fish cells observed after 24 h of exposure to ACP treated effluent for concentrations up to 5%. The findings suggest the need to employ wider variety of aquatic organisms for better understanding and complete toxicity evaluation of long-term effects. The study demonstrates the potential to tailor ACP system parameters to control pertinent microbial targets (mono/poly-microbial, vegetative or spore form) found in complex and nutritious wastewater effluents whilst maintaining a safe eco-toxicity profile for aquatic species. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistant and Virulent Salmonella spp. in Treated Effluent and Receiving Aquatic Milieu of Wastewater Treatment Plants in Durban, South Africa

PubMed Central

Odjadjare, Ejovwokoghene C.; Olaniran, Ademola O.

2015-01-01

In this study, we evaluated the impact of treated wastewater effluent from two wastewater treatment plants on the physicochemical parameters and Salmonella spp. load of receiving rivers. Presumptive Salmonella spp. were obtained at all sampled points including the discharge points, with counts ranging from 0 to 4.14 log cfu/mL at both plants. Turbidity, chemical and biological oxygen demand were found to be high and mostly above the required limit for treated wastewater discharge. However, recorded nitrate and phosphate values were very low. Of the 200 confirmed Salmonella spp. isolates recovered from the treated effluent and receiving surface waters, 93% harbored the spiC gene, 84% harbored the misL gene, and 87.5% harbored the orfL gene while 87% harbored the pipD gene. The antibiotic resistance profile revealed that the isolates were resistant to sulfamethoxazole, nalidixic acid and streptomycin, but susceptible to quinolones and third generation β-lactams. These results indicate that in South Africa treated effluents are still a major source of contamination of rivers with pathogens such as Salmonella. Appropriate steps by the regulatory authorities and workers at the treatment plants are needed to enforce stipulated guidelines in order to prevent pollution of surface water resources due to the discharge of poorly treated effluents. PMID:26295245

Investigation of endogenous biomass efficiency in the treatment of unhairing effluents from the tanning industry.

PubMed

Mlaik, Najwa; Bouzid, Jalel; Gharsallah, Neji; Belbahri, Lassad; Woodward, Steve; Mechichi, Tahar

2009-08-01

The tanning industry is of great economic importance worldwide; however, the potential environmental impact of tanning is significant. An important component in tanning is the removal of hair from the hide (unhairing), a process which generates considerable amounts of toxic effluent characterized by a high concentration of sulphur, rich mineral compounds, a high alkalinity and a high organic load. The purpose of the work described here was to evaluate the biodegradability of the unhairing wastewater by endogenous biomass in batch culture and continuous systems. The detoxification of the effluent was assessed by seed germination tests. The batch culture experiments showed that variations in COD, temperature and pH significantly affected the endogenous biomass growth and activity. The optimal treatment condition corresponded to an initial COD of 6 g/L, pH of 7 and 30 degrees C. Under continuous culture conditions, the reactor was fed for 48 days with the unhairing effluent. The optimal COD removal efficiency was 85.5%. During treatment, a transformation of sulphides into thiosulphates and then sulphates was also observed. The effect of untreated and treated unhairing wastewater on seed germination of different plant species was studied. The data suggested that treatment decreased the wastewater toxicity. Indeed, germination was inhibited when the effluent dilution was lower than 20% and 10% for treated and untreated wastewater, respectively.

Characterisation of winery wastewater from continuous flow settling basins and waste stabilisation ponds over the course of 1 year: implications for biological wastewater treatment and land application.

PubMed

Welz, P J; Holtman, G; Haldenwang, R; le Roes-Hill, M

2016-11-01

Wineries generate 0.2 to 4 L of wastewater per litre of wine produced. Many cellars make use of irrigation as a means of disposal, either directly or after storage. In order to consider the potential downstream impacts of storage/no storage, this study critically compared the seasonal organic and inorganic composition of fresh winery effluent with effluent that had been stored in waste stabilisation ponds. Ethanol and short chain volatile fatty acids were the main contributors to chemical oxygen demand (COD), with average concentrations of 2,086 and 882 mgCOD/L, respectively. Total phenolics were typically present in concentrations <100 mg/L. The concentration of sodium from cleaning agents was higher in the non-crush season, while the converse was true for organics. The effluent was nitrogen-deficient for biological treatment, with COD:N ratios of 0.09 to 1.2. There was an accumulation of propionic and butyric acid during storage. The composition of the pond effluent was more stable in character, and it is possible that bacterial and algal nitrogen fixation in such systems may enhance biological wastewater treatment by natural nitrogen supplementation. It is therefore recommended that if land requirements can be met, winery effluent should be stored in ponds prior to treatment.

Immunocompetence analysis of the aquatic snail Lymnaea stagnalis exposed to urban wastewaters.

PubMed

Boisseaux, Paul; Noury, Patrice; Delorme, Nicolas; Perrier, Lucile; Thomas-Guyon, Helene; Garric, Jeanne

2018-04-02

Wastewater treatment plant effluents from urban area are a well-known source of chronic multiple micropollution to the downstream living organisms. In this study, ecologically relevant laboratory-bred freshwater gastropods, Lymnaea stagnalis, were exposed for 29 days to raw effluents of a wastewater treatment plant in Lyon area (France). A time-course analysis of individual markers of immunocompetence (hemocyte density and viability, hemocyte NADPH activity, phenol oxidase activity, and capacity of phagocytosis) has shown slight trends of inflammatory-like responses induced by the 100% effluents. So far, no short-term hazard for L. stagnalis can be revealed. However, over the long term, such environmental stress-stimulating immune responses could provoke deleterious life history trade-offs because the immune system is known to be highly energy-consuming.

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.

Removal of bacterial contaminants and antibiotic resistance genes by conventional wastewater treatment processes in Saudi Arabia: Is the treated wastewater safe to reuse for agricultural irrigation?

PubMed

Al-Jassim, Nada; Ansari, Mohd Ikram; Harb, Moustapha; Hong, Pei-Ying

2015-04-15

This study aims to assess the removal efficiency of microbial contaminants in a local wastewater treatment plant over the duration of one year, and to assess the microbial risk associated with reusing treated wastewater in agricultural irrigation. The treatment process achieved 3.5 logs removal of heterotrophic bacteria and up to 3.5 logs removal of fecal coliforms. The final chlorinated effluent had 1.8 × 10(2) MPN/100 mL of fecal coliforms and fulfils the required quality for restricted irrigation. 16S rRNA gene-based high-throughput sequencing showed that several genera associated with opportunistic pathogens (e.g. Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Arcobacter, Legionella, Mycobacterium, Neisseria, Pseudomonas and Streptococcus) were detected at relative abundance ranging from 0.014 to 21 % of the total microbial community in the influent. Among them, Pseudomonas spp. had the highest approximated cell number in the influent but decreased to less than 30 cells/100 mL in both types of effluent. A culture-based approach further revealed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was mainly found in the influent and non-chlorinated effluent but was replaced by other Pseudomonas spp. in the chlorinated effluent. Aeromonas hydrophila could still be recovered in the chlorinated effluent. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) determined that only chlorinated effluent should be permitted for use in agricultural irrigation as it achieved an acceptable annual microbial risk lower than 10(-4) arising from both P. aeruginosa and A. hydrophila. However, the proportion of bacterial isolates resistant to 6 types of antibiotics increased from 3.8% in the influent to 6.9% in the chlorinated effluent. Examples of these antibiotic-resistant isolates in the chlorinated effluent include Enterococcus and Enterobacter spp. Besides the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial isolates, tetracycline resistance genes tetO, tetQ, tetW, tetH, tetZ were also present at an average 2.5 × 10(2), 1.6 × 10(2), 4.4 × 10(2), 1.6 × 10(1) and 5.5 × 10(3) copies per mL of chlorinated effluent. Our study highlighted that potential risks associated with the reuse of treated wastewater arise not only from conventional fecal indicators or known pathogens, but also from antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treated Wastewater Effluent as a Source of Microbial Pollution of Surface Water Resources

PubMed Central

Naidoo, Shalinee; Olaniran, Ademola O.

2013-01-01

Since 1990, more than 1.8 billion people have gained access to potable water and improved sanitation worldwide. Whilst this represents a vital step towards improving global health and well-being, accelerated population growth coupled with rapid urbanization has further strained existing water supplies. Whilst South Africa aims at spending 0.5% of its GDP on improving sanitation, additional factors such as hydrological variability and growing agricultural needs have further increased dependence on this finite resource. Increasing pressure on existing wastewater treatment plants has led to the discharge of inadequately treated effluent, reinforcing the need to improve and adopt more stringent methods for monitoring discharged effluent and surrounding water sources. This review provides an overview of the relative efficiencies of the different steps involved in wastewater treatment as well as the commonly detected microbial indicators with their associated health implications. In addition, it highlights the need to enforce more stringent measures to ensure compliance of treated effluent quality to the existing guidelines. PMID:24366046

Determination of buildup and dilution of wastewater effluent in shellfish growing waters through a modified application of super-position.

PubMed

Goblick, Gregory N; Ao, Yaping; Anbarchian, Julie M; Calci, Kevin R

2017-02-15

Since 1925, dilution analysis has been used to minimize pathogenic impacts to bivalve molluscan shellfish growing areas from treated wastewater effluent in the National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP). For over twenty five years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended a minimum of 1000:1 dilution of effluent within prohibited closure zones established around wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges. During May 2010, using recent technologies, a hydrographic dye study was conducted in conjunction with a pathogen bioaccumulation study in shellfish adjacent to a WWTP discharge in Yarmouth, ME. For the first time an improved method of the super-position principle was used to determine the buildup of dye tagged sewage effluent and steady state dilution in tidal waters. Results of the improved method of dilution analysis illustrate an economical, reliable and more accurate and manageable approach for estimating the buildup and steady state pollutant conditions in coastal and estuarine waters. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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.

40 CFR 455.43 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Packaging Subcategory § 455.43 Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction... shall provide no discharge additional discharge allowance for those pesticide active ingredients (PAIs) in the pesticide formulating, packaging and repackaging wastewaters when those PAIs are also...

40 CFR 455.43 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Packaging Subcategory § 455.43 Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction... shall provide no discharge additional discharge allowance for those pesticide active ingredients (PAIs) in the pesticide formulating, packaging and repackaging wastewaters when those PAIs are also...

40 CFR 401.17 - pH Effluent limitations under continuous monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false pH Effluent limitations under... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS GENERAL PROVISIONS § 401.17 pH Effluent limitations under continuous monitoring. (a) Where a permittee continuously measures the pH of wastewater pursuant to a...

40 CFR 401.17 - pH Effluent limitations under continuous monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2013-07-01 2012-07-01 true pH Effluent limitations under... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS GENERAL PROVISIONS § 401.17 pH Effluent limitations under continuous monitoring. (a) Where a permittee continuously measures the pH of wastewater pursuant to a...

40 CFR 401.17 - pH Effluent limitations under continuous monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2014-07-01 2012-07-01 true pH Effluent limitations under... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS GENERAL PROVISIONS § 401.17 pH Effluent limitations under continuous monitoring. (a) Where a permittee continuously measures the pH of wastewater pursuant to a...

40 CFR 401.17 - pH Effluent limitations under continuous monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2011-07-01 2009-07-01 true pH Effluent limitations under... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS GENERAL PROVISIONS § 401.17 pH Effluent limitations under continuous monitoring. (a) Where a permittee continuously measures the pH of wastewater pursuant to a...

40 CFR 401.17 - pH Effluent limitations under continuous monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true pH Effluent limitations under... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS GENERAL PROVISIONS § 401.17 pH Effluent limitations under continuous monitoring. (a) Where a permittee continuously measures the pH of wastewater pursuant to a...

Seasonal changes in antibiotics, antidepressants/psychiatric drugs, antihistamines and lipid regulators in a wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Golovko, Oksana; Kumar, Vimal; Fedorova, Ganna; Randak, Tomas; Grabic, Roman

2014-09-01

Seasonal changes in the concentration of 21 pharmaceuticals in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in České Budějovice were investigated over 12months. The target compounds were 10 antibiotics, 4 antidepressants, 3 psychiatric drugs, 2 antihistamines and 2 lipid regulators. 272 Wastewater samples (136 influents and 136 effluents) were collected from March 2011 to February 2012 and analyzed using two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. All studied pharmaceuticals were frequently detected in both the influent and the effluent wastewater samples, except for meclozine, which was only found in the influent. The mean concentration of pharmaceuticals varied from 0.006μgL(-1) to 1.48μgL(-1) in the influent and from 0.003μgL(-1) to 0.93μgL(-1) in the effluent. The concentration of most pharmaceuticals was higher during winter. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fuzzy logic for plant-wide control of biological wastewater treatment process including greenhouse gas emissions.

PubMed

Santín, I; Barbu, M; Pedret, C; Vilanova, R

2018-06-01

The application of control strategies is increasingly used in wastewater treatment plants with the aim of improving effluent quality and reducing operating costs. Due to concerns about the progressive growth of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), these are also currently being evaluated in wastewater treatment plants. The present article proposes a fuzzy controller for plant-wide control of the biological wastewater treatment process. Its design is based on 14 inputs and 6 outputs in order to reduce GHG emissions, nutrient concentration in the effluent and operational costs. The article explains and shows the effect of each one of the inputs and outputs of the fuzzy controller, as well as the relationship between them. Benchmark Simulation Model no 2 Gas is used for testing the proposed control strategy. The results of simulation results show that the fuzzy controller is able to reduce GHG emissions while improving, at the same time, the common criteria of effluent quality and operational costs. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Post-treatment of secondary wastewater treatment plant effluent using a two-stage fluidized bed bioreactor system

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of a two-stage fluidized bed reactor (FBR) system for the post-treatment of secondary wastewater treatment plant effluents (Shahrak Gharb, Tehran, Iran). The proposed treatment scheme was evaluated using pilot-scale reactors (106-L of capacity) filled with PVC as the fluidized bed (first stage) and gravel for the filtration purpose (second stage). Aluminum sulfate (30 mg/L) and chlorine (1 mg/L) were used for the coagulation and disinfection of the effluent, respectively. To monitor the performance of the FBR system, variation of several parameters (biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, total phosphorous, total coliform and fecal coliform) were monitored in the effluent wastewater samples. The results showed that the proposed system could effectively reduce BOD5 and COD below 1.95 and 4.06 mg/L, respectively. Turbidity of the effluent could be achieved below 0.75 NTU, which was lower than those reported for the disinfection purpose. The total phosphorus was reduced to 0.52 mg/L, which was near the present phosphorous standard for the prevention of eutrophication process. Depending on both microorganism concentration and applied surface loading rates (5–10 m/h), about 35 to 75% and 67 to 97% of coliform were removed without and with the chlorine addition, respectively. Findings of this study clearly confirmed the efficiency of the FBR system for the post-treatment of the secondary wastewater treatment plant effluents without any solid problem during the chlorination. PMID:24499570

Effects of wastewater disinfection on waterborne bacteria and viruses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blatchley, E. R.; Gong, W.-L.; Alleman, J.E.; Rose, J.B.; Huffman, D.E.; Otaki, M.; Lisle, J.T.

2007-01-01

Wastewater disinfection is practiced with the goal of reducing risks of human exposure to pathogenic microorganisms. In most circumstances, the efficacy of a wastewater disinfection process is regulated and monitored based on measurements of the responses of indicator bacteria. However, inactivation of indicator bacteria does not guarantee an acceptable degree of inactivation among other waterborne microorganisms (e.g., microbial pathogens). Undisinfected effluent samples from several municipal wastewater treatment facilities were collected for analysis. Facilities were selected to provide a broad spectrum of effluent quality, particularly as related to nitrogenous compounds. Samples were subjected to bench-scale chlorination and dechlorination and UV irradiation under conditions that allowed compliance with relevant discharge regulations and such that disinfectant exposures could be accurately quantified. Disinfected samples were subjected to a battery of assays to assess the immediate and long-term effects of wastewater disinfection on waterborne bacteria and viruses. In general, (viable) bacterial populations showed an immediate decline as a result of disinfectant exposure; however, incubation of disinfected samples under conditions that were designed to mimic the conditions in a receiving stream resulted in substantial recovery of the total bacterial community. The bacterial groups that are commonly used as indicators do not provide an accurate representation of the response of the bacterial community to disinfectant exposure and subsequent recovery in the environment. UV irradiation and chlorination/dechlorination both accomplished measurable inactivation of indigenous phage; however, the extent of inactivation was fairly modest under the conditions of disinfection used in this study. UV irradiation was consistently more effective as a virucide than chlorination/dechlorination under the conditions of application, based on measurements of virus (phage) diversity and concentration. Taken together, and when considered in conjunction with previously published research, the results of these experiments illustrate several important limitations of common disinfection processes as applied in the treatment of municipal wastewaters. In general, it is not clear that conventional disinfection processes, as commonly implemented, are effective for control of the risks of disease transmission, particularly those associated with viral pathogens. Microbial quality in receiving streams may not be substantially improved by the application of these disinfection processes; under some circumstances, an argument can be made that disinfection may actually yield a decrease in effluent and receiving water quality. Decisions regarding the need for effluent disinfection must account for site-specific characteristics, but it is not clear that disinfection of municipal wastewater effluents is necessary or beneficial for all facilities. When direct human contact or ingestion of municipal wastewater effluents is likely, disinfection may be necessary. Under these circumstances, UV irradiation appears to be superior to chlorination in terms of microbial quality and chemistry and toxicology. This advantage is particularly evident in effluents that contain appreciable quantities of ammonia-nitrogen or organic nitrogen.

The development of a code of practice for single house on-site wastewater treatment in Ireland.

PubMed

Gill, L W

2011-01-01

The performance of six separate percolation areas was intensively monitored to ascertain the attenuation effects of unsaturated subsoils with respect to on-site wastewater effluent: three sites receiving septic tank effluent, the other three sites receiving secondary treated effluent. The development of a biomat across the percolation areas receiving secondary treated effluent was restricted on these sites compared to those sites receiving septic tank effluent. This created significant differences in terms of the hydraulic loading on the percolation areas with implications for the transport and attenuation of indicator microorganisms and nitrogen down through the subsoils and into the groundwater. The results of this work have formed a large input into the production of a new Code of Practice Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems Serving Single Houses. This has led to changes in the design of on-site hydraulic loading from 180 L per capita per day (L/c.d) down to 150 L/c.d. The range of acceptable subsoils receiving septic tank effluent has narrowed for more highly permeable subsoils following a series of tracer studies using bacteriophages. However, the range has been extended for lower permeability subsoils (range 0.08 down to 0.06 m/d) receiving secondary treated effluent in order to encourage the effluent to spread further along the trenches. The maximum individual length of percolation trenches receiving secondary effluent has also been reduced to 10 m to encourage dispersion on a wider area. This paper thus highlights how research can directly feed into a Code of Practice.

Infectivity of Giardia duodenalis Cysts from UV Light-Disinfected Wastewater Effluent Using a Nude BALB/c Mouse Model

PubMed Central

dos Santos, Luciana Urbano; Alves, Delma Pegolo; Guaraldo, Ana Maria Aparecida; Cantusio Neto, Romeu; Durigan, Mauricio; Franco, Regina Maura Bueno

2013-01-01

Giardia duodenalis is a protozoan of public health interest that causes gastroenteritis in humans and other animals. In the city of Campinas in southeast Brazil, giardiasis is endemic, and this pathogen is detected at high concentrations in wastewater effluents, which are potential reservoirs for transmission. The Samambaia wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the city of Campinas employs an activated sludge system for sewage treatment and ultraviolet (UV) light for disinfection of effluents. To evaluate this disinfection process with respect to inactivating G. duodenalis cysts, two sample types were investigated: (i) effluent without UV disinfection (EFL) and (ii) effluent with UV disinfection (EFL+UV). Nude immunodeficient BALB/c mice were intragastrically inoculated with a mean dose of 14 cysts of G. duodenalis recovered from effluent from this WWTP, EFL, or EFL+UV. All animals inoculated with G. duodenalis cysts developed the infection, but animals inoculated with UV-exposed cysts released a lower average concentration of cysts in their faeces than animals inoculated with cysts that were not UV disinfected. Trophozoites were also observed in both groups of animals. These findings suggest that G. duodenalis cysts exposed to UV light were damaged but were still able to cause infection. PMID:27335858

Distinct enantiomeric signals of ibuprofen and naproxen in treated wastewater and sewer overflow.

PubMed

Khan, Stuart J; Wang, Lili; Hashim, Nor H; McDonald, James A

2014-11-01

Ibuprofen and naproxen are commonly used members of a class of pharmaceuticals known as 2-arylpropionic acids (2-APAs). Both are chiral chemicals and can exist as either of two (R)- and (S)-enantiomers. Enantioselective analyses of effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and from untreated sewage overflow reveal distinctly different enantiomeric fractions for both pharmaceuticals. The (S)-enantiomers of both were dominant in untreated sewage overflow, but the relative proportions of the (R)-enantiomers were shown to be increased in WWTP effluents. (R)-naproxen was below method detection limits (<1 ng.L(-1)) in sewage overflow, but measurable at higher concentrations in WWTP effluents. Accordingly, enantiomeric fractions (EF) for naproxen were consistently 1.0 in sewage overflow, but ranged from 0.7–0.9 in WWTP effluents. Ibuprofen EF ranged from 0.6–0.8 in sewage overflow and receiving waters, and was 0.5 in two WWTP effluents. Strong evidence is provided to indicate that chiral inversion of (S)-2-APAs to produce (R)-2-APAs may occur during wastewater treatment processes. It is concluded that this characterization of the enantiomeric fractions for ibuprofen and naproxen in particular effluents could facilitate the distinction of treated and untreated sources of pharmaceutical contamination in surface waters.

Pollution profile and biodegradation characteristics of fur-suede processing effluents.

PubMed

Yildiz Töre, G; Insel, G; Ubay Cokgör, E; Ferlier, E; Kabdaşli, I; Orhon, D

2011-07-01

This study investigated the effect of stream segregation on the biodegradation characteristics of wastewaters generated by fur-suede processing. It was conducted on a plant located in an organized industrial district in Turkey. A detailed in-plant analysis of the process profile and the resulting pollution profile in terms of significant parameters indicated the characteristics of a strong wastewater with a maximum total COD of 4285 mg L(-1), despite the excessive wastewater generation of 205 m3 (ton skin)(-1). Respirometric analysis by model calibration yielded slow biodegradation kinetics and showed that around 50% of the particulate organics were utilized at a rate similar to that of endogenous respiration. A similar analysis on the segregated wastewater streams suggested that biodegradation of the plant effluent is controlled largely by the initial washing/pickling operations. The effect of other effluent streams was not significant due to their relatively low contribution to the overall organic load. The respirometric tests showed that the biodegradation kinetics of the joint treatment plant influent of the district were substantially improved and exhibited typical levels reported for tannery wastewater, so that the inhibitory impact was suppressed to a great extent by dilution and mixing with effluents of the other plants. The chemical treatment step in the joint treatment plant removed the majority of the particulate organics so that 80% of the available COD was utilized in the oxygen uptake rate (OUR) test, a ratio quite compatible with the biodegradable COD fractions of tannery wastewater. Consequently, process kinetics and especially the hydrolysis rate appeared to be significantly improved.

Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Learn how local governments have achieved sustained energy improvements at their water and wastewater facilities through equipment upgrades, operational modifications, and modifications to facility buildings.

Effect of disinfection upon dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in wastewater: bacterial bioassays.

PubMed

Arana, I; Santorum, P; Muela, A; Barcina, I

2000-08-01

Quantitative and qualitative changes in organic matter content of wastewater effluents attributable to chlorination and ozonation have been analysed using bioassays as well as organic carbon direct measures. Bioassays were carried out using the bacterial populations of wastewater and two Escherichia coli strains as test micro-organisms. Our results indicate that pure strains present some advantages over indigenous bacteria. Although wastewater bacterial populations are better adapted to growth in wastewater, E. coli strains are more sensitive to changes in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content. Moreover, the use of pure cultures allows estimation of the portion of DOC which can be converted in cell biomass, the assimilable organic carbon (AOC). Finally, the results obtained using prototrophic and the auxotrophic strains of E. coli suggested that ozonation alters the amino acid composition of wastewater while chlorination does not change the quantity nor the quality of the DOC present in effluents.

Use of an In Vitro, Nuclear Receptor Assay Panel to Characterize the Endocrine-Disrupting Activity Load of Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent Extracts

EPA Science Inventory

Use of an In Vitro, Nuclear Receptor Assay Panel to Characterize the Endocrine-Disrupting Activity Load of Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent Extracts Katie B. Paul 1.2, Ruth Marfil-Vega 1 Marc A. Mills3, Steve 0. Simmons2, Vickie S. Wilson4, Kevin M. Crofton2 10ak Rid...

Common effluent treatment plant (CETP) for wastewater management from a cluster of small scale tanneries.

PubMed

Pathe, P P; Kumar, M Suresh; Kharwade, M R; Kaul, S N

2004-05-01

Effluent treatment plants need land for construction, capital cost, power and specialized manpower for their operation and maintenance. Because of these constraints, small scale tanneries can not afford to have their own effluent treatment facilities and therefore, combined effluent from all tanneries are to be brought to a centralized place for treatment. This facility is called a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP). For operation and maintenance of CETP, small scale tanners formed a co-operative society. The expenses for operation and maintenance of CETP are being shared by participating tanneries. Wastewater management for the cluster of small scale tanneries was studied in details and various measures were incorporated to improve performance of the CETP and also to improve treated effluent quality to confirm standard prescribed by regulatory agencies. Performance of existing CETP was evaluated. Based on the results, bench scale laboratory treatability studies were conducted for improvement in treated effluent quality and also to suggest appropriate modifications to the CETP. These studies are detailed in this paper.

40 CFR 461.11 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS BATTERY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Cadmium Subcategory... allowance for process wastewater pollutants from any battery manufacturing operation other than those battery manufacturing operations listed above. ...

40 CFR 461.11 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) BATTERY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Cadmium... allowance for process wastewater pollutants from any battery manufacturing operation other than those battery manufacturing operations listed above. ...

40 CFR 461.11 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) BATTERY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Cadmium... allowance for process wastewater pollutants from any battery manufacturing operation other than those battery manufacturing operations listed above. ...

40 CFR 461.11 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) BATTERY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Cadmium... allowance for process wastewater pollutants from any battery manufacturing operation other than those battery manufacturing operations listed above. ...

40 CFR 461.11 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS BATTERY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Cadmium Subcategory... allowance for process wastewater pollutants from any battery manufacturing operation other than those battery manufacturing operations listed above. ...

Occurrence of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater constituents in selected streams in northern Arkansas, 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Galloway, Joel M.; Haggard, Brian E.; Meyers, Michael T.; Green, W. Reed

2005-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the University of Arkansas and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, collected data in 2004 to determine the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater constituents, including many constituents of emerging environmental concern, in selected streams in northern Arkansas. Samples were collected in March and April 2004 from 17 sites located upstream and downstream from wastewater- treatment plant effluent discharges on 7 streams in northwestern Arkansas and at 1 stream site in a relatively undeveloped basin in north-central Arkansas. Additional samples were collected at three of the sites in August 2004. The targeted organic wastewater constituents and sample sites were selected because wastewater-treatment plant effluent discharge provides a potential point source of these constituents and analytical techniques have improved to accurately measure small amounts of these constituents in environmental samples. At least 1 of the 108 pharmaceutical or other organic wastewater constituents was detected at all sites in 2004, except at Spavinaw Creek near Maysville, Arkansas. The number of detections generally was greater at sites downstream from municipal wastewater-treatment plant effluent discharges (mean = 14) compared to sites not influenced by wastewatertreatment plants (mean = 3). Overall, 42 of the 108 constituents targeted in the collected water-quality samples were detected. The most frequently detected constituents included caffeine, phenol, para-cresol, and acetyl hexamethyl tetrahydro naphthalene.

Diagnosis and Prognostic of Wastewater Treatment System Based on Bayesian Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dan; Yang, Haizhen; Liang, XiaoFeng

2010-11-01

Wastewater treatment is a complicated and dynamic process. The treatment effect can be influenced by many variables in microbial, chemical and physical aspects. These variables are always uncertain. Due to the complex biological reaction mechanisms, the highly time-varying and multivariable aspects, the diagnosis and prognostic of wastewater treatment system are still difficult in practice. Bayesian network (BN) is one of the best methods for dealing with uncertainty in the artificial intelligence field. Because of the powerful inference ability and convenient decision mechanism, BN can be employed into the model description and influencing factor analysis of wastewater treatment system with great flexibility and applicability.In this paper, taking modified sequencing batch reactor (MSBR) as an analysis object, BN model was constructed according to the influent water quality, operational condition and effluent effect data of MSBR, and then a novel approach based on BN is proposed to analyze the influencing factors of the wastewater treatment system. The approach presented gives an effective tool for diagnosing and predicting analysis of the wastewater treatment system. On the basis of the influent water quality and operational condition, effluent effect can be predicted. Moreover, according to the effluent effect, the influent water quality and operational condition also can be deduced.

Parris Island Wastewater Treatment Plant SCADA Upgrades Final Report

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

Meador, Richard J.; Hatley, Darrel D.

2004-03-18

Marine Corp Recruit Depot (MCRD), Parris Island, SC, home of the Easter Recruiting Region Marine Corp Boot Camp, found itself in a situation common to Department of Defense (DOD) facilities. It had to deal with several different types of installed energy-related control systems that could not talk to each other. This situation was being exacerbated by the installation of a new and/or unique type of control system for every new building being constructed or older facility that was being upgraded. The Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) and lift station controls were badly in need of a thorough inspection and a newmore » Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system upgrade to meet environmental, safety, manpower, and maintenance concerns. A project was recently completed to implement such a wastewater treatment SCADA upgrade, which is compatible with other upgrades to the energy monitoring and control systems for Parris Island buildings and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Decision Support for Operations and Maintenance (DSOM) system installed at the Central Energy Plant (CEP). This project included design, specification, procurement, installation, and testing an upgraded SCADA alarm, process monitoring, and display system; and training WWTF operators in its operation. The ultimate goal of this and the other PNNL projects at Parris Island is to allow monitoring and control of energy and environmental components from a central location.« less

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.

Emissions of perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS) from point sources--identification of relevant branches.

PubMed

Clara, M; Scheffknecht, C; Scharf, S; Weiss, S; Gans, O

2008-01-01

Effluents of wastewater treatment plants are relevant point sources for the emission of hazardous xenobiotic substances to the aquatic environment. One group of substances, which recently entered scientific and political discussions, is the group of the perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS). The most studied compounds from this group are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS), which are the most important degradation products of PFAS. These two substances are known to be persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT). In the present study, eleven PFAS were investigated in effluents of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and in industrial wastewaters. PFOS and PFOA proved to be the dominant compounds in all sampled wastewaters. Concentrations of up to 340 ng/L of PFOS and up to 220 ng/L of PFOA were observed. Besides these two compounds, perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) was also present in nearly all effluents and maximum concentrations of up to 280 ng/L were measured. Only N-ethylperfluorooctane sulphonamide (N-EtPFOSA) and its degradation/metabolisation product perfluorooctane sulphonamide (PFOSA) were either detected below the limit of quantification or were not even detected at all. Beside the effluents of the municipal WWTPs, nine industrial wastewaters from six different industrial branches were also investigated. Significantly, the highest emissions or PFOS were observed from metal industry whereas paper industry showed the highest PFOA emission. Several PFAS, especially perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) and PFOS are predominantly emitted from industrial sources, with concentrations being a factor of 10 higher than those observed in the municipal WWTP effluents. Perfluorodecane sulphonate (PFDS), N-Et-PFOSA and PFOSA were not detected in any of the sampled industrial point sources. (c) IWA Publishing 2008.

Thermally condensed humic acids onto silica as SPE for effective enrichment of glucocorticoids from environmental waters followed by HPLC-HESI-MS/MS.

PubMed

Speltini, Andrea; Merlo, Francesca; Maraschi, Federica; Sturini, Michela; Contini, Matteo; Calisi, Nicola; Profumo, Antonella

2018-03-09

Pristine humic acids (HAs) were thermally condensed onto silica microparticles by a one-pot, inexpensive and green preparation route obtaining a mixed-mode sorbent (HA-C@silica) with good sorption affinity for glucocorticoids (GCs). The carbon-based material, characterized by various techniques, was indeed applied as the sorbent for fixed-bed solid-phase extraction of eight GCs from river water and wastewater treatment plant effluent, spiked at different concentration levels in the range 1-400 ng L -1 . After sample extraction, the target analytes were simultaneously and quantitatively eluted in a single fraction of methanol, achieving enrichment factor 4000 and 1000 in river water and wastewater effluent, respectively. Full recovery for all compounds, was gained in the real matrices studied (80-125% in river water, 79-126% in wastewater effluent), with inter-day precision showing relative standard deviations (RSD) below 15% and 18% (n = 3), for river and wastewater effluent, correspondingly. The high enrichment factors coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry quantification (MRM mode) provided method quantification limits of 0.009-0.48 ng L -1 in river water and 0.06-3 ng L -1 in wastewater effluent and, at the same time, secure identification of the selected drugs. As also evidenced by comparison with literature, HA-C@silica proved to be a valid alternative to the current commercial sorbents, in terms of extraction capability, enrichment factor, ease of preparation and cost. The batch-to-batch reproducibility was assessed by recovery tests on three independently prepared HA-C@silica powders (RSD lower than 7%). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comprehensive evaluation of nitrogen removal rate and biomass, ethanol, and methane production yields by combination of four major duckweeds and three types of wastewater effluent.

PubMed

Toyama, Tadashi; Hanaoka, Tsubasa; Tanaka, Yasuhiro; Morikawa, Masaaki; Mori, Kazuhiro

2018-02-01

To assess the potential of duckweeds as agents for nitrogen removal and biofuel feedstocks, Spirodela polyrhiza, Lemna minor, Lemna gibba, and Landoltia punctata were cultured in effluents of municipal wastewater, swine wastewater, or anaerobic digestion for 4 days. Total dissolved inorganic nitrogen (T-DIN) of 20-50 mg/L in effluents was effectively removed by inoculating with 0.3-1.0 g/L duckweeds. S. polyrhiza showed the highest nitrogen removal (2.0-10.8 mg T-DIN/L/day) and biomass production (52.6-70.3 mg d.w./L/day) rates in all the three effluents. Ethanol and methane were produced from duckweed biomass grown in each effluent. S. polyrhiza and L. punctata biomass showed higher ethanol (0.168-0.191, 0.166-0.172 and 0.174-0.191 g-ethanol/g-biomass, respectively) and methane (340-413 and 343-408 NL CH 4 /kg VS, respectively) production potentials than the others, which is related to their higher carbon and starch contents and calorific values. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Concentrations of cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes in biosolid amended soil, influent, effluent, receiving water, and sediment of wastewater treatment plants in Canada.

PubMed

Wang, De-Gao; Steer, Helena; Tait, Tara; Williams, Zackery; Pacepavicius, Grazina; Young, Teresa; Ng, Timothy; Smyth, Shirley Anne; Kinsman, Laura; Alaee, Mehran

2013-10-01

A comprehensive surveillance program was conducted to determine the occurrence of three cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes (cVMS) octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5), and dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6) in environmental compartments impacted by wastewater effluent discharges. Eleven wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), representative of those found in Southern Ontario and Southern Quebec, Canada, were investigated to determine levels of cVMS in their influents and effluents. In addition, receiving water and sediment impacted by WWTP effluents, and biosolid-amended soil from agricultural fields were also analyzed for a preliminary evaluation of the environmental exposure of cVMS in media impacted by wastewater effluent and solids. A newly-developed large volume injection (septumless head adapter and cooled injection system) gas chromatography - mass spectrometry method was used to avoid contamination originating from instrumental analysis. Concentrations of D4, D5, and D6 in influents to the 11 WWTPs were in the range 0.282-6.69μgL(-1), 7.75-135μgL(-1), and 1.53-26.9μgL(-1), respectively. In general, wastewater treatment showed cVMS removal rates of greater than 92%, regardless of treatment type. The D4, D5, and D6 concentration ranges in effluent were <0.009-0.045μgL(-1), <0.027-1.56μgL(-1), and <0.022-0.093μgL(-1), respectively. The concentrations in receiving water influenced by effluent, were lower compared to those in effluent in most cases, with the ranges <0.009-0.023μgL(-1), <0.027-1.48μgL(-1), and <0.022-0.151μgL(-1) for D4, D5, and D6, respectively. Sediment concentrations ranged from <0.003-0.049μgg(-1)dw, 0.011-5.84μgg(-1)dw, and 0.004-0.371μgg(-1)dw for D4, D5, and D6, respectively. The concentrations in biosolid-amended soil, having values of <0.008-0.017μgg(-1)dw, <0.007-0.221μgg(-1)dw, and <0.009-0.711μgg(-1)dw for D4, D5, and D6, respectively, were lower than those in sediment impacted by wastewater effluent in most cases. In comparison with the no-observed-effected concentrations (NOEC) and IC50 (concentration that causes 50% inhibition of the response) values, the potential risks to aquatic, sediment-dwelling, and terrestrial organisms from these reported concentrations are low. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Upgrading of the STP Uithoorn: treatment of nutrient rich wastewater from horticulture.

PubMed

Piekema, P; Neef, R

2005-01-01

The STP Uithoorn will be upgraded to accommodate the treatment of wastewater from a growing population and to meet more stringent nutrient discharge limits in 2006. In 2003 a system choice and preliminary design was made for the upgrading. A special feature is the nutrient rich wastewater flow from the rapidly developing horticulture in the area. Since the future loads from horticulture are highly uncertain, flexibility of the STP after upgrading is an important issue. A three stage system was selected: improved physical-chemical primary treatment, secondary treatment by activated sludge, and tertiary treatment by denitrifying filters. In this way an important part of the existing infrastructure can be reused, and flexibility is assured by constructing the tertiary treatment in modules and by providing a wide range of operational control possibilities. In this paper the process of system choice and selection of type of tertiary treatment are described, as well as the optimisation of the existing treatment. In order to determine the feasibility of allowing a high loading rate on the existing secondary clarifiers, a two-dimensional hydraulic model of the clarification process was used.

Blytheville AFB, Arkansas. Water quality management survey. Final report 11-14 Apr 83

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

New, G.R.; Gibson, D.P. Jr.

1983-05-01

The USAF OEHL conducted an on site water quality management survey at Blytheville AFB. Main areas of interest were (1) the wastewater treatment plant effluent fecal coliform count, and residual chlorine content, and (2) the stream sampling protocol. The drinking water plant, landfill and industrial shops were also included in the survey. Results of the survey indicated that the low residual chlorine content caused high fecal coliform counts in the wastewater effluent. The chemical parameters sampled in the stream monitoring program did not coincide with the requirements of the State of Arkansas and required modification. Recommendations were made to increasemore » the residual chlorine content of the wastewater effluent and to increase the mixing of the chlorine contact chamber. A list of the chemical parameters was included in the report for stream monitoring.« less

40 CFR 419.24 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... section. (e) Effluent limitations for contaminated runoff. The following effluent limitations constitute... attributable to contaminated runoff which may be discharged after the application of the best conventional... contaminated runoff and is not commingled or treated with process wastewater, it may be discharged if it does...

40 CFR 419.44 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... section. (e) Effluent limitations for contaminated runoff. The following effluent limitations constitute... attributable to contaminated runoff which may be discharged after the application of the best conventional... contaminated runoff and is not commingled or treated with process wastewater, it may be discharged if it does...

40 CFR 419.14 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (b) of this section. (e) Effluent limitations for contaminated runoff. The following effluent... paragraph and attributable to contaminated runoff which may be discharged after the application of the best... solely of contaminated runoff and is not commingled or treated with process wastewater, it may be...

40 CFR 419.54 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (b) of this section. (e) Effluent limitations for contaminated runoff. The following effluent... paragraph and attributable to contaminated runoff which may be discharged after the application of the best... solely of contaminated runoff and is not commingled or treated with process wastewater, it may be...

Assessing acute toxicity of effluent from a textile industry and nearby river waters using sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in continuous mode.

PubMed

Gurung, Anup; Hassan, Sedky H A; Oh, Sang-Eun

2011-10-01

Bioassays are becoming an important tool for assessing the toxicity of complex mixtures of substances in aquatic environments in which Daphnia magna is routinely used as a test organism. Bioassays outweigh physicochemical analyses and are valuable in the decision-making process pertaining to the final discharge of effluents from wastewater treatment plants as they measure the total effect of the discharge which is ecologically relevant. In this study, the aquatic toxicity of a textile plant effluent and river water downstream from the plant were evaluated with sulfur-oxidizing bacterial biosensors in continuous mode. Collected samples were analysed for different physicochemical parameters and 1,4-dioxane was detected in the effluent. The effluent contained a relatively high chemical oxygen demand of 60 mg L(-1), which exceeded the limit set by the Korean government for industrial effluent discharges. Results showed that both the effluent and river waters were toxic to sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. These results show the importance of incorporating bioassays to detect toxicity in wastewater effluents for the sustainable management of water resources.

Chitosan-edible oil based materials as upgraded adsorbents for textile dyes.

PubMed

Dos Santos, Clayane Carvalho; Mouta, Rodolpho; Junior, Manoel Carvalho Castro; Santana, Sirlane Aparecida Abreu; Silva, Hildo Antonio Dos Santos; Bezerra, Cícero Wellington Brito

2018-01-15

Biopolymer chitosan is a low cost, abundant, environmentally friendly, very selective and efficient anionic dyes adsorbent, being a promising material for large-scale removal of dyes from wastewater. However, raw chitosan (CS) is an ineffective cationic dyes adsorbent and its performance is pH sensitive, thus, CS modifications that address these issues need to be developed. Here, we report the preparation and characterization of two new CS modifications using edible oils (soybean oil or babassu oil), and their adsorption performance for two dyes, one anionic (remazol red, RR) and one cationic (methylene blue, MB). Both modifications extended the pH range of RR adsorption. The babassu oil modification increased adsorption capacity of the cationic dye MB, whereas the soybean oil modification increased that of RR. Such improvements demonstrate the potential of these two new CS modifications as adsorbent candidates for controlling dyes pollution in effluents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MBBR evaluation for oil refinery wastewater treatment, with post-ozonation and BAC, for wastewater reuse.

PubMed

Schneider, E E; Cerqueira, A C F P; Dezotti, M

2011-01-01

This work evaluated the performance of a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) in the treatment of an oil refinery wastewater. Also, it investigated the possibility of reuse of the MBBR effluent, after ozonation in series with a biological activated carbon (BAC) column. The best performance of the MBBR was achieved with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 6 hours, employing a bed to bioreactor volume ratio (V(B)/V(R)) of 0.6. COD and N-NH₄(+) MBBR effluent concentrations ranged from 40 to 75 mg L⁻¹ (removal efficiency of 69-89%) and 2 to 6 mg L⁻¹ (removal efficiency of 45-86%), respectively. Ozonation carried out for 15 min with an ozone concentration of 5 mg L⁻¹ was able to improve the treated wastewater biodegradability. The treatment performance of the BAC columns was practically the same for ozonated and non ozonated MBBR effluents. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content of the columns of the activated carbon columns (CAG) was in the range of 2.1-3.8 mg L⁻¹, and the corresponding DOC removal efficiencies were comprised between 52 and 75%. The effluent obtained at the end of the proposed treatment presented a quality, which meet the requirements for water reuse in the oil refinery.

Quantitative Determination of Fluorinated Alkyl Substances by Large-Volume-Injection LC/MS/MS—Characterization of Municipal Wastewaters

PubMed Central

Schultz, Melissa M.; Barofsky, Douglas F.; Field, Jennifer A.

2008-01-01

A quantitative method was developed for the determination of fluorinated alkyl substances in municipal wastewater influents and effluents. The method consisted of centrifugation followed by large-volume injection (500 μL) of the supernatant onto a liquid chromatograph with a reverse-phase column and detection by electrospray ionization, and tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The fluorinated analytes studied include perfluoroalkyl sulfonates, fluorotelomer sulfonates, perfluorocarboxylates, and select fluorinated alkyl sulfonamides. Recoveries of the fluorinated analytes from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) raw influents and final effluent ranged from 77% – 96% and 80% – 99%, respectively. The lower limit of quantitation ranged from 0.5 to 3.0 ng/L depending on the analyte. The method was applied to flow-proportional composites of raw influent and final effluent collected over a 24 hr period from ten WWTPs nationwide. Fluorinated alkyl substances were observed in wastewater at all treatment plants and each plant exhibited unique distributions of fluorinated alkyl substances despite similarities in treatment processes. In nine out of the ten plants sampled, at least one class of fluorinated alkyl substances exhibited increased concentrations in the effluent as compared to the influent concentrations. In some instances, decreases in certain fluorinated analyte concentrations were observed and attributed to sorption to sludge. PMID:16433363

Quali-quantitative characterization and wastewater treatment of a winery located in the mid-west of Santa Catarina state, South of Brazil.

PubMed

Ortigara, A R C; Sezerino, P H; Bento, A P; Scaratti, D

2009-01-01

This paper analyses variations in the quali-quantitative characterization of winery wastewater, and the behavior of the treatment of these effluents. The wastewater produced is sent to two disposition systems: Point A receives the wastewater from the production area whereas Point B receives the wastewater from the area where the washing of bottles takes place. Two Aerated Submerged Biofilter (ASB) reactors (with oyster shells as support material) were built at lab scale to promote the treatment of the winery effluent. Water usage and effluent production values of the 2008 harvest season indicate that grape processing accounted for 30% of the total water usage. The median value found for the effluent at Point A was 8,260 mg COD L(-1) and at Point B 358 mg COD L(-1). The average C/N/P ratio found at Point A was 100/0.29/0.28 during the harvest and 100/0.27/0.25 during the non harvest. For ASB 1 the COD removal efficiency ranged from 56% to 90%, with the removed organic load ranging from 1.5 kg COD m(-3) d(-1) to 2.7 kg COD m(-3) d(-1), respectively. For ASB 2 the COD removal efficiency ranged from 63% to 82%, with the removed organic load ranging from 1.8 kg COD m(-3) d(-1) to 1.7 kg COD m(-3) d(-1), respectively.

Occurrence and potential transport of selected pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater compounds from wastewater-treatment plant influent and effluent to groundwater and canal systems in Miami-Dade County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foster, Adam L.; Katz, Brian G.; Meyer, Michael T.

2012-01-01

An increased demand for fresh groundwater resources in South Florida has prompted Miami-Dade County to expand its water reclamation program and actively pursue reuse plans for aquifer recharge, irrigation, and wetland rehydration. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) and the Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM), initiated a study in 2008 to assess the presence of selected pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater compounds in the influent and effluent at three regional wastewater-treatment plants (WWTPs) operated by the WASD and at one WWTP operated by the City of Homestead, Florida (HSWWTP).

Concentrations and mass loadings of cardiovascular pharmaceuticals in healthcare facility wastewaters

EPA Science Inventory

Healthcare facilities are an under-characterized source of pharmaceuticals to municipal wastewaters. In this study, the composition and magnitude of 16 cardiovascular active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and two cardiovascular API metabolites in wastewater effluents from a ho...

Retention in Treated Wastewater Affects Survival and Deposition of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in Sand Columns

PubMed Central

Li, Jiuyi; Zhao, Xiaokang; Tian, Xiujun; Li, Jin; Sjollema, Jelmer

2015-01-01

The fate and transport of pathogenic bacteria from wastewater treatment facilities in the Earth's subsurface have attracted extensive concern over recent decades, while the impact of treated-wastewater chemistry on bacterial viability and transport behavior remains unclear. The influence of retention time in effluent from a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant on the survival and deposition of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains in sand columns was investigated in this paper. In comparison to the bacteria cultivated in nutrient-rich growth media, retention in treated wastewater significantly reduced the viability of all strains. Bacterial surface properties, e.g., zeta potential, hydrophobicity, and surface charges, varied dramatically in treated wastewater, though no universal trend was found for different strains. Retention in treated wastewater effluent resulted in changes in bacterial deposition in sand columns. Longer retention periods in treated wastewater decreased bacterial deposition rates for the strains evaluated and elevated the transport potential in sand columns. We suggest that the wastewater quality should be taken into account in estimating the fate of pathogenic bacteria discharged from wastewater treatment facilities and the risks they pose in the aquatic environment. PMID:25595758

Effects of wastewater on forested wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doyle, Thomas W.

2002-01-01

Cycling nutrient-enriched wastewater from holding ponds through natural, forested wetlands is a practice that municipal waste treatment managers are considering as a viable option for disposing of wastewater. In this wastewater cycling process, sewer effluent that has been circulated through aerated ponds is discharged into neighboring wetland systems. To understand how wastewater cycling affects forest and species productivity, researchers at the USGS National Wetlands Research Center conducted dendroecological investigations in a swamp system and in a bog system that have been exposed to wastewater effluent for many decades. Dendroecology involves the study of forest changes over time as interpreted from tree rings. Tree-ring chronologies describe the pattern and history of growth suppression and release that can be associated with aging and disturbances such as hurricanes, floods, and fires. But because of limited monitoring, little is known about the potential for long-term effects on forested wetlands as a result of wastewater flooding. USGS researchers used tree rings to detect the effect of wastewater cycling on tree growth. Scientists expected to find that tree-ring width would be increased as a result of added nutrients.

Relative importance of P and N in macrophyte and epilithic algae biomass in a wastewater-impacted oligotrophic river.

PubMed

Taube, Nadine; He, Jianxun; Ryan, M Cathryn; Valeo, Caterina

2016-08-01

The role of nutrient loading on biomass growth in wastewater-impacted rivers is important in order to effectively optimize wastewater treatment to avoid excessive biomass growth in the receiving water body. This paper directly relates wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent nutrients (including ammonia (NH3-N), nitrate (NO3-N) and total phosphorus (TP)) to the temporal and spatial distribution of epilithic algae and macrophyte biomass in an oligotrophic river. Annual macrophyte biomass, epilithic algae data and WWTP effluent nutrient data from 1980 to 2012 were statistically analysed. Because discharge can affect aquatic biomass growth, locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (LOWESS) was used to remove the influence of river discharge from the aquatic biomass (macrophytes and algae) data before further analysis was conducted. The results from LOWESS indicated that aquatic biomass did not increase beyond site-specific threshold discharge values in the river. The LOWESS-estimated biomass residuals showed a variable response to different nutrients. Macrophyte biomass residuals showed a decreasing trend concurrent with enhanced nutrient removal at the WWTP and decreased effluent P loading, whereas epilithic algae biomass residuals showed greater response to enhanced N removal. Correlation analysis between effluent nutrient concentrations and the biomass residuals (both epilithic algae and macrophytes) suggested that aquatic biomass is nitrogen limited, especially by NH3-N, at most sampling sites. The response of aquatic biomass residuals to effluent nutrient concentrations did not change with increasing distance to the WWTP but was different for P and N, allowing for additional conclusions about nutrient limitation in specific river reaches. The data further showed that the mixing process between the effluent and the river has an influence on the spatial distribution of biomass growth.

Contamination of nonylphenolic compounds in creek water, wastewater treatment plant effluents, and sediments from Lake Shihwa and vicinity, Korea: Comparison with fecal pollution

USGS Publications Warehouse

Choi, Minkyu; Furlong, Edward T.; Moon, Hyo-Bang; Yu, Jun; Choi, Hee-Gu

2011-01-01

Nonylphenolic compounds (NPs), coprostanol (COP), and cholestanol, major contaminants in industrial and domestic wastewaters, were analyzed in creek water, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, and sediment samples from artificial Lake Shihwa and its vicinity, one of the most industrialized regions in Korea. We also determined mass discharge of NPs and COP, a fecal sterol, into the lake, to understand the linkage between discharge and sediment contamination. Total NP (the sum of nonylphenol, and nonylphenol mono- and di-ethoxylates) were 0.32–875 μg L-1 in creeks, 0.61–87.0 μg L-1 in WWTP effluents, and 29.3–230 μg g-1 TOC in sediments. Concentrations of COP were 0.09–19.0 μg L-1 in creeks, 0.11–44.0 μg L-1 in WWTP effluents, and 2.51–438 μg g-1 TOC in sediments. The spatial distributions of NPs in creeks and sediments from the inshore region were different from those of COP, suggesting that Lake Shihwa contamination patterns from industrial effluents differ from those from domestic effluents. The mass discharge from the combined outfall of the WWTPs, located in the offshore region, was 2.27 kg d-1 for NPs and 1.00 kg d-1 for COP, accounting for 91% and 95% of the total discharge into Lake Shihwa, respectively. The highest concentrations of NPs and COP in sediments were found in samples at sites near the submarine outfall of the WWTPs, indicating that the submarine outfall is an important point source of wastewater pollution in Lake Shihwa.

Pre/post-closure assessment of groundwater pharmaceutical fate in a wastewater-facility-impacted stream reach.

PubMed

Bradley, Paul M; Barber, Larry B; Clark, Jimmy M; Duris, Joseph W; Foreman, William T; Furlong, Edward T; Givens, Carrie E; Hubbard, Laura E; Hutchinson, Kasey J; Journey, Celeste A; Keefe, Steffanie H; Kolpin, Dana W

2016-10-15

Pharmaceutical contamination of contiguous groundwater is a substantial concern in wastewater-impacted streams, due to ubiquity in effluent, high aqueous mobility, designed bioactivity, and to effluent-driven hydraulic gradients. Wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) closures are rare environmental remediation events; offering unique insights into contaminant persistence, long-term wastewater impacts, and ecosystem recovery processes. The USGS conducted a combined pre/post-closure groundwater assessment adjacent to an effluent-impacted reach of Fourmile Creek, Ankeny, Iowa, USA. Higher surface-water concentrations, consistent surface-water to groundwater concentration gradients, and sustained groundwater detections tens of meters from the stream bank demonstrated the importance of WWTF effluent as the source of groundwater pharmaceuticals as well as the persistence of these contaminants under effluent-driven, pre-closure conditions. The number of analytes (110 total) detected in surface water decreased from 69 prior to closure down to 8 in the first post-closure sampling event approximately 30 d later, with a corresponding 2 order of magnitude decrease in the cumulative concentration of detected analytes. Post-closure cumulative concentrations of detected analytes were approximately 5 times higher in proximal groundwater than in surface water. About 40% of the 21 contaminants detected in a downstream groundwater transect immediately before WWTF closure exhibited rapid attenuation with estimated half-lives on the order of a few days; however, a comparable number exhibited no consistent attenuation during the year-long post-closure assessment. The results demonstrate the potential for effluent-impacted shallow groundwater systems to accumulate pharmaceutical contaminants and serve as long-term residual sources, further increasing the risk of adverse ecological effects in groundwater and the near-stream ecosystem. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Applying polarity rapid assessment method and ultrafiltration to characterize NDMA precursors in wastewater effluents.

PubMed

Chen, Chao; Leavey, Shannon; Krasner, Stuart W; Mel Suffet, I H

2014-06-15

Certain nitrosamines in water are disinfection byproducts that are probable human carcinogens. Nitrosamines have diverse and complex precursors that include effluent organic matter, some anthropogenic chemicals, and natural (likely non-humic) substances. An easy and selective tool was first developed to characterize nitrosamine precursors in treated wastewaters, including different process effluents. This tool takes advantages of the polarity rapid assessment method (PRAM) and ultrafiltration (UF) (molecular weight distribution) to locate the fractions with the strongest contributions to the nitrosamine precursor pool in the effluent organic matter. Strong cation exchange (SCX) and C18 solid-phase extraction cartridges were used for their high selectivity for nitrosamine precursors. The details of PRAM operation, such as cartridge clean-up, capacity, pH influence, and quality control were included in this paper, as well as the main parameters of UF operation. Preliminary testing of the PRAM/UF method with effluents from one wastewater treatment plant gave very informative results. SCX retained 45-90% of the N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation potential (FP)-a measure of the precursors-in secondary and tertiary wastewater effluents. These results are consistent with NDMA precursors likely having a positively charged amine group. C18 adsorbed 30-45% of the NDMAFP, which indicates that a substantial portion of these precursors were non-polar. The small molecular weight (MW) (<1 kDa) and large MW (>10 kDa) fractions obtained from UF were the primary contributors to NDMAFP. The combination of PRAM and UF brings important information on the characteristics of nitrosamine precursors in water with easy operation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Removal of novel antiandrogens identified in biological effluents of domestic wastewater by activated carbon.

PubMed

Ma, Dehua; Chen, Lujun; Liu, Rui

2017-10-01

Environmental antiandrogenic (AA) contaminants in effluents from wastewater treatment plants have the potential for negative impacts on wildlife and human health. The aim of our study was to identify chemical contaminants with likely AA activity in the biological effluents and evaluate the removal of these antiandrogens (AAs) during advanced treatment comprising adsorption onto granular activated carbon (GAC). In this study, profiling of AA contaminants in biological effluents and tertiary effluents was conducted using effect-directed analysis (EDA) including high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fractionation, a recombinant yeast screen containing androgen receptor (YAS), in combination with mass spectrometry analyses. Analysis of a wastewater secondary effluent from a membrane bioreactor revealed complex profiles of AA activity comprising 14 HPLC fractions and simpler profiles of GAC effluents with only 2 to 4 moderately polar HPLC fractions depending on GAC treatment conditions. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-nanospray mass spectrometry analyses of AA fractions in the secondary effluent resulted in detection of over 10 chemical contaminants, which showed inhibition of YAS activity and were potential AAs. The putative AAs included biocides, food additives, flame retardants, pharmaceuticals and industrial contaminants. To our knowledge, it is the first time that the AA properties of N-ethyl-2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexanecarboxamide (WS3), cetirizine, and oxcarbazepine are reported. The EDA used in this study was proven to be a powerful tool to identify novel chemical structures with AA activity in the complex aquatic environment. The adsorption process to GAC of all the identified antiandrogens, except WS3 and triclosan, fit well with the pseudo-second order kinetics models. Adsorption to GAC could further remove most of the AAs identified in the biological effluents with high efficiencies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effluent Guidelines

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Effluent guidelines are national standards for wastewater discharges to surface waters and municipal sewage treatment plants. We issue the regulations for industrial categories based on the performance of treatment and control technologies.

Mining Upgrades to Reduce Pollution

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Settlement with Southern Coal Corporation and 26 affiliates requires the companies to comprehensively upgrade their coal mining and processing operations to prevent polluted wastewater from threatening rivers and streams and communities across Appalachia.

Occurrence of pharmaceuticals, hormones, and organic wastewater compounds in Pennsylvania waters, 2006-09

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reif, Andrew G.; Crawford, J. Kent; Loper, Connie A.; Proctor, Arianne; Manning, Rhonda; Titler, Robert

2012-01-01

Concern over the presence of contaminants of emerging concern, such as pharmaceutical compounds, hormones, and organic wastewater compounds (OWCs), in waters of the United States and elsewhere is growing. Laboratory techniques developed within the last decade or new techniques currently under development within the U.S. Geological Survey now allow these compounds to be measured at concentrations in nanograms per liter. These new laboratory techniques were used in a reconnaissance study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, to determine the occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern in streams, streambed sediment, and groundwater of Pennsylvania. Compounds analyzed for in the study are pharmaceuticals (human and veterinary drugs), hormones (natural and synthetic), and OWCs (detergents, fragrances, pesticides, industrial compounds, disinfectants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fire retardants and plasticizers). Reconnaissance sampling was conducted from 2006 to 2009 to identify contaminants of emerging concern in (1) groundwater from wells used to supply livestock, (2) streamwater upstream and downstream from animal feeding operations, (3) streamwater upstream from and streamwater and streambed sediment downstream from municipal wastewater effluent discharges, (4) streamwater from sites within 5 miles of drinking-water intakes, and (5) streamwater and streambed sediment where fish health assessments were conducted. Of the 44 pharmaceutical compounds analyzed in groundwater samples collected in 2006 from six wells used to supply livestock, only cotinine (a nicotine metabolite) and the antibiotics tylosin and sulfamethoxazole were detected. The maximum concentration of any contaminant of emerging concern was 24 nanograms per liter (ng/L) for cotinine, and was detected in a groundwater sample from a Lebanon County, Pa., well. Seven pharmaceutical compounds including acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazepine, and the four antibiotics tylosin, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethoxazole, and oxytetracycline were detected in streamwater samples collected in 2006 from six paired stream sampling sites located upstream and downstream from animal-feeding operations. The highest reported concentration of these seven compounds was for the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (157 ng/L), in a sample from the downstream site on Snitz Creek in Lancaster County, Pa. Twenty-one pharmaceutical compounds were detected in streamwater samples collected in 2006 from five paired stream sampling sites located upstream or downstream from a municipal wastewater-effluent-discharge site. The most commonly detected compounds and maximum concentrations were the anticonvulsant carbamazepine, 276 ng/L; the antihistamine diphenhydramine, 135 ng/L; and the antibiotics ofloxacin, 329 ng/L; sulfamethoxazole, 1,340 ng/L; and trimethoprim, 256 ng/L. A total of 51 different contaminants of emerging concern were detected in streamwater samples collected from 2007 through 2009 at 13 stream sampling sites located downstream from a wastewater-effluent-discharge site. The concentrations and numbers of compounds detected were higher in stream sites downstream from a wastewater-effluent-discharge site than in stream sites upstream from a wastewater-effluent-discharge site. This finding indicates that wastewater-effluent discharges are a source of contaminants of emerging concern; these contaminants were present more frequently in the streambed-sediment samples than in streamwater samples. Antibiotic compounds were often present in both the streamwater and streambed-sediment samples, but many OWCs were present exclusively in the streambed-sediment samples. Compounds with endocrine disrupting potential including detergent metabolites, pesticides, and flame retardants, were present in the streamwater and streambed-sediment samples. Killinger Creek, a stream where wastewater-effluent discharges contribute a large percentage of the total flow, stands out as a stream with particularly high numbers of compounds detected and detected at the highest concentrations measured in the reconnaissance sampling. Nineteen contaminants of emerging concern were detected in streamwater samples collected quarterly from 2007 through 2009 at 27 stream sites within 5 miles of a drinking-water intake. The number of contaminants and the concentrations detected at the stream sites within 5 miles of drinking-water intakes were generally very low (concentrations less than 50 ng/L), much lower than those at sites downstream from a wastewater-effluent discharge. The most commonly detected compounds and maximum concentrations were caffeine, 517 ng/L; carbamazepine, 95 ng/L; sulfamethoxazole, 146 ng/L; and estrone, 3.15 ng/L. The concentrations and frequencies of detection of some of the contaminants of emerging concern appear to vary by season, which could be explained by compound use, flow regime, or differences in degradation rates. Concentrations of some contaminants were associated with lower flows as a result of decreased in-stream dilution of wastewater effluents or other contamination sources. Twenty-two contaminants of emerging concern were detected once each in streamwater samples collected in 2007 and 2008 from 16 fish-health stream sites located statewide. The highest concentrations were for the OWCs, including flame retardants tri(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate (604 ng/L) and tri(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (272 ng/L) and the fragrance isoquinoline (330 ng/L). Far fewer numbers of contaminants of emerging concern were detected at the fish-health sites than at the wastewater-effluent-discharge sites. Most of the fish-health sites were not located directly downstream from a wastewater-effluent discharge, but there were multiple wastewater-effluent discharges in the drainage basins upstream from the sampling sites. No distinct pattern of contaminant occurrence could be discerned for the fish-health stream sites

Tracing wastewater effluents in surface and groundwaters: a couple approach with organic/inorganic tracers and isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petelet-Giraud, Emmanuelle; Baran, Nicole; Soulier, Coralie

2017-04-01

In the context of land use change, the origins of contamination of water resources are often multiple, including for a single chemical element or molecule. For instance, excess of nitrates in both surface and groundwater can originate from agricultural practices and wastewater effluents. The discrimination of the origins and vectors of contamination in the environment is both an environmental and societal issue in order to define an integrated water resources management at the catchment or water body scale by implementing appropriate measures to effectively struggle against pollution. The objective of this study is to define a methodology for the identification of a "domestic wastewater" contamination within surface waters and groundwater. An ideal tracer should be conservative, persistent in the different water compartments, present in quantity above the detection limit and originate from a single type of pollution source. There is, however, no ideal tracer in the strict sense. Indeed, even chloride which is present in quantity in wastewater, and which behaves conservatively in the environment, is not an univocal tracer of wastewater, as it may come from atmospheric inputs, from the dissolution of evaporitic rocks, from the salting of roads or from fertilizers. To overcome this limitation, in this study, we propose a multi-tracer approach (chemical and isotopic) to identify and validate the relevance of foreseen tracers. Among the relevant tracers of wastewater, the following may be used for their intrinsic or combined discriminant power: 1) organic effluent tracers: nitrogen contents and isotopic ratios of nitrogen and oxygen of nitrates; 2) tracer of detergents: boron contents and boron isotopes; 3) pharmaceuticals tracers: e.g. carbamazepine, ibuprofen, paracetamol, gadolinium anomaly; 4) life-style tracers: e.g. caffeine. The originality of the study relies on small capacities wastewater treatment plants without tertiary treatment process. Results on a catchment impacted both by diffuse agricultural pollution and punctual wastewater inputs are presented. Investigations concern wastewater effluents resulting from different type of treatment plants, surface and groundwater. Potential combination of suitable tracers is discussed.

Evaluation of Emerging Contaminants of Concern at the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant Based on Seasonal Events, Miami-Dade County, Florida, 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lietz, Arthur C.; Meyer, Michael T.

2006-01-01

The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan has identified highly treated wastewater as a possible water source for the restoration of natural water flows and hydroperiods in selected coastal areas, including the Biscayne Bay coastal wetlands. One potential source of reclaimed wastewater for the Biscayne Bay coastal wetlands is the effluent from the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant in southern Miami-Dade County. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Wastewater Reuse Technology Pilot Project Delivery Team, initiated a study to assess the presence of emerging contaminants of concern in the South District Wastewater Treatment Plant influent and effluent using current wastewater-treatment methods. As part of the study, 24-hour composite and discrete samples were collected at six locations (influent at plants 1 and 2, effluent pump, reuse train, chlorine dioxide unit, and ultraviolet pilot unit) at the plant during: (1) a dry-season, low-flow event on March 2-3, 2004, with an average inflow rate of 83.7 million gallons per day; (2) a wet-season, average-flow event on July 20-21, 2004, with an average inflow rate of 89.7 million gallons per day; and (3) high-rate disinfection tests on October 5 and 20, 2004, with average flow rates of 84.1 and 119.6 million gallons per day, respectively. During these four sampling events, 26, 27, 29, and 35 constituents were detected, respectively. The following transformations in concentration were determined in the waste stream: -100 to 180 percent at the effluent pump and -100 to 85 percent at the reuse train on March 2-3, 2004, and -100 to 1,609 percent at the effluent pump and -100 to 832 percent at the reuse train on July 20-21, 2004; -100 to -37 percent at the effluent pump, -100 to -62 percent at the reuse train, -100 to -56 percent at the chlorine dioxide unit, and -100 to -40 percent at the ultraviolet pilot unit on October 5, 2004; and -100 to -4 percent at the effluent pump, -100 to 17 percent at the reuse train, -100 to -40 percent at the chlorine dioxide unit, and -100 to -14 percent at the ultraviolet pilot unit on October 20, 2004. Samples were tested for detection of household and industrial (organic) wastewater compounds, pharmaceutical compounds, antibiotic compounds, and hormones in influent. Two 'known' endocrine disrupting compounds?17 beta-estradiol (E2) and diethoxynonylphenol? and four 'suspected' endocrine-disrupting compounds?1,4-dichlorobenzene, benzophenone, tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate, and tris(dichloroisopropyl) phosphate?were detected during these sampling events. Phenanthrene and indole showed the greatest concentration ranges and highest concentrations for the organic wastewater compounds. Acetaminophen showed the greatest concentration range and highest concentration, and warfarin showed the smallest concentration range for the pharmaceutical compounds. Sulfamethoxazole (a sulfonamide) showed the greatest concentration range and highest concentration, and sulfathiozole (also a sulfonamide) showed the smallest concentration range for the antibiotic compounds. Two hormones, 17 beta-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1), were detected in influent. Samples were also tested for detection of organic wastewater compounds, pharmaceutical compounds, antibiotic compounds, and hormones in effluent. Indole showed the greatest concentration range and highest concentration, and triphenyl phosphate showed the smallest concentration range for the organic wastewater compounds. Dehydronifedipine showed the greatest concentration range and highest concentration, and warfarin had the smallest concentration range for the pharmaceutical compounds. Anhydro-erythromycin (a macrolide degradation product) showed the greatest concentration range, and sulfadiazine (a sulfonamide) and tetracycline showed the lowest concentration ranges for the antibiotic compounds. One hormone, 17 beta-estradiol (E2), was det

Treatment Processes for Removal of Wastewater Contaminants (WERF Report INFR8SG09)

EPA Science Inventory

This study investigated the nature of colloids associated with wastewater effluents. It also evaluated the association of emerging contaminants with these wastewater colloids. Two distinct emerging contaminants were investigated to gain general insight into the potential importan...

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...

Chlorine Disinfection of Blended Municipal Wastewater Effluents

EPA Science Inventory

Blending is a practice used in the wastewater industry to manage wet weather events when the influx of storm water to municipal treatment facilities could compromise the hydraulic capacity of the facility’s biological treatment system. To prevent this, wastewater is treated thro...

Economic evaluation of alternative wastewater treatment plant options for pulp and paper industry.

PubMed

Buyukkamaci, Nurdan; Koken, Emre

2010-11-15

Excessive water consumption in pulp and paper industry results in high amount of wastewater. Pollutant characteristics of the wastewater vary depending on the processes used in production and the quality of paper produced. However, in general, high organic material and suspended solid contents are considered as major pollutants of pulp and paper industry effluents. The major pollutant characteristics of pulp and paper industry effluents in Turkey were surveyed and means of major pollutant concentrations, which were grouped in three different pollution grades (low, moderate and high strength effluents), and flow rates within 3000 to 10,000m(3)/day range with 1000m(3)/day steps were used as design parameters. Ninety-six treatment plants were designed using twelve flow schemes which were combinations of physical treatment, chemical treatment, aerobic and anaerobic biological processes. Detailed comparative cost analysis which includes investment, operation, maintenance and rehabilitation costs was prepared to determine optimum treatment processes for each pollution grade. The most economic and technically optimal treatment processes were found as extended aeration activated sludge process for low strength effluents, extended aeration activated sludge process or UASB followed by an aeration basin for medium strength effluents, and UASB followed by an aeration basin or UASB followed by the conventional activated sludge process for high strength effluents. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

TOXICITY IDENTIFICATION EVALUATION OF A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EFFLUENT WITH IONIC TOXICANTS

EPA Science Inventory

A publicly owned treatment works (POTW) effluent had been shown to cause chronic toxicity with the cladoceran, Ceriodaphnia dubia. We conducted A TIE and the weight-of-evidence approach identified chloride as a major contributor to the effluent toxicity. Several characterization...

Effective swine wastewater treatment by combining microbial fuel cells with flocculation.

PubMed

Ding, Weijun; Cheng, Shaoan; Yu, Liliang; Huang, Haobin

2017-09-01

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) provide a cost-effective method for treating swine wastewater treatment and simultaneously producing electricity, yet they need to be combined with other wastewater treatment processes to improve the effluent water quality. In this paper, we constructed single-chamber air-cathode MFCs with a compact configuration for nitrogen and COD removal and high electricity production and combined them with a low-cost flocculation process to discharge higher quality wastewater. We show that MFCs could remove ammonia at a rate of 269.2 ± 0.5 g m -3 d -1 (99.1± 0.1% ammonia removal efficiency) with a maximum power density of 37.5 W m -3 and 21.6% of coulombic efficiency at a 40:60 ratio of raw swine wastewater to denitrification effluent of swine wastewater. Up to 82.5 ± 0.5% COD could be removed with MFCs, from 2735 ± 15 mg L -1 to 480 ± 15 mg L -1 , and flocculation further reduced levels to 90 ± 1 mg L -1 for a 96.6 ± 0.2% overall COD removal efficiency of the combination technology. Cost analysis of the combined MFC and flocculation process showed a net economic benefit of $ 0.026 m -3 . In summary, this novel combination wastewater treatment method provides an effective way to treat swine wastewater to low pollutant levels in the effluent at low cost (a net gain). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Morphological, Physiological and Biochemical Impact of Ink Industry Effluent on Germination of Maize (Zea mays), Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor).

PubMed

Zayneb, Chaâbene; Lamia, Khanous; Olfa, Ellouze; Naïma, Jebahi; Grubb, C Douglas; Bassem, Khemakhem; Hafedh, Mejdoub; Amine, Elleuch

2015-11-01

The present study focuses on effects of untreated and treated ink industry wastewater on germination of maize, barley and sorghum. Wastewater had a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and metal content compared to treated effluent. Germination decreased with increasing COD concentration. Speed of germination also followed the same trend, except for maize seeds exposed to untreated effluent (E), which germinated slightly faster than controls. These alterations of seedling development were mirrored by changes in soluble protein content. E exerted a positive effect on soluble protein content and maximum levels occurred after 10 days with treated effluent using coagulation/flocculation (TEc/f) process and treated effluent using combined process (coagulation/flocculation/biosorption) (TEc/f/b). Likewise, activity of α-amylase was influenced by effluent composition. Its expression depended on the species, exposure time and applied treatment. Nevertheless, current results indicated TEc/f/b had no observable toxic effects on germination and could be a beneficial alternative resource to irrigation water.

Performance of anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactors using effluents of microbial fuel cells treating domestic wastewater.

PubMed

Kim, Kyoung-Yeol; Yang, Wulin; Ye, Yaoli; LaBarge, Nicole; Logan, Bruce E

2016-05-01

Anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactors (AFMBRs) have been mainly developed as a post-treatment process to produce high quality effluent with very low energy consumption. The performance of an AFMBR was examined using the effluent from a microbial fuel cell (MFC) treating domestic wastewater, as a function of AFMBR hydraulic retention times (HRTs) and organic matter loading rates. The MFC-AFMBR achieved 89 ± 3% removal of the chemical oxygen demand (COD), with an effluent of 36 ± 6 mg-COD/L over 112 days operation. The AFMBR had very stable operation, with no significant changes in COD removal efficiencies, for HRTs ranging from 1.2 to 3.8h, although the effluent COD concentration increased with organic loading. Transmembrane pressure (TMP) was low, and could be maintained below 0.12 bar through solids removal. This study proved that the AFMBR could be operated with a short HRT but a low COD loading rate was required to achieve low effluent COD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reuse of effluent water from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in microalgae cultivation for biofuel production.

PubMed

Cho, Sunja; Luong, Thanh Thao; Lee, Dukhaeng; Oh, You-Kwan; Lee, Taeho

2011-09-01

This study assessed the usability of effluent water discharged from a secondary municipal wastewater treatment plant for mass cultivation of microalgae for biofuel production. It was observed that bacteria and protozoa in the effluent water exerted a negative impact on the growth of Chlorella sp. 227. To reduce the effect, filtration or UV-radiation were applied on the effluent water as pre-treatment methods. Of all the pretreatment options tested, the filtration (by 0.2 μm) resulted in the highest biomass and lipid productivity. To be comparable with the growth in the autoclaved effluent water, the filtration with a proper pore size filter (less than 0.45 μm) or UV-B radiation of a proper dose (over 1620 mJ cm(-2)) are proposed. These findings led us to conclude that the utilization can be realized only when bacteria and other microorganisms are greatly reduced or eliminated from the effluent prior to its use. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wastewater movement near four treatment and disposal sites in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cox, E.R.

1986-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service, studied the effects on nearby streams and lakes of treated wastewater effluents that percolate from sewage lagoons at four sites in Yellowstone National Park. A network of observation wells has been established near the sites, and water level and water quality data were collected from 1974 through 1982. Groundwater mounds occur under the lagoons as percolation of effluents occurs. The percolating effluents mix with groundwater and form plumes of water that contain chemical constituents from the effluents. These plumes move down the hydraulic gradient toward groundwater discharge areas. The directions of movement of percolating effluents have been determined by analyzing water samples from wells near the lagoons for specific conductance, chloride concentration, and nitrite plus nitrate concentration. Other constituents and properties also were determined. The percolating effluents are diluted by groundwater and have no discernible effects on the quality of water in the nearby streams and lakes. (USGS)

Distribution of pyrethroid insecticides in secondary wastewater effluent

PubMed Central

Parry, Emily; Young, Thomas M.

2014-01-01

Although the freely dissolved form of hydrophobic organic chemicals may best predict aquatic toxicity, differentiating between dissolved and particle bound forms is challenging at environmentally relevant concentrations for compounds with low toxicity thresholds such as pyrethroid insecticides. We investigated the distribution of pyrethroids among three forms: freely dissolved, complexed with dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and sorbed to suspended particulate matter, during a yearlong study at a secondary wastewater treatment plant. Effluent was fractionated by laboratory centrifugation to determine if sorption was driven by particle size. Linear distribution coefficients were estimated for pyrethroid sorption to suspended particulate matter (Kid) and dissolved organic carbon (Kidoc) at environmentally relevant pyrethroid concentrations. Resulting Kid values were higher than those reported for other environmental solids, and variation between sampling events correlated well with available particle surface area. Fractionation results suggest that no more than 40% of the pyrethroid remaining in secondary effluent could be removed by extending settling periods. Less than 6%of the total pyrethroid load in wastewater effluent was present in the dissolved form across all sampling events and chemicals. PMID:23939863

Ozone inactivation of infectious prions in rendering plant and municipal wastewaters.

PubMed

Ding, Ning; Neumann, Norman F; Price, Luke M; Braithwaite, Shannon L; Balachandran, Aru; Belosevic, Miodrag; Gamal El-Din, Mohamed

2014-02-01

Disposal of tissues and organs associated with prion accumulation and infectivity in infected animals (designated as Specified Risk Materials [SRM]) is strictly regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA); however, the contamination of wastewater from slaughterhouses that handle SRM still poses public concern. In this study, we examined for the first time the partitioning of infectious prions in rendering plant wastewater and found that a large proportion of infectious prions were partitioned into the scum layer formed at the top after gravity separation, while quite a few infectious prions still remained in the wastewater. Subsequently, we assessed the ozone inactivation of infectious prions in the raw, natural gravity-separated and dissolved air flotation (DAF)-treated (i.e., primary-treated) rendering plant wastewater, and in a municipal final effluent (i.e., secondary-treated municipal wastewater). At applied ozone doses of 43.4-44.6 mg/L, ozone was instantaneously depleted in the raw rendering plant wastewater, while a greater than 4-log10 inactivation was achieved at a 5 min exposure in the DAF-treated rendering plant wastewater. Prion inactivation in the municipal final effluent was conducted with two levels of applied ozone doses of 13.4 and 22.5mg/L, and a greater than 4-log10 inactivation was achieved at a 5 min exposure with the higher ozone dose. Efficiency factor Hom (EFH) models were used to model (i.e., fit) the experimental data. The CT (disinfectant concentration multiplied by contact time) values were determined for 2- and 3-log10 inactivation in the municipal final effluent treated with an ozone dose of 13.4 mg/L. Our results indicate that ozone could serve as a final barrier for prion inactivation in primary- and/or secondary-treated wastewaters. © 2013.

Endocrine active chemicals and endocrine disruption in Minnesota streams and lakes: implications for aquatic resources, 1994-2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, Kathy E.; Schoenfuss, Heiko L.; Barber, Larry B.; Writer, Jeff H.; Blazer, Vicki; Keisling, Richard L.; Ferrey, Mark L.

2010-01-01

Although these studies indicate that wastewater-treatment plant effluent is a conduit for endocrine active chemicals to surface waters, endocrine active chemicals also were present in surface waters with no obvious wastewater-treatment plant effluent sources. Endocrine active chemicals were detected and indicators of endocrine disruption in fish were measured at numerous sites upstream from discharge of wastewater-treatment plant effluent. These observations indicate that other unidentified sources of endocrine active chemicals exist, such as runoff from land surfaces, atmospheric deposition, inputs from onsite septic systems, or other groundwater sources. Alternatively, some endocrine active chemicals may not yet have been identified or measured. The presence of biological indicators of endocrine disruption in male fish indicates that the fish are exposed to endocrine active chemicals. However indicators of endocrine disruption in male fish does not indicate an effect on fish reproduction or changes in fish populations.

Rain events and their effect on effluent quality studied at a full scale activated sludge treatment plant.

PubMed

Wilén, B M; Lumley, D; Mattsson, A; Mino, T

2006-01-01

The effect of rain events on effluent quality dynamics was studied at a full scale activated sludge wastewater treatment plant which has a process solution incorporating pre-denitrification in activated sludge with post-nitrification in trickling filters. The incoming wastewater flow varies significantly due to a combined sewer system. Changed flow conditions have an impact on the whole treatment process since the recirculation to the trickling filters is set by the hydraulic limitations of the secondary settlers. Apart from causing different hydraulic conditions in the plant, increased flow due to rain or snow-melting, changes the properties of the incoming wastewater which affects process performance and effluent quality, especially the particle removal efficiency. A comprehensive set of on-line and laboratory data were collected and analysed to assess the impact of rain events on the plant performance.

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.

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.

Effects of urban runoff and wastewater effluent on Wilsons Creek and James River near Springfield, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berkas, Wayne R.

1980-01-01

Statistical analysis on water-quality parameters from James River upstream and downstream from the confluence of Wilsons Creek shows a significant difference for all parameters except temperature and dissolved silica at the 0.05 probability level. Regression analysis shows correlation for discharge with dissolved sodium, dissolved chloride, and dissolved potassium, and for specific conductance with dissolved chloride and dissolved sulfate at the station downstream from Wilsons Creek. This is due to the consistent quality of the effluent from the Southwest Wastewater Plant on Wilsons Creek. Water-quality monitor stations upstream and downstream from the wastewater plant indicate that the plant has a degrading effect on dissolved oxygen in Wilsons Creek and James River. The monitors also indicate that rainfall flushes momentarily poor quality water into Wilsons Creek from the urbanized Springfield area. Overall, the runoff is diluting the effluent from the wastewater plant. Rainfall and runoff stations indicate a rapid response of runoff to rainfall due to the high percentage of imperviousness and the filling or paving of sinkholes. (USGS)

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.

Toxicity evaluation of the process effluent streams of a petrochemical industry.

PubMed

Reis, J L R; Dezotti, M; Sant'Anna, G L

2007-02-01

The physico-chemical characteristics and the acute toxicity of several wastewater streams, generated in the industrial production of synthetic rubber, were determined. The acute toxicity was evaluated in bioassays using different organisms: Danio rerio (fish), Lactuca sativa (lettuce) and Brachionus calyciflorus (rotifer). The removal of toxicity attained in the industrial wastewater treatment plant was also determined upstream and downstream of the activated sludge process. The results obtained indicate that the critical streams in terms of acute toxicity are the effluents from the liquid polymer unit and the spent caustic butadiene washing stage. The biological treatment was able to partially remove the toxicity of the industrial wastewater. However, a residual toxicity level persisted in the biotreated wastewater. The results obtained with Lactuca sativa showed a high degree of reproducibility, using root length or germination index as evaluation parameters. The effect of volatile pollutants on the toxicity results obtained with lettuce seeds was assessed, using ethanol as a model compound. Modifications on the assay procedure were proposed. A strong correlation between the toxic responses of Lactuca sativa and Danio rerio was observed for most industrial effluent streams.

Understanding the hydrologic impacts of wastewater treatment plant discharge to shallow groundwater: Before and after plant shutdown

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hubbard, Laura E.; Keefe, Steffanie H.; Kolpin, Dana W.; Barber, Larry B.; Duris, Joseph W.; Hutchinson, Kasey J.; Bradley, Paul M.

2016-01-01

Effluent-impacted surface water has the potential to transport not only water, but wastewater-derived contaminants to shallow groundwater systems. To better understand the effects of effluent discharge on in-stream and near-stream hydrologic conditions in wastewater-impacted systems, water-level changes were monitored in hyporheic-zone and shallow-groundwater piezometers in a reach of Fourmile Creek adjacent to and downstream of the Ankeny (Iowa, USA) wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Water-level changes were monitored from approximately 1.5 months before to 0.5 months after WWTP closure. Diurnal patterns in WWTP discharge were closely mirrored in stream and shallow-groundwater levels immediately upstream and up to 3 km downstream of the outfall, indicating that such discharge was the primary control on water levels before shutdown. The hydrologic response to WWTP shutdown was immediately observed throughout the study reach, verifying the far-reaching hydraulic connectivity and associated contaminant transport risk. The movement of WWTP effluent into alluvial aquifers has implications for potential WWTP-derived contamination of shallow groundwater far removed from the WWTP outfall.

Endocrine disrupting alkylphenolic chemicals and other contaminants in wastewater treatment plant effluents, urban streams, and fish in the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi River Regions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barber, Larry B.; Loyo-Rosales, Jorge E.; Rice, Clifford P.; Minarik, Thomas A.; Oskouie, Ali K.

2015-01-01

Urban streams are an integral part of the municipal water cycle and provide a point of discharge for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, allowing additional attenuation through dilution and transformation processes, as well as a conduit for transporting contaminants to downstream water supplies. Domestic and commercial activities dispose of wastes down-the-drain, resulting in wastewater containing complex chemical mixtures that are only partially removed during treatment. A key issue associated with WWTP effluent discharge into streams is the potential to cause endocrine disruption in fish. This study provides a long-term (1999-2009) evaluation of the occurrence of alkylphenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and other contaminants discharged from WWTPs into streams in the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi River Regions (Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio). The Greater Metropolitan Chicago Area Waterways, Illinois, were evaluated to determine contaminant concentrations in the major WWTP effluents and receiving streams, and assess the behavior of EDCs from their sources within the sewer collection system, through the major treatment unit processes at a WWTP, to their persistence and transport in the receiving stream. Water samples were analyzed for alkylphenolic EDCs and other contaminants, including 4-nonylphenol (NP), 4-nonylphenolpolyethoxylates (NPEO), 4-nonylphenolethoxycarboxylic acids (NPEC), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP), 4-tert-octylphenolpolyethoxylates (OPEO), bisphenol A, triclosan, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and trace elements. All of the compounds were detected in all of the WWTP effluents, with EDTA and NPEC having the greatest concentrations. The compounds also were detected in the WWTP effluent dominated rivers. Multiple fish species were collected from river and lake sites and analyzed for NP, NPEO, NPEC, OP, and OPEO. Whole-body fish tissue analysis indicated widespread occurrence of alkylphenolic compounds, with the highest concentrations occurring in streams with the greatest WWTP effluent content. Biomarkers of endocrine disruption in the fish indicated long-term exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the wastewater impacted urban waterways.

Occurrence of antibiotics in pharmaceutical industrial wastewater, wastewater treatment plant and sea waters in Tunisia.

PubMed

Tahrani, Leyla; Van Loco, Joris; Ben Mansour, Hedi; Reyns, Tim

2016-04-01

Antibiotics are among the most commonly used group of pharmaceuticals in human medicine. They can therefore reach surface and groundwater bodies through different routes, such as wastewater treatment plant effluents, surface runoff, or infiltration of water used for agricultural purposes. It is well known that antibiotics pose a significant risk to environmental and human health, even at low concentrations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of aminoglycosides and phenicol antibiotics in municipal wastewaters, sea water and pharmaceutical effluents in Tunisia. All analysed water samples contained detectable levels of aminoglycoside and phenicol antibiotics. The highest concentrations in wastewater influents were observed for neomycin and kanamycin B (16.4 ng mL(-1) and 7.5 ng mL(-1), respectively). Chloramphenicol was found in wastewater influents up to 3 ng mL(-1). It was observed that the waste water treatment plants were not efficient in completely removing these antibiotics. Chloramphenicol and florfenicol were found in sea water samples near aquaculture sites at levels up to, respectively, 15.6 ng mL(-1) and 18.4 ng mL(-1). Also aminoglycoside antibiotics were found near aquaculture sites with the highest concentration of 3.4 ng mL(-1) for streptomycin. In pharmaceutical effluents, only gentamycin was found at concentrations up to 19 ng mL(-1) over a sampling period of four months.

Occurrence and sources of antibiotics and their metabolites in river water, WWTPs, and swine wastewater in Jiulongjiang River basin, south China.

PubMed

Jiang, Hongyou; Zhang, Dandan; Xiao, Shichang; Geng, Chunnv; Zhang, Xian

2013-12-01

In this study, the occurrence and sources of five cataloged antibiotics and metabolites were studied in Jiulongjiang River basin, south China. Nineteen antibiotics and 13 metabolites were detected in water samples from 16 river sampling sites, wastewater from 5 swine-raising facilities, and effluent from 5 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The results showed that 12 antibiotics and 6 metabolites were detected in river water samples. Sulfonamides (SAs) and their metabolites were detected at high concentrations (8.59-158.94 ng/L). Tetracyclines (TCs) and their metabolites were frequently detected in swine wastewater, and the maximum concentration was up to the level in milligram per liter. Macrolides (MLs) and β-lactams (β-Ls) were found in all WWTP effluent samples and some river samples, while they were never found in any of the swine wastewater samples. SAs and quinolones (QNs) were detected in all samples. Hierarchical cluster analysis of 16 surface water samples was applied to achieve the spatial distribution characteristics of antibiotics in the Jiulongjiang River. As a result, two categories were obviously obtained. Principal component analysis and redundancy analysis showed that TCs and SAs as well as their metabolites were the major antibiotics in Jiulongjiang River, and they mainly originated from swine wastewater, while the QNs, MLs, and β-Ls in the Jiulongjiang River came from WWTP effluent.

Gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric fragmentation study of phytoestrogens as their trimethylsilyl derivatives: Identification in soy milk and wastewater samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferrar, Imma; Barber, Larry B.; Thurman, E. Michael

2009-01-01

An analytical method for the identification of eight plant phytoestrogens (biochanin A, coumestrol, daidzein, equol, formononetin, glycitein, genistein and prunetin) in soy products and wastewater samples was developed using gas chromatography coupled with ion trap mass spectrometry (GC/MS–MS). The phytoestrogens were derivatized as their trimethylsilyl ethers with trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) and N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA). The phytoestrogens were isolated from all samples with liquid–liquid extraction using ethyl acetate. Daidzein-d4 and genistein-d4 labeled standards were used as internal standards before extraction and derivatization. The fragmentation patterns of the phytoestrogens were investigated by isolating and fragmenting the precursor ions in the ion-trap and a typical fragmentation involved the loss of a methyl and a carbonyl group. Two characteristic fragment ions for each analyte were chosen for identification and confirmation. The developed methodology was applied to the identification and confirmation of phytoestrogens in soy milk, in wastewater effluent from a soy-milk processing plant, and in wastewater (influent and effluent) from a treatment plant. Detected concentrations of genistein ranged from 50,000 μg/L and 2000 μg/L in soy milk and in wastewater from a soy-plant, respectively, to 20 μg/L and <1 μg/L for influent and effluent from a wastewater treatment plant, respectively.

40 CFR 421.65 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS NONFERROUS METALS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Secondary Copper... existing sources. The mass of wastewater pollutants in secondary copper process wastewater introduced into...

40 CFR 421.65 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS NONFERROUS METALS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Secondary Copper... existing sources. The mass of wastewater pollutants in secondary copper process wastewater introduced into...

Textile wastewater treatment: aerobic granular sludge vs activated sludge systems.

PubMed

Lotito, Adriana Maria; De Sanctis, Marco; Di Iaconi, Claudio; Bergna, Giovanni

2014-05-01

Textile effluents are characterised by high content of recalcitrant compounds and are often discharged (together with municipal wastewater to increase their treatability) into centralized wastewater treatment plants with a complex treatment scheme. This paper reports the results achieved adopting a granular sludge system (sequencing batch biofilter granular reactor - SBBGR) to treat mixed municipal-textile wastewater. Thanks to high average removals in SBBGR (82.1% chemical oxygen demand, 94.7% total suspended solids, 87.5% total Kjeldahl nitrogen, 77.1% surfactants), the Italian limits for discharge into a water receiver can be complied with the biological stage alone. The comparison with the performance of the centralized plant treating the same wastewater has showed that SBBGR system is able to produce an effluent of comparable quality with a simpler treatment scheme, a much lower hydraulic residence time (11 h against 30 h) and a lower sludge production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

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...

Anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater using the UASB-technology.

PubMed

Urban, I; Weichgrebe, D; Rosenwinkel, K-H

2007-01-01

The anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater enables new applications for the reuse of wastewater. The effluent could be used for irrigation as the included nutrients are not affected by the treatment. Much more interesting now are renewable energies and the retrenchment of CO(2) emission. With the anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater, not only can the CO(2) emission be reduced but "clean" energy supply can be gained by biogas. Most important for the sustainability of this process is the gathering of methane from the liquid effluent of the reactor, because the negative climate-relevant effect from the degassing methane is much higher than the positive effect from saving CO(2) emission. In this study, UASB reactors were used with a flocculent sludge blanket for the biodegradation of the carbon fraction in the wastewater with different temperatures and concentrations. It could be shown that the positive effect is much higher for municipal wastewater with high concentrations in hot climates.

Adsorption of Heavy Metals in Industrial Wastewater by Magnetic Nano-particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Y.; You, C.

2010-12-01

Industrial wastewater containing heavy metals is of great concern because of their toxic impact to living species and environments. Removal of metal ions from industrial effluent using nano-particles is an area of extensive research. This study collected wastewaters and effluents from 11 industrial companies in tanning, electronic plating, printed circuit board manufacturing, semi-conductor, and metal surface treatment industry and studied in detailed the major and trace element compositions to develop potential fingerprinting technique for pollutant source identification. The results showed that electronic plating and metal surface treatment industry produce high Fe, Mn, Cr, Zn, Ni and Mo wastewater. The tanning industry and the printed circuit board manufacturing industry released wastewater with high Fe and Cr, Cu and Ni, respectively. For semi-conductor industry, significant dissolved In was detected in wastewater. The absorption experiments to remove heavy metals in waters were conducted using Fe3O4 nano-particles. Under optimal conditions, more than 99 % dissolved metals were removed in a few minutes.

Advanced treatment of sodium dithionite wastewater using the combination of coagulation, catalytic ozonation, and SBR.

PubMed

Zou, Xiao-Ling

2017-10-01

A combined process of coagulation-catalytic ozonation-anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR)-SBR was developed at lab scale for treating a real sodium dithionite wastewater with an initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 21,760-22,450 mg/L. Catalytic ozonation with the prepared cerium oxide (CeO 2 )/granular activated carbon catalyst significantly enhances wastewater biodegradability and reduces wastewater microtoxicity. The results show that, under the optimum conditions, the removal efficiencies of COD and suspended solids are averagely 99.3% and 95.6%, respectively, and the quality of final effluent can meet the national discharge standard of China. The coagulation and ASBR processes remove a considerable proportion of organic matter, while the SBR plays an important role in post-polish of final effluent. The ecotoxicity of the wastewater is greatly reduced after undergoing the hybrid treatment. This work demonstrates that the hybrid system has the potential to be applied for the advanced treatment of high-strength industrial wastewater.

Integration of biotechnological wastewater treatment units in textile finishing factories: from end of the pipe solutions to combined production and wastewater treatment units.

PubMed

Feitkenhauer, H; Meyer, U

2001-08-23

Increasing costs for water, wastewater and energy put pressure on textile finishing plants to increase the efficiency of wet processing. An improved water management can decrease the use of these resources and is a prerequisite for the integration of an efficient, anaerobic on-site pretreatment of effluents that will further cut wastewater costs. A two-phase anaerobic treatment is proposed, and successful laboratory experiments with model effluents from the cotton finishing industry are reported. The chemical oxygen demand of this wastewater was reduced by over 88% at retention times of 1 day or longer. The next step to boost the efficiency is to combine the production and wastewater treatment. The example of cotton fabric desizing (removing size from the fabric) illustrates how this final step of integration uses the acidic phase bioreactor as a part of the production and allows to close the water cycle of the system.

Investigation of PPCPs in wastewater treatment plants in Greece: occurrence, removal and environmental risk assessment.

PubMed

Kosma, Christina I; Lambropoulou, Dimitra A; Albanis, Triantafyllos A

2014-01-01

In the present work, an extensive study on the presence of eighteen pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in eight wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) of Greece has been conducted. The study covered four sampling periods over 1-year, where samples (influents; effluents) from eight WWTPs of various cities in Greece were taken. All WWTPs investigated are equipped with conventional activated sludge treatment. A common pre-concentration step based on SPE was applied, followed by LC-UV/Vis-ESI-MS. Further confirmation of positive findings was accomplished by using LC coupled to a high resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometer. The results showed the occurrence of all target compounds in the wastewater samples with concentrations up to 96.65 μg/L. Paracetamol, caffeine, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, diclofenac and salicylic acid were the dominant compounds, while tolfenamic acid, fenofibrate and simvastatin were the less frequently detected compounds with concentrations in effluents below the LOQ. The removal efficiencies showed that many WWTPs were unable to effectively remove most of the PPCPs investigated. Finally, the study provides an assessment of the environmental risk posed by their presence in wastewaters by means of the risk quotient (RQ). RQs were more than unity for various compounds in the effluents expressing possible threat for the aquatic environment. Triclosan was found to be the most critical compound in terms of contribution and environmental risk, concluding that it should be seriously considered as a candidate for regulatory monitoring and prioritization on a European scale on the basis of realistic PNECs. The results of the extensive monitoring study contributed to a better insight on PPCPs in Greece and their presence in influent and effluent wastewaters. Furthermore, the unequivocal identification of two transformation products of trimethoprim in real wastewaters by using the advantages of the LTQ Orbitrap capabilities provides information that should be taken into consideration in future PPCP monitoring studies in wastewaters. © 2013.

Effects of a real-time exposure to an estrogenic effluent on reproduction in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)

EPA Science Inventory

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are a well-established point of convergence through which anthropogenic chemicals enter surface waters. Whole effluent testing guidelines were developed to screen these complex mixtures for acute toxicity. However, effects-based approac...

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.

Transport and fate of microplastic particles in wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Carr, Steve A; Liu, Jin; Tesoro, Arnold G

2016-03-15

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are frequently suspected as significant point sources or conduits of microplastics to the environment. To directly investigate these suspicions, effluent discharges from seven tertiary plants and one secondary plant in Southern California were studied. The study also looked at influent loads, particle size/type, conveyance, and removal at these wastewater treatment facilities. Over 0.189 million liters of effluent at each of the seven tertiary plants were filtered using an assembled stack of sieves with mesh sizes between 400 and 45 μm. Additionally, the surface of 28.4 million liters of final effluent at three tertiary plants was skimmed using a 125 μm filtering assembly. The results suggest that tertiary effluent is not a significant source of microplastics and that these plastic pollutants are effectively removed during the skimming and settling treatment processes. However, at a downstream secondary plant, an average of one micro-particle in every 1.14 thousand liters of final effluent was counted. The majority of microplastics identified in this study had a profile (color, shape, and size) similar to the blue polyethylene particles present in toothpaste formulations. Existing treatment processes were determined to be very effective for removal of microplastic contaminants entering typical municipal WWTPs. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Systematic study of the contamination of wastewater treatment plant effluents by organic priority compounds in Almeria province (SE Spain).

PubMed

Barco-Bonilla, Nieves; Romero-González, Roberto; Plaza-Bolaños, Patricia; Martínez Vidal, José L; Garrido Frenich, Antonia

2013-03-01

The occurrence of priority organic pollutants in wastewater (WW) effluents was evaluated in a semi-arid area, characterized by a high agricultural and tourism activity, as Almeria province (Southeastern Spain). Twelve wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were sampled in three campaigns during 2011, obtaining a total of 33 WW samples, monitoring 226 compounds, including pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phenolic compounds and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Certain banned organochlorine pesticides such as aldrin, pentachlorobenzene, o,p'-DDD and endosulfan lactone were found, and the most frequently detected pesticides were herbicides (diuron, triazines). PAHs and VOCs were also detected, noting that some of these pollutants were ubiquitous. Regarding phenolic compounds, 4-tertoctylphenol was found in all the WW samples at high concentration levels (up to 89.7 μg/L). Furthermore, it was observed that WW effluent samples were less contaminated in the second and third sampling periods, which corresponded to dry season. This evaluation revealed that despite the WW was treated in the WWTP, organic contaminants are still being detected in WW effluents and therefore they are released into the environment. Finally the risk of environmental threat due to the presence of some compounds in WWTP effluents, especially concerning 4-tertoctylphenol must be indicated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modified Whole Effluent Toxicity Test to Assess and Decouple Wastewater Effects from Environmental Gradients

PubMed Central

Sauco, Sebastián; Gómez, Julio; Barboza, Francisco R.; Lercari, Diego; Defeo, Omar

2013-01-01

Environmental gradients and wastewater discharges produce aggregated effects on marine populations, obscuring the detection of human impact. Classical assessment methods do not include environmental effects in toxicity tests designs, which could lead to incorrect conclusions. We proposed a modified Whole Effluent Toxicity test (mWET) that includes environmental gradients in addition to effluent dilutions, together with the application of Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) to assess and decouple those effects. We tested this approach, analyzing the lethal effects of wastewater on a marine sandy beach bivalve affected by an artificial canal freshwater discharge used for rice crops irrigation. To this end, we compared bivalve mortality between canal water dilutions (CWd) and salinity controls (SC: without canal water). CWd were prepared by diluting the water effluent (sampled during the pesticide application period) with artificial marine water. The salinity gradient was included in the design by achieving the same final salinities in both CWd and SC, allowing us to account for the effects of salinity by including this variable as a random factor in the GLMM. Our approach detected significantly higher mortalities in CWd, indicating potential toxic effects of the effluent discharge. mWET represents an improvement over the internationally standardized WET tests, since it considers environmental variability and uses appropriate statistical analyses. PMID:23755304

Biodiesel production from Scenedesmus bijuga grown in anaerobically digested food wastewater effluent.

PubMed

Shin, Dong Yun; Cho, Hyun Uk; Utomo, Joseph Christian; Choi, Yun-Nam; Xu, Xu; Park, Jong Moon

2015-05-01

Microalgae, Scenedesmus bijuga, was cultivated in anaerobically digested food wastewater effluent (FWE) to treat the wastewater and produce biodiesel simultaneously. Three different mixing ratios with municipal wastewater were compared for finding out proper dilution ratio in biodiesel production. Of these, 1/20 diluted FWE showed the highest biomass production (1.49 g/L). Lipid content was highest in 1/10 diluted FWE (35.06%), and the lipid productivity showed maximum value in 1/20 diluted FWE (15.59 mg/L/d). Nutrient removal was also measured in the cultivation. FAME compositions were mainly composed of C16-C18 (Over 98.94%) in S. bijuga. In addition, quality of FAMEs was evaluated by Cetane Number (CN) and Bis-allylic Position Equivalent (BAPE). Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in wastewater samples in north-eastern Tunisia.

PubMed

Moslah, Bilel; Hapeshi, Evroula; Jrad, Amel; Fatta-Kassinos, Despo; Hedhili, Abderrazek

2017-04-07

Pharmaceutically active substances (PhACs) and drugs of abuse (DAs) are two classes of contaminants of emerging concern that have attracted great concern and interest by the scientific community during the last two decades. Numerous studies have revealed their presence in treated urban wastewaters. This is mainly due to the fact that some compounds are not efficiently removed during wastewater treatment processes, and are thus able to reach the aquatic environment through wastewater discharge and reuse practices. The application of an optimized multi-residue method for the simultaneous confirmation and quantification of licit and illicit drugs has been investigated in influent and effluent wastewater samples from seven wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in north-eastern Tunisia. Analysis was performed through ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Out of 12 pharmaceutical compounds analyzed, 11 of them were detected mainly in effluent wastewaters. In both matrices, antibiotics and β-blockers were the most detected groups. This suggests that these compounds show noticeable resistance against biological treatment in WWTPs. The estimated concentrations of antibiotics in effluents ranged from ca. 35 ng/L to 1.2 μg/L. However, all five studied illicit drugs were detected, mainly in influent wastewaters. Forensic investigation performed on people suspected to be drug abusers covering all Tunisian cities was conducted by monitoring an epidemiological study of human urine samples surveying rate of consumption for illicit drugs. Hence, these preliminary results confirmed the presence of illicit drugs in the influent wastewater samples. For example, quantification ranges for cocaine were found to be 25-450 ng/L in influent wastewater samples. Significant differences for cocaine consumption across the two sampling methods were observed. Consequently, we conclude that the analyses in wastewater are more reflective of the real levels of illicit drug consumption. Moreover, the cost for chromatographic analysis is lower than the screening test methods for human biological specimen, particularly staffing, which are likely to be much lower.

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.

Potential estrogenic effects of wastewaters on gene expression in Pimephales promelas and fish assemblages in streams of southeastern New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baldigo, Barry P.; George, Scott D.; Phillips, Patrick J.; Hemming, Joceyln D. C.; Denslow, Nancy D.; Kroll, Kevin J.

2015-01-01

Direct linkages between endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) from municipal and industrial wastewaters and impacts on wild fish assemblages are rare. The levels of plasma vitellogenin (Vtg) and Vtg messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed to wastewater effluents and dilutions of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), estrogen activity, and fish assemblages in 10 receiving streams were assessed to improve understanding of important interrelations. Results from 4-d laboratory assays indicate that EE2, plasma Vtg concentration, and Vtg gene expression in fathead minnows, and 17β-estradiol equivalents (E2Eq values) were highly related to each other (R2 = 0.98–1.00). Concentrations of E2Eq in most effluents did not exceed 2.0 ng/L, which was possibly a short-term exposure threshold for Vtg gene expression in male fathead minnows. Plasma Vtg in fathead minnows only increased significantly (up to 1136 μg/mL) in 2 wastewater effluents. Fish assemblages were generally unaffected at 8 of 10 study sites, yet the density and biomass of 79% to 89% of species populations were reduced (63–68% were reduced significantly) in the downstream reach of 1 receiving stream. These results, and moderate to high E2Eq concentrations (up to 16.1 ng/L) observed in effluents during a companion study, suggest that estrogenic wastewaters can potentially affect individual fish, their populations, and entire fish communities in comparable systems across New York, USA. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Shadow prices of emerging pollutants in wastewater treatment plants: Quantification of environmental externalities.

PubMed

Bellver-Domingo, A; Fuentes, R; Hernández-Sancho, F

2017-12-01

Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are designed to remove mainly the organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus compounds and suspended solids from wastewater but are not capable of removing chemicals of human origin, such as pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs). The presence of PPCPs in wastewater has environmental effects on the water bodies receiving the WWTP effluents and renders the effluent as unsuitable as a nonconventional water source. Considering PPCPs as non-desirable outputs, the shadow prices methodology has been implemented using the output distance function to measure the environmental benefits of removing five PPCPs (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, carbamazepine and trimethoprim) from WWTP effluents discharged to three different ecosystems (wetland, river and sea). Acetaminophen and ibuprofen show the highest shadow prices of the sample for wetland areas. Their values are 128.2 and 11.0 €/mg respectively. These results represent a proxy in monetary terms of the environmental benefit achieved from avoiding the discharge of these PPCPs in wetlands. These results suggest which PPCPs are urgent to remove from wastewater and which ecosystems are most vulnerable to their presence. The findings of this study will be useful for the plant managers in order to make decisions about prioritization in the removal of different pollutants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. 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 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

Effect of adding brewery wastewater to pulp and paper mill effluent to enhance the photofermentation process: wastewater characteristics, biohydrogen production, overall performance, and kinetic modeling.

PubMed

Hay, Jacqueline Xiao Wen; Wu, Ta Yeong; Juan, Joon Ching; Md Jahim, Jamaliah

2017-04-01

Although a significant amount of brewery wastewater (BW) is generated during beer production, the nutrients in the BW could be reused as a potential bio-resource for biohydrogen production. Therefore, improvements in photofermentative biohydrogen production due to a combination of BW and pulp and paper mill effluent (PPME) as a mixed production medium were investigated comprehensively in this study. The experimental results showed that both the biohydrogen yield and the chemical oxygen demand removal were improved through the combination of BW and PPME. The best biohydrogen yield of 0.69 mol H 2 /L medium was obtained using the combination of 10 % BW + 90 % PPME (10B90P), while the reuse of the wastewater alone (100 % BW and 100 % PPME) resulted in 42.3 and 44.0 % less biohydrogen yields than the highest yield, respectively. The greatest light efficiency was 1.97 % and was also achieved using the combination of both wastewaters at 10B90P. This study revealed the potential of reusing and combining two different effluents together, in which the combination of BW and PPME improved the nutrients and light penetration into the mixed production medium.

Organics and nitrogen removal from textile auxiliaries wastewater with A2O-MBR in a pilot-scale.

PubMed

Sun, Faqian; Sun, Bin; Hu, Jian; He, Yangyang; Wu, Weixiang

2015-04-09

The removal of organic compounds and nitrogen in an anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic membrane bioreactor process (A(2)O-MBR) for treatment of textile auxiliaries (TA) wastewater was investigated. The results show that the average effluent concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium nitrogen (NH4(+)-N) and total nitrogen (TN) were about 119, 3 and 48 mg/L under an internal recycle ratio of 1.5. The average removal efficiency of COD, NH4(+)-N and TN were 87%, 96% and 55%, respectively. Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer analysis indicated that, although as much as 121 different types of organic compounds were present in the TA wastewater, only 20 kinds of refractory organic compounds were found in the MBR effluent, which could be used as indicators of effluents from this kind of industrial wastewater. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that bacterial foulants were significant contributors to membrane fouling. An examination of foulants components by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence showed that the combination of organic foulants and inorganic compounds enhanced the formation of gel layer and thus caused membrane fouling. The results will provide valuable information for optimizing the design and operation of wastewater treatment system in the textile industry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Trace Element and Cu Isotopic Tracers of Subsurface Flow and Transport in Wastewater Irrigated Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carte, J.; Fantle, M. S.

2017-12-01

An understanding of subsurface flow paths is critical for quantifying the fate of contaminants in wastewater irrigation systems. This study investigates the subsurface flow of wastewater by quantifying the distribution of trace contaminants in wastewater irrigated soils. Soil samples were collected from the upper 1m of two wetlands at Penn State University's wastewater irrigation site, at which all effluent from the University's wastewater treatment plant has been sprayed since 1983. Major and trace element and Cu isotopic composition were determined for these samples, in addition to wastewater effluent and bedrock samples. The upper 20 cm of each wetland shows an enrichment of Bi, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations relative to deep (>1m) soils at the site by a factor of 1.7-3.5. Each wetland also has a subsurface clay rich horizon with Bi, Cu, Li, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations enriched by a factor of 1.4 to 5 relative to deep soils. These subsurface horizons directly underlie intervals that could facilitate preferential effluent flow: a gravel layer in one wetland, and a silty loam with visible mottling, an indication of dynamic water saturation, in the other. Trace metal concentrations in other horizons from both wetlands fall in the range of the deep soils. Significant variability in Cu isotopic composition is present in soils from both wetlands, with δ65Cu values ranging from 0.74‰ to 5.09‰. Soil δ65Cu correlates well with Cu concentrations, with lighter δ65Cu associated with higher concentrations. The Cu isotopic composition of the zones of metal enrichment are comparable to the ostensible average wastewater effluent δ65Cu value (0.61‰), while other horizons have considerably heavier δ65Cu values. We hypothesize that wastewater is the source of the metal enrichments, as each of the enriched elements are present as contaminants in wastewater, and the enrichments are located in clay-rich horizons conducive to trace metal immobilization due to adsorption. This hypothesis will be further tested by modeling with the reactive transport code CrunchTope. This study provides evidence that trace element and isotopic composition of soils can be useful tracers of subsurface hydrologic pathways and elemental fate and transport.

The treatment performance of different subsoils in Ireland receiving on-site wastewater effluent.

PubMed

Gill, L W; O'Súlleabháin, C; Misstear, B D R; Johnston, P J

2007-01-01

Current Irish guidelines require a comprehensive site assessment of a percolation area for wastewater disposal before planning permission is granted for dwellings in rural areas. For a site to be deemed suitable, the subsoil must have a percolation value equivalent to a field saturated hydraulic conductivity in the range 0.08 to 4.2 m d(-1) using a falling head percolation test. A minimum of 1.2 m of unsaturated subsoil must also exist below the invert of the percolation area receiving effluent from a septic tank (or 0.6 m for secondary treated effluent). During a 2-yr period, the three-dimensional performance of four percolation areas treating domestic wastewater was monitored. At each site samples were taken at 0, 10, and 20 m along each of the four percolation trenches at depths of 0.3, 0.6, and 1.0 m below each trench to ascertain the attenuation effects of the unsaturated subsoil. The two sites with septic tanks installed performed at least as well as the other two sites with secondary treatment systems installed and appeared to discharge a better quality effluent in terms of nutrient load. An average of 2.1 and 6.8 g total N d(-1) remained after passing through 1-m depth of subsoil beneath the trenches receiving septic tank effluent compared with 12.7 and 16.7 g total N d(-1) on the sites receiving secondary effluent. The research also indicates that the septic tank effluent was of an equivalent quality to the secondary treated effluent in terms of indicator bacteria (E. coli) after percolating through 0.6-m depth of unsaturated subsoil.

Wastewater Treatment Costs and Outlays in Organic Petrochemicals: Standards Versus Taxes With Methodology Suggestions for Marginal Cost Pricing and Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Russell G.; Singleton, F. D., Jr.

1986-04-01

With the methodology recommended by Baumol and Oates, comparable estimates of wastewater treatment costs and industry outlays are developed for effluent standard and effluent tax instruments for pollution abatement in five hypothetical organic petrochemicals (olefins) plants. The computational method uses a nonlinear simulation model for wastewater treatment to estimate the system state inputs for linear programming cost estimation, following a practice developed in a National Science Foundation (Research Applied to National Needs) study at the University of Houston and used to estimate Houston Ship Channel pollution abatement costs for the National Commission on Water Quality. Focusing on best practical and best available technology standards, with effluent taxes adjusted to give nearly equal pollution discharges, shows that average daily treatment costs (and the confidence intervals for treatment cost) would always be less for the effluent tax than for the effluent standard approach. However, industry's total outlay for these treatment costs, plus effluent taxes, would always be greater for the effluent tax approach than the total treatment costs would be for the effluent standard approach. Thus the practical necessity of showing smaller outlays as a prerequisite for a policy change toward efficiency dictates the need to link the economics at the microlevel with that at the macrolevel. Aggregation of the plants into a programming modeling basis for individual sectors and for the economy would provide a sound basis for effective policy reform, because the opportunity costs of the salient regulatory policies would be captured. Then, the government's policymakers would have the informational insights necessary to legislate more efficient environmental policies in light of the wealth distribution effects.

40 CFR 455.44 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Formulating and Packaging Subcategory § 455.44 Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of... permitting authorities shall provide no additional discharge allowance for those pesticide active ingredients (PAIs) in the pesticide formulating, packaging and repackaging wastewaters when those PAIs are also...

40 CFR 455.44 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Formulating and Packaging Subcategory § 455.44 Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of... permitting authorities shall provide no additional discharge allowance for those pesticide active ingredients (PAIs) in the pesticide formulating, packaging and repackaging wastewaters when those PAIs are also...

40 CFR 461.12 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS BATTERY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Cadmium Subcategory § 461.12... 1.49 (b) There shall be no discharge allowance for process wastewater pollutants from any battery manufacturing operation other than those battery manufacturing operations listed above. ...

40 CFR 461.71 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS BATTERY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Zinc Subcategory...) There shall be no discharge allowance for process wastewater pollutants from any battery manufacturing operation other than those battery manufacturing operations listed above. [49 FR 9134, Mar. 9, 1984; 49 FR...

40 CFR 461.71 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) BATTERY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Zinc...) There shall be no discharge allowance for process wastewater pollutants from any battery manufacturing operation other than those battery manufacturing operations listed above. [49 FR 9134, Mar. 9, 1984; 49 FR...

40 CFR 461.71 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) BATTERY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Zinc...) There shall be no discharge allowance for process wastewater pollutants from any battery manufacturing operation other than those battery manufacturing operations listed above. [49 FR 9134, Mar. 9, 1984; 49 FR...

40 CFR 461.12 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS BATTERY MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Cadmium Subcategory § 461.12... 1.49 (b) There shall be no discharge allowance for process wastewater pollutants from any battery manufacturing operation other than those battery manufacturing operations listed above. ...

40 CFR 418.12 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FERTILIZER MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY... waters. (b) Process wastewater pollutants from a calcium sulfate storage pile runoff facility operated... a surge capacity equal to the runoff from the 10-year, 24-hour rainfall event may be discharged...

40 CFR 418.12 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FERTILIZER MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY... waters. (b) Process wastewater pollutants from a calcium sulfate storage pile runoff facility operated... a surge capacity equal to the runoff from the 10-year, 24-hour rainfall event may be discharged...

40 CFR 418.12 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FERTILIZER MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY... waters. (b) Process wastewater pollutants from a calcium sulfate storage pile runoff facility operated... a surge capacity equal to the runoff from the 10-year, 24-hour rainfall event may be discharged...

Contamination profiles and mass loadings of macrolide antibiotics and illicit drugs from a small urban wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Loganathan, Bommanna; Phillips, Malia; Mowery, Holly; Jones-Lepp, Tammy L

2009-03-01

Information is limited regarding sources, distribution, environmental behavior, and fate of prescribed and illicit drugs. Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents can be one of the sources of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCP) into streams, rivers and lakes. The objective of this study was to determine the contamination profiles and mass loadings of urobilin (a chemical marker of human waste), macrolide antibiotics (azithromycin, clarithromycin, roxithromycin), and two drugs of abuse (methamphetamine and ecstasy), from a small (<19 mega liters day(-1), equivalent to <5 million gallons per day) wastewater treatment plant in southwestern Kentucky. The concentrations of azithromycin, clarithromycin, methamphetamine and ecstasy in wastewater samples varied widely, ranging from non-detects to 300 ng L(-1). Among the macrolide antibiotics analyzed, azithromycin was consistently detected in influent and effluent samples. In general, influent samples contained relatively higher concentrations of the analytes than the effluents. Based on the daily flow rates and an average concentration of 17.5 ng L(-1) in the effluent, the estimated discharge of azithromycin was 200 mg day(-1) (range 63-400 mg day(-1)). Removal efficiency of the detected analytes from this WWTP were in the following order: urobilin>methamphetamine>azithromycin with percentages of removal of 99.9%, 54.5% and 47%, respectively, indicating that the azithromycin and methamphetamine are relatively more recalcitrant than others and have potential for entering receiving waters.

Hospital effluents as a source of emerging pollutants: An overview of micropollutants and sustainable treatment options

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verlicchi, P.; Galletti, A.; Petrovic, M.; Barceló, D.

2010-08-01

SummaryHospital wastewaters contain a variety of toxic or persistent substances such as pharmaceuticals, radionuclides, solvents and disinfectants for medical purposes in a wide range of concentrations due to laboratory and research activities or medicine excretion. Most of these compounds belong to the so called emerging contaminants; quite often unregulated pollutants which may be candidates for future regulation depending on research on their potential health effects and monitoring of their occurrence. Their main characteristic is that they do not need to persist in the environment to cause negative effects since their high transformation/removal rates can be compensated for by their continuous introduction into the environment. Some of these compounds, most of them pharmaceuticals and personal care products may also be present in urban wastewaters. Their concentrations in the effluents may vary from ng L -1 to μg L -1. In this paper, hospital effluents and urban wastewaters are compared in terms of quali-quantitative characteristics. On the basis of an in-depth survey: (i) hospital average specific daily water consumptions (L patient -1 day -1) are evaluated and compared to urban ones (L person -1 day -1), (ii) conventional parameters concentrations in hospital effluents are compared to urban ones and (iii) main pharmaceuticals and other emerging compounds contents are compared in the two wastewaters. Finally, an overview of the removal capacity of the different treatments is reported.

Occurrence and inputs of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from rivers and drain outlets to the Bohai Sea, China.

PubMed

Chen, Hong; Wang, Xiaomeng; Zhang, Can; Sun, Ruijun; Han, Jianbo; Han, Gengchen; Yang, Wenchao; He, Xin

2017-02-01

Concentrations of 19 PFASs in riverwater, coastal wastewater and effluents from WWTPs which were directly discharged into the Bohai Sea of China were measured and their inputs to this sea area were calculated accordingly. For riverwater samples, the total PFAS concentrations ranged from 13.1 to 69 238 ng/L. PFAS levels in riverwater collected from Liaoning Province were comparable to those from Shandong Province, while they were two orders of magnitude greater than those from Hebei Province and the city of Tianjin. The dominant PFAS patterns were spatially different. PFBS and PFOA were the predominant PFASs in riverwater samples at sites where fluorochemical industry parks are located in Liaoning Province and Shandong Province, respectively. For other sites, PFOA and PFOS were the most abundant PFASs. In contrast, the total PFAS concentrations in coastal wastewater and effluent samples ranged from 16.7 to 7 522 ng/L and from 13.1 to 319 ng/L, respectively. PFOA was dominant in these samples. Inputs of PFASs to the Bohai Sea via riverine flow, discharge of coastal wastewater and effluents were estimated to be 87.3 tons per year. As compared with coastal wastewater and effluent discharge, riverine input was a major source for the PFAS pollution in the Bohai Sea except for PFBS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An integrated anaerobic digestion and UV photocatalytic treatment of distillery wastewater.

PubMed

Apollo, Seth; Onyango, Maurice S; Ochieng, Aoyi

2013-10-15

Anaerobic up-flow fixed bed reactor and annular photocatalytic reactor were used to study the efficiency of integrated anaerobic digestion (AD) and ultraviolet (UV) photodegradation of real distillery effluent and raw molasses wastewater (MWW). It was found that UV photodegradation as a stand-alone technique achieved colour removal of 54% and 69% for the distillery and MWW, respectively, with a COD reduction of <20% and a negligible BOD reduction. On the other hand, AD as a single treatment technique was found to be effective in COD and BOD reduction with efficiencies of above 75% and 85%, respectively, for both wastewater samples. However, the AD achieved low colour removal efficiency, with an increase in colour intensity of 13% recorded when treating MWW while a colour removal of 51% was achieved for the distillery effluent. The application of UV photodegradation as a pre-treatment method to the AD process reduced the COD removal and biogas production efficiency. However, an integration in which UV photodegradation was employed as a post-treatment to the AD process achieved high COD removal of above 85% for both wastewater samples, and colour removal of 88% for the distillery effluent. Thus, photodegradation can be employed as a post-treatment technique to an AD system treating distillery effluent for complete removal of the biorecalcitrant and colour imparting compounds. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Embryotoxic and genotoxic effects of sewage effluents in zebrafish embryo using multiple endpoint testing.

PubMed

Babić, Sanja; Barišić, Josip; Višić, Hrvoje; Sauerborn Klobučar, Roberta; Topić Popović, Natalija; Strunjak-Perović, Ivančica; Čož-Rakovac, Rozelindra; Klobučar, Göran

2017-05-15

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are often complex mixtures of various organic and inorganic substances. Quality control of wastewaters and sludges has been regulated with measuring several physico-chemical parameters and sometimes using biological methods with non-specific responses, while synergistic action mechanisms of contaminants in such complex mixtures is still unknown. Toxic effects of wastewaters within and downstream of the WWTP in City of Virovitica, Croatia, were tested on zebrafish Danio rerio using a set of biomarkers that enabled an insight in wastewaters toxic potential on embryos at the cellular, tissue and the whole organism level during an early ontogenesis (24 and 48 hpf). Exposure of embryos to the wastewater samples from WWTP Virovitica increased mortality and abnormality rate. Heart rate, spontaneous movements and pigmentation formation were also markedly affected. Biochemical markers confirmed the presence of MXR inhibitors in all tested wastewater samples, indicating the increase of pollutant accumulation in the cell/organism. Also, a tendency of DNA damage decrease measured with Comet assay was evident in wastewater samples downstream from WWTP although control levels were not reached in any environmental sample. Histopathological analysis showed that exposure to tested samples resulted in impaired muscle organization, notochord malformation and retardation in eye and brain development at embryos 48 hpf. Furthermore, semi-quantitative histopathology assessment indicated increased percentage of embryo defects in river water sampled several kilometers downstream from the WWTP, confirming toxic potential of WWTP effluents. Extension of the zebrafish embryotoxicity test (ZET) with biochemical and histopathological biomarkers could serve as a guiding principle in biomonitoring of wastewater contamination. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Impact of wastewater derived dissolved organic carbon on reduction, mobility, and bioavailability of As(V) and Cr(VI) in contaminated soils.

PubMed

Kunhikrishnan, Anitha; Choppala, Girish; Seshadri, Balaji; Wijesekara, Hasintha; Bolan, Nanthi S; Mbene, Kenneth; Kim, Won-Il

2017-01-15

In this work, the effects of various wastewater sources (storm water, sewage effluent, piggery effluent, and dairy effluent) on the reduction, and subsequent mobility and bioavailability of arsenate [As(V)] and chromate [Cr(VI)] were compared using both spiked and field contaminated soils. Wastewater addition to soil can increase the supply of carbon, nutrients, and stimulation of microorganisms which are considered to be important factors enhancing the reduction of metal(loid)s including As and Cr. The wastewater-induced mobility and bioavailability of As(V) and Cr(VI) were examined using leaching, earthworm, and soil microbial activity tests. The rate of reduction of As(V) was much less than that of Cr(VI) both in the presence and absence of wastewater addition. Wastewater addition increased the reduction of both As(V) and Cr(VI) compared to the control (Milli-Q water) and the effect was more pronounced in the case of Cr(VI). The leaching experiment indicated that Cr(VI) was more mobile than As(V). Wastewater addition increased the mobility and bioavailability of As(V), but had an opposite effect on Cr(VI). The difference in the mobility and bioavailability of Cr(VI) and As(V) between wastewater sources can be attributed to the difference in their dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content. The DOC provides carbon as an electron donor for the reduction of As(V) and Cr(VI) and also serves as a complexing agent thereby impacting their mobility and bioavailability. The DOC-induced reduction increased both the mobility and bioavailability of As, but it caused an opposite effect in the case of Cr. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Carrier effects on tertiary nitrifying moving bed biofilm reactor: An examination of performance, biofilm and biologically produced solids.

PubMed

Forrest, Daina; Delatolla, Robert; Kennedy, Kevin

2016-01-01

Increasingly stricter ammonia and nitrogen release regulations with respect to wastewater effluents are creating a need for tertiary treatment systems. The moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) is being considered as an upgrade option for an increasing number of wastewater treatment facilities due to its small footprint and ease of operation. Despite the MBBRs creation as a system to remove nitrogen, recent research on MBBR systems showing that the system's performance is directly related to carrier surface area and is irrespective of carrier shape and type has been performed exclusively on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal systems. Furthermore, the influence of carrier type on the solids produced by MBBR systems has also been exclusively studied for COD removal systems. This work investigates the effects of three specific carrier types on ammonia removal rates, biofilm morphology, along with solids production and settleability of tertiary nitrifying MBBR systems. The study concludes that carrier type has no significant effect on tertiary nitrifying MBBR system performance under steady, moderate loading conditions. The research does however highlight the propensity of greater surface area to volume carriers to become clogged under high loading conditions and that the high surface area carriers investigated in this study required longer adjustment periods to changes in loading after becoming clogged.

Trends in nitrogen isotope ratios of juvenile winter flounder ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Nitrogen isotope ratios (d 15N) in juvenile winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, were used to examine changes in nitrogen inputs to several Rhode Island, USA estuarine systems. Fish were collected over two three-year periods with a ten-year interval between sampling periods (2002-2004 and 2012-2014). During that interval numerous changes to nutrient management practices were initiated in the watersheds of these estuarine systems including the upgrade of several major wastewater treatment facilities that discharge to Narragansett Bay, which significantly reduced nitrogen inputs. Following these reductions, the d 15N values of flounder in several of the systems decreased as expected; however, isotope ratios in fish from upper Narragansett Bay significantly increased. We believe that low d 15N values measured in 2002-2004 were related to concentration-dependant fractionation at this location. Increased d 15N values measured between 2012 and 2014 may indicate reduced fractionation or that changes in wastewater treatment processes altered the nitrogen isotopic ratios of the effluents. This manuscript advances the development of methodology to assess the influence of anthropogenic nitrogen in estuarine systems. Juvenile winter flounder were collected from several estuarine systems along the coast of Rhode Island over two three-year periods and nitrogen isotopes were measured in the muscle tissues of the flounder. The results showed that there was a good cor

Sustainable technologies for olive mill wastewater management (abstract)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The California olive oil industry produces more than 600 million gallons of wastewater each year. Olive mill wastewater (OMWW) is considered a highly polluting effluent due to its high organic load and resistance to biological degradation. A current trend in OMWW management is to not only decrease e...

WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN: A LAGRANGIAN STUDY OF POTENTIAL CHEMICAL IDICATORS OF FECAL CONTAMINATION DOWNSTREAM FROM WASTEWATER PLANTS

EPA Science Inventory

In earlier studies, we have determined that pharmaceuticals and other compounds found in household wastewater (such as surfactants, disinfectants, and scenting agents) are present in the effluent from wastewater treatment plants, and persist downstream from the facilities. To ob...

Analysis of 16S Sediment Microbial Communities from a Southern California Wastewater-Treatment Discharge Field

EPA Science Inventory

Treated sewage effluent from several large wastewater treatment plants in the Los Angeles metropolitan area is discharged into the Pacific Ocean through a network of outfalls located between 5 and 7 miles offshore. To support development of new indicators of wastewater effects o...

Nutrient Removal in Wastewater Treatment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Kanti L.

1973-01-01

Discusses the sources and effects of nutrients in wastewater, and the methods of their removal in wastewater treatment. In order to conserve water resources and eliminate the cost of nutrient removal, treated effluent should be used wherever possible for irrigation, since it contains all the ingredients for proper plant growth. (JR)

Comprehensive determination of macrolide antibiotics, their synthesis intermediates and transformation products in wastewater effluents and ambient waters by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Senta, Ivan; Krizman-Matasic, Ivona; Terzic, Senka; Ahel, Marijan

2017-08-04

Macrolide antibiotics are a prominent group of emerging contaminants frequently found in wastewater effluents and wastewater-impacted aquatic environments. In this work, a novel analytical method for simultaneous determination of parent macrolide antibiotics (azithromycin, erythromycin, clarithromycin and roxithromycin), along with their synthesis intermediates, byproducts, metabolites and transformation products in wastewater and surface water was developed and validated. Samples were enriched using solid-phase extraction on Oasis HLB cartridges and analyzed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The target macrolide compounds were separated on an ACE C18 PFP column and detected using multiple reaction monitoring in positive ionization polarity. The optimized method, which included an additional extract clean-up on strong anion-exchange cartridges (SAX), resulted in high recoveries and accuracies, low matrix effects and improved chromatographic separation of the target compounds, even in highly complex matrices, such as raw wastewater. The developed method was applied to the analysis of macrolide compounds in wastewater and river water samples from Croatia. In addition to parent antibiotics, several previously unreported macrolide transformation products and/or synthesis intermediates were detected in municipal wastewater, some of them reaching μg/L levels. Moreover, extremely high concentrations of macrolides up to mg/L level were found in pharmaceutical industry effluents, indicating possible importance of this source to the total loads into ambient waters. The results revealed a significant contribution of synthesis intermediates and transformation products to the overall mass balance of macrolides in the aquatic environment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Eutrophication and Bacterial Pathogens as Risk Factors for Avian Botulism Outbreaks in Wetlands Receiving Effluents from Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants

PubMed Central

Vidal, Dolors; Laguna, Celia; Díaz-Sánchez, Sandra; Sánchez, Sergio; Chicote, Álvaro; Florín, Máximo; Mateo, Rafael

2014-01-01

Due to the scarcity of water resources in the “Mancha Húmeda” Biosphere Reserve, the use of treated wastewater has been proposed as a solution for the conservation of natural threatened floodplain wetlands. In addition, wastewater treatment plants of many villages pour their effluent into nearby natural lakes. We hypothesized that certain avian pathogens present in wastewater may cause avian mortalities which would trigger avian botulism outbreaks. With the aim of testing our hypothesis, 24 locations distributed in three wetlands, two that receive wastewater effluents and one serving as a control, were monitored during a year. Sediment, water, water bird feces, and invertebrates were collected for the detection of putative avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), Salmonella spp., Clostridium perfringens type A, and Clostridium botulinum type C/D. Also, water and sediment physicochemical properties were determined. Overall, APEC, C. perfringens, and C. botulinum were significantly more prevalent in samples belonging to the wetlands which receive wastewater. The occurrence of a botulism outbreak in one of the studied wetlands coincided with high water temperatures and sediment 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), a decrease in water redox potential, chlorophyll a, and sulfate levels, and an increase in water inorganic carbon levels. The presence of C. botulinum in bird feces before the onset of the outbreak indicates that carrier birds exist and highlights the risk of botulinum toxin production in their carcasses if they die by other causes such as bacterial diseases, which are more probable in wastewater wetlands. PMID:24795377

Separate treatment of hospital and urban wastewaters: A real scale comparison of effluents and their effect on microbial communities.

PubMed

Chonova, Teofana; Keck, François; Labanowski, Jérôme; Montuelle, Bernard; Rimet, Frédéric; Bouchez, Agnès

2016-01-15

Hospital wastewaters (HWW) contain wider spectrum and higher quantity of pharmaceuticals than urban wastewaters (UWW), but they are generally discharged in sewers without pretreatment. Since traditional urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are not designed to treat HWWs, treated effluents may still contain pollutants that could impair receiving aquatic environments. Hence, a better understanding of the effect of pharmaceuticals in the environment is required. Biofilms are effective "biological sensors" for assessing the environmental effects of pharmaceuticals due to their ability to respond rapidly to physical, chemical and biological fluctuations by changes in their structure and composition. This study evaluated the efficiency of biological treatment with conventional activated sludge system performed parallel on HWW and UWW. Furthermore, six successive monthly colonizations of biofilms were done on autoclaved stones, placed in grid-baskets in the hospital treated effluents (HTE) and urban treated effluents (UTE). The biomass of these biofilms as well as the structure and diversity of their bacterial communities were investigated. Results showed better treatment efficiency for phosphate and nitrite/nitrate during the treatment of UWW. Pharmaceuticals from all investigated therapeutic classes (beta-blockers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, analgesics and anticonvulsants) were efficiently removed, except for carbamazepine. The removal efficiency of the antibiotics, NSAIDs and beta-blockers was higher during the treatment of HWW. HTE and UTE shaped the bacterial communities in different ways. Higher concentrations of pharmaceuticals in the HTE caused adapted development of the microbial community, leading to less developed biomass and lower bacterial diversity. Seasonal changes in solar irradiance and temperature, caused changes in the community composition of biofilms in both effluents. According to the removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals, the separate treatment was beneficial. However, their high concentrations in the HTE and the following adaptations of biofilm communities identify the importance of adapting wastewater treatment to specific hospital pollutants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antimicrobial resistance and virulence signatures of Listeria and Aeromonas species recovered from treated wastewater effluent and receiving surface water in Durban, South Africa.

PubMed

Olaniran, Ademola O; Nzimande, Sphephile B T; Mkize, Ndumiso G

2015-10-24

Treated wastewater effluent has been found to contain high levels of contaminants, including disease-causing bacteria such as Listeria and Aeromonas species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial resistance and virulence signatures of Listeria and Aeromonas spp. recovered from treated effluents of two wastewater treatment plants and receiving rivers in Durban, South Africa. A total of 100 Aeromonas spp. and 78 Listeria spp. were positively identified based on biochemical tests and PCR detection of DNA region conserved in these genera. The antimicrobial resistance profiles of the isolates were determined using Kirby Bauer disc diffusion assay. The presence of important virulence genes were detected via PCR, while other virulence determinants; protease, gelatinase and haemolysin were detected using standard assays. Highest resistance was observed against penicillin, erythromycin and nalidixic acid, with all 78 (100%) tested Listeria spp displaying resistance, followed by ampicillin (83.33%), trimethoprim (67.95%), nitrofurantoin (64.10%) and cephalosporin (60.26%). Among Aeromonas spp., the highest resistance (100%) was observed against ampicillin, penicillin, vancomycin, clindamycin and fusidic acid, followed by cephalosporin (82%), and erythromycin (58%), with 56% of the isolates found to be resistant to naladixic acid and trimethoprim. Among Listeria spp., 26.92% were found to contain virulence genes, with 14.10, 5.12 and 21% harbouring the actA, plcA and iap genes, respectively. Of the 100 tested Aeromonas spp., 52% harboured the aerolysin (aer) virulence associated gene, while lipase (lip) virulence associated gene was also detected in 68% of the tested Aeromonas spp. The presence of these organisms in effluents samples following conventional wastewater treatment is worrisome as this could lead to major environmental and human health problems. This emphasizes the need for constant evaluation of the wastewater treatment effluents to ensure compliance to set guidelines.

Laccase-catalyzed oxidation of oxybenzone in municipal wastewater primary effluent.

PubMed

Garcia, Hector A; Hoffman, Catherine M; Kinney, Kerry A; Lawler, Desmond F

2011-02-01

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are now routinely detected in raw and treated municipal wastewater. Since conventional wastewater treatment processes are not particularly effective for PPCP removal, treated wastewater discharges are the main entry points for PPCPs into the environment, and eventually into our drinking water. This study investigates the use of laccase-catalyzed oxidation for removing low concentrations of PPCPs from municipal wastewater primary effluent. Oxybenzone was selected as a representative PPCP. Like many other PPCPs, it is not recognized directly by the laccase enzyme. Therefore, mediators were used to expand the oxidative range of laccase, and the efficacy of this laccase-mediator system in primary effluent was evaluated. Eight potential mediators were investigated, and 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), a synthetic mediator, and acetosyringone (ACE), a natural mediator, provided the greatest oxybenzone removal efficiencies. An environmentally relevant concentration of oxybenzone (43.8 nM, 10 μg/L) in primary effluent was completely removed (below the detection limit) after two hours of treatment with ABTS, and 95% was removed after two hours of treatment with ACE. Several mediator/oxybenzone molar ratios were investigated at two different initial oxybenzone concentrations. Higher mediator/oxybenzone molar ratios were required at the lower (environmentally relevant) oxybenzone concentration, and ACE required higher molar ratios than ABTS to achieve comparable oxybenzone removal. Oxybenzone oxidation byproducts generated by the laccase-mediator system were characterized and compared to those generated during ozonation. Enzymatic treatment generated byproducts with higher mass to charge (m/z) ratios, likely due to oxidative coupling reactions. The results of this study suggest that, with further development, the laccase-mediator system has the potential to extend the treatment range of laccase to PPCPs not directly recognized by the enzyme, even in a primary effluent matrix. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Critical evaluation of monitoring strategy for the multi-residue determination of 90 chiral and achiral micropollutants in effluent wastewater.

PubMed

Petrie, Bruce; Proctor, Kathryn; Youdan, Jane; Barden, Ruth; Kasprzyk-Hordern, Barbara

2017-02-01

It is essential to monitor the release of organic micropollutants from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for developing environmental risk assessment and assessing compliance with legislative regulation. In this study the impact of sampling strategy on the quantitative determination of micropollutants in effluent wastewater was investigated. An extended list of 90 chiral and achiral micropollutants representing a broad range of biological and physico-chemical properties were studied simultaneously for the first time. During composite sample collection micropollutants can degrade resulting in the under-estimation of concentration. Cooling collected sub-samples to 4°C stabilised ≥81 of 90 micropollutants to acceptable levels (±20% of the initial concentration) in the studied effluents. However, achieving stability for all micropollutants will require an integrated approach to sample collection (i.e., multi-bottle sampling with more than one stabilisation method applied). Full-scale monitoring of effluent revealed time-paced composites attained similar information to volume-paced composites (influent wastewater requires a sampling mode responsive to flow variation). The option of monitoring effluent using time-paced composite samplers is advantageous as not all WWTPs have flow controlled samplers or suitable sites for deploying portable flow meters. There has been little research to date on the impact of monitoring strategy on the determination of chiral micropollutants at the enantiomeric level. Variability in wastewater flow results in a dynamic hydraulic retention time within the WWTP (and upstream sewerage system). Despite chiral micropollutants being susceptible to stereo-selective degradation, no diurnal variability in their enantiomeric distribution was observed. However, unused medication can be directly disposed into the sewer network creating short-term (e.g., daily) changes to their enantiomeric distribution. As enantio-specific toxicity is observed in the environment, similar resolution of enantio-selective analysis to more routinely applied achiral methods is needed throughout the monitoring period for accurate risk assessment. Copyright © 2016 British Geological Survey, NERC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant on surface water in the Santa Cruz River and local aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LaBrie, H. M.; Brusseau, M. L.; Huth, H.

2015-12-01

As water resources become limited in Arizona due to drought and excessive use of ground water, treated wastewater effluent is becoming essential in creating natural ecosystems and recharging the decreasing groundwater supplies. Therefore, future water supplies are heavily dependent of the flow (quantity) and quality of the treated effluent. The Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant (NIWTP) releases treated wastewater from both Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico into the Santa Cruz River. This released effluent not only has the potential to impact surface water, but also groundwater supplies in Southern Arizona. In the recent past, the NIWTP has had reoccurring issues with elevated levels of cadmium, in addition to other, more infrequent, releases of high amounts of other metals. The industrial demographic of the region, as well as limited water quality regulations in Mexico makes the NIWTP and its treated effluent an important area of study. In addition, outdated infrastructure can potentially lead to damaging environmental impacts, as well as human health concerns. The Santa Cruz River has been monitored and studied in the past, but in recent years, there has been a halt in research regarding the state of the river. Data from existing water quality databases and recent sampling reports are used to address research questions regarding the state of the Santa Cruz River. These questions include: 1) How will change in flow eventually impact surface water and future groundwater supplies 2) What factors influence this flow (such as extreme flooding and drought) 3) What is the impact of effluent on surface water quality 4) Can changes in surface water quality impact groundwater quality 5) How do soil characteristics and surface flow impact the transport of released contaminants Although outreach to stakeholders across the border and updated infrastructure has improved the quality of water in the river, there are many areas to improve upon as the demand for treated wastewater increases.

Metagenomics Reveals the Impact of Wastewater Treatment Plants on the Dispersal of Microorganisms and Genes in Aquatic Sediments.

PubMed

Chu, Binh T T; Petrovich, Morgan L; Chaudhary, Adit; Wright, Dorothy; Murphy, Brian; Wells, George; Poretsky, Rachel

2018-03-01

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) release treated effluent containing mobile genetic elements (MGEs), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and microorganisms into the environment, yet little is known about their influence on nearby microbial communities and the retention of these factors in receiving water bodies. Our research aimed to characterize the genes and organisms from two different WWTPs that discharge into Lake Michigan, as well as from surrounding lake sediments to determine the dispersal and fate of these factors with respect to distance from the effluent outfall. Shotgun metagenomics coupled to distance-decay analyses showed a higher abundance of genes identical to those in WWTP effluent genes in sediments closer to outfall sites than in sediments farther away, indicating their possible WWTP origin. We also found genes attributed to organisms, such as those belonging to Helicobacteraceae , Legionellaceae , Moraxellaceae , and Neisseriaceae , in effluent from both WWTPs and decreasing in abundance in lake sediments with increased distance from WWTPs. Moreover, our results showed that the WWTPs likely influence the ARG composition in lake sediments close to the effluent discharge. Many of these ARGs were located on MGEs in both the effluent and sediment samples, indicating a relatively broad propensity for horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Our approach allowed us to specifically link genes to organisms and their genetic context, providing insight into WWTP impacts on natural microbial communities. Overall, our results suggest a substantial influence of wastewater effluent on gene content and microbial community structure in the sediments of receiving water bodies. IMPORTANCE Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) release their effluent into aquatic environments. Although treated, effluent retains many genes and microorganisms that have the potential to influence the receiving water in ways that are poorly understood. Here, we tracked the genetic footprint, including genes specific to antibiotic resistance and mobile genetic elements and their associated organisms, from WWTPs to lake sediments. Our work is novel in that we used metagenomic data sets to comprehensively evaluate total gene content and the genetic and taxonomic context of specific genes in environmental samples putatively impacted by WWTP inputs. Based on two different WWTPs with different treatment processes, our findings point to an influence of WWTPs on the presence, abundance, and composition of these factors in the environment. Copyright © 2018 Chu et al.

Metagenomics Reveals the Impact of Wastewater Treatment Plants on the Dispersal of Microorganisms and Genes in Aquatic Sediments

PubMed Central

Chu, Binh T. T.; Petrovich, Morgan L.; Chaudhary, Adit; Wright, Dorothy; Murphy, Brian; Wells, George

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) release treated effluent containing mobile genetic elements (MGEs), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and microorganisms into the environment, yet little is known about their influence on nearby microbial communities and the retention of these factors in receiving water bodies. Our research aimed to characterize the genes and organisms from two different WWTPs that discharge into Lake Michigan, as well as from surrounding lake sediments to determine the dispersal and fate of these factors with respect to distance from the effluent outfall. Shotgun metagenomics coupled to distance-decay analyses showed a higher abundance of genes identical to those in WWTP effluent genes in sediments closer to outfall sites than in sediments farther away, indicating their possible WWTP origin. We also found genes attributed to organisms, such as those belonging to Helicobacteraceae, Legionellaceae, Moraxellaceae, and Neisseriaceae, in effluent from both WWTPs and decreasing in abundance in lake sediments with increased distance from WWTPs. Moreover, our results showed that the WWTPs likely influence the ARG composition in lake sediments close to the effluent discharge. Many of these ARGs were located on MGEs in both the effluent and sediment samples, indicating a relatively broad propensity for horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Our approach allowed us to specifically link genes to organisms and their genetic context, providing insight into WWTP impacts on natural microbial communities. Overall, our results suggest a substantial influence of wastewater effluent on gene content and microbial community structure in the sediments of receiving water bodies. IMPORTANCE Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) release their effluent into aquatic environments. Although treated, effluent retains many genes and microorganisms that have the potential to influence the receiving water in ways that are poorly understood. Here, we tracked the genetic footprint, including genes specific to antibiotic resistance and mobile genetic elements and their associated organisms, from WWTPs to lake sediments. Our work is novel in that we used metagenomic data sets to comprehensively evaluate total gene content and the genetic and taxonomic context of specific genes in environmental samples putatively impacted by WWTP inputs. Based on two different WWTPs with different treatment processes, our findings point to an influence of WWTPs on the presence, abundance, and composition of these factors in the environment. PMID:29269503

Biomass fly ashes as low-cost chemical agents for Pb removal from synthetic and industrial wastewaters.

PubMed

Barbosa, Rui; Lapa, Nuno; Lopes, Helena; Günther, Annika; Dias, Diogo; Mendes, Benilde

2014-06-15

The main aim of this work was to study the removal efficiency of Pb from synthetic and industrial wastewaters by using biomass fly ashes. The biomass fly ashes were produced in a biomass boiler of a pulp and paper industry. Three concentrations of Pb(2+) were tested in the synthetic wastewater (1, 10 and 1000 mg Pb/L). Moreover, two different wastewaters were collected in an industrial wastewater treatment plant (IWWTP) of an industry of lead-acid batteries: (i) wastewater of the equalization tank, and (ii) IWWTP effluent. All the wastewaters were submitted to coagulation-flocculation tests with a wide range of biomass fly ashes dosage (expressed as Solid/Liquid - S/L - ratios). All supernatants were characterized for chemical and ecotoxicological parameters. The use of biomass fly ashes has reduced significantly the Pb concentration in the synthetic wastewater and in the wastewaters collected in the IWWTP. For example, the definitive coagulation-flocculation assays performed over the IWWTP effluent presented a very low concentration of Pb (0.35 mg/L) for the S/L ratio of 1.23 g/L. Globally, the ecotoxicological characterization of the supernatants resulting from the coagulation-flocculation assays of all wastewaters has indicated an overall reduction on the ecotoxicity of the crude wastewaters, due to the removal of Pb. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biosafety and containment plan & design for direct sampling of operating effluent decontamination tanks

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Currently, Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory (SEPRL) uses an effluent decontamination system (EDS) that serves as an enhancement, or extra barrier for biocontainment. Wastewater effluent from (A)BSL-3E and (A)BSL-2E laboratories is collected in tanks for thermal inactivation (180°F for 30 minut...

40 CFR 419.34 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... limitations for contaminated runoff. The following effluent limitations constitute the quantity and quality of pollutants or pollutant properties controlled by this paragraph and attributable to contaminated runoff which... point source subject to this subpart. (1) If wastewater consists solely of contaminated runoff and is...

Contaminant Characterization of Effluent from Pennsylvania Brine Treatment, Inc., Josephine Facility: Implications for Disposal of Oil and Gas Flowback Fluids from Brine Treatment Plants

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The PBT-Josephine Facility accepts only wastewater from the oil and gas industry. This report describes the concentrations of selected contaminants in the effluent water and compares the contaminant effluent concentrations to state and federal standards.

Fouling characteristics and cleaning strategies of NF membranes for the advanced treatment of antibiotic production wastewater.

PubMed

Wang, Jianxing; Li, Kun; Yu, Dawei; Zhang, Junya; Wei, Yuansong

2017-04-01

The nanofiltration (NF) membrane fouling characteristics and cleaning strategies were investigated through a laboratory-scale NF fouling test treating membrane bioreactor (MBR) effluent and MBR-granular activated carbon (GAC) effluent of an antibiotic production wastewater by DK and NF90 membranes, respectively. Results showed that organic fouling is the main NF membrane fouling for treating both the MBR effluent and MBR-GAC effluent. Soluble microbial by-product (SMP)-like and aromatic protein-like substances were the dominant components in the foulants, whereas humic-like substances had little contribution to the NF fouling. The fouling of DK was more severe than that of NF90. However, foulants respond by UV 254 were more easily to foul NF90 membrane. It could get satisfactory effect using combined cleaning 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 MBR-GAC effluent, while it is "alkali + acid" for treating MBR effluent.

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.

Distribution of trace metals (Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn) between particulate, colloidal and truly dissolved fractions in wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Hargreaves, Andrew J; Vale, Peter; Whelan, Jonathan; Constantino, Carlos; Dotro, Gabriela; Campo, Pablo; Cartmell, Elise

2017-05-01

The distribution of Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn between particulate, colloidal and truly dissolved size fractions in wastewater from a trickling filter treatment plant was investigated. Samples of influent, primary effluent, humus effluent, final effluent and sludge holding tank returns were collected and separated into particulate (i.e. > 0.45 μm), colloidal (i.e. 1 kDa to 0.45 μm), and truly dissolved (i.e. < 1 kDa) fractions using membrane filters. In the influent, substantial proportions of Cu (60%), Pb (67%), and Zn (32%) were present in the particulate fraction which was removed in conjunction with suspended particles at the works in subsequent treatment stages. In final effluent, sizeable proportions of Cu (52%), Pb (32%), Ni (44%) and Zn (68%) were found within the colloidal size fraction. Calculated ratios of soluble metal to organic carbon suggest the metal to be adsorbed to or complexed with non-humic macromolecules typically found within the colloidal size range. These findings suggest that technologies capable of removing particles within the colloidal fraction have good potential to enhance metals removal from wastewater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Elementary sulfur in effluent from denitrifying sulfide removal process as adsorbent for zinc(II).

PubMed

Chen, Chuan; Zhou, Xu; Wang, Aijie; Wu, Dong-hai; Liu, Li-hong; Ren, Nanqi; Lee, Duu-Jong

2012-10-01

The denitrifying sulfide removal (DSR) process can simultaneously convert sulfide, nitrate and organic compounds into elementary sulfur (S(0)), di-nitrogen gas and carbon dioxide, respectively. However, the S(0) formed in the DSR process are micro-sized colloids with negatively charged surface, making isolation of S(0) colloids from other biological cells and metabolites difficult. This study proposed the use of S(0) in DSR effluent as a novel adsorbent for zinc removal from wastewaters. Batch and continuous tests were conducted for efficient zinc removal with S(0)-containing DSR effluent. At pH<7.5, removal rates of zinc(II) were increased with increasing pH. The formed S(0) colloids carried negative charge onto which zinc(II) ions could be adsorbed via electrostatic interactions. The zinc(II) adsorbed S(0) colloids further enhanced coagulation-sedimentation efficiency of suspended solids in DSR effluents. The DSR effluent presents a promising coagulant for zinc(II) containing wastewaters. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NATIONAL WWTP EFFLUENT STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

Reports of potential wildlife risk from exposure to environmental estrogens emphasize the need to better understand both estrogenic presence and persistence in treated wastewater effluents. In addition to wildlife exposure, human exposure should also be examined, especially in si...

Molecular characterization of effluent organic matter in secondary effluent and reclaimed water: Comparison to natural organic matter in source water.

PubMed

Wang, Xin; Wang, Juan; Li, Kuixiao; Zhang, Haifeng; Yang, Min

2018-01-01

Municipal wastewater reclamation is becoming of increasing importance in the world to solve the problem of water scarcity. A better understanding of the molecular composition of effluent organic matter (EfOM) in the treated effluents of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is crucial for ensuring the safety of water reuse. In this study, the molecular composition of EfOM in the secondary effluent of a WWTP in Beijing and the reclaimed water further treated with a coagulation-sedimentation-ozonation process were characterized using a non-target Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) method and compared to that of natural organic matter (NOM) in the local source water from a reservoir. It was found that the molecular composition of EfOM in the secondary effluent and reclaimed water was dominated by CHOS formulas, while NOM in the source water was dominated by CHO formulas. The CHO formulas of the three samples had similar origins. Anthropogenic surfactants were responsible for the CHOS formulas in EfOM of the secondary effluent and were not well removed by the coagulation-sedimentation-ozonation treatment process adopted. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Impact assessment of a wastewater treatment plant effluent using the fish biomarker ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase: field and on-site experiments.

PubMed

Kosmala, A; Migeon, B; Flammarion, P; Garric, J

1998-09-01

The impact of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent was assessed with the fish biomarker ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) using field and on-site laboratory experiments. EROD activity was measured in chub (Leuciscus cephalus) and stone loach (Noemacheilus barbatulus) caught at three sites of the Chalaronne River (southeast France). Liver somatic index (LSI) and organochloride bioaccumulation in muscle were estimated for chub only. In September, EROD activity and LSI of chub increased significantly between the sites above and below the WWTP effluent discharge. EROD induction detected in chub was confirmed by on-site tank experiments. EROD levels were determined in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio) exposed to different concentrations of the WWTP effluent and river water for 16 days. After a 4-day exposure, EROD activities of the carp exposed to the effluent increased significantly compared with the control. The response was linked to the effluent concentration and was stable with exposure time. WWTP effluent induced EROD activity, whereas organic and metal analyses, performed on fish muscle and sediment, did not indicate any difference between upstream and downstream of the discharge. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Nanotechnology for sustainable wastewater treatment and use for agricultural production: A comparative long-term study.

PubMed

De La Cueva Bueno, Patricia; Gillerman, Leonid; Gehr, Ronald; Oron, Gideon

2017-03-01

Nanotechnology applications can be used for filtering low quality waters, allowing under given conditions, the removal of salts and other micropollutants from these waters. A long-term field experiment, implementing nanotechnology in the form of UltraFiltration (UF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO) for salt removal from treated wastewater, was conducted with secondary effluents, aiming to prove the sustainability of agricultural production using irrigation with treated wastewater. Six outdoor field treatments, each under four replications, were conducted for examining the salt accumulation effects on the soil and the crops. The field experiments proved that crop development is correlated with the water quality as achieved from the wastewater filtration capability of the hybrid nanotechnology system. The key goal was to maintain sustainable food production, despite the low quality of the waters. Of the six treatment methods tested, irrigation with RO-treated effluent produced the best results in terms of its effect on soil salinity and crop yield. Nevertheless, it must be kept in mind that this process is not only costly, but it also removes all organic matter content from the irrigation water, requiring the addition of fertilizers to the effluent. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Treatment of wastewater containing a large amount of suspended solids by a novel multi-staged UASB reactor.

PubMed

Uemura, S; Harada, H; Ohashi, A; Torimura, S

2005-12-01

Treatment of artificial wastewater containing a large amount of suspended solids comprised of soybean processing waste and pig fodder was studied using a novel multi-staged upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor. The reactor consisted of three compartments, each containing a gas solid separator. The wastewater had chemical oxygen demand of approximately 21600 mg l(-1), suspended solids of 12800 mg l(-1), and an ammonia concentration of 945 mg l(-1). A continuous experiment without effluent circulation showed that the multi-staged reactor was not that effective for the treatment of wastewater containing a large amount of suspended solids. However, operation of the reactor with circulation of effluent enabled the reactor to achieve organic removal of 85% and approximately 70% methane conversion at loading rates of between 4.0 to 5.4 kg-chemical oxygen demand per cubic meter per day, meaning that the reactor was more effective when effluent was circulated. Morphological investigation revealed that the crude fiber in the sludge was partially degraded and that it had many small depressions on its surface. Evolved biogas may have become caught in these depressions of the fibers and caused washout of the sludge.

Polar pollutants entry into the water cycle by municipal wastewater: a European perspective.

PubMed

Reemtsma, Thorsten; Weiss, Stefan; Mueller, Jutta; Petrovic, Mira; González, Susana; Barcelo, Damia; Ventura, Francesc; Knepper, Thomas P

2006-09-01

The effluents of eight municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Western Europe were analyzed by liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry for the occurrence of 36 polar pollutants, comprising household and industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. In a long-term study of the effluents of three WWTP over 10 months, sulfophenyl carboxylates and ethylene diamino tetraacetate (EDTA) were detected above 10 microg/L on average, while benzotriazoles, benzothiazole-2-sulfonate, diclofenac, and carbamazepine showed mean concentrations of 1-10 microg/L, followed by some flame retardants, naphthalene disulfonates, and personal care products in the range of 0.1-1 microg/L. Half of the determined compounds were not significantly removed in tertiary wastewater treatment. By dividing the effluent concentration of a compound by its relative removal in WWTP a water cycle spreading index (WCSI) was calculated for each compound. We propose that this index provides a measure for the potential of a polar compound to spread along a partially closed water cycle after discharge with municipal wastewater and to occur in raw waters used for drinking water production. Polar pollutants in surface water samples of different catchments showed increasing concentration for compounds with increasing WCSI.

Toxicity Identification and Evaluation for the Effluent from Wastewater Treatment Plant in Industrial Complex using D.magna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, S.; Keum, H.; Chun Sang, H.

2015-12-01

In recent years, the interests on the impacts of industrial wastewater on aquatic ecosystem have increased with concern about ecosystem protection and human health. Whole effluent toxicity tests are used to monitor toxicity by unknown toxic chemicals as well as conventional pollutants from industrial effluent discharges. This study describes the application of TIE (toxicity identification evaluation) procedures to an acutely toxic effluent from a wastewater treatment plant in industrial complex which was toxic to Daphnia magna. In TIE phase I (characterization step), the toxic effects by heavy metals, organic compounds, oxidants, volatile organic compounds, suspended solids and ammonia were screened and revealed that the source of toxicity is far from these toxicants group. Chemical analysis (TIE phase II) on TDS showed that the concentration of chloride ion (6,900 mg/L) was substantially higher than that predicted from EC50 for D. magna. In confirmation step (TIE phase III), chloride ion was demonstrated to be main toxicant in this effluent by the spiking approach, species sensitivity approach and deletion approach. Calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, fluorine, sulfate ion concentration (450, 100, 80, 5,300, 0.66, 2,200mg/L) was not shown toxicity from D. magna. Finally, we concluded that chloride was the most contributing toxicant in the waste water treatment plant. Further research activities are needed for technical support of toxicity identification and evaluation on the various types of wastewater treatment plant discharge in Korea. Keywords : TIE, D. magna, Industrial waste water Acknowledgement This research was supported by a grant (15IFIP-B089908-02) from Plant Research Program funded by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Korean government

Occurrence, distribution, and sources of antimicrobials in a mixed-use watershed.

PubMed

Couperus, Nathanael P; Pagsuyoin, Sheree A; Bragg, Leslie M; Servos, Mark R

2016-01-15

The release into the environment of antimicrobial compounds from both human and agricultural sources is a growing global concern. The Grand River watershed, the largest mixed-use watershed in southern Ontario, receives runoff from intensive animal production as well as municipal wastewater effluents from a rapidly increasing human population. A survey of surface waters and wastewater effluents was conducted across the watershed to assess the occurrence and distribution of several antimicrobials (i.e., trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethazine, lincomycin, and monensin) and chemical indicators (i.e., ammonia, nitrate, ibuprofen, venlafaxine, atrazine) and to characterize exposure levels. The human antimicrobials trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole were detected in the urban areas of the main channel at mean concentrations of 8 ± 7 ng/L and 31 ± 24 ng/L, respectively, but at much lower concentrations in the agricultural tributaries. In contrast, the veterinary antimicrobial sulfamethazine was detected at a mean concentration of 11 ± 9 ng/L in the main channel, and at a much higher concentration in the agricultural tributaries. Lincomycin was detected in only two river samples and not in the effluents while monensin was not detected in all samples. The herbicide atrazine was detected at very low concentrations in the surface waters of both the tributaries and the main channel. The concentrations of the antimicrobials and chemical indicators generally increased downstream of the confluences with agricultural tributaries and effluent outfalls. In the wastewater effluents, the concentrations of trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, ibuprofen, and venlafaxine decreased with increasing treatment levels (i.e., secondary to tertiary) as indicated by ammonia/nitrate concentrations. There was a strong correlation among trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, and venlafaxine in the main channel and in the wastewater effluents. While the environmental concentrations of antimicrobials in the watershed are low relative to toxicity thresholds, their persistence in the environment may be an important consideration in defining strategies for future water management. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling effluent distribution and nitrate transport through an on-site wastewater system.

PubMed

Hassan, G; Reneau, R B; Hagedorn, C; Jantrania, A R

2008-01-01

Properly functioning on-site wastewater systems (OWS) are an integral component of the wastewater system infrastructure necessary to renovate wastewater before it reaches surface or ground waters. There are a large number of factors, including soil hydraulic properties, effluent quality and dispersal, and system design, that affect OWS function. The ability to evaluate these factors using a simulation model would improve the capability to determine the impact of wastewater application on the subsurface soil environment. An existing subsurface drip irrigation system (SDIS) dosed with sequential batch reactor effluent (SBRE) was used in this study. This system has the potential to solve soil and site problems that limit OWS and to reduce the potential for environmental degradation. Soil water potentials (Psi(s)) and nitrate (NO(3)) migration were simulated at 55- and 120-cm depths within and downslope of the SDIS using a two-dimensional code in HYDRUS-3D. Results show that the average measured Psi(s) were -121 and -319 cm, whereas simulated values were -121 and -322 cm at 55- and 120-cm depths, respectively, indicating unsaturated conditions. Average measured NO(3) concentrations were 0.248 and 0.176 mmol N L(-1), whereas simulated values were 0.237 and 0.152 mmol N L(-1) at 55- and 120-cm depths, respectively. Observed unsaturated conditions decreased the potential for NO(3) to migrate in more concentrated plumes away from the SDIS. The agreement (high R(2) values approximately 0.97) between the measured and simulated Psi(s) and NO(3) concentrations indicate that HYDRUS-3D adequately simulated SBRE flow and NO(3) transport through the soil domain under a range of environmental and effluent application conditions.

[Feasibility study on coke wastewater treatment using membrane bioreactor (MBR) system with complete sludge retention].

PubMed

Zhao, Wen-Tao; Huang, Xia; Lee, Duu-Jong; He, Miao; Yuan, Yuan

2009-11-01

A laboratory-scale submerged anaerobic-anoxic-oxic membrane bioreactor (A1/A2/O-MBR) system was used to treat real coke wastewater and operated continuously for 160 d with complete sludge retention. Pollutants removal performance of the system was investigated through long-term operation. The characteristics of dissolved organic matters (DOMs) in influent and effluent coke wastewater were analyzed using hydrophilic/hydrophobic fractionation, and further discussed based on fluorescence excitation-emission-matrix (EEM). The results showed that A1/A2/O-MBR system could stably remove 88.0% +/- 1.6% of COD, > 99.9% of volatile phenol, 99.4% +/- 0.2% of turbidity, and 98.3% +/- 1.9% of NH4(+) -N, with individual average effluent concentrations of 249 mg/L +/- 44 mg/L, 0.18 mg/L +/- 0.05 mg/L, 1.0 NTU +/- 0.2 NTU and 4.1 mg/L +/- 4.3 mg/L, respectively; moreover, the maximum TN removal rate also reached 74.9%. During the whole operation period, the MLVSS/MLSS appeared to be constant as 90.2% +/- 1.0% and no inorganic matters accumulation occurred. The observed sludge production (MLVSS/COD) decreased with time and stabilized at 0.035 kg/kg. DOMs in coke wastewater were fractionated as hydrophobic acids (HOA), hydrophobic neutrals (HON), hydrophobic bases (HOB) and hydrophilic substances (HIS); HOA was found to be the most abundant constituent in terms of DOC and color intensity both in influent and effluent, which accounted for 70% and 67% of total DOC, and 75% and 76% of total color intensity, respectively. Humic-like substances were suggested to be the major refractory organic and color-causing compounds coke wastewater effluent according to EEM analysis.

Treating domestic effluent wastewater treatment by aerobic biofilter with bioballs medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Permatasari, R.; Rinanti, A.; Ratnaningsih, R.

2018-01-01

This laboratory scale research aimed to treat wastewater effluent with advanced treatment utilizing aerobic biofilter with bio-balls medium to obtain effluent quality in accordance with DKI Jakarta Governor Regulation No. 122 of 2005. The seeding and acclimatization were conducted in 4 weeks. The effluent were accommodated in a 150 L water barrel supported by a submersible pump. The effluent were treated in two boxes shaped reactors made of glasses with 36 L of each capacity. These reactors were equipped with aquarium aerators, sampling tap is 10 cm from the base of reactors, and bio-balls with 3 cm diameter are made of PVC. Reactors operated continuously with variations of retention time of 4 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, 18 hours, and 24 hours and also variations of Carbon: Nitrogen: Phosphor = C: N: P ratio were, 100:5:1, 100:8:1, 100:10:1, 100:12:1, 100:15:1. The results showed that the optimum variance of retention time was 24 hours and the ratio of C:N:P was 100:10:1 yielded the largest removal efficiency for 83,33% of COD, 87,33% of BOD, 82,5% of Ammonia, 79,1% of Nitrate, 92% of Nitrite, 84,82% of Oil and Grease. The concentration parameter resulted from outlet biofilter has met the domestic wastewater quality standard of DKI Jakarta.

Effect of average flow and capacity utilization on effluent water quality from US municipal wastewater treatment facilities.

PubMed

Weirich, Scott R; Silverstein, Joann; Rajagopalan, Balaji

2011-08-01

There is increasing interest in decentralization of wastewater collection and treatment systems. However, there have been no systematic studies of the performance of small treatment facilities compared with larger plants. A statistical analysis of 4 years of discharge monthly report (DMR) data from 210 operating wastewater treatment facilities was conducted to determine the effect of average flow rate and capacity utilization on effluent biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), ammonia, and fecal coliforms relative to permitted values. Relationships were quantified using generalized linear models (GLMs). Small facilities (40 m³/d) had violation rates greater than 10 times that of the largest facilities (400,000 m³/d) for BOD, TSS, and ammonia. For facilities with average flows less than 40,000 m³/d, increasing capacity utilization was correlated with increased effluent levels of BOD and TSS. Larger facilities tended to operate at flows closer to their design capacity while maintaining treatment suggesting greater efficiency. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of chemical reaction kinetics of depredating organic pollutants from secondary effluent of wastewater treatment plant in constructed wetlands.

PubMed

Wang, Hao; Jiang, Dengling; Yang, Yong; Cao, Guoping

2013-01-01

Four subsurface constructed wetlands were built to treat the secondary effluent of a wastewater treatment plant in Tangshan, China. The chemical pollutant indexes of chemical oxygen demand (COD) were analyzed to evaluate the removal efficiency of organic pollutants from the secondary effluent of the wastewater treatment plant. In all cases, the subsurface constructed wetlands were efficient in treating organic pollutants. Under the same hydraulic loading condition, the horizontal flow wetlands exhibited better efficiency of COD removal than vertical flow wetlands: the removal rates in horizontal flow wetlands could be maintained at 68.4 ± 2.42% to 92.2 ± 1.61%, compared with 63.8 ± 1.19% to 85.0 ± 1.25% in the vertical flow wetlands. Meanwhile, the chemical reaction kinetics of organic pollutants was analyzed, and the results showed that the degradation courses of the four subsurface wetlands all corresponded with the first order reaction kinetics to a large extent.

Caffeine in an Urbanized Estuary: Past and Present Influence of Wastewater Effluents in Boston Harbor, MA, USA

EPA Science Inventory

Caffeine has been identified by previous research as a potential tracer of sanitary wastewater. To further assess the utility of caffeine as a tracer of wastewater sources, samples from 25 sites throughout Boston Harbor were collected and analyzed for caffeine by LC-MS/MS. Caff...

BIOCHEMICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ESTROGENICALLY ACTIVE WASTEWATER: COMPARISON OF FIELD EXTRAPOLATIONS TO THE MEASURED CONCENTRATION OF ESTROGENS IN SEWAGE EFFLUENT

EPA Science Inventory

Estrogenically active wastewater was observed at two municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) utilizing caged male channel catfish in a previous study. The focus of this investigation was to identify and characterize the compound(s) responsible for this estrogenic response. ...

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,…

Inputs of fossil carbon from wastewater treatment plants to U.S. Rivers and oceans

USGS Publications Warehouse

Griffith, D.R.; Barnes, R.T.; Raymond, P.A.

2009-01-01

Every day more than 500 million cubic meters of treated wastewater are discharged into rivers, estuaries, and oceans, an amount slightly less than the average flow of the Danube River. Typically, wastewaters have high organic carbon (OC) concentrations and represent a large fraction of total river flow and a higher fraction of river OC in densely populated watersheds. Here, we report the first direct measurements of radiocarbon (14C) in municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. The radiocarbon ages of particulate and dissolved organic carbon (POC and DOC) in effluent are old and relatively uniform across a range of WWTPs in New York and Connecticut. Wastewater DOC has a mean radiocarbon age of 1630 ?? 500 years B.P. and a mean ??13C of -26.0 ?? 1???. Mass balance calculations indicate that 25% of wastewater DOC is fossil carbon, which is likely derived from petroleumbased household products such as detergents and pharmaceuticals. Thesefindings warrant reevaluation of the "apparent age" of riverine DOC, the total flux of petroleum carbon to U.S. oceans, and OC source assignments in waters impacted by sewage. ?? 2009 American Chemical Society.

Influence of organic loading rate on integrated bioreactor treating hypersaline mustard wastewater.

PubMed

Kang, Wei; Chai, Hongxiang; Yang, Shiwei; Du, Guojun; Zhou, Jian; He, Qiang

2016-07-01

Mustard tuber wastewater is characterized by high salinity and high organic content that is potentially detrimental to the biological treatment system and affects the treatment efficiency accordingly. The experiment used the integrated bioreactor to reduce much of the organics in mustard tuber wastewater, and found the influence of organic loading rate on effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD) and phosphate (PO4 (3-) -P). Results showed that under the condition of 10-15 °C, 6 mg/L of dissolved oxygen, the reduction value of COD removal rate in anaerobic and aerobic area was 14.5% and 31.7% when the organic loading rate increased from 2.0 to 4.0 kg COD/m(3) /day. Therefore, an integrated bioreactor should take 2.0 kg COD/m(3) /day organic loading rate in mustard wastewater treatment if the effluent is expected to meet the third level of "Integrated Wastewater Discharge Standard" (GB 8978-1996). © 2015 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation during ozonation of wastewater and water treatment polymers.

PubMed

Sgroi, Massimiliano; Roccaro, Paolo; Oelker, Gregg; Snyder, Shane A

2016-02-01

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation by ozonation was investigated in the effluents of four different wastewater treatment plants destined for alternative reuse. Very high levels of NDMA formation were observed in wastewaters from treatment plants non operating with biological nitrogen removal. Selected experiments showed that hydroxyl radical did not have a significant role in NDMA formation during ozonation of wastewater. Furthermore, ozonation of three different polymers used for water treatment, including polyDADMAC, anionic polyacrylamide, and cationic polyacrylamide, spiked in wastewater did not increase the NDMA formation. Effluent organic matter (EfOM) likely reduced the availability of ozone in water able to react with polymers and quenched the produced ·OH radicals which limited polymer degradation and subsequent NDMA production. Excellent correlations were observed between NDMA formation, UV absorbance at 254 nm, and total fluorescence reduction. These data provide evidence that UV and fluorescence surrogates could be used for monitoring and/or controlling NDMA formation during ozonation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomarkers of Cytotoxic, Genotoxic and Apoptotic Effects in Cyprinus carpio Exposed to Complex Mixture of Contaminants from Hospital Effluents.

PubMed

Olvera-Néstor, Corina G; Morales-Avila, Enrique; Gómez-Olivan, Leobardo M; Galár-Martínez, Marcela; García-Medina, Sandra; Neri-Cruz, Nadia

2016-03-01

Hospital wastewater is an important source of emerging contaminants. Recent studies emphasize the importance of assessing the effects of mixtures of contaminants rather than environmental risk of their individual components, as well as the determination of intrinsic toxicity of wastewater. Mixtures of pollutants has possible interactions that have notable environmental side effects. The aim of this study is an attempt to characterize biomarkers in Cyprinus carpio related to the exposure to a complex mixture of contaminants found in hospital wastewater. Results of a particular hospital effluent show the presence of traces of heavy metals, high chlorine concentration and emerging contaminants such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The LC50 was of 5.49 % at 96 h. The cytotoxic, genotoxic and apoptotic biomarkers increase when fishes were exposed to wastewater (1/10 CL50) from hospital wastewater. This study emphasizes the importance of identifying and quantifying the effects of contaminants as pharmaceuticals, disinfectants and surfactants in order to design and implement an ecotoxicological plan.

Antibiotic Susceptibilities of Enterococcus Species Isolated from Hospital and Domestic Wastewater Effluents in Alice, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

PubMed Central

Iweriebor, Benson Chuks; Gaqavu, Sisipho; Obi, Larry Chikwelu; Nwodo, Uchechukwu U.; Okoh, Anthony I.

2015-01-01

Background: Antimicrobial resistance in microorganisms are on the increase worldwide and are responsible for substantial cases of therapeutic failures. Resistance of species of Enterococcus to antibiotics is linked to their ability to acquire and disseminate antimicrobial resistance determinants in nature, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered to be one of the main reservoirs of such antibiotic resistant bacteria. We therefore determined the antimicrobial resistance and virulence profiles of some common Enterococcus spp that are known to be associated with human infections that were recovered from hospital wastewater and final effluent of the receiving wastewater treatment plant in Alice, Eastern Cape. Methods: Wastewater samples were simultaneously collected from two sites (Victoria hospital and final effluents of a municipal WWTP) in Alice at about one to two weeks interval during the months of July and August 2014. Samples were screened for the isolation of enterococci using standard microbiological methods. The isolates were profiled molecularly after targeted generic identification and speciation for the presence of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes. Results: Out of 66 presumptive isolates, 62 were confirmed to belong to the Enterococcus genusof which 30 were identified to be E. faecalis and 15 E. durans. The remaining isolates were not identified by the primers used in the screening procedure. Out of the six virulence genes that were targeted only three of them; ace, efaA, and gelE were detected. There was a very high phenotypic multiple resistance among the isolates and these were confirmed by genetic analyses. Conclusions: Analyses of the results obtained indicated that hospital wastewater may be one of the sources of antibiotic resistant bacteria to the receiving WWTP. Also, findings revealed that the final effluent discharged into the environment was contaminated with multi-resistant enterococci species thus posing a health hazard to the receiving aquatic environment as these could eventually be transmitted to humans and animals that are exposed to it. PMID:25893999

Effect of Ozone Treatment on Nano-Sized Silver Sulfide in Wastewater Effluent.

PubMed

Thalmann, Basilius; Voegelin, Andreas; von Gunten, Urs; Behra, Renata; Morgenroth, Eberhard; Kaegi, Ralf

2015-09-15

Silver nanoparticles used in consumer products are likely to be released into municipal wastewater. Transformation reactions, most importantly sulfidation, lead to the formation of nanoscale silver sulfide (nano-Ag2S) particles. In wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), ozonation can enhance the effluent quality by eliminating organic micropollutants. The effect of ozonation on the fate of nano-Ag2S, however, is currently unknown. In this study, we investigate the interaction of ozone with nano-Ag2S and evaluate the effect of ozonation on the short-term toxicity of WWTP effluent spiked with nano-Ag2S. The oxidation of nano-Ag2S by ozone resulted in a stoichiometric factor (number of moles of ozone required to oxidize one mole of sulfide to sulfate) of 2.91, which is comparable to the results obtained for the reaction of bisulfide (HS(-)) with ozone. The second-order rate constant for the reaction of nano-Ag2S with ozone (k = 3.1 × 10(4) M(-1) s(-1)) is comparable to the rate constant of fast-reacting micropollutants. Analysis of the ozonation products of nano-Ag2S by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) revealed that ozonation dominantly led to the formation of silver chloride in WWTP effluent. After ozonation of the Ag2S-spiked effluent, the short-term toxicity for the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii increased and reached EC50 values comparable to Ag(+). This study thus reveals that ozone treatment of WWTP effluent results in the oxidation of Ag2S and, hence, an increase of the Ag toxicity in the effluent, which may become relevant at elevated Ag concentrations.

A Multitracer Approach to Detecting Wastewater Plumes from Municipal Injection Wells in Nearshore Marine Waters at Kihei and Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hunt, Charles D.; Rosa, Sarah N.

2009-01-01

Municipal wastewater plumes discharging from aquifer to ocean were detected by nearshore wading surveys at Kihei and Lahaina, on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Developed in cooperation with the Hawaii State Department of Health, the survey methodology included instrument trolling to detect submarine groundwater discharge, followed by analysis of water and macroalgae for a suite of chemical and isotopic constituents that constitute a 'multitracer' approach. Surveys were conducted May 6-28, 2008, during fair-weather conditions and included: (1) wading and kayak trolling with a multiparameter water-quality sonde, (2) marine water-column sampling, and (3) collection of benthic algae samples. Instrument trolling helped guide the water sampling strategy by providing dense, continuous transects of water properties on which groundwater discharge zones could be identified. Water and algae samples for costly chemical and isotopic laboratory analyses were last to be collected but were highly diagnostic of wastewater presence and nutrient origin because of low detection levels and confirmation across multiple tracers. Laboratory results confirmed the presence of wastewater constituents in marine water-column samples at both locales and showed evidence of modifying processes such as denitrification and mixing of effluent with surrounding groundwater and seawater. Carbamazepine was the most diagnostic pharmaceutical, detected in several marine water-column samples and effluent at both Kihei and Lahaina. Heavy nitrogen-isotope compositions in water and algae were highly diagnostic of effluent, particularly where enriched to even heavier values than effluent source compositions by denitrification. Algae provided an added advantage of time-integrating their nitrogen source during growth. The measured Kihei plume coincided almost exactly with prior model predictions, but the Lahaina plume was detected well south of the expected direct path from injection wells to shore and may be guided by a buried valley fill from an ancestral course of Honokowai Stream. Nutrient concentrations in upland wells at Lahaina were comparable to concentrations in wastewater but originate instead from agricultural fertilizers. A key factor in detecting and mapping the wastewater plumes was sampling very close to shore (mostly within 20 m or so) and in very shallow water (mostly 0.5 to 2 m depth). Effluent probably discharges somewhat offshore as well, although prior attempts to detect an injected fluorescent tracer at Lahaina in the 1990s were inconclusive, having focused farther offshore in water mostly 10-30 m deep. Sampling of benthic porewater and algae would offer the best chances for further effluent detection and mapping offshore, and sampling of onland monitor wells could provide additional understanding of geochemical processes that take place in the effluent plumes and bring about some degree of natural attenuation of nutrients.

Evaluation of virus reduction efficiency in wastewater treatment unit processes as a credit value in the multiple-barrier system for wastewater reclamation and reuse.

PubMed

Ito, Toshihiro; Kato, Tsuyoshi; Hasegawa, Makoto; Katayama, Hiroyuki; Ishii, Satoshi; Okabe, Satoshi; Sano, Daisuke

2016-12-01

The virus reduction efficiency of each unit process is commonly determined based on the ratio of virus concentration in influent to that in effluent of a unit, but the virus concentration in wastewater has often fallen below the analytical quantification limit, which does not allow us to calculate the concentration ratio at each sampling event. In this study, left-censored datasets of norovirus (genogroup I and II), and adenovirus were used to calculate the virus reduction efficiency in unit processes of secondary biological treatment and chlorine disinfection. Virus concentration in influent, effluent from the secondary treatment, and chlorine-disinfected effluent of four municipal wastewater treatment plants were analyzed by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach, and the probabilistic distributions of log reduction (LR) were estimated by a Bayesian estimation algorithm. The mean values of LR in the secondary treatment units ranged from 0.9 and 2.2, whereas those in the free chlorine disinfection units were from -0.1 and 0.5. The LR value in the secondary treatment was virus type and unit process dependent, which raised the importance for accumulating the data of virus LR values applicable to the multiple-barrier system, which is a global concept of microbial risk management in wastewater reclamation and reuse.

Analysis of amphetamine and methamphetamine in municipal wastewater influent and effluent using weak cation-exchange SPE and LC-MS/MS.

PubMed

Boles, Tammy H; Wells, Martha J M

2016-12-01

Amphetamine and methamphetamine are emerging contaminants-those for which no regulations currently require monitoring or public reporting of their presence in our water supply. In this research, a protocol for weak cation-exchange (WCX) SPE coupled with LC-MS/MS was developed for determination of emerging contaminants amphetamine and methamphetamine in a complex wastewater matrix. Gradient LC parameters were adjusted to yield baseline separation of methamphetamine from other contaminants. Methamphetamine-D5 was used as the internal standard (IS) to compensate for sample loss during SPE and for signal loss during MS (matrix effects). Recoveries were 102.1 ± 7.9% and 99.4 ± 4.0% for amphetamine and methamphetamine, respectively, using WCX sorbent. Notably, methamphetamine was determined to be present in wastewater influent at each sampling date tested. Amphetamine was present in wastewater influent on two of four sampling dates. Amphetamine concentrations ranged from undetectable to 86.4 ng/L in influent, but it was undetectable in wastewater effluent. Methamphetamine was detected in influent at concentrations ranging from 27.0-60.3 ng/L. Methamphetamine concentration was reduced but incompletely removed at this facility. Although absent in one post-UV effluent sample, concentrations of methamphetamine ranged from 10.8-14.8 ng/L. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Influence of seasonality and vegetation on the attenuation of emerging contaminants in wastewater effluent-dominated streams. A preliminary study.

PubMed

Matamoros, Víctor; Rodríguez, Yolanda

2017-11-01

Treated wastewater from small communities is discharged into rivers or streams with a high biodiversity value. This is particularly important in Mediterranean countries, where most of the streams are dry almost all year round. This preliminary study assessed the occurrence and attenuation of 23 emerging contaminants (ECs) in 4 wastewater-dominated streams in which treated wastewater accounted for the entire stream flow. The concentration of ECs was monitored in the warm and cold seasons in the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent and at 6 downstream locations. The concentration of ECs in the WWTP effluents ranged from undetected to 12 μg L -1 . The attenuation of ECs 1 km downstream ranged from no removal to up to 80% (48% on average). The half-lives of ECs in the 4 streams ranged from 0.4 to 20 h (3.9 ± 3.5 h on average). Compounds such as benzodiazepine drugs and flame retardants were the most recalcitrant (half-lives >5 h). The highest attenuation of ECs and ammonia was observed in the stream completely covered by vegetation. The cumulative hazardous quotient 1 km downstream was reduced on average by more than 60%. Therefore, the results suggest that both seasonality and vegetation play an important role in in-stream attenuation of ECs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diversity of microbes and potential exoelectrogenic bacteria on anode surface in microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Sun, Yujiao; Zuo, Jiane; Cui, Longtao; Deng, Qian; Dang, Yan

2010-02-01

Single-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs), inoculated with anaerobic sludge and continuously run with two kinds of organic wastewater influents, were systemically investigated. The diversity of microbes, determined by 16S rDNA analysis, was analyzed on three anodes under different conditions. One anode was in a closed circuit in synthetic wastewater containing glucose. The other two anodes, in open or closed circuits, were fed effluent from an anaerobic reactor treating starch wastewater. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency was about 70%, and the exported voltages were about 450 mV. The 16S rDNA molecular clones of microbes on anode surfaces showed significant changes in Eubacterial structure under different conditions. gamma-Proteobacteria and the high G+C gram-positive groups were predominant in the synthetic wastewater, while epsilon-Proteobacteria predominated in the anaerobic reactor effluent. Known exoelectrogenic bacterial species composition also changed greatly depending on substrate. On the artificial substrate, 28% of the bacterial sequences were affiliated with Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Geobacter, and Desulfobulbus. On the anaerobic effluent, only 6% were affiliated with Geobacter or Clostridium. Because only a few exoelectrogenic bacteria from MFCs have been directly isolated and studied, we compared the community structures of two bacterial anodes, in open and closed circuits, under the same substrate of anaerobic effluent in order to identify additional exoelectrogenic bacterial strains. Alcaligenes monasteriensis, Comamonas denitrificans, and Dechloromonas sp. were found to be potential exoelectrogenic bacteria worthy of further research.

Occurrence of pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater and sludge from wastewater treatment plants: removal and ecotoxicological impact of wastewater discharges and sludge disposal.

PubMed

Martín, J; Camacho-Muñoz, D; Santos, J L; Aparicio, I; Alonso, E

2012-11-15

The occurrence of sixteen pharmaceutically active compounds in influent and effluent wastewater and in primary, secondary and digested sludge in one-year period has been evaluated. Solid-water partition coefficients (Kd) were calculated to evaluate the efficiency of removal of these compounds from wastewater by sorption onto sludge. The ecotoxicological risk to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, due to wastewater discharges to the receiving streams and to the application of digested sludge as fertilizer onto soils, was also evaluated. Twelve of the pharmaceuticals were detected in wastewater at mean concentrations from 0.1 to 32 μg/L. All the compounds found in wastewater were also found in sewage sludge, except diclofenac, at mean concentrations from 8.1 to 2206 μg/kg dm. Ibuprofen, salicylic acid, gemfibrozil and caffeine were the compounds at the highest concentrations. LogKd values were between 1.17 (naproxen) and 3.48 (carbamazepine). The highest ecotoxicological risk in effluent wastewater and digested sludge is due to ibuprofen (risk quotient (RQ): 3.2 and 4.4, respectively), 17α-ethinylestradiol (RQ: 12 and 22, respectively) and 17β-estradiol (RQ: 12 and 359, respectively). Ecotoxicological risk after wastewater discharge and sludge disposal is limited to the presence of 17β-estradiol in digested-sludge amended soil (RQ: 2.7). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genotoxicity of the disinfection by-products resulting from peracetic acid- or hypochlorite-disinfected sewage wastewater.

PubMed

Crebelli, R; Conti, L; Monarca, S; Feretti, D; Zerbini, I; Zani, C; Veschetti, E; Cutilli, D; Ottaviani, M

2005-03-01

Wastewater disinfection is routinely carried out to prevent the spread of human pathogens present in wastewater effluents. To this aim, chemical and physical treatments are applied to the effluents before their emission in water bodies. In this study, the influence of two widely used disinfectants, peracetic acid (PAA) and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), on the formation of mutagenic by-products was investigated. Wastewater samples were collected before and after disinfection, in winter and in summer, at a pilot plant installed in a municipal wastewater-treatment plant. Samples were adsorbed using silica C18 cartridges and the concentrates were tested for mutagenicity in the Salmonella typhimurium reversion test with strains TA98 and TA100. Non-concentrated water samples were tested with two plant genotoxicity assays (the Allium cepa root anaphase aberration test and the Tradescantia/micronucleus test). Mutagenicity assays in bacteria and in Tradescantia showed borderline mutagenicity in some of the wastewater samples, independent of the disinfection procedure applied. Negative results were obtained in the A. cepa anaphase aberration test. These results indicate that, in the conditions applied, wastewater disinfection with PAA and NaClO does not lead to the formation of significant amounts of genotoxic by-products.

Monitoring of drug resistance amplification and attenuation with the use of tetracycline-resistant bacteria during wastewater treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harnisz, Monika; Korzeniewska, Ewa; Niestępski, Sebastian; Osińska, Adriana; Nalepa, Beata

2017-11-01

The objective of this study was to monitor changes (amplification or attenuation) in antibiotic resistance during wastewater treatment based on the ecology of tetracycline-resistant bacteria. The untreated and treated wastewater were collected in four seasons. Number of tetracycline-(TETR) and oxytetracycline-resistant (OTCR) bacteria, their qualitative composition, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), sensitivity to other antibiotics, and the presence of tet (A, B, C, D, E) resistance genes were determined. TETR and OTCR counts in untreated wastewater were 100 to 1000 higher than in treated effluent. OTCR bacterial counts were higher than TETR populations in both untreated and treated wastewater. TETR isolates were not dominated by a single bacterial genus or species, whereas Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas sobria were the most common in OTCR isolates. The treatment process attenuated the drug resistance of TETR bacteria and amplified the resistance of OTCR bacteria. In both microbial groups, the frequency of tet(A) gene increased in effluent in comparison with untreated wastewater. Our results also indicate that treated wastewater is a reservoir of multiple drug-resistant bacteria as well as resistance determinants which may pose a health hazard for humans and animals when released to the natural environment.

Necessity of toxicity assessment in Turkish industrial discharges (examples from metal and textile industry effluents).

PubMed

Sponza, Delia Teresa

2002-01-01

Toxicity of some organic and inorganic chemicals to microorganisms is an important consideration in assessing their environmental impact against their economic benefits. Microorganisms play an important role in several environmental processes, both natural and engineered. Some organic and inorganics at toxic levels have been detected in industrial discharges resulting in plant upsets and discharge permit violations. In addition to this, even though in some cases the effluent wastewater does not exceed the discharge limits, the results of toxicity tests show potential toxicity. Toxicity knowledge of effluents can benefit treatment plant operators in optimising plant operation, setting pre-treatment standards, and protecting receiving water quality and in establishing sewer discharge permits to safeguard the plant. In the Turkish regulations only toxicity dilution factor (TDF) with fish is part of the toxicity monitoring program of permissible wastewater discharge. In various countries, laboratory studies involving the use of different organisms and protocol for toxicity assessment was conducted involving a number of discharges. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the acute toxicity of textile and metal industry wastewaters by traditional and enrichment toxicity tests and emphasize the importance of toxicity tests in wastewater discharge regulations. The enrichment toxicity tests are novel applications and give an idea whether there is potential toxicity or growth limiting and stimulation conditions. Different organisms were used such as bacteria (Floc and Coliform bacteria) algae (Chlorella sp.). fish (Lepistes sp.) and protozoan (Vorticella sp.) to represent four tropic levels. The textile industry results showed acute toxicity for at least one organism in 8 out of 23 effluent samples. Acute toxicity for at least two organisms in 7 out of 23 effluent sampling was observed for the metal industry. The toxicity test results were assessed with chemical analyses such as COD, BOD, color and heavy metals. It was observed that the toxicity of the effluents could not be explained by using physicochemical analyses in 5 cases for metal and 4 cases for the textile industries. The results clearly showed that the use of bioassay tests produce additional information about the toxicity potential of industrial discharges and effluents.

Printing ink and paper recycling sources of TMDD in wastewater and rivers.

PubMed

Guedez, Arlen A; Püttmann, Wilhelm

2014-01-15

2,4,7,9-Tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol (TMDD) is a non-ionic surfactant which is preferentially used as defoamer in paints and printing ink and for the treatment of surfaces. Effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as the domination point sources for TMDD in rivers since the removal rate of the compound in the WWTPs is in general less than 70%. However, the dominating entry pathways of TMDD into the sewage were unknown so far. In this study effluents from both, municipal WWTPs with and without treatment of indirect industrial dischargers and from industrial WWTPs with direct discharge of wastewater into receiving rivers were analyzed for the first time to identify the proportions of TMDD coming from domestic wastewater and from various industrial sources. Moreover, rivers were samples before and after the influent of sewage water from WWTPs. The TMDD concentrations in the water samples were measured using solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). High TMDD concentrations were found in rivers (up to 63.5 μg/L), and in effluents of WWTPs (up to 310 μg/L) affected by wastewater from paper recycling industry and factories producing paint and printing ink. Concentrations of TMDD revealed to be far higher in wastewater from factories processing recycled paper (up to 113 μg/L) compared to wastewater from factories not processing recycled paper (0.066 μg/L). The results indicate that the use of recycling paper in the paper production process is the dominating reason for increased TMDD concentrations in wastewaters and receiving rivers due to the wash out of TMDD from the paper impregnated with printing ink. Very high TMDD concentrations (up to 3300 μg/L) were also detected in wastewater from a printing ink factory and a paint factory. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tracing pharmaceuticals in a municipal plant for integrated wastewater and organic solid waste treatment.

PubMed

Jelic, Aleksandra; Fatone, Francesco; Di Fabio, Silvia; Petrovic, Mira; Cecchi, Franco; Barcelo, Damia

2012-09-01

The occurrence and removal of 42 pharmaceuticals, belonging to different therapeutic groups (analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-ulcer agent, psychiatric drugs, antiepileptic drug, antibiotics, ß-blockers, diuretics, lipid regulator and cholesterol lowering statin drugs and anti-histamines), were studied in the wastewater and sewage sludge trains of a full scale integrated treatment plant. The plant employs a biological nutrient removal (BNR) process for the treatment of municipal wastewater, and a single-stage mesophilic anaerobic co-digestion for the treatment of wasted activated sludge mixed with the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), followed by a short-cut nitrification-denitrification of the anaerobic supernatant in a sequential batch reactor. Influent and effluent wastewater, as well as thickened, digested and treated sludge were sampled and analyzed for the selected pharmaceuticals in order to study their presence and fate during the treatment. Twenty three compounds were detected in influent and effluent wastewater and eleven in sludge. Infiltration of groundwater in the sewer system led to a dilution of raw sewage, resulting in lower concentrations in wastewater (up to 0.7 μg/L in influent) and sludge (70 ng/g d.w.). Due to the dilution, overall risk quotient for the mixture of pharmaceuticals detected in effluent wastewater was less than one, indicating no direct risk for the aquatic environment. A wide range of removal efficiencies during the treatment was observed, i.e. <20% to 90%. The influent concentrations of the target pharmaceuticals, as polar compounds, were undoubtedly mostly affected by BNR process in the wastewater train, and less by anaerobic-co-digestion. Mass balance calculations showed that less than 2% of the total mass load of the studied pharmaceuticals was removed by sorption. Experimentally estimated distribution coefficients (<500 L/kg) also indicated that the selected pharmaceuticals preferably remain in the aqueous phase, and that biodegradation/transformation is the primary removal mechanism for these compounds during wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in waters associated with a hospital in Ujjain, India

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Concerns have been raised about the public health implications of the presence of antibiotic residues in the aquatic environment and their effect on the development of bacterial resistance. While there is information on antibiotic residue levels in hospital effluent from some other countries, information on antibiotic residue levels in effluent from Indian hospitals is not available. Also, concurrent studies on antibiotic prescription quantity in a hospital and antibiotic residue levels and resistant bacteria in the effluent of the same hospital are few. Therefore, we quantified antibiotic residues in waters associated with a hospital in India and assessed their association, if any, with quantities of antibiotic prescribed in the hospital and the susceptibility of Escherichia coli found in the hospital effluent. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in a teaching hospital outside the city of Ujjain in India. Seven antibiotics - amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, amikacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and levofloxacin - were selected. Prescribed quantities were obtained from hospital records. The samples of the hospital associated water were analysed for the above mentioned antibiotics using well developed and validated liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry technique after selectively isolating the analytes from the matrix using solid phase extraction. Escherichia coli isolates from these waters were tested for antibiotic susceptibility, by standard Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method using Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute breakpoints. Results Ciprofloxacin was the highest prescribed antibiotic in the hospital and its residue levels in the hospital wastewater were also the highest. In samples of the municipal water supply and the groundwater, no antibiotics were detected. There was a positive correlation between the quantity of antibiotics prescribed in the hospital and antibiotic residue levels in the hospital wastewater. Wastewater samples collected in the afternoon contained both a higher number and higher levels of antibiotics compared to samples collected in the morning hours. No amikacin was found in the wastewater, but E.coli isolates from all wastewater samples were resistant to amikacin. Although ciprofloxacin was the most prevalent antibiotic detected in the wastewater, E.coli was not resistant to it. Conclusions Antibiotics are entering the aquatic environment of countries like India through hospital effluent. In-depth studies are needed to establish the correlation, if any, between the quantities of antibiotics prescribed in hospitals and the levels of antibiotic residues found in hospital effluent. Further, the effect of this on the development of bacterial resistance in the environment and its subsequent public health impact need thorough assessment. PMID:20626873

Pharmaceutical Formulation Facilities as Sources of Opioids and Other Pharmaceuticals to Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Facilities involved in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products are an under-investigated source of pharmaceuticals to the environment. Between 2004 and 2009, 35 to 38 effluent samples were collected from each of three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in New York and analyzed for seven pharmaceuticals including opioids and muscle relaxants. Two WWTPs (NY2 and NY3) receive substantial flows (>20% of plant flow) from pharmaceutical formulation facilities (PFF) and one (NY1) receives no PFF flow. Samples of effluents from 23 WWTPs across the United States were analyzed once for these pharmaceuticals as part of a national survey. Maximum pharmaceutical effluent concentrations for the national survey and NY1 effluent samples were generally <1 μg/L. Four pharmaceuticals (methadone, oxycodone, butalbital, and metaxalone) in samples of NY3 effluent had median concentrations ranging from 3.4 to >400 μg/L. Maximum concentrations of oxycodone (1700 μg/L) and metaxalone (3800 μg/L) in samples from NY3 effluent exceeded 1000 μg/L. Three pharmaceuticals (butalbital, carisoprodol, and oxycodone) in samples of NY2 effluent had median concentrations ranging from 2 to 11 μg/L. These findings suggest that current manufacturing practices at these PFFs can result in pharmaceuticals concentrations from 10 to 1000 times higher than those typically found in WWTP effluents. PMID:20521847

Rapid nitrification of wastewater ammonium near coastal ocean outfalls, Southern California, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLaughlin, Karen; Nezlin, Nikolay P.; Howard, Meredith D. A.; Beck, Carly D. A.; Kudela, Raphael M.; Mengel, Michael J.; Robertson, George L.

2017-02-01

In the southern California Bight (SCB), there has been a longstanding hypothesis that anthropogenic nutrient loading is insignificant compared to the nutrient loading from upwelling. However, recent studies have demonstrated that, in the nearshore environment, nitrogen (N) flux from wastewater effluent is equivalent to the N flux from upwelling. The composition of the N pool and N:P ratios of wastewater and upwelled water are very different and the environmental effects of wastewater discharges on coastal systems are not well characterized. Capitalizing on routine maintenance of the Orange County Sanitation District's ocean outfall, wherein a wastewater point source was "turned off" in one area and "turned on" in another for 23 days, we were able to document changes in coastal N cycling, specifically nitrification, related to wastewater effluent. A "hotspot" of ammonium (NH4+) and nitrite (NO2-) occurred over the ocean outfall under normal operations and nitrification rates were significantly higher offshore when the deeper outfall pipe was operating. These rates were sufficiently high to transform all effluent NH4+ to nitrate (NO3-). The dual isotopic composition of dissolved NO3- (δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3) indicated that N-assimilation and denitrification were low relative to nitrification, consistent with the relatively low chlorophyll and high dissolved oxygen levels in the region during the study. The isotopic composition of suspended particulate organic matter (POM) recorded low δ15NPN and δ13CPN values around the outfall under normal operations suggesting the incorporation of "nitrified" NO3- and wastewater dissolved organic carbon into POM. Our results demonstrate the critical role of nitrification in nitrogen cycling in the nearshore environment of urban oceans.

Reducing soluble phosphorus in dairy effluents through application of mine drainage residuals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sibrell, Philip L.; Penn, Chad J.; Hedin, Robert S.

2015-01-01

Three different dairy manure wastewater effluent samples were amended with mine drainage residuals (MDR) to evaluate the suitability of MDR for sequestration of phosphorus (P). Geochemical modeling of the manure wastewater compositions indicated that partially soluble P-bearing minerals including hydroxyapatite, octacalcium phosphate, and vivianite were all oversaturated in each of the manure wastewater samples. Initial MDR amendment test results indicated that these partially soluble P minerals suspended in the wastewater replenished P in the water phase as it was sorbed by the MDR samples. Further investigations revealed that the MDR samples were effective in decreasing soluble P when the amended manure was tested using the water-extractable P procedure. Under these conditions, up to 90 percent of the soluble P in the manure was converted to a sorbed, water-insoluble state. Water contamination and large-scale validation tests of the process were also conducted.

Fenton-like reaction: a possible way to efficiently remove illicit drugs and pharmaceuticals from wastewater.

PubMed

Mackuľak, Tomáš; Mosný, Michal; Grabic, Roman; Golovko, Oksana; Koba, Olga; Birošová, Lucia

2015-03-01

We analyzed 13 psychoactive pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs and their metabolites in wastewater treatment plant influent and effluent and the possibility of their degradation by biological and chemical processes. Tramadol (413-853 ng/L) and methamphetamine (460-682 ng/L) were the most concentrated compounds in the wastewater in winter and summer, respectively. A significant decrease in the concentration of tramadol in wastewater was measured during the summer. The lowest efficiency was observed for tramadol, venlafaxine, citalopram and oxazepam (∼ 10%) and the highest efficiency was observed for amphetamine and THC-COOH (∼ 80%). The efficiency of compound degradation via the Fenton reaction, a modified Fenton reaction and different degradation (by algae, wood-rotting fungi and enzymes at influent versus effluent) was determined. The Fenton reaction and its modification were efficient at eliminating these substances in comparison with the tested biological processes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toxicity and genotoxicity of wastewater from gasoline stations

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

The toxicity and genotoxicity of wastewater from eight gasoline stations in Brasília, Brazil's capital city, was studied by assessing chromosomal aberrations, chromosomal malsegregation and the mitotic index in Alliumcepa root cells, and the occurrence of micronucleus and nuclear abnormalities in peripheral erythrocytes of tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus). The content of gasoline station effluents was also analyzed based on several physico-chemical parameters. None of the wastewater samples was genotoxic to A. cepa root cells, although cell proliferation was significantly inhibited, especially at the highest concentrations. Likewise, no micronuclei were observed in O. niloticus peripheral erythrocytes, even after exposure to high concentrations, but there was an increase in the number of nuclear abnormalities and fish mortality. These results show that although the effluent from gasoline stations is processed by an oil/water separation system before being discharged into the main sewage system, the wastewater still contains toxic compounds. PMID:21637464

Characteristic numbers of granular activated carbon for the elimination of micropollutants from effluents of municipal wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Benstoem, F; Pinnekamp, J

2017-07-01

Adsorption on granular activated carbon (GAC) is a promising step to extend existing treatment trains in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and, thus, to reduce the concentration of micropollutants (MPs) (e.g. pharmaceuticals) in wastewater. It is common practice to use characteristic numbers when choosing GAC for a specific application. In this study, characteristic numbers were correlated for five different GACs, with measured adsorption capacities of these carbons for three pharmaceutical MPs (carbamazepine, diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole) and dissolved organic carbon of a WWTP effluent. The adsorption capacities were measured using rapid small scale column tests. Density of GAC showed the highest correlation to adsorption of MP. All other characteristic numbers (iodine number, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface and methylene blue titre) are not suitable markers for choosing an appropriate activated carbon product for the elimination of MPs from municipal wastewater.

Concepts, tools, and strategies for effluent testing: An international survey

EPA Science Inventory

Whole effluent testing (also called Direct Toxicity Assessment) remains a critical long-term assessment tool for aquatic environmental protection. Use of animal alternative approaches for wastewater testing is expected to increase as more regulatory authorities routinely require ...

Wastewater Treatment Effluent Reduces the Abundance and Diversity of Benthic Bacterial Communities in Urban and Suburban Rivers

PubMed Central

Drury, Bradley; Rosi-Marshall, Emma

2013-01-01

In highly urbanized areas, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent can represent a significant component of freshwater ecosystems. As it is impossible for the composition of WWTP effluent to match the composition of the receiving system, the potential exists for effluent to significantly impact the chemical and biological characteristics of the receiving ecosystem. We assessed the impacts of WWTP effluent on the size, activity, and composition of benthic microbial communities by comparing two distinct field sites in the Chicago metropolitan region: a highly urbanized river receiving effluent from a large WWTP and a suburban river receiving effluent from a much smaller WWTP. At sites upstream of effluent input, the urban and suburban rivers differed significantly in chemical characteristics and in the composition of their sediment bacterial communities. Although effluent resulted in significant increases in inorganic nutrients in both rivers, surprisingly, it also resulted in significant decreases in the population size and diversity of sediment bacterial communities. Tag pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes revealed significant effects of effluent on sediment bacterial community composition in both rivers, including decreases in abundances of Deltaproteobacteria, Desulfococcus, Dechloromonas, and Chloroflexi sequences and increases in abundances of Nitrospirae and Sphingobacteriales sequences. The overall effect of the WWTP inputs was that the two rivers, which were distinct in chemical and biological properties upstream of the WWTPs, were almost indistinguishable downstream. These results suggest that WWTP effluent has the potential to reduce the natural variability that exists among river ecosystems and indicate that WWTP effluent may contribute to biotic homogenization. PMID:23315724

Investigating dynamic sources of pharmaceuticals: Demographic and seasonal use are more important than down-the-drain disposal in wastewater effluent in a University City setting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vatovec, Christine; Phillips, Patrick J.; Van Wagoner, Emily; Scott, Tia-Marie; Furlong, Edward T.

2016-01-01

Pharmaceutical pollution in surface waters poses risks to human and ecosystem health. Wastewater treatment facilities are primary sources of pharmaceutical pollutants, but little is known about the factors that affect drugs entering the wastewater stream. This paper investigates the effects of student pharmaceutical use and disposal behaviors and an annual demographic shift on pharmaceutical pollution in a university town. We sampled wastewater effluent during a ten-day annual spring student move-out period at the University of Vermont. We then interpreted these data in light of survey results that investigated pharmaceutical purchasing, use, and disposal practices among the university student population. Surveys indicated that the majority of student respondents purchased pharmaceuticals in the previous year. Many students reported having leftover drugs, though only a small portion disposed of them, mainly in the trash.We detected 51 pharmaceuticals in 80% or more of the wastewater effluent samples collected over the ten-day sampling period. Several increased in concentration after students left the area. Concentrations of caffeine and nicotine decreased weakly. Drug disposal among this university student population does not appear to be a major source of pharmaceuticals in wastewater. Increases in pharmaceutical concentration after the students left campus can be tied to an increase in the seasonal use of allergy medications directly related to pollen, as well as a demographic shift to a year-round older population, which supports national data that older people use larger volumes and different types of pharmaceuticals than the younger student population.

Assessment of the effluent quality from a gold mining industry in Ghana.

PubMed

Acheampong, Mike A; Paksirajan, Kannan; Lens, Piet N L

2013-06-01

The physical and chemical qualities of the process effluent and the tailings dam wastewater of AngloGold-Ashanti Limited, a gold mining company in Ghana, were studied from June to September, 2010. The process effluent from the gold extraction plant contains high amounts of suspended solids and is therefore highly turbid. Arsenic, copper and cyanide were identified as the major pollutants in the process effluent with average concentrations of 10.0, 3.1 and 21.6 mg L(-1), respectively. Arsenic, copper, iron and free cyanide (CN(-)) concentrations in the process effluent exceeded the Ghana EPA discharge limits; therefore, it is necessary to treat the process effluent before it can be discharged into the environment. Principal component analysis of the data indicated that the process effluent characteristics were influenced by the gold extraction process as well as the nature of the gold-bearing ore processed. No significant correlation was observed between the wastewater characteristics themselves, except for the dissolved oxygen and the biochemical oxygen demand. The process effluent is fed to the Sansu tailings dam, which removes 99.9 % of the total suspended solids and 99.7 % of the turbidity; but copper, arsenic and cyanide concentrations were still high. The effluent produced can be classified as inorganic with a high load of non-biodegradable compounds. It was noted that, though the Sansu tailings dam stores the polluted effluent from the gold extraction plant, there will still be serious environmental problems in the event of failure of the dam.

Quarternary Amines as Nitrosamine Precursors: A Role for Consumer Products?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nitrosamine formation is associated with wastewater-impacted water supplies, but the specific precursors within municipal wastewater effluents have not been identified. Quaternary amines are significant constituents of consumer products, including shampoos, detergents and fabric softeners. Experimen...

Water hyacinths for upgrading sewage lagoons to meet advanced wastewater treatment standards, part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolverton, B. C.; Mcdonald, R. C.

1976-01-01

Field tests using water hyacinths as biological filtration agents were conducted in the Mississippi gulf coast region. The plants were installed in one single cell and one multiple cell sewage lagoon systems. Water hyacinths demonstrated the ability to maintain BOD5 and total suspended solid (TSS) levels within the Environmental Protection Agency's prescribed limits of 30 mg/lBOD5 and 30 mg/l TSS. A multiple cell sewage lagoon system consisting of two aerated and one water hyacinth covered cell connected in series demonstrated the ability to maintain BOD5 and TSS levels below 30 mg/l year-round. A water hyacinth covered lagoon with a surface area of 0.28 hectare containing a total volume of 6.8 million liters demonstrated the capacity to treat 437,000 to 1,893,000 liters of sewage influent from 2.65 hectares of aerated lagoons daily and produce an effluent that met or exceeded standards year-round.

Saving Water at Los Alamos National Laboratory

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

Erickson, Andy

Los Alamos National Laboratory decreased its water usage by 26 percent in 2014, with about one-third of the reduction attributable to using reclaimed water to cool a supercomputing center. The Laboratory's goal during 2014 was to use only re-purposed water to support the mission at the Strategic Computing Complex. Using reclaimed water from the Sanitary Effluent Reclamation Facility, or SERF, substantially decreased water usage and supported the overall mission. SERF collects industrial wastewater and treats it for reuse. The reclamation facility contributed more than 27 million gallons of re-purposed water to the Laboratory's computing center, a secured supercomputing facility thatmore » supports the Laboratory’s national security mission and is one of the institution’s larger water users. In addition to the strategic water reuse program at SERF, the Laboratory reduced water use in 2014 by focusing conservation efforts on areas that use the most water, upgrading to water-conserving fixtures, and repairing leaks identified in a biennial survey.« less

Saving Water at Los Alamos National Laboratory

ScienceCinema

Erickson, Andy

2018-01-16

Los Alamos National Laboratory decreased its water usage by 26 percent in 2014, with about one-third of the reduction attributable to using reclaimed water to cool a supercomputing center. The Laboratory's goal during 2014 was to use only re-purposed water to support the mission at the Strategic Computing Complex. Using reclaimed water from the Sanitary Effluent Reclamation Facility, or SERF, substantially decreased water usage and supported the overall mission. SERF collects industrial wastewater and treats it for reuse. The reclamation facility contributed more than 27 million gallons of re-purposed water to the Laboratory's computing center, a secured supercomputing facility that supports the Laboratory’s national security mission and is one of the institution’s larger water users. In addition to the strategic water reuse program at SERF, the Laboratory reduced water use in 2014 by focusing conservation efforts on areas that use the most water, upgrading to water-conserving fixtures, and repairing leaks identified in a biennial survey.

Water Hyacinths for Upgrading Sewage Lagoons to Meet Advanced Wastewater Treatment Standards, Part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolverton, B. C.; Mcdonald, R. C.

1975-01-01

Water hyacinths, Eichhornia crassipes Mart. Solms, have demonstrated the ability to function as an efficient and inexpensive final filtration system in a secondary domestic sewage lagoon during a three month test period. These plants reduced the suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demanding substances, and other chemical parameters to levels below the standards set by the state pollution control agency. The water hyacinth-covered secondary lagoon utilized in this experiment had a surface area of 0.28 hectare (0.70 acre) with a total capacity of 6.8 million liters (1.5 million gallons), receiving an inflow of 522,100 liters (115,000 gallons) per day from a 1.1 hectare (3.8 acre) aerated primary sewage lagoon. These conditions allowed a retention time of 14 to 21 days depending on the water hyacinth evapotranspiration rates. The desired purity of final sewage effluent can be controlled by the water hyacinth surface area, harvest rate, and the retention time.

Spatial and temporal shifts in gross primary productivity, respiration, and nutrient concentrations in urban streams impacted by wastewater treatment plant effluent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ledford, S. H.; Toran, L.

2017-12-01

Impacts of wastewater treatment plant effluent on nutrient retention and stream productivity are highly varied. The working theory has been that large pulses of nutrients from plants may hinder in-stream nutrient retention. We evaluated nitrate, total dissolved phosphorus, and dissolved oxygen in Wissahickon Creek, an urban third-order stream in Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, PA, that receives effluent from four wastewater treatment plants. Wastewater treatment plant effluent had nitrate concentrations of 15-30 mg N/L and total dissolved phosphorus of 0.3 to 1.8 mg/L. Seasonal longitudinal water quality samples showed nitrate concentrations were highest in the fall, peaking at 22 mg N/L, due to low baseflow, but total dissolved phosphorous concentrations were highest in the spring, reaching 0.6 mg/L. Diurnal dissolved oxygen patterns above and below one of the treatment plants provided estimates of gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER). A site 1 km below effluent discharge had higher GPP in April (80 g O2 m-2 d-1) than the site above the plant (28 g O2 m-2 d-1). The pulse in productivity did not continue downstream, as the site 3 km below the plant had GPP of only 12 g O2 m-2 d-1. Productivity fell in June to 1-2 g O2 m-2 d-1 and the differences in productivity above and below plants were minimal. Ecosystem respiration followed a similar pattern in April, increasing from -17 g O2 m-2 d-1 above the plant to -47 g O2 m-2 d-1 1 km below the plant, then decreasing to -8 g O2 m-2 d-1 3 km below the plant. Respiration dropped to -3 g O2 m-2 d-1 above the plant in June but only fell to -9 to -10 g O2 m-2 d-1 at the two downstream sites. These findings indicate that large nutrient pulses from wastewater treatment plants spur productivity and respiration, but that these increases may be strongly seasonally dependent. Examining in-stream productivity and respiration is critical in wastewater impacted streams to understanding the seasonal and spatial variability of nutrient stresses so that limitations on discharge can be better targeted.

Planning of wastewater treatment and disposal systems of Istanbul metropolitan area.

PubMed

Eroglu, V; Sarikaya, H Z; Aydin, A F

2001-01-01

Current and future wastewater treatment and disposal strategies of Istanbul city are presented. Istanbul is the largest city of Turkey and has a population of 10 million that may reach about 20 million in 2032. The city is divided into Asian and European sides by the Bosphorus Strait. The Sea of Marmara is an enclosed sea, connected to the Black Sea and Aegean Sea by the straits of Bosphorus and Dardanelles. Therefore, there is very strong and permanent stratification in the Sea of Marmara throughout the year, lower layers carrying Mediterranean and the upper layers carrying Black Sea water. This unique coastal structure of Istanbul necessitated a detailed study to determine the level of wastewater treatment and the location and depth of marine outfalls. A comprehensive three-dimensional water quality modelling study concluded that tertiary treatment including nitrogen and phosphorus removal is required for the effluent discharges into the Marmara Sea. However, enhanced primary or even primary treatment has been found satisfactory for discharges into the lower layers of the Bosphorus and into the Black Sea. Provisions for upgrading to secondary treatment were recommended. The status of existing and planned wastewater treatment plants and sea outfalls of Istanbul city are also presented. Although the amount of treated wastewater was only 63 percent in 1998, a target of 95 percent treatment level by the end of 2000 has been adopted in implementation plans. All treatment plants are located at or close to the coast except Pasakoy WWTP which is in the catchment area of Omerli Reservoir, the major source of drinking water for Istanbul city. The Pasakoy WWTP has been designed to treat wastewaters collected from the catchment area of Omerli Reservoir to tertiary level before ultimate disposal. The implementation programme together with the cost estimates are given. Total investment on water, wastewater and stormwater projects up to year 2032 is estimated at about 10 billion US Dollars. The share of the wastewater projects in this total is increasing with time. The financial analysis concluded that investments for a Higher Demand Scenario can be realised by raising the water tariffs to 1.0 $/m3 for Phase 1 and 0.9 $/m3 for Phase 2.

40 CFR 415.52 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... impoundment and the evaporation for that month, or, if greater, a volume of process wastewater equal to the... evaporation for that month as established by the National Climatic Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

40 CFR 415.22 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... impoundment and the evaporation for that month, or if greater, a volume of process wastewater equal to the... evaporation for that month as established by the National Climatic Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

40 CFR 415.52 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... impoundment and the evaporation for that month, or, if greater, a volume of process wastewater equal to the... evaporation for that month as established by the National Climatic Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

40 CFR 415.52 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... impoundment and the evaporation for that month, or, if greater, a volume of process wastewater equal to the... evaporation for that month as established by the National Climatic Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

40 CFR 415.52 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... impoundment and the evaporation for that month, or, if greater, a volume of process wastewater equal to the... evaporation for that month as established by the National Climatic Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

Demasculinization of male fish by wastewater treatment plant effluent

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vajda, A.M.; Barber, L.B.; Gray, J.L.; Lopez, E.M.; Bolden, A.M.; Schoenfuss, H.L.; Norris, D.O.

2011-01-01

Adult male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) were exposed to effluent from the City of Boulder, Colorado wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) under controlled conditions in the field to determine if the effluent induced reproductive disruption in fish. Gonadal intersex and other evidence of reproductive disruption were previously identified in white suckers (Catostomus commersoni) in Boulder Creek downstream from this WWTP effluent outfall. Fish were exposed within a mobile flow-through exposure laboratory in July 2005 and August 2006 to WWTP effluent (EFF), Boulder Creek water (REF), or mixtures of EFF and REF for up to 28 days. Primary (sperm abundance) and secondary (nuptial tubercles and dorsal fat pads) sex characteristics were demasculinized within 14 days of exposure to 50% and 100% EFF. Vitellogenin was maximally elevated in both 50% and 100% EFF treatments within 7 days and significantly elevated by 25% EFF within 14 days. The steroidal estrogens 17??-estradiol, estrone, estriol, and 17??-ethynylestradiol, as well as estrogenic alkylphenols and bisphenol A were identified within the EFF treatments and not in the REF treatment. These results support the hypothesis that the reproductive disruption observed in this watershed is due to endocrine-active chemicals in the WWTP effluent. ?? 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Nitrogen speciation in wastewater treatment plant influents and effluents-the US and Polish case studies.

PubMed

Pagilla, K R; Urgun-Demirtas, M; Czerwionka, K; Makinia, J

2008-01-01

The fate of N species, particularly dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), through process trains of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was investigated. In this study, three fully nitrifying plants in Illinois, USA and biological nutrient removal (BNR) plants in northern Poland were sampled for N characterization in the primary and secondary effluents as a function of the particle size distribution. The correlations between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentrations were examined. The key findings are that DON becomes significant portion (about 20%) of the effluent N, reaching up to 50% of effluent total N in one of the Polish plants. The DON constituted 56-95% of total ON (TON) in the secondary effluents, whereas in the Polish plants the DON contribution was substantially lower (19-62%) and in one case (Gdansk WWTP) colloidal ON was the dominating fraction (62% of TON). The DOC to DON ratio in the US plants is significantly lower than that in the receiving waters indicating potential for deterioration of receiving water quality. In Polish plants, the influent and effluent C:N ratios are similar, but not in the US plants. IWA Publishing 2008.

Bioplastic production using wood mill effluents as feedstock.

PubMed

Ben, M; Mato, T; Lopez, A; Vila, M; Kennes, C; Veiga, M C

2011-01-01

Fibreboard production is one of the most important industrial activities in Galicia (Spain). Great amounts of wastewater are generated, with properties depending on the type of wood, treatment process, final product and water reusing, among others. These effluents are characterized by a high chemical oxygen demand, low pH and nutrients limitation. Although anaerobic digestion is one of the most suitable processes for the treatment, lately bioplastics production (mainly polyhydroxyalkanoates) from wastewaters with mixed cultures is being evaluated. Substrate requirements for these processes consist of high organic matter content and low nutrient concentration. Therefore, wood mill effluents could be a suitable feedstock. In this work, the possibility of producing bioplastics from to wood mill effluents is evaluated. First, wood mill effluent was converted to volatile fatty acids in an acidogenic reactor operated at two different hydraulic retention times of 1 and 1.5 d. The acidification percentage obtained was 37% and 42%, respectively. Then, aerobic batch assays were performed using fermented wood mill effluents obtained at different hydraulic retention times. Assays were developed using different cultures as inoculums. The maximum storage yield of 0.57 Cmmol/Cmmol was obtained when when the culture was enriched on a synthetic media.

Management and Supervision Procedures for Wastewater Facilities, 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 IV.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, George J.; And Others

This document is one in a series which outlines performance objectives and instructional modules for a course of study in the management of wastewater treatment plants. The modules are arranged in an order appropriate for teaching students with no experience. The modules can also be rearranged and adapted for courses to upgrade personnel moving…

Toxicity on aquatic organisms exposed to secondary effluent disinfected with chlorine, peracetic acid, ozone and UV radiation.

PubMed

da Costa, Juliana Berninger; Rodgher, Suzelei; Daniel, Luiz Antonio; Espíndola, Evaldo Luiz Gaeta

2014-11-01

The toxic potential of four disinfectant agents (chlorine, ozone, peracetic acid and UV radiation), used in the disinfection of urban wastewater, was evaluated with respect to four aquatic organisms. Disinfection assays were carried out with wastewater from the city of Araraquara (São Paulo State, Brazil), and subsequently, toxicity bioassays were applied in order to verify possible adverse effects to the cladocerans (Ceriodaphnia silvestrii and Daphnia similis), midge larvae Chironomus xanthus and fish (Danio rerio). Under the experimental conditions tested, all the disinfectants were capable of producing harmful effects on the test organisms, except for C. xanthus. The toxicity of the effluent to C. silvestrii was observed to increase significantly as a result of disinfection using 2.5 mg L(-1) chlorine and 29.9 mg L(-1) ozone. Ozonation and chlorination significantly affected the survival of D. similis and D. rerio, causing mortality of 60 to 100 % in comparison to the non-disinfected effluent. In experiments with effluent treated with peracetic acid (PAA) and UV radiation, a statistically significant decrease in survival was only detected for D. rerio. This investigation suggested that the study of the ideal concentrations of disinfectants is a research need for ecologically safe options for the treatment of wastewater.

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.

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.

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.

Occurrence, fate, and persistence of gemfibrozil in water and soil.

PubMed

Fang, Yu; Karnjanapiboonwong, Adcharee; Chase, Darcy A; Wang, Jiafan; Morse, Audra N; Anderson, Todd A

2012-03-01

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have emerged as a group of potential environmental contaminants of concern. The occurrence of gemfibrozil, a lipid-regulating drug, was studied in the influent and effluent at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and groundwater below a land application site receiving treated effluent from the WWTP. In addition, the sorption of gemfibrozil in two loam soils and sand was assessed, and biological degradation rates in two soil types under aerobic conditions were also determined. Results showed that concentrations of gemfibrozil in wastewater influent, effluent, and groundwater were in the range of 3.47 to 63.8 µg/L, 0.08 to 19.4 µg/L, and undetectable to 6.86 µg/L, respectively. Data also indicated that gemfibrozil in the wastewater could reach groundwater following land application of the treated effluent. Soil-water distribution coefficients for gemfibrozil, determined by the batch equilibrium method, varied with organic carbon content in the soils. The sorption capacity was silt loam > sandy loam > sand. Under aerobic conditions, dissipation half-lives for gemfibrozil in sandy loam and silt loam soils were 17.8 and 20.6 days, respectively; 25.4 and 11.3% of gemfibrozil was lost through biodegradation from the two soils over 14 days. Copyright © 2011 SETAC.

Calicivirus Removal in a Membrane Bioreactor Wastewater Treatment Plant▿

PubMed Central

Sima, Laura C.; Schaeffer, Julien; Le Saux, Jean-Claude; Parnaudeau, Sylvain; Elimelech, Menachem; Le Guyader, Françoise S.

2011-01-01

To evaluate membrane bioreactor wastewater treatment virus removal, a study was conducted in southwest France. Samples collected from plant influent, an aeration basin, membrane effluent, solid sludge, and effluent biweekly from October 2009 to June 2010 were analyzed for calicivirus (norovirus and sapovirus) by real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) using extraction controls to perform quantification. Adenovirus and Escherichia coli also were analyzed to compare removal efficiencies. In the influent, sapovirus was always present, while the norovirus concentration varied temporally, with the highest concentration being detected from February to May. All three human norovirus genogroups (GI, GII, and GIV) were detected in effluent, but GIV was never detected in effluent; GI and GII were detected in 50% of the samples but at low concentrations. In the effluent, sapovirus was identified only once. An adenovirus titer showing temporal variation in influent samples was identified only twice in effluent. E. coli was always below the limit of detection in the effluent. Overall, the removal of calicivirus varied from 3.3 to greater than 6.8 log units, with no difference between the two main genogroups. Our results also demonstrated that the viruses are blocked by the membrane in the treatment plant and are removed from the plant as solid sludge. PMID:21666029

Occurrence and fate of perfluorinated acids in two wastewater treatment plants in Shanghai, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Chaojie; Yan, Hong; Li, Fei; Zhou, Qi

2015-02-01

Perfluorinated acids (PFAs) have drawn much attention due to their environmental persistence, ubiquitous existence, and bioaccumulation potential. The discharge of wastewater effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a significant source of PFAs to the environment. In this study, wastewater and sludge samples were collected from two WWTPs in Shanghai, China, to investigate the contamination level and fate of PFAs in different stages of processing. The total concentrations of PFAs (∑PFAs) in influent from plants A and B were 2,452 and 292 ng L(-1), respectively. Perfluoropentanoic acid (1,520 ± 80 ng L(-1) in plant A and 89.2 ± 12.1 ng L(-1) in plant B) was the predominant PFA in influent waters, followed by perfluorooctanoic acid. The concentration of ∑PFAs ranged from 75.0 to 126.0 ng g(-1) dry weight in sludge samples from plant B, with perfluorooctanesulfonic acid as the predominant contaminant. The concentrations and fate of PFAs in different WWTPs vary. The ∑PFAs entering plant A decreased significantly in the final effluent of activated sludge process, while that in plant B increased significantly in the final effluent of sequencing batch reactor system. The concentration changes could be due to the sorption onto sludge, or the degradation of PFAs precursors.

Application of the removal of pollutants from textile industry wastewater in constructed wetlands using fuzzy logic.

PubMed

Dogdu, Gamze; Yalcuk, Arda; Postalcioglu, Seda

2017-02-01

There are more than a hundred textile industries in Turkey that discharge large quantities of dye-rich wastewater, resulting in water pollution. Such effluents must be treated to meet discharge limits imposed by the Water Framework Directive in Turkey. Industrial treatment facilities must be required to monitor operations, keep them cost-effective, prevent operational faults, discharge-limit infringements, and water pollution. This paper proposes the treatment of actual textile wastewater by vertical flow constructed wetland (VFCW) systems operation and monitoring effluent wastewater quality using fuzzy logic with a graphical user interface. The treatment performance of VFCW is investigated in terms of chemical oxygen demand and ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) content, color, and pH parameters during a 75-day period of operation. A computer program was developed with a fuzzy logic system (a decision- making tool) to graphically present (via a status analysis chart) the quality of treated textile effluent in relation to the Turkish Water Pollution Control Regulation. Fuzzy logic is used in the evaluation of data obtained from the VFCW systems and for notification of critical states exceeding the discharge limits. This creates a warning chart that reports any errors encountered in a reactor during the collection of any sample to the concerned party.

The supply and demand for pollution control: Evidence from wastewater treatment

USGS Publications Warehouse

McConnell, V.D.; Schwarz, G.E.

1992-01-01

This paper analyzes the determination of pollution control from wastewater treatment plants as an economic decision facing local or regional regulators. Pollution control is measured by plant design effluent concentration levels and is fully endogenous in a supply- and-demand model of treatment choice. On the supply side, plant costs are a function of the design treatment level of the plant, and on the demand side, treatment level is a function of both the costs of control and the regional or regulatory preferences for control. We find evidence that the economic model of effluent choice by local regulators has a good deal of explanatory power. We find evidence that wastewater treatment plant removal of biological oxygen demand (BOD) is sensitive to many local factors including the size of the treatment plant, the flow rate of the receiving water, the population density of the surrounding area, regional growth, state sensitivity to environmental issues, state income, and the extent to which the damages from pollution fall on other states. We find strong evidence that regulators are sensitive to capital costs in determining the design level of BOD effluent reduction at a plant. Thus, proposed reductions in federal subsidies for wastewater treatment plant construction are likely to have significant adverse effects on water quality. ?? 1992.

Disinfection of wastewater with peracetic acid: a review.

PubMed

Kitis, Mehmet

2004-03-01

Peracetic acid is a strong disinfectant with a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity. Due to its bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, and sporicidal effectiveness as demonstrated in various industries, the use of peracetic acid as a disinfectant for wastewater effluents has been drawing more attention in recent years. The desirable attributes of peracetic acid for wastewater disinfection are the ease of implementing treatment (without the need for expensive capital investment), broad spectrum of activity even in the presence of heterogeneous organic matter, absence of persistent toxic or mutagenic residuals or by-products, no quenching requirement (i.e., no dechlorination), small dependence on pH, short contact time, and effectiveness for primary and secondary effluents. Major disadvantages associated with peracetic acid disinfection are the increases of organic content in the effluent due to acetic acid (AA) and thus in the potential microbial regrowth (acetic acid is already present in the mixture and is also formed after peracetic acid decomposition). Another drawback to the use of peracetic acid is its high cost, which is partly due to limited production capacity worldwide. However, if the demand for peracetic acid increases, especially from the wastewater industry, the future mass production capacity might also be increased, thus lowering the cost. In such a case, in addition to having environmental advantages, peracetic acid may also become cost-competitive with chlorine.

A toxicity reduction evaluation for an oily waste treatment plant exhibiting episodic effluent toxicity.

PubMed

Erten-Unal, M; Gelderloos, A B; Hughes, J S

1998-07-30

A Toxicity Reduction Evaluation (TRE) was conducted on the oily wastewater treatment plant (Plant) at a Naval Fuel Depot. The Plant treats ship and ballast wastes, berm water from fuel storage areas and wastes generated in the fuel reclamation plant utilizing physical/chemical treatment processes. In the first period of the project (Period I), the TRE included chemical characterization of the plant wastewaters, monitoring the final effluent for acute toxicity and a thorough evaluation of each treatment process and Plant operating procedures. Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) procedures were performed as part of the overall TRE to characterize and identify possible sources of toxicity. Several difficulties were encountered because the effluent was saline, test organisms were marine species and toxicity was sporadic and unpredictable. The treatability approach utilizing enhancements, improved housekeeping, and operational changes produced substantial reductions in the acute toxicity of the final effluent. In the second period (Period II), additional acute toxicity testing and chemical characterization were performed through the Plant to assess the long-term effects of major unit process improvements for the removal of toxicity. The TIE procedures were also modified for saline wastewaters to focus on suspected class of toxicants such as surfactants. The TRE was successful in reducing acute toxicity of the final effluent through process improvements and operational modifications. The results indicated that the cause of toxicity was most likely due to combination of pollutants (matrix effect) rather than a single pollutant.

Impacts of wastewater treatment plant effluent on energetics and stress response of rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) in the Grand River watershed.

PubMed

Mehdi, Hossein; Dickson, Fiona H; Bragg, Leslie M; Servos, Mark R; Craig, Paul M

2017-11-22

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent on the energetics and stress response of rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum). Male and female rainbow darter were collected upstream and downstream of the Waterloo WWTP in the Grand River watershed, ON, Canada. To assess the effects of wastewater treatment plant effluent on whole-body and tissue specific metabolic capacity, closed-chamber respirometry and muscle-enzyme activity analyses were performed. Plasma cortisol was also collected from fish before and after an acute air-exposure stressor to evaluate the cortisol stress response in fish exposed to additional stressors. Male and female rainbow darter collected downstream of the effluent had higher oxygen consumption rates, while differences in enzyme activities were primarily associated with sex rather than collection site. No impairment in the cortisol stress response between downstream and upstream fish was observed, however baseline cortisol levels in female fish from the downstream site were significantly higher compared to other baseline groups. Stress-induced cortisol levels were also higher in female fish from both sites when compared to their male counterparts. Overall, this study demonstrates that chronic exposure to WWTP effluent impacts whole-body metabolic performance. This study was also able to demonstrate that sex-differences are a key determinant of various metabolic changes in response to physiological stress, thereby, providing a novel avenue to be considered and further explored. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of marble industry effluents on water and sediment quality of Barandu River in Buner District, Pakistan.

PubMed

Mulk, Shahi; Azizullah, Azizullah; Korai, Abdul Latif; Khattak, Muhammad Nasir Khan

2015-02-01

Industries play an important role in improving the living standard but at the same time cause several environmental problems. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the impact of industries on the quality of environment. In the present study, the impact of marble industry effluents on water and sediment quality of Barandu River in Buner District, Pakistan was evaluated. Water and sediment samples were collected at three different sampling sites (upstream, industrial, and downstream sites) from Barandu River and their physicochemical properties were inter-compared. In addition, different marble stones and mix water (wastewater) from marble industry were analyzed. The measured physicochemical parameters of river water including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), alkalinity, total hardness, Ca and Mg hardness, total dissolved solid (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), sulfates (SO4 (2-)), sodium (Na(+)), potassium (K(+)), nitrites (NO2 (-)), nitrate (NO3 (-)), chloride (Cl(-)), calcium (Ca(2+)), and magnesium (Mg(2+)) were found to be significantly altered by effluent discharges of marble industries. Similarly, heavy metal concentrations in both water and sediments of the river were significantly increased by marble industry wastewater. It is concluded that large quantities of different pollutants are added to Barandu River due to direct disposal of marble industry effluents which degrades its quality. Therefore, it is recommended that direct disposal of marble industry wastewater should be banned and all effluents must be properly treated before discharging in the river water.

Kinetic studies for Ni(II) biosorption from industrial wastewater by Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) biomass.

PubMed

Hanif, Muhammad Asif; Nadeem, Raziya; Zafar, Muhammad Nadeem; Akhtar, Kalsoom; Bhatti, Haq Nawaz

2007-07-16

The present study explores the ability of Cassia fistula waste biomass to remove Ni(II) from industrial effluents. C. fistula biomass was found very effective for Ni(II) removal from wastewater of Ghee Industry (GI), Nickel Chrome Plating Industry (Ni-Cr PI), Battery Manufacturing Industry (BMI), Tanner Industry: Lower Heat Unit (TILHU), Tannery Industry: Higher Heat Unit (TIHHU), Textile Industry: Dying Unit (TIDU) and Textile Industry: Finishing Unit (TIFU). The initial Ni(II) concentration in industrial effluents was found to be 34.89+/-0.01, 183.56+/-0.08, 21.19+/-0.01, 43.29+/-0.03, 47.26+/-0.02, 31.38+/-0.01 and 31.09+/-0.01mg/L in GI, Ni-Cr PI, BMI, TILHU, TIHHU, TIDU and TIFU, respectively. After biosorption the final Ni(II) concentration in industrial effluents was found to be 0.05+/-0.01, 17.26+/-0.08, 0.03+/-0.01, 0.05+/-0.01, 0.1+/-0.01, 0.07+/-0.01 and 0.06+/-0.01mg/L in GI, Ni-Cr PI, BMI, TILHU, TIHHU, TIDU and TIFU, respectively. The % sorption Ni(II) ability of C. fistula from seven industries included in present study tend to be in following order: TILHU (99.88)>GI (99.85) approximately BMI (99.85)>TIFU (99.80)>TIHHU (99.78)>TIDU (99.77)>Ni-Cr PI (90.59). Sorption kinetic experiments were performed in order to investigate proper sorption time for Ni(II) removal from wastewater. Batch metal ion uptake capacity experiments indicated that sorption equilibrium reached much faster in case of industrial wastewater samples (480min) in comparison to synthetic wastewater (1440min) using same biosorbent. The kinetic data were analyzed in term of pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order expressions. Pseudo-second-order model described well the sorption kinetics of Ni(II) onto C. fistula biomass from industrial effluents in comparison to pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Due to unique high Ni(II) sorption capacity of C. fistula waste biomass it can be concluded that it is an excellent biosorbent for Ni(II) uptake from industrial effluents.

Occurrence of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in hospital and urban wastewaters and their impact on the receiving river.

PubMed

Rodriguez-Mozaz, Sara; Chamorro, Sara; Marti, Elisabet; Huerta, Belinda; Gros, Meritxell; Sànchez-Melsió, Alexandre; Borrego, Carles M; Barceló, Damià; Balcázar, Jose Luis

2015-02-01

Antibiotic resistance has become a major health concern; thus, there is a growing interest in exploring the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment as well as the factors that contribute to their emergence. Aquatic ecosystems provide an ideal setting for the acquisition and spread of ARGs due to the continuous pollution by antimicrobial compounds derived from anthropogenic activities. We investigated, therefore, the pollution level of a broad range of antibiotics and ARGs released from hospital and urban wastewaters, their removal through a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and their presence in the receiving river. Several antimicrobial compounds were detected in all water samples collected. Among antibiotic families, fluoroquinolones were detected at the highest concentration, especially in hospital effluent samples. Although good removal efficiency by treatment processes was observed for several antimicrobial compounds, most antibiotics were still present in WWTP effluents. The results also revealed that copy numbers of ARGs, such as blaTEM (resistance to β-lactams), qnrS (reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones), ermB (resistance to macrolides), sulI (resistance to sulfonamides) and tetW (resistance to tetracyclines), were detected at the highest concentrations in hospital effluent and WWTP influent samples. Although there was a significant reduction in copy numbers of these ARGs in WWTP effluent samples, this reduction was not uniform across analyzed ARGs. Relative concentration of ermB and tetW genes decreased as a result of wastewater treatment, whereas increased in the case of blaTEM, sulI and qnrS genes. The incomplete removal of antibiotics and ARGs in WWTP severely affected the receiving river, where both types of emerging pollutants were found at higher concentration in downstream waters than in samples collected upstream from the discharge point. Taken together, our findings demonstrate a widespread occurrence of antibiotics and ARGs in urban and hospital wastewater and how these effluents, even after treatment, contribute to the spread of these emerging pollutants in the aquatic environment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid small-scale column testing of granular activated carbon for organic micro-pollutant removal in treated domestic wastewater.

PubMed

Zietzschmann, F; Müller, J; Sperlich, A; Ruhl, A S; Meinel, F; Altmann, J; Jekel, M

2014-01-01

This study investigates the applicability of the rapid small-scale column test (RSSCT) concept for testing of granular activated carbon (GAC) for organic micro-pollutants (OMPs) removal from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. The chosen experimental setup was checked using pure water, WWTP effluent, different GAC products, and variable hydrodynamic conditions with different flow velocities and differently sized GAC, as well as different empty bed contact times (EBCTs). The setup results in satisfying reproducibility and robustness. RSSCTs in combination with WWTP effluent are effective when comparing the OMP removal potentials of different GAC products and are a useful tool for the estimation of larger filters. Due to the potentially high competition between OMPs and bulk organics, breakthrough curves are likely to have unfavorable shapes when treating WWTP effluent. This effect can be counteracted by extending the EBCT. With respect to the strong competition observed in GAC treatment of WWTP effluent, the small organic acid and neutral substances are retained longer in the RSSCT filters and are likely to cause the majority of the observed adsorption competition with OMPs.

CHLORINE DISINFECTION OF BLENDED WASTEWATER EFFLUENTS I

EPA Science Inventory

During wet weather events collected water can exceed the capacity of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and alternate flow management techniques must be employed. One technique is to treat influent flows through primary clarification and limit the flow to the secondary treatmen...

CHLORINE DISINFECTION OF BLENDED WASTEWATER EFFLUENTS

EPA Science Inventory

During wet weather events collected water can exceed the capacity of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and alternate flow management techniques must be employed. One technique is to treat influent flows through primary clarification and limit the flow to the secondary treatmen...

Nitrogen and COD removal from domestic and synthetic wastewater in subsurface-flow constructed wetlands.

PubMed

Collison, R S; Grismer, M E

2013-09-01

Comparisons of the performance of constructed-wetland systems (CWs) for treating domestic wastewater in the laboratory and field may use pathogen-free synthetic wastewater to avoid regulatory health concerns. However, little to no data are available describing the relative treatment efficiencies of CWs to both actual and synthetic domestic wastewaters so as to enable such comparison. To fill this gap, treatment performances with respect to organics (chemical organic demand; COD) and nitrogen (ammonium and nitrate) removal from domestic (septic tank) and a similar-strength synthetic wastewater under planted and non-planted subsurface-flow CWs are determined. One pair of CWs was planted with cattails in May 2008, whereas the adjacent system was non-planted. Collected septic tank or synthesized wastewater was allowed to gravity feed each CWs, and effluent samples were collected and tested for COD and nitrogen species regularly during four different periods over six months. Overall, statistically significant greater removal of COD (-12%) and nitrogen (-5%) occurred from the synthetic as compared with the domestic wastewater from the planted and non-planted CWs. Effluent BOD5/COD ratios from the synthetic wastewater CWs averaged nearly twice that from the domestic wastewater CWs (0.17 vs 0.10), reflecting greater concentrations of readily degraded compounds. That removal fractions were consistent across the mid-range loading rates to the CWs suggests that the synthetic wastewater can be used in testing laboratory CWs with reasonable success in application of their results to the field.

Measured and predicted environmental concentrations of carbamazepine, diclofenac, and metoprolol in small and medium rivers in northern Germany.

PubMed

Meyer, Wibke; Reich, Margrit; Beier, Silvio; Behrendt, Joachim; Gulyas, Holger; Otterpohl, Ralf

2016-08-01

This study evaluated the impact of secondary municipal effluent discharge on carbamazepine, diclofenac, and metoprolol concentrations in small and medium rivers in northern Germany and compared the measured environmental concentrations (MECs) to the predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) calculated with four well-established models. During a 1-year sampling period, secondary effluent grab samples were collected at four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) together with grab samples from the receiving waters upstream and downstream from the wastewater discharge points. The carbamazepine, diclofenac, and metoprolol concentrations were analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS-MS) after solid phase extraction. In the secondary effluents, 84-790 ng/L carbamazepine, 395-2100 ng/L diclofenac, and 745-5000 ng/L metoprolol were detected. The carbamazepine, diclofenac, and metoprolol concentrations analyzed in the rivers downstream from the secondary effluent discharge sites ranged from <5 to 68, 370, and 520 ng/L, respectively. Most of the downstream pharmaceutical concentrations were markedly higher than the corresponding upstream concentrations. The impact of wastewater discharge on the MECs in rivers downstream from the WWTPs was clearly demonstrated, but the correlations of the MECs with dilution factors were poor. The smallest rivers exhibited the largest maximum MECs and the widest ranges of MECs downstream from the wastewater discharge point. Three of the four tested models were conservative, as they showed higher PECs than the MECs in the rivers downstream from the WWTPs. However, the most detailed model underestimated the diclofenac concentrations.

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.

Treated wastewater effluent as a source of pyrethroids and fipronil at todos santos bay, Mexico: Its impact on sediments and organisms.

PubMed

Hernández-Guzmán, Félix Augusto; Macías-Zamora, José Vinicio; Ramírez-Álvarez, Nancy; Alvarez-Aguilar, Arturo; Quezada-Hernández, Cristina; Fonseca, Ana Paula

2017-11-01

Pyrethroids are insecticides widely used to control pests and disease vectors in residential areas and agricultural lands. Pyrethroids are emerging pollutants, and their use is a growing concern because of their toxicity potential to aquatic organisms. Todos Santos Bay and the Punta Banda estuary, 2 coastal bodies located to the south of the Southern California Bight, were studied to establish a baseline of the current conditions of pollution by pyrethroids and fipronil. Eight pyrethroids, along with fipronil and its 2 metabolites, were determined in effluents from wastewater-treatment plants (n = 3), surface sediments (n = 32), and 3 locations with mussels (Mytilus californianus, n = 9). Bifenthrin, permethrin, and cypermethrin were the most common pyrethroids found in the study areas and were widespread in sediments, mussels, and wastewater-treated effluents. Fipronil and its metabolites were detected in mussels and wastewater-treated effluents only. Total pyrethroid concentrations in sediments ranged from 0.04 to 1.95 ng/g dry weight in the Punta Banda estuary (n = 13) and from 0.07 to 6.62 ng/g dry weight in Todos Santos Bay (n = 19). Moreover, total pyrethroids in mussels ranged from 1.19 to 6.15 ng/g wet weight. Based on the toxic unit data calculated for pyrethroids and fipronil for Eohaustorius estuarius and Hyalella azteca, little to no impact is expected to the benthic population structure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3057-3064. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Ozonation effects on emerging micropollutants and effluent organic matter in wastewater: characterization using changes of three-dimensional HP-SEC and EEM fluorescence data.

PubMed

Liu, Chen; Li, Penghui; Tang, Xiangyu; Korshin, Gregory V

2016-10-01

The degradation of effluent organic matter (EfOM) in a municipal wastewater treated by ozonation was characterized using the methods of high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HP-SEC) and excitation/emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The removal of 40 diverse trace-level contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) present in the wastewater was determined as well. Ozonation caused a rapid decrease of the absorbance and fluorescence of the wastewater, which was associated primarily with the oxidation of high and low apparent molecular weight (AMW) EfOM fractions. PARAFAC analysis also showed that components C1 and C2 decreased prominently in these conditions. The EfOM fraction of intermediate molecular weight ascribable to a terrestrial humic-like component (C3) tended to be less reactive toward ozone. Relative changes of EEM fluorescence were quantified using F max values of PARAFAC-identified components (∆F/F 0 max ). Unambiguous relationships between ∆F/F 0 max values and the extent of the degradation of the examined CECs (∆C/C 0 ) were established. This allowed correlating main parameters of the ∆C/C 0 vs. ∆F/F 0 max relationships with the rates of oxidation of these CECs. The results demonstrate the potential of online measurements of EEM fluorescence for quantitating effects of ozonation on EfOM and micropollutants in wastewater effluents.

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.

The effect of primary sedimentation on full-scale WWTP nutrient removal performance.

PubMed

Puig, S; van Loosdrecht, M C M; Flameling, A G; Colprim, J; Meijer, S C F

2010-06-01

Traditionally, the performance of full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is measured based on influent and/or effluent and waste sludge flows and concentrations. Full-scale WWTP data typically have a high variance which often contains (large) measurement errors. A good process engineering evaluation of the WWTP performance is therefore difficult. This also makes it usually difficult to evaluate effect of process changes in a plant or compare plants to each other. In this paper we used a case study of a full-scale nutrient removing WWTP. The plant normally uses presettled wastewater, as a means to increase the nutrient removal the plant was operated for a period by-passing raw wastewater (27% of the influent flow). The effect of raw wastewater addition has been evaluated by different approaches: (i) influent characteristics, (ii) design retrofit, (iii) effluent quality, (iv) removal efficiencies, (v) activated sludge characteristics, (vi) microbial activity tests and FISH analysis and, (vii) performance assessment based on mass balance evaluation. This paper demonstrates that mass balance evaluation approach helps the WWTP engineers to distinguish and quantify between different strategies, where others could not. In the studied case, by-passing raw wastewater (27% of the influent flow) directly to the biological reactor did not improve the effluent quality and the nutrient removal efficiency of the WWTP. The increase of the influent C/N and C/P ratios was associated to particulate compounds with low COD/VSS ratio and a high non-biodegradable COD fraction. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

VOC amounts in ambient areas of a high-technology science park in Taiwan: their reciprocal correlations and impact on inhabitants.

PubMed

Liu, Hsin-Wang; Wu, Bei-Zen; Nian, Hung-Chi; Chen, Hsing-Jung; Lo, Jiunn-Guang; Chiu, Kong-Hwa

2012-02-01

This study presents bihourly, seasonal, and yearly concentration changes in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the inlet and effluent water of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of a high-technology science park (HTIP) in Taiwan, with the VOC amounts at different sites correlated geologically. This research adopted a combination of two systems, solid-phase microextraction with a gas chromatography/flame ionization detector and an assembly of purge and trap coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, to monitor polar and nonpolar VOCs in wastewater. This paper investigated the total VOCs, acetone, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentrations in real water samples collected in the ambient area of the HTIP. The major contents of VOCs measured in the effluent of the WWTP in the HTIP and the surrounding river region were DMS (14-176 ppb), acetone (5-95 ppb), and IPA (15-316 ppb). In comparison with the total VOCs in the inlet wastewater of the WWTP, no corresponding relationship for total VOC concentration in the wastewater was observed between the inlet water and effluent water of the WWTP. The peak VOC concentrations appeared in the third season, and the correlation of different VOC amounts reflects the production situation of the factories. In addition, VOC concentrations at different sites indicate that the Ke-Ya River is seemingly an effective channel for transporting wastewater to its final destination. The data are good indications for the management of environmental pollution near the HTIP.

Simultaneous organic matter removal and nitrification of an inert self-supporting immersed media to upgrade aerated lagoons.

PubMed

Boutet, E; Baillargeon, S; Patry, B; Lessard, P

2018-01-01

A pilot study was performed to evaluate the potential of an inert self-supported immersed fixed film media to upgrade aerated lagoons. Simultaneous organic matter removal and nitrification was assessed under different loading rates and temperatures (near 0 °C) using 12 laboratory-scale reactors operated in parallel. Test results showed that both the temperature and the load have an influence on organic matter effluent concentrations. Effluent quality seemed related to the observed biofilm thickness. Thicker biofilm is believed to have contributed to biomass detachment and increased particulate organic matter concentrations in the effluent. Simultaneous organic removal and nitrification was obtained at loads above 5 g CBOD 5 /m 2 ·d. The highest nitrification rate at 0.4 °C was obtained for the smallest load, which showed a nitrification limitation close to freezing point.

Evaluation of acute ecotoxicity removal from industrial wastewater using a battery of rapid bioassays.

PubMed

Dries, Jan; Daens, Dominique; Geuens, Luc; Blust, Ronny

2014-01-01

The present study compares conventional wastewater treatment technologies (coagulation-flocculation and activated sludge) and powdered activated carbon (PAC) treatment for the removal of acute ecotoxicity from wastewater generated by tank truck cleaning (TTC) processes. Ecotoxicity was assessed with a battery of four commercially available rapid biological toxicity testing systems, verified by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Chemical coagulation-flocculation of raw TTC wastewater had no impact on the inhibition of the bioluminescence by Vibrio fischeri (BioTox assay). Subsequent biological treatment with activated sludge without PAC resulted in BioTox inhibition-free effluent (<10% inhibition). In contrast, activated sludge treatment without PAC produced an effluent that significantly inhibited (>50%) (i) the bioluminescence by Photobacterium leiognathi (ToxScreen³ test kit), (ii) the photosynthesis by the green algae Chlorella vulgaris (LuminoTox SAPS test kit), and (iii) the particle ingestion by the crustacean Thamnocephalus platyurus (Rapidtoxkit test kit). The lowest inhibition was measured after activated sludge treatment with the highest PAC dose (400 mg/L), demonstrating the effectiveness of PAC treatment for ecotoxicity removal from TTC wastewater. In conclusion, the combination of bioassays applied in the present study represents a promising test battery for rapid ecotoxicty assessment in wastewater treatment.

40 CFR 471.92 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... of process wastewater pollutants. (p) Molten salt rinse. Subpart I—BAT Pollutant or pollutant... zirconium-hafnium treated with molten salt Chromium 0.333 0.136 Cyanide 0.220 0.091 Nickel 1.45 0.960...

40 CFR 471.92 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... of process wastewater pollutants. (p) Molten salt rinse. Subpart I—BAT Pollutant or pollutant... zirconium-hafnium treated with molten salt Chromium 0.333 0.136 Cyanide 0.220 0.091 Nickel 1.45 0.960...

40 CFR 471.91 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) Degreasing rinse—subpart I—BPT. There shall be no discharge or process wastewater pollutants. (p) Molten salt.../off-kg (pounds per million off pounds) of zirconium-hafnium treated with molten salt Chromium 3.33 1...

40 CFR 471.91 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) Degreasing rinse—subpart I—BPT. There shall be no discharge or process wastewater pollutants. (p) Molten salt.../off-kg (pounds per million off pounds) of zirconium-hafnium treated with molten salt Chromium 3.33 1...

Annealing optimization in the process of making membrane PSF19%DMFEVA2 for wastewater treatment of palm oil mill effluent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Said, A. A.; Mustafa

2018-02-01

A small proportion of the Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) treatment has used its wastewater to converted to methane gas which will then be converted again into electrical energy. However, for Palm Oil Mill whose has a value of Chemical Oxygen Demand in its wastewater is less than 60.000 mg / L this can’t so that the purpose wastewater treatment only to reach the standard that can be safe to dispose into the environment. Wastewater treatment systems that are general applied by Palm Oil Mill especially in North Sumatera are aerobic and anaerobic, this method takes a relatively long time due to very dependent on microbial activity. An alternative method for wastewater treatment offered is membrane technology because the process is much more effective, the time is relatively short, and expected to give more optimal result. The optimum membrane obtained is PSF19%DMFEVA2T75 membrane,while the parameter condition of the permeate analysis produced in the treatment of POME wastewater with membrane PSF19%DMFEVA2T75 obtained at pH = 7.0; TSS = 148 mg / L; BOD = 149 mg / L; And COD = 252 mg / L. The results obtained is accordance with the standard of the quality of POME.

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.

Effects of urban wastewater on hyporheic habitat and invertebrates in Mediterranean streams.

PubMed

Sánchez-Morales, Marc; Sabater, Francesc; Muñoz, Isabel

2018-06-18

Wastewater discharges into fluvial ecosystems represent a significant and continuous source of fine particles and nutrients that can severely modify stream community composition and functionality. Depending on both wastewater and stream features (e.g., nutrient removal treatments and stream dilution capacity), the ecological effects can be more or less severe. To determine how hyporheic habitat and hyporheos are affected, we analysed eight Mediterranean streams both upstream and downstream of a wastewater effluent. The results demonstrated that environmental factors associated with clogging, such as the quantity of fine particulate and organic matter in sediment, were magnified downstream of the wastewater inputs. Likewise, dissolved nutrients also increased but depended to a greater extent on the presence of a wastewater treatment plant and on the nitrogen and phosphorus removal treatments. The hyporheic invertebrates were more affected by clogging than by eutrophication. Both richness and diversity parameters were negatively correlated with clogging features but were not correlated with eutrophication. The most affected taxa were Macrocrustaceans, Hydrachnidia and several insect species, which decreased or were not detected downstream of the effluents. On the contrary, other taxa such as Naididae (Oligochaeta), Orthocladiinae (Chironomidae) and Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gastropoda) benefited from the wastewater inputs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Leaching of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in turfgrass soils during wastewater irrigation.

PubMed

Gan, J; Bondarenko, S; Ernst, F; Yang, W; Ries, S B; Sedlak, D L

2006-01-01

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a carcinogenic by-product of chlorination that is frequently found in municipal wastewater effluent. NDMA is miscible in water and negligibly adsorbed to soil, and therefore may pose a threat to ground water when treated wastewater is used for landscape irrigation. A field study was performed in the summer months under arid Southern California weather conditions to evaluate the leaching potential of NDMA in turfgrass soils during wastewater irrigation. Wastewater was used to irrigate multiple turfgrass plots at 110 to 160% evapotranspiration rate for about 4 mo, and leachate was continuously collected and analyzed for NDMA. The treated wastewater contained relatively high levels of NDMA (114-1820 ng L(-1); mean 930 ng L(-1)). NDMA was detected infrequently in the leachate regardless of the soil type or irrigation schedule. At a method detection limit of 2 ng L(-1), NDMA was only detected in 9 out of 400 leachate samples and when it was detected, the NDMA concentration was less than 5 ng L(-1). NDMA was relatively persistent in the turfgrass soils during laboratory incubation, indicating that mechanisms other than biotransformation, likely volatilization and/or plant uptake, contributed to the rapid dissipation. Under conditions typical of turfgrass irrigation with wastewater effluent it is unlikely that NDMA will contaminate ground water.

An aggregate analysis of personal care products in the environment: Identifying the distribution of environmentally-relevant concentrations.

PubMed

Hopkins, Zachary R; Blaney, Lee

2016-01-01

Over the past 3-4 decades, per capita consumption of personal care products (PCPs) has steadily risen, resulting in increased discharge of the active and inactive ingredients present in these products into wastewater collection systems. PCPs comprise a long list of compounds employed in toothpaste, sunscreen, lotions, soaps, body washes, and insect repellants, among others. While comprehensive toxicological studies are not yet available, an increasing body of literature has shown that PCPs of all classes can impact aquatic wildlife, bacteria, and/or mammalian cells at low concentrations. Ongoing research efforts have identified PCPs in a variety of environmental compartments, including raw wastewater, wastewater effluent, surface water, wastewater solids, sediment, groundwater, and drinking water. Here, an aggregate analysis of over 5000 reported detections was conducted to better understand the distribution of environmentally-relevant PCP concentrations in, and between, these compartments. The distributions were used to identify whether aggregated environmentally-relevant concentration ranges intersected with available toxicity data. For raw wastewater, wastewater effluent, and surface water, a clear overlap was present between the 25th-75th percentiles and identified toxicity levels. This analysis suggests that improved wastewater treatment of antimicrobials, UV filters, and polycyclic musks is required to prevent negative impacts on aquatic species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pathway-based approaches for assessment of real-time exposure to an estrogenic wastewater treatment plant effluent on fathead minnow reproduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cavallin, Jenna E.; Jensen, Kathleen M.; Kahl, Michael D.; Villeneuve, Daniel L.; Lee, Kathy E.; Schroeder, Anthony L.; Mayasich, Joe; Eid, Evan P.; Nelson, Krysta R.; Milsk, Rebecca Y.; Blackwell, Brett R.; Berninger, Jason P.; LaLone, Carlie A.; Blanskma, Chad; Jicha, Terri M.; Elonen, Colleen M.; Johnson, Rodney C.; Ankley, Gerald T.

2016-01-01

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are known contributors of chemical mixtures into the environment. Of particular concern are endocrine-disrupting compounds, such as estrogens, which can affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function in exposed organisms. The present study examined reproductive effects in fathead minnows exposed for 21 d to a historically estrogenic WWTP effluent. Fathead minnow breeding pairs were held in control water or 1 of 3 effluent concentrations (5%, 20%, and 100%) in a novel onsite, flow-through system providing real-time exposure. The authors examined molecular and biochemical endpoints representing key events along adverse outcome pathways linking estrogen receptor activation and other molecular initiating events to reproductive impairment. In addition, the authors used chemical analysis of the effluent to construct a chemical-gene interaction network to aid in targeted gene expression analyses and identifying potentially impacted biological pathways. Cumulative fecundity was significantly reduced in fish exposed to 100% effluent but increased in those exposed to 20% effluent, the approximate dilution factor in the receiving waters. Plasma vitellogenin concentrations in males increased in a dose-dependent manner with effluent concentration; however, male fertility was not impacted. Although in vitro analyses, analytical chemistry, and biomarker responses confirmed the effluent was estrogenic, estrogen receptor agonists were unlikely the primary driver of impaired reproduction. The results provide insights into the significance of pathway-based effects with regard to predicting adverse reproductive outcomes.

The effect of aeration and effluent recycling on domestic wastewater treatment in a pilot-plant system of duckweed ponds.

PubMed

Ben-shalom, Miriam; Shandalov, Semion; Brenner, Asher; Oron, Gideon

2014-01-01

Three pilot-scale duckweed pond (DP) wastewater treatment systems were designed and operated to examine the effect of aeration and effluent recycling on treatment efficiency. Each system consisted of two DPs in series fed by pre-settled domestic sewage. The first system (duckweed+ conventional treatment) was 'natural' and included only duckweed plants. The second system (duckweed aeration) included aeration in the second pond. The third system (duckweed+ aeration+ circulation) included aeration in the second pond and effluent recycling from the second to the first pond. All three systems demonstrated similarly efficient removal of organic matter and nutrients. Supplemental aeration had no effect on either dissolved oxygen levels or on pollutant removal efficiencies. Although recycling had almost no influence on nutrient removal efficiencies, it had a positive impact on chemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids removals due to equalization of load and pH, which suppressed algae growth. Recycling also improved the appearance and growth rate of the duckweed plants, especially during heavy wastewater loads.

Characterization of organic particulates present in milk factory process waters used for reuse along with aerobically digested effluent wastewater.

PubMed

Verheyen, Vincent; Cruickshank, Alicia; Wild, Karl; Heaven, Michael W; McGee, Rachel; Watkins, Mark; Nash, David

2011-01-01

Wastewater from a dairy processor is being reused and recycled both within the plant and for irrigation. Flash pyrolysis GC-MS was used to examine nitrogen and phenol containing compounds (M.W.=35 to 450 g/mol) in the particulate fraction of the milk condensate, combined clean wastewater and aerobic bioreactor effluent. For comparison, the particulates were also prepared for standard GC-MS analyses using conventional solvent extraction methods. Compounds detected by pyrolysis GC-MS were found mostly in the bioreactor with the amino acid arginine (220 mg/kg) and the amino acid derivative 1-methyl-5-oxo-L-proline methyl ester (130 mg/kg) found at the highest concentrations. In comparison, sterols detected in the effluent were found at higher concentrations when using solvent extraction indicating some degradation with pyrolysis GC-MS. However, with few exceptions, particulates were generally found not to act as passive collectors capable of concentrating less water soluble chemicals. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrated system of phytodepuration and water reclamation: A comparative evaluation of four municipal wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Petroselli, Andrea; Giannotti, Maurizio; Marras, Tatiana; Allegrini, Elena

2017-06-03

In dry regions, water resources have become increasingly limited, and the use of alternative sources is considered one of the main strategies in sustainable water management. A highly viable alternative to commonly used water resources is treated municipal wastewater, which could strongly benefit from advanced and low-cost techniques for depuration, such as the integrated system of phytodepuration (ISP). The current manuscript investigates four Italian case studies with different sizes and characteristics. The raw wastewaters and final effluents were sampled on a monthly basis over a period of up to five years, allowing the quantification of the ISP performances. The results obtained show that the investigated plants are characterized by an average efficiency value of approximately 83% for chemical oxygen demand removal, 84% for biochemical oxygen demand, 89% for total nitrogen, 91% for total phosphorus, and 85% for total suspended solids. Moreover, for three of the case studies, the ISP final effluent is suitable for irrigation, and in the fourth case study, the final effluent can be released in surface water.

Denitrification of the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) effluent with alternative electron donors in domestic wastewater treatment.

PubMed

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

2017-11-01

A fixed film bioreactor for the denitrification of the effluent from an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating domestic wastewater was designed, built and investigated. After anaerobic treatment, the wastewater usually has a low C/N ratio (∼1.3), and a remaining chemical oxygen demand of around 117mg O 2 /L, which is not enough to make conventional heterotrophic denitrification possible. That effluent also holds methane and sulfide dissolved and oversaturated after leaving the AnMBR. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using these reduced compounds as electron donors in order to remove 80mg NO x - -N/L at 18°C and 2h of hydraulic retention time. In addition, the influence of the NO 2 - /NO 3 - ratios in the feed was studied. Total nitrogen removal was achieved in all the cases studied, except for a feed with 100% NO 3 - . Methane was the main electron donor used to remove the nitrites and nitrates, with a participation rate of over 70%. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preliminary Studies on Oleochemical Wastewater Treatment using Submerged Bed Biofilm Reactor (SBBR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismail, Z.; Mahmood, N. A. N.; Ghafar, U. S. A.; Umor, N. A.; Muhammad, S. A. F.

2017-06-01

Wastewater discharge from the industry into water sources is one of the main reason for water pollution. The oleochemicals industry effluent produces high content of chemical oxygen demand (COD) with value between 6000-20,000 ppm. Effective treatment is required before wastewater effluent is discharged to environment. The aim of the study is to develop submerged bed biofilm reactor (SBBR) with packing materials in the cosmoball® carrier. Water quality such as chemical oxygen demands (COD), turbidity and pH were analysed. The result shows that the initial COD of 6000 ppm was reduced below 200 ppm. The optimum conditions for SBBR were obtained when green sponges used as packing material in cosmoball® effluent flowrate set at 100 mL/min; 1:1 ratio of cosmoball® volume to reactor volume and 1:1 ratio of active sludge (mixed culture) volume to reactor volume. Turbidity and pH were recorded with 9.0 NTU and 7.0 respectively, which indicated that SBBR is feasible as an alternative for conventional biological treatment in oleochemical industry.

Role of high molecular mass organics in colour formation during biological treatment of pulp and paper wastewater.

PubMed

Milestone, C B; Stuthridge, T R; Fulthorpe, R R

2007-01-01

This paper forms part of series of biological treatment colour behaviour studies. Surveys across a range of mills have observed colour increases in aerated stabilisation basins of 20-45%. Much of the colour formation has been demonstrated to occur in high molecular mass effluent organic constituents (HMM) present in bleach plant effluents. Removing material greater than 3000 Da essentially eliminated the colour forming ability in both E and D stage wastewaters. We have also shown that pulp and paper sludges contain anaerobic bacteria capable of reducing humic like materials. Colour formation was correlated to the anoxic conditions and the availability of readily biodegradable organic constituents during the wastewater treatment process. Overall, these studies suggest that colour formation in pulp and paper biological treatment systems may be caused by anaerobic bacteria using HMM material from the bleaching effluents as an electron acceptor for growth. This leads to the reduction of the material, which in turn leads to non-reversible internal changes, such as intra-molecular polymerisation or formation of chromophoric functional groups.

Development of an analytical microbial consortia method for enhancing performance monitoring at aerobic wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Razban, Behrooz; Nelson, Kristina Y; McMartin, Dena W; Cullimore, D Roy; Wall, Michelle; Wang, Dunling

2012-01-01

An analytical method to produce profiles of bacterial biomass fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) was developed employing rapid agitation followed by static incubation (RASI) using selective media of wastewater microbial communities. The results were compiled to produce a unique library for comparison and performance analysis at a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). A total of 146 samples from the aerated WWTP, comprising 73 samples of each secondary and tertiary effluent, were included analyzed. For comparison purposes, all samples were evaluated via a similarity index (SI) with secondary effluents producing an SI of 0.88 with 2.7% variation and tertiary samples producing an SI 0.86 with 5.0% variation. The results also highlighted significant differences between the fatty acid profiles of the tertiary and secondary effluents indicating considerable shifts in the bacterial community profile between these treatment phases. The WWTP performance results using this method were highly replicable and reproducible indicating that the protocol has potential as a performance-monitoring tool for aerated WWTPs. The results quickly and accurately reflect shifts in dominant bacterial communities that result when processes operations and performance change.

Formation of halogenated organics during waste-water disinfection

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

Singer, P.C.; Brown, R.A.; Wiseman, J.F.

The research examined the formation of trihalomethanes (THMs) and total organic halides (TOX) during wastewater chlorination at three wastewater treatment plants in the central Piedmont of North Carolina. Secondary effluent samples were collected before and after the addition of chlorine at each of the three treatment facilities; chlorinated samples were taken from various locations within the chlorine contact chambers and at the plant discharge. Water samples were also collected upstream and downstream from two of the plant outfalls to determine the increase and persistence of THMs and TOX below each plant. TOX and THM formation was evaluated in terms ofmore » effluent wastewater quality (e.g., residual chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon and ammonia concentration), chlorine dose, chlorine contacting system, methods of chlorine addition, and chlorine-to-ammonia ratio. The results showed that TOX was present in the unchlorinated wastewater and that additional TOX was formed immediately after chlorine addition. Small to insignificant amounts of THMS were detected. TOX formation did not increase with increasing contact time, due to the rapid depletion of free chlorine and the formation of combined chlorine in the chlorine contact chamber.« less

Slaughterhouse Wastewater Treatment by Combined Chemical Coagulation and Electrocoagulation Process

PubMed Central

Bazrafshan, Edris; Kord Mostafapour, Ferdos; Farzadkia, Mehdi; Ownagh, Kamal Aldin; Mahvi, Amir Hossein

2012-01-01

Slaughterhouse wastewater contains various and high amounts of organic matter (e.g., proteins, blood, fat and lard). In order to produce an effluent suitable for stream discharge, chemical coagulation and electrocoagulation techniques have been particularly explored at the laboratory pilot scale for organic compounds removal from slaughterhouse effluent. The purpose of this work was to investigate the feasibility of treating cattle-slaughterhouse wastewater by combined chemical coagulation and electrocoagulation process to achieve the required standards. The influence of the operating variables such as coagulant dose, electrical potential and reaction time on the removal efficiencies of major pollutants was determined. The rate of removal of pollutants linearly increased with increasing doses of PACl and applied voltage. COD and BOD5 removal of more than 99% was obtained by adding 100 mg/L PACl and applied voltage 40 V. The experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of chemical and electrochemical techniques for the treatment of slaughterhouse wastewaters. Consequently, combined processes are inferred to be superior to electrocoagulation alone for the removal of both organic and inorganic compounds from cattle-slaughterhouse wastewater. PMID:22768233

Treatment of melanoidin wastewater by anaerobic digestion and coagulation.

PubMed

Arimi, Milton M; Zhang, Yongjun; Götz, Gesine; Geißen, Sven-Uwe

2015-01-01

Melanoidins are dark-coloured recalcitrant pollutants found in many industrial wastewaters including coffee-manufacturing effluent, molasses distillery wastewater (MDWW) and other wastewater with molasses as the raw material. The wastewaters are mostly treated with anaerobic digestion after some dilution to minimize the inhibition effect. However, the dark colour and recalcitrant dissolved organic carbon (DOC) mainly caused by melanoidin are not effectively removed. The aim of this study was to investigate the removal of colour and remnant DOC by different coagulants from anaerobically digested MDWW. From the six coagulants tested, ferric chloride had the highest melanoidin (48%), colour (92.7%) and DOC (63.3%) removal at pH 5 and a dosage of 1.6 g/l. Both polymer and inorganic salt coagulants tested had optimal colour, melanoidin and DOC removal at acidic pH. The molecular size distribution of synthetic melanoidins by liquid chromatography-organic carbon detection indicated a preferential removal of high-molecular-weight melanoidins over low weight melanoidins by the coagulation. Further studies should focus on how to improve biodegradability of the treated effluent for it to be reused as dilution water for anaerobic digestion.

Assessment of toxicological profiles of the municipal wastewater effluents using chemical analyses and bioassays.

PubMed

Smital, Tvrtko; Terzic, Senka; Zaja, Roko; Senta, Ivan; Pivcevic, Branka; Popovic, Marta; Mikac, Iva; Tollefsen, Knut Erik; Thomas, Kevin V; Ahel, Marijan

2011-05-01

The hazardous chemical contamination of untreated wastewater and secondary effluent from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of the city of Zagreb, Croatia was comprehensively characterized using large-volume solid-phase extraction (SPE) and silica gel fractionation, followed by a detailed analysis of the resulting extracts by a combination of chemical and bioassay methods. Over 100 individual contaminants or closely related-contaminant groups were identified by high-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF). Ecotoxicity profiling of the investigated samples, including cytotoxicity, chronic toxicity and EROD activity; inhibition of the multixenobiotic resistance (MXR), genotoxicity and estrogenic potential, revealed the most significant contribution of toxic compounds to be present in polar fractions. Wastewater treatment using conventional activated sludge process reduced the initial toxicity of raw wastewater to various extents, ranging from 28% for algal toxicity to 73.2% for an estrogenic activity. The most efficient toxicity removal was observed for the polar compounds. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study on the effect of landfill leachate on nutrient removal from municipal wastewater.

PubMed

Yuan, Qiuyan; Jia, Huijun; Poveda, Mario

2016-05-01

In this study, landfill leachate with and without pre-treatment was co-treated with municipal wastewater at different mixing ratios. The leachate pre-treatment was achieved by air stripping to removal ammonia. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of landfill leachate on nutrient removal of the wastewater treatment process. It was demonstrated that when landfill leachate was co-treated with municipal wastewater, the high ammonia concentration in the leachate did not have a negative impact on the nitrification. The system was able to adapt to the environment and was able to improve nitrification capacity. The readily biodegradable portion of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the leachate was utilized by the system to improve phosphorus and nitrate removal. However, this portion was small and majority of the COD ended up in the effluent thereby decreased the quality of the effluent. The study showed that the 2.5% mixing ratio of leachate with wastewater improved the overall biological nutrient removal process of the system without compromising the COD removal efficiency. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Removal of AOX and Chroma in Biologically Treated Effluent of Chemical Dyestuff Wastewater with Nanoscale Ni/Fe].

PubMed

Shu, Xiao-ming; Xu, Can-can; Liu, Rui; Zhao, Yuan; Chen, Lü-jun

2016-02-15

Nanoscale Ni/Fe was applied to biologically treated effluent of chemical dyestuff wastewater. The removal rates of absorbable organic halogens (AOX) and chroma were investigated at different Ni loadings (0-5%), initial wastewater pH (4.1-10.0), Ni/Fe dosage (1-5 g x L(-1)) and reaction time (0.5-96 h). The results showed that the removal rates of AOX and chroma firstly increased and then decreased with the increase of the Ni loading, while continuously increased with the decrease of the initial wastewater pH and the increase of Ni/Fe dosage. The optimal condition was Ni loading of 1%, initial wastewater pH of 4.1 and Ni/Fe dosage of 3 g x L(-1), under which 29.2% of AOX and 79.6% of chroma were removed after 24 h reaction, and 50.6% of AOX and 80.7% of chroma were removed after 96 h reaction. GC-MS analysis revealed that toxicants such as chlorinated anilines, p-nitroaniline, 4-methoxy-2-nitroaniline and halogenated hydrocarbons were efficiently removed.

Oil Production by a Consortium of Oleaginous Microorganisms grown on primary effluent wastewater

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

Hall, Jacqueline; Hetrick, Mary; French, Todd

Municipal wastewater could be a potential growth medium that has not been considered for cultivating oleaginous microorganisms. This study is designed to determine if a consortium of oleaginous microorganism can successfully compete for carbon and other nutrients with the indigenous microorganisms contained in primary effluent wastewater. RESULTS: The oleaginous consortium inoculated with indigenous microorganisms reached stationary phase within 24 h, reaching a maximum cell concentration of 0.58 g L -1. Water quality post-oleaginous consortium growth reached a maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction of approximately 81%, supporting the consumption of the glucose within 8 h. The oleaginous consortium increased themore » amount of oil produced per gram by 13% compared with indigenous microorganisms in raw wastewater. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) results show a substantial population increase in bacteria within the first 24 h when the consortium is inoculated into raw wastewater. This result, along with the fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) results, suggests that conditions tested were not sufficient for the oleaginous consortium to compete with the indigenous microorganisms.« less

Slaughterhouse wastewater treatment by combined chemical coagulation and electrocoagulation process.

PubMed

Bazrafshan, Edris; Kord Mostafapour, Ferdos; Farzadkia, Mehdi; Ownagh, Kamal Aldin; Mahvi, Amir Hossein

2012-01-01

Slaughterhouse wastewater contains various and high amounts of organic matter (e.g., proteins, blood, fat and lard). In order to produce an effluent suitable for stream discharge, chemical coagulation and electrocoagulation techniques have been particularly explored at the laboratory pilot scale for organic compounds removal from slaughterhouse effluent. The purpose of this work was to investigate the feasibility of treating cattle-slaughterhouse wastewater by combined chemical coagulation and electrocoagulation process to achieve the required standards. The influence of the operating variables such as coagulant dose, electrical potential and reaction time on the removal efficiencies of major pollutants was determined. The rate of removal of pollutants linearly increased with increasing doses of PACl and applied voltage. COD and BOD(5) removal of more than 99% was obtained by adding 100 mg/L PACl and applied voltage 40 V. The experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of chemical and electrochemical techniques for the treatment of slaughterhouse wastewaters. Consequently, combined processes are inferred to be superior to electrocoagulation alone for the removal of both organic and inorganic compounds from cattle-slaughterhouse wastewater.

Comparing cost and process performance of activated sludge (AS) and biological aerated filters (BAF) over ten years of full sale operation.

PubMed

Hansen, R; Thogersen, T; Rogalla, F

2007-01-01

In the early 1990s, the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) of Frederikshavn, Denmark, was extended to meet new requirements for nutrient removal (8 mg/L TN, 1.5 mg TP/L) as well as to increase its average daily flow to 16,500 m(3)/d (4.5 MGD). As the most economical upgrade of the existing activated sludge (AS) plant, a parallel biological aerated filter (BAF) was selected, and started up in 1995. Running two full scale processes in parallel for over ten years on the same wastewater and treatment objectives enabled a direct comparison in relation to operating performance, costs and experience. Common pretreatment consists of screening, an aerated grit and grease removal and three primary settlers with chemical addition. The effluent is then pumped to the two parallel biological treatment stages, AS with recirculation and an upflow BAF with floating media. The wastewater is a mixture of industrial and domestic wastewater, with a dominant discharge of fish processing effluent which can amount to 50% of the flow. The maximum hydraulic load on the pretreatment section as a whole is 1,530 m(3)/h. Approximately 60% of the sewer system is combined with a total of 32 overflow structures. To avoid the direct discharge of combined sewer overflows into the receiving waters, the total hydraulic wet weather capacity of the plant is increased to 4,330 m(3)/h, or 6 times average flow. During rain, some of the raw sewage can be directed through a stormwater bypass to the BAF, which can be modified in its operation to accommodate various treatment needs: either using simultaneous nitrification/denitrification in all filters with recirculation introducing bottom aeration with full nitrification in some filters for storm treatment and/or post-denitrification in one filter. After treatment, the wastewater is discharged to the Baltic Sea through a 500 m outfall. The BAF backwash sludge, approximately 1,900 m(3) per 24 h in dry weather, is redirected to the AS plant. Primary settler sludge and the combined biosolids from the AS plant are anaerobically digested, with methane gas being used for generation of heat and power. On-line measurements for the parameters NO3, NO2, NH4, temperature as well as dissolved oxygen (DO) are used for control of aeration and external carbon source (methanol). Dosing of flocculants for P-removal is carried out based on laboratory analysis and jar tests. This paper discusses the experience gained from the plant operation during the last ten years, compiling comparative performance and cost data of the two processes, as well as their optimisation.

Comparative LCA of decentralized wastewater treatment alternatives for non-potable urban reuse.

PubMed

Opher, Tamar; Friedler, Eran

2016-11-01

Municipal wastewater (WW) effluent represents a reliable and significant source for reclaimed water, very much needed nowadays. Water reclamation and reuse has become an attractive option for conserving and extending available water sources. The decentralized approach to domestic WW treatment benefits from the advantages of source separation, which makes available simple small-scale systems and on-site reuse, which can be constructed on a short time schedule and occasionally upgraded with new technological developments. In this study we perform a Life Cycle Assessment to compare between the environmental impacts of four alternatives for a hypothetical city's water-wastewater service system. The baseline alternative is the most common, centralized approach for WW treatment, in which WW is conveyed to and treated in a large wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and is then discharged to a stream. The three alternatives represent different scales of distribution of the WW treatment phase, along with urban irrigation and domestic non-potable water reuse (toilet flushing). The first alternative includes centralized treatment at a WWTP, with part of the reclaimed WW (RWW) supplied back to the urban consumers. The second and third alternatives implement de-centralized greywater (GW) treatment with local reuse, one at cluster level (320 households) and one at building level (40 households). Life cycle impact assessment results show a consistent disadvantage of the prevailing centralized approach under local conditions in Israel, where seawater desalination is the marginal source of water supply. The alternative of source separation and GW reuse at cluster level seems to be the most preferable one, though its environmental performance is only slightly better than GW reuse at building level. Centralized WW treatment with urban reuse of WWTP effluents is not advantageous over decentralized treatment of GW because the supply of RWW back to consumers is very costly in materials and energy. Electricity is a major driver of the impacts in most categories, pertaining mostly to potable water production and supply. Infrastructure was found to have a notable effect on metal depletion, human toxicity and freshwater and marine ecotoxicity. Sensitivity to major model parameters was analyzed. A shift to a larger share of renewable energy sources in the electricity mix results in a dramatic improvement in most impact categories. Switching to a mix of water sources, rather than the marginal source, leads to a significant reduction in most impacts. It is concluded that under the conditions tested, a decentralized approach to urban wastewater management is environmentally preferable to the common centralized system. It is worth exploring such options under different conditions as well, in cases which new urban infrastructure is planned or replacement of old infrastructure is required. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LC-MS/MS determination of antiretroviral drugs in influents and effluents from wastewater treatment plants in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

PubMed

Abafe, Ovokeroye A; Späth, Jana; Fick, Jerker; Jansson, Stina; Buckley, Chris; Stark, Annegret; Pietruschka, Bjoern; Martincigh, Bice S

2018-06-01

South Africa has the largest occurrence of the human immune deficiency virus (HIV) in the world but has also implemented the largest antiretroviral (ARV) treatment programme. It was therefore of interest to determine the presence and concentrations of commonly used antiretroviral drugs (ARVDs) and, also, to determine the capabilities of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for removing ARVDs. To this end, a surrogate standard based LC-MS/MS method was optimized and applied for the detection of thirteen ARVDs used in the treatment and management of HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in two major and one modular WWTP in the eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The method was validated and the detection limits fell within the range of 2-20 ng L -1 . The analytical recoveries for the ARVDs were mainly greater than 50% with acceptable relative standard deviations. The concentration values ranged from

The implications of drought and water conservation on the reuse of municipal wastewater: Recognizing impacts and identifying mitigation possibilities.

PubMed

Tran, Quynh K; Jassby, David; Schwabe, Kurt A

2017-11-01

As water agencies continue to investigate opportunities to increase resilience and local water supply reliability in the face of drought and rising water scarcity, water conservation strategies and the reuse of treated municipal wastewater are garnering significant attention and adoption. Yet a simple water balance thought experiment illustrates that drought, and the conservation strategies that are often enacted in response to it, both likely limit the role reuse may play in improving local water supply reliability. For instance, as a particular drought progresses and agencies enact water conservation measures to cope with drought, influent flows likely decrease while influent pollution concentrations increase, particularly salinity, which adversely affects wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) costs and effluent quality and flow. Consequently, downstream uses of this effluent, whether to maintain streamflow and quality, groundwater recharge, or irrigation may be impacted. This is unfortunate since reuse is often heralded as a drought-proof mechanism to increase resilience. The objectives of this paper are two-fold. First, we illustrate-using a case study from Southern California during its most recent drought- how drought and water conservation strategies combine to reduce influent flow and quality and, subsequently, effluent flow and quality. Second, we use a recently developed regional water reuse decision support model (RWRM) to highlight cost-effective strategies that can be implemented to mitigate the impacts of drought on effluent water quality. While the solutions we identify cannot increase the flow of influent or effluent coming into or out of a treatment plant, they can improve the value of the remaining effluent in a cost-effective manner that takes into account the characteristics of its demand, whether it be for landscaping, golf courses, agricultural irrigation, or surface water augmentation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pre/post-closure assessment of groundwater pharmaceutical fate in a wastewater‑facility-impacted stream reach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradley, Paul M.; Barber, Larry B.; Clark, Jimmy M.; Duris, Joseph W.; Foreman, William T.; Furlong, Edward T.; Givens, Carrie E.; Hubbard, Laura E.; Hutchinson, Kasey J.; Journey, Celeste A.; Keefe, Steffanie H.; Kolpin, Dana W.

2016-01-01

Pharmaceutical contamination of contiguous groundwater is a substantial concern in wastewater-impacted streams, due to ubiquity in effluent, high aqueous mobility, designed bioactivity, and to effluent-driven hydraulic gradients. Wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) closures are rare environmental remediation events; offering unique insights into contaminant persistence, long-term wastewater impacts, and ecosystem recovery processes. The USGS conducted a combined pre/post-closure groundwater assessment adjacent to an effluent-impacted reach of Fourmile Creek, Ankeny, Iowa, USA. Higher surface-water concentrations, consistent surface-water to groundwater concentration gradients, and sustained groundwater detections tens of meters from the stream bank demonstrated the importance of WWTF effluent as the source of groundwater pharmaceuticals as well as the persistence of these contaminants under effluent-driven, pre-closure conditions. The number of analytes (110 total) detected in surface water decreased from 69 prior to closure down to 8 in the first post-closure sampling event approximately 30 d later, with a corresponding 2 order of magnitude decrease in the cumulative concentration of detected analytes. Post-closure cumulative concentrations of detected analytes were approximately 5 times higher in proximal groundwater than in surface water. About 40% of the 21 contaminants detected in a downstream groundwater transect immediately before WWTF closure exhibited rapid attenuation with estimated half-lives on the order of a few days; however, a comparable number exhibited no consistent attenuation during the year-long post-closure assessment. The results demonstrate the potential for effluent-impacted shallow groundwater systems to accumulate pharmaceutical contaminants and serve as long-term residual sources, further increasing the risk of adverse ecological effects in groundwater and the near-stream ecosystem.

Antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli in the municipal wastewater system: effect of hospital effluent and environmental fate.

PubMed

Harris, Suvi; Morris, Carol; Morris, Dearbhaile; Cormican, Martin; Cummins, Enda

2014-01-15

The prevalence of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria is increasing worldwide and remains a significant medical challenge which may lead to antimicrobial redundancy. The contribution of hospital effluent to the prevalence of resistance in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents is not fully understood. AMR bacteria contained in hospital effluent may be released into the aquatic and soil environments after WWTP processing. Hence, the objective of this study is to identify the extent hospital effluent contributes to contamination of these environments by comparing two WWTPs, one which receives hospital effluent and one which does not. AMR Escherichia coli were monitored in the two WWTPs. A model was developed using these monitored values to predict the effect of hospital effluent within a WWTP. The model predicted levels of AMR E. coli in the aquatic environment and potential bather exposure to AMR E. coli. The model results were highly variable. WWTP influent containing hospital effluent had a higher mean percentage of AMR E. coli; although, there appeared to be no within treatment plant effect on the prevalence of AMR E. coli. Examination of WWTP sludge showed a similar variation. There appeared to be no consistent effect from the presence of hospital effluent. The human exposure assessment model predicted swimmer intake of AMR E. coli between 6 and 193CFU/100ml sea water. It appears that hospital effluent is not the main contributing factor behind the development and persistence of AMR E. coli within WWTPs, although resistance may be too well-developed to identify an influence from hospital effluent. Mitigation needs to focus on the removal of already present resistant bacteria but for new or hospital specific antimicrobials focus needs to be on their limited release within effluents or separate treatment. © 2013.

40 CFR 421.195 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Indium Subcategory Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average mg...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS NONFERROUS METALS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Secondary Indium... existing sources. The mass of wastewater pollutants in secondary indium process wastewater introduced into...

40 CFR 421.195 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Indium Subcategory Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average mg...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS NONFERROUS METALS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Secondary Indium... existing sources. The mass of wastewater pollutants in secondary indium process wastewater introduced into...

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...

CYTOTOXICITY AND MUTAGENESIS METHODS FOR EVALUATING TOXICITY REMOVAL FROM WASTEWATERS

EPA Science Inventory

This project was a feasibility study of the effectiveness of a mammalian cell cytotoxicity assay and a mammalian cell mutagenesis assay for monitoring the toxicity and mutagenicity of influent and effluent wastewater at treatment plants. In the cytotoxicity assay, ambient samples...

Effect of process design and operating parameters on aerobic methane oxidation in municipal WWTPs.

PubMed

Daelman, Matthijs R J; Van Eynde, Tamara; van Loosdrecht, Mark C M; Volcke, Eveline I P

2014-12-01

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and its emission from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) should be prevented. One way to do this is to promote the biological conversion of dissolved methane over stripping in aeration tanks. In this study, the well-established Activated Sludge Model n°1 (ASM1) and Benchmark Simulation Model n°1 (BSM1) were extended to study the influence of process design and operating parameters on biological methane oxidation. The aeration function used in BSM 1 was upgraded to more accurately describe gas-liquid transfer of oxygen and methane in aeration tanks equipped with subsurface aeration. Dissolved methane could be effectively removed in an aeration tank at an aeration rate that is in agreement with optimal effluent quality. Subsurface bubble aeration proved to be better than surface aeration, while a CSTR configuration was superior to plug flow conditions in avoiding methane emissions. The conversion of methane in the activated sludge tank benefits from higher methane concentrations in the WWTP's influent. Finally, if an activated sludge tank is aerated with methane containing off-gas, a limited amount of methane is absorbed and converted in the mixed liquor. This knowledge helps to stimulate the methane oxidizing capacity of activated sludge in order to abate methane emissions from wastewater treatment to the atmosphere. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In-plant control applications and their effect on treatability of a textile mill wastewater.

PubMed

Dulkadiroglu, H; Eremektar, G; Dogruel, S; Uner, H; Germirli-Babuna, F; Orhon, D

2002-01-01

Water minimization and exploration of the potential for wastewater recovery and reuse are priority issues of industrial wastewater management. They are extremely significant for the textile industry commonly characterized with a high water demand. The study presents a detailed in-plant control survey for a wool finishing plant. A comprehensive process profile and wastewater characterization indicate that process water consumption can be reduced by 34%, and 23% of the wastewater volume can be recovered for reuse. Treatability of reusable wastewater fraction and the effect of in-plant control applications on effluent treatability were also investigated.

Evaluation of rapid methods for in-situ characterization of organic contaminant load and biodegradation rates in winery wastewater.

PubMed

Carvallo, M J; Vargas, I; Vega, A; Pizarro, G; Pizarr, G; Pastén, P

2007-01-01

Rapid methods for the in-situ evaluation of the organic load have recently been developed and successfully implemented in municipal wastewater treatment systems. Their direct application to winery wastewater treatment is questionable due to substantial differences between municipal and winery wastewater. We critically evaluate the use of UV-VIS spectrometry, buffer capacity testing (BCT), and respirometry as rapid methods to determine organic load and biodegradation rates of winery wastewater. We tested three types of samples: actual and treated winery wastewater, synthetic winery wastewater, and samples from a biological batch reactor. Not surprisingly, respirometry gave a good estimation of biodegradation rates for substrate of different complexities, whereas UV-VIS and BCT did not provide a quantitative measure of the easily degradable sugars and ethanol, typically the main components of the COD in the influent. However, our results strongly suggest that UV-VIS and BCT can be used to identify and estimate the concentration of complex substrates in the influent and soluble microbial products (SMP) in biological reactors and their effluent. Furthermore, the integration of UV-VIS spectrometry, BCT, and mathematical modeling was able to differentiate between the two components of SMPs: substrate utilization associated products (UAP) and biomass associated products (BAP). Since the effluent COD in biologically treated wastewaters is composed primarily by SMPs, the quantitative information given by these techniques may be used for plant control and optimization.

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.

Electroflotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xueming; Chen, Guohua

Electroflotation (EF) is the flotation using electrolytically generated bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen for separating suspended substances from aqueous phases. This process was first proposed by Elmore in 1905 for flotation of valuable minerals from ores. Compared with the conventional dissolved air flotation (DAF), EF has many advantages, including high flotation efficiency, compact units, easy operation, and less maintenance. Therefore, EF is an attractive alternative to DAF. This technique has been proven very effective in treating oily wastewater or oil-water emulsion, mining wastewater, groundwater, food processing wastewater, restaurant wastewater, industrial sewage, heavy metals containing effluent, and many other water and wastewaters.

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.

Effects of ozonated sewage effluent on reproduction and behavioral endpoints in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

PubMed

Pohl, Johannes; Björlenius, Berndt; Brodin, Tomas; Carlsson, Gunnar; Fick, Jerker; Larsson, D G Joakim; Norrgren, Leif; Örn, Stefan

2018-04-25

Pharmaceutical residues and other micro-contaminants may enter aquatic environments through effluent from sewage treatment plants (STPs) and could cause adverse effects in wild fish. One strategy to alleviate this situation is to improve wastewater treatment by ozonation. To test the effectiveness of full-scale wastewater effluent ozonation at a Swedish municipal STP, the added removal efficiency was measured for 105 pharmaceuticals. In addition, gene expression, reproductive and behavioral endpoints were analyzed in zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed on-site over 21 days to ozonated or non-ozonated effluents as well as to tap water. Ozone treatment (7 g O 3 /m 3 ) removed pharmaceuticals by an average efficiency of 77% in addition to the conventional treatment, leaving 11 screened pharmaceuticals above detection limits. Differences in biological responses of the exposure treatments were recorded in gene expression, reproduction and behavior. Hepatic vitellogenin gene expression was higher in male zebrafish exposed to the ozonated effluent compared to the non-ozonated effluent and tap water treatments. The reproductive success was higher in fish exposed to ozonated effluent compared to non-ozonated effluent and to tap water. The behavioral measurements showed that fish exposed to the ozonated STP effluent were less active in swimming the first minute after placed in a novel vessel. Ozonation is a capable method for removing pharmaceuticals in effluents. However, its implementation should be thoroughly evaluated for any potential biological impact. Future research is needed for uncovering the factors which produced the in vivo responses in fish. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigating dynamic sources of pharmaceuticals: Demographic and seasonal use are more important than down-the-drain disposal in wastewater effluent in a University City setting.

PubMed

Vatovec, Christine; Phillips, Patrick; Van Wagoner, Emily; Scott, Tia-Marie; Furlong, Edward

2016-12-01

Pharmaceutical pollution in surface waters poses risks to human and ecosystem health. Wastewater treatment facilities are primary sources of pharmaceutical pollutants, but little is known about the factors that affect drugs entering the wastewater stream. This paper investigates the effects of student pharmaceutical use and disposal behaviors and an annual demographic shift on pharmaceutical pollution in a university town. We sampled wastewater effluent during a ten-day annual spring student move-out period at the University of Vermont. We then interpreted these data in light of survey results that investigated pharmaceutical purchasing, use, and disposal practices among the university student population. Surveys indicated that the majority of student respondents purchased pharmaceuticals in the previous year. Many students reported having leftover drugs, though only a small portion disposed of them, mainly in the trash. We detected 51 pharmaceuticals in 80% or more of the wastewater effluent samples collected over the ten-day sampling period. Several increased in concentration after students left the area. Concentrations of caffeine and nicotine decreased weakly. Drug disposal among this university student population does not appear to be a major source of pharmaceuticals in wastewater. Increases in pharmaceutical concentration after the students left campus can be tied to an increase in the seasonal use of allergy medications directly related to pollen, as well as a demographic shift to a year-round older population, which supports national data that older people use larger volumes and different types of pharmaceuticals than the younger student population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of food processing wastewater loading characteristics on metal mobilization within the soil.

PubMed

Julien, Ryan; Safferman, Steven

2015-01-01

Wastewater generated during food processing is commonly treated using land-application systems which primarily rely on soil microbes to transform nutrients and organic compounds into benign byproducts. Naturally occurring metals in the soil may be chemically reduced via microbially mediated oxidation-reduction reactions as oxygen becomes depleted. Some metals such as manganese and iron become water soluble when chemically reduced, leading to groundwater contamination. Alternatively, metals within the wastewater may not become assimilated into the soil and leach into the groundwater if the environment is not sufficiently oxidizing. A lab-scale column study was conducted to investigate the impacts of wastewater loading values on metal mobilization within the soil. Oxygen content and volumetric water data were collected via soil sensors for the duration of the study. The pH, chemical oxygen demand, manganese, and iron concentrations in the influent and effluent water from each column were measured. Average organic loading and organic loading per dose were shown to have statistically significant impacts using Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient on effluent water quality. The Hydraulic resting period qualitatively appeared to have impacts on effluent water quality. This study verifies that excessive organic loading of land application systems causes mobilization of naturally occurring metals and prevents those added in the wastewater from becoming immobilized, resulting in ineffective wastewater treatment. Results also indicate the need to consider the organic dose load and hydraulic resting period in the treatment system design. Findings from this study demonstrate waste application twice daily may encourage soil aeration and allow for increased organic loading while limiting the mobilization of metals already in the soil and those being applied.

The impact of co-contaminants and septic system effluent quality on the transport of estrogens and nonylphenols through soil.

PubMed

Stanford, Benjamin D; Amoozegar, Aziz; Weinberg, Howard S

2010-03-01

The impact that varying qualities of wastewater may have on the movement of steroid estrogens through soils into groundwater is little understood. In this study, the steroid estrogens 17beta-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) were followed through batch and column studies to examine the impact that organic wastewater constituents from on-site wastewater treatment systems (i.e., septic systems or decentralized systems) may have on influencing the rate of transport of estrogens through soils. Total organic carbon (TOC) content (as a surrogate indicator of overall wastewater quality) and the presence of nonyl-phenol polyethoxylate surfactants (NPEO) at concentrations well below the critical micelle concentration were independently shown to be indicative of earlier breakthrough and less partitioning to soil in batch and column experiments. Both NPEO and wastewater with increasing TOC concentrations led to shifts in the equilibrium of E1 and E2 towards the aqueous phase and caused the analytes to have an earlier breakthrough than in control experiments. The presence of nonylphenols, on the other hand, did not appreciably impact partitioning of E1 or E2. Biodegradation of the steroids in soil was also lower in the presence of septic tank effluents than in an organic-free control water. Furthermore, the data indicate that the rate of movement of E1 and E2 present in septic tank effluent through soils and into groundwater can be decreased by removing the NPEOs and TOC through wastewater treatment prior to sub-surface disposal. This study offers some insights into mechanisms which impact degradation, transformation, and retardation, and shows that TOC and NPEO surfactants play a role in estrogen transport. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A one-dimensional, steady-state, dissolved-oxygen model and waste-load assimilation study for Cedar Creek, Dekalb and Allen counties, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilber, William G.; Peters, J.G.; Ayers, M.A.; Crawford, Charles G.

1979-01-01

A digital model calibrated to conditions in Cedar Creek was used to develop alternatives for future waste loadings that would be compatible with Indiana stream water-quality standards defined for two critical hydrologic conditions, summer and winter low flows. The model indicates that the dissolved-oxygen concentration of the Auburn wastewater effluent and nitrification are the most significant factors affecting the dissolved-oxygen concentration in Cedar Creek during summer low flows. The observed dissolved-oxygen concentration of the Auburn wastewater effluent was low and averaged 30 percent of saturation. Projected nitrogenous biochemical-oxygen demand loads, from the Indiana State Board of Health, for the Auburn and Waterloo wastewater-treatment facilities will result in violations of the current instream dissolved-oxygen standard (5 mg/l), even with an effluent dissolved-oxygen concentration of 80 percent saturation. Natural streamflow for Cedar Creek upstream from the confluence of Willow and Little Cedar Creeks is small compared with the waste discharge, so benefits of dilution for Waterloo and Auburn are minimal. The model also indicates that, during winter low flows, ammonia toxicity, rather than dissolved oxygen, is the limiting water-quality criterion in the reach of Cedar Creek downstream from the wastewater-treatment facility at Auburn and the confluence of Garrett ditch. Ammonia-nitrogen concentrations predicted for 1978 through 2000 downstream from the Waterloo wastewater-treatment facility do not exceed Indiana water-quality standards for streams. Calculations of the stream 's assimilative capacity indicate that future waste discharge in the Cedar Creek basin will be limited to the reaches between the Auburn wastewater-treatment facility and County Road 68. (Kosco-USGS)

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.

Reliability analysis of a wastewater treatment plant using fault tree analysis and Monte Carlo simulation.

PubMed

Taheriyoun, Masoud; Moradinejad, Saber

2015-01-01

The reliability of a wastewater treatment plant is a critical issue when the effluent is reused or discharged to water resources. Main factors affecting the performance of the wastewater treatment plant are the variation of the influent, inherent variability in the treatment processes, deficiencies in design, mechanical equipment, and operational failures. Thus, meeting the established reuse/discharge criteria requires assessment of plant reliability. Among many techniques developed in system reliability analysis, fault tree analysis (FTA) is one of the popular and efficient methods. FTA is a top down, deductive failure analysis in which an undesired state of a system is analyzed. In this study, the problem of reliability was studied on Tehran West Town wastewater treatment plant. This plant is a conventional activated sludge process, and the effluent is reused in landscape irrigation. The fault tree diagram was established with the violation of allowable effluent BOD as the top event in the diagram, and the deficiencies of the system were identified based on the developed model. Some basic events are operator's mistake, physical damage, and design problems. The analytical method is minimal cut sets (based on numerical probability) and Monte Carlo simulation. Basic event probabilities were calculated according to available data and experts' opinions. The results showed that human factors, especially human error had a great effect on top event occurrence. The mechanical, climate, and sewer system factors were in subsequent tier. Literature shows applying FTA has been seldom used in the past wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) risk analysis studies. Thus, the developed FTA model in this study considerably improves the insight into causal failure analysis of a WWTP. It provides an efficient tool for WWTP operators and decision makers to achieve the standard limits in wastewater reuse and discharge to the environment.

ADVANCED TOOLS FOR ASSESSING SELECTED PRESCRIPTION AND ILLICIT DRUGS IN TREATED SEWAGE EFFLUENTS AND SOURCE WATERS

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this poster is to present the application and assessment of advanced technologies in a real-world environment - wastewater effluent and source waters - for detecting six drugs (azithromycin, fluoxetine, omeprazole, levothyroxine, methamphetamine, and methylenedioxy...

Survival of antibiotic resistant bacteria following artificial solar radiation of secondary wastewater effluent.

PubMed

Glady-Croue, Julie; Niu, Xi-Zhi; Ramsay, Joshua P; Watkin, Elizabeth; Murphy, Riley J T; Croue, Jean-Philippe

2018-06-01

Urban wastewater treatment plant effluents represent one of the major emission sources of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) in natural aquatic environments. In this study, the effect of artificial solar radiation on total culturable heterotrophic bacteria and ARB (including amoxicillin-resistant, ciprofloxacin-resistant, rifampicin-resistant, sulfamethoxazole-resistant, and tetracycline-resistant bacteria) present in secondary effluent was investigated. Artificial solar radiation was effective in inactivating the majority of environmental bacteria, however, the proportion of strains with ciprofloxacin-resistance and rifampicin-resistance increased in the surviving populations. Isolates of Pseudomonas putida, Serratia marcescens, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia nosocomial pathogens were identified as resistant to solar radiation and to at least three antibiotics. Draft genome sequencing and typing revealed isolates carrying multiple resistance genes; where S. maltophilia (resistant to all studied antibiotics) sequence type was similar to strains isolated in blood infections. Results from this study confirm that solar radiation reduces total bacterial load in secondary effluent, but may indirectly increase the relative abundance of ARB. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Membrane technology for sustainable treated wastewater reuse: agricultural, environmental and hydrological considerations.

PubMed

Oron, Gideon; Gillerman, Leonid; Bick, Amos; Manor, Yossi; Buriakovsky, Nisan; Hagin, Joseph

2008-01-01

Field experiments were conducted in agricultural fields in which secondary wastewater of the City of Arad (Israel) is reused for irrigation. For sustainable agricultural production and safe groundwater recharge the secondary effluent is further polished by a combined two-stage membrane pilot system. The pilot membrane system consists of two main in row stages: Ultrafiltration (UF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO). The UF stage is efficient in the removal of the pathogens and suspended organic matter while the successive RO stage provides safe removal of the dissolved solids (salinity). Effluents of various qualities were applied for agricultural irrigation along with continuous monitoring of the membrane system performance. Best agricultural yields were obtained when applying effluent having minimal content of dissolved solids (after the RO stage) as compared with secondary effluent without any further treatment and extended storage. In regions with shallow groundwater reduced soil salinity in the upper productive layers, maintained by extra membrane treatment, will guarantee minimal dissolved solids migration to the aquifers and minimize salinisation processes. (c) IWA Publishing 2008.

Sewage Treatment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Stennis Space Center's aquaculture research program has led to an attractive wastewater treatment for private homes. The system consists of a septic tank or tanks for initial sewage processing and a natural secondary treatment facility for further processing of septic tanks' effluent, consisting of a narrow trench, which contains marsh plants and rocks, providing a place for microorganisms. Plants and microorganisms absorb and digest, thus cleansing partially processed wastewater. No odors are evident and cleaned effluent may be discharged into streams or drainage canals. The system is useful in rural areas, costs about $1,900, and requires less maintenance than mechanical systems.

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.