Diversity of enterococcal species and characterization of high-level aminoglycoside resistant enterococci of samples of wastewater and surface water in Tunisia.

PubMed

Ben Said, Leila; Klibi, Naouel; Lozano, Carmen; Dziri, Raoudha; Ben Slama, Karim; Boudabous, Abdellatif; Torres, Carmen

2015-10-15

One hundred-fourteen samples of wastewater (n=64) and surface-water (n=50) were inoculated in Slanetz-Bartley agar plates supplemented or not with gentamicin (SB-Gen and SB plates, respectively) for enterococci recovery. Enterococci were obtained from 75% of tested samples in SB media (72% in wastewater; 78% in surface-water), and 85 enterococcal isolates (one/positive-sample) were obtained. Enterococcus faecium was the most prevalent species (63.5%), followed by Enterococcus faecalis (20%), Enterococcus hirae (9.4%), Enterococcus casseliflavus (4.7%), and Enterococcus gallinarum/Enterococcus durans (2.4%). Antibiotic resistance detected among these enterococci was as follows [percentage/detected gene (number isolates)]: kanamycin [29%/aph(3')-IIIa (n=22)], streptomycin [8%/ant(6)-Ia (n=4)], erythromycin [44%/erm(B) (n=34)], tetracycline [18%/tet(M) (n=6)/tet(M)-tet(L) (n=9)], chloramphenicol [2%/cat(A) (n=1)], ciprofloxacin [7%] and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole [94%]. High-level-gentamicin resistant (HLR-G) enterococci were recovered from 15 samples in SB-Gen or SB plates [12/64 samples of wastewater (19%) and 3/50 samples of surface-water (6%)]; HLR-G isolates were identified as E. faecium (n=7), E. faecalis (n=6), and E. casseliflavus (n=2). These HLR-G enterococci carried the aac(6')-Ie-aph(2")-Ia and erm(B) genes, in addition to aph(3')-IIIa (n=10), ant(6)-Ia (n=9), tet(M) (n=13), tet(L) (n=8) and cat(A) genes (n=2). Three HLR-G enterococci carried the esp virulence gene. Sequence-types detected among HLR-G enterococci were as follows: E. faecalis (ST480, ST314, ST202, ST55, and the new ones ST531 and ST532) and E. faecium (ST327, ST12, ST296, and the new ones ST985 and ST986). Thirty-two different PFGE patterns were detected among 36 high-level-aminoglycoside-resistant enterococci recovered in water samples. Diverse genetic lineages of HLR-G enterococci were detected in wastewater and surface-water in Tunisia. Water can represent an important source for the

Detection of viable Helicobacter pylori inside free-living amoebae in wastewater and drinking water samples from Eastern Spain.

PubMed

Moreno-Mesonero, Laura; Moreno, Yolanda; Alonso, José Luis; Ferrús, M Antonia

2017-10-01

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most concerning emerging waterborne pathogens. It has been suggested that it could survive in water inside free-living amoebae (FLA), but nobody has studied this relationship in the environment yet. Thus, we aimed to detect viable H. pylori cells from inside FLA in water samples. Sixty-nine wastewater and 31 drinking water samples were collected. FLA were purified and identified by PCR and sequencing. For exclusively detecting H. pylori inside FLA, samples were exposed to sodium hypochlorite and assayed by specific PMA-qPCR, DVC-FISH and culture. FLA were detected in 38.7% of drinking water and 79.7% of wastewater samples, even after disinfection. In wastewater, Acanthamoeba spp. and members of the family Vahlkampfiidae were identified. In drinking water, Acanthamoeba spp. and Echinamoeba and/or Vermamoeba were present. In 39 (58.2%) FLA-positive samples, H. pylori was detected by PMA-qPCR. After DVC-FISH, 21 (31.3%) samples harboured viable H. pylori internalized cells. H. pylori was cultured from 10 wastewater samples. To our knowledge, this is the first report that demonstrates that H. pylori can survive inside FLA in drinking water and wastewater, strongly supporting the hypothesis that FLA could play an important role in the transmission of H. pylori to humans. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Seasonal and temporal variation in release of antibiotics in hospital wastewater: estimation using continuous and grab sampling.

PubMed

Diwan, Vishal; Stålsby Lundborg, Cecilia; Tamhankar, Ashok J

2013-01-01

The presence of antibiotics in the environment and their subsequent impact on resistance development has raised concerns globally. Hospitals are a major source of antibiotics released into the environment. To reduce these residues, research to improve knowledge of the dynamics of antibiotic release from hospitals is essential. Therefore, we undertook a study to estimate seasonal and temporal variation in antibiotic release from two hospitals in India over a period of two years. For this, 6 sampling sessions of 24 hours each were conducted in the three prominent seasons of India, at all wastewater outlets of the two hospitals, using continuous and grab sampling methods. An in-house wastewater sampler was designed for continuous sampling. Eight antibiotics from four major antibiotic groups were selected for the study. To understand the temporal pattern of antibiotic release, each of the 24-hour sessions were divided in three sub-sampling sessions of 8 hours each. Solid phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to determine the antibiotic residues. Six of the eight antibiotics studied were detected in the wastewater samples. Both continuous and grab sampling methods indicated that the highest quantities of fluoroquinolones were released in winter followed by the rainy season and the summer. No temporal pattern in antibiotic release was detected. In general, in a common timeframe, continuous sampling showed less concentration of antibiotics in wastewater as compared to grab sampling. It is suggested that continuous sampling should be the method of choice as grab sampling gives erroneous results, it being indicative of the quantities of antibiotics present in wastewater only at the time of sampling. Based on our studies, calculations indicate that from hospitals in India, an estimated 89, 1 and 25 ng/L/day of fluroquinolones, metronidazole and sulfamethoxazole respectively, might be getting released into the

A Four-Hour Yeast Bioassay for the Direct Measure of Estrogenic Activity in Wastewater without Sample Extraction, Concentration, or Sterilization

PubMed Central

Balsiger, Heather A.; de la Torre, Roberto; Lee, Wen-Yee; Cox, Marc B.

2010-01-01

The assay described here represents an improved yeast bioassay that provides a rapid yet sensitive screening method for EDCs with very little hands-on time and without the need for sample preparation. Traditional receptor-mediated reporter assays in yeast were performed twelve to twenty four hours after ligand addition, used colorimetric substrates, and, in many cases, required high, non-physiological concentrations of ligand. With the advent of new chemiluminescent substrates a ligand-induced signal can be detected within thirty minutes using high picomolar to low nanomolar concentrations of estrogen. As a result of the sensitivity (EC50 for estradiol is ~ 0.7 nM) and the very short assay time (2-4 hours) environmental water samples can typically be assayed directly without sterilization, extraction, and concentration. Thus, these assays represent rapid and sensitive approaches for determining the presence of contaminants in environmental samples. As proof of principle, we directly assayed wastewater influent and effluent taken from a wastewater treatment plant in the El Paso, TX area for the presence of estrogenic activity. The data obtained in the four-hour yeast bioassay directly correlated with GC-mass spectrometry analysis of these same water samples. PMID:20074779

Evaluation of sample preparation methods for the detection of total metal content using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) in wastewater and sludge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimpe, K. M.; Ngila, J. C.; Mabuba, N.; Nomngongo, P. N.

Heavy metal contamination exists in aqueous wastes and sludge of many industrial discharges and domestic wastewater, among other sources. Determination of metals in the wastewater and sludge requires sample pre-treatment prior to analysis because of certain challenges such as the complexity of the physical state of the sample, which may lead to wrong readings in the measurement. This is particularly the case with low analyte concentration to be detected by the instrument. The purpose of this work was to assess and validate the different sample preparation methods namely, hot plate and microwave-assisted digestion procedures for extraction of metal ions in wastewater and sludge samples prior to their inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometric (ICP-OES) determination. For the extraction of As, Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, three acid mixtures, that is, HNO3/H2O2, HNO3/HClO4/H2O2 and aqua regia + H2O2, were evaluated. Influent wastewater spiked with the SRM (CWW-TM-B) was used for the optimization of acid mixtures affecting the extraction procedure. After sample digestion, the filtration capabilities of cellulose-acetate filter paper and the acrodisc syringe filter with the pore size of 0.45 μm were compared. In terms of performance, acrodisc syringe filter in terms of the improved recoveries obtained, was found to be the best filtration method compared to the filter paper. Based on the analytical results obtained, microwave-assisted digestion (MAD) using aqua regia + H2O2 mixture was found to be the most suitable method for extraction of heavy metals and major elements in all the sample matrices. Therefore, MAD using aqua regia + H2O2 mixture was used for further investigations. The precision of the developed MAD method expressed in terms of relative standard deviations (% RSD) for different metals was found to be <5%. The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.12% to 2.18 μg L-1 and 0.61% to 3.43 μg L-1

Analysis of wastewater samples by direct combination of thin-film microextraction and desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Strittmatter, Nicole; Düring, Rolf-Alexander; Takáts, Zoltán

2012-09-07

An analysis method for aqueous samples by the direct combination of C18/SCX mixed mode thin-film microextraction (TFME) and desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) was developed. Both techniques make analytical workflow simpler and faster, hence the combination of the two techniques enables considerably shorter analysis time compared to the traditional liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) approach. The method was characterized using carbamazepine and triclosan as typical examples for pharmaceuticals and personal care product (PPCP) components which draw increasing attention as wastewater-derived environmental contaminants. Both model compounds were successfully detected in real wastewater samples and their concentrations determined using external calibration with isotope labeled standards. Effects of temperature, agitation, sample volume, and exposure time were investigated in the case of spiked aqueous samples. Results were compared to those of parallel HPLC-MS determinations and good agreement was found through a three orders of magnitude wide concentration range. Serious matrix effects were observed in treated wastewater, but lower limits of detection were still found to be in the low ng L(-1) range. Using an Orbitrap mass spectrometer, the technique was found to be ideal for screening purposes and led to the detection of various different PPCP components in wastewater treatment plant effluents, including beta-blockers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and UV filters.

The influence of the microbial quality of wastewater, lettuce cultivars and enumeration technique when estimating the microbial contamination of wastewater-irrigated lettuce.

PubMed

Makkaew, P; Miller, M; Cromar, N J; Fallowfield, H J

2017-04-01

This study investigated the volume of wastewater retained on the surface of three different varieties of lettuce, Iceberg, Cos, and Oak leaf, following submersion in wastewater of different microbial qualities (10, 10 2 , 10 3 , and 10 4 E. coli MPN/100 mL) as a surrogate method for estimation of contamination of spray-irrigated lettuce. Uniquely, Escherichia coli was enumerated, after submersion, on both the outer and inner leaves and in a composite sample of lettuce. E. coli were enumerated using two techniques. Firstly, from samples of leaves - the direct method. Secondly, using an indirect method, where the E. coli concentrations were estimated from the volume of wastewater retained by the lettuce and the E. coli concentration of the wastewater. The results showed that different varieties of lettuce retained significantly different volumes of wastewater (p < 0.01). No statistical differences (p > 0.01) were detected between E. coli counts obtained from different parts of lettuce, nor between the direct and indirect enumeration methods. Statistically significant linear relationships were derived relating the E. coli concentration of the wastewater in which the lettuces were submerged to the subsequent E. coli count on each variety the lettuce.

Effect of Phosphate levels on vegetables irrigated with wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oladeji, S. O.; Saeed, M. D.

2018-04-01

This study examined accumulation of phosphate ions in wastewater and vegetables through man-made activities. Phosphate level was determined in wastewater and vegetables collected on seasonal basis along Kubanni stream in Zaria using UV/Visible and Smart Spectro Spectrophotometers for their analyses. Results obtained show that phosphate concentrations ranged from 3.85 – 42.33 mg/L in the first year and 15.60 – 72.80 mg/L in the second year for wastewater whereas the vegetable had levels of 3.80 – 23.65 mg/kg in the year I and 7.48 – 27.15 mg/kg in the year II. Further statistical tests indicated no significant difference in phosphate levels across the locations and seasons for wastewater and vegetables evaluated. Correlation results for these two years indicated negative (r = -0.062) relationship for wastewater while low (r = 0.339) relationship noticed for vegetables planted in year I to that of year II. Phosphate concentrations obtained in this study was higher than Maximum Contaminant Levels set by Standard Organization such as WHO and FAO for wastewater whereas vegetables of the sampling sites were not contaminated with phosphate ions. Irrigating farmland with untreated wastewater has negative consequence on the crops grown with it.

Variability estimation of urban wastewater biodegradable fractions by respirometry.

PubMed

Lagarde, Fabienne; Tusseau-Vuillemin, Marie-Hélène; Lessard, Paul; Héduit, Alain; Dutrop, François; Mouchel, Jean-Marie

2005-11-01

This paper presents a methodology for assessing the variability of biodegradable chemical oxygen demand (COD) fractions in urban wastewaters. Thirteen raw wastewater samples from combined and separate sewers feeding the same plant were characterised, and two optimisation procedures were applied in order to evaluate the variability in biodegradable fractions and related kinetic parameters. Through an overall optimisation on all the samples, a unique kinetic parameter set was obtained with a three-substrate model including an adsorption stage. This method required powerful numerical treatment, but improved the identifiability problem compared to the usual sample-to-sample optimisation. The results showed that the fractionation of samples collected in the combined sewer was much more variable (standard deviation of 70% of the mean values) than the fractionation of the separate sewer samples, and the slowly biodegradable COD fraction was the most significant fraction (45% of the total COD on average). Because these samples were collected under various rain conditions, the standard deviations obtained here on the combined sewer biodegradable fractions could be used as a first estimation of the variability of this type of sewer system.

Electromembrane extraction of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists from plasma and wastewater samples.

PubMed

Nojavan, Saeed; Bidarmanesh, Tina; Mohammadi, Ali; Yaripour, Saeid

2016-03-01

In the present study, for the first time electromembrane extraction followed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection was optimized and validated for quantification of four gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist anticancer peptides (alarelin, leuprolide, buserelin and triptorelin) in biological and aqueous samples. The parameters influencing electromigration were investigated and optimized. The membrane consists 95% of 1-octanol and 5% di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phosphate immobilized in the pores of a hollow fiber. A 20 V electrical field was applied to make the analytes migrate from sample solution with pH 7.0, through the supported liquid membrane into an acidic acceptor solution with pH 1.0 which was located inside the lumen of hollow fiber. Extraction recoveries in the range of 49 and 71% within 15 min extraction time were obtained in different biological matrices which resulted in preconcentration factors in the range of 82-118 and satisfactory repeatability (7.1 < RSD% < 19.8). The method offers good linearity (2.0-1000 ng/mL) with estimation of regression coefficient higher than 0.998. The procedure allows very low detection and quantitation limits of 0.2 and 0.6 ng/mL, respectively. Finally, it was applied to determination and quantification of peptides in human plasma and wastewater samples and satisfactory results were yielded. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Preparation of polyelectrolytes for wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Radoiu, Marilena T; Martin, Diana I; Calinescu, Ioan; Iovu, Horia

2004-01-02

Liquid-phase polymerisation of acrylamide-acrylic acid to form polyelectrolytes used in wastewater cleaning was examined using accelerated electron beam and microwave irradiation methods. Polymerisation was carried out in aqueous solutions at temperatures approximately 60 degrees C. Monomers total concentration was established at 40% (36% acrylamide and 4% acrylic acid). Only using the features of simultaneous radiation-induction and microwave heating can result in the formation of linear polymer chains with good water solubility and low residual monomer concentration. The flocculation capacity of the obtained polymers was tested using two wastewaters, one sampled from a slaughterhouse and the other from a vegetable oil plant. Quality indicators such as total suspended matters (TSM), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and fat, oils and grease (FOG) were measured before and after the treatment with polymeric flocculants and compared with the results obtained in classical treatment with Al(2)(SO(4))(3). It was found that the combined treatment with polymers and Al(2)(SO(4))(3) increases the degree of purification of both wastewaters up to 99%.

Specific detection of cultivable Helicobacter pylori cells from wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Moreno, Yolanda; Ferrús, M Antonía

2012-10-01

Helicobacter pylori is present in surface water and wastewater, and biofilms in drinking water systems have been reported as possible reservoirs of H. pylori. However, its ability to survive in an infectious state in the environment is hindered because it rapidly loses its cultivability. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of cultivable and therefore viable H. pylori in wastewater treatment plants to understand the role of wastewater in the pathogen's transmission. A modified filter technique was used to obtain a positive H. pylori culture, and specific detection of this pathogen was achieved with FISH and PCR techniques. A total of six positive H. pylori cultures were obtained from the water samples, and molecular techniques positively identified H. pylori in 21 culture-negative samples. The combination of a culturing procedure after sample filtration followed by the application of a molecular method, such as PCR or FISH, provides a specific tool for the detection, identification, and direct visualization of cultivable and therefore viable H. pylori cells from complex mixed communities such as water samples. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Modified zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 as solid-phase microextraction Arrow coating for sampling of amines in wastewater and food samples followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Lan, Hangzhen; Rönkkö, Tuukka; Parshintsev, Jevgeni; Hartonen, Kari; Gan, Ning; Sakeye, Motolani; Sarfraz, Jawad; Riekkola, Marja-Liisa

2017-02-24

In this study, a novel solid phase microextration (SPME) Arrow was prepared for the sampling of volatile low molecular weight alkylamines (trimethylamine (TMA) and triethylamine (TEA)) in wastewater, salmon and mushroom samples before gas chromatographic separation with mass spectrometer as detector. Acidified zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (A-ZIF-8) was utilized as adsorbent and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) as the adhesive. The custom SPME Arrow was fabricated via a physical adhesion: (1) ZIF-8 particles were suspended in a mixture of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and PVC to form a homogeneous suspension, (2) a non-coated stainless steel SPME Arrow was dipped in the ZIF-8/PVC suspension for several times to obtain a uniform and thick coating, (3) the pore size of ZIF-8 was modified by headspace exposure to hydrochloric acid in order to increase the extraction efficiency for amines. The effect of ZIF-8 concentration in PVC solution, dipping cycles and aging temperature on extraction efficiency was investigated. In addition, sampling parameters such as NaCl concentration, sample volume, extraction time, potassium hydroxide concentration, desorption temperature and desorption time were optimized. The Arrow-to-Arrow reproducibilities (RSDs) for five ZIF-8 coated Arrows were 15.6% and 13.3% for TMA and TEA, respectively. The extraction with A-ZIF-8/PVC Arrow was highly reproducible for at least 130 cycles without noticeable decrease of performance (RSD<12.5%). Headspace SPME of 7.5mL sample solution with the fabricated ZIF-8 coated Arrow achieved linear ranges of 1-200ngmL -1 for both TMA and TEA. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 1ngmL -1 for both TMA and TEA. The method was successfully applied to the determination of TMA and TEA in wastewater, salmon and mushroom samples giving satisfactory selectivity towards the studied amines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation and application of a tyre-based activated carbon solid phase extraction of heavy metals in wastewater samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimpe, K. Mogolodi; Ngila, J. C.; Nomngongo, Philiswa N.

2018-06-01

In this paper, the tyre-based activated carbon solid phase extraction (SPE) method was successfully developed for simultaneous preconcentration of metal ions in the model and real water samples before their determination using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The activation of carbon was achieved by chemical activation and the tyre-based activated carbon was used as a sorbent for solid phase extraction. The prepared activated carbon was characterized using the scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. Moreover, optimization of the proposed method was performed by the two-level full factorial design (FFD). The FFD was chosen in order to fully investigate the effect of the experimental variables (pH, eluent concentration and sample flow rate) that significantly influence the preconcentration procedure. In this model, individual factors are considered along with their interactions. In addition, modelling of the experiments allowed simultaneous variation of all experimental factors investigated, reduced the required time and number of experimental runs which consequently led to the reduction of the overall required costs. Under optimized conditions, the limits of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ) ranged 0.66-2.12 μg L-1and 1.78-5.34 μg L-1, respectively and the enrichment factor of 25 was obtained. The developed SPE/FAAS method was validated using CWW-TM-A and CWW-TM-B wastewater standard reference materials (SRMs). The procedure showed to be accurate with satisfactory recoveries ranging from 92 to 99%. The precision (repeatability) was lower than 4% in terms of the relative standard deviation (%RSD). The developed method proved to have the capability to be used in routine analysis of heavy metals in domestic and industrial wastewater samples. In addition, the developed method can be used as a final step (before being discharged to the rivers) in wastewater treatment process in

Rapid method for the determination of 226Ra in hydraulic fracturing wastewater samples

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

Maxwell, Sherrod L.; Culligan, Brian K.; Warren, Richard A.

A new method that rapidly preconcentrates and measures 226Ra from hydraulic fracturing wastewater samples was developed in the Savannah River Environmental Laboratory. The method improves the quality of 226Ra measurements using gamma spectrometry by providing up to 100x preconcentration of 226Ra from this difficult sample matrix, which contains very high levels of calcium, barium, strontium, magnesium and sodium. The high chemical yield, typically 80-90%, facilitates a low detection limit, important for lower level samples, and indicates method ruggedness. Ba-133 tracer is used to determine chemical yield and correct for geometry-related counting issues. The 226Ra sample preparation takes < 2 hours.

Rapid method for the determination of 226Ra in hydraulic fracturing wastewater samples

DOE PAGES

Maxwell, Sherrod L.; Culligan, Brian K.; Warren, Richard A.; ...

2016-03-24

A new method that rapidly preconcentrates and measures 226Ra from hydraulic fracturing wastewater samples was developed in the Savannah River Environmental Laboratory. The method improves the quality of 226Ra measurements using gamma spectrometry by providing up to 100x preconcentration of 226Ra from this difficult sample matrix, which contains very high levels of calcium, barium, strontium, magnesium and sodium. The high chemical yield, typically 80-90%, facilitates a low detection limit, important for lower level samples, and indicates method ruggedness. Ba-133 tracer is used to determine chemical yield and correct for geometry-related counting issues. The 226Ra sample preparation takes < 2 hours.

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

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.

Investigation of potential genotoxic activity using the SOS Chromotest for real paracetamol wastewater and the wastewater treated by the Fenton process.

PubMed

Kocak, Emel

2015-01-01

The potential genotoxic activity associated with high strength real paracetamol (PCT) wastewater (COD = 40,000 mg/L, TOC = 12,000 mg/L, BOD5 = 19,320 mg/L) from a large-scale drug-producing plant in the Marmara Region, was investigated in pre- and post- treated wastewater by the Fenton process (COD = 2,920 mg/L, TOC = 880 mg/L; BOD5 = 870 mg/L). The SOS Chromotest, which is based on Escherichia coli PQ37 activities, was used for the assessment of genotoxicity. The corrected induction factors (CIF) values used as quantitative measurements of the genotoxic activity were obtained from a total of four different dilutions (100, 50, 6.25, and 0.078 % v/v.) for two samples, in triplicate, to detect potentially genotoxic activities with the SOS Chromotest. The results of the SOS Chromotest demonstrated CIFmax value of 1.24, indicating that the PCT effluent (non-treated) is genotoxic. The results of the SOS Chromotest showed an CIFmax value of 1.72, indicating that the wastewater treated by Fenton process is genotoxic. The findings of this study clearly reveal that the PCT wastewater (non-treated) samples have a potentially hazardous impact on the aquatic environment before treatment, and in the wastewater that was treated by the Fenton process, genotoxicity generally increased.

Scenedesmus obliquus in poultry wastewater bioremediation.

PubMed

Oliveira, Ana Cristina; Barata, Ana; Batista, Ana P; Gouveia, Luísa

2018-06-18

Wastewater biological treatment with microalgae can be an effective technology, removing nutrients and other contaminants while reducing chemical oxygen demand. This can be particularly interesting for the meat producing industry which produces large volumes of wastewater from the slaughtering of animals and cleaning of their facilities. The main purpose of this research was the treatment of poultry wastewater using Scenedesmus obliquus in an economical and environmentally sustainable way. Two wastewaters were collected from a Portuguese poultry slaughterhouse (poultry raw - PR and poultry flocculated - PF) and the bioremediation was evaluated. The performance of microalga biomass growth and biochemical composition were assessed for two illumination sources (fluorescent vs LEDs). S. obliquus achieved positive results when grown in highly contaminated agro-industrial wastewater from the poultry industry, independently of the light source. The wastewater bioremediation revealed results higher than 97% for both ammonium and phosphate removal efficiency, for a cultivation time of 13 days. The saponifiable matter obtained from the biomass of the microalga cultures was, on average, 11% and 27% (m/m alga ) with PR and PF wastewater, respectively. In opposition, higher sugar content was obtained from microalgae biomass grown in PR wastewater (average 34% m/m alga ) in comparison to PF wastewater (average 23% m/m alga ), independently of the illumination source. Therefore, biomass obtained with PR wastewater will be more appropriate as a raw material for bioethanol/biohydrogen production (higher sugar content) while biomass produced in PF wastewater will have a similar potential as feedstock for both biodiesel and bioethanol/biohydrogen production (similar lipid and sugar content).

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.

A comparison of extended spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli from clinical, recreational water and wastewater samples associated in time and location

PubMed Central

Søraas, Arne V.; Arnesen, Lotte S.; Leegaard, Truls M.; Sundsfjord, Arnfinn; Jenum, Pål A.

2017-01-01

Extended spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) are excreted via effluents and sewage into the environment where they can re-contaminate humans and animals. The aim of this observational study was to detect and quantify ESBL-EC in recreational water and wastewater, and perform a genetic and phenotypic comparative analysis of the environmental strains with geographically associated human urinary ESBL-EC. Recreational fresh- and saltwater samples from four different beaches and wastewater samples from a nearby sewage plant were filtered and cultured on differential and ESBL-selective media. After antimicrobial susceptibility testing and multi-locus variable number of tandem repeats assay (MLVA), selected ESBL-EC strains from recreational water were characterized by whole genome sequencing (WGS) and compared to wastewater and human urine isolates from people living in the same area. We detected ESBL-EC in recreational water samples on 8/20 occasions (40%), representing all sites. The ratio of ESBL-EC to total number of E. coli colony forming units varied from 0 to 3.8%. ESBL-EC were present in all wastewater samples in ratios of 0.56–0.75%. ST131 was most prevalent in urine and wastewater samples, while ST10 dominated in water samples. Eight STs and identical ESBL-EC MLVA-types were detected in all compartments. Clinical ESBL-EC isolates were more likely to be multidrug-resistant (p<0.001). This study confirms that ESBL-EC, including those that are capable of causing human infection, are present in recreational waters where there is a potential for human exposure and subsequent gut colonisation and infection in bathers. Multidrug-resistant E. coli strains are present in urban aquatic environments even in countries where antibiotic consumption in both humans and animals is highly restricted. PMID:29040337

Study of the viscosity behaviour of glasses obtained from urban wastewater treatment sludges from Egypt using hot stage microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Valles, M.

2012-04-01

The volume of sludge produced in wastewater treatment plants in Egypt is becoming more important; this paper studied the chemical composition of sludge from four treatment plants located around Nile delta and valley: El-Sadat City (E-01), Alexandria (E-02), Abo-Rawash (E-03) and Minufiya (E-04), and is suggested as a possible solution, the vitrification of these sludges. Another important objective for obtaining correct this glass is to know the viscosity temperature curve, including developing a prototype of hot stage microscopy (HSM) and development of software suitable for the analysis of images. Each image has different morphology related to different viscosity, can that way determine the viscosity at the temperature of heating. The chemical composition of these sludges is close to a basalt rock except that the phosphorus content is higher, and sometimes with a certain proportion of heavy metals. Cr, Zn and Pb exceeds the limit allowed to be used in agriculture, this is one of the solutions actually used. In general, major oxides to sludges ranging from: SiO2 (36-48 wt %), Al2O3 (9-16 wt %), CaO (5-25 wt %), P2O5 (1.5-11 wt %) and Fe2O3 (~ 9 wt %), this composition. Since of them are formulated and prepared by four different glasses, in some cases being necessary to incorporate a quantity of raw materials. The sludge combustion heat, the thermal evolution, vitreous transition temperature (Tg) and crystal growth temperature of the glasses were obtained by carrying out a differential thermal analysis. Tg of the four glasses vary between 650 and 725 °C and the growth occurs between 938 and 1033 °C. The vitreous transition temperature was also determined with a dilatometer. Each original glass has been characterized mineralogically by X-ray diffraction: quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar and calcite. Two samples contained gypsum and some clay mineral traces. We also obtained the viscosity - temperature curves with the aid of the hot stage microscopy that has allowed

Detection of Legionella spp. by a nested-PCR assay in air samples of a wastewater treatment plant and downwind distances in Isfahan

PubMed Central

Mirzaee, Seyyed Abbas; Nikaeen, Mahnaz; Hajizadeh, Yaghob; Nabavi, BiBi Fatemeh; Hassanzadeh, Akbar

2015-01-01

Background: Wastewater contains a variety of pathogens and bio -aerosols generated during the wastewater treatment process, which could be a potential health risk for exposed individuals. This study was carried out to detect Legionella spp. in the bio -aerosols generated from different processes of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Isfahan, Iran, and the downwind distances. Materials and Methods: A total of 54 air samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of Legionella spp. by a nested- polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. A liquid impingement biosampler was used to capture bio -aerosols. The weather conditions were also recorded. Results: Legionella were detected in 6% of the samples, including air samples above the aeration tank (1/9), belt filter press (1/9), and 250 m downwind (1/9). Conclusion: The result of this study revealed the presence of Legionella spp. in air samples of a WWTP and downwind distance, which consequently represent a potential health risk to the exposed individuals. PMID:25802817

Urban wastewater treatment by using Ag/ZnO and Pt/TiO2 photocatalysts.

PubMed

Murcia Mesa, Julie J; Arias Bolivar, Lizeth G; Sarmiento, Hugo Alfonso Rojas; Martínez, Elsa Giovanna Ávila; Páez, César Jaramillo; Lara, Mayra Anabel; Santos, José Antonio Navío; Del Carmen Hidalgo López, María

2018-03-02

In this study, the treatment of wastewater coming from a river highly polluted with domestic and industrial effluents was evaluated. For this purpose, series of photocatalysts obtained by ZnO and TiO 2 modification were evaluated. The effect of metal addition and Ti precursor (in the case of the titania series) over the physicochemical and photocatalytic properties of the materials obtained was also analyzed. The evaluation of the photocatalytic activity showed that semiconductor modification and precursor used in the materials synthesis are important factors influencing the physicochemical and therefore the photocatalytic properties of the materials obtained. The water samples analyzed in the present work were taken from a highly polluted river, and it was found that the effectiveness of the photocatalytic treatment increases when the reaction time increases and for both, wastewater samples and isolated Escherichia coli strain follow the next order Pt/TiO 2 < ZnO. It was also observed that biochemical and chemical demand oxygen and turbidity significantly decrease after treatment, thus indicating that photocatalysis is a non-selective technology, which can lead to recover wastewater containing different pollutants.

Determination of ammonium in wastewaters by capillary electrophoresis on a column-coupling chip with conductivity detection.

PubMed

Luc, Milan; Kruk, Pavol; Masár, Marián

2011-07-01

Analytical potentialities of a chip-based CE in determination of ammonium in wastewaters were investigated. CZE with the electric field and/or ITP sample stacking was performed on a column-coupling (CC) chip with integrated conductivity detectors. Acetate background electrolytes (pH ∼3) including 18-crown-6-ether (18-crown-6) and tartaric acid were developed to reach rapid (in 7-8 min) CZE and ITP-CZE resolutions of ammonium from other cations (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium) present in wastewater samples. Under preferred working conditions (suppressed hydrodynamic flow (HDF) and EOF on the column-coupling chip), both the employed methods did provide very good repeatabilities of the migration (RSD of 0.2-0.8% for the migration time) and quantitative (RSD of 0.3-4.9% for the peak area) parameters in the model and wastewater samples. Using a 900-nL sample injection volume, LOD for ammonium were obtained at 20 and 40 μg/L concentrations in CZE and ITP-CZE separations, respectively. Very good agreements of the CZE and ITP-CZE determinations of ammonium in six untreated wastewater samples (only filtration and dilution) with the results obtained by a reference spectrometric method indicate a very good accuracy of both the CE methods presented. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Determination of 89 drugs and other micropollutants in unfiltered wastewater and freshwater by LC-MS/MS: an alternative sample preparation approach.

PubMed

Asimakopoulos, Alexandros G; Kannan, Pranav; Higgins, Sean; Kannan, Kurunthachalam

2017-10-01

A liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-qQq-MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of 89 legal neuropsychiatric pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs (both parent compounds and metabolites) and other micropollutants in unfiltered wastewater and freshwater. The target chemicals fall under the classes of amphetamine-type stimulants, cocaine compounds, opiates and opioids, benzodiazepines, lysergic compounds, antipsychotics, anesthetics, antiepileptics, antidepressants, sympathomimetics, cannabinoids, blood thinners, antihistamines, β-blockers, caffeine derivatives, nicotine derivatives, z-drugs, new designer drugs, and Alzheimer medications. The sample preparation procedure was designed for unfiltered wastewater and freshwater without the need to separate the particulate matter (if any) from the aqueous phase prior to extraction. Samples were pre-concentrated by rotary evaporation in the presence of a solvent. Method precision (absolute values; N = 6 replicate analyses at the fortification level of 50 ng, k = 6 days) for 87 out of 89 target analytes ranged from 2.8 to 34% (RSD %). The limits of detection ranged from 0.11 to 202 ng L -1 , and the matrix effects ranged from +16 to -84%. A total of 10 samples, 8 wastewater, 1 drinking water, and 1 lake water, were collected from New York State, USA, and were analyzed for the target compounds to demonstrate the applicability of the developed method. This is the first study to report the analysis of multiple classes of pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, and other micropollutants in unfiltered wastewater. Graphical abstract Analysis of 89 micropollutants in unfiltered wastewater by LC-MS/MS.

Shotgun Metagenomic Profiles Have a High Capacity To Discriminate Samples of Activated Sludge According to Wastewater Type

PubMed Central

Ibarbalz, Federico M.; Orellana, Esteban; Figuerola, Eva L. M.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to investigate whether functions encoded in the metagenome could improve our ability to understand the link between microbial community structures and functions in activated sludge. By analyzing data sets from six industrial and six municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), covering different configurations, operational conditions, and geographic regions, we found that wastewater influent composition was an overriding factor shaping the metagenomic composition of the activated sludge samples. Community GC content profiles were conserved within treatment plants on a time scale of years and between treatment plants with similar influent wastewater types. Interestingly, GC contents of the represented phyla covaried with the average GC contents of the corresponding WWTP metagenome. This suggests that the factors influencing nucleotide composition act similarly across taxa and thus the variation in nucleotide contents is driven by environmental differences between WWTPs. While taxonomic richness and functional richness were correlated, shotgun metagenomics complemented taxon-based analyses in the task of classifying microbial communities involved in wastewater treatment systems. The observed taxonomic dissimilarity between full-scale WWTPs receiving influent types with varied compositions, as well as the inferred taxonomic and functional assignment of recovered genomes from each metagenome, were consistent with underlying differences in the abundance of distinctive sets of functional categories. These conclusions were robust with respect to plant configuration, operational and environmental conditions, and even differences in laboratory protocols. IMPORTANCE This work contributes to the elucidation of drivers of microbial community assembly in wastewater treatment systems. Our results are significant because they provide clear evidence that bacterial communities in WWTPs assemble mainly according to influent wastewater

Electrically enhanced liquid-phase microextraction of three textile azo dyes from wastewater and plant samples.

PubMed

Nojavan, Saeed; Tahmasebi, Zeinab; Bidarmanesh, Tina; Behdad, Hamideh; Nasiri-Aghdam, Mahnaz; Mansori, Sozan; Pourahadi, Ahmad

2013-10-01

An electromembrane extraction procedure coupled with HPLC and visible detection was applied for the extraction of three textile azo dyes as organic salts. The extraction parameters such as extraction time, applied voltage, pH range, and concentration of salt added were optimized. A driving force of 60 V was applied to extract the analytes through 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether, used as the supported liquid membrane, into a neutral aqueous solution. This method required 20 min extraction time from a neutral sample solution. The proposed microextraction technique provided good linearity with correlation coefficients from 0.996 to 0.998 over a concentration range of 1.0-1000.0 ng/mL. The LODs of dyes were 0.30-0.75 ng/mL, while the reproducibility ranged from 6.7 to 12.9% (n = 6). Also, enrichment factors of 96-162 that corresponded to the recoveries ranging from 48 to 81% were achieved. Finally, the application of this new method was demonstrated on wastewater samples and some plants grown in contaminated environments. Excellent selectivity was obtained as no interfering peaks were detected. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Occurrence of Selected Pharmaceutical and Organic Wastewater Compounds in Effluent and Water Samples from Municipal Wastewater and Drinking-Water Treatment Facilities in the Tar and Cape Fear River Basins, North Carolina, 2003-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferrell, G.M.

2009-01-01

Samples of treated effluent and treated and untreated water were collected at 20 municipal wastewater and drinkingwater treatment facilities in the Tar and Cape Fear River basins of North Carolina during 2003 and 2005. The samples were analyzed for a variety of prescription and nonprescription pharmaceutical compounds and a suite of organic compounds considered indicative of wastewater. Concentrations of these compounds generally were less than or near the detection limits of the analytical methods used during this investigation. None of these compounds were detected at concentrations that exceeded drinking-water standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Bromoform, a disinfection byproduct, was the only compound detected at a concentration that exceeded regulatory guidelines. The concentration of bromoform in one finished drinking-water sample, 26 micrograms per liter, exceeded North Carolina water-quality criteria. Drinking-water treatment practices were effective at removing many of the compounds detected in untreated water. Disinfection processes used in wastewater treatment - chlorination or irradiation with ultraviolet light - did not seem to substantially degrade the organic compounds evaluated during this study.

Cosmetic wastewater treatment by coagulation and advanced oxidation processes.

PubMed

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

2014-01-01

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

Comparison of a novel passive sampler to standard water-column sampling for organic contaminants associated with wastewater effluents entering a New Jersey stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alvarez, D.A.; Stackelberg, P.E.; Petty, J.D.; Huckins, J.N.; Furlong, E.T.; Zaugg, S.D.; Meyer, M.T.

2005-01-01

Four water samples collected using standard depth and width water-column sampling methodology were compared to an innovative passive, in situ, sampler (the polar organic chemical integrative sampler or POCIS) for the detection of 96 organic wastewater-related contaminants (OWCs) in a stream that receives agricultural, municipal, and industrial wastewaters. Thirty-two OWCs were identified in POCIS extracts whereas 9-24 were identified in individual water-column samples demonstrating the utility of POCIS for identifying contaminants whose occurrence are transient or whose concentrations are below routine analytical detection limits. Overall, 10 OWCs were identified exclusively in the POCIS extracts and only six solely identified in the water-column samples, however, repetitive water samples taken using the standard method during the POCIS deployment period required multiple trips to the sampling site and an increased number of samples to store, process, and analyze. Due to the greater number of OWCs detected in the POCIS extracts as compared to individual water-column samples, the ease of performing a single deployment as compared to collecting and processing multiple water samples, the greater mass of chemical residues sequestered, and the ability to detect chemicals which dissipate quickly, the passive sampling technique offers an efficient and effective alternative for detecting OWCs in our waterways for wastewater contaminants.

Automated Sampling Procedures Supported by High Persistence of Bacterial Fecal Indicators and Bacteroidetes Genetic Microbial Source Tracking Markers in Municipal Wastewater during Short-Term Storage at 5°C

PubMed Central

Mayer, R. E.; Vierheilig, J.; Egle, L.; Reischer, G. H.; Saracevic, E.; Mach, R. L.; Kirschner, A. K. T.; Zessner, M.; Farnleitner, A. H.

2015-01-01

Because of high diurnal water quality fluctuations in raw municipal wastewater, the use of proportional autosampling over a period of 24 h at municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to evaluate carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal has become a standard in many countries. Microbial removal or load estimation at municipal WWTPs, however, is still based on manually recovered grab samples. The goal of this study was to establish basic knowledge regarding the persistence of standard bacterial fecal indicators and Bacteroidetes genetic microbial source tracking markers in municipal wastewater in order to evaluate their suitability for automated sampling, as the potential lack of persistence is the main argument against such procedures. Raw and secondary treated wastewater of municipal origin from representative and well-characterized biological WWTPs without disinfection (organic carbon and nutrient removal) was investigated in microcosm experiments at 5 and 21°C with a total storage time of 32 h (including a 24-h autosampling component and an 8-h postsampling phase). Vegetative Escherichia coli and enterococci, as well as Clostridium perfringens spores, were selected as indicators for cultivation-based standard enumeration. Molecular analysis focused on total (AllBac) and human-associated genetic Bacteroidetes (BacHum-UCD, HF183 TaqMan) markers by using quantitative PCR, as well as 16S rRNA gene-based next-generation sequencing. The microbial parameters showed high persistence in both raw and treated wastewater at 5°C under the storage conditions used. Surprisingly, and in contrast to results obtained with treated wastewater, persistence of the microbial markers in raw wastewater was also high at 21°C. On the basis of our results, 24-h autosampling procedures with 5°C storage conditions can be recommended for the investigation of fecal indicators or Bacteroidetes genetic markers at municipal WWTPs. Such autosampling procedures will contribute to better

Detection of a wide variety of human and veterinary fluoroquinolone antibiotics in municipal wastewater and wastewater-impacted surface water.

PubMed

He, Ke; Soares, Ana Dulce; Adejumo, Hollie; McDiarmid, Melissa; Squibb, Katherine; Blaney, Lee

2015-03-15

As annual sales of antibiotics continue to rise, the mass of these specially-designed compounds entering municipal wastewater treatment systems has also increased. Of primary concern here is that antibiotics can inhibit growth of specific microorganisms in biological processes of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) or in downstream ecosystems. Growth inhibition studies with Escherichia coli demonstrated that solutions containing 1-10 μg/L of fluoroquinolones can inhibit microbial growth. Wastewater samples were collected on a monthly basis from various treatment stages of a 30 million gallon per day WWTP in Maryland, USA. Samples were analyzed for the presence of 11 fluoroquinolone antibiotics. At least one fluoroquinolone was detected in every sample. Ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin exhibited detection frequencies of 100% and 98%, respectively, across all sampling sites. Concentrations of fluoroquinolones in raw wastewater were as high as 1900 ng/L for ciprofloxacin and 600 ng/L for ofloxacin. Difloxacin, enrofloxacin, fleroxacin, moxifloxacin, norfloxacin, and orbifloxacin were also detected at appreciable concentrations of 9-170 ng/L. The total mass concentration of fluoroquinolones in raw wastewater was in the range that inhibited E. coli growth, suggesting that concerns over antibiotic presence in wastewater and wastewater-impacted surface water are valid. The average removal efficiency of fluoroquinolones during wastewater treatment was approximately 65%; furthermore, the removal efficiency for fluoroquinolones was found to be negatively correlated to biochemical oxygen demand removal and positively correlated to phosphorus removal. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Solid phase microextraction Arrow for the sampling of volatile amines in wastewater and atmosphere.

PubMed

Helin, Aku; Rönkkö, Tuukka; Parshintsev, Jevgeni; Hartonen, Kari; Schilling, Beat; Läubli, Thomas; Riekkola, Marja-Liisa

2015-12-24

A new method is introduced for the sampling of volatile low molecular weight alkylamines in ambient air and wastewater by utilizing a novel SPME Arrow system, which contains a larger volume of sorbent compared to a standard SPME fiber. Parameters affecting the extraction, such as coating material, need for preconcentration, sample volume, pH, stirring rate, salt addition, extraction time and temperature were carefully optimized. In addition, analysis conditions, including desorption temperature and time as well as gas chromatographic parameters, were optimized. Compared to conventional SPME fiber, the SPME Arrow had better robustness and sensitivity. Average intermediate reproducibility of the method expressed as relative standard deviation was 12% for dimethylamine and 14% for trimethylamine, and their limit of quantification 10μg/L and 0.13μg/L respectively. Working range was from limits of quantification to 500μg/L for dimethylamine and to 130μg/L for trimethylamine. Several alkylamines were qualitatively analyzed in real samples, while target compounds dimethyl- and trimethylamines were quantified. The concentrations in influent and effluent wastewater samples were almost the same (∼80μg/L for dimethylamine, 120μg/L for trimethylamine) meaning that amines pass the water purification process unchanged or they are produced at the same rate as they are removed. For the air samples, preconcentration with phosphoric acid coated denuder was required and the concentration of trimethylamine was found to be around 1ng/m(3). The developed method was compared with optimized method based on conventional SPME and advantages and disadvantages of both approaches are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical and/or microbiological treatment of pyrolysis wastewater.

PubMed

Silva, José R O; Santos, Dara S; Santos, Ubiratan R; Eguiluz, Katlin I B; Salazar-Banda, Giancarlo R; Schneider, Jaderson K; Krause, Laiza C; López, Jorge A; Hernández-Macedo, Maria L

2017-10-01

Electrochemical oxidation may be used as treatment to decompose partially or completely organic pollutants (wastewater) from industrial processes such as pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is a thermochemical process used to obtain bio-oil from biomasses, generating a liquid waste rich in organic compounds including aldehydes and phenols, which can be submitted to biological and electrochemical treatments in order to minimize its environmental impact. Thus, electrochemical systems employing dimensionally stable anodes (DSAs) have been proposed to enable biodegradation processes in subsurface environments. In order to investigate the organic compound degradation from residual coconut pyrolysis wastewater, ternary DSAs containing ruthenium, iridium and cerium synthetized by the 'ionic liquid method' at different calcination temperatures (500, 550, 600 and 700 °C) for the pretreatment of these compounds, were developed in order to allow posterior degradation by Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp. or Acinetobacter sp. bacteria. The electrode synthesized applying 500 °C displayed the highest voltammetric charge and was used in the pretreatment of pyrolysis effluent prior to microbial treatment. Regarding biological treatment, the Pseudomonas sp. exhibited high furfural degradation in wastewater samples electrochemically pretreated at 2.0 V. On the other hand, the use of Acinetobacter efficiently degraded phenolic compounds such as phenol, 4-methylphenol, 2,5-methylphenol, 4-ethylphenol and 3,5-methylphenol in both wastewater samples, with and without electrochemical pretreatment. Overall, the results indicate that the combination of both processes used in this study is relevant for the treatment of pyrolysis wastewater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multidrug-Resistant and Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli in Dutch Surface Water and Wastewater

PubMed Central

Blaak, Hetty; Lynch, Gretta; Italiaander, Ronald; Hamidjaja, Raditijo A.; Schets, Franciska M.; de Roda Husman, Ana Maria

2015-01-01

Objective The goal of the current study was to gain insight into the prevalence and concentrations of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) Escherichia coli in Dutch surface water, and to explore the role of wastewater as AMR contamination source. Methods The prevalence of AMR E. coli was determined in 113 surface water samples obtained from 30 different water bodies, and in 33 wastewater samples obtained at five health care institutions (HCIs), seven municipal wastewater treatment plants (mWWTPs), and an airport WWTP. Overall, 846 surface water and 313 wastewater E. coli isolates were analysed with respect to susceptibility to eight antimicrobials (representing seven different classes): ampicillin, cefotaxime, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and chloramphenicol. Results Among surface water isolates, 26% were resistant to at least one class of antimicrobials, and 11% were multidrug-resistant (MDR). In wastewater, the proportions of AMR/MDR E. coli were 76%/62% at HCIs, 69%/19% at the airport WWTP, and 37%/27% and 31%/20% in mWWTP influents and effluents, respectively. Median concentrations of MDR E. coli were 2.2×102, 4.0×104, 1.8×107, and 4.1×107 cfu/l in surface water, WWTP effluents, WWTP influents and HCI wastewater, respectively. The different resistance types occurred with similar frequencies among E. coli from surface water and E. coli from municipal wastewater. By contrast, among E. coli from HCI wastewater, resistance to cefotaxime and resistance to ciprofloxacin were significantly overrepresented compared to E. coli from municipal wastewater and surface water. Most cefotaxime-resistant E. coliisolates produced ESBL. In two of the mWWTP, ESBL-producing variants were detected that were identical with respect to phylogenetic group, sequence type, AMR-profile, and ESBL-genotype to variants from HCI wastewater discharged onto the same sewer and sampled on the same day (A1/ST23/CTX-M-1, B23/ST131/CTX-M-15, D2/ST405/CTX

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2005-01-01

The occurrence of organic wastewater compounds (components of 'personal care products' and other common household chemicals), pharmaceuticals (human prescription and nonprescription medical drugs), and coliphage (viruses that infect coliform bacteria, and found in high concentrations in municipal wastewater) in onsite wastewater (septic tank effluent) and in a shallow, unconfined, sandy aquifer that serves as the primary source of drinking water for most residents near La Pine, Oregon, was documented. Samples from two types of observation networks provided basic occurrence data for onsite wastewater and downgradient ground water. One observation network was a group of 28 traditional and innovative (advanced treatment) onsite wastewater treatment systems and associated downgradient drainfield monitoring wells, referred to as the 'innovative systems network'. The drainfield monitoring wells were located adjacent to or under onsite wastewater treatment system drainfield lines. Another observation network, termed the 'transect network', consisted of 31 wells distributed among three transects of temporary, stainless-steel-screened, direct-push monitoring wells installed along three plumes of onsite wastewater. The transect network, by virtue of its design, also provided a basis for increased understanding of the transport of analytes in natural systems. Coliphage were frequently detected in onsite wastewater. Coliphage concentrations in onsite wastewater were highly variable, ranging from less than 1 to 3,000,000 plaque forming units per 100 milliliters. Coliphage were occasionally detected (eight occurrences) at low concentrations in samples from wells located downgradient from onsite wastewater treatment system drainfield lines. However, coliphage concentrations were below method detection limits in replicate or repeat samples collected from the eight sites. The consistent absence of coliphage detections in the replicate or repeat samples is interpreted to indicate

Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coke plant wastewater.

PubMed

Burmistrz, Piotr; Burmistrz, Michał

2013-01-01

The subject of examinations presented in this paper is the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) between solid and liquid phases in samples of raw wastewater and wastewater after treatment. The content of 16 PAHs according to the US EPA was determined in the samples of coke plant wastewater from the Zdzieszowice Coke Plant, Poland. The samples contained raw wastewater, wastewater after physico-chemical treatment as well as after biological treatment. The ΣPHA16 content varied between 255.050 μg L(-1) and 311.907 μg L(-1) in raw wastewater and between 0.940 and 4.465 μg L(-1) in wastewater after full treatment. Investigation of the distribution of PAHs showed that 71-84% of these compounds is adsorbed on the surface of suspended solids and 16-29% is dissolved in water. Distribution of individual PAHs and ΣPHA16 between solid phase and liquid phase was described with the use of statistically significant, linear equations. The calculated values of the partitioning coefficient Kp changed from 0.99 to 7.90 for naphthalene in samples containing mineral-organic suspension and acenaphthylene in samples with biological activated sludge, respectively.

Quantification of Shiga Toxin-Converting Bacteriophages in Wastewater and in Fecal Samples by Real-Time Quantitative PCR ▿

PubMed Central

Imamovic, Lejla; Ballesté, Elisenda; Jofre, Juan; Muniesa, Maite

2010-01-01

Shiga toxin-converting bacteriophages (Stx phages) are involved in the pathogenicity of some enteric bacteria, such as Escherichia coli O157:H7. Stx phages are released from their bacterial hosts after lytic induction and remain free in the environment. Samples were analyzed for the presence of free Stx phages by an experimental approach based on the use of real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), which enables stx to be detected in the DNA from the viral fraction of each sample. A total of 150 samples, including urban raw sewage samples, wastewater samples with fecal contamination from cattle, pigs, and poultry, and fecal samples from humans and diverse animals, were used in this study. Stx phages were detected in 70.0% of urban sewage samples (10 to 103 gene copies [GC] per ml) and in 94.0% of animal wastewater samples of several origins (10 to 1010 GC per ml). Eighty-nine percent of cattle fecal samples were positive for Stx phages (10 to 105 GC per g of sample), as were 31.8% of other fecal samples of various origins (10 to 104 GC per g of sample). The stx2 genes and stx2 variants were detected in the viral fraction of some of the samples after sequencing of stx2 fragments amplified by conventional PCR. The occurrence and abundance of Stx phages in the extraintestinal environment confirm the role of Stx phages as a reservoir of stx in the environment. PMID:20622134

Occurrence of Legionella in wastewater treatment plants linked to wastewater characteristics.

PubMed

Caicedo, C; Beutel, S; Scheper, T; Rosenwinkel, K H; Nogueira, R

2016-08-01

In recent years, the occurrence of Legionella in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) has often been reported. However, until now there is limited knowledge about the factors that promote Legionella's growth in such systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical wastewater parameters that might be correlated to the concentration of Legionella spp. in WWTP receiving industrial effluents. For this purpose, samples were collected at different processes in three WWTP. In 100 % of the samples taken from the activated sludge tanks Legionella spp. were detected at varying concentrations (4.8 to 5.6 log GU/mL) by the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method, but not by the culture method. Statistical analysis with various parameters yielded positive correlations of Legionella spp. concentration with particulate chemical oxygen demand, Kjeldahl nitrogen and protein concentration. Amino acids were quantified in wastewater and activated sludge samples at concentrations that may not support the growth of Legionella, suggesting that in activated sludge tanks this bacterium multiplied in protozoan hosts.

Effects of industrial wastewater on growth and biomass production in commonly grown vegetables.

PubMed

Uzma, Syeda; Azizullah, Azizullah; Bibi, Roqaia; Nabeela, Farhat; Muhammad, Uzair; Ali, Imran; Rehman, Zia Ur; Häder, Donat-Peter

2016-06-01

In developing countries like Pakistan, irrigation of crops with industrial and municipal wastewater is a common practice. However, the impact of wastewater irrigation on vegetables growth has rarely been studied. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the effect of industrial wastewater on the germination and seedling growth of some commonly grown vegetables in Pakistan. Wastewater samples were collected from two different industries (marble industry and match alam factory) at Hayatabad Industrial Estate (HIE) in Peshawar, Pakistan, and their effect on different growth parameters of four vegetables including Hibiscus esculentus, Lactuca sativa, Cucumis sativus, and Cucumis melo was investigated. The obtained results revealed that wastewater from marble industry did not affect seed germination except a minor inhibition in H. esculentus. Effluents from match alam factory stimulated seed germination in C. melo and C. sativus but had no effect on seed germination in the other two vegetables. Wastewater increased root and shoot length in H. esculentus, L. sativa and C. melo, but decreased it in C. sativus. Similarly, differential effects of wastewater were observed on fresh and dry biomass of seedlings in all vegetables. It can be concluded that wastewater may have different effects on different crops, depending upon the nature of wastewater and sensitivity of a plant species to wastewater.

Prediction of wastewater quality indicators at the inflow to the wastewater treatment plant using data mining methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szeląg, Bartosz; Barbusiński, Krzysztof; Studziński, Jan; Bartkiewicz, Lidia

2017-11-01

In the study, models developed using data mining methods are proposed for predicting wastewater quality indicators: biochemical and chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, total nitrogen and total phosphorus at the inflow to wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The models are based on values measured in previous time steps and daily wastewater inflows. Also, independent prediction systems that can be used in case of monitoring devices malfunction are provided. Models of wastewater quality indicators were developed using MARS (multivariate adaptive regression spline) method, artificial neural networks (ANN) of the multilayer perceptron type combined with the classification model (SOM) and cascade neural networks (CNN). The lowest values of absolute and relative errors were obtained using ANN+SOM, whereas the MARS method produced the highest error values. It was shown that for the analysed WWTP it is possible to obtain continuous prediction of selected wastewater quality indicators using the two developed independent prediction systems. Such models can ensure reliable WWTP work when wastewater quality monitoring systems become inoperable, or are under maintenance.

Electro membrane extraction of sodium diclofenac as an acidic compound from wastewater, urine, bovine milk, and plasma samples and quantification by high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Davarani, Saied Saeed Hosseiny; Pourahadi, Ahmad; Nojavan, Saeed; Banitaba, Mohammad Hossein; Nasiri-Aghdam, Mahnaz

2012-04-13

Electro membrane extraction (EME) as a new microextraction method was applied for extraction of sodium diclofenac (SDF) as an acidic compound from wastewater, urine, bovine milk and plasma samples. Under applied potential of 20 V during the extraction, SDF migrated from a 2.1 mL of sample solution (1mM NaOH), through a supported liquid membrane (SLM), into a 30 μL acceptor solution (10 mM NaOH), exist inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. The negative electrode was placed in the donor solution, and the positive electrode was placed in the acceptor solution. 1-octanol was immobilized in the pores of a porous hollow fiber of polypropylene as SLM. Then the extract was analyzed by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV-detection for quantification of SDF. Best results were obtained using a phosphate running electrolyte (10 mM, pH 2.5). The ranges of quantitation for different samples were 8-500 ngmL(-1). Intra- and inter-day RSDs were less than 14.5%. Under the optimized conditions, the preconcentration factors were between 31 and 66 and also the limit of detections (LODs) ranged from 2.7 ng mL(-1) to 5 ng mL(-1) in different samples. This procedure was applied to determine SDF in wastewater, bovine milk, urine and plasma samples (spiked and real samples). Extraction recoveries for different samples were between 44-95% after 5 min of extraction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heavy metals removals from wet market wastewater by phycoremediation technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jais, N. M.; Mohamed, R. M. S. R.; Apandi, N.; Al-Gheethi, A. A.

2018-04-01

The wet market provided fresh foodstuff. Unfortunately, the sullage commonly discharged directly to the drainage without any treatment. Hence, this research was focused on culturing the Scenedesmus sp. and implemented the phycoremediation process to wet market wastewater and to measure the heavy metal removals by Scenedesmus sp. There are two different time collected samples: (1) Sample at 7 a.m. and (2) Sample at 9 a.m.. The five samples were collected for each time sampling from of the Parit Raja Public Market, Batu Pahat wastewater (with additional of five different concentrations of Scenedesmus sp. which are 1.235x106, 1.224x106, 1.220x106, 1.213x106 and 1.203x106 cell/ml). This experiment was conducted within eight days for culturing Scenedesmus sp. and phycoremediation within another eight days. The analysis was done with changes of DO and pH and heavy metals removal during phycoremediation. Based on the result, the optimum efficiency removals for each heavy metal had achieved (36.62-100%) and the optimum concentration for Sample 7 a.m. and Sample 9 a.m. is Concentration 1 (1.235x106 cell/ml) obtained 81.18-100% of heavy metal removals. Concentration of microalgae is statistically correlated well with Fe (p<0.05) while not correlated significantly for Zn and Cu (p>0.05) in influencing high nutrient removal in the wastewater.

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.

Class 1 Integrons and the Antiseptic Resistance Gene (qacEΔ1) in Municipal and Swine Slaughterhouse Wastewater Treatment Plants and Wastewater-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Wan, Min Tao; Chou, Chin Cheng

2015-06-02

Class 1 integrons are mobile gene elements (MGEs) containing qacEΔ1 that are resistant to quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) disinfectants. This study compared the abundances of class 1 integrons and antiseptic resistance genes in municipal (M) and swine slaughterhouse (S) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and investigated the presence of class 1 integrons and antiseptic resistance genes in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from wastewater samples. The abundances of intI1 and qacEΔ1 genes in 96 wastewater samples were quantified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time qPCR), and 113 MRSA isolates recovered from the wastewater samples were detected class 1 integrons and linked antiseptic resistance genes (qacEΔ1), and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for QAC antiseptics. The intI1 and qacEΔ1 genes were detected in all the wastewater samples, and they were more abundant in S-WWTP samples than in M-WWTP samples. A higher percentage of MRSA isolates carried qacEΔ1 in MRSA from swine wastewater samples (62.8%) than in municipal MRSA (3.7%). All the MRSA isolates showed high MICs for antiseptic agents. This study provides important evidence regarding the abundances of intI1 and qacEΔ1 genes in municipal and swine slaughterhouse wastewater, and antiseptic-resistant MRSA strains were detected in swine slaughterhouse wastewater.

The gas chromatographic determination of volatile fatty acids in wastewater samples: evaluation of experimental biases in direct injection method against thermal desorption method.

PubMed

Ullah, Md Ahsan; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Szulejko, Jan E; Cho, Jinwoo

2014-04-11

The production of short-chained volatile fatty acids (VFAs) by the anaerobic bacterial digestion of sewage (wastewater) affords an excellent opportunity to alternative greener viable bio-energy fuels (i.e., microbial fuel cell). VFAs in wastewater (sewage) samples are commonly quantified through direct injection (DI) into a gas chromatograph with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). In this study, the reliability of VFA analysis by the DI-GC method has been examined against a thermal desorption (TD-GC) method. The results indicate that the VFA concentrations determined from an aliquot from each wastewater sample by the DI-GC method were generally underestimated, e.g., reductions of 7% (acetic acid) to 93.4% (hexanoic acid) relative to the TD-GC method. The observed differences between the two methods suggest the possibly important role of the matrix effect to give rise to the negative biases in DI-GC analysis. To further explore this possibility, an ancillary experiment was performed to examine bias patterns of three DI-GC approaches. For instance, the results of the standard addition (SA) method confirm the definite role of matrix effect when analyzing wastewater samples by DI-GC. More importantly, their biases tend to increase systematically with increasing molecular weight and decreasing VFA concentrations. As such, the use of DI-GC method, if applied for the analysis of samples with a complicated matrix, needs a thorough validation to improve the reliability in data acquisition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Trace analysis of 28 steroids in surface water, wastewater and sludge samples by rapid resolution liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Liu, Shan; Ying, Guang-Guo; Zhao, Jian-Liang; Chen, Feng; Yang, Bin; Zhou, Li-Jun; Lai, Hua-Jie

2011-03-11

A sensitive rapid resolution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC-MS/MS) method, combined with solid-phase extraction, ultrasonic extraction and silica gel cartridge cleanup, was developed for 28 steroids including 4 estrogens (estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethynyl estradiol (EE2), diethylstilbestrol (DES)), 14 androgens (androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD), 17α-trenbolone, 17β-trenbolone, 4-androstene-3,17-dione, 19-nortestoserone, 17β-boldenone, 17α-boldenone, testosterone (T), epi-androsterone (EADR), methyltestosterone (MT), 4-hydroxy-androst-4-ene-17-dione (4-OHA), 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT), androsterone (ADR), stanozolol (S)), 5 progestagens (progesterone (P), ethynyl testosterone (ET), 19-norethindrone, norgestrel, medroxyprogesterone (MP)), and 5 glucocorticoids (cortisol, cortisone, prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone) in surface water, wastewater and sludge samples. The recoveries of surface water, influents, effluents and sludge samples were 90.6-119.0% (except 5α-DHT was 143%), 44.0-200%, 60.7-123% and 62.6-138%, respectively. The method detection limits for the 28 analytes in surface water, influents, effluents and freeze-dried sludge samples were 0.01-0.24 ng/L, 0.02-1.44 ng/L, 0.01-0.49 ng/L and 0.08-2.06 ng/g, respectively. This method was applied in the determination of the residual steroidal hormones in two surface water of Danshui River, 12 wastewater and 8 sludge samples from two wastewater treatment plants (Meihu and Huiyang WWTPs) in Guangdong (China). Ten analytes were detected in surface water samples with concentrations ranging between 0.4 ng/L (17β-boldenone) and 55.3 ng/L (5α-DHT); twenty analytes in the wastewater samples with concentrations ranging between 0.3 ng/L (P) and 621 ng/L (5α-DHT); and 12 analytes in the sludge samples with concentrations ranging between 1.6 ng/g (E1) and 372 ng/g (EADR). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantification of hookworm ova from wastewater matrices using quantitative PCR.

PubMed

Gyawali, Pradip; Ahmed, Warish; Sidhu, Jatinder P; Jagals, Paul; Toze, Simon

2017-07-01

A quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was used to quantify Ancylostoma caninum ova in wastewater and sludge samples. We estimated the average gene copy numbers for a single ovum using a mixed population of ova. The average gene copy numbers derived from the mixed population were used to estimate numbers of hookworm ova in A. caninum seeded and unseeded wastewater and sludge samples. The newly developed qPCR assay estimated an average of 3.7×10 3 gene copies per ovum, which was then validated by seeding known numbers of hookworm ova into treated wastewater. The qPCR estimated an average of (1.1±0.1), (8.6±2.9) and (67.3±10.4) ova for treated wastewater that was seeded with (1±0), (10±2) and (100±21) ova, respectively. The further application of the qPCR assay for the quantification of A. caninum ova was determined by seeding a known numbers of ova into the wastewater matrices. The qPCR results indicated that 50%, 90% and 67% of treated wastewater (1L), raw wastewater (1L) and sludge (~4g) samples had variable numbers of A. caninum gene copies. After conversion of the qPCR estimated gene copy numbers to ova for treated wastewater, raw wastewater, and sludge samples, had an average of 0.02, 1.24 and 67 ova, respectively. The result of this study indicated that qPCR can be used for the quantification of hookworm ova from wastewater and sludge samples; however, caution is advised in interpreting qPCR generated data for health risk assessment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Dataset of producing and curing concrete using domestic treated wastewater.

PubMed

Asadollahfardi, Gholamreza; Delnavaz, Mohammad; Rashnoiee, Vahid; Fazeli, Alireza; Gonabadi, Navid

2016-03-01

We tested the setting time of cement, slump and compressive and tensile strength of 54 triplicate cubic samples and 9 cylindrical samples of concrete with and without a Super plasticizer admixture. We produced concrete samples made with drinking water and treated domestic wastewater containing 300, 400 kg/m(3) of cement before chlorination and then cured concrete samples made with drinking water and treated wastewater. Second, concrete samples made with 350 kg/m(3) of cement with a Superplasticizer admixture made with drinking water and treated wastewater and then cured with treated wastewater. The compressive strength of all the concrete samples made with treated wastewater had a high coefficient of determination with the control concrete samples. A 28-day tensile strength of all the samples was 96-100% of the tensile strength of the control samples and the setting time was reduced by 30 min which was consistent with a ASTMC191 standard. All samples produced and cured with treated waste water did not have a significant effect on water absorption, slump and surface electrical resistivity tests. However, compressive strength at 21 days of concrete samples using 300 kg/m(3) of cement in rapid freezing and thawing conditions was about 11% lower than concrete samples made with drinking water.

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

Industrial wastewater as raw material for exopolysaccharide production by Rhizobium leguminosarum

PubMed Central

Sellami, Mohamed; Oszako, Tomasz; Miled, Nabil; Ben Rebah, Faouzi

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by Rhizobium leguminosarum cultivated in wastewater generated by oil companies (WWOC1 and WWOC2) and fish processing industry (WWFP). The results obtained in Erlenmeyer flasks indicated that the rhizobial strain grew well in industrial wastewater. Generally, wastewater composition affected the growth and the EPS production. WWFP allowed good bacterial growth similar to that obtained with the standard medium (YMB). During growth, various quantities of EPS were produced and yields varied depending on the media. Growing in YMB, EPS production did not exceed 9.7 g/L obtained after 72 h of growth. In wastewater, the maximum EPS value reached 11.1 g/L obtained with the fish processing wastewater, after 72 h of growth. The use of a mixture of the oil company wastewater (WWOC2) and the fish processing wastewater (WWFP) as culture medium affected not only the rhizobial strain growth, but also EPS production. The highest EPS (42.4 g/L, after 96 h of culture) was obtained using a ratio of WWFP and WWOC2 of 50:50 (v:v). Therefore, this work shows the ability of Rhizobium leguminosarum, growing in industrial wastewater as new economic medium, to produce EPS. This biopolymer could be applied in enormous biotechnological areas. PMID:26273255

Strategies for Obtaining Probability Samples of Homeless Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Golinelli, Daniela; Tucker, Joan S.; Ryan, Gery W.; Wenzel, Suzanne L.

2015-01-01

Studies of homeless individuals typically sample subjects from few types of sites or regions within a metropolitan area. This article focuses on the biases that can result from such a practice. We obtained a probability sample of 419 homeless youth from 41 sites (shelters, drop-in centers, and streets) in four regions of Los Angeles County (LAC).…

Using wastewater after lipid fermentation as substrate for bacterial cellulose production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus.

PubMed

Huang, Chao; Guo, Hai-Jun; Xiong, Lian; Wang, Bo; Shi, Si-Lan; Chen, Xue-Fang; Lin, Xiao-Qing; Wang, Can; Luo, Jun; Chen, Xin-De

2016-01-20

In this study, lipid fermentation wastewater (fermentation broth after separation with yeast biomass) with high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) value of 25,591 mg/L was used as substrate for bacterial cellulose (BC) production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus for the first time. After 5 days of fermentation, the highest BC yield (0.659 g/L) was obtained. Both monosaccharide and polysaccharides present in lipid fermentation wastewater could be utilized by G. xylinus simultaneously during fermentation. By this bioconversion, 30.0% of COD could be removed after 10 days of fermentation and the remaining wastewater could be used for further BC fermentation. The crystallinity of BC samples in lipid fermentation wastewater increased gradually during fermentation but overall the environment of lipid fermentation wastewater showed small influence on BC structure by comparison with that in traditional HS medium by using FE-SEM, FTIR, and XRD. By this work, the possibility of using lipid fermentation wastewater containing low value carbohydrate polymer (extracellular polysaccharides) for high value carbohydrate polymer (BC) production was proven. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toxicity potential of disinfection agent in tannery wastewater.

PubMed

Tisler, Tatjana; Zagorc-Koncan, Jana; Cotman, Magda; Drolc, Andreja

2004-09-01

Wastewater from a tannery was investigated using chemical-specific analyses and assessment of the acute toxicity of the whole effluent over a 2-year period. The wastewater samples were overloaded with organic and inorganic compounds, and measured concentrations of the chemical parameters as well as dilution factors estimating acute toxicity, frequently exceeded the permissible limits for the discharge of wastewater from a tannery into the receiving stream. In the later part of the monitoring programme, the toxicity of the samples was significantly increased in comparison to the previous samples. The agent for hide disinfection was assumed to be the reason for the increased toxicity of the wastewater samples, and the extremely high acute and chronic toxicity of the agent to bacteria, algae, daphnids, and fish confirmed this suspicion. The most sensitive species was Daphnia magna; the 48 h EC50 was 0.70 x 10(-5)v/v% and the 21d IC25 was 0.40 x 10(-6)v/v% of the agent. After withdrawal of this highly toxic agent for hide disinfection from the technological process in the tannery, the toxicity of the wastewater declined to the previous level.

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.

Development of a new multi-residue laser diode thermal desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry method for the detection and quantification of pesticides and pharmaceuticals in wastewater samples.

PubMed

Boisvert, Michel; Fayad, Paul B; Sauvé, Sébastien

2012-11-19

A new solid phase extraction (SPE) method coupled to a high throughput sample analysis technique was developed for the simultaneous determination of nine selected emerging contaminants in wastewater (atrazine, desethylatrazine, 17β-estradiol, ethynylestradiol, norethindrone, caffeine, carbamazepine, diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole). We specifically included pharmaceutical compounds from multiple therapeutic classes, as well as pesticides. Sample pre-concentration and clean-up was performed using a mixed-mode SPE cartridge (Strata ABW) having both cation and anion exchange properties, followed by analysis by laser diode thermal desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LDTD-APCI-MS/MS). The LDTD interface is a new high-throughput sample introduction method, which reduces total analysis time to less than 15s per sample as compared to minutes with traditional liquid-chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Several SPE parameters were evaluated in order to optimize recovery efficiencies when extracting analytes from wastewater, such as the nature of the stationary phase, the loading flow rate, the extraction pH, the volume and composition of the washing solution and the initial sample volume. The method was successfully applied to real wastewater samples from the primary sedimentation tank of a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Recoveries of target compounds from wastewater ranged from 78% to 106%, the limit of detection ranged from 30 to 122ng L(-1) while the limit of quantification ranged from 90 to 370ng L(-1). Calibration curves in the wastewater matrix showed good linearity (R(2)≥0.991) for all target analytes and the intraday and interday coefficient of variation was below 15%, reflecting a good precision. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Municipal wastewater biological nutrient removal driven by the fermentation liquid of dairy wastewater.

PubMed

Liu, Hui; Chen, Yinguang; Wu, Jiang

2017-11-01

Carbon substrate is required by biological nutrient removal (BNR) microorganism, but it is usually insufficient in the influent of many municipal wastewater treatment plants. In this study the use of ethanol-enriched fermentation liquid, which was derived from dairy wastewater, as the preferred carbon substrate of BNR was reported. First, the application of dairy wastewater and food processing wastewater and their fermentation liquid as the carbon substrate of BNR was compared in the short-term tests. The fermented wastewater showed higher BNR performance than the unfermented one, and the fermentation liquid of dairy wastewater (FL-DW), which was obtained under pH 8 and fermentation time of 6 day, exhibited the highest phosphorus (95.5%) and total nitrogen (97.6%) removal efficiencies due to its high ethanol content (57.9%). Then, the long-term performance of FL-DW acting as the carbon substrate of BNR was compared with that of acetate and ethanol, and the FL-DW showed the greatest phosphorus and total nitrogen removal. Further investigation showed that the use of FL-DW caused the highest polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) synthesis in BNR microbial cells, and more PHAs were used for phosphorus uptake and denitrification rather than glycogen synthesis and microbial growth. The FL-DW can be used as a preferred carbon substrate for BNR microbes. AB: aerobic end sludge active biomass; BNR: biological nutrient removal; DW: dairy wastewater; FL-DW: fermentation liquid of dairy wastewater; FPW: food processing wastewater; FL-FPW: fermentation liquid of food processing wastewater; PHAs: polyhydroxyalkanoates; PHB: poly-3-hydroxybutyrate; PHV: poly-3-hydroxyvalerate; PH2MV: poly-3-hydroxy-2- methylvalerate; PAOs: phosphorus accumulating organisms; SBR: sequencing batch reactor; SOP: soluble ortho-phosphorus; TN: total nitrogen; TSS: total suspended solids; VSS: volatile suspended solids; VFAs: volatile fatty acids; WWTPs: wastewater treatment plants.

Determination of methyl mercury in dental-unit wastewater.

PubMed

Stone, Mark E; Cohen, Mark E; Liang, Lian; Pang, Patrick

2003-11-01

The objective of this investigation was to establish whether monomethyl mercury (MMHg) is present in dental-unit wastewater and if present, to determine the concentration relative to total mercury. Wastewater samples were collected over an 18-month period from three locations: at the dental chair; at a 30-chair clinic, and at a 107-chair clinic. Total mercury determinations were completed using United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) method 1631. MMHg was measured utilizing modified USEPA method 1630. The total mercury levels were found to be: 45182.11 microg/l (n=13, SD=68562.42) for the chair-side samples, 5350.74 microg/l (n=12, SD=2672.94) for samples at the 30-chair clinic, and 13439.13 microg/l (n=13, SD=9898.91) for samples at the107-chair clinic. Monomethyl Hg levels averaged 0.90 microg/l (n=13, SD=0.87) for chair side samples, 8.26 (n=12, SD=7.74) for the 30-chair facility, and 26.77 microg/l (n=13, SD=34.50) for 107-chair facility. By way of comparison, the MMHg levels for the open ocean, lakes and rain are orders of magnitude lower than methyl mercury levels seen in dental wastewater (part per billion levels for dental wastewater samples compared to part per trillion levels for samples from the environment). Environmentally important levels of MMHg were found to be present in dental-unit wastewater at concentrations orders of magnitude higher than seen in natural settings.

Ultratrace determination of total and available cyanides in industrial wastewaters through a rapid headspace-based sample preparation and gas chromatography with nitrogen phosphorous detection analysis.

PubMed

Marton, Daniele; Tapparo, Andrea; Di Marco, Valerio B; Repice, Carla; Giorio, Chiara; Bogialli, Sara

2013-07-26

A new analytical method for the determination of both available (free and weak acid dissociable, WAD) and total cyanides in industrial wastewaters has been developed. It is based on the static headspace (HS) sampling procedure followed by a GC separation and the selective nitrogen-phosphorous detection (NPD), in which different thermal treatment allows the speciation of total and available cyanides. Detection limits (0.5μg/L), recovery (84.7-114.6% for free and 76.8-121.5% for total cyanides) and precision (5% at 5μg/L), evaluated on both real and synthetic samples, were fit-for-purpose for the legal requirement (5μg/L) enforced in the Venice lagoon, without significant interfering species. In addition, analytical results of the HS-GC-NPD method have been compared with those obtained using the 4500 CN and EN ISO 14403 official methods for the determination of total and free cyanides, respectively. The new method has been successfully applied for the determination of cyanide concentrations in main influent and final effluent to the Venice lagoon to verify the efficiency of the industrial wastewater treatment plant of Porto Marghera (Venice, Italy). The capability of the proposed method to detect the WAD cyanides has been tested by studying the acid dissociation of K2[Ni(CN)4]. An unexpected speciation picture was obtained for this complex, which suggests that the present definition and analytical strategy of this cyanide class should be reconsidered. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dataset of producing and curing concrete using domestic treated wastewater

PubMed Central

Asadollahfardi, Gholamreza; Delnavaz, Mohammad; Rashnoiee, Vahid; Fazeli, Alireza; Gonabadi, Navid

2015-01-01

We tested the setting time of cement, slump and compressive and tensile strength of 54 triplicate cubic samples and 9 cylindrical samples of concrete with and without a Super plasticizer admixture. We produced concrete samples made with drinking water and treated domestic wastewater containing 300, 400 kg/m3 of cement before chlorination and then cured concrete samples made with drinking water and treated wastewater. Second, concrete samples made with 350 kg/m3 of cement with a Superplasticizer admixture made with drinking water and treated wastewater and then cured with treated wastewater. The compressive strength of all the concrete samples made with treated wastewater had a high coefficient of determination with the control concrete samples. A 28-day tensile strength of all the samples was 96–100% of the tensile strength of the control samples and the setting time was reduced by 30 min which was consistent with a ASTMC191 standard. All samples produced and cured with treated waste water did not have a significant effect on water absorption, slump and surface electrical resistivity tests. However, compressive strength at 21 days of concrete samples using 300 kg/m3 of cement in rapid freezing and thawing conditions was about 11% lower than concrete samples made with drinking water. PMID:26862577

Acrylonitrile removal from synthetic wastewater and actual industrial wastewater with high strength nitrogen using a pure bacteria culture.

PubMed

Wang, C C; Lee, C M; Cheng, P W

2001-01-01

A gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria (strain AAS6), capable of utilizing acrylonitrile as the sole source of both carbon and nitrogen, was utilized to investigate the removal of acrylonitrile in ABS resin manufacturing wastewater. Both synthetic wastewater, containing a high concentration of acrylonitrile, and actual wastewater obtained from an ABS manufacturing factory were used. The result indicated that strain AAS6 was capable of completely removing acrylonitrile from synthetic wastewater containing less than 889 mg/l acrylonitrile and from actual industrial wastewater containing less than 400 mg/l acrylonitrile. Whether in synthetic wastewater or actual industrial wastewater, strain AAS6 showed approximately the same ability for acrylonitrile removal and used acrylic acid, a metabolic by-product of acrylonitrile, as the carbon source and ammonium as the nitrogen source. The bacteria could not directly metabolize other chemicals found in the actual industrial wastewater. However, its metabolic activities were not inhibited by the presence of compounds such as butadiene, styrene or acrylonitrile-styrene polymer. Thus, this strain is expected to play an important role in aeration tanks for treating ABS resin manufacturing wastewater.

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.

Removal of Contaminant Nanoparticles from Wastewater Produced Via Hydrothermal Carbonization by SPIONs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsapour, Melika

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a chemical approach that can be defined as a combined dehydration and decarboxylation process in a wet state. Briefly, this process is performed by applying elevated temperature (between 180-250°C) and pressure (around 2MPa) to convert biomass from aqueous suspension (e.g. sludge, wastewater, natural products, among other) into three different phases and materials products, including biocoal. Further, during the wet conversion process the high residue content is transformed into nanoparticles that could present well-defined or heterogeneous nanostructure. Although HTC was known for years, it has been focused only recently due to exclusive products properties and cost-effective production. In fact, HTC has been used for sludge and wastewater treatment plants in some developed countries such as Germany. Nowadays, many scientific groups still investigate solid products (e.g. biocoal) from HTC. These studies are related to physico-chemical and biological characterization of HTC's generated materials, as well as their potential uses. However, aqueous products from HTC, which are rich in hydrocarbons derivatives and nanoparticles (NPs), are rarely studied. Thereby, our objective is to study the wastewater generated from HTC applied to samples of either glycerin or sugar. Furthermore, we propose a novel treatment strategy to remove the NPs from the wastewater. In this regard, we have used Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide (SPIONs) due to their unique physico-chemical properties (magnetic properties, adsorption capacity, biocompatibility and eco-friendly degradation) for decontamination of water and wastewater. In this regard, we synthesized two different nanocomposites based on SPIONs to carry out the magnetic removal of existent NPs in the wastewater. For the first case, we synthesized polyethylene-glycol (PEG) coated SPIONS (SPIONs PEG). The second one was a new nanocomposite (SPIONs/GO) obtained from in situ growth of SPIONS over

Organic contaminants in onsite wastewater treatment systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2007-01-01

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

The assessment of treated wastewater quality and the effects of mid-term irrigation on soil physical and chemical properties (case study: Bandargaz-treated wastewater)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaboosi, Kami

2017-09-01

This study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of inflow and outflow wastewater of the Bandargaz wastewater treatment plant on the basis of the data collection of operation period and the samples taken during the study. Also the effects of mid-term use of the wastewater for irrigation (from 2005 to 2013) on soil physical and chemical characteristics were studied. For this purpose, 4 samples were taken from the inflow and outflow wastewater and 25 quality parameters were measured. Also, the four soil samples from a depth of 0-30 cm of two rice field irrigated with wastewater in the beginning and middle of the planting season and two samples from one adjacent rice field irrigated with fresh water were collected and their chemical and physical characteristics were determined. Average of electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, sodium adsorption ratio, chemical oxygen demand and 5 days biochemical oxygen demand in treated wastewater were 1.35 dS/m, 707 ppm, 0.93, 80 ppm and 40 ppm, respectively. Results showed that although some restrictions exist about chlorine and bicarbonate, the treated wastewater is suitable for irrigation based on national and international standards and criteria. In comparison with fresh water, the mid-term use of wastewater caused a little increase of soil salinity. However, it did not lead to increase of soil salinity beyond rice salinity threshold. Also, there were no restrictions on soil in the aspect of salinity and sodium hazard on the basis of many irrigated soil classifications. In comparison with fresh water, the mid-term use of wastewater caused the increase of total N, absorbable P and absorbable K in soil due to high concentration of those elements in treated wastewater.

Monitoring contaminants of emerging concern from tertiary wastewater treatment plants using passive sampling modelled with performance reference compounds.

PubMed

Sultana, Tamanna; Murray, Craig; Ehsanul Hoque, M; Metcalfe, Chris D

2016-12-01

The Lake Simcoe watershed in Ontario, Canada is an important recreational area and a recharge zone for groundwater resources. Lake Simcoe is a relatively shallow lotic system that has been impacted by urban development, recreation, industry and agriculture. As part of a watershed management plan, six wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in this catchment basin were selected to measure the inputs of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) of wastewater origin. These WWTPs were recently upgraded to tertiary treatment for phosphorus removal. Polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) and semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were used to monitor for hydrophilic and hydrophobic CECs, respectively, in treated and untreated wastewater. The passive samplers were calibrated with performance reference compounds (PRCs) by measuring the loss of deuterated beta blocker drugs spiked into POCIS and the loss of PCB congeners spiked into SPMDs over the course of 14-day deployment periods. From the PRC data, field sampling rates of CECs were determined and applied to estimate time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations and mass loadings in mg/day/1000 members of the population serviced. In treated wastewater, TWA concentrations of an antibiotic, sulfamethoxazole, the prescription drugs, carbamazepine, naproxen and gemfibrozil, and the non-prescription drug, ibuprofen, were estimated to be in the low (<18 ng/L) range. The artificial sweeteners, sucralose and acesulfame, were particularly useful chemical tracers, with estimated TWA concentrations in treated wastewater ranging from 128 to 213 ng/L and 4 to 33 ng/L, respectively. The steroid hormones were detected only rarely in treated wastewater. Triclosan, triclocarban and the synthetic musks, HHCB and AHTN, were removed efficiently (>77 %), possibly because of the tertiary treatment technologies. Therefore, the mass loadings for these personal care products were all <5 mg/day/1000 people. Overall, this study

Biomass based activated carbon obtained from sludge and sugarcane bagasse for removing lead ion from wastewater.

PubMed

Tao, Hu-Chun; Zhang, He-Ran; Li, Jin-Bo; Ding, Wen-Yi

2015-09-01

Sewage sludge and bagasse were used as raw materials to produce cheap and efficient adsorbent with great adsorption capacity of Pb(2+). By pyrolysis at 800 °C for 0.5 h, the largest surface area (806.57 m(2)/g) of the adsorbent was obtained, enriched with organic functional groups. The optimal conditions for production of the adsorbent and adsorption of Pb(2+) were investigated. The results of adsorb-ability fitted the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order model well. The highest Pb(2+) (at pH = 4.0) adsorption capacity was achieved by treating with 60% (v/v) HNO3. This is a promising approach for metal removal from wastewater, as well as recycling sewage sludge and bagasse to ease their disposal pressure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A probabilistic QMRA of Salmonella in direct agricultural reuse of treated municipal wastewater.

PubMed

Amha, Yamrot M; Kumaraswamy, Rajkumari; Ahmad, Farrukh

2015-01-01

Developing reliable quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) procedures aids in setting recommendations on reuse applications of treated wastewater. In this study, a probabilistic QMRA to determine the risk of Salmonella infections resulting from the consumption of edible crops irrigated with treated wastewater was conducted. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to enumerate Salmonella spp. in post-disinfected samples, where they showed concentrations ranging from 90 to 1,600 cells/100 mL. The results were used to construct probabilistic exposure models for the raw consumption of three vegetables (lettuce, cabbage, and cucumber) irrigated with treated wastewater, and to estimate the disease burden using Monte Carlo analysis. The results showed elevated median disease burden, when compared with acceptable disease burden set by the World Health Organization, which is 10⁻⁶ disability-adjusted life years per person per year. Of the three vegetables considered, lettuce showed the highest risk of infection in all scenarios considered, while cucumber showed the lowest risk. The results of the Salmonella concentration obtained with qPCR were compared with the results of Escherichia coli concentration for samples taken on the same sampling dates.

Genetically distinct genogroup IV norovirus strains identified in wastewater.

PubMed

Kitajima, Masaaki; Rachmadi, Andri T; Iker, Brandon C; Haramoto, Eiji; Gerba, Charles P

2016-12-01

We investigated the prevalence and genetic diversity of genogroup IV norovirus (GIV NoV) strains in wastewater in Arizona, United States, over a 13-month period. Among 50 wastewater samples tested, GIV NoVs were identified in 13 (26 %) of the samples. A total of 47 different GIV NoV strains were identified, which were classified into two genetically distinct clusters: the GIV.1 human cluster and a unique genetic cluster closely related to strains previously identified in Japanese wastewater. The results provide additional evidence of the considerable genetic diversity among GIV NoV strains through the analysis of wastewater containing virus strains shed from all populations.

Treatment of kitchen wastewater using Eichhornia crassipes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parwin, Rijwana; Karar Paul, Kakoli

2018-03-01

The efficiency of Eichhornia crassipes for treatment of raw kitchen wastewater was studied in the present research work. An artificial wetland of 30 liter capacity was created for phytoremediation of kitchen wastewater using Eichhornia crassipes. Kitchen wastewater samples were collected from hostel of an educational institute in India. Samples were characterized based on physical and chemical parameters such as pH, turbidity, total hardness, nitrate-nitrogen, ammonium-nitrogen, sulphate, dissolved oxygen, total organic carbon and total dissolved solid. The physico-chemical parameter of kitchen wastewater samples were analysed for durations of 0 (initial day), 4 and 8 days. After 8 days of retention period, it was observed that pH value increases from 6.25 to 6.63. However, percentage reduction for turbidity, total hardness, nitrate-nitrogen, ammonium-nitrogen, sulphate, dissolved oxygen, total organic carbon and total dissolved solid were found to be 74.71%, 50%, 78.75%, 60.28%, 25.31%, 33.33%, 15.38% and 69.97%, respectively. Hence water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is found efficient and easy to handle and it can be used for low cost phytoremediation technique.

Effect of activated sludge acclimation aeration time on bayberry wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Liang; He, Lingfeng; Zhang, Yongli

2018-03-01

Taking the myrica rubra pickle wastewater of Chaozhou Kang Hui group as the water sample, biochemical method was used to treat the wastewater, after domestication, the biochemical treatment was carried out. The influence of time on COD index was investigated. The results showed that: tap water: sewage: sludge = 1:1:1, 900 mL each. Under the action of 30 min time, the supernatant was taken at 100 mL, and the wastewater was added to 900 mL,. Under the action of activated sludge, the degradation of myrica rubra wastewater samples, after domestication 84 h, the effect is better. Under this condition, the standard of SBR process for wastewater treatment is reached.

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.

Multi-residue determination of 10 selected new psychoactive substances in wastewater samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Borova, Viola L; Gago-Ferrero, Pablo; Pistos, Constantinos; Thomaidis, Nikolaos S

2015-11-01

New psychoactive substances (NPSs) have become increasingly popular in recent years. The analysis of these substances in influent wastewater (IWW) can be used to track their use in communities. In addition, an evaluation of the amount of NPSs released to the aquatic environment can be performed through the analysis of effluent wastewater (EWW). This study presents the development, validation and application of an analytical methodology, based on solid phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), for the determination of 10 NPSs in IWW and EWW. Synthetic cannabinoids, cathinones, piperazines and pyrrolidophenones are included among the target analytes. To the authors' knowledge, it is the first time that eight out of these substances (4'-methylpyrrolidinobutyrophenone (MPPP), a-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (a-PVP), 2-[(1S,3R)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-5-(2-methyl-2-octanyl) phenol (CP47,497), (1-naphthyl(1-pentyl-1H-indol-3-yl) methanone (JWH-018), (1-butyl-1H-indol-3-yl)(1-naphthyl) methanone (JWH-073), (4-ethyl-1-naphthyl)(1-pentyl-1H-indol-3-yl) methanone (JWH-210), (4-methyl-1-naphthyl) (1-pentyl-1H-indol-3-yl) methanone (JWH-122) and 2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-(1-pentyl-1H-indol-3-yl) ethanone (JWH-250)) are investigated in wastewater. The optimized conditions for the analysis of this set of compounds included a SPE clean-up step using a polymeric sorbent and the use of a pentafluorophenyl (PFP) chromatographic column. Despite the broad range of physicochemical properties of the analytes the method allowed acceptable absolute recoveries (40-109%) for all the studied compounds at different levels of concentration. Low method limits of detection (MLODs) were achieved, ranging between 0.3 and 10 ng/L except for BZP and CP47,497 (20 and 23 ng/L, respectively), allowing a reliable and accurate quantification of the analytes. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of IWW and EWW samples from five wastewater treatment plants

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Detected at Four U.S. Wastewater Treatment Plants

PubMed Central

Goldstein, Rachel E. Rosenberg; Micallef, Shirley A.; Gibbs, Shawn G.; Davis, Johnnie A.; He, Xin; George, Ashish; Kleinfelter, Lara M.; Schreiber, Nicole A.; Mukherjee, Sampa; Joseph, Sam W.

2012-01-01

Background: The incidence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections is increasing in the United States, and it is possible that municipal wastewater could be a reservoir of this microorganism. To date, no U.S. studies have evaluated the occurrence of MRSA in wastewater. Objective: We examined the occurrence of MRSA and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) at U.S. wastewater treatment plants. Methods: We collected wastewater samples from two Mid-Atlantic and two Midwest wastewater treatment plants between October 2009 and October 2010. Samples were analyzed for MRSA and MSSA using membrane filtration. Isolates were confirmed using biochemical tests and PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by Sensititre® microbroth dilution. Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) screening, and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were performed to further characterize the strains. Data were analyzed by two-sample proportion tests and analysis of variance. Results: We detected MRSA (n = 240) and MSSA (n = 119) in 22 of 44 (50%) and 24 of 44 (55%) wastewater samples, respectively. The odds of samples being MRSA-positive decreased as treatment progressed: 10 of 12 (83%) influent samples were MRSA-positive, while only one of 12 (8%) effluent samples was MRSA-positive. Ninety-three percent and 29% of unique MRSA and MSSA isolates, respectively, were multidrug resistant. SCCmec types II and IV, the pvl gene, and USA types 100, 300, and 700 (PFGE strain types commonly found in the United States) were identified among the MRSA isolates. Conclusions: Our findings raise potential public health concerns for wastewater treatment plant workers and individuals exposed to reclaimed wastewater. Because of increasing use of reclaimed wastewater, further study is needed to evaluate the risk of exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria in treated

[Helminth prevalence in a waste-water plant at El Rosal, Cundinamarca].

PubMed

Ortiz, Carolina; López, Myriam C; Rivas, Favio A

2012-01-01

Assessing helminth egg prevalence in sludge and raw and treated wastewater from a wastewater treatment system located in the village of El Rosal, Cundinamarca. 30 wastewater and 10 sludge samples from the El Rosal plant were taken during a 10-week period. The sludge and water samples were processed according to the Bailinger and the official Mexican standard methodology, respectively. Egg viability was determined by the method described by Victórica & Galván and the Mexican official standard. Descriptive statistics were used for analysing data. 100 % of the untreated wastewater samples showed the presence of eggs and at least one viable helminth egg/litre was found in 90 % of them. 90 % of the treated wastewater samples were positive for the presence of eggs, finding that 70 % had at least one viable egg. All raw wastewater samples being dumped directly into the stream were positive for helminths; the same situation was found at the time of the viability test. All sludge samples were positive for helminths, finding that 100 % of these had at least one viable egg. Using this water for crop irrigation and using the sludge as fertiliser is a potential risk for public health. The sludge can only be used in forestry activities, as long as it does not come into contact with humans.

Treatment of olive mill wastewater by chemical processes: effect of acid cracking pretreatment.

PubMed

Hande Gursoy-Haksevenler, B; Arslan-Alaton, Idil

2014-01-01

The effect of acid cracking (pH 2.0; T 70 °C) and filtration as a pretreatment step on the chemical treatability of olive mill wastewater (chemical oxygen demand (COD) 150,000 m/L; total organic carbon (TOC) 36,000 mg/L; oil-grease 8,200 mg/L; total phenols 3,800 mg/L) was investigated. FeCl3 coagulation, Ca(OH)2 precipitation, electrocoagulation using stainless steel electrodes and the Fenton's reagent were applied as chemical treatment methods. Removal performances were examined in terms of COD, TOC, oil-grease, total phenols, colour, suspended solids and acute toxicity with the photobacterium Vibrio fischeri. Significant oil-grease (95%) and suspended solids (96%) accompanied with 58% COD, 43% TOC, 39% total phenols and 80% colour removals were obtained by acid cracking-filtration pretreatment. Among the investigated chemical treatment processes, electrocoagulation and the Fenton's reagent were found more effective after pretreatment, especially in terms of total phenols removal. Total phenols removal increased from 39 to 72% when pretreatment was applied, while no significant additional (≈10-15%) COD and TOC removals were obtained when acid cracking was coupled with chemical treatment. The acute toxicity of the original olive mill wastewater sample increased considerably after pretreatment from 75 to 89% (measured for the 10-fold diluted wastewater sample). An operating cost analysis was also performed for the selected chemical treatment processes.

Dynamics of Nutrients Transport in Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toor, G.; De, M.

2013-05-01

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

Effects of winery wastewater on soil, grape nutrition, and wine quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many wineries are interested in recycling wastewater for irrigation. This project investigates the effects on winemaking when winery wastewater (WW) is recycledfor irrigation. Water samples and soils samples were collected from one Napa Valley and one Sonoma vineyard. Leaf and berry samples were col...

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

PubMed

Aloui, Fathi; Kchaou, Sonia; Sayadi, Sami

2009-05-15

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

Rapid concentration and sensitive detection of hookworm ova from wastewater matrices using a real-time PCR method.

PubMed

Gyawali, P; Sidhu, J P S; Ahmed, W; Jagals, P; Toze, S

2015-12-01

The risk of human hookworm infections from land application of wastewater matrices could be high in regions with high hookworm prevalence. A rapid, sensitive and specific hookworm detection method from wastewater matrices is required in order to assess human health risks. Currently available methods used to identify hookworm ova to the species level are time consuming and lack accuracy. In this study, a real-time PCR method was developed for the rapid, sensitive and specific detection of canine hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum) ova from wastewater matrices. A. caninum was chosen because of its morphological similarity to the human hookworm (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus). The newly developed PCR method has high detection sensitivity with the ability to detect less than one A. caninum ova from 1 L of secondary treated wastewater at the mean threshold cycle (CT) values ranging from 30.1 to 34.3. The method is also able to detect four A. caninum ova from 1 L of raw wastewater and from ∼4 g of treated sludge with mean CT values ranging from 35.6 to 39.8 and 39.8 to 39.9, respectively. The better detection sensitivity obtained for secondary treated wastewater compared to raw wastewater and sludge samples could be attributed to sample turbidity. The proposed method appears to be rapid, sensitive and specific compared to traditional methods and has potential to aid in the public health risk assessment associated with land application of wastewater matrices. Furthermore, the method can be adapted to detect other helminth ova of interest from wastewater matrices. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact on enzyme activity as a new quality index of wastewater.

PubMed

Balestri, Francesco; Moschini, Roberta; Cappiello, Mario; Del-Corso, Antonella; Mura, Umberto

2013-03-15

The aim of this study was to define a new indicator for the quality of wastewaters that are released into the environment. A quality index is proposed for wastewater samples in terms of the inertness of wastewater samples toward enzyme activity. This involves taking advantage of the sensitivity of enzymes to pollutants that may be present in the waste samples. The effect of wastewater samples on the rate of a number of different enzyme-catalyzed reactions was measured, and the results for all the selected enzymes were analyzed in an integrated fashion (multi-enzymatic sensor). This approach enabled us to define an overall quality index, the "Impact on Enzyme Function" (IEF-index), which is composed of three indicators: i) the Synoptic parameter, related to the average effect of the waste sample on each component of the enzymatic sensor; ii) the Peak parameter, related to the maximum effect observed among all the effects exerted by the sample on the sensor components; and, iii) the Interference parameter, related to the number of sensor components that are affected less than a fixed threshold value. A number of water based samples including public potable tap water, fluids from urban sewage systems, wastewater disposal from leather, paper and dye industries were analyzed and the IEF-index was then determined. Although the IEF-index cannot discriminate between different types of wastewater samples, it could be a useful parameter in monitoring the improvement of the quality of a specific sample. However, by analyzing an adequate number of waste samples of the same type, even from different local contexts, the profile of the impact of each component of the multi-enzymatic sensor could be typical for specific types of waste. The IEF-index is proposed as a supplementary qualification score for wastewaters, in addition to the certification of the waste's conformity to legal requirements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Specific detection of viable Listeria monocytogenes in Spanish wastewater treatment plants by Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization and PCR.

PubMed

Moreno, Yolanda; Ballesteros, Lorena; García-Hernández, Jorge; Santiago, Paula; González, Ana; Ferrús, M Antonia

2011-10-01

Listeria monocytogenes detection in wastewater can be difficult because of the large amount of background microbiota and the presence of viable but non-culturable forms in this environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate a Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) assay combined with Direct Viable Count (DVC) method for detecting viable L. monocytogenes in wastewater samples, as an alternative to conventional culture methods. 16S rRNA sequence data were used to design a specific oligonucleotide probe. In order to assess the suitability of the method, the assays were performed on naturally (n=87) and artificially (n=14) contaminated samples and results were compared to those obtained with the isolation of cells on selective media and with a PCR method. The detection limit of FISH and PCR assays was 10(4) cells/mL without enrichment and 10 cells/mL after enrichment. A total of 47 samples, including 3 samples from effluent sites, yielded FISH positive results for L. monocytogenes. Using DVC-FISH technique, the presence of viable L. monocytogenes cells was detected in 23 out of these 47 FISH positive wastewater samples. PCR and culture methods yielded 27 and 23 positive results, respectively. According to these results, FISH technique has the potential to be used as a sensitive method for the detection and enumeration of L. monocytogenes in environmental wastewater samples. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Keeping Pace With Water and Wastewater Rates

DOE PAGES

Stratton, Hannah; Fuchs, Heidi; Chen, Yuting; ...

2017-10-01

We present that water and wastewater treatment and delivery are the most capital-intensive of all utility services. The literature indicates that historically underpriced water and wastewater rates have exhibited steadily high growth in the past 15 years, while the consumer price index (CPI) of water and sewage maintenance has outpaced the general CPI by an increasingly wide margin. This article employs a chained analysis method to examine water and wastewater rates for a group of utilities across US Census regions between 2000 and 2014. Results demonstrate that water and wastewater prices for this sample group have consistently increased and havemore » surpassed CPI growth since 2006. Finally, current and upcoming challenges facing water and wastewater utilities suggest that rate increases are likely to continue in the foreseeable future.« less

Keeping Pace With Water and Wastewater Rates

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

Stratton, Hannah; Fuchs, Heidi; Chen, Yuting

We present that water and wastewater treatment and delivery are the most capital-intensive of all utility services. The literature indicates that historically underpriced water and wastewater rates have exhibited steadily high growth in the past 15 years, while the consumer price index (CPI) of water and sewage maintenance has outpaced the general CPI by an increasingly wide margin. This article employs a chained analysis method to examine water and wastewater rates for a group of utilities across US Census regions between 2000 and 2014. Results demonstrate that water and wastewater prices for this sample group have consistently increased and havemore » surpassed CPI growth since 2006. Finally, current and upcoming challenges facing water and wastewater utilities suggest that rate increases are likely to continue in the foreseeable future.« less

Egg wash wastewater: estrogenic risk or environmental asset?

PubMed

Shappell, Nancy W

2013-07-01

Commercial production of eggs and egg products requires the washing of eggs to remove urinary-fecal material and broken egg residue. In the case of one Ohio farming facility, 1.6 million birds produce 1.4 million eggs per day, using approximately 50 mL of wash water/egg or approximately 70,000 L per day. The aqueous waste stream was evaluated for estrogenicity to determine if potential for endocrine disruption would result from agricultural application of such wastewater. Samples collected the Fall (October) of 2010 included: water from 2 egg washers operating in series, inlet pipe to the treatment lagoon, a lagoon composite, and products used within the facility in the cleaning of equipment and treatment of the waste. In February 2011, the treatment lagoon was fitted with an extensive aeration system and subsequent sample sets were collected on 3 consecutive days in May and November. Samples were extracted by solid phase extraction and assayed for estrogenic activity using the in vitro E-Screen assay. Raw untreated wastewater from the egg washers contained 17β-estradiol equivalents (E2 Eqs) ranging from 9 to 18 ng/L, pipe grab samples entering into the treatment lagoon ranged from <0.14 to 4.4 ng/L (variability related to time of emptying of egg wash tanks), whereas treatment lagoon water contained 0.3 to 4.0 ng/L E2 Eq. Addition of an aeration system to the treatment lagoon eliminated surface "frothing," reduced noxious odor emission, and E2 Eqs were lower than the pre-aeration concentrations (4 ng/L [n = 1, no statistical comparison possible] vs 0.3 to 1.4 ng/L in 2011). Because of matrix effects, estrogens were not quantifiable by LC-MS2 in even egg washwater extracts, at concentrations in which internal deuterated estrogen standards were quantifiable. Estrone and E2 parent ions were detected in egg washwater samples only, and confirmatory ion fragments were detected in only one of these samples. Estrogenicity of the wastewater from the treatment lagoon was

Development of an Analytical Method for the Determination of Amoxicillin in Commercial Drugs and Wastewater Samples, and Assessing its Stability in Simulated Gastric Digestion.

PubMed

Unutkan, Tugçe; Bakirdere, Sezgin; Keyf, Seyfullah

2018-01-01

A highly sensitive analytical HPLC-UV method was developed for the determination of amoxicillin in drugs and wastewater samples at a single wavelength (230 nm). In order to substantially predict the in vivo behavior of amoxicillin, drug samples were subjected to simulated gastric conditions. The calibration plot of the method was linear from 0.050 to 500 mg L-1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.9999. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were found to be 16 and 54 μg L-1, respectively. The percentage recovery of amoxicillin in wastewater was found to be 97.0 ± 1.6%. The method was successfully applied for the qualitative and quantitative determination of amoxicillin in drug samples including tablets and suspensions. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Quality of wastewater reuse in agricultural irrigation and its impact on public health.

PubMed

Al-Hammad, Bushra Ahmed; Abd El-Salam, Magda Magdy; Ibrahim, Sahar Yassin

2014-11-01

This study is planned to perform a sanitary survey of the largest sewage treatment plant in Riyadh, KSA, fortnightly for 6 months to examine its effluent quality as an example for the growing dependence on reuse of treated municipal wastewater in agricultural irrigation purposes to cope with increasing water shortage. The biological and physico-chemical parameters of 12 wastewater samples from the plant were examined using standard methods. The physico-chemical analysis indicated that the surveyed municipal wastewater treatment plant contained some of the studied parameters, such as turbidity, total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and residual chlorine above the maximum permissible wastewater limits set by the Saudi Standards. However, heavy metal concentrations in all samples were lower than the recommended standards. Total and faecal coliform counts were above the permissible limits indicating poor sanitation level. Fifty percent of all wastewater samples were contaminated with faecal coliforms but, surprisingly, Escherichia coli were only detected in 8.3 % of the samples. Regular monitoring and enhancement of microbial and physico-chemical parameters of the wastewater quality served by different wastewater treatment plants for reuse in agricultural irrigation is recommended to preserve the environment and public health.

An assessment of the concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater treatment plants on the island of Gran Canaria (Spain).

PubMed

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

2013-12-01

An assessment of the concentrations of thirteen different therapeutic pharmaceutical compounds was conducted on water samples obtained from different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) using solid phase extraction and high- and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (HPLC-MS/MS and UHPLC-MS/MS), was carried out. The target compounds included ketoprofen and naproxen (anti-inflammatories), bezafibrate (lipid-regulating), carbamazepine (anticonvulsant), metamizole (analgesic), atenolol (β-blocker), paraxanthine (stimulant), fluoxetine (antidepressant), and levofloxacin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin and sarafloxacin (fluoroquinolone antibiotics). The relative standard deviations obtained in method were below 11%, while the detection and quantification limits were in the range of 0.3 - 97.4 ng·L(-1) and 1.1 - 324.7 ng·L(-1), respectively. The water samples were collected from two different WWTPs located on the island of Gran Canaria in Spain over a period of one year. The first WWTP (denoted as WWTP1) used conventional activated sludge for the treatment of wastewater, while the other plant (WWTP2) employed a membrane bioreactor system for wastewater treatment. Most of the pharmaceutical compounds detected in this study during the sampling periods were found to have concentrations ranging between 0.02 and 34.81 μg·L(-1).

Removal of Cr, Mn, and Co from textile wastewater by horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor.

PubMed

Zeiner, Michaela; Rezić, Tonci; Santek, Bozidar; Rezić, Iva; Hann, Stephan; Stingeder, Gerhard

2012-10-02

Environmental pollution by industrial wastewaters polluted with toxic heavy metals is of great concern. Various guidelines regulate the quality of water released from industrial plants and of surface waters. In wastewater treatment, bioreactors with microbial biofilms are widely used. A horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor (HRTB) is a combination of a thin layer and a biodisc reactor with an interior divided by O-ring shaped partition walls as carriers for microbial biomass. Using a biofilm of heavy metal resistant bacteria in combination with this special design provides various advantages for wastewater treatment proven in a pilot study. In the presented study, the applicability of HRTB for removing metals commonly present in textile wastewaters (chromium, manganese, cobalt) was investigated. Artificial wastewaters with a load of 125 mg/L of each metal underwent the bioreactor treatment. Different process parameters (inflow rate, rotation speed) were applied for optimizing the removal efficiency. Samples were drawn along the bioreactor length for monitoring the metal contents on site by UV-vis spectrometry. The metal uptake of the biomass was determined by ICP-MS after acidic microwave assisted digestion. The maximum removal rates obtained for chromium, manganese, and cobalt were: 100%, 94%, and 69%, respectively.

A novel assay to measure tertiary and quaternary amines in wastewater: An indicator for NDMA wastewater precursors.

PubMed

Woods-Chabane, Gwen C; Glover, Caitlin M; Marti, Erica J; Dickenson, Eric R V

2017-07-01

This study examined the potential of using a novel bulk amine assay as an approximation for the tertiary and quaternary amine load in wastewaters and surface water samples, and this approximation was compared to N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation potential using chloramines. An existing colorimetric method was examined and optimized for the detection of amines in environmental water samples. The method consists of liquid-liquid extraction followed by a catalyzed reaction to form a yet-undefined product that is known to be both a strong chromophore and fluorophore. Previous work verified that this reaction was effectively catalyzed by a number of compounds containing tertiary and quaternary amine moieties. Many tertiary and quaternary compounds are also efficient producers of NDMA under chloramination conditions, and a linear correlation was consequently derived from the bulk amine signals vs. NDMA formation potential in various wastewater samples (R 2  = 0.74; n = 24; p-value < 0.05). The results provide evidence that approximately 2% of the tertiary and quaternary amines measured can form NDMA and an estimated 0.01-1.3% of nitrogen in dissolved organic nitrogen originates from these bulk amines. The normalization of NDMA concentration by the amine measurement revealed that ozone effectively destroyed those tertiary and quaternary amine structures more likely to form NDMA in treated wastewater samples. This bulk amine assay illustrates that proxy measurements of tertiary and quaternary amines can be linked to the NDMA formation potential of a given sample, and this approach may prove useful as a characterizing tool for NDMA precursors in wastewater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of concentration methods for rapid detection of hookworm ova in wastewater matrices using quantitative PCR.

PubMed

Gyawali, P; Ahmed, W; Jagals, P; Sidhu, J P S; Toze, S

2015-12-01

Hookworm infection contributes around 700 million infections worldwide especially in developing nations due to increased use of wastewater for crop production. The effective recovery of hookworm ova from wastewater matrices is difficult due to their low concentrations and heterogeneous distribution. In this study, we compared the recovery rates of (i) four rapid hookworm ova concentration methods from municipal wastewater, and (ii) two concentration methods from sludge samples. Ancylostoma caninum ova were used as surrogate for human hookworm (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus). Known concentration of A. caninum hookworm ova were seeded into wastewater (treated and raw) and sludge samples collected from two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Brisbane and Perth, Australia. The A. caninum ova were concentrated from treated and raw wastewater samples using centrifugation (Method A), hollow fiber ultrafiltration (HFUF) (Method B), filtration (Method C) and flotation (Method D) methods. For sludge samples, flotation (Method E) and direct DNA extraction (Method F) methods were used. Among the four methods tested, filtration (Method C) method was able to recover higher concentrations of A. caninum ova consistently from treated wastewater (39-50%) and raw wastewater (7.1-12%) samples collected from both WWTPs. The remaining methods (Methods A, B and D) yielded variable recovery rate ranging from 0.2 to 40% for treated and raw wastewater samples. The recovery rates for sludge samples were poor (0.02-4.7), although, Method F (direct DNA extraction) provided 1-2 orders of magnitude higher recovery rate than Method E (flotation). Based on our results it can be concluded that the recovery rates of hookworm ova from wastewater matrices, especially sludge samples, can be poor and highly variable. Therefore, choice of concentration method is vital for the sensitive detection of hookworm ova in wastewater matrices. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier

Prokaryotic community profiling of local algae wastewaters using advanced 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

PubMed

Limayem, Alya; Micciche, Andrew; Nayak, Bina; Mohapatra, Shyam

2018-01-01

Algae biomass-fed wastewaters are a promising source of lipid and bioenergy manufacture, revealing substantial end-product investment returns. However, wastewaters would contain lytic pathogens carrying drug resistance detrimental to algae yield and environmental safety. This study was conducted to simultaneously decipher through high-throughput advanced Illumina 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing, the cultivable and uncultivable bacterial community profile found in a single sample that was directly recovered from the local wastewater systems. Samples were collected from two previously documented sources including anaerobically digested (AD) municipal wastewater and swine wastewater with algae namely Chlorella spp. in addition to control samples, swine wastewater, and municipal wastewater without algae. Results indicated the presence of a significant level of Bacteria in all samples with an average of approximately 95.49% followed by Archaea 2.34%, in local wastewaters designed for algae cultivation. Taxonomic genus identification indicated the presence of Calothrix, Pseudomonas, and Clostridium as the most prevalent strains in both local municipal and swine wastewater samples containing algae with an average of 17.37, 12.19, and 7.84%, respectively. Interestingly, swine wastewater without algae displayed the lowest level of Pseudomonas strains < 0.1%. The abundance of some Pseudomonas species in wastewaters containing algae indicates potential coexistence between these strains and algae microenvironment, suggesting further investigations. This finding was particularly relevant for the earlier documented adverse effects of some nosocomial Pseudomonas strains on algae growth and their multidrug resistance potential, requiring the development of targeted bioremediation with regard to the beneficial flora.

Antibiotic, Pharmaceutical, and Wastewater-Compound Data for Michigan, 1998-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haack, Sheridan Kidd

2010-01-01

Beginning in the late 1990's, the U.S. Geological Survey began to develop analytical methods to detect, at concentrations less than 1 microgram per liter (ug/L), emerging water contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, personal-care chemicals, and a variety of other chemicals associated with various human and animal sources. During 1998-2005, the U.S. Geological Survey analyzed the following Michigan water samples: 41 samples for antibiotic compounds, 28 samples for pharmaceutical compounds, 46 unfiltered samples for wastewater compounds (dissolved and suspended compounds), and 113 filtered samples for wastewater compounds (dissolved constituents only). The purpose of this report is to summarize the status of emerging contaminants in Michigan waters based on data from several different project-specific sample-collection efforts in Michigan during an 8-year period. During the course of the 8-year sampling effort, antibiotics were determined at 20 surface-water sites and 2 groundwater sites, pharmaceuticals were determined at 11 surface-water sites, wastewater compounds in unfiltered water were determined at 31 surface-water sites, and wastewater compounds in filtered water were determined at 40 surface-water and 4 groundwater sites. Some sites were visited only once, but others were visited multiple times. A variety of quality-assurance samples also were collected. This report describes the analytical methods used, describes the variations in analytical methods and reporting levels during the 8-year period, and summarizes all data using current (2009) reporting criteria. Very few chemicals were detected at concentrations greater than current laboratory reporting levels, which currently vary from a low of 0.005 ug/L for some antibiotics to 5 ug/L for some wastewater compounds. Nevertheless, 10 of 51 chemicals in the antibiotics analysis, 9 of 14 chemicals in the pharmaceuticals analysis, 34 of 67 chemicals in the unfiltered-wastewater analysis, and 56 of 62 chemicals in

Direct analysis of six antibiotics in wastewater samples using rapid high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector: a chemometric study towards green analytical chemistry.

PubMed

Vosough, Maryam; Rashvand, Masoumeh; Esfahani, Hadi M; Kargosha, Kazem; Salemi, Amir

2015-04-01

In this work, a rapid HPLC-DAD method has been developed for the analysis of six antibiotics (amoxicillin, metronidazole, sulfamethoxazole, ofloxacine, sulfadiazine and sulfamerazine) in the sewage treatment plant influent and effluent samples. Decreasing the chromatographic run time to less than 4 min as well as lowering the cost per analysis, were achieved through direct injection of the samples into the HPLC system followed by chemometric analysis. The problem of the complete separation of the analytes from each other and/or from the matrix ingredients was resolved as a posteriori. The performance of MCR/ALS and U-PLS/RBL, as second-order algorithms, was studied and comparable results were obtained from implication of these modeling methods. It was demonstrated that the proposed methods could be used promisingly as green analytical strategies for detection and quantification of the targeted pollutants in wastewater samples while avoiding the more complicated high cost instrumentations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Occurrence and removal of pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plants at the Spanish Mediterranean area of Valencia.

PubMed

Gracia-Lor, Emma; Sancho, Juan V; Serrano, Roque; Hernández, Félix

2012-04-01

A survey on the presence of pharmaceuticals in urban wastewater of a Spanish Mediterranean area (Castellon province) was carried out. The scope of the study included a wide variety of pharmaceuticals belonging to different therapeutical classes. For this purpose, 112 samples, including influent and effluent wastewater, from different conventional wastewater treatment plants were collected. Two monitoring programmes were carried out along several seasons. The first was in June 2008 and January 2009, and the second in April and October 2009. During the first monitoring, the occurrence of 20 analytes in 84 urban wastewater samples (influent and effluent) was studied. The selection of these pharmaceuticals was mainly based on consumption. From these, 17 compounds were detected in the samples, with analgesics and anti-inflammatories, cholesterol lowering statin drugs and lipid regulators being the most frequently detected groups. 4-Aminoantipyrine, bezafibrate, diclofenac, gemfibrozil, ketoprofen, naproxen and venlafaxine were the compounds most frequently found. In the highlight of these results, the number of analytes was increased up to around 50. A lot of antibiotic compounds were added to the target list as they were considered "priority pharmaceuticals" due to their more potential hazardous effects in the aquatic environment. Data obtained during the second monitoring programme (spring and autumn) corroborated the results from the first one (summer and winter). Analgesics and anti-inflammatories, lipid regulators together with quinolone and macrolide antibiotics were the most abundant pharmaceuticals. Similar median concentrations were found over the year and seasonal variation was not clearly observed. The removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals in the wastewater treatment plants was roughly evaluated. Our results indicated that elimination of most of the selected compounds occurred during the treatment process of influent wastewater, although it was incomplete

Ultraviolet spectrophotometry as an index parameter for estimating the biochemical oxygen demand of domestic wastewater.

PubMed

Nataraja, M; Qin, Y; Seagren, E A

2006-07-01

The relationship between ultraviolet absorbance at 280 nm (UV280) and the 5-day Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) test was evaluated using wastewater samples collected during March - December 1998 from the Fort Meade wastewater treatment plant (Maryland, U.S.A.). Three types of samples were collected: raw influent wastewater, primary effluent, and the effluent from the nitrification settling basin. A regression of BOD5 on UV280 was obtained using half of the data, with the other half of the data used to test application of the equation. The presence of NO3 and NO2, did not interfere with the BOD5/UV relationship. However, the relative fraction of organic compounds that absorb at UV280 and are biodegradable did appear to decrease across the treatment plant, thereby reducing the strength of the association between BOD5 and UV280 further along the treatment train. Interestingly, the exclusion of solids > 1 microm from the BOD5 test did not strengthen the association between BOD5 and UV280. These results suggest that simple UV absorbance measurements may be a useful analytical tool for wastewater treatment personnel, allowing them to quickly monitor for changes in the BOD5 during the treatment process and to quickly estimate the BOD5 when determining what dilutions to use in the standard BOD5 test. However, such relationships are likely to be wastewater and treatment plant specific and variable with time and treatment.

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

CO₂-neutral wastewater treatment plants or robust, climate-friendly wastewater management? A systems perspective.

PubMed

Larsen, Tove A

2015-12-15

CO2-neutral wastewater treatment plants can be obtained by improving the recovery of internal wastewater energy resources (COD, nutrients, energy) and reducing energy demand as well as direct emissions of the greenhouse gases N2O and CH4. Climate-friendly wastewater management also includes the management of the heat resource, which is most efficiently recovered at the household level, and robust wastewater management must be able to cope with a possible resulting temperature decrease. At the treatment plant there is a substantial energy optimization potential, both from improving electromechanical devices and sludge treatment as well as through the implementation of more energy-efficient processes like the mainstream anammox process or nutrient recovery from urine. Whether CO2 neutrality can be achieved depends not only on the actual net electricity production, but also on the type of electricity replaced: the cleaner the marginal electricity the more difficult to compensate for the direct emissions, which can be substantial, depending on the stability of the biological processes. It is possible to combine heat recovery at the household scale and nutrient recovery from urine, which both have a large potential to improve the climate friendliness of wastewater management. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Enterococcus Species Diversity in Marine Water and Wastewater Using Enterolert and EPA Method 1600

PubMed Central

Ferguson, Donna M.; Griffith, John F.; McGee, Charles D.; Weisberg, Stephen B.; Hagedorn, Charles

2013-01-01

EPA Method 1600 and Enterolert are used interchangeably to measure Enterococcus for fecal contamination of public beaches, but the methods occasionally produce different results. Here we assess whether these differences are attributable to the selectivity for certain species within the Enterococcus group. Both methods were used to obtain 1279 isolates from 17 environmental samples, including influent and effluent of four wastewater treatment plants, ambient marine water from seven different beaches, and freshwater urban runoff from two stream systems. The isolates were identified to species level. Detection of non-Enterococcus species was slightly higher using Enterolert (8.4%) than for EPA Method 1600 (5.1%). E. faecalis and E. faecium, commonly associated with human fecal waste, were predominant in wastewater; however, Enterolert had greater selectivity for E. faecalis, which was also shown using a laboratory-created sample. The same species selectivity was not observed for most beach water and urban runoff samples. These samples had relatively higher proportions of plant associated species, E. casseliflavus (18.5%) and E. mundtii (5.7%), compared to wastewater, suggesting environmental inputs to beaches and runoff. The potential for species selectivity among water testing methods should be considered when assessing the sanitary quality of beaches so that public health warnings are based on indicators representative of fecal sources. PMID:23840233

An assessment of the liquid-gas partitioning behavior of major wastewater odorants using two comparative experimental approaches: liquid sample-based vaporization vs. impinger-based dynamic headspace extraction into sorbent tubes.

PubMed

Iqbal, Mohammad Asif; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Szulejko, Jan E; Cho, Jinwoo

2014-01-01

The gas-liquid partitioning behavior of major odorants (acetic acid, propionic acid, isobutyric acid, n-butyric acid, i-valeric acid, n-valeric acid, hexanoic acid, phenol, p-cresol, indole, skatole, and toluene (as a reference)) commonly found in microbially digested wastewaters was investigated by two experimental approaches. Firstly, a simple vaporization method was applied to measure the target odorants dissolved in liquid samples with the aid of sorbent tube/thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. As an alternative method, an impinger-based dynamic headspace sampling method was also explored to measure the partitioning of target odorants between the gas and liquid phases with the same detection system. The relative extraction efficiency (in percent) of the odorants by dynamic headspace sampling was estimated against the calibration results derived by the vaporization method. Finally, the concentrations of the major odorants in real digested wastewater samples were also analyzed using both analytical approaches. Through a parallel application of the two experimental methods, we intended to develop an experimental approach to be able to assess the liquid-to-gas phase partitioning behavior of major odorants in a complex wastewater system. The relative sensitivity of the two methods expressed in terms of response factor ratios (RFvap/RFimp) of liquid standard calibration between vaporization and impinger-based calibrations varied widely from 981 (skatole) to 6,022 (acetic acid). Comparison of this relative sensitivity thus highlights the rather low extraction efficiency of the highly soluble and more acidic odorants from wastewater samples in dynamic headspace sampling.

Chapter A5. Section 6.1.F. Wastewater, Pharmaceutical, and Antibiotic Compounds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lewis, Michael Edward; Zaugg, Steven D.

2003-01-01

The USGS differentiates between samples collected for analysis of wastewater compounds and those collected for analysis of pharmaceutical and antibiotic compounds, based on the analytical schedule for the laboratory method. Currently, only the wastewater laboratory method for field-filtered samples (SH1433) is an approved, routine (production) method. (The unfiltered wastewater method LC 8033 also is available but requires a proposal for custom analysis.) At this time, analysis of samples for pharmaceutical and antibiotic compounds is confined to research studies and is available only on a custom basis.

Food-service establishment wastewater characterization.

PubMed

Lesikar, B J; Garza, O A; Persyn, R A; Kenimer, A L; Anderson, M T

2006-08-01

Food-service establishments that use on-site wastewater treatment systems are experiencing pretreatment system and/or drain field hydraulic and/or organic overloading. This study included characterization of four wastewater parameters (five-day biochemical oxygen demand [BOD5]; total suspended solids [TSS]; food, oil, and grease [FOG]; and flow) from 28 restaurants located in Texas during June, July, and August 2002. The field sampling methodology included taking a grab sample from each restaurant for 6 consecutive days at approximately the same time each day, followed by a 2-week break, and then sampling again for another 6 consecutive days, for a total of 12 samples per restaurant and 336 total observations. The analysis indicates higher organic (BOD5) and hydraulic values for restaurants than those typically found in the literature. The design values for this study for BOD5, TSS, FOG, and flow were 1523, 664, and 197 mg/L, and 96 L/day-seat respectively, which captured over 80% of the data collected.

Investigation of Properties of Nanocomposite Polyimide Samples Obtained by Fused Deposition Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polyakov, I. V.; Vaganov, G. V.; Yudin, V. E.; Ivan'kova, E. M.; Popova, E. N.; Elokhovskii, V. Yu.

2018-03-01

Nanomodified polyimide samples were obtained by fused deposition modeling (FDM) using an experimental setup for 3D printing of highly heat-resistant plastics. The mechanical properties and structure of these samples were studied by viscosimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. A comparative estimation of the mechanical properties of laboratory samples obtained from a nanocomposite based on heat-resistant polyetherimide by FDM and injection molding is presented.

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

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

PubMed

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

2017-03-01

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

Electrocoagulation of wastewater from almond industry.

PubMed

Valero, David; Ortiz, Juan M; García, Vicente; Expósito, Eduardo; Montiel, Vicente; Aldaz, Antonio

2011-08-01

This work was carried out to study the treatment of almond industry wastewater by the electrocoagulation process. First of all, laboratory scale experiments were conducted in order to determine the effects of relevant wastewater characteristics such as conductivity and pH, as well as the process variables such as anode material, current density and operating time on the removal efficiencies of the total organic carbon (TOC) and the most representative analytical parameters. Next, the wastewater treatment process was scaled up to pre-industrial size using the best experimental conditions and parameters obtained at laboratory scale. Finally, economic parameters such as chemicals, energy consumption and sludge generation have been discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of alcohol sulfates in wastewater treatment plant influents and effluents by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Fernández-Ramos, C; Ballesteros, O; Blanc, R; Zafra-Gómez, A; Jiménez-Díaz, I; Navalón, A; Vílchez, J L

2012-08-30

In the present paper, we developed an accurate method for the analysis of alcohol sulfates (AS) in wastewater samples from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influents and effluents. Although many methodologies have been published in the literature concerning the study of anionic surfactants in environmental samples, at present, the number of analytical methodologies that focus in the determination of AS by gas chromatography in the different environmental compartments is limited. The reason for this is that gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique requires a previous hydrolysis reaction followed by derivatization reactions. In the present work, we proposed a new procedure in which the hydrolysis and derivatization reactions take place in one single step and AS are directly converted to trimethylsilyl derivatives. The main factors affecting solid-phase extraction (SPE), hydrolysis/derivatization and GC-MS procedures were accurately optimised. Quantification of the target compounds was performed by using GC-MS in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The limits of detection (LOD) obtained ranged from 0.2 to 0.3 μg L(-1), and limits of quantification (LOQ) from 0.5 to 1.0 μg L(-1), while inter- and intra-day variability was under 5%. A recovery assay was also carried out. Recovery rates for homologues in spiked samples ranged from 96 to 103%. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of anionic surfactants in wastewater samples from one WWTP located in Granada (Spain). Concentration levels for the homologues up to 39.4 μg L(-1) in influent and up to 8.1 μg L(-1) in effluent wastewater samples. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of polar, ionic, and highly water soluble organic pollutants in untreated industrial wastewaters

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

Castillo, M.; Alonso, M.C.; Riu, J.

1999-04-15

This paper presents a generic protocol for the determination of polar, ionic, and highly water soluble organic pollutants on untreated industrial wastewaters involving the use of two different solid-phase extraction (SPE) methodologies followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Untreated industrial wastewaters might contain natural and synthetic dissolved organic compounds with total organic carbon (TOC) values varying between 100 and 3000 mg/L. All polar, ionic and highly water soluble compounds comprising more than 95% of the organic content and with major contribution to the total toxicity of the sample cannot be analyzed by conventional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and LC-MS ismore » a good alternative. In this work two extraction procedures were used to obtain fractionated extracts of the nonionic polar compounds: a polymeric Isolute ENV + SPE cartridge for the preconcentration of anionic analytes and a sequential solid-phase extraction (SSPE) method percolating the samples first in octadecylsilica cartridge in series with the polymeric Lichrolut EN cartridge. Average recoveries ranging from 72% to 103% were obtained for a variety of 23 different analytes. Determination of nonionic pollutants was accomplished by reverse-phase liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-MS), while anionic compounds were analyzed by ion pair chromatography-electrospray-mass spectrometry (IP-ESI-MS) and LC-ESI-MS. This protocol was applied to a pilot survey of textile and tannery wastewaters leading to the identification and quantification of 33 organic pollutants.« less

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.

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

Sequential anaerobic-aerobic biological treatment of colored wastewaters: case study of a textile dyeing factory wastewater.

PubMed

Abiri, Fardin; Fallah, Narges; Bonakdarpour, Babak

2017-03-01

In the present study the feasibility of the use of a bacterial batch sequential anaerobic-aerobic process, in which activated sludge was used in both parts of the process, for pretreatment of wastewater generated by a textile dyeing factory has been considered. Activated sludge used in the process was obtained from a municipal wastewater treatment plant and adapted to real dyeing wastewater using either an anaerobic-only or an anaerobic-aerobic process over a period of 90 days. The use of activated sludge adapted using the anaerobic-aerobic process resulted in a higher overall decolorization efficiency compared to that achieved with activated sludge adapted using the anaerobic-only cycles. Anaerobic and aerobic periods of around 34 and 22 hours respectively resulted in an effluent with chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color content which met the standards for discharge into the centralized wastewater treatment plant of the industrial estate in which the dyeing factory was situated. Neutralization of the real dyeing wastewater and addition of carbon source to it, both of which results in significant increase in the cost of the bacterial treatment process, was not found to be necessary to achieve the required discharge standards.

An exploratory wastewater analysis study of drug use in Auckland, New Zealand.

PubMed

Lai, Foon Yin; Wilkins, Chris; Thai, Phong; Mueller, Jochen F

2017-09-01

New Zealand is considered to have unusual drug use patterns by international standards. However, this understanding has largely been obtained from social surveys where respondents self-report use. The aim of this paper is to conduct the first wastewater study of drug use in Auckland. Wastewater sampling was completed from 2 May to 18 July 2014 at 2 Auckland wastewater treatment plants which service 1.3 million people. Samples were analysed for 17 drug residues by using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Consumption of methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cocaine, codeine and methadone (mg/day/1000 people) was estimated by using a back-calculation formula. Methamphetamine, codeine, morphine and methadone were detected with high frequency (80-100%), followed by amphetamine (~60%), MDMA (~7%, i.e. 8 occasions) and methylone (3 occasions). An overall mean of 360 mg of methamphetamine and 60 mg of MDMA was estimated to have been consumed per day per 1000 people. Methamphetamine consumption was found at similar levels in both catchments (377 and 351 mg/day/1000 people). Cocaine was only detected in 1 catchment and on only 8 occasions. JWH-018 was detected in 1 catchment and only on 1 occasion. Methamphetamine, codeine and other opioids were detected at a consistent level throughout the week. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and methylone were detected only during the weekends. Wastewater analysis confirms that methamphetamine was one of the most commonly detected illegal drugs in Auckland and was detected consistently throughout the week. In contrast, cocaine and MDMA were rarely detected, with detection limited to weekends. [Lai FY, Wilkins C, Thai P, Mueller JF. An exploratory wastewater analysis study of drug use in Auckland, New Zealand. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;00:000-000]. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Tetracycline antibiotics in hospital and municipal wastewaters: a pilot study in Portugal.

PubMed

Pena, A; Paulo, M; Silva, L J G; Seifrtová, M; Lino, C M; Solich, P

2010-04-01

This study investigated the occurrence of tetracyclines (TCs), namely minocycline (MIN), TC, and its epimer epitetracycline (ETC), and doxycycline (DC), in four hospital wastewater effluents and its fate in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), in Coimbra, Portugal. Analytical determination was carried out by solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. A gradient system with a mobile phase containing oxalic acid 0.02 M and acetonitrile was used. After postcolumn derivatization with magnesium reagent, TCs were detected at lambda(exc) 386 nm and lambda(em) 500 nm. The proposed method allowed good sensitivity, accuracy, and precision. LOQs were 0.5 microg l(-1) for ETC and TC and 15 and 5 microg l(-1) for MIN and DC, respectively. The recovery values ranged between 66.4% and 117.1%, and intraday and interday repeatability was lower than 6.8%. The method was successfully used to determine the presence of the above-mentioned TCs in 24 wastewater composite samples obtained from hospital effluents and from influent and effluent of the WWTP located in Coimbra, Portugal. MIN and TC were found in 41.7% of the samples; ETC and DC were found in 25% and 8.3% of the samples, respectively. The levels found ranged from 6 to 531.7 microg l(-1) in hospital effluents, while its concentrations in WWTP ranged from 95.8 to 915.3 microg l(-1). A seasonal influence in the concentrations found has also been observed, the levels found in samples collected during spring being higher than those observed in samples collected during autumn; however, these are only preliminary results. The WWTP removal rate ranged between 89.5% and 100%.

Ubiquitous Detection of Artificial Sweeteners and Iodinated X-ray Contrast Media in Aquatic Environmental and Wastewater Treatment Plant Samples from Vietnam, The Philippines, and Myanmar.

PubMed

Watanabe, Yuta; Bach, Leu Tho; Van Dinh, Pham; Prudente, Maricar; Aguja, Socorro; Phay, Nyunt; Nakata, Haruhiko

2016-05-01

Water samples from Vietnam, The Philippines, and Myanmar were analyzed for artificial sweeteners (ASs) and iodinated X-ray contrast media (ICMs). High concentrations (low micrograms per liter) of ASs, including aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, were found in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influents from Vietnam. Three ICMs, iohexol, iopamidol, and iopromide were detected in Vietnamese WWTP influents and effluents, suggesting that these ICMs are frequently used in Vietnam. ASs and ICMs were found in river water from downtown Hanoi at concentrations comparable to or lower than the concentrations in WWTP influents. The ASs and ICMs concentrations in WWTP influents and adjacent surface water significantly correlated (r (2) = 0.99, p < 0.001), suggesting that household wastewater is discharged directly into rivers in Vietnam. Acesulfame was frequently detected in northern Vietnamese groundwater, but the concentrations varied spatially by one order of magnitude even though the sampling points were very close together. This implies that poorly performing domestic septic tanks sporadically leak household wastewater into groundwater. High acesulfame, cyclamate, saccharin, and sucralose concentrations were found in surface water from Manila, The Philippines. The sucralose concentrations were one order of magnitude higher in the Manila samples than in the Vietnamese samples, indicating that more sucralose is used in The Philippines than in Vietnam. Acesulfame and cyclamate were found in surface water from Pathein (rural) and Yangon (urban) in Myanmar, but no ICMs were found in the samples. The ASs concentrations were two-three orders of magnitude lower in the samples from Myanmar than in the samples from Vietnam and The Philippines, suggesting that different amounts of ASs are used in these countries. We believe this is the first report of persistent ASs and ICMs having ubiquitous distributions in economically emerging South Asian countries.

Wastewater Sludge Used as Material for Bricks Fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jianu, N. R.; Moga, I. C.; Pricop, F.; Chivoiu, A.

2018-06-01

Current world trends related to wastewater sludges are: reuse in agriculture, utilization as retaining material for petroleum products or utilization in construction. Bricks from sand-cement or autoclaved cellular concrete are commonly used in construction. The authors propose innovative receipts for bricks and plasters based on textile wastewaters sludge. Centrifuged sludge is mixed with cement to obtain bricks and plaster. For bricks, the mixture is represented by 45% cement and 55% sludge. The paper presents the obtained results and the new materials used for bricks fabrication.

Removal of Mercury from Chloralkali Electrolysis Wastewater by a Mercury-Resistant Pseudomonas putida Strain

PubMed Central

von Canstein, H.; Li, Y.; Timmis, K. N.; Deckwer, W.-D.; Wagner-Döbler, I.

1999-01-01

A mercury-resistant bacterial strain which is able to reduce ionic mercury to metallic mercury was used to remediate in laboratory columns mercury-containing wastewater produced during electrolytic production of chlorine. Factory effluents from several chloralkali plants in Europe were analyzed, and these effluents contained total mercury concentrations between 1.6 and 7.6 mg/liter and high chloride concentrations (up to 25 g/liter) and had pH values which were either acidic (pH 2.4) or alkaline (pH 13.0). A mercury-resistant bacterial strain, Pseudomonas putida Spi3, was isolated from polluted river sediments. Biofilms of P. putida Spi3 were grown on porous carrier material in laboratory column bioreactors. The bioreactors were continuously fed with sterile synthetic model wastewater or nonsterile, neutralized, aerated chloralkali wastewater. We found that sodium chloride concentrations up to 24 g/liter did not inhibit microbial mercury retention and that mercury concentrations up to 7 mg/liter could be treated with the bacterial biofilm with no loss of activity. When wastewater samples from three different chloralkali plants in Europe were used, levels of mercury retention efficiency between 90 and 98% were obtained. Thus, microbial mercury removal is a potential biological treatment for chloralkali electrolysis wastewater. PMID:10583977

Experimental design for the evaluation of struvite sedimentation obtained from an ammonium concentrated wastewater.

PubMed

Castro, Samuel Rodrigues; Araújo, Mahira Adna Cota; Lange, Liséte Celina

2013-01-01

Chemical precipitation of struvite as a technique of ammonium nitrogen (NH(4)-N) removal from concentrated wastewater has been shown to be an attractive alternative due to its high effectiveness, reaction rate, simplicity, environmental sustainability and, especially, the application potential of the generated solids for the fertilizer industry. The technique of experimental design has been used in order to identify and evaluate the optimum conditions of chemical precipitation reaction applied in a struvite sedimentation study. The preliminary tests were performed using synthetic effluent with a concentration equal to 500.0 mg N L(-1). The stoichiometric ratio Mg:NH(4):PO(4) equal to 1.5:1.0:1.25 and pH equal to 8.5 were taken to be the optimum conditions, where a NH(4)-N removal equal to 98.6% was achieved with only 10-min reaction time. This condition has been used to evaluate the struvite sedimentation from synthetic wastewaters, intending to check the optimum conditions achieved by the experimental design in different initial concentrations, 1,000 and 2,000 mg N L(-1). The results were typical of a good zonal sedimentation and can be used in the scale up the system.

High occurrence of hepatitis E virus in samples from wastewater treatment plants in Switzerland and comparison with other enteric viruses.

PubMed

Masclaux, Frédéric G; Hotz, Philipp; Friedli, Drita; Savova-Bianchi, Dessislava; Oppliger, Anne

2013-09-15

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is responsible for many enterically transmitted viral hepatitides around the world. It is currently one of the waterborne diseases of global concern. In industrialized countries, HEV appears to be more common than previously thought, even if it is rarely virulent. In Switzerland, seroprevalence studies revealed that HEV is endemic, but no information was available on its environmental spread. The aim of this study was to investigate -using qPCR- the occurrence and concentration of HEV and three other viruses (norovirus genogroup II, human adenovirus-40 and porcine adenovirus) in influents and effluents of 31 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Switzerland. Low concentrations of HEV were detected in 40 out of 124 WWTP influent samples, showing that HEV is commonly present in this region. The frequency of HEV occurrence was higher in summer than in winter. No HEV was detected in WWTP effluent samples, which indicates a low risk of environmental contamination. HEV occurrence and concentrations were lower than those of norovirus and adenovirus. The autochthonous HEV genotype 3 was found in all positive samples, but a strain of the non-endemic and highly pathogenic HEV genotype I was isolated in one sample, highlighting the possibility of environmental circulation of this genotype. A porcine fecal marker (porcine adenovirus) was not detected in HEV positive samples, indicating that swine are not the direct source of HEV present in wastewater. Further investigations will be necessary to determine the reservoirs and the routes of dissemination of HEV. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Re-use of winery wastewaters for biological nutrient removal.

PubMed

Rodríguez, L; Villaseñor, J; Buendía, I M; Fernández, F J

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of the re-use of the winery wastewater to enhance the biological nutrient removal (BNR) process. In batch experiments it was observed that the addition of winery wastewater mainly enhanced the nitrogen removal process because of the high denitrification potential (DNP), of about 130 mg N/g COD, of the contained substrates. This value is very similar to that obtained by using pure organic substrates such as acetate. The addition of winery wastewater did not significantly affect either phosphorus or COD removal processes. Based on the experimental results obtained, the optimum dosage to remove each mg of N-NO3 was determined, being a value of 6.7 mg COD/mg N-NO3. Because of the good properties of the winery wastewater to enhance the nitrogen removal, the viability of its continuous addition in an activated sludge pilot-scale plant for BNR was studied. Dosing the winery wastewater to the pilot plant a significant increase in the nitrogen removal was detected, from 58 to 75%. The COD removal was slightly increased, from 89 to 95%, and the phosphorus removal remained constant.

Solid phase microextraction of macrolide, trimethoprim, and sulfonamide antibiotics in wastewaters.

PubMed

McClure, Evelyn L; Wong, Charles S

2007-10-26

In this work, we optimize a solid phase microextraction (SPME) method for the simultaneous collection of antibiotics (sulfonamides, macrolides, and trimethoprim) present in wastewaters. The performance of the SPME method is compared to a solid phase extraction (SPE) method. Analytes in both cases were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS-MS) with electrospray ionization. The advantages offered by SPME in this application are: decreased sample volume requirements, ease of sample processing and extraction, decreased cost, and most importantly, elimination of electrospray matrix effects. Despite having higher limits of quantification (16-1380 ng/L in influent and 35-260 ng/L in effluent), nearly all of the compounds found to be present in Edmonton Gold Bar wastewater by SPE were measurable by SPME (i.e., sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, erythromycin, and clarithromycin), with values similar to those obtained using the former method. Limits of quantification for the SPE method for the measured compounds were 4.7-15 ng/L and 0.86-6.1 ng/L for influent and effluent, respectively.

Effect of activated sludge culture conditions on Waxberry wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Liang; He, Lingfeng; Zhang, Yongli

2018-03-01

Treated activated sludge is suitable for the treatment of wastewater. Biochemical method is used to treat the wastewater, and the influence of time on the COD index is investigated. The results showed that time had a significant effect on COD, and then affected the performance of activated sludge. Under different time, according to the order of time from short to long, COD decreases in turn. Under the action of activated sludge, the degradation of myrica rubra wastewater samples, after 25 h aeration for 96 h, the effect is better. Under this condition, the COD value was reduced at 72 mg/L, and the COD removal efficiency of myrica rubra wastewater was up to 93.39 %, and reached the two level discharge standard of municipal wastewater treatment.

7 CFR 75.35 - Obtaining samples for lot inspections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Obtaining samples for lot inspections. 75.35 Section 75.35 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING...

7 CFR 75.35 - Obtaining samples for lot inspections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Obtaining samples for lot inspections. 75.35 Section 75.35 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING...

7 CFR 75.35 - Obtaining samples for lot inspections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Obtaining samples for lot inspections. 75.35 Section 75.35 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS UNDER THE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING...

Effect of White Charcoal on COD Reduction in Wastewater Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pijarn, Nuchanaporn; Butsee, Manipa; Buakul, Kanokwan; Seng, Hasan; Sribuarai, Tinnphat; Phonprasert, Pongtep; Taneeto, Kla; Atthameth, Prasertsil

2017-06-01

The objective of this study is to compare the COD reduction in wastewater between using coconut shell and coconut spathe white charcoal from Khlong Wat NongPra-Ong, Krathumbaen, SamutSakhon province, Thailand. The waste water samples were collected using composite sampling method. The experimental section can be divided into 2 parts. The first part was study the optimum of COD adsorption time using both white charcoals. The second part was study the optimum amount of white charcoal for chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction. The pre-treatment of wastewater was examined in parameters include temperature, alkalinity (pH), conductivity, turbidity, suspended solid (SS), total dissolved solid (TDS), and COD. The results show that both white charcoals can reduce COD of wastewater. The pH of pre-treatment wastewater had pH 9 but post-treatment wastewaters using both white charcoals have pH 8. The COD of pre-treatment wastewater had COD as 258 mg/L but post-treatment wastewater using coconut shell white charcoal had COD steady at 40 mg/L in 30 min and the amount of white charcoals 4 g. The COD of post-treatment wastewater using coconut spathe white charcoal had COD steady at 71 mg/L in 30 min and the amount of white charcoals 4 g. Therefore comparison of COD reduction between coconut shell white charcoal versus coconut spathe white charcoal found that the coconut shell white charcoal had efficiency for COD reduction better than coconut spathe white charcoal.

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.

Study on acute toxicity of amoxicillin wastewater to Zebrafish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Weifang; Shen, Hongyan

2017-12-01

The main research in this paper is to obtain the effect of pharmaceutical wastewater on the acute toxicity of Zebrafish. The experimental method of exposure is used in this research. Experiments were carried out with different groups of pharmaceutical wastewater. Zebrafish was cultivated in a five liter fish tank. In the experiment, according to mortality, initially a 96h preliminary test was carried out at exposure concentrations to determine if the amoxicillin wastewater was toxic and to define the concentration range (24h LC100, 96h LC0) to be employed in the definitive tests. Based on the half lethal concentration of Zebrafish, the acute toxicity of amoxicillin wastewater to Zebrafish was calculated and the toxicity grade of wastewater was determined. In the experiment, the Zebrafish was exposed with amoxicillin wastewater during 96h. The 24h, 48h, 72h and 96h LC50 of amoxicillin wastewater on the Zebrafish were 63.10%, 53.70%, 41.69% and 40.74%, respectively. At 96h, the test time is the longest, and the value of LC50 is the smallest. In the observation period of 96 hours, the LC50 of amoxicillin wastewater were in the range of 40% ~ 60% and the value of Tua is 1 ~ 2. It indicates amoxicillin wastewater is low toxic wastewater when the experimental time is shorter than 48h, amoxicillin wastewater is moderate toxicity wastewater when the experimental time is higher than 48h. According to the experimental data, with the exposure time and the volume percentage of amoxicillin wastewater increases, the mortality rate of Zebrafish is gradually increased and the toxicity of amoxicillin wastewater increases. It indicates that the toxicity of amoxicillin wastewater is the biggest and the effect of wastewater on Zebrafish is greatest. In some ways, the toxicity of amoxicillin wastewater can be affected by the test time.

Mathematical modeling of wastewater-derived biodegradable dissolved organic nitrogen.

PubMed

Simsek, Halis

2016-11-01

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

High prevalence of Salmonella spp. in wastewater reused for irrigation assessed by molecular methods.

PubMed

Santiago, Paula; Jiménez-Belenguer, Ana; García-Hernández, Jorge; Estellés, Rosa Montes; Hernández Pérez, Manuel; Castillo López, M Angeles; Ferrús, María Antonia; Moreno, Yolanda

2018-01-01

Salmonella spp. is one of the most important causal agents of food-borne illness in developed countries and its presence in irrigation water poses a risk to public health. Its detection in environmental samples is not easy when culture methods are used, and molecular techniques such as PCR or ribosomal rRNA probe hybridization (Fluorescent in situ Hybridization, FISH) are outstanding alternatives. The aim of this work was to determine the environmental risk due to the presence of Salmonella spp. in wastewater by culture, PCR and FISH. A new specific rDNA probe for Salmonella was designed and its efficiency was compared with the rest of methods Serotype and antibiotic resistance of isolated strains were determined. Forty-five wastewater samples (collected from two secondary wastewater treatment plants) were analysed. Salmonella strains were isolated in 24 wastewater samples (53%), two of them after disinfection treatment. Twenty-three Salmonella strains exhibited resistance to one or more antimicrobial agent. Analysis of wastewater samples yielded PCR positive results for Salmonella in 28 out of the 45 wastewater samples (62%). FISH analysis allowed for the detection of Salmonella in 27 (60%) samples. By using molecular methods, Salmonella was detected in four samples after disinfection treatment. These results show the prevalence of Salmonella in reclaimed wastewater even after U.V. disinfection, what is a matter of public health concern, the high rates of resistance to antibiotics and the adequacy of molecular methods for its rapid detection. FISH method, with SA23 probe developed and assayed in this work provides a tool for detecting Salmonella in water within few hours, with a high rate of effectiveness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Bioavailability of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in wastewaters from animal feedlots and storage lagoons.

PubMed

Sun, Jingyi; Khan, Eakalak; Simsek, Senay; Ohm, Jae-Bom; Simsek, Halis

2017-11-01

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) from animal wastes can contribute to pollution of surface waters. Bioavailable DON (ABDON) is a portion of DON utilized by algae with or without bacteria. This study determined DON and ABDON levels in animal wastewater collected from two different sources: an animal feedlot wastewater storage tank and a sheep wastewater storage lagoon. Inocula for the ABDON bioassays were comprised of individual species and several combinations involving two algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Chlorella vulgaris) and a mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) bacterial culture. The ratio of initial DON to initial total dissolved nitrogen was 18% in the feedlot wastewater samples and 70% in the lagoon wastewater samples. The results showed that between 1.6 and 4.5 mg-NL-1 DON (45-79% of initial DON) in the feedlot samples and between 3.4 and 7.5 mg-NL-1 DON (36%-79% of initial DON) in the lagoon samples were bioavailable with the inocula tested. These results suggest that when considering eutrophication potential of livestock wastewater, organic nitrogen should be included in addition to the obvious culprits, ammonia and nitrate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality and Trace Element Profile of Tunisian Olive Oils Obtained from Plants Irrigated with Treated Wastewater

PubMed Central

Benincasa, Cinzia; Gharsallaoui, Mariem; Perri, Enzo; Briccoli Bati, Caterina; Ayadi, Mohamed; Khlif, Moncen; Gabsi, Slimane

2012-01-01

In the present work the use of treated wastewater (TWW) to irrigate olive plants was monitored. This type of water is characterized by high salinity and retains a substantial amount of trace elements, organic and metallic compounds that can be transferred into the soil and into the plants and fruits. In order to evaluate the impact of TWW on the overall quality of the oils, the time of contact of the olives with the soil has been taken into account. Multi-element data were obtained using ICP-MS. Nineteen elements (Li, B, Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Mo, Ba and La) were submitted for statistical analysis. Using analysis of variance, linear discriminant analysis and principal component analysis it was possible to differentiate between oils produced from different batches of olives whose plants received different types of water. Also, the results showed that there was correlation between the elemental and mineral composition of the water used to irrigate the olive plots and the elemental and mineral composition of the oils. PMID:22654625

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 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.

Estrogens determination in wastewater samples by automatic in-syringe dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction prior silylation and gas chromatography.

PubMed

González, Alba; Avivar, Jessica; Cerdà, Víctor

2015-09-25

A new procedure for the extraction, preconcentration and simultaneous determination of the estrogens most used in contraception pharmaceuticals (estrone, 17β-estradiol, estriol, and 17α-ethynylestradiol), cataloged as Contaminants of Emergent Concern by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States (US-EPA), is proposed. The developed system performs an in-syringe magnetic stirring-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (in-syringe-MSA-DLLME) prior derivatization and gas chromatography (GC-MS). Different extraction (carbon tetrachloride, ethyl acetate, chloroform and trichloroethylene) and disperser solvents (acetone, acetonitrile and methanol) were tested. Chloroform and acetone were chosen as extraction and disperser solvent, respectively, as they provided the best extraction efficiency. Then, a multivariate optimization of the extraction conditions was carried out. Derivatization conditions were also studied to ensure the conversion of the estrogens to their respective trimethylsilyl derivatives. Low LODs and LOQs were achieved, i.e. between 11 and 82ngL(-1), and 37 and 272ngL(-1), respectively. Good values for intra and inter-day precision were obtained (RSDs≤7.06% and RSD≤7.11%, respectively). The method was successfully applied to wastewater samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Unsaturated flow dynamics during irrigation with wastewater: field and modelling study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Hernandez, V.; de Miguel, A.; Meffe, R.; Leal, M.; González-Naranjo, V.; de Bustamante, I.

2012-04-01

To deal with water scarcity combined with a growing water demand, the reuse of wastewater effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) for industrial and agricultural purposes is considered as a technically and economically feasible solution. In agriculture, irrigation with wastewater emerges as a sustainable practice that should be considered in such scenarios. Water infiltration, soil moisture storage and evapotranspiration occurring in the unsaturated zone are fundamental processes that play an important role in soil water balance. An accurate estimation of unsaturated flow dynamics (during and after irrigation) is essential to improve wastewater management (i.e. estimating groundwater recharge or maximizing irrigation efficiency) and to avoid possible soil and groundwater affections (i.e. predicting contaminant transport). The study site is located in the Experimental Plant of Carrión de los Céspedes (Seville, Spain). Here, treated wastewater is irrigated over the soil to enhance plants growth. To obtain physical characteristics of the soil (granulometry, bulk density and water retention curve), soil samples were collected at different depths. A drain gauge passive capillary lysimeter was installed to determine the volume of water draining from the vadose zone. Volumetric water content of the soil was monitored by measuring the dielectric constant using capacitance/frequency domain technology. Three soil moisture probes were located at different depths (20, 50 and 70 cm below the ground surface) to control the variation of the volumetric water content during infiltration. The main aim of this study is to understand water flow dynamics through the unsaturated zone during irrigation by using the finite element model Hydrus-1D. The experimental conditions were simulated by a 90 cm long, one dimensional solution domain. Specific climatic conditions, wastewater irrigation rates and physical properties of the soil were introduced in the model as input parameters

Analysis of Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Compounds in Wastewater Sludge and Aqueous Samples using GC-MS/MS

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

Zhong, Lirong; Mitroshkov, Alexandre V.; Gilmore, Tyler J.

The Bioenergy Program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is evaluating the feasibility of converting wastewater sludge materials to fuels. Wastewater sludge from various municipalities will be used in the evaluation process and as with any municipal waste, there is the potential for residual contaminates to remain in the sludge following wastewater treatment. Many surveys and studies have confirmed the presence of pharmaceuticals in municipal wastewater and effluents (World Health Organization, 2011). Determination of the presence and concentrations of the contaminants is required to define the proper handling of this sludge. A list of targeted compounds was acquired from themore » literature and an analytical method was developed for the pharmaceutical and personal care compounds. The presence of organics complicated the analytical techniques and, in some cases, the precision of the results. However, residual concentrations of a range of compounds were detected in the wastewater sludge and the presence and concentrations of these compounds will be considered in identifying the appropriate handling of this material in conduct of research.« less

Post-treatment of molasses wastewater by electrocoagulation and process optimization through response surface analysis.

PubMed

Tsioptsias, C; Petridis, D; Athanasakis, N; Lemonidis, I; Deligiannis, A; Samaras, P

2015-12-01

Molasses wastewater is a high strength effluent of food industry such as distilleries, sugar and yeast production plants etc. It is characterized by a dark brown color and exhibits a high content in substances of recalcitrant nature such as melanoidins. In this study, electrocoagulation (EC) was studied as a post treatment step for biologically treated molasses wastewater with high nitrogen content obtained from a baker's yeast industry. Iron and copper electrodes were used in various forms; the influence and interaction of current density, molasses wastewater dilution, and reaction time, on COD, color, ammonium and nitrate removal rates and operating cost were studied and optimized through Box Behnken's response surface analysis. Reaction time varied from 0.5 to 4 h, current density varied from 5 to 40 mA/cm(2) and dilution from 0 to 90% (v/v expressed as water concentration). pH, conductivity and temperature measurements were also carried out during each experiment. From preliminary experiments, it was concluded that the application of aeration and sample dilution, considerably influenced the kinetics of the process. The obtained results showed that COD removal varied between 10 and 54%, corresponding to an operation cost ranging from 0.2 to 33 euro/kg COD removed. Significant removal rates were obtained for nitrogen as nitrate and ammonium (i.e. 70% ammonium removal). A linear relation of COD and ammonium to the design parameters was observed, while operation cost and nitrate removal responded in a curvilinear function. A low ratio of electrode surface to treated volume was used, associated to a low investment cost; in addition, iron wastes could be utilized as low cost electrodes i.e. iron fillings from lathes, aiming to a low operation cost due to electrodes replacement. In general, electrocoagulation proved to be an effective and low cost process for biologically treated molasses-wastewater treatment for additional removal of COD and nitrogen content and

DETERMINATION OF DITHIOCARBAMATE PESTICIDES IN WASTEWATERS

EPA Science Inventory

A method was modified and validated for the determination of dithiocarbamate pesticides in wastewaters. The developed method consists of sample pH adjustment to pH 12.2; removal of indigenous CS2 by purging in a vortex evaporator; acidification of the sample to hydrolyze dithioca...

Characterization of Escherichia coli populations from gulls, landfill trash, and wastewater using ribotyping.

PubMed

Nelson, M; Jones, S H; Edwards, C; Ellis, J C

2008-08-19

Due to their opportunistic and gregarious nature, gulls may be important reservoirs and vectors for anthropogenically derived fecal pathogens in coastal areas. We used ribotyping, a genotypic bacterial source tracking method, to compare populations of Escherichia coli among herring gulls Larus argentatus, great black-backed gulls L. marinus, wastewater, and landfill trash in New Hampshire and Maine, USA. Concentrations of E. coli in gull feces varied widely among individuals, but were generally high (6.0 x 10(1) to 2.5 x 10(9) g(-1) wet weight). Of 39 E. coli isolates from L. argentatus, 67% had banding patterns that were > or = 90% similar to those from wastewater and trash, whereas only 39% of 36 L. marinus isolates exhibited > or = 90% similarity to these sources. Strains of E. coli from gulls matched (> or = 90% similarity) more strains from wastewater (39% matching) than from trash (15% matching). E. coli isolates from L. marinus feces exhibited a greater diversity of banding patterns than did isolates from L. argentatus. There were more unique E. coli banding patterns in trash samples than in wastewater, and higher diversity indices in the former compared to the latter. These findings suggest that both species of gulls, especially L. argentatus, obtain fecal bacteria from wastewater and landfill trash, which they may transport to recreational beaches and waters. Our results also indicate that E. coli populations may vary widely between gull species, and between the anthropogenic habitats that they frequent, i.e. landfills and wastewater treatment facilities.

Fish track wastewater pollution to estuaries.

PubMed

Schlacher, Thomas A; Liddell, Ben; Gaston, Troy F; Schlacher-Hoenlinger, Monika

2005-08-01

Excess nitrogen is a forceful agent of ecological change in coastal waters, and wastewater is a prominent source of nitrogen. In catchments where multiple sources of nitrogen pollution co-exist, biological indicators are needed to gauge the degree to which wastewater-N can propagate through the receiving food webs. The purpose of this study was to test whether estuarine fish are suitable as indicators of sewage-N pollution. Fish were analysed from three estuaries within a 100-km strip on the Australian East Coast. The estuaries differ substantially in wastewater loading: (1) the Maroochy Estuary receives a large fraction of the local shire's treated sewage, (2) the Mooloolah Estuary has no licensed treated wastewater outfalls but marinas/harbours and storm-water may contribute nitrogen, and (3) the Noosa Estuary which neither receives licensed discharges nor has suspected wastewater loads. Sampling for fish included both high rainfall ('wet' season) and low rainfall ('dry' season) periods. Muscle-delta15N was the variable predicted to respond to treated wastewater loading, reflecting the relative enrichment in 15N resulting from the treatment process and distinguishing it from alternative N sources such as fertiliser and natural nitrogen inputs (both 15N-depleted). Of the 19 fish species occurring in all three estuaries, those from the Maroochy Estuary had significantly elevated delta15N values (up to 9.9 per thousand), and inter-estuarine differences in fish-delta15N were consistent across seasons. Furthermore, not only did all fish from the estuary receiving treated wastewater carry a very distinctive sewage-N tissue signal, but enriched muscle-delta15N was also evident in all species sampled from the one estuary in which sewage contamination was previously only suspected (i.e. the Mooloolah Estuary: 0.2-4.8 per thousand enrichment over fish from reference system). Thus, fish-delta15N is a suitable indicator of wastewater-N not only in systems that receive large

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.

Treatment of industrial oily wastewaters by wet oxidation.

PubMed

Zerva, C; Peschos, Z; Poulopoulos, S G; Philippopoulos, C J

2003-02-28

In the present work, the homogeneous wet oxidation (WO) of an oily wastewater (COD approximately 11,000 mg l(-1)), composed mainly of alcohols and phenolic compounds, was studied in a high-pressure agitated autoclave reactor in the temperature range of 180-260 degrees C and oxygen pressure 1 MPa. Temperature was found to have a significant impact on the oxidation of the contaminants in the wastewater. Among the compounds contained in the wastewater, ethylene glycol showed great resistance to wet oxidation. Temperatures above 240 degrees C were required for its effective degradation. Organic acids, mainly acetic acid, were the intermediate products of the wet oxidation process and their conversion to carbon dioxide was very slow. A generalised model based on a parallel reaction scheme was used to interpret the experimental data obtained. The activation energies obtained were in the range of 90-130 kJ mol(-1).

Pathogenic parasites and enteroviruses in wastewater: support for a regulation on water reuse.

PubMed

Hachich, Elayse M; Galvani, Ana T; Padula, Jose A; Stoppe, Nancy C; Garcia, Suzi C; Bonanno, Vilma M S; Barbosa, Mikaela R F; Sato, Maria Inês Z

2013-01-01

Brazilian regulations for nonpotable reuse are being established using World Health Organization guidelines, however, they should be developed based on local monitoring studies. This study intended to analyze enteroviruses, protozoa and viable Ascaris sp. eggs in raw (24) and treated (24) effluents from four Wastewater Treatment Plants of São Paulo State, Brazil. The protozoa were detected with the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Method 1623 in the treated effluents and by centrifugation/Immunomagnetic Separation in the raw influent samples. Viable Ascaris sp. eggs were analyzed according to a modified USEPA method. Enteroviruses were quantified by using human rhabdomyosarcoma cells after adequate concentration procedures. All wastewater influents were positive for Giardia sp. whereas Cryptosporidium sp. was detected in 58.3% of the samples. Giardia sp. and Cryptosporidium sp. were present in 79.2 and 25.0% respectively, of the treated wastewater samples. Viable Ascaris sp. eggs were detected in 50.0 and 12.5% of influent and treated wastewater samples. Enteroviruses were isolated in the 24 raw influent samples and in 46% of the treated samples. Taking into account the densities of Giardia sp. in some treated wastewaters intended to be used as reclaimed water, Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment studies should be conducted to establish pathogen quantitative criteria for a future Brazilian regulation for water reuse.

A combined electrochemical-irradiation treatment of highly colored and polluted industrial wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrera-Díaz, C.; Ureña-Nuñez, F.; Campos, E.; Palomar-Pardavé, M.; Romero-Romo, M.

2003-07-01

This study reports on the attainment of optimal conditions for two electrolytic methods to treat wastewater: namely, electrocoagulation and particle destabilization of a highly polluted industrial wastewater, and electrochemically induced oxidation induced by in situ generation of Fenton's reactive. Additionally, a combined method that consisted of electrochemical treatment plus γ-irradiation was carried out. A typical composition of the industrial effluent treated was COD 3400 mg/l, color 3750 Pt/Co units, and fecal coliforms 21000 MPN/ml. The best removal efficiency was obtained with electrochemical oxidation induced in situ , that resulted in the reduction of 78% for the COD, 86% color and 99.9% fecal coliforms removal. A treatment sequence was designed and carried out, such that after both electrochemical processes, a γ-irradiation technique was used to complete the procedure. The samples were irradiated with various doses in an ALC γ-cell unit provided with a Co-60 source. The removal efficiency obtained was 95% for the COD values, 90% color and 99.9% for fecal coliforms.

Tracking antibiotic resistance genes in soil irrigated with dairy wastewater.

PubMed

Dungan, Robert S; McKinney, Chad W; Leytem, April B

2018-09-01

The application of dairy wastewater to agricultural soils is a widely used practice to irrigate crops and recycle nutrients. In this study, small-scale field plots were irrigated monthly (6 times) with dairy wastewater (100%), wastewater diluted to 50% with irrigation (canal) water, and diluted wastewater spiked with copper sulfate (50 mg Cu L -1 ), while control plots were irrigated with canal water. In addition, half of all plots were either planted with wheat or were left as bare soil. Biweekly soil samples were collected during this period and processed to determine the occurrence and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes [bla CTX-M-1 , erm(B), sul1, tet(B), tet(M), and tet(X)] and a class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1) via quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Only sul1 and tet(X) were detected in soil (3 out of 32 samples) before the wastewater treatments were applied. However, the occurrence and relative abundance (normalized to 16S rRNA gene copies) of most genes [erm(B), intI1, sul1, and tet(M)] increased dramatically after wastewater irrigation and levels were maintained during the entire study period. bla CTX-M-1 was the only gene not detected in wastewater-treated soils, which is likely related to its absence in the dairy wastewater. Relative gene levels in soil were found to be statistically similar among the treatments in most cases, regardless of the wastewater percentage applied and presence or absence of plants. The key result from this study is that dairy wastewater irrigation significantly enlarges the reservoir of ARGs and intI1 in soils, while detection of these genes rarely occurred in soil irrigated only with canal water. In addition, elevated levels of Cu in the wastewater and treated soil did not produce a concomitant increase of the ARG levels. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Wet oxidation of real coke wastewater containing high thiocyanate concentration.

PubMed

Oulego, Paula; Collado, Sergio; Garrido, Laura; Laca, Adriana; Rendueles, Manuel; Díaz, Mario

2014-01-01

Coke wastewaters, in particular those with high thiocyanate concentrations, represent an important environmental problem because of their very low biodegradability. In this work, the treatment by wet oxidation of real coke wastewaters containing concentrations of thiocyanate above 17 mM has been studied in a 1-L semi-batch reactor at temperatures between 453 and 493 K, with total oxygen pressures in the range of 2.0-8.0 MPa. A positive effect of the matrix of real coke wastewater was observed, resulting in faster thiocyanate degradation than was obtained with synthetic wastewaters. Besides, the effect of oxygen concentration and temperature on thiocyanate wet oxidation was more noticeable in real effluents than in synthetic wastewaters containing only thiocyanate. It was also observed that the degree of mineralization of the matrix organic compounds was higher when the initial thiocyanate concentration increased. Taking into account the experimental data, kinetic models were obtained, and a mechanism implying free radicals was proposed for thiocyanate oxidation in the matrix considered. In all cases, sulphate, carbonates and ammonium were identified as the main reaction products of thiocyanate wet oxidation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detection of genogroup IV norovirus in wastewater and river water in Japan.

PubMed

Kitajima, M; Haramoto, E; Phanuwan, C; Katayama, H; Ohgaki, S

2009-11-01

To test wastewater and river water in Japan for genogroup IV norovirus (GIV NoV). Influent and effluent samples from a wastewater treatment plant and the Tamagawa River water samples were collected monthly for a year. The water samples were concentrated by the adsorption-elution method, using an HA electronegative filter with acid rinse procedure, followed by quantitative detection of GIV NoV using TaqMan-based real-time RT-PCR. Both wastewater and river water samples showed a high positive ratio of GIV NoV during winter and spring. The highest concentration in wastewater and river water was 6.9 x 10(4) and 1.5 x 10(4) copies l(-1), respectively. Presence of GIV NoV in the environments demonstrates that not only GI and GII NoVs but also GIV strains are circulating and that routine monitoring of GIV NoV in water environments is recommended to understand its epidemics, environmental distribution and potential health risks. This is the first study providing quantitative data on the occurrence of GIV NoV in environmental water over a 1-year period.

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

PubMed

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

2016-06-14

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

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

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

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

Soil nitrogen balance under wastewater management: Field measurements and simulation results

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sophocleous, M.; Townsend, M.A.; Vocasek, F.; Ma, Liwang; KC, A.

2009-01-01

The use of treated wastewater for irrigation of crops could result in high nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) concentrations in the vadose zone and ground water. The goal of this 2-yr field-monitoring study in the deep silty clay loam soils south of Dodge City, Kansas, was to assess how and under what circumstances N from the secondary-treated, wastewater-irrigated corn reached the deep (20-45 m) water table of the underlying High Plains aquifer and what could be done to minimize this problem. We collected 15.2-m-deep soil cores for characterization of physical and chemical properties; installed neutron probe access tubes to measure soil-water content and suction lysimeters to sample soil water periodically; sampled monitoring, irrigation, and domestic wells in the area; and obtained climatic, crop, irrigation, and N application rate records for two wastewater-irrigated study sites. These data and additional information were used to run the Root Zone Water Quality Model to identify key parameters and processes that influence N losses in the study area. We demonstrated that NO3-N transport processes result in significant accumulations of N in the vadose zone and that NO3-N in the underlying ground water is increasing with time. Root Zone Water Quality Model simulations for two wastewater-irrigated study sites indicated that reducing levels of corn N fertilization by more than half to 170 kg ha-1 substantially increases N-use efficiency and achieves near-maximum crop yield. Combining such measures with a crop rotation that includes alfalfa should further reduce the accumulation and downward movement of NO3-N in the soil profile. Copyright ?? 2009 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Toxicity identification evaluation of cosmetics industry wastewater.

PubMed

de Melo, Elisa Dias; Mounteer, Ann H; Leão, Lucas Henrique de Souza; Bahia, Renata Cibele Barros; Campos, Izabella Maria Ferreira

2013-01-15

The cosmetics industry has shown steady growth in many developing countries over the past several years, yet little research exists on toxicity of wastewaters it generates. This study describes a toxicity identification evaluation conducted on wastewater from a small Brazilian hair care products manufacturing plant. Physicochemical and ecotoxicological analyses of three wastewater treatment plant inlet and outlet samples collected over a six month period revealed inefficient operation of the treatment system and thus treated wastewater organic matter, suspended solids and surfactants contents consistently exceeded discharge limits. Treated wastewater also presented high acute toxicity to Daphnia similis and chronic toxicity to Ceriodaphnia dubia and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. This toxicity was associated with suspended solids, volatile or sublatable and non-polar to moderately polar organic compounds that could be recovered in filtration and aeration residues. Seven surfactants used in the largest quantities in the production process were highly toxic to P. subcapitata and D. similis. These results indicated that surfactants, important production raw materials, are a probable source of toxicity, although other possible sources, such as fragrances, should not be discarded. Improved treatment plant operational control may reduce toxicity and lower impact of wastewater discharge to receiving waters. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lipid production from tapioca wastewater by culture of Scenedesmus sp. with simultaneous BOD, COD and nitrogen removal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romaidi; Hasanudin, Muhammad; Kholifah, Khusnul; Maulidiyah, Alik; Putro, Sapto P.; Kikuchi, Akira; Sakaguchi, Toshifumi

2018-05-01

The use of microalgae to produce biodiesel or possibly remove nutrients from industrial wastewater has gained important attention during recent years due to their photosynthetic rate and its versatile nature to grow in various wastewater systems. In this study, a microalgae, Scenedesmus sp., was cultured to enhance the lipid production and nutrients removal from tapioca wastewater sample. To assess lipid production, Scenedesmus sp. was cultured in different concentration of tapioca wastewater sample (from 0 to 100 %), and nutrient removal including BOD, COD, NH4, NO2, NO3 level by Scenedesmus sp. was assessed in 100% of tapioca wastewater culture. After 8 days of culture, it was found out that 50% of tapioca wastewater sample resulted in highest concentration of lipid content than that of the other concentrations. The level of environment indicator as nutrient removal such as BOD, COD, NH4, NO2, NO3 were also decreased up to 74%, 72%, 95%, 91%, and 91%, respectively. The pH condition changed from initial condition acidic (pH: 4) to neutral or basic condition (pH: 7-8) as recommended in wastewater treatment system. This research provided a novel approach and achieved efficient simultaneous lipid production and nutrients removal from tapioca wastewater sample by Scenedesmus’s culture system.

Evaluation of constructed wetland treatment performance for winery wastewater.

PubMed

Grismer, Mark E; Carr, Melanie A; Shepherd, Heather L

2003-01-01

Rapid expansion of wineries in rural California during the past three decades has created contamination problems related to winery wastewater treatment and disposal; however, little information is available about performance of on-site treatment systems. Here, the project objective was to determine full-scale, subsurface-flow constructed wetland retention times and treatment performance through assessment of water quality by daily sampling of total dissolved solids, pH, total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand (COD), tannins, nitrate, ammonium, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, phosphate, sulfate, and sulfide across operating systems for winery wastewater treatment. Measurements were conducted during both the fall crush season of heavy loading and the spring following bottling and racking operations at the winery. Simple decay model coefficients for these constituents as well as COD and tannin removal efficiencies from winery wastewater in bench-scale reactors are also determined. The bench-scale study used upward-flow, inoculated attached-growth (pea-gravel substrate) reactors fed synthetic winery wastewater. Inlet and outlet tracer studies for determination of actual retention times were essential to analyses of treatment performance from an operational subsurface-flow constructed wetland that had been overloaded due to failure to install a pretreatment system for suspended solids removal. Less intensive sampling conducted at a smaller operational winery wastewater constructed wetland that had used pretreatment suspended solids removal and aeration indicated that the constructed wetlands were capable of complete organic load removal from the winery wastewater.

BENCH-SCALE EVALUATION OF AMMONIA REMOVAL FROM WASTEWATER BY STEAM STRIPPING

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of the study was to generate laboratory data to support the development of wastewater discharge standards for ammonia in nonferrous metal winning processes. The objective was accomplished by studying ammonia removal from synthetically compounded 'wastewater' samples u...

Mechanism of nitrogen removal in wastewater lagoon: a case study.

PubMed

Vendramelli, Richard A; Vijay, Saloni; Yuan, Qiuyan

2017-06-01

Ammonia being a nutrient facilitates the growth of algae in wastewater and causes eutrophication. Nitrate poses health risk if it is present in drinking water. Hence, nitrogen removal from wastewater is required. Lagoon wastewater treatment systems have become common in Canada these days. The study was conducted to understand the nitrogen removal mechanisms from the existing wastewater treatment lagoon system in the town of Lorette, Manitoba. The lagoon system consists of two primary aerated cells and two secondary unaerated cells. Surface samples were collected periodically from lagoon cells and analysed from 5 May 2015 to 9 November 2015. The windward and leeward sides of the ponds were sampled and the results were averaged. It was found that the free ammonia volatilization to the atmosphere is responsible for most of the ammonia removal. Ammonia and nitrate assimilation into biomass and biological growth in the cells appears to be the other mechanisms of nitrogen removal over the monitoring period. Factors affecting the nitrogen removal efficiency were found to be pH, temperature and hydraulic residence time. Also, the ammonia concentration in the effluent from the wastewater treatment lagoon was compared with the regulatory standard.

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.

40 CFR 63.133 - Process wastewater provisions-wastewater tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Process wastewater provisions-wastewater tanks. 63.133 Section 63.133 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Chemical Manufacturing Industry for Process Vents, Storage Vessels, Transfer Operations, and Wastewater...

40 CFR 63.133 - Process wastewater provisions-wastewater tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Process wastewater provisions-wastewater tanks. 63.133 Section 63.133 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Chemical Manufacturing Industry for Process Vents, Storage Vessels, Transfer Operations, and Wastewater...

40 CFR 63.133 - Process wastewater provisions-wastewater tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Process wastewater provisions-wastewater tanks. 63.133 Section 63.133 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Chemical Manufacturing Industry for Process Vents, Storage Vessels, Transfer Operations, and Wastewater...

40 CFR 63.133 - Process wastewater provisions-wastewater tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Process wastewater provisions-wastewater tanks. 63.133 Section 63.133 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Chemical Manufacturing Industry for Process Vents, Storage Vessels, Transfer Operations, and Wastewater...

Thermochemical Wastewater Valorization via Enhanced Microbial Toxicity Tolerance

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

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

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

Recovery of gold from industrial wastewater by extracellular proteins obtained from a thermophilic bacterium Tepidimonas fonticaldi AT-A2.

PubMed

Han, Yin-Lung; Wu, Jen-Hao; Cheng, Chieh-Lun; Nagarajan, Dillirani; Lee, Ching-Ray; Li, Yi-Heng; Lo, Yung-Chung; Chang, Jo-Shu

2017-09-01

Biosorption has emerged as a promising alternative approach for treating wastewater with dilute metal contents in a green and cost effective way. In this study, extracellular proteins of an isolated thermophilic bacterium (Tepidimonas fonticaldi AT-A2) were used as biosorbent to recover precious metal (i.e., Au) from wastewater. The Au (III) adsorption capacity on the T. fonticaldi AT-A2 proteins was the highest when the pH was set at about 4.0-5.0. The adsorption capacity increased with increasing temperature from 15 to 70°C. Adsorption isotherm studies show that both Langmuir and Freundrich models could describe the adsorption equilibrium. The maximum adsorption capacity of Au (III) at 50°C and pH 5 could reach 9.7mg Au/mg protein. The protein-based biosorbent was also used for the recovery of Au from a wastewater containing 15mg/L of Au, achieving a high adsorption capacity of 1.45mg Au/mg protein and a removal efficiency of 71%. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumption-based approach for assessing the contribution of hospitals towards the load of pharmaceutical residues in municipal wastewater.

PubMed

Le Corre, Kristell S; Ort, Christoph; Kateley, Diana; Allen, Belinda; Escher, Beate I; Keller, Jurg

2012-09-15

Hospitals are considered as major sources of pharmaceutical residues discharged to municipal wastewater, but recent experimental studies showed that the contribution of hospitals to the loads of selected, quantifiable pharmaceuticals in sewage treatment plant (STP) influents was limited. However such conclusions are made based on the experimental analysis of pharmaceuticals in hospital wastewater which is hindered by a number of factors such as access to suitable sampling sites, difficulties in obtaining representative samples and availability of analytical methods. Therefore, this study explores a refined and extended consumption-based approach to predict the contribution of six selected Australian hospitals to the loads of 589 pharmaceuticals in municipal wastewater. In addition, the possibility that hospital-specific substances are present at levels that may pose a risk for human health was evaluated. For 63 to 84% of the pharmaceuticals investigated, the selected hospitals are not a major point source with individual contributions likely to be less than 15% which is in line with previous experimental studies. In contrast, between 10 and 20% of the pharmaceuticals consumed in the selected hospitals are exclusively used in these hospitals. For these hospital-specific substances, 57 distinct pharmaceuticals may cause concerns for human health as concentrations predicted in hospital effluents are less than 100-fold lower than effect thresholds. However, when concentrations were predicted in the influent of the corresponding STP, only 12 compounds (including the antineoplastic vincristine, the antibiotics tazobactam and piperacillin) remain in concentration close to effect thresholds, but further decrease is expected after removal in STP, dilution in the receiving stream and drinking water treatment. The results of this study suggest that risks of human exposure to the pharmaceuticals exclusively administered in the investigated hospitals are limited and

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.

Phanerochaete flavido-alba Laccase Induction and Modification of Manganese Peroxidase Isoenzyme Pattern in Decolorized Olive Oil Mill Wastewaters

PubMed Central

Pérez, J.; de la Rubia, T.; Hamman, O. Ben; Martínez, J.

1998-01-01

Lignin-degrading enzymes were partially purified from supernatant solutions obtained from Phanerochaete flavido-alba-decolorized olive oil mill wastewaters (OMW). The dominant enzymes, manganese peroxidases, exhibited different isoform patterns in decolorized OMW-containing cultures than in residue-free samples. Laccase induction was also detected in OMW-containing cultures but not in control cultures. PMID:9647858

Impact assessment of treated wastewater on water quality of the receiver using the Wilcoxon test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ofman, Piotr; Puchlik, Monika; Simson, Grzegorz; Krasowska, Małgorzata; Struk-Sokołowska, Joanna

2017-11-01

Wastewater treatment is a process which aims to reduce the concentration of pollutants in wastewater to the level allowed by current regulations. This is to protect the receivers which typically are rivers, streams, lakes. Examination of the quality of treated wastewater allows for quick elimination of possible negative effects, and the study of water receiver prevents from excessive contamination. The paper presents the results of selected physical and chemical parameters of treated wastewater from the largest on the region in north-eastern Poland city of Bialystok municipal wastewater treatment and Biała River, the receiver. The samples for research were taken 3-4 a month in 2015 from two points: before and after discharge. The impact of the wastewater treatment plant on the quality of the receiver waters was studied by using non-parametric Wilcoxon test. This test determined whether the analyzed indicators varied significantly depending on different sampling points of the river, above and below place of discharge of treated wastewater. These results prove that the treated wastewater does not affect the water quality in the Biała River.

Physicochemical Characteristic of Municipal Wastewater in Tropical Area: Case Study of Surabaya City, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wijaya, I. M. W.; Soedjono, E. S.

2018-03-01

Municipal wastewater is the main contributor to diverse water pollution problems. In order to prevent the pollution risks, wastewater have to be treated before discharged to the main water. Selection of appropriated treatment process need the characteristic information of wastewater as design consideration. This study aims to analyse the physicochemical characteristic of municipal wastewater from inlet and outlet of ABR unit around Surabaya City. Medokan Semampir and Genteng Candi Rejo has been selected as wastewater sampling point. The samples were analysed in laboratory with parameters, such as pH, TSS, COD, BOD, NH4 +, NO3 -, NO2 -, P, and detergent. The results showed that all parameters in both locations are under the national standard of discharged water quality. In other words, the treated water is securely discharged to the river

Genotoxicity of wastewaters used for irrigation of food crops.

PubMed

Ansari, Mohd Ikram; Malik, Abdul

2009-04-01

In most towns of India, wastewater coming from both industrial and domestic sources and without any treatment is used to irrigate the agricultural crops. This practice has been polluting the soil, and pollutants could possibly reach the food chain. For the above reasons, the wastewaters of Ghaziabad City (India), which is used for irrigation, were sampled (at two different sites) and monitored for the presence of genotoxic agents from January 2005 to June 2007. Gas chromatographic analysis showed the presence of certain OC (DDE, DDT, Dieldrin, Aldrin, and Endosulfan) and OP (Dimethoate, Malathion, Methlyparathion, and Chlorpyrifos) pesticides in both the sampling sites. Wastewater samples were concentrated using XAD resins (XAD-4 and XAD-8) and liquid-liquid extraction procedures, and the extracts were assayed for genotoxic potential by Ames Salmonella/microsome test, DNA repair defective mutants, and bacteriophage lambda systems. The test samples exhibited significant mutagenicity with TA98, TA97a, and TA100 strains with the probable role of contaminating pesticides in the wastewater. However, XAD-concentrated samples were more mutagenic in both sites as compared to liquid-liquid-extracted samples. The damage in the DNA repair defective mutants in the presence of XAD-concentrated water samples were also found to be higher to that of liquid-liquid-extracted water samples at the dose level of 20 muL/mL culture. All the mutants invariably exhibited significant decline in their colony-forming units as compared to their isogenic wild-type counterparts. The survival was decreased by 81.7 and 75.5% in polA(-) strain in site I, and 76.0 and 73.5% in site II in polA(-) under the same experimental conditions after 6 h of treatment with XAD-concentrated and liquid-liquid-extracted samples, respectively. A significant decrease in the survival of bacteriophage lambda was also observed when treated with the test samples. Copyright 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Wastewater Biosolid Composting Optimization Based on UV-VNIR Spectroscopy Monitoring

PubMed Central

Temporal-Lara, Beatriz; Melendez-Pastor, Ignacio; Gómez, Ignacio; Navarro-Pedreño, Jose

2016-01-01

Conventional wastewater treatment generates large amounts of organic matter–rich sludge that requires adequate treatment to avoid public health and environmental problems. The mixture of wastewater sludge and some bulking agents produces a biosolid to be composted at adequate composting facilities. The composting process is chemically and microbiologically complex and requires an adequate aeration of the biosolid (e.g., with a turner machine) for proper maturation of the compost. Adequate (near) real-time monitoring of the compost maturity process is highly difficult and the operation of composting facilities is not as automatized as other industrial processes. Spectroscopic analysis of compost samples has been successfully employed for compost maturity assessment but the preparation of the solid compost samples is difficult and time-consuming. This manuscript presents a methodology based on a combination of a less time-consuming compost sample preparation and ultraviolet, visible and short-wave near-infrared spectroscopy. Spectroscopic measurements were performed with liquid compost extract instead of solid compost samples. Partial least square (PLS) models were developed to quantify chemical fractions commonly employed for compost maturity assessment. Effective regression models were obtained for total organic matter (residual predictive deviation—RPD = 2.68), humification ratio (RPD = 2.23), total exchangeable carbon (RPD = 2.07) and total organic carbon (RPD = 1.66) with a modular and cost-effective visible and near infrared (VNIR) spectroradiometer. This combination of a less time-consuming compost sample preparation with a versatile sensor system provides an easy-to-implement, efficient and cost-effective protocol for compost maturity assessment and near-real-time monitoring. PMID:27854280

Wastewater Biosolid Composting Optimization Based on UV-VNIR Spectroscopy Monitoring.

PubMed

Temporal-Lara, Beatriz; Melendez-Pastor, Ignacio; Gómez, Ignacio; Navarro-Pedreño, Jose

2016-11-15

Conventional wastewater treatment generates large amounts of organic matter-rich sludge that requires adequate treatment to avoid public health and environmental problems. The mixture of wastewater sludge and some bulking agents produces a biosolid to be composted at adequate composting facilities. The composting process is chemically and microbiologically complex and requires an adequate aeration of the biosolid (e.g., with a turner machine) for proper maturation of the compost. Adequate (near) real-time monitoring of the compost maturity process is highly difficult and the operation of composting facilities is not as automatized as other industrial processes. Spectroscopic analysis of compost samples has been successfully employed for compost maturity assessment but the preparation of the solid compost samples is difficult and time-consuming. This manuscript presents a methodology based on a combination of a less time-consuming compost sample preparation and ultraviolet, visible and short-wave near-infrared spectroscopy. Spectroscopic measurements were performed with liquid compost extract instead of solid compost samples. Partial least square (PLS) models were developed to quantify chemical fractions commonly employed for compost maturity assessment. Effective regression models were obtained for total organic matter (residual predictive deviation-RPD = 2.68), humification ratio (RPD = 2.23), total exchangeable carbon (RPD = 2.07) and total organic carbon (RPD = 1.66) with a modular and cost-effective visible and near infrared (VNIR) spectroradiometer. This combination of a less time-consuming compost sample preparation with a versatile sensor system provides an easy-to-implement, efficient and cost-effective protocol for compost maturity assessment and near-real-time monitoring.

Tracking antibiotic resistome during wastewater treatment using high throughput quantitative PCR.

PubMed

An, Xin-Li; Su, Jian-Qiang; Li, Bing; Ouyang, Wei-Ying; Zhao, Yi; Chen, Qing-Lin; Cui, Li; Chen, Hong; Gillings, Michael R; Zhang, Tong; Zhu, Yong-Guan

2018-05-08

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contain diverse antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and thus are considered as a major pathway for the dissemination of these genes into the environments. However, comprehensive evaluations of ARGs dynamic during wastewater treatment process lack extensive investigations on a broad spectrum of ARGs. Here, we investigated the dynamics of ARGs and bacterial community structures in 114 samples from eleven Chinese WWTPs using high-throughput quantitative PCR and 16S rRNA-based Illumina sequencing analysis. Significant shift of ARGs profiles was observed and wastewater treatment process could significantly reduce the abundance and diversity of ARGs, with the removal of ARGs concentration by 1-2 orders of magnitude. Whereas, a considerable number of ARGs were detected and enriched in effluents compared with influents. In particular, seven ARGs mainly conferring resistance to beta-lactams and aminoglycosides and three mobile genetic elements persisted in all WWTPs samples after wastewater treatment. ARGs profiles varied with wastewater treatment processes, seasons and regions. This study tracked the footprint of ARGs during wastewater treatment process, which would support the assessment on the spread of ARGs from WWTPs and provide data for identifying management options to improve ARG mitigation in WWTPs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study of Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Wastewater in an Urban Agglomeration in Romania

PubMed Central

Popa, Paula; Timofti, Mihaela; Voiculescu, Mirela; Dragan, Silvia; Trif, Catalin; Georgescu, Lucian P.

2012-01-01

This study investigates the level of wastewater pollution by analyzing its chemical characteristics at five wastewater collectors. Samples are collected before they discharge into the Danube during a monitoring campaign of two weeks. Organic and inorganic compounds, heavy metals, and biogenic compounds have been analyzed using potentiometric and spectrophotometric methods. Experimental results show that the quality of wastewater varies from site to site and it greatly depends on the origin of the wastewater. Correlation analysis was used in order to identify possible relationships between concentrations of various analyzed parameters, which could be used in selecting the appropriate method for wastewater treatment to be implemented at wastewater plants. PMID:22919336

Potassium Permanganate as an Alternative for Gold Mining Wastewater Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ordiales, M.; Fernández, D.; Verdeja, L. F.; Sancho, J.

2015-09-01

The feasibility of using potassium permanganate as a reagent for cyanide oxidation in wastewater was experimentally studied. Both artificial and production wastewater from two different gold mines were tested. The experiments had three goals: determine the optimum reagent concentration and reaction time required to achieve total cyanide removal, obtain knowledge of the reaction kinetics, and improve the management of the amount of reagent. The results indicate that potassium permanganate is an effective and reliable oxidizing agent for the removal of cyanide from gold mining wastewater.

Study of the reuse of treated wastewater on waste container washing vehicles.

PubMed

Vaccari, Mentore; Gialdini, Francesca; Collivignarelli, Carlo

2013-02-01

The wheelie bins for the collection of municipal solid waste (MSW) shall be periodically washed. This operation is usually carried out by specific vehicles which consume about 5000 L of water per day. Wastewater derived from bins washing is usually stored on the same vehicle and then discharged and treated in a municipal WWTP. This paper presents a study performed to evaluate the reuse of the wastewater collected from bins washing after it has been treated in a small plant mounted on the vehicle; the advantage of such a system would be the reduction of both vehicle dimension and water consumption. The main results obtained by coagulation-flocculation tests performed on two wastewater samples are presented. The addition of 2 mL/L of an aqueous solution of aluminum polychloride (18% w/w), about 35 mL/L of an aqueous solution of CaO (4% w/w) and 25 mL/L of an aqueous solution of an anionic polyelectrolyte (1 ‰ w/w) can significantly reduce turbidity and COD in treated water (to about 99% and 42%, respectively); the concomitant increase of UV transmittance at 254 nm (up to 15%) enables UV disinfection application by a series of two ordinary UV lamps. Much higher UV transmittance values (even higher than 80%) can be obtained by dosing powdered activated carbon, which also results in a greater removal of COD. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examination of the operator and compensator tank role in urban wastewater treatment using activated sludge method.

PubMed

Mokhtari Azar, Akbar; Ghadirpour Jelogir, Ali; Nabi Bidhendi, Gholam Reza; Zaredar, Narges

2011-04-01

No doubt, operator is one of the main fundaments in wastewater treatment plants. By identifying the inadequacies, the operator could be considered as an important key in treatment plant. Several methods are used for wastewater treatment that requires spending a lot of cost. However, all investments of treatment facilities are usable when the expected efficiency of the treatment plant was obtained. Using experienced operator, this goal is more easily accessible. In this research, the wastewater of an urban community contaminated with moderated, diluted and highly concentrated pollution has been treated using surface and deep aeration treatment method. Sampling of these pilots was performed during winter 2008 to summer 2009. The results indicate that all analyzed parameters were eliminated using activated sludge and surface aeration methods. However, in activated sludge and deep aeration methods in combination with suitable function of operator, more pollutants could be eliminated. Hence, existence of operator in wastewater treatment plants is the basic principle to achieve considered efficiency. Wastewater treatment system is not intelligent itself and that is the operator who can organize even an inefficient system by its continuous presence. The converse of this fact is also real. Despite the various units and appropriate design of wastewater treatment plant, without an operator, the studied process cannot be expected highly efficient. In places frequently affected by the shock of organic and hydraulic loads, the compensator tank is important to offset the wastewater treatment process. Finally, in regard to microbial parameters, existence of disinfection unit is very useful.

Headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (HS-GC-FID) for the determination of dissolved methane in wastewater.

PubMed

Beale, D J; Tjandraatmadja, G; Toifl, M; Goodman, N

2014-01-01

There is currently a need for a simple, accurate and reproducible method that quantifies the amount of dissolved methane in wastewater in order to realize the potential methane that can be recovered and account for any emissions. This paper presents such a method, using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection fitted with a GS-Gas PRO column coupled with a headspace auto sampler. A practical limit of detection for methane of 0.9 mg L(-1), with a retention time of 1.24 min, was obtained. It was found that the reproducibility and accuracy of the method increased significantly when samples were collected using an in-house constructed bailer sampling device and with the addition of 100 μL hydrochloric acid (HCl) and 25% sodium chloride (NaCl) and sonication for 30 min prior to analysis. Analysis of wastewater samples and wastewater sludge collected from a treatment facility were observed to range from 12.51 to 15.79 mg L(-1) (relative standard deviation (RSD) 8.1%) and 17.56 to 18.67 mg L(-1) (RSD 3.4%) respectively. The performance of this method was validated by repeatedly measuring a mid-level standard (n=8; 10 mg L(-1)), with an observed RSD of 4.6%.

Determination of sulfonamides in selected Malaysian swine wastewater by high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Malintan, Nancy T; Mohd, Mustafa Ali

2006-09-15

An analytical HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of eight sulfonamides in swine wastewater was developed. The samples were collected from three states in Malaysia. Sample clean up was carried out by employing solid-phase extraction using a 60 mg Oasis HLB (Waters) cartridge with 3 ml reservoir. The HPLC column used was Supelcosil C18 (250 mm x 4.6mm I.D.) and elution was carried out using gradient mode. The mobile phases used were acetonitrile and 0.5% acetic acid in purified water. Antibiotics were detected using UV absorbance at 272 nm. Recoveries obtained for sulphanilamide ranged from 31.9+/-5.1% to 36.2+/-1.0%, while recoveries for other sulfa drugs studied were from 91.9+/-5.0% to 106.0+/-1.1%. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) for sulfamerazine, sulfamethazine and sulfamethoxypyridazine was 7.5 ng/L, while the LOQ for the other studied antibiotics was 5.0 ng/L. The method was used to analyse sulfonamides in wastewater collected from selected Malaysian swine facilities.

Improving the geotechnical properties of expansive soils by mixture with olive mill wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ureña, C.; Azañón, J. M.; Corpas, F.; Nieto, F.; León-Buendía, C.

2012-04-01

In Southern Spain, Olive grove is an artificial forest which has a surface of 18.000 km2, representing more than 25% of olive oil world production. During the manufacturing process of this oil, different types of residues are generated. The most important is a biomass called olive mill wastewater. It is a dark colored liquid which can not be directly poured onto natural watercourses. On the one hand, part of this biomass is burnt to produce electrical energy or treated to make a bio-diesel. On the other hand, we propose the use of olive mill wastewater as a stabilization agent for expansive clayey soils. Using raw biomass as a stabilization agent two objectives are achieved: adding value to biomass and reducing the problems of expansive soils. Moreover, an important reduction of economic costs can take place. A pure bentonite clay was chosen as a sample of original expansive soil. It is abundant in Southern Spain and its main component is Na-Montmorillonite. Bentonite is very susceptible to changes in the environmental available moisture and very unsuitable for its use in civil engineering due to its low bearing capacity, high plasticity and volume changes. Several dosages (5%, 10%, 15%) of olive mill wastewater were added to the original sample of bentonite. To study eventual improvements in the mechanical properties of soil, Proctor, Atterberg Limits, California Bearing Ratio, Swelling Pressure and X-Ray Diffraction tests were carried out, following Spanish standards UNE by AENOR. Both geotechnical and mineralogical characterizations were developed at two different curing times: 15 and 30 days. The Plasticity Index (PI) of the original bentonite soil was 251 (High Plasticity). The addition of 15% of olive mill wastewater yielded reductions of PI similar to those produced by the addition of 5% of Portland cement. The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values increased slightly after the treatment with biomass leading to very similar values to those obtained after the

Durability of visitable concrete sewer gallery under the effect of domestic wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salhi, Aimed; Kriker, Abdelouahed; Tioua, Tahar; Abimiloud, Youcef; Barluenga, Gonzalo

2016-07-01

The durability of concrete structures for the disposal of wastewater depends on their behavior when faced to different aggressions such as mechanics, chemical and biological, causing a deterioration often cementing matrix. The deterioration of recent evacuations wastewater infrastructure, made of reinforced concrete less than 15 years ago, has become an important concern. The aim of this study was to investigate the degradation and the factors responsible for the deterioration of the concrete visitable gallery of sewage from the town of Touggourt (south-east of Algeria). Thus, samples from different parts of the gallery were extracted and unaltered samples were selected as a reference. A degraded sample exposed to H2S gas and another sample of the gallery submerged into wastewater were analyzed to characterize the internal and external damage to the gallery as well as the chemical and mineralogical changes. These tests were complemented by a physical and mechanical characterization of the samples. The experimental results showed the strong anisotropy of both internal and external damage.

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

Treatment of Dyeing Wastewater by Using Positive Pulsed Corona Discharge to Water Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Sun Mok; Hyun, Tae Ahn; Joeng, Tai Kim

2007-02-01

This study investigated the treatment of textile-dyeing wastewater by using an electrical discharge technique (positive pulsed corona discharge). The high-voltage electrode was placed above the surface of the wastewater while the ground electrode was submerged in the wastewater. The electrical discharge starting at the tip of the high voltage electrode propagated toward the surface of the wastewater, producing various oxidative radicals and ozone. Oxygen was used as the working gas instead of air to prevent nitrogen oxides from forming. The simulated wastewater was made up with amaranth, which is a kind of azo dye. The results obtained showed that the chromaticity of the wastewater was almost completely removed within an hour. The ultraviolet/visible spectra of the wastewater treated by the electrical discharge revealed that the total hydrocarbon level also decreased significantly.

Domestic wastewater treatment as a net energy producer--can this be achieved?

PubMed

McCarty, Perry L; Bae, Jaeho; Kim, Jeonghwan

2011-09-01

In seeking greater sustainability in water resources management, wastewater is now being considered more as a resource than as a waste-a resource for water, for plant nutrients, and for energy. Energy, the primary focus of this article, can be obtained from wastewater's organic as well as from its thermal content. Also, using wastewater's nitrogen and P nutrients for plant fertilization, rather than wasting them, helps offset the high energy cost of producing synthetic fertilizers. Microbial fuel cells offer potential for direct biological conversion of wastewater's organic materials into electricity, although significant improvements are needed for this process to be competitive with anaerobic biological conversion of wastewater organics into biogas, a renewable fuel used in electricity generation. Newer membrane processes coupled with complete anaerobic treatment of wastewater offer the potential for wastewater treatment to become a net generator of energy, rather than the large energy consumer that it is today.

Measuring selected PPCPs in wastewater to estimate the population in different cities in China.

PubMed

Gao, Jianfa; O'Brien, Jake; Du, Peng; Li, Xiqing; Ort, Christoph; Mueller, Jochen F; Thai, Phong K

2016-10-15

Sampling and analysis of wastewater from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has become a useful tool for understanding exposure to chemicals. Both wastewater based studies and management and planning of the catchment require information on catchment population in the time of monitoring. Recently, a model has been developed and calibrated using selected pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) measured in influent wastewater for estimating population in different catchments in Australia. The present study aimed at evaluating the feasibility of utilizing this population estimation approach in China. Twenty-four hour composite influent samples were collected from 31 WWTPs in 17 cities with catchment sizes from 200,000-3,450,000 people representing all seven regions of China. The samples were analyzed for 19 PPCPs using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry in direct injection mode. Eight chemicals were detected in more than 50% of the samples. Significant positive correlations were found between individual PPCP mass loads and population estimates provided by WWTP operators. Using the PPCP mass load modeling approach calibrated with WWTP operator data, we estimated the population size of each catchment with good agreement with WWTP operator values (between 50-200% for all sites and 75-125% for 23 of the 31 sites). Overall, despite much lower detection and relatively high heterogeneity in PPCP consumption across China the model provided a good estimate of the population contributing to a given wastewater sample. Wastewater analysis could also provide objective PPCP consumption status in China. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Enhancement of anaerobic digestion efficiency of wastewater sludge and olive waste: Synergistic effect of co-digestion and ultrasonic/microwave sludge pre-treatment.

PubMed

Alagöz, B Aylin; Yenigün, Orhan; Erdinçler, Ayşen

2015-12-01

This study investigates the effect of ultrasonic and microwave pre-treatment on biogas production from the anaerobic co-digestion of olive pomace and wastewater sludges. It was found that co-digestion of wastewater sludge with olive pomace yielded around 0.21 L CH4/g VS added, whereas the maximum methane yields from the mono-digestion of olive pomace and un-pretreated wastewater sludges were 0.18 and 0.16L CH4/g VS added. In the same way, compared to mono-digestion of these substrates, co-digestion increased methane production by 17-31%. The microwave and ultrasonic pre-treatments applied to sludge samples prior to co-digestion process led to further increase in the methane production by 52% and 24%, respectively, compared to co-digestion with un-pretreated wastewater sludge. The highest biogas and methane yields were obtained from the co-digestion of 30 min microwave pre-treated wastewater sludges and olive pomace to be 0.46 L/g VS added and 0.32 L CH4/g VS added, respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Sources of Nitrate Beneath Food Processing Wastewater-Application Sites near Umatilla, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frans, Lonna; Paulson, Anthony; Richerson, Phil; Striz, Elise; Black, Curt

2009-01-01

Water samples from wells were collected beneath and downgradient of two food-processing wastewater-application sites near Umatilla, Oregon. These samples were analyzed for nitrate stable isotopes, nutrients, major ions, and age-dating constituents to determine if nitrate-stable isotopes can be used to differentiate food-processing waste from other potential sources of nitrate. Major-ion data from each site were used to determine which samples were associated with the recharge of the food-processing wastewater. End-member mixing analysis was used to determine the relative amounts of each identified end member within the samples collected from the Terrace Farm site. The delta nitrogen-15 (delta 15N) of nitrate generally ranged between +2 and +9 parts per thousand and the delta oxygen-18 (delta 18O) of nitrate generally ranged between -2 and -7 parts per thousand. None of the samples that were determined to be associated with the wastewater were different from the samples that were not affected by the wastewater. The nitrate isotope values measured in this study are also characteristic of ammonium fertilizer, animal and human waste, and soil nitrate; therefore, it was not possible to differentiate between food-processing wastewater and the other nitrate sources. Values of delta 15N and delta 18O of nitrate provided no more information about the sources of nitrate in the Umatilla River basin than did a hydrologic and geochemical understanding of the ground-water system derived from interpreting water-level and major-ion chemistry data.

Occurrence and removal of Giardia spp. cysts and Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Brazil.

PubMed

Santos, Priscila Ribeiro Dos; Daniel, Luiz Antonio

2017-05-01

Sewage and sewage sludge have been recognized as potential sources of two important waterborne pathogenic protozoa: Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. Due to the lack of studies about the occurrence of these pathogens in sewage and sludge in Brazil, an investigation was conducted at various stages of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) aiming to assess the occurrence of Giardia spp. cysts and Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts, their removal by the treatment processes, which are upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and dissolved air flotation process, and also the correlations between protozoa and indicator microorganisms. Significant quantities of cysts were detected in 100% of the analyzed wastewater samples, while oocysts were detected only in 39.0% of all wastewater samples. The overall removal of Giardia spp. cysts from the WWTP was on average 2.03 log, and the UASB reactor was more efficient than flotation. The sludge samples presented high quantities of (oo)cysts, implying the risks of contamination in the case of sludge reuse or inadequate disposal. Giardiasis prevalence was estimated between 2.21% and 6.7% for the population served by the WWTP, while cryptosporidiosis prevalence was much lower. Significant positive correlation was obtained only between cysts and Clostridium spores in anaerobic effluent.

A self-sampling method to obtain large volumes of undiluted cervicovaginal secretions.

PubMed

Boskey, Elizabeth R; Moench, Thomas R; Hees, Paul S; Cone, Richard A

2003-02-01

Studies of vaginal physiology and pathophysiology sometime require larger volumes of undiluted cervicovaginal secretions than can be obtained by current methods. A convenient method for self-sampling these secretions outside a clinical setting can facilitate such studies of reproductive health. The goal was to develop a vaginal self-sampling method for collecting large volumes of undiluted cervicovaginal secretions. A menstrual collection device (the Instead cup) was inserted briefly into the vagina to collect secretions that were then retrieved from the cup by centrifugation in a 50-ml conical tube. All 16 women asked to perform this procedure found it feasible and acceptable. Among 27 samples, an average of 0.5 g of secretions (range, 0.1-1.5 g) was collected. This is a rapid and convenient self-sampling method for obtaining relatively large volumes of undiluted cervicovaginal secretions. It should prove suitable for a wide range of assays, including those involving sexually transmitted diseases, microbicides, vaginal physiology, immunology, and pathophysiology.

Fibre Optic Sensors for Selected Wastewater Characteristics

PubMed Central

Chong, Su Sin; Abdul Aziz, A. R.; Harun, Sulaiman W.

2013-01-01

Demand for online and real-time measurements techniques to meet environmental regulation and treatment compliance are increasing. However the conventional techniques, which involve scheduled sampling and chemical analysis can be expensive and time consuming. Therefore cheaper and faster alternatives to monitor wastewater characteristics are required as alternatives to conventional methods. This paper reviews existing conventional techniques and optical and fibre optic sensors to determine selected wastewater characteristics which are colour, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD). The review confirms that with appropriate configuration, calibration and fibre features the parameters can be determined with accuracy comparable to conventional method. With more research in this area, the potential for using FOS for online and real-time measurement of more wastewater parameters for various types of industrial effluent are promising. PMID:23881131

Two-Stage Fracturing Wastewater Management in Shale Gas Development

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

Zhang, Xiaodong; Sun, Alexander Y.; Duncan, Ian J.

Here, management of shale gas wastewater treatment, disposal, and reuse has become a significant environmental challenge, driven by an ongoing boom in development of U.S. shale gas reservoirs. Systems-analysis based decision support is helpful for effective management of wastewater, and provision of cost-effective decision alternatives from a whole-system perspective. Uncertainties are inherent in many modeling parameters, affecting the generated decisions. In order to effectively deal with the recourse issue in decision making, in this work a two-stage stochastic fracturing wastewater management model, named TSWM, is developed to provide decision support for wastewater management planning in shale plays. Using the TSWMmore » model, probabilistic and nonprobabilistic uncertainties are effectively handled. The TSWM model provides flexibility in generating shale gas wastewater management strategies, in which the first-stage decision predefined by decision makers before uncertainties are unfolded is corrected in the second stage to achieve the whole-system’s optimality. Application of the TSWM model to a comprehensive synthetic example demonstrates its practical applicability and feasibility. Optimal results are generated for allowable wastewater quantities, excess wastewater, and capacity expansions of hazardous wastewater treatment plants to achieve the minimized total system cost. The obtained interval solutions encompass both optimistic and conservative decisions. Trade-offs between economic and environmental objectives are made depending on decision makers’ knowledge and judgment, as well as site-specific information. In conclusion, the proposed model is helpful in forming informed decisions for wastewater management associated with shale gas development.« less

Two-Stage Fracturing Wastewater Management in Shale Gas Development

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Xiaodong; Sun, Alexander Y.; Duncan, Ian J.; ...

2017-01-19

Here, management of shale gas wastewater treatment, disposal, and reuse has become a significant environmental challenge, driven by an ongoing boom in development of U.S. shale gas reservoirs. Systems-analysis based decision support is helpful for effective management of wastewater, and provision of cost-effective decision alternatives from a whole-system perspective. Uncertainties are inherent in many modeling parameters, affecting the generated decisions. In order to effectively deal with the recourse issue in decision making, in this work a two-stage stochastic fracturing wastewater management model, named TSWM, is developed to provide decision support for wastewater management planning in shale plays. Using the TSWMmore » model, probabilistic and nonprobabilistic uncertainties are effectively handled. The TSWM model provides flexibility in generating shale gas wastewater management strategies, in which the first-stage decision predefined by decision makers before uncertainties are unfolded is corrected in the second stage to achieve the whole-system’s optimality. Application of the TSWM model to a comprehensive synthetic example demonstrates its practical applicability and feasibility. Optimal results are generated for allowable wastewater quantities, excess wastewater, and capacity expansions of hazardous wastewater treatment plants to achieve the minimized total system cost. The obtained interval solutions encompass both optimistic and conservative decisions. Trade-offs between economic and environmental objectives are made depending on decision makers’ knowledge and judgment, as well as site-specific information. In conclusion, the proposed model is helpful in forming informed decisions for wastewater management associated with shale gas development.« less

Evidence of Naturalized Stress-Tolerant Strains of Escherichia coli in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants

PubMed Central

Zhi, Shuai; Banting, Graham; Li, Qiaozhi; Edge, Thomas A.; Topp, Edward; Sokurenko, Mykola; Scott, Candis; Braithwaite, Shannon; Ruecker, Norma J.; Yasui, Yutaka; McAllister, Tim; Chui, Linda

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli has been proposed to have two habitats—the intestines of mammals/birds and the nonhost environment. Our goal was to assess whether certain strains of E. coli have evolved toward adaptation and survival in wastewater. Raw sewage samples from different treatment plants were subjected to chlorine stress, and ∼59% of the surviving E. coli strains were found to contain a genetic insertion element (IS30) located within the uspC-flhDC intergenic region. The positional location of the IS30 element was not observed across a library of 845 E. coli isolates collected from various animal hosts or within GenBank or whole-genome reference databases for human and animal E. coli isolates (n = 1,177). Phylogenetics clustered the IS30 element-containing wastewater E. coli isolates into a distinct clade, and biomarker analysis revealed that these wastewater isolates contained a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) biomarker pattern that was specific for wastewater. These isolates belonged to phylogroup A, possessed generalized stress response (RpoS) activity, and carried the locus of heat resistance, features likely relevant to nonhost environmental survival. Isolates were screened for 28 virulence genes but carried only the fimH marker. Our data suggest that wastewater contains a naturalized resident population of E. coli. We developed an endpoint PCR targeting the IS30 element within the uspC-flhDC intergenic region, and all raw sewage samples (n = 21) were positive for this marker. Conversely, the prevalence of this marker in E. coli-positive surface and groundwater samples was low (≤5%). This simple PCR assay may represent a convenient microbial source-tracking tool for identification of water samples affected by municipal wastewater. IMPORTANCE The results of this study demonstrate that some strains of E. coli appear to have evolved to become naturalized populations in the wastewater environment and possess a number of stress-related genetic

Tracking acidic pharmaceuticals, caffeine, and triclosan through the wastewater treatment process.

PubMed

Thomas, Paul M; Foster, Gregory D

2005-01-01

Pharmaceuticals are a class of emerging contaminants whose fate in the wastewater treatment process has received increasing attention in past years. Acidic pharmaceuticals (ibuprofen, naproxen, mefenamic acid, ketoprofen, and diclofenac), caffeine, and the antibacterial triclosan were quantified at four different steps of wastewater treatment from three urban wastewater treatment plants. The compounds were extracted from wastewater samples on Waters Oasis hydrophilic-lipophilic balance solid-phase extraction columns, silylated, and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. For the chemicals studied, it was found that the majority of the influent load was removed during secondary treatment (51-99%), yielding expected surface water concentrations of 13 to 56 ng/L.

Biodiesel production from indigenous microalgae grown in wastewater.

PubMed

Komolafe, Oladapo; Velasquez Orta, Sharon B; Monje-Ramirez, Ignacio; Yáñez Noguez, Isaura; Harvey, Adam P; Orta Ledesma, María T

2014-02-01

This paper describes a process for producing biodiesel sustainably from microalgae grown in wastewater, whilst significantly reducing the wastewater's nutrients and total coliform. Furthermore, ozone-flotation harvesting of the resultant biomass was investigated, shown to be viable, and resulted in FAMEs of greater oxidation stability. Desmodesmus sp. and two mixed cultures were successfully grown on wastewater. Desmodesmus sp. grew rapidly, to a higher maximum biomass concentration of 0.58 g/L. A native mixed culture dominated by Oscillatoria and Arthrospira, reached 0.45 g/L and exhibited the highest lipid and FAME yield. The FAME obtained from ozone-flotation exhibited the greatest oxidative stability, as the degree of saturation was high. In principle ozone could therefore be used as a combined method of harvesting and reducing FAME unsaturation. During microalgae treatment, the total nitrogen in wastewater was reduced by 55.4-83.9%. More importantly, total coliform removal was as high as 99.8%. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ecotoxicological and genotoxic assessment of hospital laundry wastewaters.

PubMed

Kern, Deivid Ismael; Schwaickhardt, Rômulo de Oliveira; Lutterbeck, Carlos Alexandre; Kist, Lourdes Teresinha; Alcayaga, Eduardo Alexis Lobo; Machado, Ênio Leandro

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to assess the ecotoxicity and genotoxicity of hospital laundry wastewaters generated from a regional hospital located in Rio Pardo Valley in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Physicochemical, microbiological, ecotoxicological, and genotoxic analyses were performed, and the results indicate that some parameters were not in accordance with the limit concentrations established by Brazilian and international guidelines for urban wastewaters. Daphnia magna (EC50 2.01%) and Danio rerio (LC50 29.25%) acute toxicity was detected, and sublethal effects were identified in Lactuca sativa (IC25 12.50%) and Allium cepa (IC25 51.25%). Cytotoxicity was observed at the five wastewater concentrations used yielding statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the meristematic cells of A. cepa compared with the negative control. The results obtained here warn about the necessity to develop treatment methods that can mitigate the environmental impacts caused by the ecotoxicity and genotoxicity of hospital laundry wastewaters.

Summary of Organic Wastewater Compounds and Other Water-Quality Data in Charles County, Maryland, October 2007 through August 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lorah, Michelle M.; Soeder, Daniel J.; Teunis, Jessica A.

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the government of Charles County, Maryland, and the Port Tobacco River Conservancy, Inc., conducted a water-quality reconnaissance and sampling investigation of the Port Tobacco River and Nanjemoy Creek watersheds in Charles County during October 2007 and June-August 2008. Samples were collected and analyzed for major ions, nutrients, organic wastewater compounds, and other selected constituents from 17 surface-water sites and 11 well sites (5 of which were screened in streambed sediments to obtain porewater samples). Most of the surface-water sites were relatively widely spaced throughout the Port Tobacco River and Nanjemoy Creek watersheds, although the well sites and some associated surface-water sites were concentrated in one residential community along the Port Tobacco River that has domestic septic systems. Sampling for enterococci bacteria was conducted by the Port Tobacco River Conservancy, Inc., at each site to coordinate with the sampling for chemical constituents. The purpose of the coordinated sampling was to determine correlations between historically high, in-stream bacteria counts and human wastewater inputs. Chemical data for the groundwater, porewater, and surface-water samples are presented in this report.

Satellite detection of wastewater diversion plumes in Southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gierach, Michelle M.; Holt, Benjamin; Trinh, Rebecca; Jack Pan, B.; Rains, Christine

2017-02-01

Multi-sensor satellite observations proved useful in detecting surfacing wastewater plumes during the 2006 Hyperion Treatment Plant (HTP) and 2012 Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) wastewater diversion events in Southern California. Satellite sensors were capable of detecting biophysical signatures associated with the wastewater, compared to ambient ocean waters, enabling monitoring of environmental impacts over a greater spatial extent than in situ sampling alone. Thermal satellite sensors measured decreased sea surface temperatures (SSTs) associated with the surfacing plumes. Ocean color satellite sensors did not measure a distinguishable biological response in terms of chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations during the short lived, three-day long, 2006 HTP diversion. A period of decreased chl-a concentration was observed during the three-week long 2012 OCSD diversion, likely in association with enhanced chlorination of the discharged wastewater that suppressed the phytoplankton response and/or significant uptake by heterotrophic bacteria. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data were able to identify and track the 2006 HTP wastewater plume through changes in surface roughness related to the oily components of the treated surfacing wastewater. Overall, it was found that chl-a and SST values must have differences of at least 1 mg m-3 and 0.5 °C, respectively, in comparison with adjacent waters for wastewater plumes and their biophysical impact to be detectable from satellite. For a wastewater plume to be identifiable in SAR imagery, wind speeds must range between ∼3 and 8 m s-1. The findings of this study illustrate the benefit of utilizing multiple satellite sensors to monitor the rapidly changing environmental response to surfacing wastewater plumes, and can help inform future wastewater diversions in coastal areas.

Antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli strains isolated from Antarctic bird feces, water from inside a wastewater treatment plant, and seawater samples collected in the Antarctic Treaty area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabbia, Virginia; Bello-Toledo, Helia; Jiménez, Sebastián; Quezada, Mario; Domínguez, Mariana; Vergara, Luis; Gómez-Fuentes, Claudio; Calisto-Ulloa, Nancy; González-Acuña, Daniel; López, Juana; González-Rocha, Gerardo

2016-06-01

Antibiotic resistance is a problem of global concern and is frequently associated with human activity. Studying antibiotic resistance in bacteria isolated from pristine environments, such as Antarctica, extends our understanding of these fragile ecosystems. Escherichia coli strains, important fecal indicator bacteria, were isolated on the Fildes Peninsula (which has the strongest human influence in Antarctica), from seawater, bird droppings, and water samples from inside a local wastewater treatment plant. The strains were subjected to molecular typing with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to determine their genetic relationships, and tested for antibiotic susceptibility with disk diffusion tests for several antibiotic families: β-lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, phenicols, and trimethoprim-sulfonamide. The highest E. coli count in seawater samples was 2400 cfu/100 mL. Only strains isolated from seawater and the wastewater treatment plant showed any genetic relatedness between groups. Strains of both these groups were resistant to β-lactams, aminoglycosides, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfonamide.In contrast, strains from bird feces were susceptible to all the antibiotics tested. We conclude that naturally occurring antibiotic resistance in E. coli strains isolated from Antarctic bird feces is rare and the bacterial antibiotic resistance found in seawater is probably associated with discharged treated wastewater originating from Fildes Peninsula treatment plants.

Production of Spirulina sp by utilization of wastewater from the powder type energy drinks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumantri, Indro; Priyambada, Ika Bagus

2015-12-01

Wastewater of energy drink type of powder produced when the the production equipment required cleaning treatment to produce one taste to others. These equipments washed by water, so that, it produced wastewater. It contains high organic substances and classified as high degradable due to food product. The content of wastewater is high carbon and nitrogen substances. Microalgae is an autotrophic microorganism, live without carbon presence, utilized to digest the substances in wastewater especially for nitrogen substances. Spirulina sp is the type of microalgae selected to utilize the wastewater of energy drink, the selection criteria is the size of Spirulina sp is relatively large and easy to separated from its solution. The experiment conducted by cultivate the seeding microalgae with certain nutrients until the certain volume. The synthetic wastewater obtained from one of energy drink type of powder with commercial brand as Kuku Bima Ener-G, the wastewater concentration selected under the close to the real condition of wastewater as basis of COD measurement (6 sachet/L or COD of 12.480mg/L) and aqueous concentration (1 sachet/L or COD of 2080mg/L). The batch experiments with 1L volume conducted and with variable of percent volume of wastewater added in order to observe the growth of microlagae. The response of the microalgae growth obtained by increasing the optical density of the microalgae solution and continued by calculation for the growth rate of microalgae. The result of the experiments indicated that for the aqueous concentration (1 sachet/L or COD of 2080mg/L) the optimum added of wastewater is 40 % with growrate of 0.55/day while for the concentrated wastewater (6 sachet/L or COD of 12.480mg/L), the optimum condition is 25 % wastewater added with growth rate of 0.43/day.

Quantitative detection of powdered activated carbon in wastewater treatment plant effluent by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

PubMed

Krahnstöver, Therese; Plattner, Julia; Wintgens, Thomas

2016-09-15

For the elimination of potentially harmful micropollutants, powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption is applied in many wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). This holds the risk of PAC leakage into the WWTP effluent and desorption of contaminants into natural water bodies. In order to assess a potential PAC leakage, PAC concentrations below several mg/L have to be detected in the WWTP effluent. None of the methods that are used for water analysis today are able to differentiate between activated carbon and solid background matrix. Thus, a selective, quantitative and easily applicable method is still needed for the detection of PAC residues in wastewater. In the present study, a method was developed to quantitatively measure the PAC content in wastewater by using filtration and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), which is a well-established technique for the distinction between different solid materials. For the sample filtration, quartz filters with a temperature stability up to 950 °C were used. This allowed for sensitive and well reproducible measurements, as the TGA was not affected by the presence of the filter. The sample's mass fractions were calculated by integrating the mass decrease rate obtained by TGA in specific, clearly identifiable peak areas. A two-step TGA heating method consisting of N2 and O2 atmospheres led to a good differentiation between PAC and biological background matrix, thanks to the reduction of peak overlapping. A linear correlation was found between a sample's PAC content and the corresponding peak areas under N2 and O2, the sample volume and the solid mass separated by filtration. Based on these findings, various wastewater samples from different WWTPs were then analyzed by TGA with regard to their PAC content. It was found that, compared to alternative techniques such as measurement of turbidity or total suspended solids, the newly developed TGA method allows for a quantitative and selective detection of PAC concentrations down to 0

An experimental investigation of wastewater treatment using electron beam irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-08-01

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

Quantifying viruses and bacteria in wastewater - results, quality control, and interpretation methods

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Membrane bioreactors (MBR), used for wastewater treatment in Ohio and elsewhere in the United States, have pore sizes large enough to theoretically reduce concentrations of protozoa and bacteria, but not viruses. Sampling for viruses in wastewater is seldom done and not required. Instead, the bac...

Hepatitis E virus genotypes 1 and 3 in wastewater samples in Tunisia.

PubMed

Béji-Hamza, A; Hassine-Zaafrane, M; Khélifi-Gharbi, H; Della Libera, S; Iaconelli, M; Muscillo, M; Petricca, S; Ciccaglione, A R; Bruni, R; Taffon, S; Aouni, M; La Rosa, G

2015-01-01

Hepatitis E represents an important public-health concern throughout the world. It is one of the leading causes of hepatitis in North Africa, Asia and the Middle East. In Tunisia, the true burden of HEV infection is still unknown. The objectives of the present study were to assess the occurrence of hepatitis E virus in Tunisia through the monitoring of urban sewage and to characterize the strains identified using molecular assays. A total of 150 sewage samples (raw and treated) were collected from three wastewater treatment plants located in the regions of Monastir and Mahdia and analyzed by nested RT-PCR using a qualitative assay targeting the methyltransferase gene in ORF1. Of these, only three samples (2 %) were found to be positive for HEV, one belonging to genotype 1 and two to genotype 3. The results of the present study indicate a low level of virus excretion among the Tunisian population. Both genotypes 1 and 3 are circulating in this country, however, possibly causing sporadic infections. The presence of the zoonotic genotype 3, known to be transmitted to humans mainly by swine and demonstrated in Tunisia for the first time in this work, raises the question of possible reservoir species, since pork products are not consumed in this country, pigs are not bred, and wild boar is not endemic. Further studies will be needed to gather information on the occurrence and diversity of HEV strains circulating among humans and animals in Tunisia, and on possible animal reservoirs.

Suitability of artificial sweeteners as indicators of raw wastewater contamination in surface water and groundwater.

PubMed

Tran, Ngoc Han; Hu, Jiangyong; Li, Jinhua; Ong, Say Leong

2014-01-01

There is no quantitative data on the occurrence of artificial sweeteners in the aquatic environment in Southeast Asian countries, particularly no information on their suitability as indicators of raw wastewater contamination on surface water and groundwater. This study provided the first quantitative information on the occurrence of artificial sweeteners in raw wastewater, surface water and groundwater in the urban catchment area in Singapore. Acesulfame, cyclamate, saccharin, and sucralose were ubiquitous in raw wastewater samples at concentrations in the range of ng/L-μg/L, while other sweeteners were not found or found only in a few of the raw wastewater samples. Residential and commercial effluents were demonstrated to be the two main sources of artificial sweeteners entering the municipal sewer systems. Relatively higher concentrations of the detected sweeteners were frequently found in surface waters at the sampling sites located in the residential/commercial areas. No significant difference in the concentrations of the detected sweeteners in surface water or groundwater was noted between wet and dry weather conditions (unpaired T-test, p> 0.05). Relatively higher concentrations and detection frequencies of acesulfame, cyclamate and saccharin in surface water samples were observed at the potentially impacted sampling sites, while these sweeteners were absent in most of the background surface water samples. Similarly, acesulfame, cyclamate, and saccharin were found in most groundwater samples at the monitoring well (GW6), which is located close to known leaking sewer segment; whereas these were absent in the background monitoring well, which is located in the catchment with no known wastewater sources. Taken together, the results suggest that acesulfame, cyclamate, and saccharin can be used as potential indicators of raw wastewater contamination in surface water and groundwater. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of a non-hospital medical care facility on antimicrobial resistance in wastewater.

PubMed

Bäumlisberger, Mathias; Youssar, Loubna; Schilhabel, Markus B; Jonas, Daniel

2015-01-01

The global widespread use of antimicrobials and accompanying increase in resistant bacterial strains is of major public health concern. Wastewater systems and wastewater treatment plants are considered a niche for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), with diverse microbial communities facilitating ARG transfer via mobile genetic element (MGE). In contrast to hospital sewage, wastewater from other health care facilities is still poorly investigated. At the instance of a nursing home located in south-west Germany, in the present study, shotgun metagenomics was used to investigate the impact on wastewater of samples collected up- and down-stream in different seasons. Microbial composition, ARGs and MGEs were analyzed using different annotation approaches with various databases, including Antibiotic Resistance Ontologies (ARO), integrons and plasmids. Our analysis identified seasonal differences in microbial communities and abundance of ARG and MGE between samples from different seasons. However, no obvious differences were detected between up- and downstream samples. The results suggest that, in contrast to hospitals, sewage from the nursing home does not have a major impact on ARG or MGE in wastewater, presumably due to much less intense antimicrobial usage. Possible limitations of metagenomic studies using high-throughput sequencing for detection of genes that seemingly confer antibiotic resistance are discussed.

Influence of a Non-Hospital Medical Care Facility on Antimicrobial Resistance in Wastewater

PubMed Central

Bäumlisberger, Mathias; Youssar, Loubna; Schilhabel, Markus B.; Jonas, Daniel

2015-01-01

The global widespread use of antimicrobials and accompanying increase in resistant bacterial strains is of major public health concern. Wastewater systems and wastewater treatment plants are considered a niche for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), with diverse microbial communities facilitating ARG transfer via mobile genetic element (MGE). In contrast to hospital sewage, wastewater from other health care facilities is still poorly investigated. At the instance of a nursing home located in south-west Germany, in the present study, shotgun metagenomics was used to investigate the impact on wastewater of samples collected up- and down-stream in different seasons. Microbial composition, ARGs and MGEs were analyzed using different annotation approaches with various databases, including Antibiotic Resistance Ontologies (ARO), integrons and plasmids. Our analysis identified seasonal differences in microbial communities and abundance of ARG and MGE between samples from different seasons. However, no obvious differences were detected between up- and downstream samples. The results suggest that, in contrast to hospitals, sewage from the nursing home does not have a major impact on ARG or MGE in wastewater, presumably due to much less intense antimicrobial usage. Possible limitations of metagenomic studies using high-throughput sequencing for detection of genes that seemingly confer antibiotic resistance are discussed. PMID:25821977

Development of a Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction Method Combined with UV-Visible Spectrophotometry for Determination of Trace Aluminum(III) in Water, Wastewater, Food, Biological, and Pharmaceutical Samples.

PubMed

Birgani, Nasrin Taghipour; Elhami, Shahla

2017-01-01

A simple and sensitive method was proposed for the preconcentration of trace levels of Al(III) prior to its determination by spectrophotometry, based on dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction. The complexation of the Al(III) was performed by chelation with Eriochrome Cyanine R (ECR). In this method, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a dispersant was dissolved in chloroform as an extractant solvent, and then the solution was rapidly injected by a syringe into the samples containing Al(III), which had already been complexed by ECR at optimized pH. Various parameters were studied and optimized for a 10 mL sample volume. Under the optimum conditions, the LOD (3 times the SD of 10 replicate readings of the reagent blank) and the dynamic range of the calibration obtained were 0.2 ng mL-1 (7 nM) and 1.0-80.0 ng mL-1, respectively. The RSDs for eight replicate determinations of 10 and 60 ng mL-1 of Al(III) were 3.3 and 1.8%, respectively. This strategy was successfully applied to determine the Al concentration in water, wastewater, yogurt, apple, carrot, celery, bread, potato, urine, and Al-Mg syrup samples.

Degradation and decolorization of monosodium glutamate wastewater with Coriolus versicolor.

PubMed

Jia, Cuiying; Kang, Ruijuan; Zhang, Yuhui; Zhang, Yong; Cong, Wei

2007-10-01

Degradation and decolorization of monosodium glutamate wastewater (MSGW) with Coriolus versicolor were firstly carried out. The effects of various operation parameters namely wastewater concentrations, pH, culture time and incidence of sterilization on maximum percentage of degradation and decolorization of wastewater were investigated. Studies of mycelium and enzyme for C. versicolor degradation and decolorization were estimated in this study. Ten percentage of wastewater concentration and pH = 5.0 were found to be the most suitable ones among the other experiments. The highest degradation and decolorization efficiency of wastewater was obtained at the fifth day of cultivation, which was displayed with more than 70% chemical oxygen demand removal, 83% total sugar removal and 55% color removal, respectively. Sterile operation had no remarkable effect on the degradation and decolorization efficiency for C. versicolor. Mycelium and the extra cellular fungal enzyme were both necessary for the degradation and decolorization of MSGW. C. versicolor possesses great potential and economic advantages in MSGW treatment.

Microbial contamination along the main open wastewater and storm water channel of Hanoi, Vietnam, and potential health risks for urban farmers.

PubMed

Fuhrimann, Samuel; Pham-Duc, Phuc; Cissé, Guéladio; Tram, Nguyen Thuy; Thu Ha, Hoang; Dung, Do Trung; Ngoc, Pham; Nguyen-Viet, Hung; Anh Vuong, Tuan; Utzinger, Jürg; Schindler, Christian; Winkler, Mirko S

2016-10-01

The use of wastewater in agriculture and aquaculture has a long tradition throughout Asia. For example, in Hanoi, it creates important livelihood opportunities for >500,000 farmers in peri-urban communities. Discharge of domestic effluents pollute the water streams with potential pathogenic organisms posing a public health threat to farmers and consumers of wastewater-fed foodstuff. We determined the effectiveness of Hanoi's wastewater conveyance system, placing particular emphasis on the quality of wastewater used in agriculture and aquaculture. Between April and June 2014, a total of 216 water samples were obtained from 24 sampling points and the concentrations of total coliforms (TC), Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and helminth eggs determined. Despite applied wastewater treatment, agricultural field irrigation water was heavily contaminated with TC (1.3×10(7)colony forming unit (CFU)/100mL), E. coli (1.1×10(6)CFU/100mL) and Salmonella spp. (108 most probable number (MPN)/100mL). These values are 110-fold above Vietnamese discharge limits for restricted agriculture and 260-fold above the World Health Organization (WHO)'s tolerable safety limits for unrestricted agriculture. Mean helminth egg concentrations were below WHO tolerable levels in all study systems (<1egg/L). Hence, elevated levels of bacterial contamination, but not helminth infections, pose a major health risk for farmers and consumers of wastewater fed-products. We propose a set of control measures that might protect the health of exposed population groups without compromising current urban farming activities. This study presents an important example for sanitation safety planning in a rapidly expanding Asian city and can guide public and private entities working towards Sustainable Development Goal target 6.3, that is to improve water quality by reducing pollution, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and increasing recycling and safe reuse globally. Copyright © 2016. Published by

Quantification of melamine in drinking water and wastewater by micellar liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Beltrán-Martinavarro, Beatriz; Peris-Vicente, Juan; Rambla-Alegre, Maria; Marco-Peiró, Sergio; Esteve-Romero, Josep; Carda-Broch, Samuel

2013-01-01

Because of the large potential health impact caused by deliberate contamination with the synthetic chemical melamine of different products for human and animal consumption, the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations provided a range of recommendations in order to facilitate obtaining needed data, among which was the determination of the background levels of melamine in drinking water and wastewater (December 4, 2008). A chromatographic procedure using a C18 column, a micellar mobile phase consisting of sodium dodecyl sulfate (0.1 M), and 1-propanol (7.5%) buffered at pH 3, and detection by absorbance at 210 nm is reported in this paper for the quantification of melamine in drinking water and wastewater. Samples were filtered and directly injected into the chromatographic system, thus avoiding an extraction procedure. The optimal mobile phase composition was obtained by a chemometrics approach that considered the retention factor, efficiency, and peak shape. Melamine was eluted in about 6.2 min without interferences. Validation was performed following U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. The analytical parameters studied were linearity (0.03-5 microg/mL, R2 = 0.998), LOD (13 nglmL), intraday and interday accuracy (between 4.1 and 12.2%), intraday and interday precision (less than 14.8%), and robustness (RSD < 5.1% for retention time and <9.0% for area). The proposed methodology was successfully applied for analysis of local wastewater and drinking water, in which no melamine was found.

Occurrence and fate of organic contaminants during onsite wastewater treatment

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2006-01-01

Onsite wastewater treatment systems serve approximately 25% of the U.S. population. However, little is known regarding the occurrence and fate of organic wastewater contaminants (OWCs), including endocrine disrupting compounds, during onsite treatment. A range of OWCs including surfactant metabolites, steroids, stimulants, metal-chelating agents, disinfectants, antimicrobial agents, and pharmaceutical compounds was quantified in wastewater from 30 onsite treatment systems in Summit and Jefferson Counties, CO. The onsite systems represent a range of residential and nonresidential sources. Eighty eight percent of the 24 target compounds were detected in one or more samples, and several compounds were detected in every wastewater sampled. The wastewater matrices were complex and showed unique differences between source types due to differences in water and consumer product use. Nonresidential sources generally had more OWCs at higher concentrations than residential sources. Additional aerobic biofilter-based treatment beyond the traditional anaerobic tank-based treatment enhanced removal for many OWCs. Removal mechanisms included volatilization, biotransformation, and sorption with efficiencies from 99% depending on treatment type and physicochemical properties of the compound. Even with high removal rates during confined unit onsite treatment, OWCs are discharged to soil dispersal units at loadings up to 20 mg/m2/d, emphasizing the importance of understanding removal mechanisms and efficiencies in onsite treatment systems that discharge to the soil and water environments. ?? 2006 American Chemical Society.

One-year monthly quantitative survey of noroviruses, enteroviruses, and adenoviruses in wastewater collected from six plants in Japan.

PubMed

Katayama, Hiroyuki; Haramoto, Eiji; Oguma, Kumiko; Yamashita, Hiromasa; Tajima, Atsushi; Nakajima, Hideichiro; Ohgaki, Shinichiro

2008-03-01

Sewerage systems are important nodes to monitor human enteric pathogens transmitted via water. A quantitative virus survey was performed once a month for a year to understand the seasonal profiles of noroviruses genotype 1 and genotype 2, enteroviruses, and adenoviruses in sewerage systems. A total of 72 samples of influent, secondary-treated wastewater before chlorination and effluent were collected from six wastewater treatment plants in Japan. Viruses were successfully recovered from 100ml of influent and 1000ml of the secondary-treated wastewater and effluent using the acid rinse method. Viruses were determined by the RT-PCR or PCR method to obtain the most probable number for each sample. All the samples were also assayed for fecal coliforms (FCs) by a double-layer method. The seasonal profiles of noroviruses genotype 1 and genotype 2 in influent were very similar, i.e. they were abundant in winter (from November to March) at a geometric mean value of 190 and 200 RT-PCR units/ml, respectively, and less frequent in summer (from June to September), at 4.9 and 9.1 RT-PCR units/ml, respectively. The concentrations of enteroviruses and adenoviruses were mostly constant all the year round, 17 RT-PCR units/ml and 320 PCR units/ml in influent, and 0.044 RT-PCR units/ml and 7.0 PCR units/ml in effluent, respectively.

Microbiological Impact of the Use of Reclaimed Wastewater in Recreational Parks

PubMed Central

Palacios, Oskar A.; Zavala-Díaz de la Serna, Francisco J.; Ballinas-Casarrubias, María de Lourdes; Espino-Valdés, María S.

2017-01-01

Reclaimed wastewater for irrigation is an opportunity for recovery of this natural resource. In this study, microbial risk from the use of treated wastewater for irrigation of recreational parks in the city of Chihuahua, evaluating the effect of distribution distance, season, and presence of storage tanks, was analyzed. Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and multidrug-resistant bacteria were recovered from samples of reclaimed water and soils at recreational parks in Chihuahua by the membrane filtration method, using selected agars for microbial growth. Samples were taken at three different seasons. No correlation in the presence of microbial indicators and multidrug-resistant bacteria (p > 0.05) was found between the distance from the wastewater treatment plant to the point of use. Presence of storage tanks in parks showed a significant effect (p < 0.05) with a higher level of E. coli. The highest count in wastewater occurred in summer. We isolated 392 multidrug-resistant bacteria from water and soil; cluster analysis showed that the microorganisms at each location were of different origins. Irrigation with reclaimed wastewater did not have a negative effect on the presence of microbial indicators of the quality of soils in the parks. However, the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria still represents a potential risk factor for human health. PMID:28869549

Biopower generation from kitchen wastewater using a bioreactor.

PubMed

Khan, Abdul M; Naz, Shamsa

2014-01-01

This research provides a comparative study of the power output from mediator-less and mediator microbial fuel cells (MFCs) under aerobic and partially anaerobic conditions using kitchen wastewater (KWW) as a renewable energy source. The wastewater sample was subjected to different physical, chemical, biochemical, and microbial analysis. The chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and power output values were greater for the fermented samples than the non-fermented samples. The power output of samples was compared through the development of MFCs by using sand-salt bridge and agar-salt bridge. The H2 that was produced was converted to atomic hydrogen by using the nickel-coated zinc electrode. In addition, the power output was further enhanced by introducing air into the cathodic chamber, where oxygen reacts with the protons to form pure H2O. The study showed that the power output was increased with the increase in COD and BOD values.

Impact of Vegetative Treatment Systems on Multiple Measures of Antibiotic Resistance in Agricultural Wastewater.

PubMed

Durso, Lisa M; Miller, Daniel N; Henry, Christopher G

2018-06-21

Wastewater is an important vector of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARB/G). While there is broad agreement that ARB/G from agricultural (ag) wastewaters can be transported through the environment and may contribute to untreatable infectious disease in humans and animals, there remain large knowledge gaps surrounding applied details on the types and amounts of ARB/G associated with different agricultural wastewater treatment options and different ag production systems. This study evaluates a vegetative treatment system (VTS) built to treat the wastewater from a beef cattle feedlot. Samples were collected for three years, and plated on multiple media types to enumerate tetracycline and cefotaxime-resistant bacteria. Enterobacteriaceae isolates ( n = 822) were characterized for carriage of tetracycline resistance genes, and E. coli isolates ( n = 673) were phenotyped to determine multi-drug resistance (MDR) profiles. Tetracycline resistance in feedlot runoff wastewater was 2-to-3 orders of magnitude higher compared to rainfall runoff from the VTS fields, indicating efficacy of the VTA for reducing ARB over time following wastewater application. Clear differences in MDR profiles were observed based on the specific media on which a sample was plated. This result highlights the importance of method, especially in the context of isolate-based surveillance and monitoring of ARB in agricultural wastewaters.

Antibiotic Resistance in Czech Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants: Microbial and Molecular Genetic Characterization.

PubMed

Svobodová, Kateřina; Semerád, Jaroslav; Petráčková, Denisa; Novotný, Čeněk

2018-05-30

Quantitative changes in antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were investigated in six urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) treating municipal and industrial wastewaters. In a selected WWTP, the fate of ARGs was studied in a 1-year time interval and in two phases of wastewater treatment process. Nine ARGs (tetW, tetO, tetA, tetB, tetM, bla TEM , ermB, sul1, and intl1) were quantified in total and their relative abundance assessed by ARG copies/16SrRNA copies. From the tetracycline resistance genes, tetW was the only one detected in all sampled WWTPs. Its relative abundance in the nitrification tank of WWTP5 was found stable during the 1-year period, but was lowered by secondary sedimentation processes in the wastewater treatment down to 24% compared to the nitrification tank. Bacterial isolates showing high tetracycline resistance (minimal inhibition concentrations >100 μg/mL) were identified as members of Acinetobacter, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, Bacillus, and Enterobacter genera. Dynamic shifts in the relative abundance of ermB and sul1 were also demonstrated in wastewater samples from WWTP5.

Handbook for Monitoring Industrial Wastewater.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Associated Water & Air Resources Engineers, Inc., Nashville, TN.

This manual for industrial wastewater monitoring covers the philosophy of monitoring needs, planning, sampling, measuring, and analysis. Sufficient detail is given for those who wish to explore more deeply some of the practical and theoretical aspects of any of the phases of a monitoring program. A logical procedure is suggested and direction…

One-year Surveillance of Human Enteric Viruses in Raw and Treated Wastewaters, Downstream River Waters, and Drinking Waters.

PubMed

Iaconelli, M; Muscillo, M; Della Libera, S; Fratini, M; Meucci, L; De Ceglia, M; Giacosa, D; La Rosa, G

2017-03-01

Human enteric viruses are a major cause of waterborne diseases, and can be transmitted by contaminated water of all kinds, including drinking and recreational water. The objectives of the present study were to assess the occurrence of enteric viruses (enterovirus, norovirus, adenovirus, hepatitis A and E virus) in raw and treated wastewaters, in rivers receiving wastewater discharges, and in drinking waters. Wastewater treatment plants' (WWTP) pathogen removal efficiencies by adenovirus quantitative real-time PCR and the presence of infectious enterovirus, by cell culture assays, in treated wastewaters and in surface waters were also evaluated. A total of 90 water samples were collected: raw and treated wastewaters (treated effluents and ultrafiltered water reused for industrial purposes), water from two rivers receiving treated discharges, and drinking water. Nested PCR assays were used for the identification of viral DNA/RNA, followed by direct amplicon sequencing. All raw sewage samples (21/21), 61.9 % of treated wastewater samples (13/21), and 25 % of ultrafiltered water samples (3/12) were contaminated with at least one viral family. Multiple virus families and genera were frequently detected. Mean positive PCRs per sample decreased significantly from raw to treated sewage and to ultrafiltered waters. Moreover, quantitative adenovirus data showed a reduction in excess of 99 % in viral genome copies following wastewater treatment. In surface waters, 78.6 % (22/28) of samples tested positive for one or more viruses by molecular methods, but enterovirus-specific infectivity assays did not reveal infectious particles in these samples. All drinking water samples tested negative for all viruses, demonstrating the effectiveness of treatment in removing viral pathogens from drinking water. Integrated strategies to manage water from all sources are crucial to ensure water quality.

Occurrence of microbial indicators and Clostridium perfringens in wastewater, water column samples, sediments, drinking water, and Weddell seal feces collected at McMurdo Station, Antarctica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lisle, J.T.; Smith, J.J.; Edwards, D.D.; McFeters, G.A.

2004-01-01

McMurdo Station, Antarctica, has discharged untreated sewage into McMurdo Sound for decades. Previous studies delineated the impacted area, which included the drinking water intake, by using total coliform and Clostridium perfringens concentrations. The estimation of risk to humans in contact with the impacted and potable waters may be greater than presumed, as these microbial indicators may not be the most appropriate for this environment. To address these concerns, concentrations of these and additional indicators (fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, coliphage, and enteroviruses) in the untreated wastewater, water column, and sediments of the impacted area and drinking water treatment facility and distribution system at McMurdo Station were determined. Fecal samples from Weddell seals in this area were also collected and analyzed for indicators. All drinking water samples were negative for indicators except for a single total coliform-positive sample. Total coliforms were present in water column samples at higher concentrations than other indicators. Fecal coliform and enterococcus concentrations were similar to each other and greater than those of other indicators in sediment samples closer to the discharge site. C. perfringens concentrations were higher in sediments at greater distances from the discharge site. Seal fecal samples contained concentrations of fecal coliforms, E. coli, enterococci, and C. perfringens similar to those found in untreated sewage. All samples were negative for enteroviruses. A wastewater treatment facility at McMurdo Station has started operation, and these data provide a baseline data set for monitoring the recovery of the impacted area. The contribution of seal feces to indicator concentrations in this area should be considered.

Triple Gene Analysis Using Samples Obtained by Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration

PubMed Central

Lee, Kyungjong; Um, Sang-Won; Jeong, Byeong-Ho; Yang, Jung Wook; Choi, Yoon-La; Han, Joungho; Kim, Hojoong; Kwon, O Jung

2016-01-01

Objective A mutational analysis of tumor tissue samples is an important part of advanced lung cancer treatment strategies. This study evaluated the efficacy of a triple gene analysis using samples obtained via endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). Methods Either metastatic lymph nodes or primary lung mass samples obtained by EBUS-TBNA were collected between May 2011 and May 2013. We consecutively analyzed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), V-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS), and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion genes using remnant tissue samples. Results A total of 109 patients were diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Of these, 70% were adenocarcinoma, 27% squamous cell carcinoma with NSCLC, and 3% were related to other types of lung cancer. EGFR mutations were detected in 23 cases (21.1%), KRAS mutations in 13 cases (11.9%), and ALK fusion genes in 5 cases (4.9%). The ALK fusion genes could not be analyzed in four cases because of insufficient tissue samples remaining after routine histochemistry and an EGFR/KRAS mutation analysis. We found that small biopsy samples from EBUS-TBNA were adequate for performing a triple gene analysis in 97 patients (96%). ALK fusion protein immunohistochemistry (IHC) was 100% consistent with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Conclusion Small samples obtained by EBUS-TBNA were found to be sufficient for performing a triple gene analysis following routine histology and IHC. ALK IHC showed a very good concordance with FISH for detecting ALK fusion genes. PMID:27803402

Ecological risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in the receiving environment of pharmaceutical wastewater in Pakistan.

PubMed

Ashfaq, Muhammad; Nawaz Khan, Khujasta; Saif Ur Rehman, Muhammad; Mustafa, Ghulam; Faizan Nazar, Muhammad; Sun, Qian; Iqbal, Javed; Mulla, Sikandar I; Yu, Chang-Ping

2017-02-01

The pharmaceutical industry of Pakistan is growing with an annual growth rate of 10%. Besides this growth, this industry is not complying with environmental standards, and discharging its effluent into domestic wastewater network. Only limited information is available about the occurrence of pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) in the environmental matrices of Pakistan that has motivated us to aim at the occurrence and ecological risk assessment of 11 PCs of different therapeutic classes in the wastewater of pharmaceutical industry and in its receiving environmental matrices such as sludge, solid waste and soil samples near the pharmaceutical formulation units along Shiekhupura road, Lahore, Pakistan. Target PCs (paracetamol, naproxen, diclofenac, ibuprofen, amlodipine, rosuvastatin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, sparfloxacin and gemifloxacin) were quantified using in-house developed HPLC-UV. Ibuprofen (1673µg/L, 6046µg/kg, 1229µg/kg and 610µg/kg), diclofenac (836µg/L, 4968µg/kg, 6632µg/kg and 257µg/kg) and naproxen (464µg/L, 7273µg/kg, 4819µg/kg and 199µg/kg) showed the highest concentrations among 11 target PCs in wastewater, sludge, solid waste and soil samples, respectively. Ecological risk assessment, in terms of risk quotient (RQ), was also carried out based on the maximum measured concentration of PCs in wastewater. The maximum RQ values obtained were with paracetamol (64 against daphnia), naproxen (177 against fish), diclofenac (12,600 against Oncorhynchus mykiss), ibuprofen (167,300 against Oryzias latipes), ofloxacin (81,000 against Pseudomonas putida) and ciprofloxacin (440 against Microcystis aeruginosa). These results show a high level of ecological risk due to the discharge of untreated wastewater from pharmaceutical units. This risk may further lead to food web contamination and drug resistance in pathogens. Thus, further studies are needed to detect the PCs in crops as well as the government should strictly enforce environmental

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

Recovery of astaxanthin from discharged wastewater during the production of chitin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiaolin; Yang, Shengfeng; Xing, Ronge; Yu, Huahua; Liu, Song; Li, Pengcheng

2012-06-01

In this paper, studies were carried out to extract astaxanthin from discharged wastewater during the production of chitin and to reveal the scavenging effect of the obtained pigment on 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. Different ratios of dichloromethane/methanol (V/V) were used to extract astaxanthin. When the ratio of dichloromethane/methanol was 2:8 and the ratio between the mixed organic solvent (dichloromethane/methanol, 2:8, V/V) and wastewater was 1:1, the highest yield of pigment was obtained (8.4 mg/50 mL). The concentration of free astaxanthin in the obtained pigment analyzed by HPLC was 30.02%. The obtained pigment possessed strong scavenging ability on DPPH radical and IC50 was 0.84mg/ml.

Wastewater treatment by local microalgae strains for CO2 sequestration and biofuel production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ansari, Abeera A.; Khoja, Asif Hussain; Nawar, Azra; Qayyum, Muneeb; Ali, Ehsan

2017-11-01

Currently, the scientific community is keenly working on environmental-friendly processes for the production of clean energy and sustainable development. The study was conducted to cultivate microalgae in raw institutional wastewater for water treatment, enriched production of biomass and CO2 sequestration. The strains which were used in this study are Scenedesmus sp. and Chlorella sp. which were isolated from Kallar Kahar Lake, Pakistan. Both strains were cultivated in synthetic growth medium (Bold's Basal Medium) to enhance biomass production. Afterward, microalgae cultures were inoculated in wastewater sample in mixotrophic mode under ambient conditions. The impurities in wastewater were successfully removed from the original sample by the 7th day of operation. COD 95%, nitrate 99.7% and phosphate 80.5% were removed by applying Scenedesmus sp. Meanwhile, Chlorella sp. reduced 84.86% COD, 98.2% nitrate and 70% phosphate, respectively. Interestingly, sulfates were removed from wastewater completely by both strains. Besides being useful in wastewater remediation, these microalgae strains were subsequently harvested for lipid extraction and potential biofuel production was determined. Therefore, the applied method is an environmentally safe, cost-effective and alternative technology for wastewater treatment. Furthermore, the achieved biomass through this process can be used for the production of biofuels.

Occurrence of Organic Wastewater Compounds in Selected Surface-Water Supplies, Triangle Area of North Carolina, 2002-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Giorgino, M.J.; Rasmussen, R.B.; Pfeifle, C.M .

2007-01-01

Selected organic wastewater compounds, such as household, industrial, and agricultural-use compounds, sterols, pharmaceuticals, and antibiotics, were measured at eight sites classified as drinking-water supplies in the Triangle Area of North Carolina. From October 2002 through July 2005, seven of the sites were sampled twice, and one site was sampled 28 times, for a total of 42 sets of environmental samples. Samples were analyzed for as many as 126 compounds using three laboratory analytical methods. These methods were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey to detect low levels (generally less than or equal to 1.0 microgram per liter) of the target compounds in filtered water. Because analyses were conducted on filtered samples, the results presented in this report may not reflect the total concentration of organic wastewater compounds in the waters that were sampled. Various quality-control samples were used to quality assure the results in terms of method performance and possible laboratory or field contamination. Of the 108 organic wastewater compounds that met method performance criteria, 24 were detected in at least one sample during the study. These 24 compounds included 3 pharmaceutical compounds, 6 fire retardants and plasticizers, 3 antibiotics, 3 pesticides, 6 fragrances and flavorants, 1 disinfectant, and 2 miscellaneous-use compounds, all of which likely originated from a variety of domestic, industrial, and agricultural sources. The 10 most frequently detected compounds included acetyl-hexamethyl tetrahydronaphthalene and hexahydro-hexamethyl cyclopentabenzopyran (synthetic musks that are widely used in personal-care products and are known endocrine disruptors); tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate, tri(dichloroisopropyl) phosphate, and tributyl phosphate (fire retardants); metolachlor (herbicide); caffeine (nonprescription stimulant); cotinine (metabolite of nicotine); acetaminophen (nonprescription analgesic); and sulfamethoxazole (prescription antibiotic

Technical note: A device for obtaining time-integrated samples of ruminal fluid

USGS Publications Warehouse

Corley, R. N.; Murphy, M.R.; Lucena, J.; Panno, S.V.

1999-01-01

A device was adapted to allow for time-integrated sampling of fluid from the rumen via a cannula. The sampler consisted of a cup-shaped ceramic filter positioned in the ventral rumen of a cannulated cow and attached to a tube through which fluid entering the filter was removed continuously using a peristaltic pump. Rate of ruminal fluid removal using the device was monitored over two 36-h periods (at 6-h intervals) and was not affected (P > .05) by time, indicating that the system was not susceptible to clogging during this period. Two cows having ad libitum access to a totally mixed ration were used in a split-block design to evaluate the utility of the system for obtaining time-integrated samples of ruminal fluid. Ruminal fluid VFA concentration and pattern in samples collected in two replicated 8-h periods by the time-integrated sampler (at 1-h intervals) were compared with composite samples collected using a conventional suction-strainer device (at 30-min intervals). Each 8-h collection period started 2 h before or 6 h after feeding. Results indicated that total VFA concentration was not affected (P > .05) by the sampling method. Volatile fatty acid patterns were likewise unaffected (P > .05) except that acetate was 2.5% higher (P < .05) in samples collected 2 h before feeding and valerate was 5% higher (P < .05) in samples collected 6 h after feeding by the suction-strainer device. Although significant, these differences were not considered physiologically important. We concluded that use of the ceramic filter improved the sampling of ruminal fluid by simplifying the technique and allowing time-integrated samples to be obtained.

Drying step optimization to obtain large-size transparent magnesium-aluminate spinel samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petit, Johan; Lallemant, Lucile

2017-05-01

In the transparent ceramics processing, the green body elaboration step is probably the most critical one. Among the known techniques, wet shaping processes are particularly interesting because they enable the particles to find an optimum position on their own. Nevertheless, the presence of water molecules leads to drying issues. During the water removal, its concentration gradient induces cracks limiting the sample size: laboratory samples are generally less damaged because of their small size but upscaling the samples for industrial applications lead to an increasing cracking probability. Thanks to the drying step optimization, large size spinel samples were obtained.

Estimating the Biodegradability of Treated Sewage Samples Using Synchronous Fluorescence Spectra

PubMed Central

Lai, Tien M.; Shin, Jae-Ki; Hur, Jin

2011-01-01

Synchronous fluorescence spectra (SFS) and the first derivative spectra of the influent versus the effluent wastewater samples were compared and the use of fluorescence indices is suggested as a means to estimate the biodegradability of the effluent wastewater. Three distinct peaks were identified from the SFS of the effluent wastewater samples. Protein-like fluorescence (PLF) was reduced, whereas fulvic and/or humic-like fluorescence (HLF) were enhanced, suggesting that the two fluorescence characteristics may represent biodegradable and refractory components, respectively. Five fluorescence indices were selected for the biodegradability estimation based on the spectral features changing from the influent to the effluent. Among the selected indices, the relative distribution of PLF to the total fluorescence area of SFS (Index II) exhibited the highest correlation coefficient with total organic carbon (TOC)-based biodegradability, which was even higher than those obtained with the traditional oxygen demand-based parameters. A multiple regression analysis using Index II and the area ratio of PLF to HLF (Index III) demonstrated the enhancement of the correlations from 0.558 to 0.711 for TOC-based biodegradability. The multiple regression equation finally obtained was 0.148 × Index II − 4.964 × Index III − 0.001 and 0.046 × Index II − 1.128 × Index III + 0.026. The fluorescence indices proposed here are expected to be utilized for successful development of real-time monitoring using a simple fluorescence sensing device for the biodegradability of treated sewage. PMID:22164023

Estimating the biodegradability of treated sewage samples using synchronous fluorescence spectra.

PubMed

Lai, Tien M; Shin, Jae-Ki; Hur, Jin

2011-01-01

Synchronous fluorescence spectra (SFS) and the first derivative spectra of the influent versus the effluent wastewater samples were compared and the use of fluorescence indices is suggested as a means to estimate the biodegradability of the effluent wastewater. Three distinct peaks were identified from the SFS of the effluent wastewater samples. Protein-like fluorescence (PLF) was reduced, whereas fulvic and/or humic-like fluorescence (HLF) were enhanced, suggesting that the two fluorescence characteristics may represent biodegradable and refractory components, respectively. Five fluorescence indices were selected for the biodegradability estimation based on the spectral features changing from the influent to the effluent. Among the selected indices, the relative distribution of PLF to the total fluorescence area of SFS (Index II) exhibited the highest correlation coefficient with total organic carbon (TOC)-based biodegradability, which was even higher than those obtained with the traditional oxygen demand-based parameters. A multiple regression analysis using Index II and the area ratio of PLF to HLF (Index III) demonstrated the enhancement of the correlations from 0.558 to 0.711 for TOC-based biodegradability. The multiple regression equation finally obtained was 0.148 × Index II - 4.964 × Index III - 0.001 and 0.046 × Index II - 1.128 × Index III + 0.026. The fluorescence indices proposed here are expected to be utilized for successful development of real-time monitoring using a simple fluorescence sensing device for the biodegradability of treated sewage.

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.

Recycling of Ammonia Wastewater During Vanadium Extraction from Shale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Qihua; Zhang, Yimin; Liu, Tao; Huang, Jing

2018-03-01

In the vanadium metallurgical industry, massive amounts of ammonia hydroxide or ammonia salt are added during the precipitation process to obtain V2O5; therefore, wastewater containing a high level of NH4 + is generated, which poses a serious threat to environmental and hydrologic safety. In this article, a novel process was developed to recycle ammonia wastewater based on a combination of ammonia wastewater leaching and crystallization during vanadium extraction from shale. The effects of the NH4 + concentration, temperature, time and liquid-to-solid ratio on the leaching efficiencies of vanadium, aluminum and potassium were investigated, and the results showed that 93.2% of vanadium, 86.3% of aluminum and 96.8% of potassium can be leached from sulfation-roasted shale. Subsequently, 80.6% of NH4 + was separated from the leaching solution via cooling crystallization. Vanadium was recovered via a combined method of solvent extraction, precipitation and calcination. Therefore, ammonia wastewater was successfully recycled during vanadium extraction from shale.

Shuttle Wastewater Solution Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adam, Niklas; Pham, Chau

2011-01-01

During the 31st shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-129, there was a clogging event in the shuttle wastewater tank. A routine wastewater dump was performed during the mission and before the dump was completed, degraded flow was observed. In order to complete the wastewater dump, flow had to be rerouted around the dump filter. As a result, a basic chemical and microbial investigation was performed to understand the shuttle wastewater system and perform mitigation tasks to prevent another blockage. Testing continued on the remaining shuttle flights wastewater and wastewater tank cleaning solutions. The results of the analyses and the effect of the mitigation steps are detailed in this paper.

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

PubMed

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

2018-04-01

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

A critical review on characterization strategies of organic matter for wastewater and water treatment processes.

PubMed

Tran, Ngoc Han; Ngo, Huu Hao; Urase, Taro; Gin, Karina Yew-Hoong

2015-10-01

The presence of organic matter (OM) in raw wastewater, treated wastewater effluents, and natural water samples has been known to cause many problems in wastewater treatment and water reclamation processes, such as treatability, membrane fouling, and the formation of potentially toxic by-products during wastewater treatment. This paper summarizes the current knowledge on the methods for characterization and quantification of OM in water samples in relation to wastewater and water treatment processes including: (i) characterization based on the biodegradability; (ii) characterization based on particle size distribution; (iii) fractionation based on the hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties; (iv) characterization based on the molecular weight (MW) size distribution; and (v) characterization based on fluorescence excitation emission matrix. In addition, the advantages, disadvantages and applications of these methods are discussed in detail. The establishment of correlations among biodegradability, hydrophobic/hydrophilic fractions, MW size distribution of OM, membrane fouling and formation of toxic by-products potential is highly recommended for further studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toor, G.

2014-12-01

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

Municipal wastewater spiramycin removal by conventional treatments and heterogeneous photocatalysis.

PubMed

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

2018-05-15

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

Water-quality data for water- and wastewater-treatment plants along the Red River of the North, North Dakota and Minnesota, January through October 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Damschen, William C.; Hansel, John A.; Nustad, Rochelle A.

2008-01-01

From January through October 2006, six sets of water-quality samples were collected at 28 sites, which included inflow and outflow from seven major municipal water-treatment plants (14 sites) and influent and effluent samples from seven major municipal wastewater treatment plants (14 sites) along the Red River of the North in North Dakota and Minnesota. Samples were collected in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation for use in the development of return-flow boundary conditions in a 2006 water-quality model for the Red River of the North. All samples were analyzed for nutrients and major ions. For one set of effluent samples from each of the wastewater-treatment plants, water was analyzed for Eschirichia coli, fecal coliform, 20-day biochemical oxygen demand, 20-day nitrogenous biochemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, and dissolved organic carbon. In general, results from the field equipment blank and replicate samples indicate that the overall process of sample collection, processing, and analysis did not introduce substantial contamination and that consistent results were obtained.

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

Remediation of coal mining wastewaters using chitosan microspheres.

PubMed

Geremias, R; Pedrosa, R C; Benassi, J C; Fávere, V T; Stolberg, J; Menezes, C T B; Laranjeira, M C M

2003-12-01

This study aimed to evaluate the potential use of chitosan and chitosan/poly(vinylalcohol) microspheres incorporating with tetrasulphonated copper (II) phthalocyanine (CTS/PVA/TCP) in the remediation of coal mining wastewaters. The process was monitored by toxicity tests both before and after adsorption treatments with chitosan and microspheres. Physicochemical parameters, including pH and trace-metal concentration, as well as bioindicators of water pollution were used to that end. Wastewater samples colleted from drainage of underground coal mines, decantation pools, and contaminated rivers were scrutinized. Acute toxicity tests were performed using the Brine Shrimp Test (BST) in order to evaluate the remediation efficiency of different treatments. The results showed that the pH of treated wastewater samples were improved to values close to neutrality. Chitosan treatments were also effective in removing trace-metals. Pre-treatment with chitosan followed by microsphere treatment (CTS/PVA/TCP) was more effective in decreasing toxicity than the treatment using only chitosan. This was probably due to the elimination of pollutants other than trace-metals. Thus, the use of chitosan and microspheres is an adequate alternative towards remediation of water pollution from coal mining.

Simulation of Constructed Wetland in treating Wastewater using Fuzzy Logic Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudarsan, J. S.; Subramani, Sheekha; Rajan, Rajitha J.; Shah, Isha; Nithiyanantham, S.

2018-04-01

Constructed wetlands act as a natural alternative to conventional methods of wastewater treatment. CW are found effective in wastewater containing inorganic matter, organic matter, toxic compounds, metals, nitrogen, phosphorous, heavy metals, organic chemicals, and pathogens. The treatment efficiency by the adaptation of CWs in treatment process is achieved by a complex interaction between plants, microorganisms, soil matrix and substances in the wastewater. Constructed wetland treatment systems are engineered systems designed in such a manner that it could take advantages of those processes occurring in natural wetlands in treating the wastewater concerned, but in a more controlled environment. Petrochemical wastewater was the type of wastewater taken for the study. Characteristics of petrochemical wastewater mainly oil, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical oxygen demand (COD) were selected for treatment in constructed wetland as they are predominant in petrochemical wastewater. The conventional methods followed in the treatment are chemical and biological treatment. In this study, a fuzzy model for water quality assessment has been developed and water quality index value was obtained. The experiment conducted and further analysis using fuzzy logic indicated that interpretation of certain imprecise data can be improved within fuzzy inference system (FIS). Based on the analysis, we could observe that Typha sp contained wetland cell showed greater efficiency in removal of parameters such as COD and BOD than Phragmites sp. wetland cell.

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

PubMed

Lou, Jie-Chung; Lin, Yung-Chang

2008-02-01

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

Removal efficiency of nickel and lead from industrial wastewater using microbial desalination cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirzaienia, Fariba; Asadipour, Ali; Jafari, Ahmad Jonidi; Malakootian, Mohammad

2017-11-01

Microbial desalination cell (MDC) is a new method of desalination. Its energy is supplied through microbial metabolism of organic materials. In this study, synthetic samples were provided with concentration of 25, 50, 75, 100 mg/L Ni and Pb. Removal efficiency of each metal was analyzed after 60, 90, 120 min, psychrophilic, mesophilic, thermophilic and 3-4, 4-5, 5-6 mg/L dissolved oxygen. Optimum conditions for removing Ni and Pb were achieved in 100, 4.5 and 4.6 mg/L dissolved oxygen, respectively, 26 °C and 120 min. Nickel and led were removed from wastewaters of Isfahan electroplating industry and steel company. The maximum removal efficiencies of Ni and Pb in real samples were 68.81 and 70.04%. MDC can be considered as a good choice for removing Ni and Pb from industrial wastewater. Due to microorganisms for decomposing organic material in municipal wastewater, metals from industrial wastewater can be removed simultaneously.

The spatial epidemiology of cocaine, methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use: a demonstration using a population measure of community drug load derived from municipal wastewater.

PubMed

Banta-Green, Caleb J; Field, Jennifer A; Chiaia, Aurea C; Sudakin, Daniel L; Power, Laura; de Montigny, Luc

2009-11-01

To determine the utility of community-wide drug testing with wastewater samples as a population measure of community drug use and to test the hypothesis that the association with urbanicity would vary for three different stimulant drugs of abuse. Single-day samples were obtained from a convenience sample of 96 municipalities representing 65% of the population of the State of Oregon. Chemical analysis of 24-hour composite influent samples for benzoylecgonine (BZE, a cocaine metabolite), methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). The distribution of community index drug loads accounting for total wastewater flow (i.e. dilution) and population are reported. The distribution of wastewater-derived drug index loads was found to correspond with expected epidemiological drug patterns. Index loads of BZE were significantly higher in urban areas and below detection in many rural areas. Conversely, methamphetamine was present in all municipalities, with no significant differences in index loads by urbanicity. MDMA was at quantifiable levels in fewer than half the communities, with a significant trend towards higher index loads in more urban areas. CONCLUSION; This demonstration provides the first evidence of the utility of wastewater-derived community drug loads for spatial analyses. Such data have the potential to improve dramatically the measurement of the true level and distribution of a range of drugs. Drug index load data provide information for all people in a community and are potentially applicable to a much larger proportion of the total population than existing measures.

Effect of on-site wastewater disposal on quality of ground water and base flow: A pilot study in Chester County, Southeastern Pennsylvania, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Senior, Lisa A.; Cinotto, Peter J.

2007-01-01

On-site wastewater disposal has the potential to introduce contaminants into ground water and subsequently, by ground-water discharge, to streams. A pilot study was conducted during 2005 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Chester County Health Department and the Chester County Water Resources Authority to determine if wastewater components, including inorganic constituents and selected organic wastewater compounds, such as detergents, considered to be emerging contaminants, were present in ground water and stream base flow in areas with on-site wastewater disposal. The study area was a small watershed (about 7.1 square miles) of mixed land use drained by Broad Run in central Chester County, Pa. The area is underlain by fractured metamorphic rocks that form aquifers recharged by precipitation. Surface- and ground-water sampling was done in areas with and without on-site wastewater disposal for comparison, including a relatively densely populated village with cesspools and septic systems, a residential area with septic systems, a residential area served by sewers, and agricultural land. Samples were collected in May-June and September 2005 from eight headwater stream sites under base-flow conditions and in June 2005 from eight wells and two springs. Samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, boron, bacteria, and a suite of organic wastewater compounds. Several emerging contaminant wastewater compounds, including detergent components, insect repellents, and flame retardants, were detected in base-flow and ground-water samples. Stream base-flow samples generally contained more compounds and higher concentrations of those compounds than did ground-water samples, and of the ground-water samples, samples from springs contained more compounds and higher concentrations than samples from wells. Concentrations of nitrate, chloride, and boron (inorganic constituents associated with wastewater) generally were all elevated in base-flow and ground

Chemical Attributes of Soil Fertilized with Cassava Mill Wastewater and Cultivated with Sunflower

PubMed Central

Dantas, Mara Suyane Marques; Monteiro Rolim, Mário; Duarte, Anamaria de Sousa; de Silva, Ênio Farias de França; Maria Regis Pedrosa, Elvira; Dantas, Daniel da Costa

2014-01-01

The use of waste arising from agroindustrial activities, such as cassava wastewater, has been steadily implemented in order to reduce environmental pollution and nutrient utilization. The aim of this study is that the changes in chemical properties of dystrophic red-yellow latosol (oxisol) were evaluated at different sampling times after reuse of cassava wastewater as an alternative to mineral fertilizer in the cultivation of sunflower, hybrid Helio 250. The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Station of the Agricultural Research Company of Pernambuco (IPA), located in Vitória de Santo Antão. The experimental design was randomized blocks with 6 × 5 subplots; six doses of cassava wastewater (0; 8.5; 17.0; 34.0; 68.0; and 136 m3 ha−1); and five sampling times (21, 42, 63, 84, and 105 days after applying the cassava wastewater), with four replications. Concentrations of available phosphorus and exchangeable potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium, pH, and electrical conductivity of the soil saturation extract were evaluated. Results indicate that cassava wastewater is an efficient provider of nutrients to the soil and thus to the plants, making it an alternative to mineral fertilizers. PMID:25610900

Genotoxicity Evaluation of Irrigative Wastewater from Shijiazhuang City in China

PubMed Central

Yang, Lixue; Zhang, Xiaolin; Wang, Liqin; Yu, Fengxue; Liu, Yi; Chen, Qing; Liu, Dianwu

2015-01-01

In the present study, the wastewater sample collected from the Dongming discharging river in Shijiazhuang city was analysed using both chemical analysis and biological assays including the Salmonella mutagenicity test, micronucleus test and single-cell gel electrophoresis. Chemical analysis of the sample was performed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The Salmonella mutagenicity test was performed on Salmonella typhimurium TA97, TA98, TA100 and TA102 strains with and without S9 mixture. The mice received the wastewater in natura through drinking water at concentrations of 25%, 50%, and 100%. One group of mice was exposed for 2 consecutive days, and the other group of mice was exposed for 15 consecutive days. To establish the levels of primary DNA damage, single-cell gel electrophoresis was performed on treated mouse liver cell. The concentrations of chromium and lead in the sample exceeded the national standard (GB20922-2007) by 0.78 and 0.43-fold, respectively. More than 30 organic compounds were detected, and some of the detected compounds were mutagens, carcinogens and environmental endocrine disrupters. A positive response for Salmonella typhimurium TA98 strain was observed. Mouse exposure via drinking water containing 50% and 100% of wastewater for 15 consecutive days caused a significant increase of MN frequencies in a dose-response manner. Mouse exposure via drinking water containing 50% and 100% of wastewater for 15 consecutive days caused a significant increase of the Olive tail moments in a dose-response manner. All the results indicated that the sample from the Dongming discharging river in Shijiazhuang city exhibited genotoxicity and might pose harmful effects on the local residents. PMID:26658348

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.

Microbial ecology overview during anaerobic codigestion of dairy wastewater and cattle manure and use in agriculture of obtained bio-fertilisers.

PubMed

Toumi, Jihen; Miladi, Baligh; Farhat, Amel; Nouira, Said; Hamdi, Moktar; Gtari, Maher; Bouallagui, Hassib

2015-12-01

The anaerobic co-digestion of dairy wastewater (DW) and cattle manure (CM) was examined and associated with microbial community's structures using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). The highest volatile solids (VS) reduction yield of 88.6% and biogas production of 0.87 L/g VS removed were obtained for the C/N ratio of 24.7 at hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 20 days. The bacterial DGGE profile showed significant abundance of Uncultured Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Synergistetes bacterium. The Syntrophomonas strains were discovered in dependent association to H2-using bacteria such as Methanospirillum sp., Methanosphaera sp. and Methanobacterium formicicum. These syntrophic associations are essential in anaerobic digesters allow them to keep low hydrogen partial pressure. However, high concentrations of VFA produced from dairy wastes acidification allow the growth of Methanosarcina species. The application of the stabilised anaerobic effluent on the agriculture soil showed significant beneficial effects on the forage corn and tomato plants growth and crops. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wastewater Collection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatterjee, Samar; And Others

1978-01-01

Presents a literature review of wastewater collection systems and components. This review covers: (1) planning, (2) construction; (3) sewer system evaluation; (4) maintenance; (5) rehabilitation; (6) overview prevention; and (7) wastewater pumping. A list of 111 references is also presented. (HM)

Online biochemical oxygen demand monitoring for wastewater process control--full-scale studies at Los Angeles Glendale wastewater plant, California.

PubMed

Iranpour, Reza; Zermeno, Miguel

2008-04-01

The main objective of this investigation is to determine whether or not it would be feasible to use the measured values of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of wastewater obtained by an online instrument at the Los Angeles/Glendale Water Reclamation Plant (California) for controlling its activated sludge process. This investigation is part of a project to develop online BOD monitoring for process control in the City of Los Angeles wastewater treatment plants. Tests studied the Siepmann und Teutscher GmbH (ISCO-STIP Inc., Lincoln, Nebraska) BIOX-1010, which uses a bioreactor containing a culture of microbes from the wastewater to measure soluble BOD in 2 minutes. This rapid approximation to the operation of secondary treatment allows anticipation of system response. Calibration measurements allow the operators to find a conversion factor for the instrument's microprocessor to compute values of BOD that agree well with the standard 5-day BOD (BOD5) measurement, despite the differences in the details of the two testing methods. This instrument has recently been used at other wastewater treatment plants, at a number of airports in Europe and the United States to monitor runway runoff, and is also being used on waste streams at an increasing number of food processing plants. A comparison was made between the plant influent BOD values obtained by the BIOX-1010 online monitor from the end of August, 2000, to late January, 2001, and the individual and average values obtained for the same period using the standard BOD5, 20 degrees C test, to determine the effectiveness of the Biox-1010 to identify shock loads and their duration. Individual BOD estimates and averages over periods of overly high biological loads (shock loads) were compared, and the instrument readings were evaluated for their effectiveness in detecting shock loads. The results were highly satisfactory, so the instrument was used to trigger a shock-load warning alarm since late September, 2000. This allowed flow

Cryptosporidium and Giardia safety margin increase in leafy green vegetables irrigated with treated wastewater.

PubMed

Domenech, Eva; Amorós, Inmaculada; Moreno, Yolanda; Alonso, José L

2018-01-01

The presence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in waste water is a main concern because water reuse for irrigation can jeopardize human health. Spanish Legislation for water reuse does not oblige to analyze the presence of both pathogens Cryptosporidium and Giardia in reused water for irrigation. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to determine the influence of wastewater treatment in the increase of the consumer safety margin in relation to the presence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in leafy green vegetables. With this aim in mind, a total of 108 samples from raw (influent) and treated wastewater (effluent) from three wastewater treatment plants in Spain were analysed according to USEPA Method 1623. Effluent results show that Cryptosporidium oocysts average counts ranged from 1.38 to 2.6/L oocysts and Giardia cysts ranged from 0.6 to 1.7/L cysts, which means a removal values of 2.7 log, 2.5 log and 1.8 log for Cryptosporidium oocysts and 1 log, 2 log and 2.2 log for Giardia cysts in the three wastewater treatment plants analysed. In relation to safety margin the highest probability that exposure exceed the dose response was observed for Giardia. In addition, the sensitivity analysis showed that (oo)cysts concentration present in the leafy green vegetables and the human dose-response were the most influential inputs in the safety margin obtained. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.

Disposal of olive mill wastewater with DC arc plasma method.

PubMed

Ibrahimoglu, Beycan; Yilmazoglu, M Zeki

2018-07-01

Olive mill wastewater is an industrial waste, generated as a byproduct of olive oil production process and generally contains components such as organic matter, suspended solids, oil, and grease. Although various methods have been developed to achieve the disposal of this industrial wastewater, due to the low cost, the most common disposal application is the passive storage in the lagoons. The main objective of this study is to reduce pollution parameters in olive mill wastewater and draw water to discharge limits by using plasma technology. Plasma-assisted disposal of olive mill wastewater method could be an alternative disposal technique when considering potential utilization of treated water in agricultural areas and economic value of flammable plasma gas which is the byproduct of disposal process. According to the experimental results, the rates of COD (chemical oxygen demand) and BOD (biological oxygen demand) of olive mill wastewater are decreased by 94.42% and 95.37%, respectively. The dissolved oxygen amount is increased from 0.36 to 6.97 mg/l. In addition, plasma gas with high H 2 content and treated water that can be used in agricultural areas for irrigation are obtained from non-dischargeable wastewater. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative study on the efficiency of peracetic acid and chlorine dioxide at low doses in the disinfection of urban wastewaters.

PubMed

De Luca, Giovanna; Sacchetti, Rossella; Zanetti, Franca; Leoni, Erica

2008-01-01

A comparison was made between the efficiency of low doses of peracetic acid (PAA: 1.5 mg/l) and chlorine dioxide (ClO(2): 1.5 and 2.0 mg/l) in the disinfection of secondary effluents of a wastewater treatment plant. Peracetic acid was seen to be more active than chlorine dioxide and less influenced by the organic content of the waste. Both PAA and ClO(2) (2.0 mg/l) lead to a higher reduction in total and faecal coliforms and E. coli than in phages (somatic coliphages and F-specific RNA bacteriophages) and enterococci. Detection of faecal coliforms and E. coli should therefore be accompanied by a search for these more resistant microorganisms when assessing the conformity of wastewater for irrigation use, or for discharge into surface waters. Coliphages are also considered suitable indicators of the presence of enteric viruses. Although the application of low doses of both disinfectants offers advantages in terms of costs and produces not significant quantities of byproducts, it is not sufficient to obtain wastewater suitable for irrigation according to the Italian norms (E. coli < 10/100 ml in 80 % of samples and <100/100 ml in the remaining samples). Around 65 % of the samples, however, presented concentrations of E. coli lower than the limit of 5,000/100 ml established by Italian norms for discharge into surface waters.

Wastewater garden--a system to treat wastewater with environmental benefits to community.

PubMed

Nair, Jaya

2008-01-01

Many communities and villages around the world face serious problems with lack of sanitation especially in disposing of the wastewater-black water and grey water from the houses, or wash outs from animal rearing sheds. Across the world diverting wastewater to the surroundings or to the public spaces are not uncommon. This is responsible for contaminating drinking water sources causing health risks and environmental degradation as they become the breeding grounds of mosquitoes and pathogens. Lack of collection and treatment facilities or broken down sewage systems noticed throughout the developing world are associated with this situation. Diverting the wastewater to trees and vegetable gardens was historically a common practice. However the modern world has an array of problems associated with such disposal such as generation of large quantity of wastewater, unavailability of space for onsite disposal or treatment and increase in population. This paper considers the wastewater garden as a means for wastewater treatment and to improve the vegetation and biodiversity of rural areas. This can also be implemented in urban areas in association with parks and open spaces. This also highlights environmental safety in relation to the nutrient, pathogen and heavy metal content of the wastewater. The possibilities of different types of integration and technology that can be adopted for wastewater gardens are also discussed. IWA Publishing 2008.

Physics for Water and Wastewater Operators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koundakjian, Philip

This physics course covers the following main subject areas: (1) liquids; (2) pressure; (3) liquid flow; (4) temperature and heat; and (5) electric currents. The prerequisites for understanding this material are basic algebra and geometry. The lessons are composed mostly of sample problems and calculations that water and wastewater operators have…

Surface discharge of raw wastewater among unsewered homes in central Alabama

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, M.; Das, P.; Blackwell, A.; Aytekin, E.; Hu, Y.; White, K.; Jones, R.; Lu, Y.

2017-12-01

Discussions of future water and wastewater challenges in the US typically focus on crumbling infrastructure. However, another major challenge has been almost entirely neglected. A growing body of evidence indicates that household discharge of untreated wastewater to the surface (through so-called "straight pipes") is widespread in poor rural communities of Appalachia and the southeastern US. The US Census included water and wastewater questions until 1990. However, the census questions do not appear to differentiate clearly between legal onsite treatment and discharge of raw wastewater to the ground (EPA, 1999; US Census, 2015). Although straight pipes are illegal, many reports from the southern US and Appalachia indicate that the practice is still common in poor rural areas (e.g., EPA Region 4, 2002; du Albuquerque, 2011). A representative, county-scale report on straight pipes in Madison County, NC (Baldwin, 2000) found that 5.6% of unsewered rural households directly discharged raw wastewater and a 2005 study of Bibb County, AL, reported 15% straight pipe among households not connected to sewer (White and Jones, 2006). We focused on two Alabama counties (Hale and Wilcox) with high rates of rural poverty (26.6% and 39.2% of households in poverty, respectively) and soils unsuited for conventional septic systems. We used two main methods (1) site-by-site inspections of a random sample of unsewered rural homes and (2) water sample collection and analysis from impacted streams. We found high rates of straight pipe use and substantial impacts on water quality in local streams. For example, in Wilcox Co., 60% of unsewered households had a visible straight pipe; conservatively, these homes discharge 500,000 gallons of raw sewage to the ground in Wilcox Co. each day. Water sampling upstream and downstream of an unsewered town with many straight pipes indicated major impacts on surface water quality. Additionally, the literature reveals possible health impacts from onsite

Biohydrogen production from industrial wastewaters.

PubMed

Moreno-Andrade, Iván; Moreno, Gloria; Kumar, Gopalakrishnan; Buitrón, Germán

2015-01-01

The feasibility of producing hydrogen from various industrial wastes, such as vinasses (sugar and tequila industries), and raw and physicochemical-treated wastewater from the plastic industry and toilet aircraft wastewater, was evaluated. The results showed that the tequila vinasses presented the maximum hydrogen generation potential, followed by the raw plastic industry wastewater, aircraft wastewater, and physicochemical-treated wastewater from the plastic industry and sugar vinasses, respectively. The hydrogen production from the aircraft wastewater was increased by the adaptation of the microorganisms in the anaerobic sequencing batch reactor.

The application of moving bed bio-reactor (MBBR) in commercial laundry wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Bering, Sławomira; Mazur, Jacek; Tarnowski, Krzysztof; Janus, Magdalena; Mozia, Sylwia; Morawski, Antoni Waldemar

2018-06-15

Large, laboratory scale biological treatment tests of real industrial wastewater, generated in a large industrial laundry facility, was conducted from October 2014 to January 2015. This research sought to develop laundry wastewater treatment technology which included tests of a two-stage Moving Bed Bio Reactor (MBBR); this had two reactors, was filled with carriers Kaldnes K5 (specific area - 800 m 2 /m 3 ) and were realized in aerobic condition. Operating on site, in the laundry, reactors were fed actual wastewater from the laundry retention tank. The laundry wastewater contained mainly surfactants and impurities originating from washed fabrics; a solution of urea to supplement nitrogen content and a solution of acid to correct pH were added. The daily flow of raw wastewater Qd varied from 0.6-1.0 m 3 /d. Wastewater quality indicators showed that the reduction of pollutants was obtained: BOD 5 by 95-98%, COD by 89-94%, the sum of anionic and nonionic surfactants by 85-96%. The quality of the purified wastewater after the start-up period met legal requirements regarding the standards for wastewater discharged into the environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Process wastewater treatability study for Westinghouse fluidized-bed coal gasification

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

Winton, S.L.; Buvinger, B.J.; Evans, J.M.

1983-11-01

In the development of a synthetic fuels facility, water usage and wastewater treatment are major areas of concern. Coal gasification processes generally produce relatively large volumes of gas condensates. These wastewaters are typically composed of a variety of suspended and dissolved organic and inorganic solids and dissolved gaseous contaminants. Fluidized-bed coal gasification (FBG) processes are no exception to this rule. The Department of Energy's Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC), the Gas Research Institute (GRI), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA/IERLRTP) recognized the need for a FBG treatment program to provide process design data for FBG wastewaters during the environmental, health,more » and safety characterization of the Westinghouse Process Development Unit (PDU). In response to this need, METC developed conceptual designs and a program plan to obtain process design and performance data for treating wastewater from commercial-scale Westinghouse-based synfuels plants. As a result of this plan, METC, GRI, and EPA entered into a joint program to develop performance data, design parameters, conceptual designs, and cost estimates for treating wastewaters from a FBG plant. Wastewater from the Westinghouse PDU consists of process quench and gas cooling condensates which are similar to those produced by other FBG processes such as U-Gas, and entrained-bed gasification processes such as Texaco. Therefore, wastewater from this facility was selected as the basis for this study. This paper outlines the current program for developing process design and cost data for the treatment of these wastewaters.« less

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.

Discrimination of non-explosive and explosive samples through nitrocellulose fingerprints obtained by capillary electrophoresis.

PubMed

Fernández de la Ossa, Ma Ángeles; Ortega-Ojeda, Fernando; García-Ruiz, Carmen

2013-08-09

This work is focused on a novel procedure to discriminate nitrocellulose-based samples with non-explosive and explosive properties. The nitrocellulose study has been scarcely approached in the literature due to its special polymeric properties such as its high molar mass and complex chemical and structural characteristics. These properties require the nitrocellulose analysis to be performed by using a few organic solvents and in consequence, they limit the number of adequate analytical techniques for its study. In terms of identification of pre-blast explosives, mass spectrometry is one of the most preferred technique because it allows to obtain structural information. However, it has never been used to analyze polymeric nitrocellulose. In this study, the differentiation of non-explosive and explosive samples through nitrocellulose fingerprints obtained by capillary electrophoresis was investigated. A batch of 30 different smokeless gunpowders and 23 different everyday products were pulverized, derivatized with a fluorescent agent and analyzed by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection. Since this methodology is specific to d-glucopyranose derivatives (cellulosic and related compounds), and paper samples could be easily found in explosion scenes, 11 different paper samples were also included in the study as potential interference samples. In order to discriminate among samples, multivariate analysis (principal component analysis and soft independent modeling of class analogy) was applied to the obtained electrophoretic profiles. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first study that achieve a successful discrimination between non-explosive and explosive nitrocellulose-based samples, as well as potential cellulose interference samples, and posterior classification of unknown samples into their corresponding groups using CE-LIF and chemometric tools. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Proximate composition of poultry processing wastewater particulate matter from broiler slaughter plants.

PubMed

Kiepper, B H; Merka, W C; Fletcher, D L

2008-08-01

An experiment was conducted to compare the proximate composition of particulate matter recovered from poultry processing wastewater (PPW) generated by broiler slaughter plants. Poultry processing wastewater is the cumulative wastewater stream generated during the processing of poultry following primary and secondary physical screening (typically to 500 mum) that removes gross offal. Composite samples of PPW from 3 broiler slaughter plants (southeast United States) were collected over 8 consecutive weeks. All 3 broiler slaughter plants process young chickens with an average live weight of 2.0 kg. At each plant, a single 72-L composite sample was collected using an automatic sampler programmed to collect 1 L of wastewater every 20 min for 24 h during one normal processing day each week. Each composite sample was thoroughly mixed, and 60 L was passed through a series of sieves (2.0 mm, 1.0 mm, 500 mum, and 53 mum). The amount of particulate solids collected on the 2.0 mm, 1.0 mm, and 500 mum sieves was insignificant. The solids recovered from the 53-mum sieve were subjected to proximate analysis to determine percent moisture, fat, protein, ash, and fiber. The average percentages of fat, protein, ash, and fiber for all samples on a dry-weight basis were 55.3, 27.1, 6.1, and 4.1, respectively. Fat made up over half of the dry-weight matter recovered, representing PPW particulate matter between 500 and 53 mum. Despite the variation in number of birds processed daily, further processing operations, and number and type of wastewater screens utilized, there were no significance differences in percentage of fat and fiber between the slaughter plants. There were significant differences in percent protein and ash between the slaughter plants.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci with vanA gene in treated municipal wastewater and their association with human hospital strains.

PubMed

Oravcova, Veronika; Mihalcin, Matus; Zakova, Jana; Pospisilova, Lucie; Masarikova, Martina; Literak, Ivan

2017-12-31

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are pathogens of increasing medical importance. In Brno, Czech Republic, we collected 37 samples from the effluent of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), 21 surface swabs from hospital settings, and 59 fecal samples from hospitalized patients and staff. Moreover, we collected 284 gull cloacal swabs from the colony situated 35km downstream the WWTP. Samples were cultured selectively. Enterococci were identified using MALDI-TOF MS, phenotypically tested for susceptibility to antibiotics, and by PCR for occurrence of resistance and virulence genes. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) were used to examine genotypic diversity. VRE carrying the vanA gene were found in 32 (86%, n=37) wastewater samples, from which we obtained 49 isolates: Enterococcus faecium (44) and Enterococcus gallinarum (2), Enterococcus casseliflavus (2), and Enterococcus raffinosus (1). From 33 (69%) of 48 inpatient stool samples, we obtained 39 vanA-carrying VRE, which belonged to E. faecium (33 isolates), Enterococcus faecalis (4), and Enterococcus raffinosus (2). Nearly one-third of the samples from hospital surfaces contained VRE with the vanA gene. VRE were not detected among gulls. Sixty-seven (84%, n=80) E. faecium isolates carried virulence genes hyl and/or esp. Virulence of E. faecalis was encoded by gelE, asa1, and cylA genes. A majority of the E. faecium isolates belonged to the clinically important sequence types ST17 (WWTP: 10 isolates; hospital: 4 isolates), ST18 (9;8), and ST78 (5;0). The remaining isolates belonged to ST555 (2;0), ST262 (1;6), ST273 (3;0), ST275 (1;0), ST549 (2;0), ST19 (0;1), ST323 (3;0), and ST884 (7;17). Clinically important enterococci carrying the vanA gene were almost continually detectable in the effluent of the WWTP, indicating insufficient removal of VRE during wastewater treatment and permanent shedding of these antibiotic resistant pathogens into the environment from this

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli in hospital wastewaters and sewage treatment plants in Queensland, Australia.

PubMed

Gündoğdu, Aycan; Jennison, Amy V; Smith, Helen V; Stratton, Helen; Katouli, Mohammad

2013-11-01

We investigated the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli in untreated hospital wastewaters and 2 sewage treatment plants (STPs). A collection of 252 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates from hospital wastewater and STPs were typed and tested for resistance to 17 antimicrobial agents and for the presence of integron-associated integrases (intI gene) and ESBL genes. Eighty-nine percent (n = 176) of the ESBL-producing E. coli strains from hospital wastewater were found in more than 1 sample (common types), with 1 common type accounting for 35% of isolates, found in all samples. These strains were also resistant to up to 9 non-β-lactam antibiotics and showed the same pattern of resistance in all samples. More than 73% of the hospital wastewater isolates possessed SHV-type ESBL as opposed to isolates from STPs that carried only CTX-M-type ESBL genes. The prevalence of the intI gene did not differ between the sources of the isolates. Certain ESBL-producing E. coli were dominant in hospital wastewaters. These strains possessed β-lactamase genes that were different from isolates found in STPs. From a public health point of view, the presence of such a high level of ESBL-producing E. coli strains in hospital wastewaters is of great importance.

Wastewater testing compared to random urinalyses for the surveillance of illicit drug use in prisons

PubMed Central

Brewer, Alex J.; Banta-Green, Caleb J.; Ort, Christoph; Robel, Alix E.

2015-01-01

Introduction and Aims Illicit drug use is known to occur among inmate populations of correctional (prison) facilities. Conventional approaches to monitor illicit drug use in prisons include random urinalyses (RUAs). Conventional approaches are expected to be prone to bias because prisoners may be aware of which days of the week RUAs are conducted. Therefore, we wanted to compare wastewater loads for methamphetamine and cocaine during days with RUA testing and without. Design and Methods We collected daily 24-hour composite samples of wastewater by continuous sampling, computed daily loads for one month and compared the frequency of illicit drug detection to the number of positive RUAs. Diurnal data also were collected for three days in order to determine within-day patterns of illicit drugs excretion. Results Methamphetamine was observed in each sample of prison wastewater with no significant difference in daily mass loads between RUA testing and non-testing days. Cocaine and its major metabolite, benzoylecgonine, were observed only at levels below quantification in prison wastewater. Six RUAs were positive for methamphetamine during the month while none were positive for cocaine out of the 243 RUAs conducted. Discussion and Conclusions Wastewater analyses offer data regarding the frequency of illicit drug excretion inside the prison that RUAs alone could not detect. PMID:25100044

Phytoremediation potential of water caltrop (Trapa natans L.) using municipal wastewater of the activated sludge process-based municipal wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Kumar, Vinod; Chopra, A K

2018-01-01

Phytoremediation experiments were carried out to assess the phytoremediation potential of water caltrop (Trapa natans L.) using municipal wastewater collected from the activated sludge process- (ASP) based municipal wastewater treatment plant. The results revealed that T. natans significantly (P ≤ .05/P ≤ .01/P ≤ .001) reduced the contents of total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ), chemical oxygen demand, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, phosphate ([Formula: see text]), sodium (Na + ), potassium (K + ), calcium (Ca 2+ ), magnesium (Mg 2+ ), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), standard plate count, and most probable number of the municipal wastewater after phytoremediation experiments. The maximum removal of these parameters was obtained at 60 days of the phytoremediation experiments, but the removal rate of these parameters was gradually increased from 15 to 45 days and it was slightly decreased at 60 days. Most contents of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn were translocated in the leaves of T. natans, whereas most contents of Cr and Pb were accumulated in the root of T. natans after phytoremediation experiments. The contents of different biochemical components were recorded in the order of total sugar > crude protein > total ash > crude fiber > total fat in T. natans after phytoremediation of municipal wastewater. Therefore, T. natans was found to be effective for the removal of different parameters of municipal wastewater and can be used effectively to reduce the pollution load of municipal wastewater drained from the ASP-based treatment plants.

Options and limitations for bromate control during ozonation of wastewater.

PubMed

Soltermann, Fabian; Abegglen, Christian; Tschui, Manfred; Stahel, Sandro; von Gunten, Urs

2017-06-01

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are important point sources for micropollutants, which are harmful to freshwater organisms. Ozonation of wastewater is a powerful option to abate micropollutants, but may result in the formation of the potentially toxic oxidation by-product bromate in bromide-containing wastewaters. This study investigates options to reduce bromate formation during wastewater ozonation by (i) reducing the bromide concentration of the wastewater, (ii) lowering the ozone dose during wastewater treatment and (iii) adding hydrogen peroxide to limit the lifetime of ozone and quench the intermediates of the bromate formation pathway. Two examples demonstrate that a high share of bromide in wastewater can originate from single point sources (e.g., municipal waste incinerators or landfills). The identification of major point sources requires laborious sampling campaigns, but may facilitate the reduction of the bromide load significantly. To reduce the bromate formation by lowering the ozone dose interferes with the aim to abate micropollutants. Therefore, an additional treatment is necessary to ensure the elimination of micropollutants. Experiments at a pilot-plant illustrate that a combined treatment (ozone/powdered activated carbon) allows to eliminate micropollutants with low bromate yields. Furthermore, the addition of hydrogen peroxide was investigated at bench-scale. The bromate yields could be reduced by ∼50% and 65% for a hydrogen peroxide dose of 5 and 10 mg L -1 , respectively. In conclusion, there are options to reduce the bromate formation during wastewater ozonation, however, they are not simple with sometimes limited efficiency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human health risk from heavy metal via food crops consumption with wastewater irrigation practices in Pakistan.

PubMed

Khan, Muhammad Usman; Malik, Riffat Naseem; Muhammad, Said

2013-11-01

The current study was designed to investigate the potential human health risks associated with consumption of food crops contaminated with toxic heavy metals. Cadmium (Cd) concentration in surface soils; Cd, lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) in the irrigation water and food crops were above permissible limits. The accumulation factor (AF) was >1 for manganese (Mn) and Pb in different food crops. The Health Risk Index (HRI) was >1 for Pb in all food crops irrigated with wastewater and tube well water. HRI >1 was also recorded for Cd in all selected vegetables; and for Mn in Spinacia oleracea irrigated with wastewater. All wastewater irrigated samples (soil and food crops) exhibited high relative contamination level as compared to samples irrigated with tube well water. Our results emphasized the need for pretreatment of wastewater and routine monitoring in order to avoid contamination of food crops from the wastewater irrigation system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization of wastewater treatment alternative selection by hierarchy grey relational analysis.

PubMed

Zeng, Guangming; Jiang, Ru; Huang, Guohe; Xu, Min; Li, Jianbing

2007-01-01

This paper describes an innovative systematic approach, namely hierarchy grey relational analysis for optimal selection of wastewater treatment alternatives, based on the application of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and grey relational analysis (GRA). It can be applied for complicated multicriteria decision-making to obtain scientific and reasonable results. The effectiveness of this approach was verified through a real case study. Four wastewater treatment alternatives (A(2)/O, triple oxidation ditch, anaerobic single oxidation ditch and SBR) were evaluated and compared against multiple economic, technical and administrative performance criteria, including capital cost, operation and maintenance (O and M) cost, land area, removal of nitrogenous and phosphorous pollutants, sludge disposal effect, stability of plant operation, maturity of technology and professional skills required for O and M. The result illustrated that the anaerobic single oxidation ditch was the optimal scheme and would obtain the maximum general benefits for the wastewater treatment plant to be constructed.

Optimizing TOC and COD removal for the biodiesel wastewater by electrocoagulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanattı, N. Pınar; Şengil, İ. Ayhan; Özdemir, Abdil

2018-05-01

In this study, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and the total organic carbon content (TOC) in biodiesel wastewater iron and aluminum electrodes arranged in a bipolar position. In the EC of the biodiesel wastewater, the effects of the supporting electrolyte, initial pH, electrolysis time and current density were examined. The results showed that the majority of the pollutants in the biodiesel wastewater were effectively removed when the iron or aluminum electrodes were used as a sacrificial anode. The highest COD and TOC removal efficiencies were successfully obtained with the iron electrode. COD removal efficiencies are 91.74 and 90.94% for iron and aluminum electrode, respectively. In the same way, TOC removal efficiencies were obtained as 91.79 and 91.98% for the iron and aluminum electrodes, respectively, at initial pH of 6, the current density of 0.3226 mA/cm2, NaCl concentration 1 g/L and 1 min of operating time.

Fate of organic microcontaminants in wastewater treatment and river systems: An uncertainty assessment in view of sampling strategy, and compound consumption rate and degradability.

PubMed

Aymerich, I; Acuña, V; Ort, C; Rodríguez-Roda, I; Corominas, Ll

2017-11-15

The growing awareness of the relevance of organic microcontaminants on the environment has led to a growing number of studies on attenuation of these compounds in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and rivers. However, the effects of the sampling strategies (frequency and duration of composite samples) on the attenuation estimates are largely unknown. Our goal was to assess how frequency and duration of composite samples influence uncertainty of the attenuation estimates in WWTPs and rivers. Furthermore, we also assessed how compound consumption rate and degradability influence uncertainty. The assessment was conducted through simulating the integrated wastewater system of Puigcerdà (NE Iberian Peninsula) using a sewer pattern generator and a coupled model of WWTP and river. Results showed that the sampling strategy is especially critical at the influent of WWTP, particularly when the number of toilet flushes containing the compound of interest is small (≤100 toilet flushes with compound day -1 ), and less critical at the effluent of the WWTP and in the river due to the mixing effects of the WWTP. For example, at the WWTP, when evaluating a compound that is present in 50 pulses·d -1 using a sampling frequency of 15-min to collect a 24-h composite sample, the attenuation uncertainty can range from 94% (0% degradability) to 9% (90% degradability). The estimation of attenuation in rivers is less critical than in WWTPs, as the attenuation uncertainty was lower than 10% for all evaluated scenarios. Interestingly, the errors in the estimates of attenuation are usually lower than those of loads for most sampling strategies and compound characteristics (e.g. consumption and degradability), although the opposite occurs for compounds with low consumption and inappropriate sampling strategies at the WWTP. Hence, when designing a sampling campaign, one should consider the influence of compounds' consumption and degradability as well as the desired level of accuracy in

Wastewater Treatment

MedlinePlus

... cleaned, water can carry disease. Since we live, work and play so close to water, harmful bacteria have to be removed to make water safe. Effects of wastewater pollutants If wastewater is not properly treated, then the environment and human health can be negatively impacted. These ...

Class 1 Integrons and the Antiseptic Resistance Gene (qacEΔ1) in Municipal and Swine Slaughterhouse Wastewater Treatment Plants and Wastewater—Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

PubMed Central

Wan, Min Tao; Chou, Chin Cheng

2015-01-01

Class 1 integrons are mobile gene elements (MGEs) containing qacEΔ1 that are resistant to quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) disinfectants. This study compared the abundances of class 1 integrons and antiseptic resistance genes in municipal (M) and swine slaughterhouse (S) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and investigated the presence of class 1 integrons and antiseptic resistance genes in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from wastewater samples. The abundances of intI1 and qacEΔ1 genes in 96 wastewater samples were quantified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time qPCR), and 113 MRSA isolates recovered from the wastewater samples were detected class 1 integrons and linked antiseptic resistance genes (qacEΔ1), and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for QAC antiseptics. The intI1 and qacEΔ1 genes were detected in all the wastewater samples, and they were more abundant in S-WWTP samples than in M-WWTP samples. A higher percentage of MRSA isolates carried qacEΔ1 in MRSA from swine wastewater samples (62.8%) than in municipal MRSA (3.7%). All the MRSA isolates showed high MICs for antiseptic agents. This study provides important evidence regarding the abundances of intI1 and qacEΔ1 genes in municipal and swine slaughterhouse wastewater, and antiseptic-resistant MRSA strains were detected in swine slaughterhouse wastewater. PMID:26042365

Differential BPA levels in sewage wastewater effluents from metro Detroit communities.

PubMed

Santos, Julia M; Putt, David A; Jurban, Michael; Joiakim, Aby; Friedrich, Klaus; Kim, Hyesook

2016-10-01

The endocrine disruptor Bisphenol A (BPA) is ubiquitous in both aquatic and surface sediment environments because it is continuously released into sewage wastewater effluent. The measurement of BPA at wastewater treatment plants is rarely performed even though the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that current levels of environmental BPA could be a threat to aquatic organisms. Therefore, the aims of this study were to measure BPA levels in sewage wastewater at different collection points over a 1-year period and to compare the levels of BPA to 8-isoprostane, a human derived fatty acid, found in sewage wastewater. We analyzed pre-treated sewage samples collected from three source points located in different communities in the metropolitan Detroit area provided by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. Human urine samples were also used in the study. BPA and 8-isoprostane were measured using ELISA kits from Detroit R&D, Inc. BPA levels from the same collection point oscillated more than 10-fold over 1 year. Also, BPA levels fluctuated differentially at each collection point. Highly fluctuating BPA values were confirmed by LC/MS/MS. The concentration of BPA in sewage wastewater was ~100-fold higher than the concentration of 8-isoprostane, while urinary concentration was ~20-fold higher. Thus, BPA levels discharged into the sewage network vary among communities, and differences are also observed within communities over time. The difference in BPA and 8-isoprostane levels suggest that most of the BPA discharged to sewage wastewater might be derived from industries rather than from human urine. Therefore, the continuous monitoring of BPA could account for a better regulation of BPA release into a sewage network.

A voltammetric electronic tongue as tool for water quality monitoring in wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Campos, Inmaculada; Alcañiz, Miguel; Aguado, Daniel; Barat, Ramón; Ferrer, José; Gil, Luis; Marrakchi, Mouna; Martínez-Mañez, Ramón; Soto, Juan; Vivancos, José-Luis

2012-05-15

The use of a voltammetric electronic tongue as tool for the prediction of concentration levels of certain water quality parameters from influent and effluent wastewater from a Submerged Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor pilot plant applied to domestic wastewater treatment is proposed here. The electronic tongue consists of a set of noble (Au, Pt, Rh, Ir, and Ag) and non-noble (Ni, Co and Cu) electrodes that were housed inside a stainless steel cylinder which was used as the body of the electronic tongue system. As a previous step an electrochemical study of the response of the ions sulphate, orthophosphate, acetate, bicarbonate and ammonium was carried out in water using the electrodes contained in the electronic tongue. The second part of the work was devoted to the application of the electronic tongue to the characterization of the influent and effluent waters from the wastewater treatment plant. Partial Least Squares analysis was used to obtain a correlation between the data from the tongue and the pollution parameters measured in the laboratory such as soluble chemical oxygen demand (CODs), soluble biological oxygen demand (BODs), ammonia (NH(4)-N), orthophosphate (PO(4)-P), Sulphate (SO(4)-S), acetic acid (HAC) and alkalinity (Alk). A total of 28 and 11 samples were used in the training and the validation steps, respectively, for both influent and effluent water samples. The electronic tongue showed relatively good predictive power for the determination of BOD, COD, NH(4)-N, PO(4)-P, SO(4)-S, and Alk. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of physicochemical wastewater treatment operations on forward osmosis.

PubMed

Hey, Tobias; Bajraktari, Niada; Vogel, Jörg; Hélix Nielsen, Claus; la Cour Jansen, Jes; Jönsson, Karin

2017-09-01

Raw municipal wastewater from a full-scale wastewater treatment plant was physicochemically pretreated in a large pilot-scale system comprising coagulation, flocculation, microsieve and microfiltration operated in various configurations. The produced microsieve filtrates and microfiltration permeates were then concentrated using forward osmosis (FO). Aquaporin Inside TM FO membranes were used for both the microsieve filtrate and microfiltration permeates, and Hydration Technologies Inc.-thin-film composite membranes for the microfiltration permeate using only NaCl as the draw solution. The FO performance was evaluated in terms of the water flux, water flux decline and solute rejections of biochemical oxygen demand, and total and soluble phosphorus. The obtained results were compared with the results of FO after only mechanical pretreatment. The FO permeates satisfied the Swedish discharge demands for small and medium-sized wastewater treatment plants. The study demonstrates that physicochemical pretreatment can improve the FO water flux by up to 20%. In contrast, the solute rejection decreases significantly compared to the FO-treated wastewater with mechanical pretreatment.

2013 Annual Wastewater Reuse Report for the Idaho National Laboratory Site’s Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant

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

Mike Lewis

2014-02-01

This report describes conditions, as required by the state of Idaho Wastewater Reuse Permit (#LA-000141-03), for the wastewater land application site at the Idaho National Laboratory Site’s Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plant from November 1, 2012, through October 31, 2013. The report contains, as applicable, the following information: • Site description • Facility and system description • Permit required monitoring data and loading rates • Status of compliance conditions and activities • Discussion of the facility’s environmental impacts. During the 2013 permit year, no wastewater was land-applied to the irrigation area of the Central Facilities Area Sewage Treatment Plantmore » and therefore, no effluent flow volumes or samples were collected from wastewater sampling point WW-014102. However, soil samples were collected in October from soil monitoring unit SU-014101.« less

Sensitive and background-free determination of thiols from wastewater samples by MOF-5 extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection using a novel fluorescence probe of carbazole-9-ethyl-2-maleimide.

PubMed

Lv, Zhengxian; Sun, Zhiwei; Song, Cuihua; Lu, Shuaimin; Chen, Guang; You, Jinmao

2016-12-01

A sensitive and background-free pre-column derivatization method for the determination of thiol compounds using metal-organic framework material (MOF-5) as dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) adsorbent followed by high-performance liquid chromatography fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) has been developed. In this paper, a novel labeling reagent, carbazole-9-ethyl-2-maleimide(CAEM), was synthesized and reacted with thiols at 40°C for 10min in the presence of PBS buffer (0.02mol/L, pH 7.5). Interestingly, CAEM itself had no fluorescence, while its derivatives exhibited intense fluorescence with an excitation maximum at λ ex 274nm and an emission maximum at λ em 363nm, which greatly reduced the background interference and improved the sensitivity of the method. Furthermore, the MOF-5 was prepared and used as DSPE adsorbent for the selective adsorption of thiols from wastewater sample. Under the optimized experimental conditions, an excellent linearity for all analytes over their concentration ranges of 0.01-1.0μmol/L (R 2 >0.9986)were obtained with the limit of detection (LOD) ranging from 8 to 17.1pmol/L for nine tested thiols. The feasibility of this method for the determination of thiols in wastewater samples had been evaluated and satisfactory average recoveries (n=3) were achieved with the range of 86.6-98.5%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dynamic desorption of arsenic from polymer-supported hydrated iron(III) oxide in a wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Hu, Jian-Long; Yang, Xiao-Song; Liu, Ting; Shao, Li-Nan; Zhang, Wang

2017-11-01

Polymer-supported hydrated iron(III) oxide (PHIO) was successfully applied as adsorbent for arsenic removal in a wastewater treatment plant in Nandan, China. The practical PHIO adsorbent samples (PHIO-P) were collected from the adsorption column of the wastewater treatment plant, and desorption experiments of the adsorbent were carried out. Our results showed that the formation of precipitates on the surface of PHIO-P might block the porous channel of the adsorbent and decrease its arsenic adsorption capacity. In the dynamic arsenic desorption experiment, the arsenic desorption equilibrium was achieved more quickly at decreasing desorption velocity, and higher arsenic desorption efficiency was obtained at increasing NaOH concentration in regenerant. It was found that the PHIO-P adsorbent could be well regenerated at 1.0 M NaOH solution and desorption velocity of 5 BV h -1 . Comparing with the raw adsorbent, the maximum arsenic adsorption capacity of PHIO-P decreased by 41.1% after practical running for 26 months. Additionally, the frequently used waste PHIO adsorbent could be treated as non-hazardous material in the arsenic-containing wastewater treatment process after long-time use.

Comparison of techniques for the detection of helminth ova in drinking water and wastewater.

PubMed

Maya, C; Jimenez, B; Schwartzbrod, J

2006-02-01

Many countries use wastewater for irrigation. The World Health Organization established, as reuse guidelines, a maximum value of 1 helminth ovum/L for irrigation. Various techniques for enumerating helminth ova in water have been published. To determine the most adequate method for Mexico, four techniques were compared: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), membrane-filter, Leeds I, and Faust. Two types of water were used: drinking water and municipal wastewater effluent. Sensitivity, discrimination coefficients, precision, recovery efficiency, and cost were determined. In addition, several unseeded wastewater samples were analyzed. For drinking water, U.S. EPA and the membrane-filter techniques demonstrated comparable results; however, when wastewater was used, the membrane technique showed some deficiencies. Because the U.S. EPA technique may be used for samples with both high and low solids content, allows for the recovery of helminth ova with different specific gravities, and has the lowest total cost, it was selected as the best technique.

Is the evaluation of "traditional" physicochemical parameters sufficient to explain the potential toxicity of the treated wastewater at sewage treatment plants?

PubMed

Vasquez, M I; Fatta-Kassinos, D

2013-06-01

Water scarcity is one of the most important environmental and public health problems of our century. Treated wastewater reuse seems to be the most attractive option for the enhancement of water resources. However, the lack of uniform guidelines at European and/or Mediterranean level leaves room for application of varying guidelines and regulations, usually not based on risk assessment towards humans and the environment. The benefits of complementing the physicochemical evaluation of wastewater with a biological one are demonstrated in the present study using Cyprus, a country with extended water reuse applications, as an example. Four organisms from different trophic levels were used for the biological assessment of the wastewater, namely, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, Daphnia magna, Artemia salina and Vibrio fischeri. The physicochemical assessment of wastewater based on "traditional" chemical parameters indicated that the quality of the wastewater complies with the limits set by the relevant national guidelines for disposal. The ecotoxicological assessment, however, indicated the presence of toxicity throughout the sampling periods and most importantly an increase of the toxicity of the treated wastewater during summer compared to winter. The resulting poor correlation between the physicochemical and biological assessments demonstrates that the two assessments are necessary and should be performed in parallel in order to be able to obtain concrete results on the overall quality of the treated effluent. Moreover, a hazard classification scheme for wastewater is proposed, which can enable the comparison of the data sets of the various parameters deriving from the biological assessment in a comprehensive way.

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

Validated univariate and multivariate spectrophotometric methods for the determination of pharmaceuticals mixture in complex wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riad, Safaa M.; Salem, Hesham; Elbalkiny, Heba T.; Khattab, Fatma I.

2015-04-01

Five, accurate, precise, and sensitive univariate and multivariate spectrophotometric methods were developed for the simultaneous determination of a ternary mixture containing Trimethoprim (TMP), Sulphamethoxazole (SMZ) and Oxytetracycline (OTC) in waste water samples collected from different cites either production wastewater or livestock wastewater after their solid phase extraction using OASIS HLB cartridges. In univariate methods OTC was determined at its λmax 355.7 nm (0D), while (TMP) and (SMZ) were determined by three different univariate methods. Method (A) is based on successive spectrophotometric resolution technique (SSRT). The technique starts with the ratio subtraction method followed by ratio difference method for determination of TMP and SMZ. Method (B) is successive derivative ratio technique (SDR). Method (C) is mean centering of the ratio spectra (MCR). The developed multivariate methods are principle component regression (PCR) and partial least squares (PLS). The specificity of the developed methods is investigated by analyzing laboratory prepared mixtures containing different ratios of the three drugs. The obtained results are statistically compared with those obtained by the official methods, showing no significant difference with respect to accuracy and precision at p = 0.05.

Validated univariate and multivariate spectrophotometric methods for the determination of pharmaceuticals mixture in complex wastewater.

PubMed

Riad, Safaa M; Salem, Hesham; Elbalkiny, Heba T; Khattab, Fatma I

2015-04-05

Five, accurate, precise, and sensitive univariate and multivariate spectrophotometric methods were developed for the simultaneous determination of a ternary mixture containing Trimethoprim (TMP), Sulphamethoxazole (SMZ) and Oxytetracycline (OTC) in waste water samples collected from different cites either production wastewater or livestock wastewater after their solid phase extraction using OASIS HLB cartridges. In univariate methods OTC was determined at its λmax 355.7 nm (0D), while (TMP) and (SMZ) were determined by three different univariate methods. Method (A) is based on successive spectrophotometric resolution technique (SSRT). The technique starts with the ratio subtraction method followed by ratio difference method for determination of TMP and SMZ. Method (B) is successive derivative ratio technique (SDR). Method (C) is mean centering of the ratio spectra (MCR). The developed multivariate methods are principle component regression (PCR) and partial least squares (PLS). The specificity of the developed methods is investigated by analyzing laboratory prepared mixtures containing different ratios of the three drugs. The obtained results are statistically compared with those obtained by the official methods, showing no significant difference with respect to accuracy and precision at p=0.05. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Screening new psychoactive substances in urban wastewater using high resolution mass spectrometry.

PubMed

González-Mariño, Iria; Gracia-Lor, Emma; Bagnati, Renzo; Martins, Claudia P B; Zuccato, Ettore; Castiglioni, Sara

2016-06-01

Analysis of drug residues in urban wastewater could complement epidemiological studies in detecting the use of new psychoactive substances (NPS), a continuously changing group of drugs hard to monitor by classical methods. We initially selected 52 NPS potentially used in Italy based on seizure data and consumption alerts provided by the Antidrug Police Department and the National Early Warning System. Using a linear ion trap-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometer, we designed a suspect screening and a target method approach and compared them for the analysis of 24 h wastewater samples collected at the treatment plant influents of four Italian cities. This highlighted the main limitations of these two approaches, so we could propose requirements for future research. A library of MS/MS spectra of 16 synthetic cathinones and 19 synthetic cannabinoids, for which analytical standards were acquired, was built at different collision energies and is available on request. The stability of synthetic cannabinoids was studied in analytical standards and wastewater, identifying the best analytical conditions for future studies. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first stability data on NPS. Few suspects were identified in Italian wastewater samples, in accordance with recent epidemiological data reporting a very low prevalence of use of NPS in Italy. This study outlines an analytical approach for NPS identification and measurement in urban wastewater and for estimating their use in the population.

Procedures for Obtaining and Analyzing Writing Samples of School-Age Children and Adolescents.

PubMed

Price, Johanna R; Jackson, Sandra C

2015-10-01

Many students' writing skills are below grade-level expectations, and students with oral language difficulties are at particular risk for writing difficulties. Speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') expertise in language applies to both the oral and written modalities, yet evidence suggests that SLPs' confidence regarding writing assessment is low. Writing samples are a clinically useful, criterion-referenced assessment technique that is relevant to helping students satisfy writing-related requirements of the Common Core State Standards (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010a). This article provides recommendations for obtaining and analyzing students' writing samples. In this tutorial, the authors provide a comprehensive literature review of methods regarding (a) collection of writing samples from narrative, expository (informational/explanatory), and persuasive (argument) genres; (b) variables of writing performance that are useful to assess; and (c) manual and computer-aided techniques for analyzing writing samples. The authors relate their findings to expectations for writing skills expressed in the Common Core State Standards (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010a). SLPs can readily implement many techniques for obtaining and analyzing writing samples. The information in this article provides SLPs with recommendations for the use of writing samples and may help increase SLPs' confidence regarding written language assessment.

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.

Soil-transmitted helminth eggs assessment in wastewater in an urban area in India.

PubMed

Grego, Sonia; Barani, Viswa; Hegarty-Craver, Meghan; Raj, Antony; Perumal, Prasanna; Berg, Adrian B; Archer, Colleen

2018-02-01

Water quality and sanitation are inextricably linked to prevalence and control of soil-transmitted helminth infections, a public health concern in resource-limited settings. India bears a large burden of disease associated with poor sanitation. Transformative onsite sanitation technologies are being developed that feature elimination of pathogens including helminth eggs in wastewater treatment. We are conducting third-party testing of multiple sanitation technology systems in Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) India. To ensure stringent testing of the pathogen removal ability of sanitation technologies, the presence of helminth eggs in wastewater across the town of Coimbatore was assessed. Wastewater samples from existing test sites as well as desludging trucks servicing residential and non-residential septic tanks, were collected. The AmBic methodology (based on washing, sieving, sedimenting and floating) was used for helminth egg isolation. We tested 29 different source samples and found a 52% prevalence of potentially infective helminth eggs. Identification and enumeration of helminth species is reported against the septage source (private residential vs. shared toilet facility) and total solids content. Trichuris egg counts were higher than those of hookworm and Ascaris from desludging trucks, whereas hookworm egg counts were higher in fresh wastewater samples. Surprisingly, no correlation between soil transmitted helminth eggs and total solids was observed.

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.

Simultaneous enzymatic hydrolysis and anaerobic biodegradation of lipid-rich wastewater from poultry industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dors, Gisanara; Mendes, Adriano A.; Pereira, Ernandes B.; de Castro, Heizir F.; Furigo, Agenor

2013-03-01

Simultaneous enzymatic hydrolysis and anaerobic biodegradation of lipid-rich wastewater from poultry industry with porcine pancreatic lipase at different concentrations (from 1.0 to 3.0 g L-1) were performed. The efficiency of the enzymatic pretreatment was measured by the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal and formation of methane. All samples pretreated with lipase showed a positive effect on the COD removal and formation of methane. After 30 days of anaerobic biodegradation the methane production varied from 569 ± 95 to 1,101 ± 10 mL for crude wastewater and pretreated at 3.0 g L-1 enzyme, respectively. COD removal of wastewater supplemented at different enzyme concentrations was found to be threefold higher than crude wastewater. The use of lipases seems to be a promising alternative for treating lipid-rich wastewaters such as those from the poultry industry.

Wastewater: A Potential Bioenergy Resource.

PubMed

Prakash, Jyotsana; Sharma, Rakesh; Ray, Subhasree; Koul, Shikha; Kalia, Vipin Chandra

2018-06-01

Wastewaters are a rich source of nutrients for microorganisms. However, if left unattended the biodegradation may lead to severe environmental hazards. The wastewaters can thus be utilized for the production of various value added products including bioenergy (H 2 and CH 4 ). A number of studies have reported utilization of various wastewaters for energy production. Depending on the nature of the wastewater, different reactor configurations, wastewater and inoculum pretreatments, co-substrate utilizations along with other process parameters have been studied for efficient product formation. Only a few studies have reported sequential utilization of wastewaters for H 2 and CH 4 production despite its huge potential for complete waste degradation.

Application of solar photo-Fenton toward toxicity removal and textile wastewater reuse.

PubMed

Starling, Maria Clara V M; Dos Santos, Paulo Henrique Rodrigues; de Souza, Felipe Antônio Ribeiro; Oliveira, Sílvia Corrêa; Leão, Mônica M D; Amorim, Camila C

2017-05-01

Solar photo-Fenton represents an innovative and low-cost option for the treatment of recalcitrant industrial wastewater, such as the textile wastewater. Textile wastewater usually shows high acute toxic and variability and may be composed of many different chemical compounds. This study aimed at optimizing and validating solar photo-Fenton treatment of textile wastewater in a semi-pilot compound parabolic collector (CPC) for toxicity removal and wastewater reclamation. In addition, treated wastewater reuse feasibility was investigated through pilot tests. Experimental design performed in this study indicated optimum condition for solar photo-Fenton reaction (20 mg L -1 of Fe 2+ and 500 mg L -1 of H 2 O 2 ; pH 2.8), which achieved 96 % removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and 99 % absorbance removal. A toxicity peak was detected during treatment, suggesting that highly toxic transformation products were formed during reaction. Toxic intermediates were properly removed during solar photo-Fenton (SPF) treatment along with the generation of oxalic acid as an ultimate product of degradation and COS increase. Different samples of real textile wastewater were treated in order to validate optimized treatment condition with regard to wastewater variability. Results showed median organic carbon removal near 90 %. Finally, reuse of treated textile wastewater in both dyeing and washing stages of production was successful. These results confirm that solar photo-Fenton, as a single treatment, enables wastewater reclamation in the textile industry. Graphical abstract Solar photo-Fenton as a revolutionary treatment technology for "closing-the-loop" in the textile industry.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-07-01

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

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.

Removal of indicator organisms by chemical treatment of wastewater.

PubMed

De Zutter, L; van Hoof, J

1981-01-01

Recently a new chemical wastewater treatment process based upon precipitation of proteins by sodium lignosulphonate under acid conditions is used to purify the wastewater from slaughterhouses and poultry processing plants. In order to determine the reduction of indicator organisms due to this treatment process, influent and effluent samples from two of such plants (plant A in a pig slaughterhouse and plant B in a poultry processing plant) were examined. The results demonstrated that the pH used in the process, has a considerable influence on the reduction of the indicator organisms. On the first sampling day in plant A the initial working-pH was 4 and the corresponding reduction of the different microorganisms varied from 0.7 to 1.5 log. According to the decrease of the pH to 2.3, the reduction increased to a minimum of at least 1.9 and a maximum of at least 4.5 log. In the other samples from this plant (working-pH 2.4) the elimination ranged from 1.8 to 4.0 log. In plant B, the removal of the indicator organisms brought about by a working-pH of 3.0 ranged from 2.1 to 3.1 log. The results showed that in comparison with the biological treatment processes this chemical wastewater treatment process realized a significant greater removal of indicator organisms.

Biochar Production from Domestic Sludge: A Cost-effective, Recycled Product for Removal of Amoxicillin in Wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arun, Sija; Kothari, Kaushal; Mazumdar, Debayan; Mukhopadhyay, Moitraiyee; Chakraborty, Paromita

2017-08-01

Due to the broad spectrum, antimicrobial activity, Amoxicillin is one of the extensively used antibiotics. Amoxicillin ends up in the wastewater stream by direct or indirect disposal pathways which ultimately affect the aquatic ecosystem. Conventional wastewater treatment plant cannot remove it completely. Hence our objective was to produce sludge derived biochar and use it as an adsorbent for removal of amoxicillin. Effective biochar was obtained at 300°C produced from the sludge of the domestic wastewater treatment plant. 100 ppm amoxicillin solution spiked in biochar was kept for 180 mins in an orbital shaker and every 30 minutes the filtrate was checked in UV spectrophotometer. A steady decreasing gradient was obtained for absorbance of amoxicillin after 30 minutes. Further scanning electron microscopy showed significant morphological change in biochar obtained before and after spiking amoxicillin. Our preliminary assessment suggests that biochar can be exploited as an effective treatment technique to remove amoxicillin from wastewater. Moreover, we suggest that utilization of domestic sludge for commercial application in treatment plants can reduce the load of domestic waste in the open dumpsites.

Pesticides from wastewater treatment plant effluents affect invertebrate communities.

PubMed

Münze, Ronald; Hannemann, Christin; Orlinskiy, Polina; Gunold, Roman; Paschke, Albrecht; Foit, Kaarina; Becker, Jeremias; Kaske, Oliver; Paulsson, Elin; Peterson, Märit; Jernstedt, Henrik; Kreuger, Jenny; Schüürmann, Gerrit; Liess, Matthias

2017-12-01

We quantified pesticide contamination and its ecological impact up- and downstream of seven wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in rural and suburban areas of central Germany. During two sampling campaigns, time-weighted average pesticide concentrations (c TWA ) were obtained using Chemcatcher® passive samplers; pesticide peak concentrations were quantified with event-driven samplers. At downstream sites, receiving waters were additionally grab sampled for five selected pharmaceuticals. Ecological effects on macroinvertebrate structure and ecosystem function were assessed using the biological indicator system SPEAR pesticides (SPEcies At Risk) and leaf litter breakdown rates, respectively. WWTP effluents substantially increased insecticide and fungicide concentrations in receiving waters; in many cases, treated wastewater was the exclusive source for the neonicotinoid insecticides acetamiprid and imidacloprid in the investigated streams. During the ten weeks of the investigation, five out of the seven WWTPs increased in-stream pesticide toxicity by a factor of three. As a consequence, at downstream sites, SPEAR values and leaf litter degradation rates were reduced by 40% and 53%, respectively. The reduced leaf litter breakdown was related to changes in the macroinvertebrate communities described by SPEAR pesticides and not to altered microbial activity. Neonicotinoids showed the highest ecological relevance for the composition of invertebrate communities, occasionally exceeding the Regulatory Acceptable Concentrations (RACs). In general, considerable ecological effects of insecticides were observed above and below regulatory thresholds. Fungicides, herbicides and pharmaceuticals contributed only marginally to acute toxicity. We conclude that pesticide retention of WWTPs needs to be improved. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Spatial patterns of pharmaceuticals and wastewater tracers in the Hudson River Estuary.

PubMed

Cantwell, Mark G; Katz, David R; Sullivan, Julia C; Shapley, Daniel; Lipscomb, John; Epstein, Jennifer; Juhl, Andrew R; Knudson, Carol; O'Mullan, Gregory D

2018-06-15

The widespread use of pharmaceuticals by human populations results in their sustained discharge to surface waters via wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this study, 16 highly prescribed pharmaceuticals were quantified along a 250 km transect of the Hudson River Estuary and New York Harbor to describe their sources and spatial patterns. Sampling was conducted over two dry weather periods in May and July 2016, at 72 sites which included mid-channel and nearshore sites, as well as locations influenced by tributaries and WWTP outfalls. The detection frequency of the study pharmaceuticals was almost identical between the May and July sampling periods at 55% and 52%, respectively. Six pharmaceuticals were measurable at 92% or more of the sites during both sampling periods, illustrating their ubiquitous presence throughout the study area. Individual pharmaceutical concentrations were highly variable spatially, ranging from non-detect to 3810 ng/L during the study. Major factors controlling concentrations were proximity and magnitude of WWTP discharges, inputs from tributaries and tidal mixing. Two compounds, sucralose and caffeine, were evaluated as tracers to identify wastewater sources and assess pharmaceutical behavior. Sucralose was useful in identifying wastewater inputs to the river and concentrations showed excellent correlations with numerous pharmaceuticals in the study. Caffeine-sucralose ratios showed potential in identifying discharges of untreated wastewater occurring during a combined sewage overflow event. Many of the study pharmaceuticals were present throughout the Hudson River Estuary as a consequence of sustained wastewater discharge. Whereas some concentrations were above published effects levels, a more complete risk assessment is needed to understand the potential for ecological impacts due to pharmaceuticals in the Hudson River Estuary. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated determinations of selenium in thermal power plant wastewater by sequential hydride generation and chemiluminescence detection.

PubMed

Ezoe, Kentaro; Ohyama, Seiichi; Hashem, Md Abul; Ohira, Shin-Ichi; Toda, Kei

2016-02-01

After the Fukushima disaster, power generation from nuclear power plants in Japan was completely stopped and old coal-based power plants were re-commissioned to compensate for the decrease in power generation capacity. Although coal is a relatively inexpensive fuel for power generation, it contains high levels (mgkg(-1)) of selenium, which could contaminate the wastewater from thermal power plants. In this work, an automated selenium monitoring system was developed based on sequential hydride generation and chemiluminescence detection. This method could be applied to control of wastewater contamination. In this method, selenium is vaporized as H2Se, which reacts with ozone to produce chemiluminescence. However, interference from arsenic is of concern because the ozone-induced chemiluminescence intensity of H2Se is much lower than that of AsH3. This problem was successfully addressed by vaporizing arsenic and selenium individually in a sequential procedure using a syringe pump equipped with an eight-port selection valve and hot and cold reactors. Oxidative decomposition of organoselenium compounds and pre-reduction of the selenium were performed in the hot reactor, and vapor generation of arsenic and selenium were performed separately in the cold reactor. Sample transfers between the reactors were carried out by a pneumatic air operation by switching with three-way solenoid valves. The detection limit for selenium was 0.008 mg L(-1) and calibration curve was linear up to 1.0 mg L(-1), which provided suitable performance for controlling selenium in wastewater to around the allowable limit (0.1 mg L(-1)). This system consumes few chemicals and is stable for more than a month without any maintenance. Wastewater samples from thermal power plants were collected, and data obtained by the proposed method were compared with those from batchwise water treatment followed by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights

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

PubMed

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

2018-06-19

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

A Novel Electrochemical Membrane Bioreactor as a Potential Net Energy Producer for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment

PubMed Central

Wang, Yun-Kun; Sheng, Guo-Ping; Shi, Bing-Jing; Li, Wen-Wei; Yu, Han-Qing

2013-01-01

One possible way to address both water and energy shortage issues, the two of major global challenges, is to recover energy and water resource from wastewater. Herein, a novel electrochemical membrane bioreactor (EMBR) was developed to recover energy from wastewater and meantime harvest clean water for reuse. With the help of the microorganisms in the biocatalysis and biodegradation process, net electricity could be recovered from a low-strength synthetic wastewater after estimating total energy consumption of this system. In addition, high-quality clean water was obtained for reuse. The results clearly demonstrate that, under the optimized operating conditions, it is possible to recover net energy from wastewater, while at the same time to harvest high-quality effluent for reuse with this novel wastewater treatment system. PMID:23689529

Bacterial communities in full-scale wastewater treatment systems.

PubMed

Cydzik-Kwiatkowska, Agnieszka; Zielińska, Magdalena

2016-04-01

Bacterial metabolism determines the effectiveness of biological treatment of wastewater. Therefore, it is important to define the relations between the species structure and the performance of full-scale installations. Although there is much laboratory data on microbial consortia, our understanding of dependencies between the microbial structure and operational parameters of full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) is limited. This mini-review presents the types of microbial consortia in WWTP. Information is given on extracellular polymeric substances production as factor that is key for formation of spatial structures of microorganisms. Additionally, we discuss data on microbial groups including nitrifiers, denitrifiers, Anammox bacteria, and phosphate- and glycogen-accumulating bacteria in full-scale aerobic systems that was obtained with the use of molecular techniques, including high-throughput sequencing, to shed light on dependencies between the microbial ecology of biomass and the overall efficiency and functional stability of wastewater treatment systems. Sludge bulking in WWTPs is addressed, as well as the microbial composition of consortia involved in antibiotic and micropollutant removal.

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.

Perilymph sampling from the cochlear apex: a reliable method to obtain higher purity perilymph samples from scala tympani.

PubMed

Salt, Alec N; Hale, Shane A; Plonkte, Stefan K R

2006-05-15

Measurements of drug levels in the fluids of the inner ear are required to establish kinetic parameters and to determine the influence of specific local delivery protocols. For most substances, this requires cochlear fluids samples to be obtained for analysis. When auditory function is of primary interest, the drug level in the perilymph of scala tympani (ST) is most relevant, since drug in this scala has ready access to the auditory sensory cells. In many prior studies, ST perilymph samples have been obtained from the basal turn, either by aspiration through the round window membrane (RWM) or through an opening in the bony wall. A number of studies have demonstrated that such samples are likely to be contaminated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF enters the basal turn of ST through the cochlear aqueduct when the bony capsule is perforated or when fluid is aspirated. The degree of sample contamination has, however, not been widely appreciated. Recent studies have shown that perilymph samples taken through the round window membrane are highly contaminated with CSF, with samples greater than 2microL in volume containing more CSF than perilymph. In spite of this knowledge, many groups continue to sample from the base of the cochlea, as it is a well-established method. We have developed an alternative, technically simple method to increase the proportion of ST perilymph in a fluid sample. The sample is taken from the apex of the cochlea, a site that is distant from the cochlear aqueduct. A previous problem with sampling through a perforation in the bone was that the native perilymph rapidly leaked out driven by CSF pressure and was lost to the middle ear space. We therefore developed a procedure to collect all the fluid that emerged from the perforated apex after perforation. We evaluated the method using a marker ion trimethylphenylammonium (TMPA). TMPA was applied to the perilymph of guinea pigs either by RW irrigation or by microinjection into the apical turn. The

Perilymph Sampling from the Cochlear Apex: A Reliable Method to Obtain Higher Purity Perilymph Samples from Scala Tympani

PubMed Central

Salt, Alec N.; Hale, Shane A.; Plontke, Stefan K. R.

2006-01-01

Measurements of drug levels in the fluids of the inner ear are required to establish kinetic parameters and to determine the influence of specific local delivery protocols. For most substances, this requires cochlear fluids samples to be obtained for analysis. When auditory function is of primary interest, the drug level in the perilymph of scala tympani (ST) is most relevant, since drug in this scala has ready access to the auditory sensory cells. In many prior studies, ST perilymph samples have been obtained from the basal turn, either by aspiration through the round window membrane (RWM) or through an opening in the bony wall. A number of studies have demonstrated that such samples are likely to be contaminated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF enters the basal turn of ST through the cochlear aqueduct when the bony capsule is perforated or when fluid is aspirated. The degree of sample contamination has, however, not been widely appreciated. Recent studies have shown that perilymph samples taken through the round window membrane are highly contaminated with CSF, with samples greater than 2 μL in volume containing more CSF than perilymph. In spite of this knowledge, many groups continue to sample from the base of the cochlea, as it is a well-established method. We have developed an alternative, technically simple method to increase the proportion of ST perilymph in a fluid sample. The sample is taken from the apex of the cochlea, a site that is distant from the cochlear aqueduct. A previous problem with sampling through a perforation in the bone was that the native perilymph rapidly leaked out driven by CSF pressure and was lost to the middle ear space. We therefore developed a procedure to collect all the fluid that emerged from the perforated apex after perforation. We evaluated the method using a marker ion trimethylphenylammonium (TMPA). TMPA was applied to the perilymph of guinea pigs either by RW irrigation or by microinjection into the apical turn. The

Comparative values of various wastewater streams as a soil nutrient source.

PubMed

Shilpi, Sonia; Seshadri, Balaji; Sarkar, Binoy; Bolan, Nanthi; Lamb, Dane; Naidu, Ravi

2018-02-01

In order to assess whether wastewaters from different industries (winery, abattoir, dairy and municipal) could be used safely to irrigate agricultural crops, a pot experiment in glass house was conducted in a sandy clay loam soil (pH = 6.12) from South Australia. Different concentrations (0, 0.05, 5, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) of the wastewaters diluted in an ordinary tap water were applied to soils sown with sunflower and maize seeds, and the effect of these irrigation treatments were evaluated at the early crop growth stages by recording the biomass yields, plant mineral nutrient contents, and also the soil chemical properties. Results showed that the winery effluent reduced the early growth of maize and sunflower when applied without any dilution, but increased yields of both plants when applied at 25% dilution with tap water. At this dilution of the winery wastewater, 80% more dry shoot yield (DSY) of sunflower and 58% more DSY of maize were obtained in comparison to the application of 100% concentration of the wastewater. Abattoir wastewater showed the highest yields at 100% concentration. Furthermore, municipal effluent did not show any inhibitory effect on both the crops. It was observed that metal contents in both the crops were different due to the application of different wastewaters, but did not exceed any toxic level. This study demonstrated that abattoir wastewater as such, and winery and dairy wastewaters at appropriate dilutions could be used for irrigation in agricultural fields to enhance crop productivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Purification of oily wastewater by hybrid UF/MD.

PubMed

Gryta, M; Karakulski, K; Morawski, A W

2001-10-01

Investigations on the treatment of oily wastewater by a combination of ultrafiltration (UF) and membrane distillation (MD) as a final purification method have been performed. A tubular UF module equipped with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes and a capillary MD module with polypropylene membranes were tested using a typical bilge water collected from a harbour without pretreatment. The permeate obtained from the UF process generally contains less than 5 ppm of oil. A further purification of the UF permeate by membrane distillation results in a complete removal of oil from wastewater and a very high reduction of the total organic carbon (99.5%) and total dissolved solids (99.9%).

Critical evaluation of methodology commonly used in sample collection, storage and preparation for the analysis of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in surface water and wastewater by solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Baker, David R; Kasprzyk-Hordern, Barbara

2011-11-04

The main aim of this manuscript is to provide a comprehensive and critical verification of methodology commonly used for sample collection, storage and preparation in studies concerning the analysis of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in aqueous environmental samples with the usage of SPE-LC/MS techniques. This manuscript reports the results of investigations into several sample preparation parameters that to the authors' knowledge have not been reported or have received very little attention. This includes: (i) effect of evaporation temperature and (ii) solvent with regards to solid phase extraction (SPE) extracts; (iii) effect of silanising glassware; (iv) recovery of analytes during vacuum filtration through glass fibre filters and (v) pre LC-MS filter membranes. All of these parameters are vital to develop efficient and reliable extraction techniques; an essential factor given that target drug residues are often present in the aqueous environment at ng L(-1) levels. Presented is also the first comprehensive review of the stability of illicit drugs and pharmaceuticals in wastewater. Among the parameters studied are: time of storage, temperature and pH. Over 60 analytes were targeted including stimulants, opioid and morphine derivatives, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, dissociative anaesthetics, drug precursors, human urine indicators and their metabolites. The lack of stability of analytes in raw wastewater was found to be significant for many compounds. For instance, 34% of compounds studied reported a stability change >15% after only 12 h in raw wastewater stored at 2 °C; a very important finding given that wastewater is typically collected with the use of 24 h composite samplers. The stability of these compounds is also critical given the recent development of so-called 'sewage forensics' or 'sewage epidemiology' in which concentrations of target drug residues in wastewater are used to back-calculate drug consumption. Without an understanding of stability

Simultaneous quantification of antibiotics in wastewater from pig farms by capillary electrophoresis.

PubMed

Díaz-Quiroz, Carlos A; Francisco Hernández-Chávez, J; Ulloa-Mercado, Gabriela; Gortáres-Moroyoqui, Pablo; Martínez-Macías, Rosario; Meza-Escalante, Edna; Serrano-Palacios, Denisse

2018-06-15

Pig farming is an important activity in the economic development of Mexico with millions of tons of meat produced annually. Antibiotics are used in therapeutic dose to prevent diseases, and sometimes as growth promoters. These compounds are not completely metabolized; they are carried into the environment in its active form at concentrations that could induce antibiotic resistance in bacteria, which could be transferred to human pathogens by horizontal gene transfer. The objective of this work was to develop methods of analysis for simultaneous quantification of the antibiotics Oxytetracycline (OXT), Chlortetracycline (CLT), Enrofloxacin (ENRO) and Ciprofloxacin (CIPRO) by field-amplified sampling injection in capillary zone electrophoresis (FASI-CZE). The method was validated by parameters of (1) linearity, obtaining a lineal range of 0.05 at 1 μg mL -1 for ENRO and CIPRO, and from 0.1 to 1 μg mL -1 for OXT and CLT; (2) precision, obtaining values <5% of standard deviation for CIPRO and ENRO and <10% of standard deviation for OXT and CLT; (3) accuracy, with recovery values from 93 to 115%; (4) selectivity, with values of resolution >2 for the all antibiotics tested. To prove the method, a sample of wastewater from a local pig farm was analyzed, detecting a concentration of 0.140 ± 0.009 for OXT. This concentration was higher than the minimal selective concentration, indicating the point in which resistance to a determined antibiotic could develop. The methods were validated with precision and sensitivity comparable to chromatographic methods, which can be used to analyze wastewater from pig farms directly. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reducing the Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 for its application to an industrial wastewater treatment plant treating winery effluent wastewater.

PubMed

García-Diéguez, Carlos; Bernard, Olivier; Roca, Enrique

2013-03-01

The Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) is a complex model which is widely accepted as a common platform for anaerobic process modeling and simulation. However, it has a large number of parameters and states that hinder its calibration and use in control applications. A principal component analysis (PCA) technique was extended and applied to simplify the ADM1 using data of an industrial wastewater treatment plant processing winery effluent. The method shows that the main model features could be obtained with a minimum of two reactions. A reduced stoichiometric matrix was identified and the kinetic parameters were estimated on the basis of representative known biochemical kinetics (Monod and Haldane). The obtained reduced model takes into account the measured states in the anaerobic wastewater treatment (AWT) plant and reproduces the dynamics of the process fairly accurately. The reduced model can support on-line control, optimization and supervision strategies for AWT plants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seasonal variation of different microorganisms with nickel and cadmium in the industrial wastewater and agricultural soils.

PubMed

Ansari, Mohd Ikram; Malik, Abdul

2010-08-01

Wastewater and soil samples were collected from the industrial area of Ghaziabad City, India from January 2005 to December 2007 and were analyzed for the presence of heavy metals by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Test samples revealed high levels of Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Cd as 967.03, 34.63, 27.97, 19.7, 16.70, and 3.20 mg/L of wastewater, respectively. The concentrations of inorganic minerals were higher in the soil samples irrigated with wastewater. Total coliforms were found to be maximum (1,133x10(4) most probable number per 100 mL) during spring and summer followed by winter and postmonsoon in the wastewater samples. The microbial count in soil as well as in wastewater decreases as the metal concentration increases. The concentration 200 microg/mL of nickel and cadmium inhibits majority of the population, while, at some points, it inhibits 100% of the population. The exponential decay model for microbial count at the increasing metal concentrations indicate that asymbiotic N2 fixers were best fitted to the model. In all the seasons, the order of decline in terms of exponential decay of the population of different microbial groups in soil was asymbiotic N2 fixers>actinomycetes>fungi>aerobic heterotrophic bacteria. The different microbial groups that have different values of slope in different seasons indicate that the resistant population of microorganisms was variable with seasons.

Review of wastewater problems and wastewater-management planning in the San Francisco Bay region, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hines, Walter G.

1973-01-01

The San Francisco Bay region has suffered adverse environmental effects related to the discharge of municipal-, industrial-, and agricultural- wastewater and storm-water runoff. Specific pollutional properties of theses discharges are not well understood in all cases although the toxic materials and aquatic-plant nutrients (biostimulants) found in municipal and industrial waterwater are considered to be a major cause of regional water-quality problems. Other water-quality problems in the region are commonly attributed to pesticides found in agricultural wastewater and potentially pathogenic bacteria in municipal-wastewater discharges and in storm-water runoff. The geographical distribution and magnitude of wastewater discharges in the bay region, particularly those from municipalities and industries, is largely a function of population, economic growth, and urban development. As might be expected, the total volume of wastewater has increased in a trend paralleling this growth and development. More significant, perhaps, is the fact that the total volume parameters such as BOD (biochemical oxygen demand), biostimulant concentrations, and toxicity, has increased despite large expenditures on new and improved municipal- and industrial-wastewater-treatment plants. Also, pollutant loadings from other major source, such as agriculture and storm-water runoff, have increased. At the time of writing (1972), many Federal, State, regional, and local agencies are engaged in a comprehensive wastewater-management-planning effort for the entire bay region. Initial objectives of this planning effort are: (1) the consolidation and coordination of loosely integrated wastewater-management facilities and (2) the elimination of wastewater discharges to ecologically sensitive areas, such as fresh-water streams and shallow extremities of San Francisco Bay. There has been some investigation of potential long-range wastewater-management alternatives based upon disposal in deep water in the

Kinetic comparison of microbial assemblages for the anaerobic treatment of wastewater with high sulfate and heavy metal contents.

PubMed

Sinbuathong, Nusara; Sirirote, Pramote; Liengcharernsit, Winai; Khaodhiar, Sutha; Watts, Daniel J

2009-01-01

Mixed-microbial assemblages enriched from a septic tank, coastal sediment samples, the digester sludge of a brewery wastewater treatment plant and acidic sulfate soil samples were compared on the basis of growth rate, waste and sulfate reduction rate under sulfate reducing conditions at 30 degrees C. The specific growth rate of various cultures was in the range 0.0013-0.0022 hr(-1). Estimates of waste and sulfate reduction rate were obtained by fitting substrate depletion and sulfate reduction data with the Michaelis-Menten equation. The waste reduction rates were in the range 4x10(-8)-1x10(-7) I mg(-1) hr(-1) and generally increased in the presence of copper, likely by copper sulfide precipitation that reduced sulfide and copper toxicity and thus protected the anaerobic microbes. Anaerobic microorganisms from a brewery digester sludge were found to be the most appropriate culture for the treatment of wastewater with high sulfate and heavy metal content due to their growth rate, and waste and sulfate reduction rate.

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

Green microalga Scenedesmus acutus grown on municipal wastewater to couple nutrient removal with lipid accumulation for biodiesel production.

PubMed

Sacristán de Alva, Manuel; Luna-Pabello, Víctor M; Cadena, Erasmo; Ortíz, Edgar

2013-10-01

The green microalga Scenedesmus acutus was cultivated in two different municipal wastewater discharges (pre- and post-treated), and was compared to a culture medium with basic nutrients (20% of N, P, K), in order to study the simultaneous potential of nutrient removal and lipid accumulation ability. The highest level of nutrient removal was found in the pretreated wastewater discharge (achieving a high removal of phosphorus [66%] and organic nitrogen [94%]). Likewise, better results on biomass productivity and lipid accumulation were found in cultures using pretreated wastewater compared to enriched medium, obtaining 79.9 mg/L, and 280 mg/L, respectively. Since the best results were found in pretreated wastewater, the biodiesel preparation was performed using said medium at small-scale. After cultivation, 249.4 mg/L of biodiesel were obtained. According to this analysis, S. acutus could be used for wastewater treatment producing biomass with a suitable content of lipids, convenient for biodiesel production. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Whole effluent assessment of industrial wastewater for determination of BAT compliance. Part 2: metal surface treatment industry.

PubMed

Gartiser, Stefan; Hafner, Christoph; Hercher, Christoph; Kronenberger-Schäfer, Kerstin; Paschke, Albrecht

2010-06-01

Toxicity testing has become a suitable tool for wastewater evaluation included in several reference documents on best available techniques of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive. The IPPC Directive requires that for direct dischargers as well as for indirect dischargers, the same best available techniques should be applied. Within the study, the whole effluent assessment approach of OSPAR has been applied for determining persistent toxicity of indirectly discharged wastewater from the metal surface treatment industry. Twenty wastewater samples from the printed circuit board and electroplating industries which indirectly discharged their wastewater to municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) have been considered in the study. In all factories, the wastewater partial flows were separated in collecting tanks and physicochemically treated in-house. For assessing the behaviour of the wastewater samples in WWTPs, all samples were biologically pretreated for 7 days in the Zahn-Wellens test before ecotoxicity testing. Thus, persistent toxicity could be discriminated from non-persistent toxicity caused, e.g. by ammonium or readily biodegradable compounds. The fish egg test with Danio rerio, the Daphnia magna acute toxicity test, the algae test with Desmodesmus subspicatus, the Vibrio fischeri assay and the plant growth test with Lemna minor have been applied. All tests have been carried out according to well-established DIN or ISO standards and the lowest ineffective dilution (LID) concept. Additionally, genotoxicity was tested in the umu assay. The potential bioaccumulating substances (PBS) were determined by solid-phase micro-extraction and referred to the reference compound 2,3-dimethylnaphthalene. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) values of the effluents were in the range of 30-2,850 mg L(-1) (COD) and 2-614 mg L(-1) (TOC). With respect to the metal concentrations, all samples were not heavily polluted. The

Water quality-scarcity relationships in irrigated agriculture: Health risks and adaptation strategies associated with indirect wastewater reuse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thebo, A.

2016-12-01

Urban wastewater provides a reliable, nutrient rich source of irrigation water for downstream agricultural producers. However, globally, less than ten percent of collected wastewater receives any form of treatment, resulting in the widespread indirect reuse of untreated, diluted wastewater from surface water sources. This research explores these links between water scarcity, anthropogenic drivers of water quality, and adaptation strategies farmer's employ through a case study in Dharwad, a mid-sized South Indian city. This study took an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating survey based research with geospatial analysis, and molecular methods (for waterborne pathogen detection) to develop a systems level understanding of the drivers, health risks, and adaptation strategies associated with the indirect reuse of wastewater in irrigated agriculture. In Dharwad, farmers with better access to wastewater reported growing more water-intensive, but higher value vegetable crops. While farmers further downstream tended to grow more staple crops. This study evaluated levels of culturable E. coli and diarrheagenic E. coli pathotype gene targets to assess contamination in irrigation water, soil, and on produce from farms. Irrigation water source was a major factor affecting the concentrations of culturable E. coli detected in soil samples and on greens. However, even when irrigation water was not contaminated (all borewell water samples) some culturable E. coli were present at low concentrations in soil and on produce samples, suggesting additional sources of contamination on farms. Maximum temperatures within the previous week showed a significant positive association with concentrations of E. coli on wastewater irrigated produce. This presentation will focus on discussing the ways in which urban wastewater management, climate, irrigation practices and cultivation patterns all come together to define the risks and benefits posed via the indirect reuse of wastewater.

Wastewater characterization survey, Edwards Air Force Base, California. Final report, 17-28 February 1992

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

McCoy, R.P.

1992-08-01

A wastewater characterization survey was conducted at Edwards Air Force Base from 17-28 February 1992 by personnel from the Water Quality Function of Armstrong Laboratory. Extensive sampling of the treatment plant influent wastewater and sludge beds was performed as well as sampling at nine other sites in the base cantonment area. Some sampling of an Imhoff tank on North Base, five evaporation ponds and the lakebed was also conducted. Low levels of organic contamination were found in the influent and industrial sites downstream of Site 7. Site 7 is a manhole located in an identified Installation Restoration Program (IRP) site.more » Corrective actions were recommended to prevent organic soil contaminants from intruding into this site prior to the operation of a planned tertiary treatment plant. Organic and inorganic contaminants discharged at other industrial sites were found to be in low concentrations and indicated that good shop practices were followed in minimizing contamination of the wastewater with industrial chemicals.« less

Determination and Distribution of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Rivers, Sediments and Wastewater Effluents in Vhembe District, South Africa

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are very toxic and persistent environmental contaminants. This study was undertaken to assess the concentrations and possible sources of 16 PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) classified by the United State Environmental Protection Agency as priority pollutants in water and sediments of the Mvudi and Nzhelele Rivers. Effluents from Thohoyandou wastewater treatment plant and Siloam waste stabilization ponds were also investigated. Diagnostic ratios were used to evaluate the possible sources of PAHs. PAHs in the water samples were extracted using 1:1 dichloromethane and n-hexane mixtures, while those in the sediment samples were extracted with 1:1 acetone and dichloromethane using an ultrasonication method. The extracts were purified using an SPE technique and reconstituted in n-hexane before analyses with a gas chromatograph time of flight—mass spectrometer. The results obtained indicate the prevalence of high molecular weight PAHs in all the samples. PAHs concentrations in water and sediment samples from all the sampling sites were in the range of 13.174–26.382 mg/L and 27.10–55.93 mg/kg, respectively. Combustion of biomass was identified as the major possible source of PAHs. Effluents from wastewater treatment facilities were also considered as major anthropogenic contributions to the levels of PAHs found in both river water and sediments. Mvudi and Nzhelele Rivers show moderate to high contamination level of PAHs. PMID:27043597

Inhibitory effect of cyanide on wastewater nitrification ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The effect of CN- (CN-) on nitrification was examined with samples from nitrifying wastewater enrichments using two different approaches: by measuring substrate (ammonia) specific oxygen uptake rates (SOUR), and by using RT-qPCR to quantify the transcripts of functional genes involved in nitrification. The nitrifying bioreactor was operated as a continuous reactor with a 24 h hydraulic retention time. The samples were exposed in batch vessels to cyanide for a period of 12 h. The concentrations of CN- used in the batch assays were 0.03, 0.06, 0.1 and 1.0 mg/L. There was considerable decrease in SOUR with increasing dosages of CN-. A decrease of more than 50% in nitrification activity was observed at 0.1 mg/L CN-. Based on the RT-qPCR data, there was notable reduction in the transcript levels of amoA and hao for increasing CN- dosage, which corresponded well with the ammonia oxidation activity measured via SOUR. The inhibitory effect of cyanide may be attributed to the affinity of cyanide to bind ferric heme proteins, which disrupt protein structure and function. The correspondence between the relative expression of functional genes and SOUR shown in this study demonstrates the efficacy of RNA based function-specific assays for better understanding of the effect of toxic compounds on nitrification activity in wastewater. Nitrification is the first step of nitrogen removal is wastewater, and it is susceptible to inhibition by many industrial chemical. We looked at

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.

Cultivation of newly isolated microalgae Coelastrum sp. in wastewater for simultaneous CO2 fixation, lipid production and wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Mousavi, Shokouh; Najafpour, Ghasem D; Mohammadi, Maedeh; Seifi, Mohammad Hasan

2018-04-01

Cultivation of microalgae in wastewater is a promising and cost-effective approach for both CO 2 biofixation and wastewater remediation. In this study, a new strain of Coelastrum sp. was isolated from cattle manure leachate. The isolated microalgae were then cultivated in wastewater. Effects of different sCOD concentrations (600, 750, 900, 1050 mg L -1 ) and light intensities (1000, 2300, 4600, 6900 and 10000 Lux) on biomass production, CO 2 consumption rate and nutrient removal from wastewater were investigated. The results showed that maximum cell growth and CO 2 consumption rate were 2.71 g L -1 and 53.12 mg L -1 day -1 , respectively, which were obtained in the wastewater with 750 mg L -1 sCOD and under the light intensity of 6900 Lux. The microalgae were able to completely consume all CO 2 after incubation period of 4 days. The highest sCOD, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), nitrate and total phosphorous (TP) removal at such conditions were 53.45, 91.18, 87.51 and 100%, respectively. The lipid content of microalgal biomass was also measured under different light intensities; maximum amount of lipid was determined to be 50.77% under illumination of 2300 Lux. Finally, the CO 2 consumption rate and biomass productivity of microalgae in semi-batch culture with continuous gas flow (CO 2 6%:N 2 94%) were investigated. The rate of CO 2 consumption and biomass productivity were 0.528 and 0.281 g L -1 day -1 , respectively. The TKN, nitrate, TP and sCOD removal rate of microalgae were 83.51, 80.91, 100, 41.4%, respectively.

Pay attention to non-wastewater emission pathways of pharmaceuticals into environments.

PubMed

Bu, Qingwei; Shi, Xiao; Yu, Gang; Huang, Jun; Wang, Bin; Wang, Jianbing

2016-12-01

Pharmaceuticals have been widely detected in the aquatic environment and demonstrated to be potential risks to humans and the environment. Understanding emission pathways of pharmaceuticals is essential to the control of pharmaceutical contamination for environmental management. The present study is aimed at testing the hypothesis that non-wastewater pathway is also significant to the emission of pharmaceuticals into the environment. To this end, we compared the actual production with the amount of 12 antibiotics obtained by back calculation from sewage concentrations in Beijing, Guangzhou and Chongqing. The results showed that for over a half of investigated antibiotics, the emission through non-wastewater pathways accounted for approximately 30-80% of the total emission, varying with individual antibiotics. It was revealed that non-wastewater emission pathways could be of significance for pharmaceuticals emitted into the environment, of which disposed by household waste could be among the most important non-wastewater pathways. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wastewater treatment by nanofiltration membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulyanti, R.; Susanto, H.

2018-03-01

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

Struvite crystallization versus amorphous magnesium and calcium phosphate precipitation during the treatment of a saline industrial wastewater.

PubMed

Crutchik, D; Garrido, J M

2011-01-01

Struvite crystallization (MgNH(4)PO(4)·6H(2)O, MAP) could be an alternative for the sustainable and economical recovery of phosphorus from concentrated wastewater streams. Struvite precipitation is recommended for those wastewaters which have high orthophosphate concentration. However the presence of a cheap magnesium source is required in order to make the process feasible. For those wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) located near the seashore magnesium could be economically obtained using seawater. However seawater contains calcium ions that could interfere in the process, by promoting the precipitation of amorphous magnesium and calcium phosphates. Precipitates composition was affected by the NH(4)(+)/PO(4)(3-) molar ratio used. Struvite or magnesium and calcium phosphates were obtained when NH(4)(+)/PO(4)(3-) was fixed at 4.7 or 1.0, respectively. This study demonstrates that by manipulating the NH(4)(+)/PO(4)(3-) it is possible to obtain pure struvite crystals, instead of precipitates of amorphous magnesium and calcium phosphates. This was easily performed by using either raw or secondary treated wastewater with different ammonium concentrations.

Performance of a commercial industrial-scale UF-based process for treatment of oily wastewaters.

PubMed

Karhu, M; Kuokkanen, T; Rämö, J; Mikola, M; Tanskanen, J

2013-10-15

An evaluation was made of the performance of a commercial industrial-scale ultrafiltration (UF)-based process for treatment of highly concentrated oily wastewaters. Wastewater samples were gathered from two plants treating industrial wastewaters in 2008, and in 2011 (only from one of the plants), from three points of a UF-based treatment train. The wastewater samples were analyzed by measuring the BOD7, COD, TOC and total surface charge (TSC). The inorganic content and zeta potentials of the samples were analyzed and GC-FID/MS analyses were performed. The removal performances of BOD7, COD, TOC and TSC in 2008 and 2011 for both plants were very high. Initial concentrations of contaminants in 2011 were lower than in 2008, therefore the COD and TSC reductions were also lower in 2011 than three years before. Regardless of the high performance of UF-based processes in both plants, at times the residual concentrations were considerable. This could be explained by the high initial concentrations and also by the presence of the dissolved compounds that were characterized. Linear correlation was observed between COD and TOC, and between COD and TSC. The correlation between COD and TSC could be utilized for process control purposes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wastewater reuse in liquid sodium silicate manufacturing in alexandria, egypt.

PubMed

Ismail, Gaber A; Abd El-Salam, Magda M; Arafa, Anwar K

2009-01-01

Soluble sodium silicates (waterglass) are liquids containing dissolved glass which have some water like properties. They are widely used in industry as sealants, binders, deflocculants, emulsifiers and buffers. Their most common applications in Egypt are in the pulp and paper industry (where they improve the brightness and efficiency of peroxide bleaching) and the detergent industry, in which they improve the action of the detergent and lower the viscosity of liquid soaps. The survey results showed that the production was carried out batch-wise, in an autoclave (dissolver). Sodium silicate in the state of crushed glass was charged in an autoclave (dissolver) with sodium hydroxide and water. The product is filtered through a press. The left over sludge (mud and silicates impurities) is emptied into the local sewer system. Also, sludge (silica gel) was discharged from the neutralization process of the generated alkaline wastewater and consequently clogging the sewerage system. So this study was carried out to modify the current wastewater management system which eliminates sludge formation, the discharge of higher pH wastewater to the sewer system, and to assess its environmental and economic benefits. To assess the characteristics of wastewater to be reused, physico-chemical parameters of 12 samples were tested using standard methods. The survey results showed that a total capacity of the selected enterprise was 540 tons of liquid sodium silicates monthly. The total amount of wastewater being discharged was 335 m3/month. Reusing of wastewater as feed autoclave water reduced water consumption of 32.1% and reduced wastewater discharge/month that constitutes 89.6% as well as saving in final product of 6 ton/month. It was concluded that reusing of wastewater generated from liquid sodium silicate manufacturing process resulted in cheaper and environmental-friendly product.

Guidelines and techniques for obtaining water samples that accurately represent the water chemistry of an aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Claassen, Hans C.

1982-01-01

Obtaining ground-water samples that accurately represent the water chemistry of an aquifer is a complex task. Before a ground-water sampling program can be started, an understanding of the kind of chemical data needed and the potential changes in water chemistry resulting from various drilling, well-completion, and sampling techniques is needed. This report provides a basis for such an evaluation and permits a choice of techniques that will result in obtaining the best possible data for the time and money allocated.

Field observations and management strategy for hot spring wastewater in Wulai area, Taiwan.

PubMed

Lin, J Y; Chen, C F; Lei, F R; Hsieh, C D

2010-01-01

Hot springs are important centers for recreation and tourism. However, the pollution that may potentially be caused by hot spring wastewater has rarely been discussed. More than half of Taiwan's hot springs are located in areas where the water quality of water bodies is to be protected, and untreated wastewater could pollute the receiving water bodies. In this study, we investigate hot spring wastewater in the Wulai area, one of Taiwan's famous hot spring resorts. Used water from five hot spring hotels was sampled and ten sampling events were carried out to evaluate the changes in the quality of used water in different seasons, at different periods of the week, and from different types of hotels. The concentrations of different pollutants in hot spring wastewater were found to exhibit wide variations, as follows: COD, 10-250 mg/L; SS, N.D.-93 mg/L; NH(3)-N, 0.01-1.93 mg/L; TP, 0.01-0.45 mg/L; and E. coli, 10-27,500 CFU/100 mL. The quality of hot spring wastewater depends on the operation of public pools, because this affects the frequency of supplementary fresh water and the outflow volume. Two management strategies, namely, onsite treatment systems and individually packaged treatment equipment, are considered, and a multi-objective optimization model is used to determine the optimal strategy.

Improvement of municipal wastewater pretreatment by direct membrane filtration.

PubMed

Nascimento, Thiago A; Mejía, Fanny R; Fdz-Polanco, Fernando; Peña Miranda, Mar

2017-10-01

The high content of particulate matter in municipal wastewater hinders the conventional anaerobic treatments at psychrophilic temperatures. The hydrolysis of the particulate chemical oxygen demand (pCOD) could be the limiting step under these conditions. Therefore, new pretreatments or improved conventional pretreatments are needed in order to separate pCOD. In this work, direct membrane filtration of municipal wastewater, using an ultrafiltration membrane, was investigated. This intensive pretreatment, which aims to separate soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) and to concentrate pCOD, together with anaerobic treatments of both streams at psychrophilic and mesophilic conditions respectively, could be an alternative to the conventional activated sludge process. The obtained results show a removal yield of 24.9% of the total solids (TS) and 45% of total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD), obtaining a permeate free of suspended solids. This physical removal implies the accumulation of solids inside the membrane tank, reaching the values of 45.4 and 4.4 g/L of TS in the sedimentation and filtration sections, respectively. The membrane operated with filtration, backwashing cycles and continuous gas sparging, with a permeate flux predominantly around 10 L/(m 2  h). The results show the viability of the technology to concentrate pCOD and so to improve energy recovery from municipal wastewater.

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

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.

Large-Scale Survey of Human Enteroviruses in Wastewater Treatment Plants of a Metropolitan Area of Southern Italy.

PubMed

Pennino, Francesca; Nardone, Antonio; Montuori, Paolo; Aurino, Sara; Torre, Ida; Battistone, Andrea; Delogu, Roberto; Buttinelli, Gabriele; Fiore, Stefano; Amato, Concetta; Triassi, Maria

2018-06-01

Human enteroviruses (HEVs) occur in high concentrations in wastewater and can contaminate receiving environmental waters, constituting a major cause of acute waterborne disease worldwide. In this study, we investigated the relative abundance, occurrence, and seasonal distribution of polio and other enteroviruses at three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Naples, Southern Italy, from January 2010 to December 2014. Influent and effluent samples from the three WWTPs were collected monthly. One hundred and sixty-one of the 731 wastewater samples collected (22.0%) before and after water treatment were CPE positive on RD cells; while no samples were positive on L20B cells from any WWTPs. Among the 140 non-polio enterovirus isolated from inlet sewage, 69.3% were Coxsackieviruses type B and 30.7% were Echoviruses. Among these, CVB3 and CVB5 were most prevalent, followed by CVB4 and Echo6. The twenty-one samples tested after treatment contained 6 CVB4, 5 CVB3, 3 Echo11, and 2 Echo6; while other serotypes were isolated less frequently. Data on viral detection in treated effluents of WWTPs confirmed the potential environmental contamination by HEVs and could be useful to establish standards for policies on wastewater management.

Production of biodiesel from microalgae Chlamydomonas polypyrenoideum grown on dairy industry wastewater.

PubMed

Kothari, Richa; Prasad, Ravindra; Kumar, Virendra; Singh, D P

2013-09-01

This study involves a process of phyco-remediation of dairy industry wastewater by algal strain Chlamydomonas polypyrenoideum. The results of selected algal strain indicated that dairy industry wastewater was good nutrient supplement for algal growth in comparable with BG-11 growth medium. Alga grown on dairy industry wastewater reduced the pollution load of nitrate (90%), nitrite (74%), phosphate (70%), chloride (61%), fluoride (58%), and ammonia (90%) on 10th day of its growth as compared to that of uninoculated wastewater. The lipid content of algal biomass grown on dairy wastewater on 10th day (1.6g) and 15th day (1.2 g) of batch experiment was found to be higher than the lipid content of algal biomass grown in BG-11 growth medium on 10th day (1.27 g) and 15th day (1.0 g) of batch experiment. The results on FTIR analysis of the extracted bio-oil through transesterification reaction was comparable with bio-oil obtained from other sources. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Three-way spectrofluorimetric-assisted multivariate determination of nonylphenol ethoxylate and 2-naphtalene sulfonate in wastewater samples and optimization approach for their photocatalytic degradation by CoTiO3 nanostructure.

PubMed

Mohsenikia, Atefeh; Gholami, Ali; Masoum, Saeed; Abbasi, Saleheh

2017-09-01

This study presents a new strategy for the simultaneous quantification of two industrial contaminants. The excitation-emission fluorescence data matrix combined with a three-way chemometric method, such as parallel factor analysis, was used for the determination of nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE-9) as a nonionic surfactant and 2-naphthalene sulfonate (2-NS) in waste water samples. It is noticeable that this method can resolve overlapping signal into spectral and relative concentration profiles. By spiking the known concentrations of these compounds in the wastewater samples, the accuracy of the proposed methods was validated and recoveries of the spiked values were calculated. High recoveries (i.e. 90-110%) obtained for the waste water samples indicate the present method can be used successfully to determine the analytes concentration in the environmental contaminations. The photocatalytic degradation of NPE-9 and 2-NS in aqueous solution was studied using the CoTiO 3 nanoparticles catalyst. It was synthesized by the sol-gel technique. The catalytic activity of the prepared nanoparticles was measured in a batch photoreactor containing appropriate solutions of these compounds with UV irradiation. The photodegradation process of these compounds was optimized by using the central composite design. The CoTiO 3 showed high activity for UV-photocatalytic degradation of NPE-9 and 2-NS.

Decolourisation of mushroom farm wastewater by Pleurotus ostreatus.

PubMed

Rodríguez Pérez, Suyén; García Oduardo, Nora; Bermúdez Savón, Rosa C; Fernández Boizán, Maikel; Augur, Christopher

2008-07-01

Mushroom production on coffee pulp as substrate generates an intense black residual liquid, which requires suitable treatment. In the present study, Pleurotus ostreatus growth in wastewater from mushroom farm was evaluated as a potential biological treatment process for decolourisation as well as to obtain biomass (liquid inoculum). Culture medium components affecting mycelial growth were determined, evaluating colour removal. Laccase activity was monitored during the process. P. ostreatus was able to grow in non diluted WCP. Highest biomass yield was obtained when glucose (10 g/l) was added. The addition of this carbon source was necessary for efficient decolourisation. Agitation of the culture improved biodegradation of WCP as well as fungal biomass production. Laccase and manganese-independent peroxidase activities were detected during fungal treatment of the WCP by P. ostreatus CCEBI 3024. The laccase enzyme showed good correlation with colour loss. Both wastewater colour and pollution load (as chemical oxygen demand) decreased more than 50% after 10 days of culture. Phenols were reduced by 92%.

Assessment of the Unintentional Reuse of Municipal Wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2002-12-01

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

Strategy to obtain axenic cultures from field-collected samples of the cyanobacterium Phormidium animalis.

PubMed

Vázquez-Martínez, Guadalupe; Rodriguez, Mario H; Hernández-Hernández, Fidel; Ibarra, Jorge E

2004-04-01

An efficient strategy, based on a combination of procedures, was developed to obtain axenic cultures from field-collected samples of the cyanobacterium Phormidium animalis. Samples were initially cultured in solid ASN-10 medium, and a crude separation of major contaminants from P. animalis filaments was achieved by washing in a series of centrifugations and resuspensions in liquid medium. Then, manageable filament fragments were obtained by probe sonication. Fragmentation was followed by forceful washing, using vacuum-driven filtration through an 8-microm pore size membrane and an excess of water. Washed fragments were cultured and treated with a sequential exposure to four different antibiotics. Finally, axenic cultures were obtained from serial dilutions of treated fragments. Monitoring under microscope examination and by inoculation in Luria-Bertani (LB) agar plates indicated either axenicity or the degree of contamination throughout the strategy.

Enhanced biodegradation of methylhydrazine and hydrazine contaminated NASA wastewater in fixed-film bioreactor.

PubMed

Nwankwoala, A U; Egiebor, N O; Nyavor, K

2001-01-01

The aerobic biodegradation of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wastewater that contains mixtures of highly concentrated methylhydrazine/hydrazine, citric acid and their reaction product was studied on a laboratory-scale fixed film trickle-bed reactor. The degrading organisms, Achromobacter sp., Rhodococcus B30 and Rhodococcus J10, were immobilized on coarse sand grains used as support-media in the columns. Under continuous flow operation, Rhodococcus sp. degraded the methylhydrazine content of the wastewater from a concentration of 10 to 2.5 mg/mL within 12 days and the hydrazine from approximately 0.8 to 0.1 mg/mL in 7 days. The Achromobacter sp. was equally efficient in degrading the organics present in the wastewater, reducing the concentration of the methylhydrazine from 10 to approximately 5 mg/mL within 12 days and that of the hydrazine from approximately 0.8 to 0.2 mg/mL in 7 days. The pseudo first-order rate constants of 0.137 day(-1) and 0.232 day(-1) were obtained for the removal of methylhydrazine and hydrazine, respectively, in wastewater in the reactor column. In the batch cultures, rate constants for the degradation were 0.046 and 0.079 day(-1) for methylhydrazine and hydrazine respectively. These results demonstrate that the continuous flow bioreactor afford greater degradation efficiencies than those obtained when the wastewater was incubated with the microbes in growth-limited batch experiments. They also show that wastewater containing hydrazine is more amenable to microbial degradation than one that is predominant in methylhydrazine, in spite of the longer lag period observed for hydrazine containing wastewater. The influence of substrate concentration and recycle rate on the degradation efficiency is reported. The major advantages of the trickle-bed reactor over the batch system include very high substrate volumetric rate of turnover, higher rates of degradation and tolerance of the 100% concentrated NASA wastewater. The

Treatability of nonylphenol ethoxylate surfactants in on-site wastewater disposal systems.

PubMed

Huntsman, Brent E; Staples, Charles A; Naylor, Carter G; Williams, Jim-Bob

2006-11-01

The fate of nine-mole nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE9) discharged to an on-site wastewater disposal (septic) system was the focus of a 2-year investigation. Known amounts of NPE9-based detergent were metered daily into the plumbing at a single-family household. The ethoxylate-containing wastewater was discharged to the highly anoxic environment of a 4500-L septic tank before distribution to the oxic subsurface via 100 m of leach line. After 180 days of injecting detergent to the septic system, periodic soil pore water and/or groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), nonylphenol ether carboxylates, and nonylphenol. The NPE9 and degradation intermediates that were measured were reduced by 99.99% on a molar basis. An 18% reduction in molar concentration within the septic tank was observed. This was followed by a further 96.7% reduction of molar concentration within the leach lines. As the pore water migrated through the vadose zone, an additional 99.69% reduction in molar concentration was measured between the bottom of the leach lines (leach line effluent) and the lowest vadose zone monitoring location. The results obtained from these analyses indicate that degradation of the surfactant occurs within the anoxic portion of the disposal system with continued rapid biodegradation in the oxic unsaturated zone. Only trace amounts of degradation residuals were detected in soil pore water. The concentration and distribution of various degradation intermediates with respect to location, time, and ambient physical conditions were evaluated. Rapid and systematic degradation of NPE in on-site wastewater disposal systems was documented.

Detection and Molecular Characterization of Hepatitis A Virus from Tunisian Wastewater Treatment Plants with Different Secondary Treatments.

PubMed

Ouardani, Imen; Turki, Syrine; Aouni, Mahjoub; Romalde, Jesús L

2016-07-01

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the main causative agent of hepatitis infection associated with waterborne outbreaks worldwide. In Tunisia, there is no specific surveillance system for HAV and current secondary wastewater treatment processes are unable to remove viral particles, which present a potential public health problem. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of HAV in 271 raw and treated wastewater samples from five sewage treatment plants (STPs) during 13 months was performed. Moreover, the efficiency of three secondary wastewater treatment processes (conventional activated sludge, extended aeration, and oxidation ditch activated sludge) was evaluated. Data obtained demonstrated that HAV is endemic in Tunisia and circulates with high prevalence in both raw (66.9%) and treated (40.7%) wastewater. HAV circulates throughout the year in the coastal areas, with the highest rates found during summer and autumn, whereas in central Tunisia, high levels were shown in autumn and winter. Total virus removal was not achieved, since no difference in mean HAV loads was observed in effluents (6.0 × 10(3) genome copies [GC]/ml) and influents (2.7 × 10(3) GC/ml). The comparison of the HAV removal values of the three different wastewater treatment methods indicates that extended aeration and oxidation ditch activated sludge had better efficiency in removing viruses than conventional activated sludge did. Molecular characterization revealed that the vast majority of HAV strains belonged to subgenotype IA, with the cocirculation of subgenotype IB in wastewater treatment plants that collect tourism wastewater. This report provides important data on the incidence, behavior, seasonality, and genotype distribution of HAV in the environment in Tunisia, as well as the risk of infection derived from its occurrence in effluents due to inadequate wastewater treatment. In addition, these findings seem to confirm that the prevalence of HAV depends on socioeconomic level, sanitary conditions

Detection and Molecular Characterization of Hepatitis A Virus from Tunisian Wastewater Treatment Plants with Different Secondary Treatments

PubMed Central

Ouardani, Imen; Turki, Syrine; Aouni, Mahjoub

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the main causative agent of hepatitis infection associated with waterborne outbreaks worldwide. In Tunisia, there is no specific surveillance system for HAV and current secondary wastewater treatment processes are unable to remove viral particles, which present a potential public health problem. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of HAV in 271 raw and treated wastewater samples from five sewage treatment plants (STPs) during 13 months was performed. Moreover, the efficiency of three secondary wastewater treatment processes (conventional activated sludge, extended aeration, and oxidation ditch activated sludge) was evaluated. Data obtained demonstrated that HAV is endemic in Tunisia and circulates with high prevalence in both raw (66.9%) and treated (40.7%) wastewater. HAV circulates throughout the year in the coastal areas, with the highest rates found during summer and autumn, whereas in central Tunisia, high levels were shown in autumn and winter. Total virus removal was not achieved, since no difference in mean HAV loads was observed in effluents (6.0 × 103 genome copies [GC]/ml) and influents (2.7 × 103 GC/ml). The comparison of the HAV removal values of the three different wastewater treatment methods indicates that extended aeration and oxidation ditch activated sludge had better efficiency in removing viruses than conventional activated sludge did. Molecular characterization revealed that the vast majority of HAV strains belonged to subgenotype IA, with the cocirculation of subgenotype IB in wastewater treatment plants that collect tourism wastewater. IMPORTANCE This report provides important data on the incidence, behavior, seasonality, and genotype distribution of HAV in the environment in Tunisia, as well as the risk of infection derived from its occurrence in effluents due to inadequate wastewater treatment. In addition, these findings seem to confirm that the prevalence of HAV depends on socioeconomic level

Photocatalytic Treatment of a Synthetic Wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yerkinova, Azat; Balbayeva, Gaukhar; Inglezakis, Vassilis J.; Poulopoulos, Stavros G.

2018-01-01

This work aimed at investigating the photocatalytic treatment of a synthetic wastewater using UV light (254 nm, 6 W), TiO2 catalyst and H2O2 in a batch recycle annular photoreactor. The total volume of the solution was 250 mL while the irradiated volume in the annular photoreactor with 55.8 mL. Each experiment lasted 120 min and samples were sent for Total Carbon and HPLC analysis. The stock wastewater had initial total carbon 1118 mg L-1. The effect of the presence of phenol in the wastewater on total carbon (TC) removal was also studied. It was shown that the photocatalytic treatment was effective only when initial TC was decreased to 32 mg L-1, whereas the optimum TiO2 concentration was 0.5 g L-1, leading to a TC removal up to 56%. For the same initial carbon load, the optimum H2O2 concentration was found to be 67 mg L-1 resulting in 55% TC removal. Combining, however, TiO2 and H2O2 did not lead to better performance, as 51% TC removal was observed. In contrast, when initial carbon in the wastewater was partially substituted by phenol, the combination of catalyst and hydrogen peroxide was beneficial. Specifically, when 10 ppm of phenol were added keeping the same initial TC concentration, UV/TiO2 treatment resulted in 46% TC removal and 98% phenol conversion, whereas using additionally H2O2 led to 100% phenol conversion after 45 minutes and 81% TC removal.

Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in Wastewater Using Focal Plane Array-Based Reflectance Micro-FT-IR Imaging.

PubMed

Tagg, Alexander S; Sapp, Melanie; Harrison, Jesse P; Ojeda, Jesús J

2015-06-16

Microplastics (<5 mm) have been documented in environmental samples on a global scale. While these pollutants may enter aquatic environments via wastewater treatment facilities, the abundance of microplastics in these matrices has not been investigated. Although efficient methods for the analysis of microplastics in sediment samples and marine organisms have been published, no methods have been developed for detecting these pollutants within organic-rich wastewater samples. In addition, there is no standardized method for analyzing microplastics isolated from environmental samples. In many cases, part of the identification protocol relies on visual selection before analysis, which is open to bias. In order to address this, a new method for the analysis of microplastics in wastewater was developed. A pretreatment step using 30% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was employed to remove biogenic material, and focal plane array (FPA)-based reflectance micro-Fourier-transform (FT-IR) imaging was shown to successfully image and identify different microplastic types (polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon-6, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene). Microplastic-spiked wastewater samples were used to validate the methodology, resulting in a robust protocol which was nonselective and reproducible (the overall success identification rate was 98.33%). The use of FPA-based micro-FT-IR spectroscopy also provides a considerable reduction in analysis time compared with previous methods, since samples that could take several days to be mapped using a single-element detector can now be imaged in less than 9 h (circular filter with a diameter of 47 mm). This method for identifying and quantifying microplastics in wastewater is likely to provide an essential tool for further research into the pathways by which microplastics enter the environment.

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.

Water Pollution: Part I, Municipal Wastewaters; Part II, Industrial Wastewaters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fowler, K. E. M.

This publication is an annotated bibliography of municipal and industrial wastewater literature. This publication consists of two parts plus appendices. Part one is entitled Municipal Wastewaters and includes publications in such areas as health effects of polluted waters, federal policy and legislation, biology and chemistry of polluted water,…

Occurrence and Distribution of Organic Wastewater Compounds in Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C., 2007-08

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phelan, Daniel J.; Miller, Cherie V.

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Park Service Police Aviation Group, conducted a high-resolution, low-altitude aerial thermal infrared survey of the Washington, D.C. section of Rock Creek Basin within the Park boundaries to identify specific locations where warm water was discharging from seeps or pipes to the creek. Twenty-three stream sites in Rock Creek Park were selected based on the thermal infrared images. Sites were sampled during the summers of 2007 and 2008 for the analysis of organic wastewater compounds to verify potential sources of sewage and other anthropogenic wastewater. Two sets of stormwater samples were collected, on June 27-28 and September 6, 2008, at the Rock Creek at Joyce Road water-quality station using an automated sampler that began sampling when a specified stage threshold value was exceeded. Passive-sampler devices that accumulate organic chemicals over the duration of deployment were placed in July 2008 at the five locations that had the greatest number of detections of organic wastewater compounds from the June 2007 base-flow sampling. During the 2007 base-flow synoptic sampling, there were ubiquitous low-level detections of dissolved organic wastewater indicator compounds such as DEET, caffeine, HHCB, and organophosphate flame retardants at more than half of the 23 sites sampled in Rock Creek Park. Concentrations of DEET and caffeine in the tributaries to Rock Creek were variable, but in the main stem of Rock Creek, the concentrations were constant throughout the length of the creek, which likely reflects a distributed source. Organophosphate flame retardants in the main stem of Rock Creek were detected at estimated concentrations of 0.2 micrograms per liter or less, and generally did not increase with distance downstream. Overall, concentrations of most wastewater indicators in whole-water samples in the Park were similar to the concentrations found at the upstream sampling station at the Maryland/District of Columbia

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

PubMed

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

2005-10-01

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

Acute and subacute toxicities effect of oxytetracycline pharmaceutical wastewater on Zebrafish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Pengpeng; Shen, Hong-Yan

2018-02-01

Oxytetracycline wastewater is a major category of pharmaceutical wastewater, and its toxic effects on aquatic organisms have aroused people’s attention. In this study, Zebrafish were separately exposed to four Oxytetracycline wastewater treatments (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%) and a control group were sampled on days 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities showed significant inhibition, but the highest SOD activity was found in 20% and 40% the treatment groups (195.12U/mgprot, 187.43U/mgprot, respectively) on the 12th day. MDA contents increased significantly compared with control group. MDA contents showed that the higher the volume concentration, the higher the contents of MDA with the increase of exposure time. The highest MDA content shown in 60% exposure group (5.49nmol/mgprot) on the 12th day. And SOD activities and MDA contents showed a trend of “Λ” type. In conclusion, Oxytetracycline wastewater induced oxidative stress and toxicity in Zebrafish muscle tissue.

Method for outlier detection: a tool to assess the consistency between laboratory data and ultraviolet-visible absorbance spectra in wastewater samples.

PubMed

Zamora, D; Torres, A

2014-01-01

Reliable estimations of the evolution of water quality parameters by using in situ technologies make it possible to follow the operation of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), as well as improving the understanding and control of the operation, especially in the detection of disturbances. However, ultraviolet (UV)-Vis sensors have to be calibrated by means of a local fingerprint laboratory reference concentration-value data-set. The detection of outliers in these data-sets is therefore important. This paper presents a method for detecting outliers in UV-Vis absorbances coupled to water quality reference laboratory concentrations for samples used for calibration purposes. Application to samples from the influent of the San Fernando WWTP (Medellín, Colombia) is shown. After the removal of outliers, improvements in the predictability of the influent concentrations using absorbance spectra were found.

Wastewater heat recovery apparatus

DOEpatents

Kronberg, James W.

1992-01-01

A heat recovery system with a heat exchanger and a mixing valve. A drain trap includes a heat exchanger with an inner coiled tube, baffle plate, wastewater inlet, wastewater outlet, cold water inlet, and preheated water outlet. Wastewater enters the drain trap through the wastewater inlet, is slowed and spread by the baffle plate, and passes downward to the wastewater outlet. Cold water enters the inner tube through the cold water inlet and flows generally upward, taking on heat from the wastewater. This preheated water is fed to the mixing valve, which includes a flexible yoke to which are attached an adjustable steel rod, two stationary zinc rods, and a pivoting arm. The free end of the arm forms a pad which rests against a valve seat. The rods and pivoting arm expand or contract as the temperature of the incoming preheated water changes. The zinc rods expand more than the steel rod, flexing the yoke and rotating the pivoting arm. The pad moves towards the valve seat as the temperature of the preheated water rises, and away as the temperature falls, admitting a variable amount of hot water to maintain a nearly constant average process water temperature.

Assessment of nitrogen losses through nitrous oxide from abattoir wastewater-irrigated soils.

PubMed

Matheyarasu, Raghupathi; Seshadri, Balaji; Bolan, Nanthi S; Naidu, Ravi

2016-11-01

The land disposal of waste and wastewater is a major source of N 2 O emission. This is due to the presence of high concentrations of nitrogen (N) and carbon in the waste. Abattoir wastewater contains 186 mg/L of N and 30.4 mg/L of P. The equivalent of 3 kg of abattoir wastewater-irrigated soil was sieved and taken in a 4-L plastic container. Abattoir wastewater was used for irrigating the plants at the rates of 50 and 100 % field capacity (FC). Four crop species were used with no crop serving as a control. Nitrous oxide emission was monitored using a closed chamber technique. The chamber was placed inside the plastic container, and N 2 O emission was measured for 7 days after the planting. A syringe and pre-evacuated vial were used for collecting the gas samples; a fresh and clean syringe was used each time to avoid cross-contamination. The collected gas samples were injected into a gas chromatography device immediately after each sampling to analyse the concentration of N 2 O from different treatments. The overall N 2 O emission was compared for all the crops under two different abattoir wastewater treatment rates (50 and 100 % FC). Under 100 % FC (wastewater irrigation), among the four species grown in the abattoir wastewater-irrigated soil, Medicago sativa (23 mg/pot), Sinapis alba (21 mg/pot), Zea mays (20 mg/pot) and Helianthus annuus (20 mg/pot) showed higher N 2 O emission compared to the 50 % treatments-M. sativa (17 mg/pot), S. alba (17 mg/pot), Z. mays (18 mg/pot) and H. annuus (18 mg/pot). Similarly, pots with plants have shown 15 % less emission than the pots without plants. Similar trends of N 2 O emission flux were observed between the irrigation period (4-week period) for 50 % FC and 100 % FC. Under the 100 % FC loading rate treatments, the highest N 2 O emission was in the following order: week 1 > week 4 > week 3 > week 2. On the other hand, under the 50 % FC loading rate treatments, the highest N 2 O emission was

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.

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.

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

PubMed Central

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

2014-01-01

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

Define of internal recirculation coefficient for biological wastewater treatment in anoxic and aerobic bioreactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossinskyi, Volodymyr

2018-02-01

The biological wastewater treatment technologies in anoxic and aerobic bioreactors with recycle of sludge mixture are used for the effective removal of organic compounds from wastewater. The change rate of sludge mixture recirculation between bioreactors leads to a change and redistribution of concentrations of organic compounds in sludge mixture in bioreactors and change hydrodynamic regimes in bioreactors. Determination of the coefficient of internal recirculation of sludge mixture between bioreactors is important for the choice of technological parameters of biological treatment (wastewater treatment duration in anoxic and aerobic bioreactors, flow capacity of recirculation pumps). Determination of the coefficient of internal recirculation of sludge mixture requires integrated consideration of hydrodynamic parameter (flow rate), kinetic parameter (rate of oxidation of organic compounds) and physical-chemical parameter of wastewater (concentration of organic compounds). The conducted numerical experiment from the proposed mathematical equations allowed to obtain analytical dependences of the coefficient of internal recirculation sludge mixture between bioreactors on the concentration of organic compounds in wastewater, the duration of wastewater treatment in bioreactors.

Using nuclear microscopy to characterize the interaction of textile-used silver nanoparticles with a biological wastewater treatment system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bento, J. B.; Franca, R. D. G.; Pinheiro, T.; Alves, L. C.; Pinheiro, H. M.; Lourenço, N. D.

2017-08-01

The use of engineered nanoparticles in the textile industry has been rapidly increasing but their fate during biological wastewater treatment is largely unknown. The goal of the current study was to characterize the interaction of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), used in the textile industry, with a biological wastewater treatment system based on aerobic granular sludge (AGS). The exposure tests were performed using a laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system with AGS. The behavior and fate of textile AgNPs in the AGS system was studied with nuclear microscopy techniques. Elemental maps of AGS samples collected from the SBR showed that AgNPs typically clustered in agglomerates of small dimensions (<10 μm), which were preferentially associated with extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). This preliminary study highlights the potential application of nuclear microscopy for the characterization of the behavior and fate of AgNPs in AGS. The detailed compartmentalization of AgNPs in AGS components obtained with nuclear microscopy provides new and relevant information concerning AgNPs retention. This will be important in biotechnological terms to delineate strategies for AgNPs removal from textile wastewater.

40 CFR Table 6 to Subpart Ggg of... - Wastewater-Compliance Options for Wastewater Tanks

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 12 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Wastewater-Compliance Options for Wastewater Tanks 6 Table 6 to Subpart GGG of Part 63 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.... GGG, Table 6 Table 6 to Subpart GGG of Part 63—Wastewater—Compliance Options for Wastewater Tanks...

40 CFR Table 6 to Subpart Ggg of... - Wastewater-Compliance Options for Wastewater Tanks

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 12 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Wastewater-Compliance Options for Wastewater Tanks 6 Table 6 to Subpart GGG of Part 63 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.... GGG, Table 6 Table 6 to Subpart GGG of Part 63—Wastewater—Compliance Options for Wastewater Tanks...

Characterization of staphylococci in urban wastewater treatment plants in Spain, with detection of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST398.

PubMed

Gómez, Paula; Lozano, Carmen; Benito, Daniel; Estepa, Vanesa; Tenorio, Carmen; Zarazaga, Myriam; Torres, Carmen

2016-05-01

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Staphylococcus in urban wastewater treatment plants (UWTP) of La Rioja (Spain), and to characterize de obtained isolates. 16 wastewater samples (8 influent, 8 effluent) of six UWTPs were seeded on mannitol-salt-agar and oxacillin-resistance-screening-agar-base for staphylococci and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus recovery. Antimicrobial susceptibility profile was determined for 16 antibiotics and the presence of 35 antimicrobial resistance genes and 14 virulence genes by PCR. S. aureus was typed by spa, agr, and multilocus-sequence-typing, and the presence of immune-evasion-genes cluster was analyzed. Staphylococcus spp. were detected in 13 of 16 tested wastewater samples (81%), although the number of CFU/mL decreased after treatment. 40 staphylococci were recovered (1-5/sample), and 8 of them were identified as S. aureus being typed as (number of strains): spa-t011/agr-II/ST398 (1), spa-t002/agr-II/ST5 (2), spa-t3262/agr-II/ST5 (1), spa-t605/agr-II/ST126 (3), and spa-t878/agr-III/ST2849 (1). S. aureus ST398 strain was methicillin-resistant and showed a multidrug resistance phenotype. Virulence genes tst, etd, sea, sec, seg, sei, sem, sen, seo, and seu, were detected among S. aureus and only ST5 strains showed genes of immune evasion cluster. Thirty-two coagulase-negative Staphylococcus of 12 different species were recovered (number of strains): Staphylococcus equorum (7), Staphylococcus vitulinus (4), Staphylococcus lentus (4), Staphylococcus sciuri (4), Staphylococcus fleurettii (2), Staphylococcus haemolyticus (2), Staphylococcus hominis (2), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (2), Staphylococcus succinus (2), Staphylococcus capitis (1), Staphylococcus cohnii (1), and Staphylococcus epidermidis (1). Five presented a multidrug resistance phenotype. The following resistance and virulence genes were found: mecA, lnu(A), vga(A), tet(K), erm(C), msr(A)/(B), mph(C), tst, and sem. We found that

Surveillance cultures of samples obtained from biopsy channels and automated endoscope reprocessors after high-level disinfection of gastrointestinal endoscopes.

PubMed

Chiu, King-Wah; Tsai, Ming-Chao; Wu, Keng-Liang; Chiu, Yi-Chun; Lin, Ming-Tzung; Hu, Tsung-Hui

2012-09-03

The instrument channels of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes may be heavily contaminated with bacteria even after high-level disinfection (HLD). The British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines emphasize the benefits of manually brushing endoscope channels and using automated endoscope reprocessors (AERs) for disinfecting endoscopes. In this study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of decontamination using reprocessors after HLD by comparing the cultured samples obtained from biopsy channels (BCs) of GI endoscopes and the internal surfaces of AERs. We conducted a 5-year prospective study. Every month random consecutive sampling was carried out after a complete reprocessing cycle; 420 rinse and swabs samples were collected from BCs and internal surface of AERs, respectively. Of the 420 rinse samples collected from the BC of the GI endoscopes, 300 were obtained from the BCs of gastroscopes and 120 from BCs of colonoscopes. Samples were collected by flushing the BCs with sterile distilled water, and swabbing the residual water from the AERs after reprocessing. These samples were cultured to detect the presence of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and mycobacteria. The number of culture-positive samples obtained from BCs (13.6%, 57/420) was significantly higher than that obtained from AERs (1.7%, 7/420). In addition, the number of culture-positive samples obtained from the BCs of gastroscopes (10.7%, 32/300) and colonoscopes (20.8%, 25/120) were significantly higher than that obtained from AER reprocess to gastroscopes (2.0%, 6/300) and AER reprocess to colonoscopes (0.8%, 1/120). Culturing rinse samples obtained from BCs provides a better indication of the effectiveness of the decontamination of GI endoscopes after HLD than culturing the swab samples obtained from the inner surfaces of AERs as the swab samples only indicate whether the AERs are free from microbial contamination or not.

Surveillance cultures of samples obtained from biopsy channels and automated endoscope reprocessors after high-level disinfection of gastrointestinal endoscopes

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The instrument channels of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes may be heavily contaminated with bacteria even after high-level disinfection (HLD). The British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines emphasize the benefits of manually brushing endoscope channels and using automated endoscope reprocessors (AERs) for disinfecting endoscopes. In this study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of decontamination using reprocessors after HLD by comparing the cultured samples obtained from biopsy channels (BCs) of GI endoscopes and the internal surfaces of AERs. Methods We conducted a 5-year prospective study. Every month random consecutive sampling was carried out after a complete reprocessing cycle; 420 rinse and swabs samples were collected from BCs and internal surface of AERs, respectively. Of the 420 rinse samples collected from the BC of the GI endoscopes, 300 were obtained from the BCs of gastroscopes and 120 from BCs of colonoscopes. Samples were collected by flushing the BCs with sterile distilled water, and swabbing the residual water from the AERs after reprocessing. These samples were cultured to detect the presence of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and mycobacteria. Results The number of culture-positive samples obtained from BCs (13.6%, 57/420) was significantly higher than that obtained from AERs (1.7%, 7/420). In addition, the number of culture-positive samples obtained from the BCs of gastroscopes (10.7%, 32/300) and colonoscopes (20.8%, 25/120) were significantly higher than that obtained from AER reprocess to gastroscopes (2.0%, 6/300) and AER reprocess to colonoscopes (0.8%, 1/120). Conclusions Culturing rinse samples obtained from BCs provides a better indication of the effectiveness of the decontamination of GI endoscopes after HLD than culturing the swab samples obtained from the inner surfaces of AERs as the swab samples only indicate whether the AERs are free from microbial contamination or not. PMID:22943739

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.

Analysis of endocrine activity in drinking water, surface water and treated wastewater from six countries.

PubMed

Leusch, Frederic D L; Neale, Peta A; Arnal, Charlotte; Aneck-Hahn, Natalie H; Balaguer, Patrick; Bruchet, Auguste; Escher, Beate I; Esperanza, Mar; Grimaldi, Marina; Leroy, Gaela; Scheurer, Marco; Schlichting, Rita; Schriks, Merijn; Hebert, Armelle

2018-08-01

The aquatic environment can contain numerous micropollutants and there are concerns about endocrine activity in environmental waters and the potential impacts on human and ecosystem health. In this study a complementary chemical analysis and in vitro bioassay approach was applied to evaluate endocrine activity in treated wastewater, surface water and drinking water samples from six countries (Germany, Australia, France, South Africa, the Netherlands and Spain). The bioassay test battery included assays indicative of seven endocrine pathways, while 58 different chemicals, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals and industrial compounds, were analysed by targeted chemical analysis. Endocrine activity was below the limit of quantification for most water samples, with only two of six treated wastewater samples and two of six surface water samples exhibiting estrogenic, glucocorticoid, progestagenic and/or anti-mineralocorticoid activity above the limit of quantification. Based on available effect-based trigger values (EBT) for estrogenic and glucocorticoid activity, some of the wastewater and surface water samples were found to exceed the EBT, suggesting these environmental waters may pose a potential risk to ecosystem health. In contrast, the lack of bioassay activity and low detected chemical concentrations in the drinking water samples do not suggest a risk to human endocrine health, with all samples below the relevant EBTs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. 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.

Effective self-purification of polynary metal electroplating wastewaters through formation of layered double hydroxides.

PubMed

Zhou, Ji Zhi; Wu, Yue Ying; Liu, Chong; Orpe, Ajay; Liu, Qiang; Xu, Zhi Ping; Qian, Guang Ren; Qiao, Shi Zhang

2010-12-01

Heavy metal ions (Ni(2+), Zn(2+), and Cr(3+)) can be effectively removed from real polynary metal ions-bearing electroplating wastewaters by a carbonation process, with ∼99% of metal ions removed in most cases. The synchronous formation of layered double hydroxide (LDH) precipitates containing these metal ions was responsible for the self-purification of wastewaters. The constituents of formed polynary metals-LDHs mainly depended on the Ni(2+):Zn(2+):Cr(3+) molar ratio in wastewaters. LDH was formed at pH of 6.0-8.0 when the Ni(2+)/Zn(2+) molar ratio ≥ 1 where molar fraction of trivalent metal in the wastewaters was 0.2-0.4, otherwise ZnO, hydrozincite, or amorphous precipitate was observed. In the case of LDH formation, the residual concentration of Ni(2+), Zn(2+), and Cr(3+) in the treated wastewaters was very low, about 2-3, ∼2, and ∼1 mg/L, respectively, at 20-80 °C and pH of 6.0-8.0, indicating the effective incorporation of heavy metal ions into the LDH matrix. Furthermore, the obtained LDH materials were used to adsorb azoic dye GR, with the maximum adsorption amount of 129-134 mg/g. We also found that the obtained LDHs catalyzed more than 65% toluene to decompose at 350 °C under ambient pressure. Thus the current research has not only shown effective recovery of heavy metal ions from the electroplating wastewaters in an environmentally friendly process but also demonstrated the potential utilization of recovered materials.

Phytoremediation of wastewater toxicity using water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes).

PubMed

Victor, Kouamé Kouamé; Séka, Yapoga; Norbert, Kouadio Kouakou; Sanogo, Tidou Abiba; Celestin, Atsé Boua

2016-10-02

This paper elucidates the phytoremediation potential of water hyacinth and water lettuce on the reduction of wastewater toxicity. Acute toxicity tests were performed in an aquarium with a population of Sarotherodon melanotheron, contaminated by different concentrations of wastewaters before and after phytoremediation with Eichhornia crassipes and Pistia stratiotes. Lethal concentrations (LC50) of the fish's population obtained during 24 hours of exposures were determined. COD, BOD, ammonium, TKN and PO4(3-) concentrations in wastewaters were of 1850.29, 973.33, 38.34, 61.49 and 39.23 mg L(-1), respectively, for each plant. Phytoremediation reduced 58.87% of ammonium content, 50.04% of PO4(3-), 82.45% of COD and 84.91% of BOD. After 15 days of the experiment, metal contents in treated wastewaters decreased from 6.65 to 97.56% for water hyacinth and 3.51 to 93.51% for water lettuce tanks. Toxicity tests showed that the mortality of fish exposed increased with increase in concentration of pollutants in wastewaters and the time of exposure. Therefore, the highest value of LC50 was recorded for fish subjected to 3 hours of exposure (16.37%). The lowest rate was obtained after an exposure of 20 to 24 hours (5.85%). After phytoremediation, the effluents purified by Eichhornia crassipes can maintain the fish life beyond 24 hours of exposure.

Electrochemical oxidation of COD from real textile wastewaters: Kinetic study and energy consumption.

PubMed

Zou, Jiaxiu; Peng, Xiaolan; Li, Miao; Xiong, Ying; Wang, Bing; Dong, Faqin; Wang, Bin

2017-03-01

In the present study, the electrochemical oxidation of real wastewaters discharged by textile industry was carried out using a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode. The effect of operational variables, such as applied current density (20-100 mA·cm -2 ), NaCl concentration added to the real wastewaters (0-3 g·L -1 ), and pH value (2.0-10.0), on the kinetics of COD oxidation and on the energy consumption was carefully investigated. The obtained experimental results could be well matched with a proposed kinetic model, in which the indirect oxidation mediated by electrogenerated strong oxidants would be described through a pseudo-first-order kinetic constant k. Values of k exhibited a linear increase with increasing applied current density and decreasing pH value, and an exponential increase with NaCl concentration. Furthermore, high oxidation kinetics resulted in low specific energy consumption, but this conclusion was not suitable to the results obtained under different applied current density. Under the optimum operational conditions, it only took 3 h to complete remove the COD in the real textile wastewaters and the specific energy consumption could be as low as 11.12 kWh·kg -1  COD. The obtained results, low energy consumption and short electrolysis time, allowed to conclude that the electrochemical oxidation based on BDD anodes would have practical industrial application for the treatment of real textile wastewater. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.