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.

The use of fortified soil-clay as on-site system for domestic wastewater purification.

PubMed

Oladoja, N A; Ademoroti, C M A

2006-02-01

The quest for simple, low-cost and high-performance decentralized wastewater treatment system for domestic application in developing nations necessitated this study. Clay samples collected from different deposits in Nigeria were characterized by studying the mineralogical and geochemical composition using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), respectively. Three major clay minerals of kaolinite, illite and smectite were identified. The geochemical studies showed the abundance of SiO2, Al2O3 and H2O+ in each of the clay samples. Performance efficiency studies were conducted to determine the best combination ratio of pebbles/soil-clay. Soil-clay fortified by pebbles in combination ratios of 1:3 (i.e. pebbles:soil-clay = 1:3 (w/w) showed the optimum water purification, while the combination 3:1 gave the least. The flow rate studies showed that the wastewater had a longer residence time in non-fortified soil-clay than in fortified soil-clay. Two modes of treatment methods were employed-single and double column treatment methods (SCT and DCT). The two methods gave effluents of good quality characteristics, but those from the DCT were of better quality. The quality of effluents also varies from one clay type to another. The quality of effluents from media containing smectite clay mineral was better than those from other columns. Repeated usage of the fortified clay column showed a decrease of pH, TS and DO, and an increase of COD when monitored over a period of 10 days.

[Dynamics of quickly absorption of the carbon source in wastewater by activated sludge].

PubMed

Liu, Hong-Bo; Wen, Xiang-Hua; Zhao, Fang

2011-09-01

In this paper, absorption characteristics of organic matter in municipal wastewater by three kinds of activated sludge (carbon-enriching, nitrification and denitrification sludge) were studied, and the absorption kinetic data was checked using three kinds of absorption kinetic equations based on Ritchie rate equation. The objectives of this study were to investigate the absorption mechanism of activated sludge to organic matter in municipal wastewater, and to identify the possibility of reclaiming organic matter by activated sludge. Results indicated that in the early 30 min, absorption process of organic matter by activated sludge was found to be mainly physical adsorption, which could be expressed by the Lagergren single-layer adsorption model. The carbon-enriching sludge had the highest adsorption capacity (COD/SS) which was 60 mg/g but the adsorption rate was lower than that of denitrification sludge. While nitrification sludge had the lowest adsorption rate and higher adsorption capacity compared with denitrification sludge, which was about 35 mg/g. The rates of the fitting index theta(0) of carbon-enriching, nitrification and denitrification sludge were 0.284, 0.777 and 0.923, respectively, which indicated that the sorbed organic matter on the surface of carbon-enriching sludge was the easiest fraction to be washed away. That is, the combination intensity of carbon-enriching sludge and organic matter was the feeblest, which was convenient for carbon-enriching sludge to release sorbed carbon. Furthermore, by fitting with Langmuir model, concentration of organic matter was found to be the key parameter influencing the adsorption capacity of activated sludge, while the influence of temperature was not obvious. The kinetic law of organic matter absorption by activated sludge was developed, which introduces a way to kinetically analyze the removing mechanism of pollutant by activated sludge and provides theoretical base for the reclaiming of nutriments in

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.

Improving quality of textile wastewater with organic materials as multi soil layering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Supriyadi; Widijanto, H.; Pranoto; Dewi, AK

2016-02-01

On agricultural land, fresh water is needed especially for irrigation. Alternative ways to fulfill needs of fresh water is by utilizing wastewater from industry. Wastewater that produced in the industry in Surakarta is over flowing especially textile wastewater. Wastewater that produced from industry has many pollutants that affected decreasing fresh water quality for irrigation. Multi Soil Layering (MSL) is one of method that utilize the soil ability as main media by increasing its function of soil structure to purify wastewater, so it does not contaminate the environment and reusable. This research was purposed to know affectivity of organic materials (such as rice straw, baggase, sawdust, coconut fibre, and corncob) and dosage (5%, 10% and 25%) in MSL, also get alternative purification ways with easy and cheaper price as natural adsorbent. This study using field and laboratory experiment. The result shows that MSL can be an alternative method of purification of wastewater. The appropriate composition of organic materials that can be used as adsorbent is MSL with wood sawdust 10% dosage because it can increase pH, decrease the number of Cr, ammonia, and phosphate but less effective to decrease BOD and COD.

Phytoavailability and extractability of potassium, magnesium and manganese in calcareous soil amended with olive oil wastewater.

PubMed

Gallardo-Lara, F; Azcón, M; Polo, A

2000-09-01

Land disposal of olive oil wastewater using it as a soil amendment requires a knowledge of the effects that its application may produce on the status of the mineral nutrients in the plant-soil system. A pot experiment using calcareous soil was performed in a growth chamber to examine the effects of olive oil wastewater on the availability and postharvest soil extractability of K, Mg and Mn. The experiment included 6 treatments: two rates of olive oil wastewater, two mineral fertilizer treatments containing K (which supplied K in amounts equivalent to the K supplied by the olive oil wastewater treatments), a K-free mineral fertilizer treatment, and a control. The pots were sown with ryegrass as the test plant, harvesting 3 times at intervals of one month. Olive oil wastewater has demonstrated a considerable capacity for supplying K that can be assimilated by the plant, tending in fact to surpass the mineral potassium fertilizer tested. The application of olive oil wastewater tends to reduce the concentration of Mg in the plant, similarly to the effect of adding mineral potassium fertilizer. An enhancement of Mn availability takes place in the soil amended with olive oil wastewater, which on occasion has produced Mn concentrations in plant that could be considered phytotoxic or at least excessive. After harvesting, we observed an increase in the amount of exchangeable K in soil with added industrial wastewater. However, these increases are lower than those in soil treated with mineral potassium fertilizer. The levels of exchangeable, carbonate-bound, organic-bound and residual Mg in soil were higher in treatments incorporating olive oil wastewater than in those with added mineral K, with the opposite tendency occurring in the amount of Fe-Mn oxides-bound Mg in soil. Treatments based on olive oil wastewater, especially in high doses, increased the amount of exchangeable and carbonate-bound Mn in soil, in comparison with treatments adding mineral fertilizers with or

Leaching risk of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in soil receiving reclaimed wastewater.

PubMed

Haruta, Shinsuke; Chen, Weiping; Gan, Jay; Simůnek, Jirka; Chang, Andrew C; Wu, Laosheng

2008-03-01

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a potential carcinogen frequently found in treated wastewater as a byproduct of chlorination. The potential for NDMA to contaminate the groundwater is a significant concern. A solute fate and transport model, Hydrus-1D, was used to evaluate the leaching potential of NDMA under different irrigation practices and soil properties. The results indicate that the risk of NDMA to reach the ground water is slim, when the reclaimed wastewater is applied under the customary conditions for landscape irrigation. The NDMA disappears in the reclaimed wastewater receiving soils rapidly through the microbial degradation and the volatilization processes. The factors that enhance the leaching risk are the soil hydraulic conductivity, the NDMA adsorption constants, and the irrigation intensity. When the hydraulic conductivity of soil is high, the NDMA adsorption constant of soil is low and/or the irrigation intensity is high, the NDMA leaching risk may dramatically increase. To reduce the NDMA leaching risk, it is imperative that the fields be irrigated at the proper volume and frequency and attention be paid to fields with soils having high-hydraulic conductivities and/or low-NDMA adsorption constants.

Environmental fate of naproxen, carbamazepine and triclosan in wastewater, surface water and wastewater irrigated soil - Results of laboratory scale experiments.

PubMed

Durán-Álvarez, J C; Prado, B; González, D; Sánchez, Y; Jiménez-Cisneros, B

2015-12-15

Lab-scale photolysis, biodegradation and transport experiments were carried out for naproxen, carbamazepine and triclosan in soil, wastewater and surface water from a region where untreated wastewater is used for agricultural irrigation. Results showed that both photolysis and biodegradation occurred for the three emerging pollutants in the tested matrices as follows: triclosan>naproxen>carbamazepine. The highest photolysis rate for the three pollutants was obtained in experiments using surface water, while biodegradation rates were higher in wastewater and soil than in surface water. Carbamazepine showed to be recalcitrant to biodegradation both in soil and water; although photolysis occurred at a higher level than biodegradation, this compound was poorly degraded by natural processes. Transport experiments showed that naproxen was the most mobile compound through the first 30cm of the soil profile; conversely, the mobility of carbamazepine and triclosan through the soil was delayed. Biodegradation of target pollutants occurred within soil columns during transport experiments. Triclosan was not detected either in leachates or the soil in columns, suggesting its complete biodegradation. Data of these experiments can be used to develop more reliable fate-on-the-field and environmental risk assessment studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Does wastewater from olive mills induce toxicity and water repellency in soil?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peikert, B.; Bandow, N.; Schaumann, G. E.

2012-04-01

Olive oil mill wastewater is the effluent generated by the olive oil extraction process. It is the main waste product of this industry mainly being produced in the Mediterranean Basin. Because proper treatment options are rare it is often disposed into the environment, e.g. fields or wadies. Due to its high concentration of fatty acids and phytotoxic phenolic compounds and its high chemical and biological oxygen demand, olive oil mill wastewater becomes a serious environmental problem. In this screening study we investigated long-term effects of olive oil mill wastewater application on soil properties in several locations in the West Bank and Israel. We determined wettability via water drop penetration time and the contact angle as well as general soil properties including pH, EC, carbon content, and we conducted thermogravimetrical analyses in order to characterize the impact of the waste water on the quality of soil organic matter. Our results show that application of olive oil mill wastewater has various effects. We determined contact angles between 110 and 120° and water drop penetration times up to 1367 s indicating significant reduction in wettability. Furthermore, soil carbon and nitrogen content and water extractable organic matter increased as well as electric conductivity, which could be pointed out as a fertilizing effect. In contrast soil pH was significantly reduced. Conducting thermal analyses we observed an increase in the labile and refractory carbon fraction. Probably first one is responsible for induced water repellency. As a consequence the reduced wettability negatively affects soil quality. It would therefore be promising to minimize the hydrophobizing impacts without losing fertilizing effects of the olive oil mill wastewater.

Assessing the ecological long-term impact of wastewater irrigation on soil and water based on bioassays and chemical analyses.

PubMed

Richter, Elisabeth; Hecht, Fabian; Schnellbacher, Nadine; Ternes, Thomas A; Wick, Arne; Wode, Florian; Coors, Anja

2015-11-01

The reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation and groundwater recharge can counteract water scarcity and reduce pollution of surface waters, but assessing its environmental risk should likewise consider effects associated to the soil. The present study therefore aimed at determining the impact of wastewater irrigation on the habitat quality of water after soil passage and of soil after percolation by applying bioassays and chemical analysis. Lab-scale columns of four different soils encompassing standard European soil and three field soils of varying characteristics and pre-contamination were continuously percolated with treated wastewater to simulate long-term irrigation. Wastewater and its percolates were tested for immobilization of Daphnia magna and growth inhibition of green algae (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) and water lentils (Lemna minor). The observed phytotoxicity of the treated wastewater was mostly reduced by soil passage, but in some percolates also increased for green algae. Chemical analysis covering an extensive set of wastewater-born organic pollutants demonstrated that many of them were considerably reduced by soil passage, particularly through peaty soils. Taken together, these results indicated that wastewater-born phytotoxic substances may be removed by soil passage, while existing soil pollutants (e.g. metals) may leach and impair percolate quality. Soils with and without wastewater irrigation were tested for growth of plants (Avena sativa, Brassica napus) and soil bacteria (Arthrobacter globiformis) and reproduction of collembolans (Folsomia candida) and oligochaetes (Enchytraeus crypticus, Eisenia fetida). The habitat quality of the standard and two field soils appeared to be deteriorated by wastewater percolation for at least one organism (enchytraeids, plants or bacteria), while for two pre-contaminated field soils it also was improved (for plants and/or enchytraeids). Wastewater percolation did not seem to raise soil concentrations

Microbial Diversity in Soil Treatment Systems for Wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Cuyk, S.; Spear, J.; Siegrist, R.; Pace, N.

2002-05-01

There is an increasing awareness and concern over land based wastewater system performance with respect to the removal of bacteria and virus. The goal of this work is to describe and identify the organismal composition of the microbiota in the applied wastewater effluent, the rich biomat that develops at the infiltrative surface, and in the soil percolate in order to aid in the understanding of bacterial and virus purification in soil treatment systems. The traditional reliance on pure culture techniques to describe microbiota is circumvented by the employment of a molecular approach. Microbial community characterization is underway based on cloning and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes for phylogenetic analyses, to determine the nature and quantity of microbiota that constitute these ecosystems. Knowledge of the organisms naturally present can influence the design and treatment capacity of these widely used land based systems. Laboratory, intermediate and field scale systems are currently under study. Since human pathogens are known to exist in sewage effluents, their removal in wastewater infiltration systems and within the underlying soil are in need of a more fundamental understanding. The relationship between design parameters and environmental conditions, including a microbial characterization, is essential for the prevention of contamination in groundwater sources. Preliminary results indicate the presence of uncultured organisms and phylogenetic kinds that had not been detected in these systems using other methods. Acinetobacter johnsonii and Acrobacter cryaerophilus were the two dominant species found in septic tank effluent, comprising 20% and 11% of the library respectively. In soil samples collected from the infiltrative surface of a column dosed with STE, there was no dominant bacterial species present. Percolate samples collected from the outflow of the column showed that a tuber borchii symbiont, a common soil microorganism, dominated the bacterial

Heavy metal accumulation in soils and grains, and health risks associated with use of treated municipal wastewater in subsurface drip irrigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asgari, Kamran; Najafi, Payam; Cornelis, Wim M.

2014-05-01

Constant use of treated wastewater for irrigation over long periods may cause buildup of heavy metals up to toxic levels for plants, animals, and entails environmental hazards in different aspects. However, application of treated wastewater on agricultural land might be an effective and sustainable strategy in arid and semi-arid countries where fresh water resources are under great pressure, as long as potential harmful effects on the environment including soil, plants, and fresh water resources, and health risks to humans are minimized. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of using a deep emitter installation on lowering the potential heavy metal accumulation in soils and grains, and health risk under drip irrigation with treated municipal wastewater. A field experiment was conducted according to a split block design with two treatments (fresh and wastewater) and three sub treatments (0, 15 and 30 cm depth of emitters) in four replicates on a sandy loam soil, in Esfahan, Iran. The annual rainfall is about 123 mm, mean annual ETo is 1457 mm, and the elevation is 1590 m a.s.l.. A two-crop rotation of wheat [Triticum spp.] and corn [Zea mays]) was established on each plot with wheat growing from February to June and corn from July to September. Soil samples were collected before planting (initial value) and after harvesting (final value) for each crop in each year. Edible grain samples of corn and wheat were also collected. Elemental concentrations (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni) in soil and grains were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The concentrations of heavy metals in the wastewater-irrigated soils were not significantly different (P>0.05) compared with the freshwater-irrigated soils. The results showed no significant difference (P>0.05) of soil heavy metal content between different depths of emitters. A pollution load index PLI showed that there was not substantial buildup of heavy metals in the wastewater-irrigated soils compared to

Fractions of calcium in the plant-soil system affected by the application of olive oil wastewater.

PubMed

Gallardo-Lara, F; Azcón, M; Quesada, J L; Polo, A

1998-09-01

A pot experiment using calcareous soil was conducted in a growth chamber to examine the effects of olive oil wastewater applications on Ca fractions in the plant and on exchangeable Ca in soil after plant growth. The experimental treatments consisted of two rates of olive oil wastewater, two mineral fertilizer treatments including K, which supplied K in amounts equivalent to the K supplied by the olive oil wastewater treatments, a mineral fertilizer without K treatment (F), and a control. The pots were sown with ryegrass which was harvested 3 times at monthly intervals. The high rate of olive oil wastewater resulted in a prolonged increases in dry matter production. It also resulted in a reduction in the concentrations of soluble Ca, bound Ca, inorganic insoluble Ca and organic insoluble Ca in the plant shoots relative to the control and the F treatment. The low rate of olive oil wastewater produced similar but less marked effects, with decreases being observed in the soluble Ca and bound Ca fractions. After 3 months of plant growth, soil exchangeable Ca was higher in the control and F treatment soils than in the soils receiving olive oil wastewater or K fertilizer. At this time, there were no significant differences in exchangeable Ca between the soils receiving olive oil wastewater and those treated with K fertilizer.

Evaluation of food processing wastewater loading characteristics on metal mobilization within the soil.

PubMed

Julien, Ryan; Safferman, Steven

2015-01-01

Wastewater generated during food processing is commonly treated using land-application systems which primarily rely on soil microbes to transform nutrients and organic compounds into benign byproducts. Naturally occurring metals in the soil may be chemically reduced via microbially mediated oxidation-reduction reactions as oxygen becomes depleted. Some metals such as manganese and iron become water soluble when chemically reduced, leading to groundwater contamination. Alternatively, metals within the wastewater may not become assimilated into the soil and leach into the groundwater if the environment is not sufficiently oxidizing. A lab-scale column study was conducted to investigate the impacts of wastewater loading values on metal mobilization within the soil. Oxygen content and volumetric water data were collected via soil sensors for the duration of the study. The pH, chemical oxygen demand, manganese, and iron concentrations in the influent and effluent water from each column were measured. Average organic loading and organic loading per dose were shown to have statistically significant impacts using Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient on effluent water quality. The Hydraulic resting period qualitatively appeared to have impacts on effluent water quality. This study verifies that excessive organic loading of land application systems causes mobilization of naturally occurring metals and prevents those added in the wastewater from becoming immobilized, resulting in ineffective wastewater treatment. Results also indicate the need to consider the organic dose load and hydraulic resting period in the treatment system design. Findings from this study demonstrate waste application twice daily may encourage soil aeration and allow for increased organic loading while limiting the mobilization of metals already in the soil and those being applied.

Physicochemical and microbiological effects of long- and short-term winery wastewater application to soils.

PubMed

Mosse, K P M; Patti, A F; Smernik, R J; Christen, E W; Cavagnaro, T R

2012-01-30

Application of winery wastewaters to soils for irrigation of various crops or landscapes is a common practice in the wine industry. In this study, we sought to investigate the effects of this practice, by comparing the physicochemical and microbiological soil properties in paired sites that differed in having had a history of winery waste application or not. We also compared the effects of a single application of untreated winery wastewater, to application of treated winery wastewater (sequencing batch reactor) and pure water to eliminate the effects of wetting alone. Long-term application of winery wastes was found to have significant impacts on soil microbial community structure, as determined by phospholipid fatty acid analysis, as well as on many physicochemical properties including pH, EC, and cation concentrations. (13)C NMR revealed only slight differences in the nature of the carbon present at each of the paired sites. A single application of untreated winery wastewater was shown to have significant impacts upon soil respiration, nitrogen cycling and microbial community structure, but the treated wastewater application showed no significant differences to wetting alone. Results are discussed in the context of sustainable winery wastewater disposal. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Irrigating okra with secondary treated municipal wastewater: Observations regarding plant growth and soil characteristics.

PubMed

Kumar, Vinod; Chopra, A K; Srivastava, Sachin; Singh, Jogendra; Thakur, Roushan Kumar

2017-05-04

The present study was carried out to probe the agronomic response of hybrid cultivar of okra (Hibiscus esculentus L. var. JK 7315) grown in secondary treated municipal wastewater irrigated soil with field investigations. The concentrations of the municipal wastewater viz., 10%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% along with the control (groundwater) were used for the irrigation of the H. esculentus. The study revealed that the concentrations of the municipal wastewater showed significant (p < 0.05/p < 0.01) effect on the soil parameters after wastewater fertigation in comparison to groundwater in both the seasons. The maximum agronomic performance of the H. esculentus was recorded with 60% concentration of the municipal wastewater in both the seasons. The contamination factor of heavy metals varied in the H. esculentus plants and soils. In the H. esculentus plants, following fertigation with municipal wastewater, the contamination factor of manganese was the highest, while that of chromium was the lowest. Intermediate contamination factor were observed for zinc, copper, and cadmium. Therefore, secondary treated municipal wastewater can be used as an agro-fertigant after appropriate dilution (up to 60%) to achieve the maximum yield of the H. esculentus.

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

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

PubMed

Tunc, Talip; Sahin, Ustun

2016-04-01

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

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...

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.

Evaluating Microbial Purification during Soil Treatment of Wastewater with Multicomponent Tracer and Surrogate Tests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Cuyk, S.; Siegrist, R.L.; Lowe, K.; Harvey, R.W.

2004-01-01

Soil treatment of wastewater has the potential to achieve high purification efficiency, yet the understanding and predictability of purification with respect to removal of viruses and other pathogens is limited. Research has been completed to quantify the removal of virus and bacteria through the use of microbial surrogates and conservative tracers during controlled experiments with three-dimensional pilot-scale soil treatment systems in the laboratory and during the testing of full-scale systems under field conditions. The surrogates and tracers employed included two viruses (MS-2 and PRID-1 bacteriophages), one bacterium (ice-nucleating active Pseudomonas), and one conservative tracer (bromide ion). Efforts have also been made to determine the relationship between viruses and fecal coliform bacteria in soil samples below the wastewater infiltrative surface, and the correlation between Escherichia coil concentrations measured in percolating soil solution as compared with those estimated from analyses of soil solids. The results suggest episodic breakthrough of virus and bacteria during soil treatment of wastewater and a 2 to 3 log (99-99.9%) removal of virus and near complete removal of fecal coliform bacteria during unsaturated flow through 60 to 90 cm of sandy medium. Results also suggest that the fate of fecal coliform bacteria may be indicative of that of viruses in soil media near the infiltrative surface receiving wastewater effluent. Concentrations of fecal coliform in percolating soil solution may be conservatively estimated from analysis of extracted soil solids.

Soil-transmitted helminth infections associated with wastewater and sludge reuse: A review of current evidence.

PubMed

Amoah, Isaac Dennis; Adegoke, Anthony Ayodeji; Stenström, Thor Axel

2018-05-19

To review current evidence on infections related to the concentration of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) eggs in wastewater, sludge and vegetables irrigated with wastewater or grown on sludge-amended soils. Search of Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar databases for publications reporting on STH egg concentration in wastewater, sludge and vegetables and for epidemiological studies on wastewater/sludge reuse and STH infections. STH egg concentrations were variable but high in wastewater and sludge especially in developing countries. They ranged from 6 to 16,000 eggs/L in wastewater and from 0 to 23,000 eggs/g in sludge and far exceed limits set in the WHO guideline for wastewater/sludge reuse. Numbers of STH eggs on vegetables ranged from 0 to 100 eggs/g. The concentration of STH eggs in wastewater, sludge and vegetables therefore relates to risks of infection through different exposure routes. Epidemiological evidence reveals an increased prevalence of STH infections associated with direct exposure to wastewater or sludge (farmers) and consumption of vegetables grown on soil treated with it. This calls for increased efforts to reduce the adverse health impact of wastewater and sludge reuse in line with the WHO multi-barrier approach. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Impact of watering with UV-LED-treated wastewater on microbial and physico-chemical parameters of soil.

PubMed

Chevremont, A-C; Boudenne, J-L; Coulomb, B; Farnet, A-M

2013-04-15

Advanced oxidation processes based on UV radiations have been shown to be a promising wastewater disinfection technology. The UV-LED system involves innovative materials and could be an advantageous alternative to mercury-vapor lamps. The use of the UV-LED system results in good water quality meeting the legislative requirements relating to wastewater reuse for irrigation. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of watering with UV-LED treated wastewaters (UV-LED WW) on soil parameters. Solid-state ¹³C NMR shows that watering with UV-LED WW do not change the chemical composition of soil organic matter compared to soil watered with potable water. Regarding microbiological parameters, laccase, cellulase, protease and urease activities increase in soils watered with UV-LED WW which means that organic matter brought by the effluent is actively degraded by soil microorganisms. The functional diversity of soil microorganisms is not affected by watering with UV-LED WW when it is altered by 4 and 8 months of watering with wastewater (WW). After 12 months, functional diversity is similar regardless of the water used for watering. The persistence of faecal indicator bacteria (coliform and enterococci) was also determined and watering with UV-LED WW does not increase their number nor their diversity unlike soils irrigated with activated sludge wastewater. The study of watering-soil microcosms with UV-LED WW indicates that this system seems to be a promising alternative to the UV-lamp-treated wastewaters. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the ecological risk of soil irrigated with wastewater using in vitro cell bioassays.

PubMed

Yu, Guo; Xiao, Ruiyang; Wang, Donghong; Zhou, Jun; Wang, Zijian

2008-12-01

In the most recent research work, the accumulation of toxicants in soil was always assessed through concentration level of the target contaminants. However, assessments based on chemical analysis were limited in numbers and in their unpredictable bioavailability. An alternative assessment could be based on toxicity assessment. It means that a screening bioassay is a necessary tool for identifying and defining contaminants at the sites, which should warrant further attention. In the present study, three in vitro cell bioassays, including the SOS/umu bioassay for genotoxic effects, human estrogen receptor recombinant yeast bioassay for estrogenic effects, and ethoxyresorfin O-deethylase (EROD) with H4IIE rat hepatoma cells bioassay for Ah-receptor agonistic effects, were used for the evaluation of the accumulation of toxicants in soils irrigated with wastewater in the suburb of Beijing, China. The results indicated that there were significant increases of genotoxic, estrogenic, and Ah-receptor agonistic effects in soils irrigated with wastewater, as compared with soils irrigated with groundwater. There was the decreased effect gradient following the increase of the distances from the inlet of the wastewater. It was concluded that wastewater irrigation could cause accumulation of genotoxic, estrogenic, and Ah-receptor agonistic chemicals in soil.

Impact of long-term wastewater irrigation on sorption and transport of atrazine in Mexican agricultural soils.

PubMed

Müller, K; Duwig, C; Prado, B; Siebe, C; Hidalgo, C; Etchevers, J

2012-01-01

In the Mezquital Valley, Mexico, crops have been irrigated with untreated municipal wastewater for more than a century. Atrazine has been applied to maize and alfalfa grown in the area for weed control for 15 years. Our objectives were to analyse (i) how wastewater irrigation affects the filtering of atrazine, and (ii) if the length of irrigation has a significant impact. We compared atrazine sorption to Phaeozems that have been irrigated with raw wastewater for 35 (P35) and 85 (P85) years with sorption to a non-irrigated (P0) Phaeozem soil under rainfed agriculture. The use of bromide as an inert water tracer in column experiments and the subsequent analysis of the tracers' breakthrough curves allowed the calibration of the hydrodynamic parameters of a two-site non equilibrium convection-dispersion model. The quality of the irrigation water significantly altered the soils' hydrodynamic properties (hydraulic conductivity, dispersivity and the size of pores that are hydraulically active). The impacts on soil chemical properties (total organic carbon content and pH) were not significant, while the sodium adsorption ratio was significantly increased. Sorption and desorption isotherms, determined in batch and column experiments, showed enhanced atrazine sorption and reduced and slower desorption in wastewater-irrigated soils. These effects increased with the length of irrigation. The intensified sorption-desorption hysteresis in wastewater-irrigated soils indicated that the soil organic matter developed in these soils had fewer high-energy, easily accessible sorption sites available, leading to lower and slower atrazine desorption rates. This study leads to the conclusion that wastewater irrigation decreases atrazine mobility in the Mezquital valley Phaeozems by decreasing the hydraulic conductivity and increasing the soil's sorption capacity.

Two-stage soil infiltration treatment system for treating ammonium wastewaters of low COD/TN ratios.

PubMed

Lei, Zhongfang; Wu, Ting; Zhang, Yi; Liu, Xiang; Wan, Chunli; Lee, Duu-Jong; Tay, Joo-Hwa

2013-01-01

Soil infiltration treatment (SIT) is ineffective to treat ammonium wastewaters of total nitrogen (TN) > 100 mg l(-1). This study applied a novel two-stage SIT process for effective TN removal from wastewaters of TN>100 mg l(-1) and of chemical oxygen demand (COD)/TN ratio of 3.2-8.6. The wastewater was first fed into the soil column (stage 1) at hydraulic loading rate (HLR) of 0.06 m(3) m(-2) d(-1) for COD removal and total phosphorus (TP) immobilization. Then the effluent from stage 1 was fed individually into four soil columns (stage 2) at 0.02 m(3) m(-2) d(-1) of HLR with different proportions of raw wastewater as additional carbon source. Over the one-year field test, balanced nitrification and denitrification in the two-stage SIT revealed excellent TN removal (>90%) from the tested wastewaters. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fate and Distribution of Heavy Metals in Wastewater Irrigated Calcareous Soils

PubMed Central

Stietiya, Mohammed Hashem; Duqqah, Mohammad; Udeigwe, Theophilus; Zubi, Ruba; Ammari, Tarek

2014-01-01

Accumulation of heavy metals in Jordanian soils irrigated with treated wastewater threatens agricultural sustainability. This study was carried out to investigate the environmental fate of Zn, Ni, and Cd in calcareous soils irrigated with treated wastewater and to elucidate the impact of hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) amendment on metal redistribution among soil fractions. Results showed that sorption capacity for Zarqa River (ZR1) soil was higher than Wadi Dhuleil (WD1) soil for all metals. The order of sorption affinity for WD1 was in the decreasing order of Ni > Zn > Cd, consistent with electrostatic attraction and indication of weak association with soil constituents. Following metal addition, Zn and Ni were distributed among the carbonate and Fe/Mn oxide fractions, while Cd was distributed among the exchangeable and carbonate fractions in both soils. Amending soils with 3% HFO did not increase the concentration of metals associated with the Fe/Mn oxide fraction or impact metal redistribution. The study suggests that carbonates control the mobility and bioavailability of Zn, Ni, and Cd in these calcareous soils, even in presence of a strong adsorbent such as HFO. Thus, it can be inferred that in situ heavy metal remediation of these highly calcareous soils using iron oxide compounds could be ineffective. PMID:24723833

Effect of irrigation with treated wastewater on soil chemical properties and infiltration rate.

PubMed

Bedbabis, Saida; Ben Rouina, Béchir; Boukhris, Makki; Ferrara, Giuseppe

2014-01-15

In Tunisia, water scarcity is one of the major constraints for agricultural activities. The reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) in agriculture can be a sustainable solution to face water scarcity. The research was conducted for a period of four years in an olive orchard planted on a sandy soil and subjected to irrigation treatments: a) rain-fed conditions (RF), as control b) well water (WW) and c) treated wastewater (TWW). In WW and TWW treatments, an annual amount of 5000 m(3) ha(-1) of water was supplied to the orchard. Soil samples were collected at the beginning of the study and after four years for each treatment. The main soil properties such as electrical conductivity (EC), pH, soluble cations, chloride (Cl(-)), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), organic matter (OM) as well as the infiltration rate were investigated. After four years, either a significant decrease of pH and infiltration rate or a significant increase of OM, SAR and EC were observed in the soil subjected to treated wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Heavy metal accumulation in soils and grains, and health risks associated with use of treated municipal wastewater in subsurface drip irrigation.

PubMed

Asgari, Kamran; Cornelis, Wim M

2015-07-01

Constant use of treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation over prolonged periods may cause buildup of heavy metals up to toxic levels for plants and animals, and entails environmental hazards in different aspects. However, application of TWW on agricultural land might be an effective and sustainable strategy in arid and semi-arid countries where fresh water resources are under great pressure, as long as potential harmful effects on the environment including soil, plants, and fresh water resources, and health risks to humans are minimized. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of deep emitters on limiting potential heavy metal accumulation in soils and grains, and health risk under drip irrigation with treated municipal wastewater. A field experiment was conducted according to a split block design with two treatments (fresh and wastewater) and three sub-treatments (0, 15, and 30 cm depth of emitters) in four replicates on a sandy loam Calcic Argigypsids, in Esfahan, Iran. The annual rainfall is about 123 mm, mean annual ETo is 1457 mm, and the elevation is 1590 m above sea level. A two-crop rotation of wheat (Triticum spp.) and corn (Zea mays) was established on each plot with wheat growing from February to June and corn from July to September. Soil samples were collected before planting and after harvesting for each crop in each year. Edible grain samples of corn and wheat were collected at harvest. Elemental concentrations (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni) in soil and grains were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results showed that the concentrations of heavy metals in the wastewater-irrigated soils were not significantly different (P > 0.05) compared with the freshwater-irrigated soils. No significant difference (P > 0.05) in heavy metal content in soil between different depths of emitters was found. A pollution load index (PLI) showed that there was no substantial buildup of heavy metals in the wastewater-irrigated soils

Preferential flow effects on transport and fate of chemicals and microorganisms in soils irrigated with wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puddu, Rita; Corrias, Roberto; Dessena, Maria Antonietta; Ferralis, Marcella; Marras, Gabriele; Pin, Paola; Spanu, Paola

2010-05-01

This work is part of a multidisciplinary research properly planned by the ENAS (Cagliari-Sardinia-Italy) to verify the consequences of urban wastewater reuse in irrigation practices on chemical, biological and hydrological behavior of agricultural soils of the Had as Soualem area (Morocco). The area consists of Fluventic Haploxerept soils, according to USDA Soil Taxonomy. Undisturbed large soil columns, 70 cm height and 20 cm diameter, were collected from plots, the locations of which were preliminarily individuated through a prior pedological study. The soils are characterized by an apparent structure, suggesting that preferential flow processes may occur in the study area, which may impact usable groundwater at depth. Wastewater reuse for irrigation simultaneously solves water shortage and wastewater disposal problems. Unfortunately, wastewaters generally contain high concentrations of suspended and dissolved solids, both organic and inorganic, and microbial contaminants (virus and bacteria) added to wastewater during domestic and industrial usage. Most of these contaminants are only partially removed during conventional sewage treatment so they remain in the irrigation water. Although adsorbing ions and microbes are relatively immobile within porous media, preferential flow and adsorption to mobile colloids can enhance their transport. There is limited knowledge regarding the role of preferential flow and colloidal transport on adsorbing contaminants. The main aim of this research is to determine the influence of preferential flow and colloids on wastewater contaminant transport. Leaching rates and arrival time of wastewater contaminants will be determined using field and laboratory measurements at the study sites in combination with preferential flow numerical modeling. To achieve these objectives the soil columns were analyzed for physical, chemical, and microbial characterization. At the laboratory, an experimental facility was set up and sensors for

Potential dual use of biochar for wastewater treatment and soil amelioration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marschner, Bernd; Werner, Steffen; Alfes, Karsten; Lübken, Manfred

2013-04-01

Irrigating crops with wastewater from open drainage channels is a common practice in urban agricultural production in many dry regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America. While the wastewater-borne nutrients reduce the need for inputs of mineral fertilizers or manures and thus reduce production costs, wastewater-borne pathogens and contaminants pose a health risk for the producers and consumers of the crops. Furthermore, the input of nutrients with the irrigation water may greatly exceed crop requirements and thus lead to unproductive leaching losses of nutrients. It is generally acknowledged that biochar additions can increase the soil's sorption and retention capacity for nutrients and water. However, positive effects on crop production are generally only observed, if this is combined with mineral fertilizers or manures due to the low nutrient content of biochars. Biochar possibly also has a high potential for use in water purification, replacing the coal-based activated carbon as a sorbent for contaminants and pathogens. It was therefore hypothesized that biochar can be used for pathogen removal from wastewater while at the same time being loaded with nutrients and contaminants. If contaminants are of minor concern the "loaded" biochar can be used as a soil amendment, providing not only long-term sorption capacity but also nutrients. Experiments were conducted with pyrochar from Miscanthus, rice husks and wood chips, which strongly differed in elemental composition, MIR-DRIFT spectra, surface charge properties and sorption potential for DOC and phosphate. When used as top filter layer in a sand column system, the biochars effectively reduced E. coli concentrations from raw wastewater by up to 2 log units. While biochars from rice husks and Miscanthus accumulated N substantially, wood chip biochar showed no N retention. On the other hand, P accumulation was most pronounced for wood chip biochar. Ongoing incubation experiments with the "loaded" and fresh biochar in

Inhibition effect of zinc in wastewater on the N2O emission from coastal loam soils.

PubMed

Huang, Yan; Ou, Danyun; Chen, Shunyang; Chen, Bin; Liu, Wenhua; Bai, Renao; Chen, Guangcheng

2017-03-15

The effects of zinc (Zn) on nitrous oxide (N 2 O) fluxes from coastal loam soil and the abundances of soil nitrifier and denitrifier were studied in a tidal microcosm receiving livestock wastewater with different Zn levels. Soil N 2 O emission significantly increased due to discharge of wastewater rich in ammonia (NH 4 + -N) while the continuous measurements of gas flux showed a durative reduction in N 2 O flux by high Zn input (40mgL -1 ) during the low tide period. Soil inorganic nitrogen concentrations increased at the end of the experiment and even more soil NH 4 + -N was measured in the high-Zn-level treatment, indicating an inhibition of ammonia oxidation by Zn input. Quantitative PCR of soil amoA, narG and nirK genes encoding ammonia monooxygenase, nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase, respectively, showed that the microbial abundances involved in these metabolisms were neither affected by wastewater discharge nor Zn contamination. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heavy Metal Content in Soils under Different Wastewater Irrigation Patterns in Chihuahua, Mexico

PubMed Central

Maldonado, V. M.; Rubio Arias, H. O.; Quintana, R.; Saucedo, R.A.; Gutierrez, M.; Ortega, J. A.; Nevarez, G.V.

2008-01-01

An area near the city of Chihuahua has been traditionally irrigated with wastewater to grow forage crops. It has been hypothesized that metal levels could be found in these soils high enough to cause potential health problems to the population. The objective of this study was to determine heavy metal concentrations in different soils due to irrigation practices. Four soil types were evaluated; a soil with a past and present history of wastewater irrigation (S1), a soil with a history of wastewater irrigation until 2003 (S2), a soil with no irrigation history (S3), and a soil similar to S1 and adjacent to the river where the wastewater is transported (S11). Three soil depths were evaluated; 0–15, 15–30 and 30–50 cm. Consequently, a total of 150 soil samples were analyzed evaluating pH, EC, OM and the following elements; Na, K, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu and Fe. The pH (P=0.000) and EC (P=0.000) were different for each soil type but no differences were noted for soil depth and the interaction. Maximum pH levels were noted in S3 with a value of 8.74 while maximum EC was observed in S1 with a value of 0.850 dSm−1. The OM level was different for soil type (P=0.000), soil depth (P=0.005) and the interaction (P=0.014). S1 and S11 obtained maximum levels of OM while minimum levels were noted in S3. Maximum OM levels were observed at the 0–15 cm depth followed by the 15–30 cm depth and finally at the 30–50 cm depth. The highest concentration of metals was as follows: K in S1 (359.3 mg kg−1); Cd in S1 (4.48 mg kg−1); Pb in S11 (155.83 mg kg−1); Ni in S1 (10.74 mg kg−1); Cu in S1 (51.36 mg kg−1); B in S3 (41.5 mg kg−1); Fe in S3 (20,313.0 mg kg−1), Cr in S3 (44.26 mg kg−1) and Na in S3 (203.0 mg kg−1). The conclusion is that some metals are present in the soils due to anthropogenic activities but others are present in natural forms. PMID:19151441

[Effects of irrigation of untreated livestock farm wastewater on accumulation and vertical mig- ration of nitrogen and phosphorus in paddy soil].

PubMed

Zhang, Ming-kui; Ahmed Elgodah; Bao, Chen-yan

2014-12-01

Although a series of process techniques for treating wastewater from livestock and poultry breeding have been developed in China and overseas, it is still common in China's rural areas for utilization of the untreated wastewater to irrigate farmland directly because of economic reasons. The impact of untreated wastewater irrigation on accumulation and vertical migration of nitrogen and phosphorus in paddy soil is concerned. Consequently, four representative paddy fields with different histories of livestock farm wastewater irrigation (0, 4, 7, 13 years) were selected for collecting profile soil samples to study the effects of long-term irrigation of untreated livestock farm wastewater on various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus in the soils at different vertical depths. As compared with control field without any irrigation of wastewater, long-term irrigation of untreated livestock farm wastewater significantly increased the accumulation of N and P in the soils with increasing the irrigation year, and the increment of total P in the soil was greater than that of total N. Total P content in surface soil from fields with 4, 7, and 13 years irrigation was increased by 43.6%, 95.2%, and 148.4%, while total N increased by 7.6%, 16.9%, and 28.4%, respectively. Different forms of soil N were increased in order of NH4+ -N, NO3- -N > acid hydrolyzable N > non-acid hydrolyzable N, and soil available P changed much more than total P. Long-term irrigation of untreated livestock farm wastewater could promote vertical migration of soil nitrogen and phosphorus, and increase the pollution risk for groundwater.

Carbamazepine, carbamazepine epoxide and dihydroxycarbamazepine sorption to soil and occurrence in a wastewater reuse site in Tunisia.

PubMed

Fenet, Hélène; Mathieu, Olivier; Mahjoub, Olfa; Li, Zhi; Hillaire-Buys, Dominique; Casellas, Claude; Gomez, Elena

2012-06-01

Treated wastewater is being increasingly used for irrigation and aquifer replenishment through artificial recharge. However, wastewater reuse can result in contamination of exposed soil and groundwater by chemicals such as some pharmaceuticals and their metabolites. The fate of these molecules depends largely on their capacity to sorb onto soil and aquifer materials during infiltration. In this study, the sorption isotherm of carbamazepine (CBZ), an anti-seizure medication, and two of its metabolites, i.e. carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide (CBZ-EP) and 10,11-dihydro-10,11-dihydroxycarbamazepine (DiOH-CBZ), were determined in two soils in laboratory assays. In the field, the presence of CBZ and its metabolites were investigated in soil and in groundwater underlying an irrigated area with treated wastewater. The results showed that CBZ had the highest carbon normalised sorption coefficients in the two tested soils (irrigated soil and a Lufa SP2.4 reference soil) followed by CBZ-EP and DiOH-CBZ, indicating the relatively higher mobility of CBZ metabolites compared to CBZ. The chromatographic analysis revealed that CBZ and its two metabolites were present in treated wastewater used for irrigation and in groundwater. In soil samples, CBZ concentrations showed a build-up taking place with irrigation. The mobility of metabolites in soil and their potential biodegradation require further investigation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New Conceptual Model for Soil Treatment Units: Formation of Multiple Hydraulic Zones during Unsaturated Wastewater Infiltration.

PubMed

Geza, Mengistu; Lowe, Kathryn S; Huntzinger, Deborah N; McCray, John E

2013-07-01

Onsite wastewater treatment systems are commonly used in the United States to reclaim domestic wastewater. A distinct biomat forms at the infiltrative surface, causing resistance to flow and decreasing soil moisture below the biomat. To simulate these conditions, previous modeling studies have used a two-layer approach: a thin biomat layer (1-5 cm thick) and the native soil layer below the biomat. However, the effect of wastewater application extends below the biomat layer. We used numerical modeling supported by experimental data to justify a new conceptual model that includes an intermediate zone (IZ) below the biomat. The conceptual model was set up using Hydrus 2D and calibrated against soil moisture and water flux measurements. The estimated hydraulic conductivity value for the IZ was between biomat and the native soil. The IZ has important implications for wastewater treatment. When the IZ was not considered, a loading rate of 5 cm d resulted in an 8.5-cm ponding. With the IZ, the same loading rate resulted in a 9.5-cm ponding. Without the IZ, up to 3.1 cm d of wastewater could be applied without ponding; with the IZ, only up to 2.8 cm d could be applied without ponding. The IZ also plays a significant role in soil moisture distribution. Without the IZ, near-saturation conditions were observed only within the biomat, whereas near-saturation conditions extended below the biomat with the IZ. Accurate prediction of ponding is important to prevent surfacing of wastewater. The degree of water and air saturation influences pollutant treatment efficiency through residence time, volatility, and biochemical reactions. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Quality of soil and Transfer of pesticide under wastewater irrigation regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahchour, Abdelmalek; El hajjaji, Souad; El makhoukhi, Fadoua; El m'rabet, Mohammadine; Satrallah, Ahmed

2016-04-01

Wastewater (WW) usage in irrigation is seen as good and cost effective alternative to face scarcity of water in some arid areas of the world. In Morocco the situation of water resources could be alarming by 2030. Irrigation with WW has been proven beneficial in terms of stabilizing soil structure, enrichment with mineral nutrients useful for crops and increase of production. Usage of WW may coincide with the presence of pollutants such as pesticides and heavy metals in the soil. This situation may enhance the transfer of the pollutants towards groundwater sheet. Gharb area in an important agricultural area of Morocco dominated by sandy and clayey soils, the closeness of water sheet and frequent preferential flow channels in the soil. Test of mobility was conducted in non structured soil columns (30 cm length, 7.5 cm internal diameter), composed with 6 section of 5 cm each and packed with 300g of previously air dried soil sieved at 2mm. Mass equivalent to the rate of application of fenoxyprop-ethyl, an herbicide commonly used in the area was applied 1 cm under the top layer of the soil in the columns. Three columns were used for the test; one of them was eluted with distilled water and used as control. Columns were irrigated with treated wastewater at the flow rate of 1mL/min. Percolated water was collected at 5 intervals of 1 hours. Residue was the herbicide was analyzed in percolated water and the sections of the columns. Result showed net increase in organic matter and conductivity of soil and slight decrease in pH. Analysis of residue showed that the movement of herbicide has increased in the columns percolated with wastewater compared with the control. The herbicide was found five top sections treated eluted with WW and remains in the top section in the control. No residue was detected in percolated water from all the columns treated and the control.

Salinity effect of irrigation with treated wastewater in basal soil respiration in SE of Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morugan, A.; Garcia-Orenes, F.; Mataix-Solera, J.

2012-04-01

The use of treated wastewater for the irrigation of agricultural soils is an alternative to utilizing better-quality water, especially in semiarid regions where water shortage is a very serious problem. Wastewater use in agriculture is not a new practice, all over the world this reuse has been common practice for a long time, but the concept is of greater importance currently because of the global water crisis. Replacement of freshwater by treated wastewater is seen as an important conservation strategy contributing to agricultural production, substantial benefits can derive from using this nutrient-rich waste water but there can also be a negative impact. For this reason it is necessary to know precisely the composition of water before applying it to the soil in order to guarantee minimal impact in terms of contamination and salinization. In this work we have been studying, for more than three years, different parameters in calcareous soils irrigated with treated wastewater in an agricultural Mediterranean area located at Biar (Alicante, SE Spain), with a crop of grape (Vitis labrusca). Three types of waters were used for the irrigation of the soil: fresh water (control) (TC), and treated wastewater from secondary (T2) and tertiary treatment (T3). Three different doses of irrigation have been applied to fit the efficiency of the irrigation to the crop and soil type during the study period. A soil sampling was carried out every four months. We show the results of the evolution of basal soil respiration (BSR), and its relationship with other parameters. We observed a similar pattern of behavior for BSR between treatments, a decrease at the first eighteen months of irrigation and an increase at the end of study. In our study case, the variations of BSR obtained for all the treatments seem to be closely related to the dose and frequency of irrigation and the related soil wetting and drying cycles. However, the results showed a negative correlation between BSR and

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

Spatial and vertical distribution of short chain chlorinated paraffins in soils from wastewater irrigated farmlands.

PubMed

Zeng, Lixi; Wang, Thanh; Han, Wenya; Yuan, Bo; Liu, Qian; Wang, Yawei; Jiang, Guibin

2011-03-15

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are one of the most complex groups of halogenated contaminants in the environment. However, studies of short chain CPs (SCCPs) in China are very scarce. In this study, the concentrations and distribution of SCCPs in farm soils from a wastewater irrigated area in China were investigated. SCCPs were detected in all topsoil samples, with the sum of the concentrations (ΣSCCPs) in the range of 159.9-1450 ng/g (dry weight, dw). A noticeable spatial trend and specific congener distribution were observed in the wastewater irrigated farmland. Soil vertical profiles showed that ΣSCCP concentrations below the plowed layer decreased exponentially and had a significant positive relationship (R(2) > 0.83) with total organic carbon in soil cores. Furthermore, soil vertical distributions indicated that lower chlorinated (Cl(5-6)) and shorter chain (C(10-12)) congeners are more prone to migrate to deeper soil layers compared to highly chlorinated and longer chain congeners. This work demonstrated that effluents from sewage treatment plants (STPs) could be a significant source of SCCPs to the ambient environment and wastewater irrigation can lead to higher accumulation of SCCPs in farm soils.

Estimating biozone hydraulic conductivity in wastewater soil-infiltration systems using inverse numerical modeling.

PubMed

Bumgarner, Johnathan R; McCray, John E

2007-06-01

During operation of an onsite wastewater treatment system, a low-permeability biozone develops at the infiltrative surface (IS) during application of wastewater to soil. Inverse numerical-model simulations were used to estimate the biozone saturated hydraulic conductivity (K(biozone)) under variably saturated conditions for 29 wastewater infiltration test cells installed in a sandy loam field soil. Test cells employed two loading rates (4 and 8cm/day) and 3 IS designs: open chamber, gravel, and synthetic bundles. The ratio of K(biozone) to the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the natural soil (K(s)) was used to quantify the reductions in the IS hydraulic conductivity. A smaller value of K(biozone)/K(s,) reflects a greater reduction in hydraulic conductivity. The IS hydraulic conductivity was reduced by 1-3 orders of magnitude. The reduction in IS hydraulic conductivity was primarily influenced by wastewater loading rate and IS type and not by the K(s) of the native soil. The higher loading rate yielded greater reductions in IS hydraulic conductivity than the lower loading rate for bundle and gravel cells, but the difference was not statistically significant for chamber cells. Bundle and gravel cells exhibited a greater reduction in IS hydraulic conductivity than chamber cells at the higher loading rates, while the difference between gravel and bundle systems was not statistically significant. At the lower rate, bundle cells exhibited generally lower K(biozone)/K(s) values, but not at a statistically significant level, while gravel and chamber cells were statistically similar. Gravel cells exhibited the greatest variability in measured values, which may complicate design efforts based on K(biozone) evaluations for these systems. These results suggest that chamber systems may provide for a more robust design, particularly for high or variable wastewater infiltration rates.

Effects of domestic wastewater treated by anaerobic stabilization on soil pollution, plant nutrition, and cotton crop yield.

PubMed

Uzen, Nese; Cetin, Oner; Unlu, Mustafa

2016-12-01

This study has aimed to determine the effects of treated wastewater on cotton yield and soil pollution in Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey during 2011 and 2012. The treated wastewater was provided from the reservoir operated as anaerobic stabilization. After treatment, suspended solids (28-60 mg/l), biological oxygen demand (29-30 mg/l), and chemical oxygen demand (71-112 mg/l) decreased significantly compared to those in the wastewater. There was no heavy metal pollution in the water used. There were no significant amounts of coliform bacteria, fecal coliform, and Escherichia coli compared to untreated wastewater. The cottonseed yield (31.8 g/plant) in the tanks where no commercial fertilizers were applied was considerably higher compared to the yield (17.2 g/plant) in the fertilized tanks where a common nitrogenous fertilizer was utilized. There were no significant differences between the values of soil pH. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) after the experiment increased from 0.8-1.0 to 0.9-1.8 dS/m. Heavy metal pollution did not occur in the soil and plants, because there were no heavy metals in the treated wastewater. It can be concluded that treated domestic wastewater could be used to grow in a controlled manner crops, such as cotton, that would not be used directly as human nutrients.

Soil infiltration bioreactor incorporated with pyrite-based (mixotrophic) denitrification for domestic wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Kong, Zhe; Li, Lu; Feng, Chuanping; Chen, Nan; Dong, Shanshan; Hu, Weiwu

2015-01-01

In this study, an integrated two-stage soil infiltration bioreactor incorporated with pyrite-based (mixotrophic) denitrification (SIBPD) was designed for domestic wastewater treatment. Benefited from excellent adsorption ability and water-permeability, soil infiltration could avoid clogging, shorten operating time and lower maintenance cost. Respiration and nitrification were mostly engaged in aerobic stage (AES), while nitrate was majorly removed by pyrite-based mixotrophic denitrification mainly occurred in anaerobic stage (ANS). Fed with synthetic and real wastewater for 120days at 1.5h HRT, SIBPD demonstrated good removal performance showing 87.14% for COD, 92.84% for NH4(+)-N and 82.58% for TP along with 80.72% of nitrate removed by ANS. TN removal efficiency was 83.74% when conducting real wastewater. Compared with sulfur-based process, the effluent pH of SIBPD was maintained at 6.99-7.34 and the highest SO4(2-) concentration was only 64.63mgL(-1). This study revealed a promising and feasible application prospect for on-site domestic wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil amendment using poplar woodchips to enhance the treatment of wastewater-originated nutrients.

PubMed

Meffe, Raffaella; de Miguel, Ángel; Martínez Hernández, Virtudes; Lillo, Javier; de Bustamante, Irene

2016-09-15

Vegetation filters, a nature based wastewater regeneration technology, have been reported as a feasible solution for small municipalities and scattered populations with limited access to sewage networks. However even when such a treatment is properly planned, the leaching of contaminants through the unsaturated zone may occur. The amendment of soil with a readily-labile source of carbon is supposed to ameliorate the removal of contaminants by stimulating microbial activity and enhancing sorption processes. In this study, lab-scale leaching column experiments were carried out to explore if the addition of woodchips to the soil could be a feasible strategy to be integrated in a vegetation filter. Two different types of arrangement of soil and woodchips layers were tested. The soil was collected from an operating vegetation filter treating wastewater of an office building characterised by a high nutrient load. Daily pulse of synthetic wastewater were applied into the columns and effluent samples were collected and analyzed for major ions, total nitrogen (NT), total phosphorous (PT) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). By the end of the experiment, NT, NO3-N and PT soil contents were also measured. Results indicate that amendments with woodchips enhance the elimination of wastewater-originated contaminants. NT removal in the columns with woodchips reaches a value of 99.4%. The main processes responsible for this elimination are NH4-N sorption and nitrification/denitrification. This latter fostered by the reduced redox conditions due to the enhanced microbial activity. High removal of PT (99%) is achieved independently of the woodchips presence due to retention and/or precipitation phenomena. The COD removal efficiency is not affected by the presence of the woodchips. The leaching of organic carbon occurs only during the experimental start-up period. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Polonite used for phosphorus removal from wastewater on soil properties and fertility of a mountain meadow.

PubMed

Cucarella, Victor; Mazurek, Ryszard; Zaleski, Tomasz; Kopeć, Michał; Renman, Gunno

2009-07-01

Reactive filter materials used for phosphorus (P) removal from wastewater can be disposed of as soil amendments after treatment, thus recycling P and other macro- and micro-nutrients to plants. In addition, materials with a high pH and Ca content, such as Polonite, are potential soil conditioners, which can be particularly beneficial for acid soils. Polonite previously used for on-site wastewater treatment was applied as a soil amendment to a mountain meadow. The amendment significantly increased soil pH and decreased the hydrolytic acidity, thus reducing Al toxicity risks. The effects were comparable to those of liming. No difference in yield and P uptake by meadow plants was observed. The uptake of metals was lower for amended soils, especially the uptake of Mn. Using Polonite after wastewater treatment as a soil amendment is thus a viable disposal alternative that can replace liming, when necessary, being capable of recycling P and other nutrients to meadow plants.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2013-12-01

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

Low C/N ratio raw textile wastewater reduced labile C and enhanced organic-inorganic N and enzymatic activities in a semiarid alkaline soil.

PubMed

Roohi, Mahnaz; Riaz, Muhammad; Arif, Muhammad Saleem; Shahzad, Sher Muhammad; Yasmeen, Tahira; Ashraf, Muhammad Arslan; Riaz, Muhammad Atif; Mian, Ishaq A

2017-02-01

Application of raw and treated wastewater for irrigation is an extensive practice for agricultural production in arid and semiarid regions. Raw textile wastewater has been used for cultivation in urban and peri-urban areas in Pakistan without any systematic consideration to soil quality. We conducted a laboratory incubation study to investigate the effects of low C/N ratio raw textile wastewater on soil nitrogen (N) contents, labile carbon (C) as water-soluble C (WSC) contents, and activities of urease and dehydrogenase enzymes. The 60-day incubation study used an alkaline clay loam aridisol that received 0 (distilled water), 25, 50, and 100% wastewater concentrations, and microcosms were incubated aerobically under room temperature at 70% water holding capacity. Results revealed that raw wastewater significantly (p < 0.05) changed soil N pools and processes, WSC contents, and enzymatic activities. The organic and inorganic N species increased with increasing wastewater concentrations, whereas WSC contents followed an opposite trend. The highest NH 4 + -N and NO 3 - -N contents were observed in soil treated with 100% wastewater. The extractable organic N (EON) contents always represented >50% of the soil total Kjeldahl N (TKN) contents and served as the major N pool. However, nitrification index (NO 3 - -N/NH 4 + -N ratio) decreased at high wastewater concentrations. A significant negative correlation was observed between EON and WSC (p < 0.05) and between net nitrification and WSC/EON ratio (p < 0.01). In contrast, nitrification index and WSC contents were correlated, positively suggesting WSC potentially controlling N turnover in nutrient-poor aridisol. We found significant (p < 0.0001) positive correlations of soil urease and dehydrogenase enzymatic activities with soil-extractable mineral N contents indicating coupled N cycling and soil biological activity. Higher production and accumulation of soil NO 3 - -N and EON contents in concentrated wastewater

Sorption, desorption and displacement of ibuprofen, estrone, and 17β estradiol in wastewater irrigated and rainfed agricultural soils.

PubMed

Durán-Álvarez, Juan C; Prado, Blanca; Ferroud, Anouck; Juayerk, Narcedalia; Jiménez-Cisneros, Blanca

2014-03-01

Sorption and leaching potential of ibuprofen, estrone and 17β estradiol were tested in two agricultural soils: one irrigated using municipal wastewater and the other used in rainfed agriculture. Batch sorption-desorption experiments and undisturbed soil column assays were carried out using both soils to which were added a mixture of the target compounds. The three compounds were sorbed to a different extent by both soils: estrone>17β estradiol>ibuprofen. Higher sorption was observed in the irrigated soil, which was attributed to the accumulation of organic matter caused by wastewater irrigation. Desorption of hormones was hysteretic in the irrigated soil, while ibuprofen showed low hysteresis in both soils. Retardation of the compounds' displacement was consistent with the sorption pattern observed in the batch tests. Retardation factor (RF) was similar for the three compounds in the two tested soils, indicating that the target compounds are much more mobile in the soil columns than would be predicted based on their equilibrium sorption parameters. The results obtained in the experiments clarify the role of wastewater irrigated soils as a filter and degradation media for the target micropollutants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of wastewater irrigation and sewage sludge application on soil residues of chiral fungicide benalaxyl.

PubMed

Jing, Xu; Yao, Guojun; Liu, Donghui; Liang, Yiran; Luo, Mai; Zhou, Zhiqiang; Wang, Peng

2017-05-01

The effects of wastewater irrigation and sewage sludge on the dissipation behavior of the fungicide benalaxyl and its primary metabolite benalaxyl acid in soil were studied on an enantiomeric level during a 148-day exposure experiment. Chiral separation and analysis of the two pairs of enantiomers were achieved using HPLC-MS/MS with a chiralpak IC chiral column. Benalaxyl decreased with half-life of 16.1 days in soil under tap water irrigation with preferential residue of S-benalaxyl. Benalaxyl acid was formed with great preference of R-enantiomer before 21 days while enriched in S-enantiomer afterwards. The degradation of benalaxyl was restrained by both wastewater and treated wastewater irrigation, but the enantioselectivity in S-benalaxyl residue was enhanced. Benalaxyl acid was also formed with similar enantioselectivity as in tap water irrigation. Sewage sludge could accelerate benalaxyl degradation with shorter half-life. Surprisingly, the enantioselectivity with preference degradation of S-enantiomer in sewage sludge was opposite to that in soil. More benalaxyl acid was generated with EF values always lower than 0.5 and remained longer in sewage sludge than in soil. A sterilization experiment indicated that the conversion of benalaxyl to benalaxyl acid and the enantioselectivity were determined by the microorganisms in soil or sewage sludge. Farming practices like wastewater irrigation and sewage sludge application might not only influence the fate of pesticide, but also the enantioselectivity of chiral pesticide enantiomers and thus the risks of pesticide residues posed to the environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The geostatistic-based spatial distribution variations of soil salts under long-term wastewater irrigation.

PubMed

Wu, Wenyong; Yin, Shiyang; Liu, Honglu; Niu, Yong; Bao, Zhe

2014-10-01

The purpose of this study was to determine and evaluate the spatial changes in soil salinity by using geostatistical methods. The study focused on the suburb area of Beijing, where urban development led to water shortage and accelerated wastewater reuse to farm irrigation for more than 30 years. The data were then processed by GIS using three different interpolation techniques of ordinary kriging (OK), disjunctive kriging (DK), and universal kriging (UK). The normality test and overall trend analysis were applied for each interpolation technique to select the best fitted model for soil parameters. Results showed that OK was suitable for soil sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and Na(+) interpolation; UK was suitable for soil Cl(-) and pH; DK was suitable for soil Ca(2+). The nugget-to-sill ratio was applied to evaluate the effects of structural and stochastic factors. The maps showed that the areas of non-saline soil and slight salinity soil accounted for 6.39 and 93.61%, respectively. The spatial distribution and accumulation of soil salt were significantly affected by the irrigation probabilities and drainage situation under long-term wastewater irrigation.

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

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils and crops after irrigation of wastewater discharged from domestic sewage treatment plants.

PubMed

Chung, N J; Cho, J Y; Park, S W; Park, B J; Hwang, S A; Park, T I

2008-08-01

The effects of domestic wastewater application on the translocation and accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil and crops (rice, lettuce, and barley) were investigated by Wagner's pot experiment. In the soils and crops after domestic wastewater irrigation, high-molecular weight PAHs (5 to 6 ring) were not detected, but low-molecular weight PAHs (3 to 4 ring) were only detected at trace levels.

[Treatment of tannery wastewater by infiltration percolation: chromium removal and speciation in soil].

PubMed

Tiglyene, S; Jaouad, A; Mandi, L

2008-06-01

The aim of this paper was, on one hand, to study the treatment of raw tannery effluent by infiltration percolation system and, on the other hand, to determine the distribution and speciation of chromium in the used soil. The system pilot consisted of columns filled to 15 cm of gravel and 60 cm of soil (88% of sand). The columns irrigated by raw tannery wastewater with a daily hydraulic load of 5 cm per day (approximately 10 L every day). The water flowed vertically through the soil. The speciation of Cr was investigated by using selective five steps sequential extraction method. The results indicated that the pH of the treated wastewater increases by three units in comparison to the raw wastewater. The electrical conductivity of the effluent increases also after treatment. Over the whole experimental period, results revealed significant performances of infiltration percolation system for organic load reduction. The mean elimination rate was 74% for total COD. In addition, there was a significant accumulation of organic carbon (62%) in the surface strata for the system. The total chromium undergoes an overall removal of 98%. After seven months of experiment, the results indicated that the whole retention of Cr occurring in the surface horizon of the soil (69%). Furthermore, the speciation study of Cr in the soil revealed that the oxidizable fraction is the most represented 55%. The reducible and residual phases represent 17.5% and 18.5%, respectively. The carbonate fraction presented 9% while exchangeable fraction presented only 0.02%.

SURVIVAL AND TRANSPORT OF HEPATITIS A VIRUS IN SOILS, GROUNDWATER AND WASTEWATER (JOURNAL VERSION)

EPA Science Inventory

Hepatitis A virus (HAV), poliovirus type 1 and echovirus type 1 were studied for their adsorption and survival in groundwater, wastewater and soils suspended in these media and for survival and transport through unsaturated miniature soil columns intermittently dosed with virus-l...

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

PHYTOREMEDIATION: USING PLANTS TO CLEAN UP CONTAMINATED SOIL, GROUNDWATER, AND WASTEWATER

EPA Science Inventory

Phytoremediation is an emerging cleanup technology for contaminated soils, groundwater, and wastewater that is both low-tech and low-cost. The cleanup technology is defined as the use of green plants to remove, contain, or render harmless such environmental contaminants as heavy ...

Methodological approach for evaluating the response of soil hydrological behavior to irrigation with treated municipal wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coppola, A.; Santini, A.; Botti, P.; Vacca, S.; Comegna, V.; Severino, G.

2004-06-01

This paper aims mainly to provide experimental evidence of the consequences of urban wastewater reuse in irrigation practices on the hydrological behavior of soils. The effects on both the hydraulic and dispersive properties of representative soils in southern Sardinia are illustrated. Ten undisturbed soil monoliths, 120 cm in height and 40 cm in diameter, were collected from plots previously selected through a soil survey. Soil hydraulic and solute transport properties were determined before and after application of wastewater using transient water infiltration and steady state-solute transport column experiments. Detailed spatial-temporal information on the propagation of water and solute through the soil profiles were obtained by monitoring soil water contents, θ, pressure heads, h, and solute concentrations, C, measured by a network of time domain reflectometry probes, tensiometers and solution samplers horizontally inserted in each column at different depths. A disturbed layer at the soil surface, which expands in depth with time, was observed, characterized by reduced soil porosity, translation of pore size distribution towards narrower pores and consequent decrease in water retention, hydraulic conductivity and hydrodynamic dispersion. It is shown that these changes occurring in the disturbed soil layer, although local by nature, affect the hydrological behavior of the whole soil profile. Due to the disturbed layer formation, the soil beneath never saturates. Such behavior has important consequences on the solute transport in soils, as unsaturated conditions mean higher residence times of solutes, even of those normally characterized by considerable mobility (e.g. boron), which may accumulate along the profile. The results mainly provide experimental evidence that knowledge of the chemical and microbiological composition of the water is not sufficient to evaluate its suitability for irrigation. Other factors, mainly soil physical and hydrological

Determining photon energy absorption parameters for different soil samples

PubMed Central

Kucuk, Nil; Tumsavas, Zeynal; Cakir, Merve

2013-01-01

The mass attenuation coefficients (μs) for five different soil samples were measured at 661.6, 1173.2 and 1332.5 keV photon energies. The soil samples were separately irradiated with 137Cs and 60Co (370 kBq) radioactive point gamma sources. The measurements were made by performing transmission experiments with a 2″ × 2″ NaI(Tl) scintillation detector, which had an energy resolution of 7% at 0.662 MeV for the gamma-rays from the decay of 137Cs. The effective atomic numbers (Zeff) and the effective electron densities (Neff) were determined experimentally and theoretically using the obtained μs values for the soil samples. Furthermore, the Zeff and Neff values of the soil samples were computed for the total photon interaction cross-sections using theoretical data over a wide energy region ranging from 1 keV to 15 MeV. The experimental values of the soils were found to be in good agreement with the theoretical values. Sandy loam and sandy clay loam soils demonstrated poor photon energy absorption characteristics. However, clay loam and clay soils had good photon energy absorption characteristics. PMID:23179375

Concomitant uptake of antimicrobials and Salmonella in soil and into lettuce following wastewater irrigation.

PubMed

Sallach, J Brett; Zhang, Yuping; Hodges, Laurie; Snow, Daniel; Li, Xu; Bartelt-Hunt, Shannon

2015-02-01

The use of wastewater for irrigation may introduce antimicrobials and human pathogens into the food supply through vegetative uptake. The objective of this study was to investigate the uptake of three antimicrobials and Salmonella in two lettuce cultivars. After repeated subirrigation with synthetic wastewater, lettuce leaves and soil were collected at three sequential harvests. The internalization frequency of Salmonella in lettuce was low. A soil horizon-influenced Salmonella concentration gradient was determined with concentrations in bottom soil 2 log CFU/g higher than in top soil. Lincomycin and sulfamethoxazole were recovered from lettuce leaves at concentrations as high as 822 ng/g and 125 ng/g fresh weight, respectively. Antimicrobial concentrations in lettuce decreased from the first to the third harvest suggesting that the plant growth rate may exceed antimicrobial uptake rates. Accumulation of antimicrobials was significantly different between cultivars demonstrating a subspecies level variation in uptake of antibiotics in lettuce. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Constant Head Evaluation of Full Scale Soil Absorption Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dix, S. P.

2001-05-01

Design loading rates for septic tank effluent in trenches of various designs with different geometry and media has been debated for decades. The role of bottom and sidewall is a hot topic with many opinion by experts in the field of agricultural and environmental engineering. Research institutions have conducted numerous studies and developed procedures for measuring both test systems and fundamental of soil hydraulics. Falling head tests have been used more recently to evaluate mature test cells and evaluate both sidewall and basal absorption, (Keys et al). The proposed paper will discuss the design and testing of a constant head permeameter. Testing this equipment and developing the test protocol followed the application of the procedure to on a number of residential systems in both sandy and clay loam soil. Results from this testing showed the relability step that must be taken to successfully use this equipment. Result of the testing show the variability and consistency of absorption, the changes in absorption when systems are flooded above their equilibrium condition and the longer-term changes that occur when trenches are rested in a warm climate. More recent application of the test procedure evaluated affects of head and increased depth sidewall on absorption rates when the effluent level in the trenches was raised. Future modification of the test equipment and procedure by integrating a data logger will permits more exact recording of dose cycles and improved estimate of soil absorption efficiency over time.

Contribution of Wastewater Irrigation to Soil Transmitted Helminths Infection among Vegetable Farmers in Kumasi, Ghana.

PubMed

Amoah, Isaac Dennis; Abubakari, Amina; Stenström, Thor Axel; Abaidoo, Robert Clement; Seidu, Razak

2016-12-01

Wastewater irrigation is associated with several benefits but can also lead to significant health risks. The health risk for contracting infections from Soil Transmitted Helminths (STHs) among farmers has mainly been assessed indirectly through measured quantities in the wastewater or on the crops alone and only on a limited scale through epidemiological assessments. In this study we broadened the concept of infection risks in the exposure assessments by measurements of the concentration of STHs both in wastewater used for irrigation and the soil, as well as the actual load of STHs ova in the stool of farmers and their family members (165 and 127 in the wet and dry seasons respectively) and a control group of non-farmers (100 and 52 in the wet and dry seasons, respectively). Odds ratios were calculated for exposure and non-exposure to wastewater irrigation. The results obtained indicate positive correlation between STH concentrations in irrigation water/soil and STHs ova as measured in the stool of the exposed farmer population. The correlations are based on reinfection during a 3 months period after prior confirmed deworming. Farmers and family members exposed to irrigation water were three times more likely as compared to the control group of non-farmers to be infected with Ascaris (OR = 3.9, 95% CI, 1.15-13.86) and hookworm (OR = 3.07, 95% CI, 0.87-10.82). This study therefore contributes to the evidence-based conclusion that wastewater irrigation contributes to a higher incidence of STHs infection for farmers exposed annually, with higher odds of infection in the wet season.

A soil infiltration system incorporated with sulfur-utilizing autotrophic denitrification (SISSAD) for domestic wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Kong, Zhe; Feng, Chuanping; Chen, Nan; Tong, Shuang; Zhang, Baogang; Hao, Chunbo; Chen, Kun

2014-05-01

To enhance the denitrification performance of soil infiltration, a soil infiltration system incorporated with sulfur-utilizing autotrophic denitrification (SISSAD) for domestic wastewater treatment was developed, and the SISSAD performance was evaluated using synthetic domestic wastewater in this study. The aerobic respiration and nitrification were mainly taken place in the upper aerobic stage (AES), removed 88.44% COD and 89.99% NH4(+)-N. Moreover, autotrophic denitrification occurred in the bottom anaerobic stage (ANS), using the CO2 produced from AES as inorganic carbon source. Results demonstrated that the SISSAD showed a remarkable performance on COD removal efficiency of 95.09%, 84.86% for NO3(-)-N, 95.25% for NH4(+)-N and 93.15% for TP. This research revealed the developed system exhibits a promising application prospect for domestic wastewater in the future. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of climatic conditions on the development of soil water repellency in soils treated with the wastewater of the olive oil production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaumann, Gabriele E.; Peikert, Benjamin; Tamimi, Nesreen; Steinmetz, Zacharias; Fischer, Jonas; Bibus, Daniel; Marei Sawalha, Amer; Dag, Arnon

2014-05-01

The disposal of untreated wastewater on soil can induce severe water repellency. The final degree of water repellency may strongly depend on the environmental conditions prevailing during and after disposal. Also unpolluted soil can develop severe water repellency upon exposure to extreme heat or draught events. The induced water repellency can be either persistent or of transient nature. However, the underlying mechanisms are not yet completely understood. The objective of this study was to investigate how climatic conditions determine the development and persistence of water repellency following wastewater disposal. Our hypothesis was that amphiphilic organic wastewater compounds physically sorb onto surfaces, which renders them hydrophobic. Depending on temperature and moisture, those compounds are degraded, chemically incorporated into SOM, or irreversibly sorbed to soil particles during the time after the first waste water-soil contact. According to our hypothesis, biological communities favor degradation and transformation of OM of waste water into SOM under moist soil conditions. This would reduce the initial hydrophobization. In contrast, drying irreversibly renders soil hydrophobic and phytotoxic due to immobilization of OMW OM in the soil. To test these hypotheses, we investigated effects of olive mil wastewater (OMW), the effluent originating from olive oil production, directly applied to soil. In Israel and Palastine, olive oil production generates large amounts of OMW within a short period of time between November and January. As sewage facilities do not accept OMW, it is often disposed onto soil, which leads to severe soil and groundwater pollution. If the above mentioned hypotheses match, pollution and hydrophobization might be minimized if the wastewater is discharged at the right time of the year. In order to test this, we conducted field (2-3 years) and laboratory (60 days) experiments in Israel (Gilat, arid climate) and in the West Bank (Bait

Organics removal of combined wastewater through shallow soil infiltration treatment: a field and laboratory study.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhiyin; Lei, Zhongfang; Zhang, Zhenya; Sugiura, Norio; Xu, Xiaotian; Yin, Didi

2007-11-19

Soil infiltration treatment (SIT) was proved to be an effective and low-cost treatment technique for decentralized effluents in the areas without perfect sewage systems. Field-scale experiments were conducted under several conditions to assess organics removals through a shallow soil infiltration treatment (SSIT, with effective depth 0.3m) of combined wastewater (discharge from toilets, restaurants and a gas station), while bench-scale soil column experiments were performed in laboratory in parallel to investigate biological and abiological effects of this kind of system. From the start-up to the 10th month, the field SSIT trenches experienced the lowest and highest temperatures of the operation period in Shanghai and exhibited effective organics removals after maturation, with the highest removal rate 75.8% of chemical oxygen demand (COD), highest ultraviolet absorption at 254 nm (UV(254)) decrease by 67.2% and 35.2-100% removals of phenolic and phthalate pollutants. The laboratory results indicated that more organics could be removed in room-temperatured (25+/-2 degrees C) SSIT systems under different influent COD concentrations from 45 mg/l to 406 mg/l, and the highest total COD removal rate could reach 94.0%, in which biological effect accounted for 57.7-71.9%. The results showed that temperature and hydraulic loading rate were the most important factors influencing the removals of COD and organic pollutants in SSIT.

Long-term application of winery wastewater - Effect on soil microbial populations and soil chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosse, Kim; Patti, Antonio; Smernik, Ron; Cavagnaro, Timothy

2010-05-01

The ability to reuse winery wastewater (WWW) has potential benefits both with respect to treatment of a waste stream, as well as providing a beneficial water resource in water limited regions such as south-eastern Australia, California and South Africa. Over an extended time period, this practice leads to changes in soil chemistry, and potentially, also to soil microbial populations. In this study, we compared the short term effects of WWW (both treated and untreated) application on soil biology and chemistry in two adjacent paired sites with the same soil type, one of which had received WWW for approximately 30 years, and the other which had not. The paired sites were treated with an industrially relevant quantity of WWW, and the soil microbial activity (measured as soil CO2 efflux) and common soil physicochemical properties were monitored over a 16-day period. In addition, Solid State 13C NMR was employed on whole soil samples from the two sites, to measure and compare the chemical nature of the soil organic matter at the paired sites. The acclimatised soil showed a high level of organic matter and a greater spike in microbial activity following WWW addition, in comparison with the non-acclimatised soil, suggesting differences in soil chemistry and soil microbial communities between the two sites. Soil nitrate and phosphorus levels showed significant differences between WWW treatments; these differences likely to be microbially mediated.

Contamination, source, and input route of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in historic wastewater-irrigated agricultural soils.

PubMed

Wang, Ning; Li, Hong-Bo; Long, Jin-Lin; Cai, Chao; Dai, Jiu-Lan; Zhang, Juan; Wang, Ren-Qing

2012-12-01

Contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of historic wastewater-irrigated agricultural topsoil (0-5 cm) and the contribution of groundwater irrigation and atmospheric deposition to soil PAHs were studied in a typical agricultural region, i.e. Hunpu region, Liaoning, China. Concentrations of total PAHs ranged from 0.43 to 2.64 mg kg⁻¹ in topsoil, being lower than those found in other wastewater-irrigated areas. The levels of PAHs in soil declined as the distance from a water source increased. Concentrations of individual PAHs were generally higher in upland than in paddy topsoils. The calculated nemerow composite index showed that agricultural soil in the region was "polluted" by PAHs. A human health risk assessment based on the total toxic equivalent concentration showed that the presence of elevated concentrations of PAHs in the soil might pose a great threat to the health of local residents. Ratios of pairs of PAHs and principal component analysis (PCA) showed that pyrogenesis, such as coal combustion, was the main source of PAHs, while petroleum, to some extent, also had a strong influence on PAHs contamination in upland soil. The distribution patterns of individual PAHs and composition of PAHs differed between irrigation groundwater and topsoil, but were similar between atmospheric deposition and topsoil. There were significant linear correlations (r = 0.90; p < 0.01) between atmospheric deposition rates and average concentrations of the 16 individual PAHs in soils, while no significant relationships were observed between irrigation groundwater and topsoil in levels of PAHs. These suggested that PAHs in agricultural soils were mainly introduced from atmospheric deposition, rather than from groundwater irrigation after the phasing out of wastewater irrigation in the region since 2002. This study provides a reference to ensure agricultural product safety, pollution control, and proper soil management.

Biodegradability of pharmaceutical compounds in agricultural soils irrigated with treated wastewater.

PubMed

Grossberger, Amnon; Hadar, Yitzhak; Borch, Thomas; Chefetz, Benny

2014-02-01

Pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) are introduced into agricultural soils via irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW). Our data show that carbamazepine, lamotrigine, caffeine, metoprolol, sulfamethoxazole and sildenafil are persistent in soils when introduced via TWW. However, other PCs, namely diclofenac, ibuprofen, bezafibrate, gemfibrozil and naproxen were not detected in soils when introduced via TWW. This is likely due to rapid degradation as confirmed in our microcosm studies where they exhibited half-lives (t1/2) between 0.2-9.5 days when soils were spiked at 50 ng/g soil and between 3 and 68 days when soils were spiked at 5000 ng/g soil. The degradation rate and extent of PCs observed in microcosm studies were similar in soils that had been previously irrigated with TWW or fresh water. This suggests that pre-exposure of the soils to PCs via irrigation with TWW does not enhance their biodegradation. This suggests that PCs are probably degraded in soils via co-metabolism. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contribution of Wastewater Irrigation to Soil Transmitted Helminths Infection among Vegetable Farmers in Kumasi, Ghana

PubMed Central

Abubakari, Amina; Stenström, Thor Axel; Abaidoo, Robert Clement; Seidu, Razak

2016-01-01

Wastewater irrigation is associated with several benefits but can also lead to significant health risks. The health risk for contracting infections from Soil Transmitted Helminths (STHs) among farmers has mainly been assessed indirectly through measured quantities in the wastewater or on the crops alone and only on a limited scale through epidemiological assessments. In this study we broadened the concept of infection risks in the exposure assessments by measurements of the concentration of STHs both in wastewater used for irrigation and the soil, as well as the actual load of STHs ova in the stool of farmers and their family members (165 and 127 in the wet and dry seasons respectively) and a control group of non-farmers (100 and 52 in the wet and dry seasons, respectively). Odds ratios were calculated for exposure and non-exposure to wastewater irrigation. The results obtained indicate positive correlation between STH concentrations in irrigation water/soil and STHs ova as measured in the stool of the exposed farmer population. The correlations are based on reinfection during a 3 months period after prior confirmed deworming. Farmers and family members exposed to irrigation water were three times more likely as compared to the control group of non-farmers to be infected with Ascaris (OR = 3.9, 95% CI, 1.15–13.86) and hookworm (OR = 3.07, 95% CI, 0.87–10.82). This study therefore contributes to the evidence-based conclusion that wastewater irrigation contributes to a higher incidence of STHs infection for farmers exposed annually, with higher odds of infection in the wet season. PMID:27923048

Transport and Transformation of Selenium and Other Constituents of Flue-Gas Desulfurization Wastewater in Water-Saturated Soil Materials.

PubMed

Galkaduwa, Madhubhashini B; Hettiarachchi, Ganga M; Kluitenberg, Gerard J; Hutchinson, Stacy L; Davis, Lawrence; Erickson, Larry E

2017-03-01

Constructed wetland treatment systems are used to remove selenium (Se) from flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater (WW). However, direct confirmation of the mechanism responsible for FGD WW Se retention in soil is lacking. A laboratory-based soil column study was performed to develop an evidence-based mechanism of Se retention and to study the behavior and the retention capacity of FGD WW constituents in water-saturated soil. A deoxygenated 1:1 mixture of FGD WW and raw water was delivered to the columns bottom-up at a flux of 1.68 cm d for 100 d. Some of the columns were flushed with the raw water at the same rate for an additional 100 d. Column effluent was analyzed for constituents of concern. Results showed a complete retention of FGD WW Se in the soil materials. Boron and fluorine were partially retained; however, sulfur, sodium, and chlorine retention was poor, agreeing with field observations. The FGD WW Se was retained in soil near the inlet end of the columns, indicating its limited mobility under reduced conditions. Sequential extraction procedure revealed that retained Se was mainly sequestered as stable/residual forms. Bulk- and micro-X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy confirmed that Se was mainly retained as reduced/stable species [Se(IV), organic Se, and Se(0)]. This study provides direct evidence for FGD WW Se retention in water-saturated soil via the transformation of oxidized Se into reduced/stable forms. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

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

PubMed

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

2008-12-30

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

Microbial contamination of vegetable crop and soil profile in arid regions under controlled application of domestic wastewater

PubMed Central

Balkhair, Khaled S.

2015-01-01

Increasing lack of potable water in arid countries leads to the use of treated wastewater for crop production. However, the use of inappropriate irrigation practices could result in a serious contamination risk to plants, soils, and groundwater with sewage water. This research was initiated in view to the increasing danger of vegetable crops and groundwater contamination with pathogenic bacteria due to wastewater land application. The research was designed to study: (1) the effect of treated wastewater irrigation on the yield and microbial contamination of the radish plant under field conditions; (2) contamination of the agricultural soil profile with fecal coliform bacteria. Effluent from a domestic wastewater treatment plant (100%) in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia, was diluted to 80% and 40% with the groundwater of the experimental site constituting three different water qualities plus groundwater as control. Radish plant was grown in two consecutive seasons under two drip irrigation systems and four irrigation water qualities. Upon harvesting, plant weight per ha, total bacterial, fecal coliform, fecal streptococci were detected per 100 g of dry matter and compared with the control. The soil profile was also sampled at an equal distance of 3 cm from soil surface for fecal coliform detection. The results indicated that the yield increased significantly under the subsurface irrigation system and the control water quality compared to surface irrigation system and other water qualities. There was a considerable drop in the count of all bacteria species under the subsurface irrigation system compared to surface irrigation. The bacterial count/g of the plant shoot system increased as the percentage of wastewater in the irrigation water increased. Most of the fecal coliform bacteria were deposited in the first few centimeters below the column inlet and the profile exponentially decreased with increasing depth. PMID:26858571

Olive oil mill wastewater for soil nitrogen and carbon conservation.

PubMed

Aguilar, Manuel Jimenez

2009-06-01

In this work the application of two levels of N fertilizer (NH(4)NO(3)) dissolved in water or olive oil mill wastewater (OOMW) diluted 10 or 20 times in water, has been studied in relation to the properties of two soils (Loam and Silt-Clay-Loam). Also, the effect of irrigation water bubbled with CO(2) (Dissolved Inorganic Carbon, DIC) was studied. Nitrate N, ammonium N, total N, organic C (OC), and CaCO(3) contents were determined in the soil as well as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), and absorbance at 250 and 360 nm. Our data provide evidence that inorganic-N fertilizer dissolved in OOMW significantly reduced the emission of nitrates from soils for two months, increasing OC values. Moreover, OOMW significantly lowered the ORP. The irrigation with DIC also increased soil OC. Thus, the application of inorganic-N fertilizers dissolved in OOMW diluted with water on soils and the irrigation with water bubbled with CO(2) could reduce the environmental impact of OOMW, nitrates, and CO(2).

Impact of municipal wastewater effluent on seed bank response and soils excavated from a wetland impoundment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finocchiaro, R.G.; Kremer, R.J.; Fredrickson, L.H.

2009-01-01

Intensive management of wetlands to improve wildlife habitat typically includes the manipulation of water depth, duration, and timing to promote desired vegetation communities. Increased societal, industrial, and agricultural demands for water may encourage the use of alternative sources such as wastewater effluents in managed wetlands. However, water quality is commonly overlooked as an influence on wetland soil seed banks and soils. In four separate greenhouse trials conducted over a 2-yr period, we examined the effects of municipal wastewater effluent (WWE) on vegetation of wetland seed banks and soils excavated from a wildlife management area in Missouri, USA. We used microcosms filled with one of two soil materials and irrigated with WWE, Missouri River water, or deionized water to simulate moist-soil conditions. Vegetation that germinated from the soil seed bank was allowed to grow in microcosms for approximately 100 d. Vegetative taxa richness, plant density, and biomass were significantly reduced in WWE-irrigated soil materials compared with other water sources. Salinity and sodicity rapidly increased in WWE-irrigated microcosms and probably was responsible for inhibiting germination or interfering with seedling development. Our results indicate that irrigation with WWE promoted saline-sodic soil conditions, which alters the vegetation community by inhibiting germination or seedling development. ?? 2009, The Society of Wetland Scientists.

Development of natural treatment system consisting of black soil and Kentucky bluegrass for the post-treatment of anaerobically digested strong wastewater.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaochen; Fukushi, Kensuke

2016-03-01

To develop a sound post-treatment process for anaerobically-digested strong wastewater, a novel natural treatment system comprising two units is put forward. The first unit, a trickling filter, provides for further reduction of biochemical oxygen demand and adjustable nitrification. The subsequent soil-plant unit aims at removing and recovering the nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). As a lab-scale feasibility study, a soil column test was conducted, in which black soil and valuable Kentucky bluegrass were integrated to treat artificial nutrient-enriched wastewater. After a long-term operation, the nitrification function was well established in the top layers, despite the need for an improved denitrification process prior to discharge. P and K were retained by the soil through distinct mechanisms. Since they either partially or totally remained in plant-available forms in the soil, indirect nutrient reuse could be achieved. As for Kentucky bluegrass, it displayed better growth status when receiving wastewater, with direct recovery of 8%, 6% and 14% of input N, P and K, respectively. Furthermore, the indispensable role of Kentucky bluegrass for better treatment performance was proved, as it enhanced the cell-specific nitrification potential of the soil nitrifying microorganisms inhabiting the rhizosphere. After further upgrade, the proposed system is expected to become a new solution for strong wastewater pollution. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Assessment of sulfide production risk in soil during the infiltration of domestic wastewater treated by a sulfur-utilizing denitrification process.

PubMed

Ghorbel, L; Coudert, L; Gilbert, Y; Mercier, G; Blais, J F

2016-10-01

This study aimed to determine the potential of sulfide generation during infiltration through soil of domestic wastewater treated by a sulfur-utilizing denitrification process. Three types of soil with different permeability rates (K s = 0.028, 0.0013, and 0.00015 cm/s) were investigated to evaluate the potential risk of sulfur generation during the infiltration of domestic wastewater treated by a sulfur-utilizing denitrification system. These soils were thoroughly characterized and tested to assess their capacity to be used as drainages for wastewaters. Experiments were conducted under two operating modes (saturated and unsaturated). Sulfate, sulfide, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels were determined over a period of 100 days. Despite the high concentration of sulfates (200 mg/L) under anaerobic conditions (ORP = -297 mV), no significant amount of sulfide was generated in the aqueous (<0.2 mg/L) or gaseous (<0.15 ppm) phases. Furthermore, the soil permeability did not have a noticeable effect on the infiltration of domestic wastewater treated by a sulfur-utilizing denitrification system due to low contents of organic matter (i.e., dissolved organic carbon, DOC). The autotrophic denitrification process used to treat the domestic wastewater allowed the reduction of the concentration of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) below 5 mg/L, of DOC below 7 mg/L, and of COD below 100 mg/L.

Flotation separation and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination of thallium in wastewater samples.

PubMed

Hosseini, Mohammad Saeid; Chamsaz, Mahmoud; Raissi, Heidar; Naseri, Yousef

2006-01-01

The proposed method is a simple process for the determination of trace amount of thallium(I) in the environmental wastewater samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The wastewater samples were obtained from the environment of a cement plant and subjected to a simple treatment, such as adjusting pH and masking the interfering ions, to prepare for the flotation process in which the thallium(I) content was floated as an ion-association complex using iodide and Rhodamine B at the interface of aqueous/cyclohexane layers. The floated layer was then separated and dissolved in 2 ml of a solution, which was 1% to H2SO4 and 50% to methanol, respectively. Aliquots of 10-microl of this solution were subjected to the graphite furnace to determine the thallium(I) content. The flotation process can be carried in a weak acidic medium in which the interfering effects owing to certain metal ions were eliminated by masking them as neutral citrate chelates. The dynamic range for the determination was found to be 1.0 x 10(-8) - 1.0 x 10(-7) mol l(-1). The RSD was 3.2% and the DL was 2.5 x 10(-9) mol l(-1) (calculated as 3SD of the blank). The reliability of the method is demonstrated by the analysis of a synthetic wastewater in which the recovery was found to be 94%.

Occurrence of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in soils from wastewater irrigation areas in the Pearl River Delta region, southern China.

PubMed

Pan, Min; Chu, L M

2018-05-15

The occurrence and distribution of tetracycline (TC) and sulfamethazine (SMZ), and the corresponding antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were investigated in six agricultural sites in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in southern China. Irrigation water and irrigated soils at two different depths (0-10 and 10-20cm) were analyzed. The total concentrations of TC and SMZ in irrigation water ranged from 69.3 to 234ng/L and from 4.00 to 58.2ng/L, respectively, while the total concentrations of TC and SMZ in irrigated soils ranged from 5.00 to 21.9μg/kg and from 1.30 to 4.20μg/kg, respectively. After long-term irrigation with domestic and fishpond wastewater in the field, the residual TC and SMZ and their corresponding ARGs in soils were significantly higher in fishpond-irrigated soils (Dongguan and Shenzhen) than in domestic wastewater-irrigated soils (Foshan, Guangzhou, Huizhou and Zhongshan). The concentrations of antibiotics and their ARGs were significantly higher in irrigation water than in irrigated soils, which indicated that wastewater was the primary source of antibiotics in the soil environments. The domestic and fishpond wastewater were important repositories of antibiotics and their ARGs, which require effective treatment before their discharge into the environment. Other factors such as soil physicochemical properties, manure application, irrigation water sources and cropping patterns also affect the antibiotic concentrations and ARG abundances. The residual antibiotic concentrations statistically correlated with the corresponding ARGs in irrigation water and irrigated soils, both of which decreased with increasing soil depth, indicating that the concentration of antibiotics in the environment exerted a selection pressure on the microorganisms in the environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of treated wastewater on growth, respiration and hydraulic conductivity of citrus root systems in light and heavy soils.

PubMed

Paudel, Indira; Cohen, Shabtai; Shaviv, Avi; Bar-Tal, Asher; Bernstein, Nirit; Heuer, Bruria; Ephrath, Jhonathan

2016-06-01

Roots interact with soil properties and irrigation water quality leading to changes in root growth, structure and function. We studied these interactions in an orchard and in lysimeters with clay and sandy loam soils. Minirhizotron imaging and manual sampling showed that root growth was three times lower in the clay relative to sandy loam soil. Treated wastewater (TWW) led to a large reduction in root growth with clay (45-55%) but not with sandy loam soil (<20%). Treated wastewater increased salt uptake, membrane leakage and proline content, and decreased root viability, carbohydrate content and osmotic potentials in the fine roots, especially in clay. These results provide evidence that TWW challenges and damages the root system. The phenology and physiology of root orders were studied in lysimeters. Soil type influenced diameter, specific root area, tissue density and cortex area similarly in all root orders, while TWW influenced these only in clay soil. Respiration rates were similar in both soils, and root hydraulic conductivity was severely reduced in clay soil. Treated wastewater increased respiration rate and reduced hydraulic conductivity of all root orders in clay but only of the lower root orders in sandy loam soil. Loss of hydraulic conductivity increased with root order in clay and clay irrigated with TWW. Respiration and hydraulic properties of all root orders were significantly affected by sodium-amended TWW in sandy loam soil. These changes in root order morphology, anatomy, physiology and hydraulic properties indicate rapid and major modifications of root systems in response to differences in soil type and water quality. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Assessment of long-term wastewater irrigation impacts on the soil geochemical properties and the bioaccumulation of heavy metals to the agricultural products.

PubMed

Christou, Anastasis; Eliadou, Elena; Michael, Costas; Hapeshi, Evroula; Fatta-Kassinos, Despo

2014-08-01

An extensive field survey was employed for assessing the impacts of long-term wastewater irrigation of forage crops and orange orchards in three suburban agricultural areas in Cyprus (areas I, II, and III), as compared to rainfed agriculture, on the soil geochemical properties and the bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Zn, Ni, Mn, Cu, Co) to the agricultural products. Both ryegrass fields and orange orchards in areas I and II were continuously wastewater irrigated for 10 years, whereas clover fields in area III for 0.5, 4, and 8 years. The results revealed that wastewater reuse for irrigation caused a slight increase in soil salinity and Cl(-) content in areas I and II, and a remarkable increase, having strong correlation with the period in which wastewater irrigation was practiced, in area III. Soil salinization in area III was due to the high electrical conductivity (EC) of the wastewater applied for irrigation, attributed to the influx of seawater to the sewage collection network in area III. In addition, the wastewater irrigation practice resulted in a slight decrease of the soil pH values in area III, while a subtle impact was identified regarding the CaCO3, Fe, and heavy metal content in the three areas surveyed. The heavy metal content quantified in the forage plants' above-ground parts was below the critical levels of phytotoxicity and the maximum acceptable concentration in dairy feed, whereas heavy metals quantified in orange fruit pulp were below the maximum permissible levels (MPLs). Heavy metal phytoavailability was confined due to soil properties (high pH and clay content), as evidenced by the calculated low transfer factor (TF).

Effects of soil texture and drought stress on the uptake of antibiotics and the internalization of Salmonella in lettuce following wastewater irrigation.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuping; Sallach, J Brett; Hodges, Laurie; Snow, Daniel D; Bartelt-Hunt, Shannon L; Eskridge, Kent M; Li, Xu

2016-01-01

Treated wastewater is expected to be increasingly used as an alternative source of irrigation water in areas facing fresh water scarcity. Understanding the behaviors of contaminants from wastewater in soil and plants following irrigation is critical to assess and manage the risks associated with wastewater irrigation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of soil texture and drought stress on the uptake of antibiotics and the internalization of human pathogens into lettuce through root uptake following wastewater irrigation. Lettuce grown in three soils with variability in soil texture (loam, sandy loam, and sand) and under different levels of water stress (no drought control, mild drought, and severe drought) were irrigated with synthetic wastewater containing three antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, lincomycin and oxytetracycline) and one Salmonella strain a single time prior to harvest. Antibiotic uptake in lettuce was compound-specific and generally low. Only sulfamethoxazole was detected in lettuce with increasing uptake corresponding to increasing sand content in soil. Increased drought stress resulted in increased uptake of lincomycin and decreased uptake of oxytetracycline and sulfamethoxazole. The internalization of Salmonella was highly dependent on the concentration of the pathogen in irrigation water. Irrigation water containing 5 Log CFU/mL Salmonella resulted in limited incidence of internalization. When irrigation water contained 8 Log CFU/mL Salmonella, the internalization frequency was significantly higher in lettuce grown in sand than in loam (p = 0.009), and was significantly higher in lettuce exposed to severe drought than in unstressed lettuce (p = 0.049). This work demonstrated how environmental factors affected the risk of contaminant uptake by food crops following wastewater irrigation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of treated wastewater in agriculture: effects on soil environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levy, Guy J.; Lado, Marcos

2014-05-01

Disposal of treated sewage, both from industrial and domestic origin (herein referred to as treated wastewater [TWW]), is often considered as an environmental hazard. However, in areas afflicted by water scarcity, especially in semi-arid and arid regions, where the future of irrigated agriculture (which produces approximately one third of crop yield and half the return from global crop production) is threatened by existing or expected shortage of fresh water, the use of TWW offers a highly effective and sustainable strategy to exploit a water resource. However, application of TWW to the soil is not free of risks both to organisms (e.g., crops, microbiota) and to the soil. Potential risks may include reduction in biological activity (including crop yield) due to elevated salinity and specific ion toxicity, migration of pollutants towards surface- and ground-water, and deterioration of soil structure. In recent years, new evidence about the possible negative impact of long-term irrigation with TWW on soil structure and physical and chemo-physical properties has emerged, thus putting the sustainability of irrigation with TWW in question. In this presentation, some aspects of the effects of long-term irrigation with TWW on soil properties are shown.

Accumulation of pharmaceuticals, Enterococcus, and resistance genes in soils irrigated with wastewater for zero to 100 years in central Mexico.

PubMed

Dalkmann, Philipp; Broszat, Melanie; Siebe, Christina; Willaschek, Elisha; Sakinc, Tuerkan; Huebner, Johannes; Amelung, Wulf; Grohmann, Elisabeth; Siemens, Jan

2012-01-01

Irrigation with wastewater releases pharmaceuticals, pathogenic bacteria, and resistance genes, but little is known about the accumulation of these contaminants in the environment when wastewater is applied for decades. We sampled a chronosequence of soils that were variously irrigated with wastewater from zero up to 100 years in the Mezquital Valley, Mexico, and investigated the accumulation of ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, clarithromycin, carbamazepine, bezafibrate, naproxen, diclofenac, as well as the occurrence of Enterococcus spp., and sul and qnr resistance genes. Total concentrations of ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and carbamazepine increased with irrigation duration reaching 95% of their upper limit of 1.4 µg/kg (ciprofloxacin), 4.3 µg/kg (sulfamethoxazole), and 5.4 µg/kg (carbamazepine) in soils irrigated for 19-28 years. Accumulation was soil-type-specific, with largest accumulation rates in Leptosols and no time-trend in Vertisols. Acidic pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, naproxen, bezafibrate) were not retained and thus did not accumulate in soils. We did not detect qnrA genes, but qnrS and qnrB genes were found in two of the irrigated soils. Relative concentrations of sul1 genes in irrigated soils were two orders of magnitude larger (3.15 × 10(-3) ± 0.22 × 10(-3) copies/16S rDNA) than in non-irrigated soils (4.35 × 10(-5)± 1.00 × 10(-5) copies/16S rDNA), while those of sul2 exceeded the ones in non-irrigated soils still by a factor of 22 (6.61 × 10(-4) ± 0.59 × 10(-4) versus 2.99 × 10(-5) ± 0.26 × 10(-5) copies/16S rDNA). Absolute numbers of sul genes continued to increase with prolonging irrigation together with Enterococcus spp. 23S rDNA and total 16S rDNA contents. Increasing total concentrations of antibiotics in soil are not accompanied by increasing relative abundances of resistance genes. Nevertheless, wastewater irrigation enlarges the absolute concentration of resistance genes in soils due to a long

Competitive sorption and desorption behavior for three fluoroquinolone antibiotics in a wastewater treatment wetland soil.

PubMed

Conkle, Jeremy L; Lattao, Charisma; White, John R; Cook, Robert L

2010-09-01

Significant amounts of pharmaceuticals are discharged into the environment through wastewater effluent. Sorption has been shown to be a significant aqueous removal pathway for many of these compounds. Competition between ciprofloxacin (CIP), ofloxacin (OFL) and norfloxacin (NOR) and their sorption to, and desorption from, a surrogate Louisiana wastewater treatment wetland soil were investigated to gain insight into the fate and transport of the pollutants within wastewater treatment wetlands. This study was undertaken in the context of a treatment wetland that continuously receives pharmaceuticals. Therefore it is important to understand the total capacity of this soil to sorb these compounds. Sorption to this treatment wetland soil was found to provide a major and potentially long-term removal pathway for these antibiotics from wastewater. LogK(F) values for all three compounds were between 4.09 and 3.90 for sorption and 4.24 and 4.05 microg(1-1/)(n)(cm(3))(1/)(n)g(-1) for desorption. The compounds were sorbed in amounts ranging from 60% to 90% for high and low loading, respectively. The majority of the compounds were sorbed to the soil within the first 20h, indicating that treatment wetland may not need long retention times (weeks to months) in order to remove these compounds. Sorption K(D) values for competition (20 ppm of each compound for 60 ppm of total fluoroquinolones) ranged from 2300 to 3800 cm(3)g(-1) which is between both the 20 (4300-5800 cm(3)g(-1)) and 60 (1300-3000 cm(3)g(-1)) ppm single compound K(D) values, indicating that there is competition between these three compound for sorption sites. Sorption and desorption data (single component and mixture) collectively provide the following evidence: (1) NOR and, to a lesser extent, CIP outcompete OFL for sorption sites, (2) OFL sorbes to its share of "quality" sorption sites, and (3) competition only occurs for lesser "quality" binding sites. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of use of treated wastewater for irrigation on soil and quinoa crop in South of Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Youssfi, Lahcen; Choukr-Allah, Redouane; Zaafrani, Mina; Hirich, Aziz; Fahmi, Hasna; Abdelatif, Rami; Laajaj, Khadija; El Omari, Halima

2015-04-01

This work was conducted at the experimental station of the IAV Hassan II-CHA-Agadir in southwest Morocco between 2010 and 2012. It aimed the assessment of the effects of use of treated wastewater on soil properties and agronomic parameters by adopting crop rotation introducing quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) as a new crop under semi-arid climate. Biomass production, yield, nutrient accumulation in leaves and the level of electrical conductivity and soil nitrate are the evaluated parameters during three growing seasons. Results show that quinoa has a performing behavior when it is preceded by fabae bean in term of water use efficiency; in addition, the recorded level of salt accumulation in the soil was the lowest in comparison with that of the combinations bean>quinoa and fallow>quinoa. Concerning growth and yield, it was found that growing quinoa after chickpea was more beneficial in terms of biomass productivity and yield. Keywords: Quinoa, soil, treated wastewater semi-arid

Biogenic nitric oxide from wastewater land application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rammon, Desirée A.; Peirce, J. Jeffrey

The importance of municipal wastewater land application to nitric oxide production and transport in soil was studied through the formulation and conduct of a comprehensive laboratory testing protocol. Nitric oxide (NO) is a precursor in the formation of tropospheric ozone which can directly impact public health and the environment. It is the uncertainty in the NO budget, and its relation to O 3, that motivates the need for measurements and modeling of NO flux from soils. Wastewater-amended soil is potentially one important component of that budget. NO emissions reported here were measured from: a well-characterized unamended soil, water-amended soil, and wastewater-amended soil in the laboratory in a dynamic test chamber. Laboratory results indicate that NO emissions from the selected sandy loam soil ranged from 0.3 to 0.4 ng N m -2 s -1 per cm 2 of unamended soil, while water-amended soil emissions ranged from 0.4 to 0.7 ng N m -2 s -1 per cm 2. NO flux from wastewater-amended soil ranged from 1.0 to 1.2 ng N m -2 s -1 per cm 2 of applied soil.

Reuse of Winery Wastewater by Application to Vineyard Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosse, K. P.; Patti, A. F.; Parikh, S.; Steenwerth, K. L.; Buelow, M. C.; Cavagnaro, T. R.

2010-12-01

The ability to reuse winery wastewater (WWW) has potential benefits both with respect to treatment of a waste stream, as well as providing a beneficial water resource in water limited regions such as south-eastern Australia, California and South Africa. Our study in south-eastern Australia and California has focused on characterizing the physicochemical properties and microbial communities on soils following WWW application. Studies in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia considered the effect of a single WWW application on paired soil sites, one of which was acclimatized to WWW application via 30 years of this practice, and the other of which was not. Soils that had received WWW appear to have a primed microbial population, with soil respiration showing a significantly greater spike following the single WWW application. In addition, the nitrate and ammonium spikes were impacted upon in the acclimatised site. Taken together, this information suggests that long-term WWW application causes an alteration to the microbial community, which may be more readily able to assimilate the carbon and nitrogen sources present in WWW. Studies are currently underway to assess the impacts of the application of a synthetic WWW on vineyard soils in Davis, California. In this study, four different synthetic WWWs are being applied as irrigation water, and soil will be sampled at the time of grape harvest. Results from this ongoing work will be presented with a view to informing long term vineyard management for sustainability.

Interrelationships of metal transfer factor under wastewater reuse and soil pollution.

PubMed

Papaioannou, D; Kalavrouziotis, I K; Koukoulakis, P H; Papadopoulos, F; Psoma, P

2018-06-15

The transfer of heavy metals under soil pollution wastewater reuse was studied in a Greenhouse experiment using a randomized block design, including 6 treatments of heavy metals mixtures composed of Zn, Mn, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Pb, where each metal was taking part in the mixture with 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 mg/kg respectively, in four replications. The Beta vulgaris L (beet) was used as a test plant. It was found that the metal transfer factors were statistically significantly related to the: (i) DTPA extractable soil metals, (ii) the soil pollution level as assessed by the pollution indices, (iii) the soil pH, (iv) the beet dry matter yield and (v) the interactions between the heavy metals in the soil. It was concluded that the Transfer Factor is subjected to multifactor effects and its real nature is complex, and there is a strong need for further study for the understanding of its role in metal-plant relationships. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accumulation and leaching potential of some pharmaceuticals and potential endocrine disruptors in soils irrigated with wastewater in the Tula Valley, Mexico.

PubMed

Gibson, Richard; Durán-Álvarez, Juan C; Estrada, Karina León; Chávez, Alma; Jiménez Cisneros, Blanca

2010-12-01

The reuse of wastewater for irrigation of agricultural land is a well established practice but introduces many contaminants into the terrestrial environment including pharmaceuticals and personal care products. This study reports the persistence and leaching potential of a group of acidic pharmaceuticals, carbamazepine, and three endocrine disruptors in soils from the Tula Valley in Mexico, one of the largest irrigation districts in the world that uses untreated wastewater. After irrigation of soil columns with fortified wastewater over the equivalent of one crop cycle, between 0% and 7% of the total added amounts of ibuprofen, naproxen, and diclofenac and between 0% and 25% of 4-nonylphenol, triclosan, and bisphenol-A were recovered from the soil profiles. Carbamazepine was more persistent, between 55% and 107% being recovered. Amounts in leachates suggested that movement through the soil was possible for all of the analytes, particularly in profiles of low organic matter and clay content. Analysis of soil samples from the Tula Valley confirmed the general lack of accumulation of the acidic pharmaceuticals (concentrations from below the limit of detection to 0.61 μgkg(-1)) and endocrine disruptors (concentrations from below the limit of detection to 109 μgkg(-1)) despite continual addition through regular irrigation with untreated wastewater; there was little evidence of movement through the soil profiles. In contrast, carbamazepine was present in horizon A of the soil at concentrations equivalent to several years of additions by irrigation (2.6-7.5 μgkg(-1)) and was also present in the deeper horizons. The persistence and mobility of carbamazepine suggested a potential to contaminate groundwater. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil fertilization with wastewater biosolids - monitoring changes in the 'soil-fertilizer-plant' system and phosphorus recovery options.

PubMed

Kathijotes, Nicholas; Zlatareva, Elena; Marinova, Svetla; Petrova, Vera

2016-09-01

The aim of this study is to establish changes that may occur after a prolonged application of wastewater sludge treated to biosolids, in the 'soil-fertilizer-plant' system. Thirteen experimental plots with different soil types planted with experimental crops were investigated in order to evaluate the suitability of these biosolids as soil conditioners and fertilizers. The biosolids were incorporated in soil starting in 2006 in different quantities (from 6 tons per ha) for various arrays. The rate of application was calculated on the basis of imported nitrogen and was consistent with the characteristics of the sludge, soil diversity, growing crop requirements, and other factors. In 2013 (after 7 years of land use) average soil samples from the same arrays were taken and analyzed. No chemical fertilizer was applied during the experimental period. The results show that the use of sewage biosolids as a soil improver in accordance with local legislation does not pose any serious environmental risks but can maintain and improve soil fertility and crop yield. A slight increase in Cu and Zn in plants was detected, however the content of heavy metals in all soil samples was below maximum allowable limits and no signs of phytotoxicity were observed.

Dynamics of soil organic carbon and microbial activity in treated wastewater irrigated agricultural soils along soil profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jüschke, Elisabeth; Marschner, Bernd; Chen, Yona; Tarchitzky, Jorge

2010-05-01

Treated wastewater (TWW) is an important source for irrigation water in arid and semiarid regions and already serves as an important water source in Jordan, the Palestinian Territories and Israel. Reclaimed water still contains organic matter (OM) and various compounds that may effect microbial activity and soil quality (Feigin et al. 1991). Natural soil organic carbon (SOC) may be altered by interactions between these compounds and the soil microorganisms. This study evaluates the effects of TWW irrigation on the quality, dynamics and microbial transformations of natural SOC. Priming effects (PE) and SOC mineralization were determined to estimate the influence of TWW irrigation on SOC along soil profiles of agricultural soils in Israel and the Westbank. The used soil material derived from three different sampling sites allocated in Israel and The Palestinian Authority. Soil samples were taken always from TWW irrigated sites and control fields from 6 different depths (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-50, 50-70, 70-100 cm). Soil carbon content and microbiological parameters (microbial biomass, microbial activities and enzyme activities) were investigated. In several sites, subsoils (50-160 cm) from TWW irrigated plots were depleted in soil organic matter with the largest differences occurring in sites with the longest TWW irrigation history. Laboratory incubation experiments with additions of 14C-labelled compounds to the soils showed that microbial activity in freshwater irrigated soils was much more stimulated by sugars or amino acids than in TWW irrigated soils. The lack of such "priming effects" (Hamer & Marschner 2005) in the TWW irrigated soils indicates that here the microorganisms are already operating at their optimal metabolic activity due to the continuous substrate inputs with soluble organic compounds from the TWW. The fact that PE are triggered continuously due to TWW irrigation may result in a decrease of SOC over long term irrigation. Already now this could be

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

PubMed

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

2016-04-20

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

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

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

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

Turf soil enhances treatment efficiency and performance of phenolic wastewater in an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor.

PubMed

Chen, Chunmao; Yao, Xianyang; Li, Qing X; Wang, Qinghong; Liang, Jiahao; Zhang, Simin; Ming, Jie; Liu, Zhiyuan; Deng, Jingmin; Yoza, Brandon A

2018-08-01

Phenols are industrially generated intermediate chemicals found in wastewaters that are considered a class of environmental priority pollutants. Up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors are used for phenolic wastewater treatment and exhibit high volume loading capability, favorable granule settling, and tolerance to impact loads. Use of support materials can promote biological productivity and accelerate start-up period of UASB. In the present study, turf soil was used as a support material in a mesophilic UASB reactor for the removal of phenols in wastewater. During sludge acclimatization (45-96 days), COD and phenols in the treatments were both reduced by 97%, whereas these contents in the controls were decreased by 81% and 75%, respectively. The phenol load threshold for the turf soil UASB reactor was greater (1200 mg/L, the equivalent of COD 3000 mg/L) in comparison with the control UASB reactor (900 mg/L, the equivalent of COD 2250 mg/L) and the turf soil UASB reactor was also more resistant to shock loading. Improved sludge settling, shear resistance, and higher biological activity occurred with the turf soil UASB reactor due to the formation of large granular sludge (0.6 mm or larger) in higher relative percentages. Granular sludge size was further enhanced by the colonization of filamentous bacteria on the irregular surface of the turf soil. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Short-term effects of irrigation with treated domestic wastewater on microbiological activity of a Vertic xerofluvent soil under Mediterranean conditions.

PubMed

Kayikcioglu, Huseyin Husnu

2012-07-15

Approximately 70% of the world water use, including all the water diverted from rivers and pumped from underground, is used for agricultural irrigation, so the reuse of treated domestic wastewater (TWW) for purposes such as agricultural and landscape irrigation reduces the amount of water that needs to be extracted from natural water sources as well as reducing discharge of wastewater to the environment. Thus, TWW is a valuable water source for recycling and reusing in arid and semi-arid regions which are frequently confronting water shortages. In this regard, this study was planned to reveal the short-term effects of advanced-TWW irrigation on microbial parameters of Vertic xerofluvent soil. For this purpose, certain parameters were measured in the study, including soil total organic carbon (C(org)), N-mineralization (N(min)), microbial biomass carbon (C(mic)), soil microbial quotient (C(mic)/C(org)) and the activities of the enzymes dehydrogenase (DHG), urease (UA), alkaline phosphatase (ALKPA), β-glucosidase (GLU) and aryl sulphatase (ArSA) in soils irrigated with TWW and fresh water (FW). All of the microbial parameters were negatively affected by TWW irrigation. Microbial parameters decreased by 10.1%-54.1% in comparison with the FW plots. This decrease especially in enzymatic activities of soil irrigated with TWW, presumably due to some heavy metals inhibited their activity associated with the soil types and the concentrations of heavy metals in wastewater. In contrast, C(mic)/C(org) was found higher in the plots irrigated with TWW at the end of the experiment. The addition of organic matter to soil by irrigation with TWW is cause for the increase in this ratio. The dose of irrigation should be modified to reduce the quantity and to increase the frequency of application to avoid the loss of aggregation and salt accumulation. TWW irrigation is a strategy with many benefits to agricultural land management; however, long-term studies should be implemented to

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

PubMed

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

2017-01-15

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

Accumulation of Pharmaceuticals, Enterococcus, and Resistance Genes in Soils Irrigated with Wastewater for Zero to 100 Years in Central Mexico

PubMed Central

Siebe, Christina; Willaschek, Elisha; Sakinc, Tuerkan; Huebner, Johannes; Amelung, Wulf; Grohmann, Elisabeth; Siemens, Jan

2012-01-01

Irrigation with wastewater releases pharmaceuticals, pathogenic bacteria, and resistance genes, but little is known about the accumulation of these contaminants in the environment when wastewater is applied for decades. We sampled a chronosequence of soils that were variously irrigated with wastewater from zero up to 100 years in the Mezquital Valley, Mexico, and investigated the accumulation of ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, clarithromycin, carbamazepine, bezafibrate, naproxen, diclofenac, as well as the occurrence of Enterococcus spp., and sul and qnr resistance genes. Total concentrations of ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and carbamazepine increased with irrigation duration reaching 95% of their upper limit of 1.4 µg/kg (ciprofloxacin), 4.3 µg/kg (sulfamethoxazole), and 5.4 µg/kg (carbamazepine) in soils irrigated for 19–28 years. Accumulation was soil-type-specific, with largest accumulation rates in Leptosols and no time-trend in Vertisols. Acidic pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, naproxen, bezafibrate) were not retained and thus did not accumulate in soils. We did not detect qnrA genes, but qnrS and qnrB genes were found in two of the irrigated soils. Relative concentrations of sul1 genes in irrigated soils were two orders of magnitude larger (3.15×10−3±0.22×10−3 copies/16S rDNA) than in non-irrigated soils (4.35×10−5±1.00×10−5 copies/16S rDNA), while those of sul2 exceeded the ones in non-irrigated soils still by a factor of 22 (6.61×10–4±0.59×10−4 versus 2.99×10−5±0.26×10−5 copies/16S rDNA). Absolute numbers of sul genes continued to increase with prolonging irrigation together with Enterococcus spp. 23S rDNA and total 16S rDNA contents. Increasing total concentrations of antibiotics in soil are not accompanied by increasing relative abundances of resistance genes. Nevertheless, wastewater irrigation enlarges the absolute concentration of resistance genes in soils due to a long-term increase in

Concentrations and bioaccessibility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in wastewater-irrigated soil using in vitro gastrointestinal test.

PubMed

Khan, Sardar; Cao, Qing; Lin, Ai-Jun; Zhu, Yong-Guan

2008-06-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread environmental contaminants and contribute to the pollution of soil environment. Soil ingestion is of increasing concern for assessing health risk from PAH-contaminated soils because soil ingestion is one of the potentially important pathways of exposure to environmental pollutants, particularly relevant for children playing at contaminated sites due to their hand-to-mouth activities. In vitro gastro-intestinal tests imitate the human digestive tract, based on the physiology of humans, generally more simple, less time-consuming, and especially more reproducible than animal tests. This study was conducted to investigate the level of PAH contamination and oral bioaccessibility in surface soils, using physiologically based in vitro gastro-intestinal tests regarding both gastric and small intestinal conditions. Wastewater-irrigated soils were sampled from the metropolitan areas of Beijing and Tianjin, China, which were highly contaminated with PAHs. Reference soil samples were also collected for comparisons. At each site, four soils were sampled in the upper horizon at the depth of 0-20 cm randomly and were bulked together to form one composite sample. PAH concentrations and origin were investigated and a physiologically based in vitro test was conducted using all analytical grade reagents. Linear regression model was used to assess the relationship between total PAH concentrations in soils and soil organic carbon (SOC). A wide range of total PAH concentrations ranging from 1,304 to 3,369 mug kg(-1) in soils collected from different wastewater-irrigated sites in Tianjin, while ranging from 2,687 to 4,916 mug kg(-1) in soils collected from different wastewater-irrigated sites in Beijing, was detected. In general, total PAH concentrations in soils from Beijing sites were significantly higher than those from Tianjin sites, indicating a dominant contribution from both pyrogenic and petrogenic sources. Results indicated

Sorption and desorption of carbamazepine, naproxen and triclosan in a soil irrigated with raw wastewater: estimation of the sorption parameters by considering the initial mass of the compounds in the soil.

PubMed

Durán-Álvarez, Juan C; Prado-Pano, Blanca; Jiménez-Cisneros, Blanca

2012-06-01

In conventional sorption studies, the prior presence of contaminants in the soil is not considered when estimating the sorption parameters because this is only a transient state. However, this parameter should be considered in order to avoid the under/overestimation of the soil sorption capacity. In this study, the sorption of naproxen, carbamazepine and triclosan was determined in a wastewater irrigated soil, considering the initial mass of the compounds. Batch sorption-desorption tests were carried out at two soil depths (0-10 cm and 30-40 cm), using either 10 mM CaCl(2) solution or untreated wastewater as the liquid phase. Data were satisfactorily fitted to the initial mass model. For the two soils, release of naproxen and carbamazepine was observed when the CaCl(2) solution was used, but not in the soil/wastewater system. The compounds' release was higher in the topsoil than in the 30-40 cm soil. Sorption coefficients (K(d)) for CaCl(2) solution tests showed that in the topsoil, triclosan (64.9 L kg(-1)) is sorbed to a higher extent than carbamazepine and naproxen (5.81 and 2.39 L kg(-1), respectively). In the 30-40 cm soil, carbamazepine and naproxen K(d) values (11.4 and 4.41 L kg(-1), respectively) were higher than those obtained for the topsoil, while the triclosan K(d) value was significantly lower than in the topsoil (19.2 L kg(-1)). Differences in K(d) values were found when comparing the results obtained for the two liquid phases. Sorption of naproxen and carbamazepine was reversible for both soils, while sorption of triclosan was found to be irreversible. This study shows the sorption behavior of three pharmaceuticals in a wastewater irrigated soil, as well as the importance of considering the initial mass of target pollutants in the estimation of their sorption parameters. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genotoxicity of soil from farmland irrigated with wastewater using three plant bioassays.

PubMed

Cabrera, G L; Rodriguez, D M

1999-05-19

Three well known plant bioassays, the Allium root chromosome aberration (AL-RAA) assay, the Tradescantia micronucleus (Trad-MCN) assay, and the Tradescantia stamen hair (Trad-SHM) mutation assay were validated in 1991 by the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) under the auspices of the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). These plant bioassays have proven to be efficient tests for chemical screening and especially for in situ monitoring for genotoxicity of environmental pollutants. As a result of this validation study, standard protocols of these three plant bioassays were used by some of the 11 participating countries in the IPCS to carry on genotoxicity tests on air, water and soil as a follow up activity. In the city of Queretaro, Mexico, wastewater coming from both industrial and domestic sources and without any treatment is used to irrigate the farm crops, polluting the soil. Potentially the pollutants could reach the food chain. For the above reason, soil irrigated with wastewater was sampled and monitored for the presence of genotoxic agents using the above three bioassays. Extracts from soil samples were made using distilled water and organic solvents by shaking the sample for about 12 h under a relatively low temperature (15-20 degrees C). Plant cuttings of Tradescantia or the roots of Allium were treated by submerging them in the extracts. Three replicates of each sample were analyzed in each of the three bioassays. Extracts using DMSO, ethanol and distilled water tested positive in the three bioassays and there were no differences for the genotoxicity of the extracts with the different solvents. Copyright 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.

Total Contents and Sequential Extraction of Heavy Metals in Soils Irrigated with Wastewater, Akaki, Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitamo, Daniel; Itana, Fisseha; Olsson, Mats

2007-02-01

The Akaki River, laden with untreated wastes from domestic, industrial, and commercial sources, serves as a source of water for irrigating vegetable farms. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of waste-water irrigation on the level of heavy metals and to predict their potential mobility and bioavailability. Zn and V had the highest, whereas Hg the lowest, concentrations observed in the soils. The average contents of As, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, V, and Hg of both soils; and Pb and Se from Fluvisol surpassed the mean + 2 SD of the corresponding levels reported for their uncontaminated counterparts. Apparently, irrigation with waste water for the last few decades has contributed to the observed higher concentrations of the above elements in the study soils (Vertisol and Fluvisol) when compared to uncontaminated Vertisol and Fluvisol. On the other hand, Vertisol accommodated comparatively higher average levels of Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, etc V, and Cd, whereas high contents of Pb and Se were observed in Fluvisol. Alternatively, comparable levels of Co and Hg were found in either soil. Except for Ni, Cr, and Cd in contaminated Vertisol, heavy metals in the soils were not significantly affected by the depth (0-20 and 30-50 cm). When the same element from the two soils was compared, the levels of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn, V, Cd at 0-20 cm; and Cr, Ni, Cu, Cd, and Zn at 30-50 cm were significantly different. Organic carbon (in both soils), CEC (Fluvisol), and clay (Vertisol) exhibited significant positive correspondences with the total heavy metal levels. Conversely, Se and Hg contents revealed perceptible associations with carbonate and pH. The exchangeable fraction was dominated by Hg and Cd, whereas the carbonate fraction was abounded with Cd, Pb, and Co. conversely, V and Pb displayed strong affinity to reducible fraction, where as Cr, Cu, Zn, and Ni dominated the oxidizable fraction. Cr, Hg, Se, and Zn (in both soils) showed preference to the residual fraction

Soil Variable Permeability and Water Phase Change Dynamics in a Wastewater Spray Irrigation Agricultural System Located in a Seasonably Cold Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darnault, C. J. G.; Daniel, T. J.; Billy, G.; Hopkins, I.; Guo, L.; Jin, Z.; Gall, H. E.; Lin, H.

2017-12-01

The permeability of the upper meter of soils in frozen conditions, commonly referred to as the active layer, can vary exponentially given the time of year. Variable moisture contents along with temperature, radiation, and slope angle of the soil surface can result in variable depths of frozen soils, which can cause the formation of low permeability ice lenses well into the spring thaw period. The wastewater irrigation site known as the "Living Filter" located in State College, PA has been in continuous operation since 1962. On average 5500 m3/day of wastewater is applied to the site annually, even in the winter months when average temperatures can dip as low as -7 °C during the month of January. The Living Filter is not permitted to discharge to surface water and is intended to recharge the Spring Creek basin that directly underlies the site, therefore runoff from the site is not permitted. We hypothesize that water infiltrates the upper meter of the subsurface during the winter in several different ways such as preferential pathways in the ice layer created by plant stems and weak patches of ice thawed by the warm wastewater. 2D conceptual models of the phase change between ice and water in the soil were created in order to predict soil permeability and its change in temperature. The 2D conceptual models can be correlated between observed soil moisture content and soil temperature data in order to validate the model given spray irrigation and weather patterns. By determining the permeability of the frozen soils, irrigation practices can be adjusted for the winter months so as to reduce the risk of any accidental wastewater runoff. The impact of this study will result in a better understanding of the multiphase dynamics of the active layer and their implication on soil hydrology at the Living Filter and other seasonally frozen sites.

Effects of Wastewater from Oil Exploration on Soil Mesofauna.

PubMed

Ferreira, Raimundo N C; Weber, Olmar B; Correia, Maria E F; Benazzi-Ikeda, Eloísa S; Scoriza, Rafael N; Mesquita, Antonio L M

2015-12-01

Wastewater from oil exploration may contain substances that can alter the diversity of soil organisms. This study evaluated whether produced water treated by filtration or reverse osmosis and glutaraldehyde from reverse osmosis treatments negatively affected the mesofauna in an irrigated area. In the field, irrigation with produced water treated by reverse osmosis and filtration influenced Hymenoptera and Cosmochthonius sp., while Entomobryomorpha springtails were affected only by the reverse osmosis water. In the ecotoxicological tests, reproduction in the springtail Folsomia candida was inhibited by the reverse osmosis treatment, while reproduction in the earthworm Enchytraeus crypticus was affected by both water treatments. Although glutaraldehyde did not affect the survival of F. candida, the reproduction was inhibited (EC50 = 44.4 mg/L). No adverse effect of glutaraldehyde was observed on reproduction or survival of E. crypticus. These results indicate that produced water, when used in irrigated agriculture, may affect soil functional mesofauna.

Effects of 100 years wastewater irrigation on resistance genes, class 1 integrons and IncP-1 plasmids in Mexican soil

PubMed Central

Jechalke, Sven; Broszat, Melanie; Lang, Friederike; Siebe, Christina; Smalla, Kornelia; Grohmann, Elisabeth

2015-01-01

Long-term irrigation with untreated wastewater can lead to an accumulation of antibiotic substances and antibiotic resistance genes in soil. However, little is known so far about effects of wastewater, applied for decades, on the abundance of IncP-1 plasmids and class 1 integrons which may contribute to the accumulation and spread of resistance genes in the environment, and their correlation with heavy metal concentrations. Therefore, a chronosequence of soils that were irrigated with wastewater from 0 to 100 years was sampled in the Mezquital Valley in Mexico in the dry season. The total community DNA was extracted and the absolute and relative abundance (relative to 16S rRNA genes) of antibiotic resistance genes (tet(W), tet(Q), aadA), class 1 integrons (intI1), quaternary ammonium compound resistance genes (qacE+qacEΔ1) and IncP-1 plasmids (korB) were quantified by real-time PCR. Except for intI1 and qacE+qacEΔ1 the abundances of selected genes were below the detection limit in non-irrigated soil. Confirming the results of a previous study, the absolute abundance of 16S rRNA genes in the samples increased significantly over time (linear regression model, p < 0.05) suggesting an increase in bacterial biomass due to repeated irrigation with wastewater. Correspondingly, all tested antibiotic resistance genes as well as intI1 and korB significantly increased in abundance over the period of 100 years of irrigation. In parallel, concentrations of the heavy metals Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Cr significantly increased. However, no significant positive correlations were observed between the relative abundance of selected genes and years of irrigation, indicating no enrichment in the soil bacterial community due to repeated wastewater irrigation or due to a potential co-selection by increasing concentrations of heavy metals. PMID:25784901

Radiation induced in-situ cationic polymerization of polystyrene organogel for selective absorption of cholorophenols from petrochemical wastewater.

PubMed

Ghobashy, Mohamed M; Younis, Sherif A; Elhady, Mohamed A; Serp, Philippe

2018-03-15

A new in-situ cationic polymerization was performed to synthesize a cross-linked (91%) polystyrene (PS) organogel through tetrachloroethylene radiolysis assisted by 60 Co gamma rays. Hoernschemeyer diagram and swelling capacity test show a better selectivity of PS organogel to chlorinated molecules compared to ester, hydrocarbons and alcohols organic molecules by 80-184 folds. Response surface modeling (RSM) of CPs (2,4,6-trichlorophenol) sorption from artificial wastewater confirm superiority of PS organogel to absorb 1746 μmol CPs/g (∼345 mg CPs/g) at broad pH (4-10) and temperature (25-45 °C). Based on ANOVA statistic, simulated CPs absorption model onto PS organogel was successfully developed, with accuracy of prediction of R 2 ≈ R Adj 2 of 0.991-0.995 and lower coefficient of variation of 2.73% with F model of 611.4 at p < .0001. Particularly, the usage of PS organogel for petroleum wastewater reclamation exhibited higher absorption affinities for all the organic contaminants especially for CPs (>99%) by non-covalent and/or dispersive interaction mechanisms with a well-term reusability and good stability up to 5 cycles. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Coagulation-flocculation process applied to wastewaters generated in hydrocarbon-contaminated soil washing: Interactions among coagulant and flocculant concentrations and pH value.

PubMed

Torres, Luis G; Belloc, Claudia; Vaca, Mabel; Iturbe, Rosario; Bandala, Erick R

2009-11-01

Wastewater produced in the contaminated soil washing was treated by means of coagulation-flocculation (CF) process. The wastewater contained petroleum hydrocarbons, a surfactant, i.e., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as well as salts, brownish organic matter and other constituents that were lixiviated from the soil during the washing process. The main goal of this work was to develop a process for treating the wastewaters generated when washing hydrocarbon-contaminated soils in such a way that it could be recycled to the washing process, and also be disposed at the end of the process properly. A second objective was to study the relationship among the coagulant and flocculant doses and the pH at which the CF process is developed, for systems where methylene blue active substances (MBAS) as well as oil and greases were present. The results for the selection of the right coagulant and flocculant type and dose, the optimum pH value for the CF process and the interactions among the three parameters are detailed along this work. The best coagulant and flocculant were FeCl(3) and Tecnifloc 998 at doses of 4,000 and 1 mg/L, correspondingly at pH of 5. These conditions gave color, turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and conductivity removals of 99.8, 99.6, 97.1 and 35%, respectively. It was concluded that it is feasible to treat the wastewaters generated in the contaminated soil washing process through CF process, and therefore, wastewaters could be recycled to the washing process or disposed to drainage.

Impact of treated wastewater for irrigation on soil microbial communities.

PubMed

Ibekwe, A M; Gonzalez-Rubio, A; Suarez, D L

2018-05-01

The use of treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation has been suggested as an alternative to use of fresh water because of the increasing scarcity of fresh water in arid and semiarid regions of the world. However, significant barriers exist to widespread adoption due to some potential contaminants that may have adverse effects on soil quality and or public health. In this study, we investigated the abundance and diversity of bacterial communities and the presence of potential pathogenic bacterial sequences in TWW in comparison to synthetic fresh water (SFW) using pyrosequencing. The results were analyzed using UniFrac coupled with principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) to compare diversity and abundance of different bacterial groups in TWW irrigated soils to soils treated with SFW. Shannon diversity index values (H') suggest that microbial diversity was not significantly different (P<0.086) between soils with TWW and SFW. Pyrosequencing detected sequences of 17 bacterial phyla with Proteobacteria (32.1%) followed by Firmicutes (26.5%) and Actinobacteria (14.3%). Most of the sequences associated with nitrifying bacteria, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, carbon degraders, denitrifying bacteria, potential pathogens, and fecal indicator bacteria were more abundant in TWW than in SFW. Therefore, TWW effluent may contain bacterial that may be very active in many soil functions as well as some potential pathogens. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Quantitative detection of viable helminth ova from raw wastewater, human feces, and environmental soil samples using novel PMA-qPCR methods.

PubMed

Gyawali, P; Ahmed, W; Sidhu, J P S; Nery, S V; Clements, A C; Traub, R; McCarthy, J S; Llewellyn, S; Jagals, P; Toze, S

2016-09-01

In this study, we have evaluated the efficacy of propidium monoazide quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PMA-qPCR) to differentiate between viable and non-viable Ancylostoma caninum ova. The newly developed method was validated using raw wastewater seeded with known numbers of A. caninum ova. Results of this study confirmed that PMA-qPCR has resulted in average of 88 % reduction (P < 0.05) in gene copy numbers for 50 % viable +50 % non-viable when compared with 100 % viable ova. A reduction of 100 % in gene copies was observed for 100 % non-viable ova when compared with 100 % viable ova. Similar reductions (79-80 %) in gene copies were observed for A. caninum ova-seeded raw wastewater samples (n = 18) collected from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) A and B. The newly developed PMA-qPCR method was applied to determine the viable ova of different helminths (A. caninum, A. duodenale, Necator americanus and Ascaris lumbricoides) in raw wastewater, human fecal and soil samples. None of the unseeded wastewater samples were positive for the above-mentioned helminths. N. americanus and A. lumbricoides ova were found in unseeded human fecal and soil samples. For the unseeded human fecal samples (1 g), an average gene copy concentration obtained from qPCR and PMA-qPCR was found to be similar (6.8 × 10(5) ± 6.4 × 10(5) and 6.3 × 10(5) ± 4.7 × 10(5)) indicating the presence of viable N. americanus ova. Among the 24 unseeded soil samples tested, only one was positive for A. lumbricoides. The mean gene copy concentration in the positively identified soil sample was 1.0 × 10(5) ± 1.5 × 10(4) (determined by qPCR) compared to 4.9 × 10(4) ± 3.7 × 10(3) (determined by PMA-qPCR). The newly developed PMA-qPCR methods were able to detect viable helminth ova from wastewater and soil samples and could be adapted for health risk assessment.

Phytoremediation: using green plants to clean up contaminate soil, groundwater, and wastewater

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

Negri, M.C.; Hinchman, R.R.; Gatliff, E.G.

1996-07-01

Phytoremediation, an emerging cleanup technology for contaminated soils, groundwater, and wastewater that is both low-tech and low-cost, is defined as the engineered use of green plants (including grasses, forbs, and woody species) to remove, contain, or render harmless such environmental contaminants as heavy metals, trace elements, organic compounds and radioactive compounds in soil or water. Our research includes a successful field demonstration of a plant bioreactor for processing the salty wastewater from petroleum wells; the demonstration is currently under way at a natural gas well site in Oklahoma, in cooperation with Devon Energy Corporation. A greenhouse experiment on zinc uptakemore » in hybrid poplar (Populus sp.) was initiated in 1995. These experiments are being conducted to confirm and extend field data indicating high levels of zinc (4,200 ppm) in leaves of hybrid poplar growing as a cleanup system at a site with zinc contamination in the root zone of some of the trees. Analyses of soil water from experimental pots that had received several doses of zinc indicated that the zinc was totally sequestered by the plants in about 4 hours during a single pass through the root system. The data also showed concentrations of sequestered metal of >38,000 ppm Zn in the dry root tissue. These levels of sequestered zinc exceed the levels found in either roots or tops of many of the known ``hyperaccumulator`` species. Because the roots sequester most of the contaminant taken up in most plants, a major objective of this program is to determine the feasibility of root harvesting as a method to maximize the removal of contaminants from soils. Available techniques and equipment for harvesting plant roots, including young tree roots, are being evaluated and modified as necessary for use with phytoremediation plants.« less

The use of laboratory sand, soil and crushed-glass filter columns for polishing domestic-strength synthetic wastewater that has undergone secondary treatment.

PubMed

Healy, M G; Burke, P; Rodgers, M

2010-10-01

The aim of this study was to examine the performance of intermittently loaded, 150 mm-diameter stratified filter columns of 2 depths (0.65 and 0.375 m) comprising different media--sand, crushed glass and soil--in polishing the effluent from a laboratory horizontal flow biofilm reactor (HFBR) treating synthetic domestic-strength wastewater. The HFBR has been successfully used to remove organic carbon and ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N) from domestic wastewater. In this treatment method, wastewater is allowed to flow over and back along a stack of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheets. Biofilms on the sheets reduce organic carbon, suspended matter, and nutrients in the wastewater, but to achieve the quality of a septic tank system, additional treatment is required. In all filters, at a hydraulic loading rate of 100 L m(-2) d(-1), 40-65% of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and practically 100% of total suspended solids (TSS) were removed, nitrification was complete, and bacterial numbers were reduced by over 80%, with best removals achieved in the soil filters (93%). Soil polishing filters with the depth of 0.65 m performed best in terms of organic carbon, total nitrogen (Tot-N) and bacterial removal. Data from this preliminary study are useful in the design of treatment systems to polish secondary wastewaters with similar water quality characteristics.

OCCURRENCE OF PATHOGENS IN MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER AND THEIR SURVIVAL DURING WASTEWATER TREATMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Pathogens can enter municipal wastewaters from several sources including homes, hospitals and slaughter houses. They are identified, typical levels found in sludges are given along with infectious doses, and their survival on crops and in the soil presented. As wastewater is clea...

Winery wastewater treatment using the land filter technique.

PubMed

Christen, E W; Quayle, W C; Marcoux, M A; Arienzo, M; Jayawardane, N S

2010-08-01

This study outlines a new approach to the treatment of winery wastewater by application to a land FILTER (Filtration and Irrigated cropping for Land Treatment and Effluent Reuse) system. The land FILTER system was tested at a medium size rural winery crushing approximately 20,000 tonnes of grapes. The approach consisted of a preliminary treatment through a coarse screening and settling in treatment ponds, followed by application to the land FILTER planted to pasture. The land FILTER system efficiently dealt with variable volumes and nutrient loads in the wastewater. It was operated to minimize pollutant loads in the treated water (subsurface drainage) and provide adequate leaching to manage salt in the soil profile. The land FILTER system was effective in neutralizing the pH of the wastewater and removing nutrient pollutants to meet EPA discharge limits. However, suspended solids (SS) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) levels in the subsurface drainage waters slightly exceeded EPA limits for discharge. The high organic content in the wastewater initially caused some soil blockage and impeded drainage in the land FILTER site. This was addressed by reducing the hydraulic loading rate to allow increased soil drying between wastewater irrigations. The analysis of soil characteristics after the application of wastewater found that there was some potassium accumulation in the profile but sodium and nutrients decreased after wastewater application. Thus, the wastewater application and provision of subsurface drainage ensured adequate leaching, and so was adequate to avoid the risk of soil salinisation. Crown Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contaminated soils (II): in vitro dermal absorption of nickel (Ni-63) and mercury (Hg-203) in human skin.

PubMed

Moody, Richard P; Joncas, Julie; Richardson, Mark; Petrovic, Sanya; Chu, Ih

2009-01-01

Dermal absorption of heavy metal soil contaminants was tested in vitro with chloride salts of radioactive nickel (Ni-63) and mercury (Hg-203). Aqueous soil suspensions, spiked with either Ni-63 or Hg-203, were applied to fresh viable human breast skin tissue in Bronaugh diffusion cells perfused with Hanks HEPES buffered (pH 7.4) receptor containing 4% bovine serum albumin (BSA). Receptor fractions were collected every 6 h for 24 h when skin was soap washed. Tests were conducted concurrently in triplicate with and without soil for each skin specimen. Mean percent dermal absorption including the skin depot for Ni-63 was 1 and 22.8% with and without soil, respectively, while for Hg-203, values of 46.6 and 78.3% were obtained. Excluding the skin depot and considering only absorption in receptor, there was 0.5 and 1.8% absorption of Ni-63 with and without soil, respectively, and 1.5 and 1.4% for Hg-203. The potential bioavailability of the skin depot is discussed in relation to dermal exposure to these metals in contaminated soil.

Organic fertilizer application increases the soil respiration and net ecosystem carbon dioxide absorption of paddy fields under water-saving irrigation.

PubMed

Yang, Shihong; Xiao, Ya Nan; Xu, Junzeng

2018-04-01

Quantifying carbon sequestration in paddy soil is necessary to understand the effect of agricultural practices on carbon cycles. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of organic fertilizer addition (MF) on the soil respiration and net ecosystem carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) absorption of paddy fields under water-saving irrigation (CI) in the Taihu Lake Region of China during the 2014 and 2015 rice-growing seasons. Compared with the traditional fertilizer and water management (FC), the joint regulation of CI and MF (CM) significantly increased the rice yields and irrigation water use efficiencies of paddy fields by 4.02~5.08 and 83.54~109.97% (p < 0.05). The effects of organic fertilizer addition on soil respiration and net ecosystem CO 2 absorption rates showed inter-annual differences. CM paddy fields showed a higher soil respiration and net CO 2 absorption rates during some periods of the rice growth stage in the first year and during most periods of the rice growth stage in the second year. These fields also had significantly higher total CO 2 emission through soil respiration (total R soil ) and total net CO 2 absorption compared with FC paddy fields (p < 0.05). The total R soil and net ecosystem CO 2 absorption of CM paddy fields were 67.39~91.55 and 129.41~113.75 mol m -2 , which were 27.66~135.52 and 12.96~31.66% higher than those of FC paddy fields. The interaction between water and fertilizer management had significant effects on total net ecosystem CO 2 absorption. The frequent alternate wet-dry cycles of CI paddy fields increased the soil respiration and reduced the net CO 2 absorption. Organic fertilizer promoted the soil respiration of paddy soil but also increased its net CO 2 absorption and organic carbon content. Therefore, the joint regulation of water-saving irrigation and organic fertilizer is an effective measure for maintaining yield, increasing irrigation water use efficiency, mitigating CO 2 emission, and promoting paddy

Biochar can be used to recapture essential nutrients from dairy wastewater and improve soil quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghezzehei, T. A.; Sarkhot, D. V.; Berhe, A. A.

2014-04-01

Recently, the potential for biochar use to recapture excess nutrients from dairy wastewater has been a focus of a growing number of studies. It is suggested that biochar produced from locally available waste biomass can be important in reducing release of excess nutrient elements from agricultural runoff, improving soil productivity, and long-term carbon (C) sequestration. Here we present a review of a new approach that is showing promise for the use of biochar for nutrient capture. Using batch sorption experiments, it has been shown that biochar can adsorb up to 20 to 43% of ammonium and 19-65% of the phosphate in flushed dairy manure in 24 h. These results suggest a potential of biochar for recovering essential nutrients from dairy wastewater and improving soil fertility if the enriched biochar is returned to soil. Based on the sorption capacity of 2.86 and 0.23 mg ammonium and phosphate, respectively, per gram of biochar and 10-50% utilization of available excess biomass, in the state of California (US) alone, 11 440 to 57 200 t of ammonium-N and 920-4600 t of phosphate can be captured from dairy waste each year while at the same time disposing up to 8-40 million tons of waste biomass.

Fate of carbamazepine, its metabolites, and lamotrigine in soils irrigated with reclaimed wastewater: Sorption, leaching and plant uptake.

PubMed

Paz, Anat; Tadmor, Galit; Malchi, Tomer; Blotevogel, Jens; Borch, Thomas; Polubesova, Tamara; Chefetz, Benny

2016-10-01

Irrigation with reclaimed wastewater may result in the ubiquitous presence of pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) and their metabolites in the agroecosystem. In this study, we focused on two highly persistent anticonvulsant drugs, lamotrigine and carbamazepine and two of its metabolites (EP-CBZ and DiOH-CBZ), aiming to elucidate their behavior in agricultural ecosystem using batch and lysimeter experiments. Sorption of the studied compounds by soils was found to be governed mainly by the soil organic matter level. Sorption affinity of compounds to soils followed the order lamotrigine > carbamazepine > EP-CBZ > DiOH-CBZ. Sorption was reversible, and no competition between sorbates in bi-solute systems was observed. The results of the lysimeter studies were in accordance with batch experiment findings, demonstrating accumulation of lamotrigine and carbamazepine in top soil layers enriched with organic matter. Detection of carbamazepine and one of its metabolites in rain-fed wheat previously irrigated with reclaimed wastewater, indicates reversibility of their sorption, resulting in their potential leaching and their availability for plant uptake. This study demonstrates the long-term implication of introduction of PCs to the agroecosystem. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Absorption of current use pesticides by snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) eggs in treated soil.

PubMed

Solla, Shane Raymond de; Martin, Pamela Anne

2011-10-01

Reptiles often breed within agricultural and urban environments that receive frequent pesticide use. Consequently, their eggs and thus developing embryos may be exposed to pesticides. Our objectives were to determine (i) if turtle eggs are capable of absorbing pesticides from treated soil, and (ii) if pesticide absorption rates can be predicted by their chemical and physical properties. Snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) eggs were incubated in soil that was treated with 10 pesticides (atrazine, simazine, metolachlor, azinphos-methyl, dimethoate, chlorpyrifos, carbaryl, endosulfan (I and II), captan, and chlorothalonil). There were two treatments, consisting of pesticides applied at application rate equivalents of 1.92 or 19.2 kg a.i/ha. Eggs were removed after one and eight days of exposure and analyzed for pesticides using gas chromatography coupled with a mass selective detector (GC-MSD) or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Absorption of pesticides in eggs from soil increased with both magnitude and duration of exposure. Of the 10 pesticides, atrazine and metolachlor generally had the greatest absorption, while azinphos-methyl had the lowest. Chlorothalonil was below detection limits at both exposure rates. Our preliminary model suggests that pesticides having the highest absorption into eggs tended to have both low sorption to organic carbon or lipids, and high water solubility. For pesticides with high water solubility, high vapor pressure may also increase absorption. As our model is preliminary, confirmatory studies are needed to elucidate pesticide absorption in turtle eggs and the potential risk they may pose to embryonic development. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Presence and distribution of wastewater-derived pharmaceuticals in soil irrigated with reclaimed water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinney, C.A.; Furlong, E.T.; Werner, S.L.; Cahill, J.D.

2006-01-01

Three sites in the Front Range of Colorado, USA, were monitored from May through September 2003 to assess the presence and distribution of pharmaceuticals in soil irrigated with reclaimed water derived from urban wastewater. Soil cores were collected monthly, and 19 pharmaceuticals, all of which were detected during the present study, were measured in 5-cm increments of the 30-cm cores. Samples of reclaimed water were analyzed three times during the study to assess the input of pharmaceuticals. Samples collected before the onset of irrigation in 2003 contained numerous pharmaceuticals, likely resulting from the previous year's irrigation. Several of the selected pharmaceuticals increased in total soil concentration at one or more of the sites. The four most commonly detected pharmaceuticals were erythromycin, carbamazepine, fluoxetine, and diphenhydramine. Typical concentrations of the individual pharmaceuticals observed were low (0.02-15 ??g/kg dry soil). The existence of subsurface maximum concentrations and detectable concentrations at the lowest sampled soil depth might indicate interactions of soil components with pharmaceuticals during leaching through the vadose zone. Nevertheless, the present study demonstrates that reclaimed-water irrigation results in soil pharmaceutical concentrations that vary through the irrigation season and that some compounds persist for months after irrigation. ?? 2006 SETAC.

Phytoremediation: Using green plants to clean up contaminated soil, groundwater, and wastewater

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

Negri, M.C.; Hinchman, R.R.

1996-05-01

Phytoremediation, an emerging cleanup technology for contaminated soils, groundwater, and wastewater that is both low-tech and low-cost, is defined as the engineered use of green plants (including grasses, forbs, and woody species) to remove, contain, or render harmless such environmental contaminants as heavy metals, trace elements, organic compounds ({open_quotes}organics{close_quotes}), and radioactive compounds in soil or water. Current research at Argonne National Laboratory includes a successful field demonstration of a plant bioreactor for processing the salty wastewater from petroleum wells; the demonstration is currently under way at a natural gas well site in Oklahoma, in cooperation with Devon Energy Corporation. Amore » greenhouse experiment on zinc uptake in hybrid poplar (Populus sp.) was initiated in 1995. These experiments are being conducted to confirm and extend field data from Applied Natural Sciences, Inc. (our CRADA partner), indicating high levels of zinc (4,200 ppm) in leaves of hybrid poplar growing as a cleanup system at a site with zinc contamination in the root zone of some of the trees. Analyses of soil water from experimental pots that had received several doses of zinc indicated that the zinc was totally sequestered by the plants in about 4 hours during a single pass through the root system. The data also showed concentrations of sequestered metal of >38,000 ppm Zn in the dry root tissue. These levels of sequestered zinc exceed the levels found in either roots or tops of many of the known {open_quotes}hyperaccumulator{close_quotes} species. Because the roots sequester most of the contaminant taken up in most plants, a major objective of this program is to determine the feasibility of root harvesting as a method to maximize the removal of contaminants from soils. Available techniques and equipment for harvesting plant roots, including young tree roots, are being evaluated and modified as necessary for use with phytoremediation plants.« less

Heavy metal accumulation by Corchorus olitorius L. irrigated with wastewater.

PubMed

Ahmed, Dalia A; Slima, Dalia F

2018-05-01

Many agricultural soils in Egypt irrigated with untreated wastewater. Herein, we investigated the effect of untreated industrial wastewater irrigation on the soil and fodder plant Corchorus olittorius (Jew mallow). It also aimed to assess its effect on the growth measurements as well as analyses of soils, irrigation waters, and plants for heavy metal and nutrient concentrations. Significant differences between irrigation waters and soil irrigated with fresh and wastewater were recognized. Wastewater irrigation leads to remarkable reduction in the growth parameters and reduced its vegetative biomass. The concentration of Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Zn were high significant and above phytotoxic concentrations in leaves (edible part) and roots of wastewater-irrigated plant. The present study indicated that Jew mallow plant tends to phytostabilize (Cd, Ni, and Mn) in its root and had the ability to translocate (Pb, Cu, Cr, Fe, and Zn) to its leaves. Higher concentrations of Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn in the roots than leaves indicate that the roots are hyper-accumulators for Pb, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Zn more than the leaves. The research study recommended that there is a need to protect the soil from contamination through regular monitoring and not to cultivate Jew mallow in wastewater-irrigated soil and that it had a high capacity to accumulate heavy metals in its edible part and causes several harmful health effects for consumers.

Mercury and cadmium contamination of irrigation water, sediment, soil and shallow groundwater in a wastewater-irrigated field in Tianjin, China.

PubMed

Wu, G-H; Cao, S-S

2010-03-01

We investigated the concentrations of Hg, Cd, Pb and As in samples of irrigation water, sediment, soil and groundwater from a field in Tianjin that was irrigated with wastewater. The results showed that the concentrations (Hg, 0.82 microg/L; Cd, 0.18 microg/L; Pb, 1.5 microg/L; As, 8.02 microg/L) in the irrigation water did not exceed the China Surface Water Quality Standard or the maximum concentrations in irrigation water recommended by the FAO. The concentrations of metals in the groundwater of wells (Hg, 0.016 microg/L; Cd, 0.128 microg/L; Pb, 0.25 microg/L; As, 4.65 microg/L) were lower than China Groundwater Quality Standard and the WHO guideline values for drinking water. The groundwater had not yet been contaminated through vertical infiltration-induced leaching. However, a substantial buildup of Hg and Cd in river sediments (I(geo) for Hg and Cd; 5.24 and 3.04, respectively) and wastewater-irrigated soils (I(geo) for Hg and Cd; 2.50 and 3.09, respectively) was observed. Taken together, these results indicated that irrigation with wastewater damaged the soil quality over the long term and that metals more easily accumulated in vegetable fields than rice fields.

Cloud point extraction and flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of cadmium and nickel in drinking and wastewater samples.

PubMed

Naeemullah; Kazi, Tasneem G; Shah, Faheem; Afridi, Hassan I; Baig, Jameel Ahmed; Soomro, Abdul Sattar

2013-01-01

A simple method for the preconcentration of cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) in drinking and wastewater samples was developed. Cloud point extraction has been used for the preconcentration of both metals, after formation of complexes with 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) and extraction with the surfactant octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton X-114). Dilution of the surfactant-rich phase with acidified ethanol was performed after phase separation, and the Cd and Ni contents were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The experimental variables, such as pH, amounts of reagents (8-HQ and Triton X-114), temperature, incubation time, and sample volume, were optimized. After optimization of the complexation and extraction conditions, enhancement factors of 80 and 61, with LOD values of 0.22 and 0.52 microg/L, were obtained for Cd and Ni, respectively. The proposed method was applied satisfactorily for the determination of both elements in drinking and wastewater samples.

Effect of Different Treatment Technologies on the Fate of Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Class 1 Integrons when Residual Municipal Wastewater Solids are Applied to Soil.

PubMed

Burch, Tucker R; Sadowsky, Michael J; LaPara, Timothy M

2017-12-19

Residual wastewater solids are a significant reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). While treatment technologies can reduce ARG levels in residual wastewater solids, the effects of these technologies on ARGs in soil during subsequent land-application are unknown. In this study we investigated the use of numerous treatment technologies (air drying, aerobic digestion, mesophilic anaerobic digestion, thermophilic anaerobic digestion, pasteurization, and alkaline stabilization) on the fate of ARGs and class 1 integrons in wastewater solids-amended soil microcosms. Six ARGs [erm(B), qnrA, sul1, tet(A), tet(W), and tet(X)], the integrase gene of class 1 integrons (intI1), and 16S rRNA genes were quantified using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The quantities of ARGs and intI1 decreased in all microcosms, but thermophilic anaerobic digestion, alkaline stabilization, and pasteurization led to the most extensive decay of ARGs and intI1, often to levels similar to that of the control microcosms to which no wastewater solids had been applied. In contrast, the rates by which ARGs and intI1 declined using the other treatment technologies were generally similar, typically varying by less than 2 fold. These results demonstrate that wastewater solids treatment technologies can be used to decrease the persistence of ARGs and intI1 during their subsequent application to soil.

Disinfection of septic tank and cesspool wastewater with peracetic acid.

PubMed

Heinonen-Tanski, Helvi; Savolainen, Ritva

2003-08-01

Wastewaters of private household septic tanks and cesspools have been treated with peracetic acid (1-2 g L(-1)). Adding 1 g L(-1) peracetic acid to wastewaters was easy and has been found to be effective in destroying enteric indicator microorganisms. The careful mixing of peracetic acid and wastewater was found to be important. Winter periods with frozen soil, ice and snow did not constitute extra problems. The bad smell of these wastewaters almost totally disappeared during the treatment. When wastewaters treated with peracetic acid were emptied into animal slurry tanks, hygienization still continued in the mixture of animal slurry and the wastewaters. These wastewaters could thus be released into agricultural soil without risk of microbiological pollution to groundwaters.

Sorption interactions of organic compounds with soils affected by agricultural olive mill wastewater.

PubMed

Keren, Yonatan; Borisover, Mikhail; Bukhanovsky, Nadezhda

2015-11-01

The organic compound-soil interactions may be strongly influenced by changes in soil organic matter (OM) which affects the environmental fate of multiple organic pollutants. The soil OM changes may be caused by land disposal of various OM-containing wastes. One unique type of OM-rich waste is olive mill-related wastewater (OMW) characterized by high levels of OM, the presence of fatty aliphatics and polyphenolic aromatics. The systematic data on effects of the land-applied OMW on organic compound-soil interactions is lacking. Therefore, aqueous sorption of simazine and diuron, two herbicides, was examined in batch experiments onto three soils, including untreated and OMW-affected samples. Typically, the organic compound-soil interactions increased following the prior land application of OMW. This increase is associated with the changes in sorption mechanisms and cannot be attributed solely to the increase in soil organic carbon content. A novel observation is that the OMW application changes the soil-sorbent matrix in such a way that the solute uptake may become cooperative or the existing ability of a soil sorbent to cooperatively sorb organic molecules from water may become characterized by a larger affinity. The remarkable finding of this study was that in some cases a cooperative uptake of organic molecules by soils makes itself evident in distinct sigmoidal sorption isotherms rarely observed in soil sorption of non-ionized organic compounds; the cooperative herbicide-soil interactions may be characterized by the Hill model coefficients. However, no single trend was found for the effect of applied OMW on the mechanisms of organic compound-soil interactions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Total elemental composition of soils contaminated with wastewater irrigation by combining IBA techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huerta, L.; Contreras-Valadez, R.; Palacios-Mayorga, S.; Miranda, J.; Calva-Vasquez, G.

2002-04-01

The purpose of this work was to obtain the total elemental composition of agricultural soils irrigated with well water and wastewater. The studied area is located in the Valle del Mezquital in Hidalgo State, Mexico. The studied soils were collected, every two months during one year. Particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) were applied for elemental analysis. PIXE analyses gave elemental contents of major and trace elements (Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, and Pb). Total concentrations of Na, Mg, C, N and O were obtained by RBS and NRA. PIXE analyses were carried out with 2 MeV proton beams, RBS with 2 MeV helium ions, while NRA was applied with a 1.2 MeV deuterium beam. Results indicated that heavy metal total concentrations exceed the critical soil total concentrations according to environmental regulations.

Modification of pomological characteristics and flavour components of fruits and virgin olive oil following wastewater irrigation and soil tillage.

PubMed

Tekaya, Meriem; Chehab, Hechmi; Flamini, Guido; Gharbi, Ines; Mahjoub, Zoubeir; Laamari, Salwa; Chihaoui, Badreddine; Boujnah, Dalenda; Hammami, Mohamed; Mechri, Beligh

2018-06-01

The experiment was carried out on olive trees cv. Chemlali, during two successive years (2013/2014). Two irrigation treatments (IT: Trees irrigated with wastewater; TRC: Trees grown under rainfed condition) were combined with two tillage practices (TTS: Trees grown in tilled soil; TNTS: Trees grown in non-tilled soil). The results of the study showed that wastewater irrigation combined with soil tillage improved the pomological characteristics of olive fruits. The tree yield increase was substantial for IT and TTS. However, most of the identified phenolic compounds, especially oleuropein, mainly accumulated in olive fruits of the TC block (TNTS + TRC), suggesting a marked improvement in the nutritional value of these fruits. Moreover, fruits of TNTS had high contents of sugar compounds, required for the synthesis of the fruit storage material. The study also showed that the agronomic practices affected the amounts of some aromatic compounds responsible for the distinctive flavour notes of olive oil. Agronomic practices may affect considerably the commercial and nutritional values and the sensorial quality of the commodities. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Olive mill wastewater stabilization in open-air ponds: impact on clay-sandy soil.

PubMed

Jarboui, Raja; Sellami, Fatma; Kharroubi, Adel; Gharsallah, Néji; Ammar, Emna

2008-11-01

The aim of this work was to study the natural biodegradation of the stored olive mill wastewater (OMW) in ponds and the infiltration as well as the impact on soil of the effluent in the evaporation pond used for the storage over the past eight years. For this, two approaches were considered. First, a laboratory-scale column was used for the infiltration of OMW through soil (clay and sand) to predict the effect of the clayey soil in reducing OMW pollution. Second, the ponds including the effluent annually stored and having this clayey structure were investigated. At the laboratory-scale, a modification of OMW contents was noticed, with the elimination of 95% of total suspended solids (TSS), 60% of chemical oxygen demand (COD), 40% of total organic carbon (TOC), 50% of total P, 50% of phenols and 40% of minerals (K+, Mg++ and Na+). The experimented soil was able to restrain the considerable effects of OMW pollution. In the ponds, the granulometric characteristics, the physico-chemical and the biological parameters of the soil profile from the contaminated pond were compared to those of a control soil, located near the contaminated pond. Property modifications of the contaminated soil were noted, especially pH, electrical conductivity, COD and microflora. These changes can be explained by the infiltration of OMW constituents, which were noticed in the soil layers, especially phenolic compounds that have a negative effect on the ground water.

Modified clay sorbents for wastewater treatment and immobilization of heavy metals in soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burlakovs, Juris; Klavins, Maris; Vincevica-Gaile, Zane; Stapkevica, Mara

2014-05-01

Soil and groundwater pollution with heavy metals is the result of both, anthropogenic and natural processes in the environment. Anthropogenic influence in great extent appears from industry, mining, treatment of metal ores and waste incineration. Contamination of soil and water can be induced by diffuse sources such as applications of agrochemicals and fertilizers in agriculture, air pollution from industry and transport, and by point sources, e.g., wastewater streams, runoff from dump sites and factories. Treatment processes used for metal removal from polluted soil and water include methodologies based on chemical precipitation, ion exchange, carbon adsorption, membrane filtration, adsorption and co-precipitation. Optimal removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous medium can be achieved by adsorption process which is considered as one of the most effective methods due to its cost-effectiveness and high efficiency. Immobilization of metals in contaminated soil also can be done with different adsorbents as the in situ technology. Use of natural and modified clay can be developed as one of the solutions in immobilization of lead, zinc, copper and other elements in polluted sites. Within the present study clay samples of different geological genesis were modified with sodium and calcium chlorides, iron oxyhydroxides and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate in variable proportions of Ca/P equimolar ratio to test and compare immobilization efficiency of metals by sorption and batch leaching tests. Sorption capacity for raw clay samples was considered as relatively lower referring to the modified species of the same clay type. In addition, clay samples were tested for powder X-ray difractometry, cation exchange, surface area properties, elemental composition, as well as scanning electron microscopy pictures of clay sample surface structures were obtained. Modified clay sorbents were tested for sorption of lead as monocontaminant and for complex contamination of heavy metals. The

Sound absorption coefficient in situ: an alternative for estimating soil loss factors.

PubMed

Freire, Rosane; Meletti de Abreu, Marco Henrique; Okada, Rafael Yuri; Soares, Paulo Fernando; GranhenTavares, Célia Regina

2015-01-01

The relationship between the sound absorption coefficient and factors of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) was determined in a section of the Maringá Stream basin, Paraná State, by using erosion plots. In the field, four erosion plots were built on a reduced scale, with dimensions of 2.0×12.5m. With respect to plot coverage, one was kept with bare soil and the others contained forage grass (Brachiaria), corn and wheat crops, respectively. Planting was performed without any type of conservation practice in an area with a 9% slope. A sedimentation tank was placed at the end of each plot to collect the material transported. For the acoustic system, pink noise was used in the measurement of the proposed monitoring, for collecting information on incident and reflected sound pressure levels. In general, obtained values of soil loss confirmed that 94.3% of material exported to the basin water came from the bare soil plot, 2.8% from the corn plot, 1.8% from the wheat plot, and 1.1% from the forage grass plot. With respect to the acoustic monitoring, results indicated that at 16kHz erosion plot coverage type had a significant influence on the sound absorption coefficient. High correlation coefficients were found in estimations of the A and C factors of the USLE, confirming that the acoustic technique is feasible for the determination of soil loss directly in the field. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biochar can be used to capture essential nutrients from dairy wastewater and improve soil physico-chemical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghezzehei, T. A.; Sarkhot, D. V.; Berhe, A. A.

2014-09-01

Recently, the potential for biochar use to recapture excess nutrients from dairy wastewater has been a focus of a growing number of studies. It is suggested that biochar produced from locally available excess biomass can be important in reducing release of excess nutrient elements from agricultural runoff, improving soil productivity, and long-term carbon (C) sequestration. Here we present a review of a new approach that is showing promise for the use of biochar for nutrient capture. Using batch sorption experiments, it has been shown that biochar can adsorb up to 20-43% of ammonium and 19-65% of the phosphate in flushed dairy manure in 24 h. These results suggest a potential of biochar for recovering essential nutrients from dairy wastewater and improving soil fertility if the enriched biochar is returned to soil. Based on the sorption capacity of 2.86 and 0.23 mg ammonium and phosphate, respectively, per gram of biochar and 10-50% utilization of available excess biomass, in the state of California (US) alone, 11 440 to 57 200 tonnes of ammonium-N and 920-4600 tonnes of phosphate can be captured from dairy waste each year while at the same time disposing up to 8-40 million tons of excess biomass.

Electrophoretic Process For Purifying Wastewater

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sammons, David W.; Twitty, Garland E.; Sharnez, Rizwan; Egen, Ned B.

1992-01-01

Microbes, poisonous substances, and colloidal particles removed by combination of electric fields. Electrophoretic process removes pathogenicorganisms, toxins, toxic metals, and cooloidal soil particles from wastewater. Used to render domestic, industrial, and agricultural wastewater streams potable. Process also useful in bioregenerative and other closed systems like in space stations and submarines, where water must be recycled.

Mechanisms governing the leaching of soil metals as a result of disposal of olive mill wastewater on agricultural soils.

PubMed

Aharonov-Nadborny, R; Tsechansky, L; Raviv, M; Graber, E R

2018-07-15

Olive mill wastewater (OMWW) is an acidic, saline, and organic matter-rich aqueous byproduct of olive oil production that is usually disposed of by spreading on agricultural soils. This study tested whether spreading OMWW can release indigenous soil metals (Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn) through pH, redox, and DOM complexation-related mechanisms, using three agricultural soils having different textures and chemical properties, and controlled pH and redox conditions (pH5.6 or 8.4; ORP from -200 to +250mV). Comparison treatments included a solution having the same salt content and composition as OMWW but lacking OM, and deionized water (DW). In all three soils and under all pH and redox conditions, the model salt solution and DW treatments solubilized considerably fewer metal cations than did OMWW. Overall, the primary factor in metals release from the soils by OMWW was the DOM fraction. pH, redox and soil type played secondary but important roles in solubilization of the various metals. pH had a major impact on Mn leaching but no impact on Fe and Cu leaching. Conversely, redox did not affect Mn leaching, but lower redox conditions contributed to elevated release of both Fe and Cu. For the most part, released metals were sourced from water soluble, exchangeable, easily reducible, and moderately reducible soil metals pools. Fe, Mn and Cu released from the soils by OMWW featured mainly as metal-organic complexes, and OMWW generally caused Zn precipitation in the soils. Soils rich in clay and organic matter under reduced pH and low redox conditions released substantially more metal cations than did a sand-rich soil. Spreading OMWW may result in sequestration of essential micronutrients like Zn, and increased availability of other micronutrients such as Fe, Mn and Cu. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combining Sequential Extractions and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy for Quantitative and Qualitative Zinc Speciation in Soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Tatiana; Minkina, Tatiana; Batukaev, Abdulmalik; Nevidomskaya, Dina; Burachevskaya, Marina; Tsitsuashvili, Viktoriya; Urazgildieva, Kamilya

2017-04-01

The combined use of X-ray absorption spectrometry and extractive fractionation is an effective approach for studying the interaction of metal ions with soil compounds and identifying the phases-carriers of metals in soil and their stable fixation. These studies were carried out using the technique of X-ray absorption spectroscopy and chemical extractive fractionation. In a model experiment the samples taken in Calcic Chernozem were artificially contaminated with higher portion of Zn(NO3)2 (2000 mg/kg). The metal were incubated in soil samples for 2 year. The samples of soil mineral and organic phases (calcite, kaolinite, bentonite, humic acids) were saturated with Zn2+ from a solution of nitrate salts of metal. The total content of Zn in soil and soil various phases was determined using the X-ray fluorescence method. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) Zn was measured at the Structural Materials Science beamline of the Kurchatov Center for Synchrotron Radiation. Sequential fractionation of Zn in soil conducted by Tessier method (Tessier et al., 1979) which determining 5 fractions of metals in soil: exchangeable, bound to Fe-Mn oxide, bound to carbonate, bound to the organic matter, and bound to silicate (residual). This methodology has so far more than 4000 citations (Web of Science), which demonstrates the popularity of this approach. Much Zn compounds are contained in uncontaminated soils in stable primary and secondary silicates inherited from the parental rocks (67% of the total concentrations in all fractions), which is a regional trait of soils in the fore-Caucasian plain. Extracted fractionation of metal compounds in soil samples, artificially contaminated with Zn salts, indicates the priority holding of Zn2+ ions by silicates, carbonates and Fe-Mn oxides. The Zn content significantly increases in the exchangeable fraction. Atomic structure study of the soil various phases saturated with Zn2+ ion by using (XANES) X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Effects of spray-irrigated municipal wastewater on a small watershed in Chester County, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schreffler, Curtis L.; Galeone, Daniel G.

2005-01-01

Spray irrigation is a method for disposing of secondary treated municipal wastewater by spraying it on the land surface (fig. 1). The sprayed wastewater either evaporates into the air, soaks into the soil, or percolates through the soil and recharges the ground water. Land application of wastewater has advantages over conventional means of disposal by direct discharge to streams because the wastewater recharges the ground-water system and increases base flow in streams. Additional benefits are derived from the "natural" treatment of the wastewater that takes place in the soil when plants and other biota remove some nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from the wastewater (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 2003). The removal of nutrients is one advantage spray irrigation has to conventional disposal methods like instream discharge.

Uptake of Heavy Metals from Industrial Wastewater Using In Vitro Plant Cultures.

PubMed

Jauhari, Nupur; Menon, Sanjay; Sharma, Neelam; Bharadvaja, Navneeta

2017-11-01

The plant species Bacopa monnieri has been observed to reduce the heavy metal concentrations in its vicinity. The present study is a comparison of in vitro culture and soil-grown plants of B. monnieri to remove Cr and Cd, from synthetic solution and effluent obtained from industrial area. Results were obtained at every half hour interval upto 180 min. Samples were observed for light absorption using UV-Visible spectrophotometer. Statistically, both systems reclaimed Cr and Cd from polluted water. In vitro cultures showed 67% and 93% removal of Cr and Cd from industrial wastewater whereas soil-grown plants showed 64% and 83% Cr and Cd removal. However, reduction rate was significantly higher for in vitro culture as compared to soil-grown plants. Besides other advantages, in vitro plant cultures proved to be more potent to detoxify pollutants in less time. This approach can be used for the removal of heavy metals at large scale.

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

PubMed

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

2015-05-01

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

Pesticide interactions with soil affected by olive mill wastewater (OMW): how strong and long-lasting is the OMW effect?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keren, Yonatan; Borisover, Mikhail; Schaumann, Gabriele E.; Diehl, Dörte; Tamimi, Nisreen; Bukhanovsky, Nadezhda

2017-04-01

Sorption interactions with soils are well known to control the environmental fate of multiple organic compounds including pesticides. Pesticide-soil interactions may be affected by organic amendments or organic matter (OM)-containing wastewater brought to the field. Specifically, land spreading of olive mill wastewater (OMW), occurring intentionally or not, may also influence pesticide-soil interactions. The effects of the OMW disposed in the field on soil properties, including their ability to interact with pesticides, become of great interest due to the increasing demand for olive oil and a constant growth of world oil production. This paper summarizes some recent findings related to the effect of prior OMW land application on the ability of soils to interact with the organic compounds including pesticides, diuron and simazine. The major findings are as following: (1) bringing OMW to the field increases the potential of soils to sorb non-ionized pesticides; (2) this sorption increase may not be related solely to the increase in soil organic carbon content but it can reflect also the changes in the soil sorption mechanisms; (3) increased pesticide interactions with OMW-affected soils may become irreversible, due, assumedly, to the swelling of some components of the OMW-treated soil; (4) enhanced pesticide-soil interactions mitigate with the time passed after the OMW application, however, in the case of diuron, the remaining effect could be envisioned at least 600 days after the normal OMW application; (5) the enhancement effect of OMW application on soil sorption may increase with soil depth, in the 0-10 cm interval; (6) at higher pesticide (diuron) concentrations, larger extents of sorption enhancement, following the prior OMW-soil interactions, may be expected; (7) disposal of OMW in the field may be seasonal-dependent, and, in the case studied, it led to more distinct impacts on sorption when carried out in spring and winter, as compared with summer. It appears

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

PubMed

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

2016-08-01

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

Wastewater renovation using constructed soil filter (CSF): a novel approach.

PubMed

Nemade, P D; Kadam, A M; Shankar, H S

2009-10-30

Constructed soil filter (CSF) also known as Soil Biotechnology (SBT) is a process for water renovation which makes use of formulated media with culture of soil macro- and microorganisms. CSF combines sedimentation, infiltration and biodegradation processes to remove oxidizable organics and inorganics of wastewater in a single facility. Operating experience shows hydraulic loading in the range of 0.05-0.25 m(3)/m(2) h and organic loading up to 200-680 g/m(2) d. The results show increase in dissolved oxygen levels, COD removal (from 352 mg/l to 20 mg/l); BOD removal (from 211 mg/l to 7.0 mg/l); suspended solids removal (from 293 mg/l to 16 mg/l); turbidity reduction (from 145 NTU to 5.3 NTU); iron (from 5 mg/l to 0.3 mg/l); arsenic (from 500 microg/l to 10 microg/l); total coliform and fecal coliform removal (from 145 x 10(5) to 55 CFU/100 mL and 150 x 10(8) to 110 CFU/100 mL respectively), with desired pathogen levels as per WHO standards, i.e. < or =10(3) CFU/100 mL. CSF reveals advantages such as low HRT (0.5-2.0 h), low energy requirement (0.04 kWh/m(3)), no pre-treatment, high dissolved oxygen levels in the effluent, no biosludge production, no mechanical aeration and no odor, fish compatible water quality and evergreen ambience.

Long-term nitrogen behavior under treated wastewater infiltration basins in a soil-aquifer treatment (SAT) system.

PubMed

Mienis, Omer; Arye, Gilboa

2018-05-01

The long term behavior of total nitrogen and its components was investigated in a soil aquifer treatment system of the Dan Region Reclamation Project (Shafdan), Tel-Aviv, Israel. Use is made of the previous 40 years' secondary data for the main nitrogen components (ammonium, nitrate and organic nitrogen) in recharged effluent and observation wells located inside an infiltration basin. The wells were drilled to 106 and 67 m, both in a similar position within the basin. The transport characteristics of each nitrogen component were evaluated based on chloride travel-time, calculated by a cross-correlation between its concentration in the recharge effluent and the observation wells. Changes in the source of recharge effluent, wastewater treatment technology and recharge regime were found to be the main factors affecting turnover in total nitrogen and its components. During aerobic operation of the infiltration basins, most organic nitrogen and ammonium will be converted to nitrate. Total nitrogen removal in the upper part of the aquifer was found to be 47-63% by denitrification and absorption, and overall removal, including the lower part of the aquifer, was 49-83%. To maintain the aerobic operation of the infiltration fields, the total nitrogen load should remain below 10 mg/L. Above this limit, ammonium and organic nitrogen will be displaced into the aquifer. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. 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

[Accumulation Characteristics and Evaluation of Heavy Metals in Soil-Crop System Affected by Wastewater Irrigation Around a Chemical Factory in Shenmu County].

PubMed

Qi, Yan-bing; Chu, Wan-lin; Pu, Jie; Liu, Meng-yun; Chang, Qing-rui

2015-04-01

Soil heavy metals Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd, are regarded as "chemical time bombs" because of their propensity for accumulation in the soil and uptake by crops. This ultimately causes human toxicity in both the short and long-term, making farmland ecosystems dangerous to health. In this paper, accumulation and spatial variability of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd in soil-crop system affected by wastewater irrigation around a chemical factor in northern Shaanxi province were analyzed. Results showed that wastewater irrigation around the chemical factory induced significant accumulation in soils compared with control areas. The average concentrations of available Cu and total Cu were 4.32 mg x kg(-1) and 38.4 mg x kg(-1), which were twice and 1.35 times higher than those of the control area, respectively. Soil Zn and Pb were slightly accumulated. Whereas soil Cd was significantly accumulated and was higher than the critical level of soil environmental quality (II), the available and total Cd concentrations were 0.248 mg x kg(-1) and 1.21 mg x kg(-1), which were 10 and 6.1 times higher than those of the control areas. No significant correlations were found between available and total heavy metals except between available Cd and total Cd. All the heavy metals were mainly accumulated in the top layer (0-10 cm). Spatially, soils and plants high in heavy metal concentration were distributed within the radius of about 100 m from the waste water outlet for Cu, Zn and Cd and about 200 m for Pb, and decreased exponentially with the distance from the factory. Affected by wastewater irrigation, contents of Cu, Pb and Cd in maize were 4.74, 0.129 and 0.036 mg x kg(-1) which were slightly higher than those in the control area. The content of Zn was similar to that in the control area. Affected by the vehicle exhaust, the over standard rate of Pb was 5.7% in maize. All the heavy metals did not show significant correlation between soil and crop, except Cd. The square correlation coefficients were 0

Removal of trace organic chemicals in onsite wastewater soil treatment units: a laboratory experiment.

PubMed

Teerlink, Jennifer; Martínez-Hernández, Virtudes; Higgins, Christopher P; Drewes, Jörg E

2012-10-15

Onsite wastewater treatment is used by 20% of residences in the United States. The ability of these systems, specifically soil treatment units (STUs), to attenuate trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) is not well understood. TOrCs released by STUs pose a potential risk to downstream groundwater and hydraulically-connected surface water that may be used as a drinking water source. A series of bench-scale experiments were conducted using sand columns to represent STUs and to evaluate the efficacy of TOrC attenuation as a function of hydraulic loading rate (1, 4, 8, 12, and 30 cm/day). Each hydraulic loading rate was examined using triplicate experimental columns. Columns were initially seeded with raw wastewater to establish a microbial community, after which they were fed with synthetic wastewater and spiked with 17 TOrCs, in four equal doses per day, to provide a consistent influent water quality. After an initial start-up phase, effluent from all columns consistently demonstrated >90% reductions in dissolved organic carbon and nearly complete (>85%) oxidation of ammonia to nitrate, comparable to the performance of field STUs. The results of this study suggest STUs are capable of attenuating many TOrCs present in domestic wastewater, but attenuation is compound-specific. A subset of TOrCs exhibited an inverse relationship with hydraulic loading rate and attenuation efficiency. Atenolol, cimetidine, and TCPP were more effectively attenuated over time in each experiment, suggesting that the microbial community evolved to a stage where these TOrCs were more effectively biotransformed. Aerobic conditions as compared to anaerobic conditions resulted in more efficient attenuation of acetaminophen and cimetidine. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Influence of loading rate and modes on infiltration of treated wastewater in soil-based constructed wetland.

PubMed

Bisone, Sara; Gautier, Mathieu; Masson, Matthieu; Forquet, Nicolas

2017-01-01

Over the last 10 years soil-based constructed wetlands for discharge of treated wastewater (TWW) are commonly presented as a valuable option to provide tertiary treatment. The uncomplete knowledge in soil modifications and a lack of clear design practices laid the foundation of this work. The aim of this study was to determine optimal hydraulic loads and to observe the main critical parameters affecting treating performances and hydraulic loads acceptance. For this purpose, a soil rich in clay and backfill was chosen to perform column infiltration tests with TWW. Two loading rates and two loading modes were compared to study the influence of an intermittent feeding. Inlet and outlet waters were periodically analysed and columns were instrumented with balances, tensiometers, O 2 and temperature probes. Soil physico-chemical characteristics were also taken into account to better understand the modification of the soil. One of the main expectations of tertiary treatment is to improve phosphate removal. A particular attention was thus given to phosphorus retention. The interest of an intermittent feeding in presence of a soil with high clay content was showed. This study highlighted that an intermittent feeding could make possible the use of a clay-rich soil for water infiltration.

[Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) pollution in farmland soils: a review].

PubMed

Wang, Kai-Rong; Cui, Ming-Ming; Shi, Yan-Xi

2013-09-01

The environmental pollution and food safety problems caused by phthalic acid esters (PAEs) have been attracted 'extensive attention around the world. As a large PAEs producer and consumer, China is facing severe PAEs environmental pollution problems. This paper reviewed the present pollution status of six PAEs classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the priority pollutants in China farmland soils, analyzed the sources of these six PAEs in this country, and discussed the absorption and accumulation characteristics of the PAEs in different crops as well as the bio-toxic effects of PAEs pollutants. The PAEs concentrations in China farmland soils are significantly higher those in the farmland soils of the United States and European countries. The main sources of PAEs in China farmland soils are atmospheric deposition, agricultural films, sewage sludge application, and wastewater irrigation. There exist significant differences in the characteristics of PAEs absorption, accumulation, and distribution among different crops. PAEs not only have negative effects on soil quality, crop growth, and crop physiological and biochemical properties, but also possess bio-accumulative characteristics. The weaknesses in current researches were pointed out, and the suggestions for the further researches were given, e. g., to expand the scope of PAEs pollution survey, to explore the toxic mechanisms of PAEs on crops, and to develop the techniques for in situ remediation of PAEs-polluted soils.

Transfer of wastewater associated pharmaceuticals and personal care products to crop plants from biosolids treated soil.

PubMed

Wu, Chenxi; Spongberg, Alison L; Witter, Jason D; Sridhar, B B Maruthi

2012-11-01

The plant uptake of emerging organic contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) is receiving increased attention. Biosolids from municipal wastewater treatment have been previously identified as a major source for PPCPs. Thus, plant uptake of PPCPs from biosolids applied soils needs to be understood. In the present study, the uptake of carbamazepine, diphenhydramine, and triclocarban by five vegetable crop plants was examined in a field experiment. At the time of harvest, three compounds were detected in all plants grown in biosolids-treated soils. Calculated root concentration factor (RCF) and shoot concentration factor (SCF) are the highest for carbamazepine followed by triclocarban and diphenhydramine. Positive correlation between RCF and root lipid content was observed for carbamazepine but not for diphenhydramine and triclocarban. The results demonstrate the ability of crop plants to accumulate PPCPs from contaminated soils. The plant uptake processes of PPCPs are likely affected by their physico-chemical properties, and their interaction with soil. The difference uptake behavior between plant species could not solely be attributed to the root lipid content. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Organic contaminants in onsite wastewater treatment systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2007-01-01

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

Simulation of the wastewater temperature in sewers with TEMPEST.

PubMed

Dürrenmatt, David J; Wanner, Oskar

2008-01-01

TEMPEST is a new interactive simulation program for the estimation of the wastewater temperature in sewers. Intuitive graphical user interfaces assist the user in managing data, performing calculations and plotting results. The program calculates the dynamics and longitudinal spatial profiles of the wastewater temperature in sewer lines. Interactions between wastewater, sewer air and surrounding soil are modeled in TEMPEST by mass balance equations, rate expressions found in the literature and a new empirical model of the airflow in the sewer. TEMPEST was developed as a tool which can be applied in practice, i.e., it requires as few input data as possible. These data include the upstream wastewater discharge and temperature, geometric and hydraulic parameters of the sewer, material properties of the sewer pipe and surrounding soil, ambient conditions, and estimates of the capacity of openings for air exchange between sewer and environment. Based on a case study it is shown how TEMPEST can be applied to estimate the decrease of the downstream wastewater temperature caused by heat recovery from the sewer. Because the efficiency of nitrification strongly depends on the wastewater temperature, this application is of practical relevance for situations in which the sewer ends at a nitrifying wastewater treatment plant.

Effects of wastewater irrigation on chemical and physical properties of Petroselinum crispum.

PubMed

Keser, Gonca; Buyuk, Gokhan

2012-06-01

The present study was carried out to assess the impact of wastewater on parsley (Petroselinum crispum). The parameters determined for soil were pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic matter (SOM), nutrient elements (Ca, Mg, Na, K, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Fe), and heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb), while the parameters determined for the plant included pigment content, dry matter, nutrient element, and heavy metals. SOM, EC, and clay contents were higher, and pH was slightly acidic in soil treated with wastewater compared to control soil. The enrichment factors (EF) of the nutrient elements in contaminated soil are in the sequence of Na (2) > Ca (1.32) > Mn = Mg (1.17) > Cu (1.11) > Zn (1.08) > Fe (1.07) > K (0.93), while EF in parsley are Na (6.63) > Ca (1.60) > Mg (1.34) > Zn (1.15) > Fe (0.95) > Cu = K (0.90) > Mn (0.85). Application of wastewater significantly decreased dry matter, while photosynthetic pigment content increased in parsley. The enrichment of the heavy metals is in the sequence: Cd (1.142) > Pb (1.131) > Ni (1.112) > Cr (1.095). P. crispum shows a high transfer factor (TF > 1) for Cd signifying a high mobility of Cd from soil to plant. Thus, although the wastewater irrigation in parsley production aims to produce socioeconomic benefits, study results indicated that municipal wastewater is not suitable for irrigation of parsley because it has negative effects on plant and causes heavy metal accumulation.

Laccase from a non-melanogenic, alkalotolerant gamma-proteobacterium JB isolated from industrial wastewater drained soil.

PubMed

Bains, Jasleen; Capalash, Neena; Sharma, Prince

2003-07-01

A gram-negative, alkalotolerant bacterium, isolated from the soil continually drained with industrial wastewater and identified as gamma-proteobacterium by partial 16S rRNA sequence analysis, produced a polyphenol oxidase, which showed laccase but not tyrosinase activity. The organism grew well from pH 6 to 10 and produced laccase maximally at pH 10. The enzyme was stable from pH 3 to 10.6 for at least 24 h and was optimally active at 55 degrees C and pH 6.5 in a 5 min assay.

Impacts of Long-Term Irrigation of Domestic Treated Wastewater on Soil Biogeochemistry and Bacterial Community Structure

PubMed Central

Wafula, Denis; White, John R.; Canion, Andy; Jagoe, Charles; Pathak, Ashish

2015-01-01

Freshwater scarcity and regulations on wastewater disposal have necessitated the reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) for soil irrigation, which has several environmental and economic benefits. However, TWW irrigation can cause nutrient loading to the receiving environments. We assessed bacterial community structure and associated biogeochemical changes in soil plots irrigated with nitrate-rich TWW (referred to as pivots) for periods ranging from 13 to 30 years. Soil cores (0 to 40 cm) were collected in summer and winter from five irrigated pivots and three adjacently located nonirrigated plots. Total bacterial and denitrifier gene abundances were estimated by quantitative PCR (qPCR), and community structure was assessed by 454 massively parallel tag sequencing (MPTS) of small-subunit (SSU) rRNA genes along with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of nirK, nirS, and nosZ functional genes responsible for denitrification of the TWW-associated nitrate. Soil physicochemical analyses showed that, regardless of the seasons, pH and moisture contents (MC) were higher in the irrigated (IR) pivots than in the nonirrigated (NIR) plots; organic matter (OM) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) were higher as a function of season but not of irrigation treatment. MPTS analysis showed that TWW loading resulted in the following: (i) an increase in the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, especially Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria; (ii) a decrease in the relative abundance of Actinobacteria; (iii) shifts in the communities of acidobacterial groups, along with a shift in the nirK and nirS denitrifier guilds as shown by T-RFLP analysis. Additionally, bacterial biomass estimated by genus/group-specific real-time qPCR analyses revealed that higher numbers of total bacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and the nirS denitrifier guilds were present in the IR pivots than in the NIR plots. Identification of the nir

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

PubMed

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

2009-09-01

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

Contamination of Phthalate Esters (PAEs) in Typical Wastewater-Irrigated Agricultural Soils in Hebei, North China.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuan; Liang, Qiong; Gao, Rutai; Hou, Haobo; Tan, Wenbing; He, Xiaosong; Zhang, Hui; Yu, Minda; Ma, Lina; Xi, Beidou; Wang, Xiaowei

2015-01-01

The Wangyang River (WYR) basin is a typical wastewater irrigation area in Hebei Province, North China. This study investigated the concentration and distribution of six priority phthalate esters (PAEs) in the agricultural soils in this area. Thirty-nine soil samples (0-20 cm) were collected along the WYR to assess the PAE residues in soils. Results showed that PAEs are ubiquitous environmental contaminants in the topsoil obtained from the irrigation area. The concentrations of Σ6PAEs range from 0.191 μg g-1 dw to 0.457 μg g-1 dw with an average value of 0.294 μg g-1 dw. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) are the dominant PAE species in the agricultural soils. Among the DEHP concentrations, the highest DEHP concentration was found at the sites close to the villages; this result suggested that dense anthropogenic activities and random garbage disposal in the rural area are possible sources of PAEs. The PAE concentrations were weakly and positively correlated with soil organic carbon and soil enzyme activities; thus, these factors can affect the distribution of PAEs. This study further showed that only dimethyl phthalate (DMP) concentrations exceeded the recommended allowable concentrations; no remediation measures are necessary to control the PAEs in the WYR area. However, the PAEs in the topsoil may pose a potential risk to the ecosystem and human health in this area. Therefore, the exacerbating PAE pollution should be addressed.

In-situ liquid storage capacity measurement of subsurface wastewater absorption system products.

PubMed

Quisenberry, Virgil; Brown, Philip; Smith, Bill; Hallahan, Dennis F

2006-11-01

A method is presented for measuring the in-situ liquid storage capacity of subsurface wastewater infiltration system (SWIS) products. While these products vary in composition, geometry, and porosity, they all have the same function: to provide a conduit for the flow of effluent from a septic tank to and through a trench so that infiltration into the soil can occur. A functional SWIS must also provide temporary liquid storage. Storage is necessary for periods when discharge from the septic tank exceeds the infiltration rate of the soil. Storage is also important during times when the soil in and around the trench is saturated. Many states now have regulatory requirements pertaining to storage volume, and these requirements commonly establish the traditional gravel-pipe system as the standard for minimally acceptable volume. Raliable comparisons between various alternative products and gravel have been difficult or impossible, because there has been no standard method for measuring storage volume. Some products have been evaluated under realistic field conditions; others have been evaluated under theoretical or ideal conditions. The protocol developed by the study reported here can serve as a common, accurate basis for comparisons. A 3-foot-deep trench was excavated, and the bottom was leveled. Markers (nails or rods) were attached to the products to indicate the invert and full-volume heights. The products were then enclosed in plastic, placed in a trench, and covered with soil. A 4-inch-diameter pipe extended from the product to the surface to allow metered additions of water into the products and precise determinations when the systems had been filled to capacity. Four plastic chambers, three expanded polystyrene (ESP) products, two multipipe arrangements, and a standard gravel-pipe system were evaluated. The standard gravel-pipe system held 10.2 gal/ft Three of the four plastic chambers stored from 100 to 130 percent of what the standard system held. The

Photocatalytic treatment of RDX wastewater with nano-sized titanium dioxide.

PubMed

Liu, Zongkuan; He, Yanling; Li, Feng; Liu, Yonghong

2006-09-01

The polynitramines, hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX), are important military explosives and regulated toxic hazardous compounds. Production, testing and use of the compounds has resulted in numerous acres of contaminated soils and groundwater near many munitions facilities. Economical and efficient methods for treatment of wastewater and cleanup of soils or groundwater containing RDX and HMX are needed. This study focuses on the photocatalytic treatment of RDX wastewater with nano-sized titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) under simulated sunlight, whose intensity and wavelength are similar to that of the real sunlight in Xi'an at noon. The objective is to determine the potential for RDX destruction with nano-TiO2 in aqueous solution. An activated carbon fiber (ACF) cloth-loaded with nano-TiO2 was put into the RDX containing solution, and the concentration of RDX was measured (by HPLC-UV) at regular time intervals under simulated sunlight. The RDX degradation percentage of the photocatalytic process is higher than that of Fenton oxidation before 80 min, equivalent after 80 min, and it reaches 95% or above after 120 min. The nano-TiO2 catalyst can be used repeatedly. The photocatalytic degradation kinetics of RDX under simulated sunlight can be described by a first-order reaction kinetics equation. The possible degradation mechanism of RDX was presented and the degradation performance was compared with that of biological method. It was demonstrated that the degradation of RDX wastewater is very effective with nano-TiO2 as the photocatalytic catalyst under simulated sunlight. The efficiency of the nano-TiO2 catalyst for RDX degradation under simulated sunlight is nearly identical to that of Fenton oxidation. To date, a number of catalysts show poor absorption and utilization of sunlight, and still need ultraviolet light irradiation during wastewater degradation. The nano-TiO2 used in the described

Remediation of phenol-contaminated soil by a bacterial consortium and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus isolated from an industrial wastewater treatment plant.

PubMed

Cordova-Rosa, S M; Dams, R I; Cordova-Rosa, E V; Radetski, M R; Corrêa, A X R; Radetski, C M

2009-05-15

Time-course performance of a phenol-degrading indigenous bacterial consortium, and of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus, isolated from an industrial coal wastewater treatment plant was evaluated. This bacterial consortium was able to survive in the presence of phenol concentrations as high as 1200mgL(-1) and the consortium was more fast in degrading phenol than a pure culture of the A. calcoaceticus strain. In a batch system, 86% of phenol biodegradation occurred in around 30h at pH 6.0, while at pH 3.0, 95.2% of phenol biodegradation occurred in 8h. A high phenol biodegradation (above 95%) by the mixed culture in a bioreactor was obtained in both continuous and batch systems, but when test was carried out in coke gasification wastewater, no biodegradation was observed after 10 days at pH 9-11 for both pure strain or the isolated consortium. An activated sludge with the same bacterial consortium characterized above was mixed with a textile sludge-contaminated soil with a phenol concentration of 19.48mgkg(-1). After 20 days of bioaugmentation, the remanescent phenol concentration of the sludge-soil matrix was 1.13mgkg(-1).

Sorption and degradation of wastewater-associated non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics in soils.

PubMed

Lin, Kunde; Gan, Jay

2011-04-01

Presence of pharmaceuticals at trace levels in recycled water is an emerging issue impacting the beneficial reuse of treated wastewater, including practices such as irrigation and groundwater recharge in arid and semi-arid regions. To assess the environmental risks of irrigation with recycled water containing such micropollutants, in this study we evaluated sorption and degradation of five pharmaceuticals that are antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drugs in two soils collected from arid regions. Naproxen and trimethoprim showed moderate to strong sorption, while the sorption of diclofenac, ibuprofen and sulfamethoxazole was negligible in both soils. Under aerobic conditions, the studied compounds were susceptible to microbial degradation with half-lives varying from 4.8 to 69.3d. Apart from sulfamethoxazole, the other compounds were relatively persistent under anaerobic conditions as indicated by a negligible loss over 84d of incubation or half-lives >50d. The degradation of the selected pharmaceuticals was influenced by microbial activities, oxygen status in the soil, soil type and compound characteristics. The poor sorption and relative persistence of diclofenac and ibuprofen under anaerobic conditions suggest that the two chemicals may pose a high leaching risk when using recycled for irrigation or groundwater replenishment. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

PubMed

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

2014-01-01

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

An efficient and environment-friendly method of removing graphene oxide in wastewater and its degradation mechanisms.

PubMed

Zhang, Chao-Zhi; Li, Ting; Yuan, Yang; Xu, Jianqiang

2016-06-01

Graphene and graphene oxide (GO) have already existed in air, water and soil due to their popular application in functional materials. However, degradation of graphene and GO in wastewater has not been reported. Degradation of GO plays a key role in the elimination of graphene and GO in wastewater due to graphene being easily oxidized to GO. In this paper, GO was completely degraded to give CO2 by Photo-Fenton. The degradation intermediates were determined by UV-vis absorption spectra, elemental analysis (EA), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Experimental results showed that graphene oxide was completely degraded to give CO2 after 28 days. Based on UV, FT-IR, LC-MS spectra and EA data of these degradation intermediates, the degradation mechanisms of GO were supposed. This paper suggests an efficient and environment-friendly method to degrade GO and graphene. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of different irrigation practices using treated wastewater on tomato yields, quality, water productivity, and soil and fruit mineral contents.

PubMed

Demir, Azize Dogan; Sahin, Ustun

2017-11-01

Wastewater use in agricultural irrigation is becoming a common practice in order to meet the rising water demands in arid and semi-arid regions. The study was conducted to determine the effects of the full (FI), deficit (DI), and partial root-zone drying (PRD) irrigation practices using treated municipal wastewater (TWW) and freshwater (FW) on tomato yield, water use, fruit quality, and soil and fruit heavy metal concentrations. The TWW significantly increased marketable yield compared to the FW, as well as decreased water consumption. Therefore, water use efficiency (WUE) in the TWW was significantly higher than in the FW. Although the DI and the PRD practices caused less yields, these practices significantly increased WUE values due to less irrigation water applied. The water-yield linear relationships were statistically significant. TWW significantly increased titratable acidity and vitamin C contents. Reduced irrigation provided significantly lower titratable acidity, vitamin C, and lycopene contents. TWW increased the surface soil and fruit mineral contents in response to FW. Greater increases were observed under FI, and mineral contents declined with reduction in irrigation water. Heavy metal accumulation in soils was within safe limits. However, Cd and Pb contents in fruits exceeded standard limits given by FAO/WHO. Higher metal pollution index values determined for fruits also indicated that TWW application, especially under FI, might cause health risks in long term.

Fate of trace organic compounds during vadose zone soil treatment in an onsite wastewater system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conn, K.E.; Siegrist, R.L.; Barber, L.B.; Meyer, M.T.

2010-01-01

During onsite wastewater treatment, trace organic compounds are often present in the effluents applied to subsurface soils for advanced treatment during vadose zone percolation and groundwater recharge. The fate of the endocrine-disrupting surfactant metabolites 4-nonylphenol (NP), 4-nonylphenolmonoethoxylate (NP1EO), and 4-nonylphenolmonoethoxycarboxylate (NP1EC), metal-chelating agents ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), antimicrobial agent triclosan, stimulant caffeine, and antibiotic sulfamethoxazole during transport through an unsaturated sandy loam soil was studied at a field-scale test site. To assess the effects of effluent quality and hydraulic loading rate (HLR) on compound fate in the soil profile, two effluents (septic tank or textile biofilter) were applied at two design HLRs (2 or 8 cm/d). Chemical concentrations were determined in the two effluents and soil pore water at 60, 120, and 240 cm below the soil infiltrative surface. Concentrations of trace organic compounds in septic tank effluent were reduced by more than 90% during transport through 240 cm (often within 60 cm) of soil, likely due to sorption and biotransformation. However, the concentration of NP increased with depth in the shallow soil profile. Additional treatment of anaerobic septic tank effluent with an aerobic textile biofilter reduced effluent concentrations of many compounds, but generally did not affect any changes in pore water concentrations. The soil profile receiving septic tank effluent (vs. textile biofilter effluent) generally had greater percent removal efficiencies. EDTA, NP, NP1EC, and sulfamethoxazole were measured in soil pore water, indicating the ability of some trace organic compounds to reach shallow groundwater. Risk is highly dependent on the degree of further treatment in the saturated zone and the types and proximity of uses for the receiving groundwater environment. ?? 2009 SETAC.

Fate of trace organic compounds during vadose zone soil treatment in an onsite wastewater system.

PubMed

Conn, Kathleen E; Siegrist, Robert L; Barber, Larry B; Meyer, Michael T

2010-02-01

During onsite wastewater treatment, trace organic compounds are often present in the effluents applied to subsurface soils for advanced treatment during vadose zone percolation and groundwater recharge. The fate of the endocrine-disrupting surfactant metabolites 4-nonylphenol (NP), 4-nonylphenolmonoethoxylate (NP1EO), and 4-nonylphenolmonoethoxycarboxylate (NP1EC), metal-chelating agents ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), antimicrobial agent triclosan, stimulant caffeine, and antibiotic sulfamethoxazole during transport through an unsaturated sandy loam soil was studied at a field-scale test site. To assess the effects of effluent quality and hydraulic loading rate (HLR) on compound fate in the soil profile, two effluents (septic tank or textile biofilter) were applied at two design HLRs (2 or 8 cm/d). Chemical concentrations were determined in the two effluents and soil pore water at 60, 120, and 240 cm below the soil infiltrative surface. Concentrations of trace organic compounds in septic tank effluent were reduced by more than 90% during transport through 240 cm (often within 60 cm) of soil, likely due to sorption and biotransformation. However, the concentration of NP increased with depth in the shallow soil profile. Additional treatment of anaerobic septic tank effluent with an aerobic textile biofilter reduced effluent concentrations of many compounds, but generally did not affect any changes in pore water concentrations. The soil profile receiving septic tank effluent (vs. textile biofilter effluent) generally had greater percent removal efficiencies. EDTA, NP, NP1EC, and sulfamethoxazole were measured in soil pore water, indicating the ability of some trace organic compounds to reach shallow groundwater. Risk is highly dependent on the degree of further treatment in the saturated zone and the types and proximity of uses for the receiving groundwater environment. Copyright 2009 SETAC.

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

Lower leaf gas-exchange and higher photorespiration of treated wastewater irrigated Citrus trees is modulated by soil type and climate.

PubMed

Paudel, Indira; Shaviv, Avi; Bernstein, Nirit; Heuer, Bruria; Shapira, Or; Lukyanov, Victor; Bar-Tal, Asher; Rotbart, Nativ; Ephrath, Jhonathan; Cohen, Shabtai

2016-04-01

Water quality, soil and climate can interact to limit photosynthesis and to increase photooxidative damage in sensitive plants. This research compared diffusive and non-diffusive limitations to photosynthesis as well as photorespiration of leaves of grapefruit trees in heavy clay and sandy soils having a previous history of treated wastewater (TWW) irrigation for >10 years, with different water qualities [fresh water (FW) vs TWW and sodium amended treated wastewater (TWW + Na)] in two arid climates (summer vs winter) and in orchard and lysimeter experiments. TWW irrigation increased salts (Na(+) and Cl(-) ), membrane leakage, proline and soluble sugar content, and decreased osmotic potentials in leaves of all experiments. Reduced leaf growth and higher stomatal and non-stomatal (i.e. mesophyll) limitations were found in summer and on clay soil for TWW and TWW + Na treatments in comparison to winter, sandy soil and FW irrigation, respectively. Stomatal closure, lower chlorophyll content and altered Rubisco activity are probable causes of higher limitations. On the other hand, non-photochemical quenching, an alternative energy dissipation pathway, was only influenced by water quality, independent of soil type and season. Furthermore, light and CO2 response curves were investigated for other possible causes of higher non-stomatal limitation. A higher proportion of non-cyclic electrons were directed to the O2 dependent pathway, and a higher proportion of electrons were diverted to photorespiration in summer than in winter. In conclusion, both diffusive and non-diffusive limitations contribute to the lower photosynthetic performance of leaves following TWW irrigation, and the response depends on soil type and environmental factors. © 2015 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Abattoir Wastewater Irrigation Increases the Availability of Nutrients and Influences on Plant Growth and Development.

PubMed

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

This study evaluated the effects of abattoir wastewater irrigation on plant growth and development. The soils used in this study were collected from Primo Smallgoods Abattoir (Port Wakefield, South Australia) at different sites such as currently irrigated (CI), currently not irrigated (CNI) and soil outside the irrigation area as control (CTRL). A completely randomised block design was employed for the plant growth experiment, where four crops (Pennisetum purpureum , Medicago sativa , Sinapis alba and Helianthus annuus ) were grown separately on three different soils (CI, CNI and CTRL) in plastic pots. Two types of water (tap water and wastewater) and two loadings were applied throughout the planting period based on the field capacity (FC 100 and 150 %). The overall dry matter yield was compared between the soils and treatments. Under wastewater irrigation, among the four species grown in the CI soil, P. purpureum (171 g) and H. annuus (151 g) showed high biomass yields, followed by S. alba (115 g) and M. sativa (31 g). The plants grown under tap water showed about 70 % lower yields compared to the abattoir wastewater irrigation (AWW). Similar trends in the biomass yields were observed for CNI and CTRL soils under the two water treatments, with the biomass yields in the following order CI > CNI > CTRL soils. The results confirm the beneficial effects of AWW at the greenhouse level. However, a proper cropping pattern and wastewater irrigation management plan is essential to utilise the nutrients available in the wastewater-irrigated land treatment sites. The increase in fertility is evident from the effects of wastewater on biomass growth and also the abundance of nutrients accumulated in plants. A mass balance calculation on the applied, residual and the plant-accumulated nutrients over a few cropping periods will help us in understanding the nutrient cycling processes involved in the abattoir-irrigated land treatment sites, which will serve as an effective

Contamination of Phthalate Esters (PAEs) in Typical Wastewater-Irrigated Agricultural Soils in Hebei, North China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yuan; Liang, Qiong; Gao, Rutai; Hou, Haobo; Tan, Wenbing; He, Xiaosong; Zhang, Hui; Yu, Minda; Ma, Lina; Xi, Beidou; Wang, Xiaowei

2015-01-01

The Wangyang River (WYR) basin is a typical wastewater irrigation area in Hebei Province, North China. This study investigated the concentration and distribution of six priority phthalate esters (PAEs) in the agricultural soils in this area. Thirty-nine soil samples (0–20 cm) were collected along the WYR to assess the PAE residues in soils. Results showed that PAEs are ubiquitous environmental contaminants in the topsoil obtained from the irrigation area. The concentrations of Σ6PAEs range from 0.191 μg g−1 dw to 0.457 μg g−1 dw with an average value of 0.294 μg g−1 dw. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) are the dominant PAE species in the agricultural soils. Among the DEHP concentrations, the highest DEHP concentration was found at the sites close to the villages; this result suggested that dense anthropogenic activities and random garbage disposal in the rural area are possible sources of PAEs. The PAE concentrations were weakly and positively correlated with soil organic carbon and soil enzyme activities; thus, these factors can affect the distribution of PAEs. This study further showed that only dimethyl phthalate (DMP) concentrations exceeded the recommended allowable concentrations; no remediation measures are necessary to control the PAEs in the WYR area. However, the PAEs in the topsoil may pose a potential risk to the ecosystem and human health in this area. Therefore, the exacerbating PAE pollution should be addressed. PMID:26360905

Dermal absorption of benzo[a]pyrene into human skin from soil: Effect of artificial weathering, concentration, and exposure duration.

PubMed

Peckham, Trevor K; Shirai, Jeffry H; Bunge, Annette L; Lowney, Yvette W; Ruby, Michael V; Kissel, John C

2017-11-01

In vitro assessments of 14 C-benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) absorption through human epidermis were conducted with the sub-63-μm fraction of four test soils containing different amounts of organic and black carbon. Soils were artificially weathered for eight weeks and applied to epidermis at nominal BaP concentrations of 3 and 10 mg/kg for 8 or 24 h. Experiments were also conducted at 24 h with unweathered soils and with BaP deposited onto skin from acetone at a comparable chemical load. For the weathered soils, absorption was independent of the amount of organic or black carbon, the mass in the receptor fluid was proportional to exposure duration but independent of concentration, and the mass recovered in the skin after washing was proportional to concentration and independent of exposure time. Results from the weathered and unweathered soils were similar except for the mass recovered in the washed skin, which was lower for the weathered soil only at the higher concentration. We hypothesize that chemical concentrations exceeded the BaP sorption capacity accessible within the artificial weathering timeframe for all soils tested, and that BaP mass in the washed skin was dominated by particles that were not removed by washing. Fluxes into and through skin from soils were lower by an order of magnitude than from acetone-deposited BaP.

Affects of wastewater discharge from mining on soil heavy metal pollution and enzyme activities in northern Hunan province, Central South China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Ying; Hu, Xue-Feng; Shu, Ying; Yan, Xiao-Juan; Luo, Fan

2013-04-01

Hunan province, Central South China, is rich in mineral resources and also a well-known nonferrous metal base in China. Mining and ore processing there, however, are mostly conducted in indigenous methods, and thus causing heavy metal pollution of abundant farmland. Situated in northern Hunan province, Y county has antimony, manganese, vanadium, and pyrite mines, but still belongs to a region of rice cultivation, of which, paddy fields make up 84.5% of the total farmland. Our investigations found that irrigation water is threatened by the release of mining wastewater in the county. For example, a stream used for irrigation turns dark-red after long-term receiving wastewater discharged from a pyrite company at HS Town of the county. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, Fe and Mn in the stream water reach 0.03 mg kg-1, 2.14 mg kg-1, 0.02 mg kg-1, 96.0 mg kg-1 and 11.5 mg kg-1, respectively; these in the paddy soils nearby are 67.3 mg kg-1, 297 mg kg-1, 4.0 mg kg-1, 33.1 mg g-1 and 463 mg kg-1 on average, respectively, with a maximum of Cd reaching 16.8 mg kg-1. Microbial biomass and activities are significantly reduced by metal toxicity in the soils. The counts of fungal, actinomycin and bacterial colonies in the polluted soils are 8.8×103 /g (Fresh soil), 4.9×105 /g (Fresh soil) and 6.4×105 /g (Fresh soil), respectively, which are only 4.68%, 10.3% and 20.9% of these in non-polluted soils in Y county, respectively. Likewise, the microbial biomass (MB) - C and MB - N of the polluted soils are only 36.8% and 50.3% of these in the non-polluted, respectively. The activities of dehydrogenase, urease, catalase, acid and neutral phosphatase and sucrase in the polluted soils are only 41.2%, 49.8%, 56.8%, 69.9%, 80.7% and 81.0% of these in the non-polluted, respectively. There are significant negative correlations between Cu, Zn and Cd contents and the activities of dehydrogenase and catalase, suggesting that the two enzymes are the most sensitive to heavy metal toxicity in the

Priming effects and enzymatic activity in Israeli soils under treated wastewater and freshwater irrigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anissimova, Marina; Heinze, Stefanie; Chen, Yona; Tarchitzky, Jorge; Marschner, Bernd

2014-05-01

Irrigation of soils with treated wastewater (TWW) directly influences microbial processes of soil. TWW contains easily decomposable organic material, which can stimulate the activity of soil microorganisms and, as a result, lead to the excessive consumption of soil organic carbon pool. We investigated the effects of irrigation with TWW relative to those of irrigation with freshwater (FW) on the microbial parameters in soils with low (7%) and medium (13%) clay content in a lysimeter experiment. The objectives of our study were to (i) determine the impact of water quality on soil respiration and enzymatic activity influenced by clay content and depth, and (ii) work out the changes in the turnover of soil organic matter (PE, priming effects). Samples were taken from three soil depths (0-10, 10-20, and 40-60 cm). Soil respiration and PE were determined in a 21-days incubation experiment after addition of uniformly 14C-labeled fructose. Activity of 10 extracellular enzymes (EEA, from C-, N-, P-, and S-cycle), phenol oxidase and peroxidase activity (PO+PE), and dehydrogenase activity (DHA) were assayed. Microbial Community-Level Physiological Profiles (CLPP) using four substrates, and microbial biomass were determined. The results showed that the clay content acted as the main determinative factor. In the soil with low clay content the water quality had a greater impact: the highest PE (56%) was observed in the upper layer (0-10cm) under FW irrigation; EEA of C-, P-, and S-cycles was significantly higher in the upper soil layer under TWW irrigation. Microbial biomass was higher in the soil under TWW irrigation and decreased with increasing of depth (50 μg/g soil in the upper layer, 15 μg/g soil in the lowest layer). This tendency was also observed for DHA. Contrary to the low clay content, in the soil with medium clay content both irrigation types caused the highest PE in the lowest layer (65% under FW irrigation, 48% under TWW irrigation); the higher substrate

Interactions and Survival of Enteric Viruses in Soil Materials

PubMed Central

Sobsey, Mark D.; Dean, Cheryl H.; Knuckles, Maurice E.; Wagner, Ray A.

1980-01-01

There were marked differences in the abilities of eight different soil materials to remove and retain viruses from settled sewage, but for each soil material the behavior of two different viruses, poliovirus type 1 and reovirus type 3, was often similar. Virus adsorption to soil materials was rapid, the majority occurring within 15 min. Clayey materials efficiently adsorbed both viruses from wastewater over a range of pH and total dissolved solids levels. Sands and organic soil materials were comparatively poor adsorbents, but in some cases their ability to adsorb viruses increased at low pH and with the addition of total dissolved solids or divalent cations. Viruses in suspensions of soil material in settled sewage survived for considerable time periods, despite microbial activity. In some cases virus survival was prolonged in suspensions of soil materials compared to soil-free controls. Although sandy and organic soil materials were poor virus adsorbents when suspended in wastewater, they gave ≥95% virus removal from intermittently applied wastewater as unsaturated, 10-cm-deep columns. However, considerable quantities of the retained viruses were washed from the columns by simulated rainfall. Under the same conditions, clayey soil material removed ≥99.9995% of the viruses from applied wastewater, and none were washed from the columns by simulated rainfall. PMID:6250478

Optimizing Wastewater Reuse in Agricultural Fields via Merging of Embedded Network Sensor Data and Flow and Transport Models Using Data Assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, C.; Margulis, S. A.

2007-12-01

Wastewater re-use via crop irrigation has the potential to be an effective means of wastewater disposal. However, nitrate in wastewater may contaminate groundwater if it does not decay before reaching the groundwater table. In order to dispose of wastewater while preventing long-term groundwater pollution, irrigation rates need to be optimized based on the current and predicted states of the soil, such as soil moisture content and/or nitrate concentration. A real-time soil states estimation system using the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) has been developed for application to a test bed for wastewater re-use in Palmdale, CA. This test bed, covered with alfalfa, is a 30-acre irrigation plot with a 200-meter long rotating pivot arm that irrigates the area with reclaimed wastewater. A sensor network is deployed in the soil near the surface. The data assimilation system has shown the ability to characterize soil states and fluxes from sparse measurements. The real-time estimation system will then be used to explore the potential feedback for optimizing the sprinkler operation (i.e. maximizing the magnitude of wastewater release while minimizing the ultimate groundwater pollution). In optimization models, soil states and fluxes can be regarded as functions of irrigation rate. Through optimization, the irrigation rate in a finite horizon can be maximized while still satisfying all criteria in soil states and fluxes to ensure the safety of groundwater. Since the data assimilation system provides reliable estimation of soil states and fluxes, it is expected to define the optimal irrigation rate with higher confidence compared to using models or sensors only.

Laboratory persistence in soil of thiacloprid, pendimethalin and fenarimol incubated with treated wastewater and dissolved organic matter solutions. Contribution of soil biota.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Liébana, José Antonio; ElGouzi, Siham; Peña, Aránzazu

2017-08-01

Reutilization of treated wastewater (TWW) in agriculture has continued to grow, especially in areas prone to frequent drought periods. One of the major aspects derived from this practice is the addition of important amounts of organic carbon (OC) that could interfere with the fate of organic contaminants in soils. This study has evaluated the impact of irrigation with a secondary TWW and dissolved OC (DOC) solutions from sewage sludge in the dissipation of thiacloprid (THC), pendimethalin (PDM) and fenarimol (FEN) in an OC-poor agricultural soil under laboratory conditions. The effect on soil microbial activity was also assessed through the measurement of dehydrogenase activity. Biotic processes were the main responsible for the degradation of the three compounds. Results showed that while THC was rapidly degraded (DT 50  ≤ 5.5 d), PDM and FEN were moderately persistent in soil (DT 50  ≥ 93 d). Incubation with TWW did not modify the decay rate of the three pesticides, but initially inhibited soil biota. Solutions of DOC did not alter the dissipation of FEN, but contrasting effects were observed for THC and PDM. Low DOC concentrations (30 mg L -1 ) accelerated THC disappearance, a fact explained by stimulation of endogenous biota rather than by the presence of exogenous microorganisms from the solution. On the other hand, high DOC concentrations (300 mg L -1 ) had more influence on the activity of microorganisms at longer times, and showed a trend to enhance the disappearance of the moderately persistent PDM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Managed aquifer recharge: the fate of pharmaceuticals from infiltrated treated wastewater investigated through soil column experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silver, Matthew; Selke, Stephanie; Balsaa, Peter; Wefer-Roehl, Annette; Kübeck, Christine; Schüth, Christoph

2017-04-01

The EU FP7 project MARSOL addresses water scarcity challenges in arid regions, where managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is an upcoming technology to recharge depleted aquifers using alternative water sources. Within this framework, column experiments were conducted to investigate the fate of pharmaceuticals when secondary treated wastewater (TWW) is infiltrated through a natural soil (organic matter content 6.8%) being considered for MAR. Three parallel experiments were run under conditions of continuous infiltration (one column) and wetting-drying cycles (two columns, with different analytes) over a 16 month time period. The pharmaceuticals diclofenac, ibuprofen, carbamazepine, naproxen, gemfibrozil, and fenoprofen, as well as the antibiotics doxycycline, sulfadimidine, and sulfamethoxazole, are commonly present in treated wastewater in varying concentrations. For the experiments, concentration variability was reduced by spiking the column inflow water with these compounds. Concentrations were periodically analyzed at different depths in each column and the mass passing each depth over the duration of the experiment was calculated. At the end of the experiments, sorbed pharmaceuticals were extracted from soil samples collected from different depths. A pressurized liquid extraction method was developed and resulted in recoveries from spiked post-experiment soil samples ranging from 64% (gemfibrozil) to 82% (carbamazepine) for the six non-antibiotic compounds. Scaling results by these recovery rates, the total mass of pharmaceuticals sorbed to the soil in the columns was calculated and compared to the calculated attenuated mass (i.e. mass that left the water phase). The difference between the attenuated mass and the sorbed mass is considered to be mass that degraded. Results for continuous infiltration conditions indicate that for carbamazepine and diclofenac, sorption is the primary attenuation mechanism, with missing (i.e. degraded) mass lying within the propagated

Heavy metal contamination and risk assessment in water, paddy soil, and rice around an electroplating plant.

PubMed

Liu, Jie; Zhang, Xue-Hong; Tran, Henry; Wang, Dun-Qiu; Zhu, Yi-Nian

2011-11-01

The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of long-term electroplating industrial activities on heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils and potential health risks for local residents. Water, soil, and rice samples were collected from sites upstream (control) and downstream of the electroplating wastewater outlet. The concentrations of heavy metals were determined by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Fractionation and risk assessment code (RAC) were used to evaluate the environmental risks of heavy metals in soils. The health risk index (HRI) and hazard index (HI) were calculated to assess potential health risks to local populations through rice consumption. Hazardous levels of Cu, Cr, and Ni were observed in water and paddy soils at sites near the plant. According to the RAC analysis, the soils showed a high risk for Ni and a medium risk for Cu and Cr at certain sites. The rice samples were primarily contaminated with Ni, followed by Cr and Cu. HRI values >1 were not found for any heavy metal. However, HI values for adults and children were 2.075 and 1.808, respectively. Water, paddy soil, and rice from the studied area have been contaminated by Cu, Cr, and Ni. The contamination of these elements is related to the electroplating wastewater. Although no single metal poses health risks for local residents through rice consumption, the combination of several metals may threaten the health of local residents. Cu and Ni are the key components contributing to the potential health risks.

Use of wastewater : challenge against scarcity,enhancement of crop disease and environment damage.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahchour, Abdelmalek; El Hajjaji, Souad; El Makhoukhi, Fadoua

2015-04-01

Reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture is a potential alternative to face shortage in water resources mainly in arid regions. Morocco is among countries that have experienced long and severe period of drought associated with shortage in water resources. Though the large efforts deployed in providing water supplies to different regions, this resource remains sufficiently available in northern part of the country only. This situation has pushed growers to use non treated wastewater for irrigation without any environmental or health cautions. Trials with waste water for irrigation have demonstrated net increase in production of irrigated crops, good improvement of soil texture and availability of nutrients. However interactions with pesticides remain neglected. Actually this interaction could be associated with an improvement or reduction of the efficacy of a given pesticide. On environmental point of view, it could improve or reduce adsorption, mobility of soil applied pesticides toward groundwater. Laboratory test with a selected fungicide showed net reduction of the efficacy of the pesticide against the target fungus. Comparison between growing species in medium spiked with pesticide/ wastewater and pesticide only shoed net increase of the growth in presence of wastewater. In the column of soil, low mobility herbicide showed net increase in mobility after percolation with water spiked with wastewater under laboratory conditions. .

Chloride ion transport and fate in oilfield wastewater reuse by interval dynamic multimedia aquivalence model.

PubMed

Hu, Y; Zhang, C; Wang, D Z; Wen, J Y; Chen, M H; Li, Y

2013-01-01

A surface flow constructed wetland was built up to dispose of oilfield wastewater with a high level of inorganic salt ions. Chlorine ion (Cl(-)) was selected as an indicator of soil secondary salinization, and an interval dynamic multimedia aquivalence (IDMA) model was developed to investigate the dynamic multimedia environmental (air, water, soil, flora, and groundwater) effects of Cl(-) in the wastewater irrigation process between 2002 and 2020. The modeled Cl(-) concentrations were in good agreement with the measured ones, as indicated by the interval average logarithmic residual errors (IALREs) being generally lower than 0.5 logarithmic units. The model results showed that the temporal trends of Cl(-) concentrations in the multimedia environments represented a relatively steady state. More than 97.00% of the mass exchange was finished between soil and groundwater compartments, and Cl(-) finally outputted the environmental system by the pathways of advection outflows in the water (71.03%) and groundwater (24.02%). Soil (59.17%) was the dominant sink of Cl(-). It was revealed that the high level of Cl(-) in oilfield wastewater was well treated by the constructed wetland, and there was not a significant environmental effect of soil secondary salinization in the oilfield wastewater reused for the constructed wetland irrigation.

Hotspots of soil N 2O emission enhanced through water absorption by plant residue

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

Kravchenko, A. N.; Toosi, E. R.; Guber, A. K.

N 2O is a highly potent greenhouse gas and arable soils represent its major anthropogenic source. Field-scale assessments and predictions of soil N 2O emission remain uncertain and imprecise due to the episodic and microscale nature of microbial N 2O production, most of which occurs within very small discrete soil volumes. Such hotspots of N 2O production are often associated with decomposing plant residue. Here we quantify physical and hydrological soil characteristics that lead to strikingly accelerated N 2O emissions in plant residue-induced hotspots. Results reveal a mechanism for microscale N 2O emissions: water absorption by plant residue that createsmore » unique micro-environmental conditions, markedly different from those of the bulk soil. Moisture levels within plant residue exceeded those of bulk soil by 4–10-fold and led to accelerated N 2O production via microbial denitrification. The presence of large (Ø >35 μm) pores was a prerequisite for maximized hotspot N 2O production and for subsequent diffusion to the atmosphere. Understanding and modelling hotspot microscale physical and hydrologic characteristics is a promising route to predict N 2O emissions and thus to develop effective mitigation strategies and estimate global fluxes in a changing environment.« less

Hotspots of soil N2O emission enhanced through water absorption by plant residue

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

Kravchenko, A. N.; Toosi, E. R.; Guber, A. K.

N2O is a highly potent greenhouse gas and arable soils represent its major anthropogenic source. Field-scale assessments and predictions of soil N2O emission remain uncertain and imprecise due to the episodic and microscale nature of microbial N2O production, most of which occurs within very small discrete soil volumes. Such hotspots of N2O production are often associated with decomposing plant residue. Here we quantify physical and hydrological soil characteristics that lead to strikingly accelerated N2O emissions in plant residue-induced hotspots. Results reveal a mechanism for microscale N2O emissions: water absorption by plant residue that creates unique micro-environmental conditions, markedly different frommore » those of the bulk soil. Moisture levels within plant residue exceeded those of bulk soil by 4–10-fold and led to accelerated N2O production via microbial denitrification. The presence of large (Ø >35 μm) pores was a prerequisite for maximized hotspot N2O production and for subsequent diffusion to the atmosphere. Understanding and modelling hotspot microscale physical and hydrologic characteristics is a promising route to predict N2O emissions and thus to develop effective mitigation strategies and estimate global fluxes in a changing environment.« less

Hotspots of soil N 2O emission enhanced through water absorption by plant residue

DOE PAGES

Kravchenko, A. N.; Toosi, E. R.; Guber, A. K.; ...

2017-06-05

N 2O is a highly potent greenhouse gas and arable soils represent its major anthropogenic source. Field-scale assessments and predictions of soil N 2O emission remain uncertain and imprecise due to the episodic and microscale nature of microbial N 2O production, most of which occurs within very small discrete soil volumes. Such hotspots of N 2O production are often associated with decomposing plant residue. Here we quantify physical and hydrological soil characteristics that lead to strikingly accelerated N 2O emissions in plant residue-induced hotspots. Results reveal a mechanism for microscale N 2O emissions: water absorption by plant residue that createsmore » unique micro-environmental conditions, markedly different from those of the bulk soil. Moisture levels within plant residue exceeded those of bulk soil by 4–10-fold and led to accelerated N 2O production via microbial denitrification. The presence of large (Ø >35 μm) pores was a prerequisite for maximized hotspot N 2O production and for subsequent diffusion to the atmosphere. Understanding and modelling hotspot microscale physical and hydrologic characteristics is a promising route to predict N 2O emissions and thus to develop effective mitigation strategies and estimate global fluxes in a changing environment.« less

Investigating cloud absorption effects: Global absorption properties of black carbon, tar balls, and soil dust in clouds and aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobson, Mark Z.

2012-03-01

This study examines modeled properties of black carbon (BC), tar ball (TB), and soil dust (SD) absorption within clouds and aerosols to understand better Cloud Absorption Effects I and II, which are defined as the effects on cloud heating of absorbing inclusions in hydrometeor particles and of absorbing aerosol particles interstitially between hydrometeor particles at their actual relative humidity (RH), respectively. The globally and annually averaged modeled 550 nm aerosol mass absorption coefficient (AMAC) of externally mixed BC was 6.72 (6.3-7.3) m2/g, within the laboratory range (6.3-8.7 m2/g). The global AMAC of internally mixed (IM) BC was 16.2 (13.9-18.2) m2/g, less than the measured maximum at 100% RH (23 m2/g). The resulting AMAC amplification factor due to internal mixing was 2.41 (2-2.9), with highest values in high RH regions. The global 650 nm hydrometeor mass absorption coefficient (HMAC) due to BC inclusions was 17.7 (10.6-19) m2/g, ˜9.3% higher than that of the IM-AMAC. The 650 nm HMACs of TBs and SD were half and 1/190th, respectively, that of BC. Modeled aerosol absorption optical depths were consistent with data. In column tests, BC inclusions in low and mid clouds (CAE I) gave column-integrated BC heating rates ˜200% and 235%, respectively, those of interstitial BC at the actual cloud RH (CAE II), which itself gave heating rates ˜120% and ˜130%, respectively, those of interstitial BC at the clear-sky RH. Globally, cloud optical depth increased then decreased with increasing aerosol optical depth, consistent with boomerang curves from satellite studies. Thus, CAEs, which are largely ignored, heat clouds significantly.

Distribution patterns of phthalic acid esters in soil particle-size fractions determine biouptake in soil-cereal crop systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Wenbing; Zhang, Yuan; He, Xiaosong; Xi, Beidou; Gao, Rutai; Mao, Xuhui; Huang, Caihong; Zhang, Hui; Li, Dan; Liang, Qiong; Cui, Dongyu; Alshawabkeh, Akram N.

2016-08-01

The use of wastewater irrigation for food crops can lead to presence of bioavailable phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in soils, which increase the potential for human exposure and adverse carcinogenic and non-cancer health effects. This study presents the first investigation of the occurrence and distribution of PAEs in a maize-wheat double-cropping system in a wastewater-irrigated area in the North China Plain. PAE levels in maize and wheat were found to be mainly attributed to PAE stores in soil coarse (250-2000 μm) and fine sand (53-250 μm) fractions. Soil particle-size fractions with higher bioavailability (i.e., coarse and fine sands) showed greater influence on PAE congener bioconcentration factors compared to PAE molecular structures for both maize and wheat tissues. More PAEs were allocated to maize and wheat grains with increased soil PAE storages from wastewater irrigation. Additional findings showed that levels of both non-cancer and carcinogenic risk for PAE congeners in wheat were higher than those in maize, suggesting that wheat food security should be prioritized. In conclusion, increased soil PAE concentrations specifically in maize and wheat grains indicate that wastewater irrigation can pose a contamination threat to food resources.

Distribution patterns of phthalic acid esters in soil particle-size fractions determine biouptake in soil-cereal crop systems

PubMed Central

Tan, Wenbing; Zhang, Yuan; He, Xiaosong; Xi, Beidou; Gao, Rutai; Mao, Xuhui; Huang, Caihong; Zhang, Hui; Li, Dan; Liang, Qiong; Cui, Dongyu; Alshawabkeh, Akram N.

2016-01-01

The use of wastewater irrigation for food crops can lead to presence of bioavailable phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in soils, which increase the potential for human exposure and adverse carcinogenic and non-cancer health effects. This study presents the first investigation of the occurrence and distribution of PAEs in a maize-wheat double-cropping system in a wastewater-irrigated area in the North China Plain. PAE levels in maize and wheat were found to be mainly attributed to PAE stores in soil coarse (250–2000 μm) and fine sand (53–250 μm) fractions. Soil particle-size fractions with higher bioavailability (i.e., coarse and fine sands) showed greater influence on PAE congener bioconcentration factors compared to PAE molecular structures for both maize and wheat tissues. More PAEs were allocated to maize and wheat grains with increased soil PAE storages from wastewater irrigation. Additional findings showed that levels of both non-cancer and carcinogenic risk for PAE congeners in wheat were higher than those in maize, suggesting that wheat food security should be prioritized. In conclusion, increased soil PAE concentrations specifically in maize and wheat grains indicate that wastewater irrigation can pose a contamination threat to food resources. PMID:27555553

Wastewater and sludge reuse in agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalavrouziotis, Ioannis

2016-04-01

The reuse of Municipal wastewaters (TMWW) for irrigation of crops, and of sludge for the amendment of soils, is a multidimensional disposal practice aiming at: (i) minimizing the environmental problems by releasing the pressure exerted by these two inputs on the environment, (ii) providing the growing plants with water and nutrients and (ii) improving soil fertility and productivity, The research work conducted in our University in relation to accomplishing a safe reuse has been focused on the study of the following aspects of reuse: (i) heavy metal accumulation in soils and plants with emphasis on their edible part. This aspect has been studied by conducting a series of experiments aiming at the study of the accumulation of heavy metals in soils, and in plant roots, stalks, leaves and fruits. The conclusions drawn so far with regard to the order of accumulation of heavy metals are: Roots>leaves>stalks>fruits ( edible parts) (ii) interactions between heavy metals, plant nutrients and soil chemical and physical properties. After the examinations of hundreds of interactions, and the development of a quantification of the interactions contribution, it was found that considerable quantities of heavy metals and nutrients are contributed to the soil and to various plant parts , emphasizing the important role of the elemental interactions in plants.(iii) assessment of soil pollution with heavy metals based on pollution indices, Three pollution Indices have been established by our research team and were proposed internationally for application in actual practice for the prediction of soil pollution due to long term reuse of wastewater and sludge. These indices are as follows: (a) Elemental pollution Index (EPI), (b) Heavy Metal Load (HML), and (c) Total Concentration Factor (TCF) and (iv) construction of a computer program for the control of the reuse of TMWW and sludge, and forecasting soil pollution due to accumulation of heavy metal by means of pollution indices.

Percutaneous Absorption of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin (TCDD) From Soil (Journal Article)

EPA Science Inventory

Eight dermal absorption (two in vivo; six in vitro) and one intravenous experiment were conducted using 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) either neat (high dose at ~250 µg/cm2 and low dose at 10 ng/cm2) or sorbed on a low organic (LOS) or high organic (HOS) soil at 1 ppm...

Mutagenicity of automobile workshop soil leachate and tobacco industry wastewater using the Ames Salmonella fluctuation and the SOS chromotests.

PubMed

Okunola, Alabi A; Babatunde, Esan E; Chinwe, Duru; Pelumi, Oyedele; Ramatu, Salihu G

2016-06-01

Environmental management of industrial solid wastes and wastewater is an important economic and environmental health problem globally. This study evaluated the mutagenic potential of automobile workshop soil-simulated leachate and tobacco wastewater using the SOS chromotest on Escherichia coli PQ37 and the Ames Salmonella fluctuation test on Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 without metabolic activation. Physicochemical parameters of the samples were also analyzed. The result of the Ames test showed mutagenicity of the test samples. However, the TA100 was the more responsive strain for both the simulated leachate and tobacco wastewater in terms of mutagenic index in the absence of metabolic activation. The SOS chromotest results were in agreement with those of the Ames Salmonella fluctuation test. Nevertheless, the E. coli PQ37 system was slightly more sensitive than the Salmonella assay for detecting genotoxins in the tested samples. Iron, cadmium, manganese, copper, nickel, chromium, arsenic, zinc, and lead contents analyzed in the samples were believed to play significant role in the observed mutagenicity in the microbial assays. The results of this study showed that the simulated leachate and tobacco wastewater showed strong indication of a genotoxic risk. Further studies would be required in the analytical field in order to identify and quantify other compounds not analyzed for in this study, some of which could be responsible for the observed genotoxicity. This will be necessary in order to identify the sources of toxicants and thus to take preventive and/or curative measures to limit the toxicity of these types of wastes. © The Author(s) 2014.

Fate and transport of carbamazepine in soil aquifer treatment (SAT) infiltration basin soils.

PubMed

Arye, Gilboa; Dror, Ishai; Berkowitz, Brian

2011-01-01

The transport and fate of the pharmaceutical carbamazepine (CBZ) were investigated in the Dan Region Reclamation Project (SHAFDAN), Tel-Aviv, Israel. Soil samples were taken from seven subsections of soil profiles (150 cm) in infiltration basins of a soil aquifer treatment (SAT) system. The transport characteristics were studied from the release dynamics of soil-resident CBZ and, subsequently, from applying a pulse input of wastewater containing CBZ. In addition, a monitoring study was performed to evaluate the fate of CBZ after the SAT. Results of this study indicate adsorption, and consequently retardation, in CBZ transport through the top soil layer (0-5 cm) and to a lesser extent in the second layer (5-25 cm), but not in deeper soil layers (25-150 cm). The soluble and adsorbed fractions of CBZ obtained from the two upper soil layers comprised 45% of the total CBZ content in the entire soil profile. This behavior correlated to the higher organic matter content observed in the upper soil layers (0-25 cm). It is therefore deduced that when accounting for the full flow path of CBZ through the vadose zone to the groundwater region, the overall transport of CBZ in the SAT system is essentially conservative. The monitoring study revealed that the average concentration of CBZ decreased from 1094 ± 166 ng L⁻¹ in the recharged wastewater to 560 ± 175 ng L⁻¹ after the SAT. This reduction is explained by dilution of the recharged wastewater with resident groundwater, which may occur as it flows to active reclamation wells. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

PubMed

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

2005-04-01

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

Sorption of pathogens during sub-surface drip irrigation with wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levi, Laillach; Gillerman Gillerman, Leonid; Kalavrouziotis, Ioannis; Oron, Gideon

2017-04-01

Water scarcity continues to be one of the major threats to human survival in many regions worldwide, such as Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the State of California in the US. Due to a mixture of factors such as population growth, reduction in water resources availability and higher demand for high quality waters in these regions these countries face water shortage issues that stem from overuse, extensive extraction of groundwater, and frequent drought events. In addition, there are increases in environmental and health awareness that have led to intensive efforts in the treatment and reuse of nonconventional water sources, mainly wastewater and greywater. One approach to water shortages issues is to use wastewater as means to close the gap between supply and demand. However, the need to treat wastewater and to disinfect it forces additional economic burden on the users, primarily for agricultural irrigation. A possible solution might be to use the soil as a sorbent for the contained pathogens. Under sub-surface drip irrigation, not allowing the wastewater to reach the soil surface, the pathogens will remain in the soil. It was as well shown in field experiments that the opening size of roots will not allow pathogens to penetrate into the plants. Additional advantages such as water saving, protection of the pipe systems and others are also important. Field experiments in commercial fields just emphasize the main advantages of sub-surface drip irrigation.

SITE TECHNOLOGY CAPSULE: BIOGENESIS SOIL WASHING TECHNOLOGY

EPA Science Inventory

Soil washing technologies are designed to transfer contaminants from soil to a liquid phase. The BloGenesis™ soil washing technology uses a proprietary surfactant solution to transfer organic contaminants from soil to wastewater. The surfactant used in the soil washing process wa...

Greenhouse cultivation mitigates metal-ingestion-associated health risks from vegetables in wastewater-irrigated agroecosystems.

PubMed

Cao, Chun; Chen, Xing-Peng; Ma, Zhen-Bang; Jia, Hui-Hui; Wang, Jun-Jian

2016-08-01

Wastewater irrigation can elevate metal concentrations in soils and crops and increase the metal-associated health risks via vegetable ingestion in arid and semiarid northwestern China. Here, we investigated the As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations in four vegetable species from Dongdagou and Xidagou farmlands in Baiyin, Gansu, China. We evaluated the effects of irrigation type (Dongdagou: industrial wastewater; Xidagou: domestic wastewater) and cultivation mode (open field and greenhouse) on the vegetable metal concentration, metal partitioning, soil-to-plant bioconcentration factor (BCF), and the health risk index. All stream waters, soils, and vegetables were found most severely polluted by As and Cd, with higher severity in the industrial-wastewater-irrigated Dongdagou than the domestic-wastewater-irrigated Xidagou. All vegetables had higher or, at least, comparable metal mass allocated in the shoot than in the root. Greenhouse cultivation could reduce metal-ingestion-associated health risks from edible vegetable biomass by decreasing the soil to plant bioaccumulation (BCF) and the metal concentration. This effect was always significant for all vegetables within Xidagou, and for carrot within Dongdagou. This mitigation effect of greenhouse cultivation could be attributed to the metal sorption by a higher level of soil organic matter and faster growth rate over metal uptake rate in greenhouses compared to open fields. Such mitigation effect was, however, insignificant for leafy vegetables within Dongdagou, when much more severely polluted water for irrigation was applied in greenhouses compared to open fields within Dongdagou. The present study highlights greenhouse cultivation as a potential mitigating approach to providing less-polluted vegetables for residents in the severely polluted area in addition to the source pollution control. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Agronomic properties of wastewater sludge biochar and bioavailability of metals in production of cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum).

PubMed

Hossain, Mustafa K; Strezov, Vladimir; Chan, K Yin; Nelson, Peter F

2010-02-01

This work presents agronomic values of a biochar produced from wastewater sludge through pyrolysis at a temperature of 550 degrees C. In order to investigate and quantify effects of wastewater sludge biochar on soil quality, growth, yield and bioavailability of metals in cherry tomatoes, pot experiments were carried out in a temperature controlled environment and under four different treatments consisting of control soil, soil with biochar; soil with biochar and fertiliser, and soil with fertiliser only. The soil used was chromosol and the applied wastewater sludge biochar was 10tha(-1). The results showed that the application of biochar improves the production of cherry tomatoes by 64% above the control soil conditions. The ability of biochar to increase the yield was attributed to the combined effect of increased nutrient availability (P and N) and improved soil chemical conditions upon amendment. The yield of cherry tomato production was found to be at its maximum when biochar was applied in combination with the fertiliser. Application of biochar was also found to significantly increase the soil electrical conductivity as well as phosphorus and nitrogen contents. Bioavailability of metals present in the biochar was found to be below the Australian maximum permitted concentrations for food. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of different treatment technologies on the fate of antibiotic resistance genes and class 1 integrons after the application of residual municipal wastewater solids to soil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Land-application of residual wastewater solids is an important environmental source of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Treatment technologies exist that can reduce ARG levels in residual solids prior to land-application, but the effect of these technologies on ARG levels in soil following land-a...

A soil biotechnology system for wastewater treatment: technical, hygiene, environmental LCA and economic aspects.

PubMed

Kamble, Sheetal Jaisingh; Chakravarthy, Yogita; Singh, Anju; Chubilleau, Caroline; Starkl, Markus; Bawa, Itee

2017-05-01

Soil biotechnology (SBT) is a green engineering approach for wastewater treatment and recycling. Five SBT units located in the Mumbai region were under consideration of which holistic assessment of two SBT plants was carried out considering its technical, environmental and economic aspects and was compared with published research of other three. LCA has been done to evaluate the environmental impacts of construction and operation phase of SBT. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) removal of more than 90% can be achieved using this technology. Also, the nutrient removal proficiency (nitrate, nitrite, ammoniacal nitrogen, TKN, total nitrogen and phosphates) of this technique is good. On the other hand, SBT has low annual operation and maintenance cost, comparable to land-based systems and lower than conventional or advanced technologies. From the life cycle impact assessment, the main contributors for overall impact from the plant were identified as electricity consumption, discharges of COD, P-PO 4 3- and N-NH 4 + and disposal of sludge. The construction phase was found to have significantly more impact than the operation phase of the plant. This study suggests plant I is not relatively as efficient enough regarding sanitation. SBT provides several benefits over other conventional technologies for wastewater treatment. It is based on a bio-conversion process and is practically maintenance free. It does not produce any odorous bio-sludge and consumes the least energy.

Effects of different soil remediation methods on inhibition of lead absorption and growth and quality of Dianthus superbus L.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaoyu; Ma, Siyue; Li, Jianheng

2017-12-01

Heavy metal pollution in soil poses a serious threat to the growth of plants used in traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of various soil remediation methods on the performance of Herba Dianthi (Dianthus superbus L.) grown on Pb-contaminated soil. The results show that inoculation of Herba Dianthi with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) led to a significant reduction in Pb uptake (P< 0.05), and increased root development and root-to-shoot ratio compared to untreated control plants, along with the highest content of active components. When planting with Trifolium repens, the reduction effect of Pb absorption was insignificant. Herba Dianthi showed improved growth and active ingredients, and the lowest Pb content, with AMF inoculation. The addition of EDTA decreased the growth of Herba Dianthi, but promoted the absorption of Pb. The inhibition of tumor cells was highest in E2. In conclusion, inoculation with AMF can ensure that plant lead content meets testing standards, helping to improve the quality of medicinal herbs.

Impact of soil properties on selected pharmaceuticals adsorption in soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kodesova, Radka; Kocarek, Martin; Klement, Ales; Fer, Miroslav; Golovko, Oksana; Grabic, Roman; Jaksik, Ondrej

2014-05-01

The presence of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals in the environment has been recognized as a potential threat. Pharmaceuticals may contaminate soils and consequently surface and groundwater. Study was therefore focused on the evaluation of selected pharmaceuticals adsorption in soils, as one of the parameters, which are necessary to know when assessing contaminant transport in soils. The goals of this study were: (1) to select representative soils of the Czech Republic and to measure soil physical and chemical properties; (2) to measure adsorption isotherms of selected pharmaceuticals; (3) to evaluate impact of soil properties on pharmaceutical adsorptions and to propose pedotransfer rules for estimating adsorption coefficients from the measured soil properties. Batch sorption tests were performed for 6 selected pharmaceuticals (beta blockers Atenolol and Metoprolol, anticonvulsant Carbamazepin, and antibiotics Clarithromycin, Trimetoprim and Sulfamethoxazol) and 13 representative soils (soil samples from surface horizons of 11 different soil types and 2 substrates). The Freundlich equations were used to describe adsorption isotherms. The simple correlations between measured physical and chemical soil properties (soil particle density, soil texture, oxidable organic carbon content, CaCO3 content, pH_H2O, pH_KCl, exchangeable acidity, cation exchange capacity, hydrolytic acidity, basic cation saturation, sorption complex saturation, salinity), and the Freundlich adsorption coefficients were assessed using Pearson correlation coefficient. Then multiple-linear regressions were applied to predict the Freundlich adsorption coefficients from measured soil properties. The largest adsorption was measured for Clarithromycin (average value of 227.1) and decreased as follows: Trimetoprim (22.5), Metoprolol (9.0), Atenolol (6.6), Carbamazepin (2.7), Sulfamethoxazol (1.9). Absorption coefficients for Atenolol and Metoprolol closely correlated (R=0.85), and both were also

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

PubMed

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

2008-01-01

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

Carbon sequestration in surface flow constructed wetland after 12 years of swine wastewater treatment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Constructed wetlands used for the treatment of swine wastewater may potentially sequester significant amounts of carbon. In past studies, we evaluated the treatment efficiency of wastewater in marsh-pond-marsh design wetland system. The functionality of this system was highly dependent on soil carbo...

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.

Enzyme pretreatment of fats, oil and grease from restaurant waste to prolong septic soil treatment system effectiveness.

PubMed

Dong, Younsuk; Safferman, Steven I; Ostahowski, Jeff; Herold, Tom; Panter, Ronald

2017-01-02

When a fast-food restaurant's wastewater containing fats, oil and grease (FOG) is discharged into a collection system, it builds up over time and clogs pipes. Similarly, when such wastewater flows into a septic soil treatment system, it adheres to the surface of inlet pipes, gravel/distribution media and soil, restricting the flow and eventually clogging the septic soil treatment system. In this study, an enzymatic pretreatment system was tested on wastewater from a fast-food restaurant to determine its effectiveness in preventing septic soil treatment system clogging. This system used aeration equipment, baffles and a one-time inoculum that excretes enzymes to reduce the molecular weight and number of double bonds associated with FOG. FOG containing triglycerides having lower molecular weights and fewer double bonds are less sticky. The enzymatic pretreatment system was found to cause these changes as verified by measuring the types of triglycerides (compounds in FOG) using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. A unique bench-scale septic soil treatment system (soil trench) was also used. Each contained six soil moisture sensors to enable the determination of moisture saturation trends among the five tested conditions: sanitary wastewater only, a combination of sanitary and kitchen wastewater, enzymatically pretreated sanitary and kitchen wastewater, kitchen wastewater, and enzymatically pretreated kitchen wastewater. For all influent types, a significant amount of FOG and other pollutants were removed, regardless of the initial concentrations. Moisture sensor readings showed differences among the tested conditions, indicating that septic soil treatment system clogging was delayed. Inspection of the influent pipe and gravel at the end of testing verified these differences as did the measurements of volatile solids.

Induced heterogeneity of soil water content and chemical properties by treated wastewater irrigation and its reclamation by freshwater irrigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahav, Matan; Brindt, Naaran; Yermiyahu, Uri; Wallach, Rony

2017-06-01

The recognition of treated wastewater (TWW) as an alternative water resource is expanding in areas with a shortage of freshwater (FW) resources. Today, most orchards in Israel are irrigated with TWW. While the benefits of using TWW for irrigation are apparent, evidence of its negative effects on soil, trees, and yield is accumulating. This study, performed in a commercial TWW-irrigated citrus orchard in central Israel, examined the effects of (1) soil-wettability decrease due to prolonged TWW irrigation on the spatial and temporal distribution of water content and associated chemical properties in the root zone; (2) the conversion of irrigation in half of the TWW-irrigated research plot to FW (2012) for soil reclamation. Electrical resistivity tomography surveys in the substantially water repellent soils revealed that water flow is occurring along preferential flow paths in both plots, leaving behind a considerably nonuniform water-content distribution. This was despite the gradual relief in soil water repellency measured in the FW plots. Four soil-sampling campaigns (spring and fall, 2014-2016), performed in 0-20 and 20-40 cm layers of the research plot, revealed bimodal gravimetrically measured water-content distribution. The preferential flow led to uneven chemical-property distribution, with substantially high concentrations in the dry spots, and lower concentrations in the wet spots along the preferential flow paths. The average salt and nutrient concentrations, which were initially high in both plots, gradually dispersed with time, as concentrations in the FW plots decreased. Nevertheless, the efficiency of reclaiming TWW soil by FW irrigation appears low.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Y.; You, C.

2010-12-01

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

Occurrence and distribution of antibiotics in urban soil in Beijing and Shanghai, China.

PubMed

Gao, Lihong; Shi, Yali; Li, Wenhui; Liu, Jiemin; Cai, Yaqi

2015-08-01

The recycling of reclaimed wastewater for irrigation and road cleaning is an important strategy to minimize water scarcity in megacities. However, little is known regarding the potential accumulation of antibiotics contained in reclaimed wastewater in urban soil. We investigated the occurrence and distribution of eight quinolones (QNs), nine sulfonamides (SAs), and five macrolides (MLs) antibiotics in urban surface soil in Beijing and Shanghai, China. QNs, especially norfloxacin (NOR), ofloxacin (OFL), and ciprofloxacin (CIP) were the predominant antibiotics in urban surface soil, and NOR revealed the highest average concentration of 94.6 μg kg(-1). The antibiotic concentrations in urban soil in our study were higher than those detected in agricultural soils after long-term wastewater irrigation and manure fertilization. The concentrations of antibiotics in Shanghai urban soil showed a significant negative correlation with soil pH and a positive correlation with total organic carbon (TOC), reflecting the effect of speciation and soil organic matter content on sorption and retention. In addition, antibiotic concentrations in the urban soil were positively correlated with heavy metal contents, likely due to their coexistence in reclaimed wastewater and the promoting effect of metals on the sorption of antibiotics. In several soil samples, NOR, OFL, CIP, enrofloxacin (ENR), and fleroxacin (FLE) showed higher concentrations than the trigger value of 100 μg kg(-1) in soil, indicating a potential risk for the environment.

The Living Filter: Monitoring Nitrate Accumulation after 50 Years of Wastewater Irrigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagedorn, J.

2015-12-01

As global freshwater sources decline due to environmental contamination and a growing population, more sustainable wastewater renovation techniques will need to be applied to ensure freshwater for future generations. One such example of a sustainable solution is called the Living Filter, located on the campus of Pennsylvania State University. For fifty years, Pennsylvania State University has sprayed treated wastewater onto agricultural fields and forest ecosystems, leaving natural processes to further filter the wastewater. This cyclical process is deemed sustainable because the freshwater is recycled, providing drinking water to an increasing university population and nutrients to agricultural crops, without causing major environmental catastrophes such as fish kills, eutrophication or groundwater contamination. At first glance this project seems sustainable and effective, but for how long can this setup continue without nutrient overloading and environmental contamination? To be truly declared sustainable, the hopeful answer to this question is indefinitely. Using a combination of soil core and monitoring tools, ecosystem indicators such as soil nutrient capacities, moisture levels, and soil characteristics were measured. Comparing data from the initial system installation to present data collected from soil cores showed how ecosystems changed over time. Results revealed that nitrate concentrations were elevated through the profile in all land use types, but the concentrations were below EPA threshold. Soil characteristic analysis including particle size distribution, soil elemental composition, and texture yielded inconclusive results regarding which factors control the nitrate accumulation most significantly. The nitrate depth profile findings suggest that spray irrigation at the Living Filter under the current rates of application has not caused the ultimate stage of nitrogen saturation in the spray irrigation site. Variations in land use present interesting

Modeling Nitrogen Losses in Conventional and Advanced Soil-Based Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems under Current and Changing Climate Conditions.

PubMed

Morales, Ivan; Cooper, Jennifer; Amador, José A; Boving, Thomas B

2016-01-01

Most of the non-point source nitrogen (N) load in rural areas is attributed to onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). Nitrogen compounds cause eutrophication, depleting the oxygen in marine ecosystems. OWTS rely on physical, chemical and biological soil processes to treat wastewater and these processes may be affected by climate change. We simulated the fate and transport of N in different types of OWTS drainfields, or soil treatment areas (STA) under current and changing climate scenarios, using 2D/3D HYDRUS software. Experimental data from a mesocosm-scale study, including soil moisture content, and total N, ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) concentrations, were used to calibrate the model. A water content-dependent function was used to compute the nitrification and denitrification rates. Three types of drainfields were simulated: (1) a pipe-and-stone (P&S), (2) advanced soil drainfields, pressurized shallow narrow drainfield (PSND) and (3) Geomat (GEO), a variation of SND. The model was calibrated with acceptable goodness-of-fit between the observed and measured values. Average root mean square error (RSME) ranged from 0.18 and 2.88 mg L-1 for NH4+ and 4.45 mg L-1 to 9.65 mg L-1 for NO3- in all drainfield types. The calibrated model was used to estimate N fluxes for both conventional and advanced STAs under current and changing climate conditions, i.e. increased soil temperature and higher water table. The model computed N losses from nitrification and denitrification differed little from measured losses in all STAs. The modeled N losses occurred mostly as NO3- in water outputs, accounting for more than 82% of N inputs in all drainfields. Losses as N2 were estimated to be 10.4% and 9.7% of total N input concentration for SND and Geo, respectively. The highest N2 losses, 17.6%, were estimated for P&S. Losses as N2 increased to 22%, 37% and 21% under changing climate conditions for Geo, PSND and P&S, respectively. These findings can provide practitioners

Integrated risk framework for onsite wastewater treatment systems.

PubMed

Carroll, Steven; Goonetilleke, Ashantha; Thomas, Evan; Hargreaves, Megan; Frost, Ray; Dawes, Les

2006-08-01

Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are becoming increasingly important for the treatment and dispersal of effluent in new urbanised developments that are not serviced by centralised wastewater collection and treatment systems. However, the current standards and guidelines adopted by many local authorities for assessing suitable site and soil conditions for OWTS are increasingly coming under scrutiny due to the public health and environmental impacts caused by poorly performing systems, in particular septic tank-soil adsorption systems. In order to achieve sustainable onsite wastewater treatment with minimal impacts on the environment and public health, more appropriate means of assessment are required. This paper highlights an integrated risk based approach for assessing the inherent hazards associated with OWTS in order to manage and mitigate the environmental and public health risks inherent with onsite wastewater treatment. In developing a sound and cohesive integrated risk framework for OWTS, several key issues must be recognised. These include the inclusion of relevant stakeholders throughout framework development, the integration of scientific knowledge, data and analysis with risk assessment and management ideals, and identification of the appropriate performance goals for successful management and mitigation of associated risks. These issues were addressed in the development of the risk framework to provide a generic approach to assessing risk from OWTS. The utilisation of the developed risk framework for achieving more appropriate assessment and management techniques for OWTS is presented in a case study for the Gold Coast region, Queensland State, Australia.

Integrated Risk Framework for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carroll, Steven; Goonetilleke, Ashantha; Thomas, Evan; Hargreaves, Megan; Frost, Ray; Dawes, Les

2006-08-01

Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are becoming increasingly important for the treatment and dispersal of effluent in new urbanised developments that are not serviced by centralised wastewater collection and treatment systems. However, the current standards and guidelines adopted by many local authorities for assessing suitable site and soil conditions for OWTS are increasingly coming under scrutiny due to the public health and environmental impacts caused by poorly performing systems, in particular septic tank-soil adsorption systems. In order to achieve sustainable onsite wastewater treatment with minimal impacts on the environment and public health, more appropriate means of assessment are required. This paper highlights an integrated risk based approach for assessing the inherent hazards associated with OWTS in order to manage and mitigate the environmental and public health risks inherent with onsite wastewater treatment. In developing a sound and cohesive integrated risk framework for OWTS, several key issues must be recognised. These include the inclusion of relevant stakeholders throughout framework development, the integration of scientific knowledge, data and analysis with risk assessment and management ideals, and identification of the appropriate performance goals for successful management and mitigation of associated risks. These issues were addressed in the development of the risk framework to provide a generic approach to assessing risk from OWTS. The utilisation of the developed risk framework for achieving more appropriate assessment and management techniques for OWTS is presented in a case study for the Gold Coast region, Queensland State, Australia.

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

PubMed

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

2013-10-01

A comprehensive surveillance program was conducted to determine the occurrence of three cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes (cVMS) octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5), and dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6) in environmental compartments impacted by wastewater effluent discharges. Eleven wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), representative of those found in Southern Ontario and Southern Quebec, Canada, were investigated to determine levels of cVMS in their influents and effluents. In addition, receiving water and sediment impacted by WWTP effluents, and biosolid-amended soil from agricultural fields were also analyzed for a preliminary evaluation of the environmental exposure of cVMS in media impacted by wastewater effluent and solids. A newly-developed large volume injection (septumless head adapter and cooled injection system) gas chromatography - mass spectrometry method was used to avoid contamination originating from instrumental analysis. Concentrations of D4, D5, and D6 in influents to the 11 WWTPs were in the range 0.282-6.69μgL(-1), 7.75-135μgL(-1), and 1.53-26.9μgL(-1), respectively. In general, wastewater treatment showed cVMS removal rates of greater than 92%, regardless of treatment type. The D4, D5, and D6 concentration ranges in effluent were <0.009-0.045μgL(-1), <0.027-1.56μgL(-1), and <0.022-0.093μgL(-1), respectively. The concentrations in receiving water influenced by effluent, were lower compared to those in effluent in most cases, with the ranges <0.009-0.023μgL(-1), <0.027-1.48μgL(-1), and <0.022-0.151μgL(-1) for D4, D5, and D6, respectively. Sediment concentrations ranged from <0.003-0.049μgg(-1)dw, 0.011-5.84μgg(-1)dw, and 0.004-0.371μgg(-1)dw for D4, D5, and D6, respectively. The concentrations in biosolid-amended soil, having values of <0.008-0.017μgg(-1)dw, <0.007-0.221μgg(-1)dw, and <0.009-0.711μgg(-1)dw for D4, D5, and D6, respectively, were lower than those in sediment impacted by wastewater

Use of High-Resolution Continuum Source Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HR-CS FAAS) for Sequential Multi-Element Determination of Metals in Seawater and Wastewater Samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peña-Vázquez, E.; Barciela-Alonso, M. C.; Pita-Calvo, C.; Domínguez-González, R.; Bermejo-Barrera, P.

2015-09-01

The objective of this work is to develop a method for the determination of metals in saline matrices using high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS FAAS). Module SFS 6 for sample injection was used in the manual mode, and flame operating conditions were selected. The main absorption lines were used for all the elements, and the number of selected analytical pixels were 5 (CP±2) for Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn, and 3 pixels for Mn (CP±1). Samples were acidified (0.5% (v/v) nitric acid), and the standard addition method was used for the sequential determination of the analytes in diluted samples (1:2). The method showed good precision (RSD(%) < 4%, except for Pb (6.5%)) and good recoveries. Accuracy was checked after the analysis of an SPS-WW2 wastewater reference material diluted with synthetic seawater (dilution 1:2), showing a good agreement between certified and experimental results.

A mathematical model to predict the effect of heat recovery on the wastewater temperature in sewers.

PubMed

Dürrenmatt, David J; Wanner, Oskar

2014-01-01

Raw wastewater contains considerable amounts of energy that can be recovered by means of a heat pump and a heat exchanger installed in the sewer. The technique is well established, and there are approximately 50 facilities in Switzerland, many of which have been successfully using this technique for years. The planning of new facilities requires predictions of the effect of heat recovery on the wastewater temperature in the sewer because altered wastewater temperatures may cause problems for the biological processes used in wastewater treatment plants and receiving waters. A mathematical model is presented that calculates the discharge in a sewer conduit and the spatial profiles and dynamics of the temperature in the wastewater, sewer headspace, pipe, and surrounding soil. The model was implemented in the simulation program TEMPEST and was used to evaluate measured time series of discharge and temperatures. It was found that the model adequately reproduces the measured data and that the temperature and thermal conductivity of the soil and the distance between the sewer pipe and undisturbed soil are the most sensitive model parameters. The temporary storage of heat in the pipe wall and the exchange of heat between wastewater and the pipe wall are the most important processes for heat transfer. The model can be used as a tool to determine the optimal site for heat recovery and the maximal amount of extractable heat. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electricity Generation and Community Wastewater Treatment by Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakthai, S.; Potchanakunakorn, R.; Changjan, A.; Intaravicha, N.; Pramuanl, P.; Srigobue, P.; Soponsathien, S.; Kongson, C.; Maksuwan, A.

2018-05-01

The attractive solution to the pressing issues of energy production and community wastewater treatment was using of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs). The objective of this research was to study the efficiency of electricity generation and community wastewater treatment of MFCs. This study used an experimental method completely randomized design (CRD), which consisted of two treatment factors (4×5 factorial design). The first factor was different solution containing organic matter (T) and consisting of 4 level factors including T1 (tap water), T2 (tap water with soil), T3 (50 % V/V community wastewater with soil), and T4 (100% community wastewater with soil). The second factor was the time (t), consisting of 5 level factors t1 (day 1), t2 (day 2), t3 (day 3), t4 (day 4), and t5 (day 5). There were 4 experimental models depending on containing organic matter (T1-T4). The parameter measured consisted of Open Circuit Voltage (OCV), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Dissolve Solid (TDS), acidity (pH), Electric Conductivity (EC) and number of bacteria. Data were analysed by ANOVA, followed by Duncan test. The results of this study showed that, the T3 was the highest voltage at 0.816 V (P<0.05) and T4, T2, and Ti were 0.800, 0.797 and 0.747 V, respectively. The T3 was the lowest COD at 24.120 mg/L and T4 was 38.067 mg/L (P<0.05). The best model for electricity generation and community wastewater treatment by Microbial Fuel Cells was T3. This model generated highest voltage at 0.816 V, and reduction of COD at 46.215%.

Effects of seasonal olive mill wastewater applications on hydrological and biological soil properties in an olive orchard in Israel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinmetz, Zacharias; Kurtz, Markus; Peikert, Benjamin; Zipori, Isaac; Dag, Arnon; Schaumann, Gabriele E.

2014-05-01

During olive oil production in Mediterranean countries, large amounts of olive mill wastewater (OMW) are generated within a short period of time. OMW has a high nutrient content and could serve as fertilizer when applied on land. However, its fatty and phenolic constituents have adverse effects on hydrological and biological soil properties. It is still unknown how seasonal fluctuations in temperature and precipitation influence the fate and effect of OMW components on soil in a long-term perspective. An appropriate application season could mitigate negative consequences of OMW while preserving its beneficial effects. In order to investigate this, 14 L OMW m-2 were applied to different plots of an olive orchard in Gilat, Israel, in winter, spring, and summer, respectively. Hydrological soil properties (water drop penetration time, hydraulic conductivity, dynamic contact angle), physicochemical parameters (pH, EC, soluble ions, phenolic compounds, organic matter), and biological degradation (bait-lamina test) were measured to assess the soil state after OMW application. After one rainy season following OMW application, the soil quality of summer treatments significantly decreased compared to the control. This was particularly apparent in a ten-fold higher soil water repellency, a three-times lower biodegradation performance, and a four-fold higher content of phenolic compounds. 1.5 years after the last OMW application, the soil properties of winter treatments were comparable to the control, which suggests a certain recovery potential of the soil. Spring treatments resulted in an intermediate response compared to summer and winter treatments, but without any precipitation following OMW application. Strongest OMW effects were found in the top soil layers. Further research is needed to quantify the effect of spring treatments as well as to gain further insight into leaching effects, the composition of organic OMW constituents, and the kinetics of their degradation in

Temporal variations and spatial distributions of heavy metals in a wastewater-irrigated soil-eggplant system and associated influencing factors.

PubMed

Ai, Shiwei; Liu, Bailin; Yang, Ying; Ding, Jian; Yang, Wenzhi; Bai, Xiaojuan; Naeem, Sajid; Zhang, Yingmei

2018-05-30

Heavy metal pollution in farmlands is highly concerned as crops' easy-uptake of heavy metal can ultimately affect consumers. In order to offer suggestions on cultivating safe quality vegetable, specifically eggplant which is widely consumed for its nutritional value and antioxidant activity, a field study was undertaken to investigate the temporal variations and spatial distributions of heavy metals in a wastewater-irrigated soil-eggplant system. In the present study, eggplants were planted in the farmlands of Weichuan village (WC) (relatively unpolluted field), Liangzhuang village (LZ) (moderately polluted field) and Minqin village (MQ) (seriously polluted field) to elucidate their temporal uptake processes of heavy metals described by the sigmoid model. Eggplant tissues from severely polluted farmlands were found with higher heavy metal concentrations and lower yields compared with other two groups. What is more, 25 farmlands along the Dongdagou stream (heavy metals polluted stream) were chosen to analyze the spatial distribution of heavy metals in soils and eggplants. Heavy metal concentrations in eggplants decreased with the decline of heavy metal concentrations in soil from upstream (pollution source) to downstream. Moreover, several methods were employed to assess bioavailability of heavy metals in soils. All the bioavailable heavy metals were found in linear positive correlations with heavy metal concentrations. Meanwhile, linear correlations were found between heavy metals in soils and eggplants. At last, redundancy analysis was used to investigate the effects of soil properties (pH, organic matter and texture of soils) and heavy metals on eggplants' uptake. The results indicated that soil heavy metals had a dominant impact on their accumulations in eggplant fruit, with a variance contribution of 78.0%, while soil properties had a regulatory effect, with a variance contribution of 5.2%. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Health risks of thallium in contaminated arable soils and food crops irrigated with wastewater from a sulfuric acid plant in western Guangdong province, China.

PubMed

Wang, Chunlin; Chen, Yongheng; Liu, Juan; Wang, Jin; Li, Xiangping; Zhang, Yongbo; Liu, Yimin

2013-04-01

Thallium (Tl) contamination in soils poses a significant threat to human health due to the high toxicity of Tl and its ready assimilation by crops. Consumption of food crops contaminated with Tl is a major food chain route for human exposure. The health risks of Tl in contaminated food crops irrigated with wastewater from a sulfuric acid factory were investigated in this paper. Results indicate that long-term Tl-containing wastewater irrigation resulted in Tl contamination of arable soils and crops. The pollution load index values indicated that the arable soils were moderately enriched with Tl. Tl was highly accumulated in the crops. The content of Tl in the edible plant portions of crops ranged from 1.2 mg/kg to 104.8 mg/kg, exceeding the recommended permissible limits for food crops. The daily intake of metals (DIM) values of Tl for both adults and children via the consumption of the food crops except soya beans were higher than the reference oral dose (RfD) limit recommend by the United States environmental protection agency (US-EPA). Health risk index (HRI) values were generally higher than 1, indicating that health risks associated with Tl exposure are significant and assumed to be dangerous to the health of local villagers. Therefore, much attention should be paid to avoid consumption of these Tl-contaminated crops that can cause great potential risks. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distribution of injected wastewater in the saline-lava aquifer, Wailuku-Kahului wastewater treatment facility, Kahului, Maui, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burnham, Willis L.; Larson, S.P.; Cooper, Hilton Hammond

1977-01-01

Field studies and digital modeling of a lava rock aquifer system near Kahului, Maui, Hawaii, describe the distribution of planned injected wastewater from a secondary treatment facility. The aquifer contains water that is almost as saline as seawater. The saline water is below a seaward-discharging freshwater lens, and separated from it by a transition zone of varying salinity. Injection of wastewater at an average rate of 6.2 cubic feet per second is planned through wells open only to the aquifer deep within the saline water zone. The lava rock aquifer is overlain by a sequence of residual soil, clay, coral reef deposits, and marine sand that form a low-permeability caprock which semiconfines the lava rock aquifer. Under conditions measured and assumed without significant change. After reaching a new steady state, the wastewater will discharge into and through the caprock sequence within an area measuring approximately 1,000 feet inland, 1,000 feet laterally on either side of the injection site, and about 2,000 feet seaward. Little, if any, of the injected wastewater may be expected to reach the upper part of the caprock flow system landward of the treatment plant facility. (Woodard-USGS)

Greenhouse gas emissions and plant characteristics from soil cultivated with sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and amended with organic or inorganic fertilizers.

PubMed

López-Valdez, F; Fernández-Luqueño, F; Luna-Suárez, S; Dendooven, L

2011-12-15

Agricultural application of wastewater sludge has become the most widespread method of disposal, but the environmental effects on soil, air, and crops must be considered. The effect of wastewater sludge or urea on sunflower's (Helianthus annuus L.) growth and yield, the soil properties, and the resulting CO(2) and N(2)O emissions are still unknown. The objectives of this study were to investigate: i) the effect on soil properties of organic or inorganic fertilizer added to agricultural soil cultivated with sunflower, ii) how urea or wastewater sludge increases CO(2) and N(2)O emissions from agricultural soil over short time periods, and iii) the effect on plant characteristics and yield of urea or wastewater sludge added to agricultural soil cultivated with sunflower. The sunflower was fertilized with wastewater sludge or urea or grown in unamended soil under greenhouse conditions while plant and soil characteristics, yield, and greenhouse gas emissions were monitored. Sludge and urea modified some soil characteristics at the onset of the experiment and during the first two months but not thereafter. Some plant characteristics were improved by sludge. Urea and sludge treatments increased the yield at similar rates, while sludge-amended soil significantly increased N(2)O emissions but not CO(2) emissions compared to the other amended or unamended soils. This implies that wastewater sludge increased the biomass and/or the yield; however, from a holistic point of view, using wastewater sludge as fertilizer should be viewed with concern. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Highly efficient removal of lead and cadmium during wastewater irrigation using a polyethylenimine-grafted gelatin sponge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bingbing; Zhou, Feng; Huang, Kai; Wang, Yipei; Mei, Surong; Zhou, Yikai; Jing, Tao

2016-09-01

Wastewater irrigation is a very important resource for heavy metal pollution in soil and then accumulation in vegetable crops. In this study, a polyethylenimine (PEI)-grafted gelatin sponge was prepared to effectively adsorb heavy metals during wastewater irrigation. Based on the strong water adsorption ability, wastewater remained in the PEI-grafted gelatin sponge for a sufficient time for the heavy metals to interact with the sorbents. The binding capacities of Pb(II) ions and Cd(II) ions on the PEI-grafted gelatin sponge were 66 mg g-1 and 65 mg g-1, which were much more than those on the gelatin sponge (9.75 mg g-1 and 9.35 mg g-1). Subsequently, the PEI-grafted gelatin sponge was spread on the surface of soil planted with garlic and then sprayed with synthetic wastewater. The concentrations of cadmium and lead in the garlic leaves were 1.59 mg kg-1 and 5.69 mg kg-1, respectively, which were much lower than those (15.78 mg kg-1 and 27.98 mg kg-1) without the gelatin sponge, and the removal efficiencies were 89.9% and 79.7%. The PEI-grafting gelatin sponge could effectively remove heavy metals during wastewater irrigation, which improved the soil environment and reduced human exposure to heavy metals.

Removal of macro-pollutants in oily wastewater obtained from soil remediation plant using electro-oxidation process.

PubMed

Zolfaghari, Mehdi; Drogui, Patrick; Blais, Jean François

2018-03-01

Electro-oxidation process by niobium boron-doped diamond (Nb/BDD) electrode was used to treat non-biodegradable oily wastewater provided from soil leachate contaminated by hydrocarbons. Firstly, the diffusion current limit and mass transfer coefficient was experimentally measured (7.1 mA cm -2 and 14.7 μm s -1 , respectively), in order to understand minimum applied current density. Later on, the oxidation kinetic model of each pollutant was investigated in different current densities ranged between 3.8 and 61.5 mA cm -2 . It was observed that direct oxidation was the main removal mechanism of organic and inorganic carbon, while the indirect oxidation in higher current density was responsible for nitrogen oxidation. Hydrocarbon in the form of colloidal particles could be removed by electro-flotation. On the other hand, electro-decomposition on the surface of cathode and precipitation by hydroxyl ions were the utmost removal pathway of metals. According to the initial experiments, operating condition was further optimized by central composite design model in different current density, treatment time, and electrolyte addition, based on the best responses on the specific energy consumption (SEC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency. Unde r optimum operating condition (current density = 23.1 mA cm -2 , time = 120 min, Ti/Pt as a cathode, and Nb/BDD as the anode), electro-oxidation showed the following removal efficiencies: COD (84.6%), TOC (68.2%), oil and grease (99%), color (87.9%), total alkalinity (92%), N tot (18%), NH 4 + (31%), Ca (66.4%), Fe (71.1%), Mg (41.4%), Mn (78.1%), P tot (75%), S (67.1%), and Si (19.1%). Graphical abstract Environmental significance statement Soil treatment facilities are rapidly grown throughout the world, especially in North America due to its intense industrialization. High water content soil in humid area like Canada produces significant amount of leachate which is

Selenium speciation in seleniferous agricultural soils under different cropping systems using sequential extraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

PubMed

Qin, Hai-Bo; Zhu, Jian-Ming; Lin, Zhi-Qing; Xu, Wen-Po; Tan, De-Can; Zheng, Li-Rong; Takahashi, Yoshio

2017-06-01

Selenium (Se) speciation in soil is critically important for understanding the solubility, mobility, bioavailability, and toxicity of Se in the environment. In this study, Se fractionation and chemical speciation in agricultural soils from seleniferous areas were investigated using the elaborate sequential extraction and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The speciation results quantified by XANES technique generally agreed with those obtained by sequential extraction, and the combination of both approaches can reliably characterize Se speciation in soils. Results showed that dominant organic Se (56-81% of the total Se) and lesser Se(IV) (19-44%) were observed in seleniferous agricultural soils. A significant decrease in the proportion of organic Se to the total Se was found in different types of soil, i.e., paddy soil (81%) > uncultivated soil (69-73%) > upland soil (56-63%), while that of Se(IV) presented an inverse tendency. This suggests that Se speciation in agricultural soils can be significantly influenced by different cropping systems. Organic Se in seleniferous agricultural soils was probably derived from plant litter, which provides a significant insight for phytoremediation in Se-laden ecosystems and biofortification in Se-deficient areas. Furthermore, elevated organic Se in soils could result in higher Se accumulation in crops and further potential chronic Se toxicity to local residents in seleniferous areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Loss pathways of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in turfgrass soils.

PubMed

Arienzo, M; Gan, J; Ernst, F; Qin, S; Bondarenko, S; Sedlak, D L

2006-01-01

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a potent carcinogen that is often present in municipal wastewater effluents. In a previous field study, it was observed that NDMA did not leach through turfgrass soils following 4 mo of intensive irrigation with NDMA-containing wastewater effluent. To better understand the loss pathways for NDMA in landscape irrigation systems, a mass balance approach was employed using in situ lysimeters treated with 14C-NDMA. When the lysimeters were subjected to irrigation and field conditions after NDMA application, very rapid dissipation of NDMA was observed for both types of soil used in the field plots. After only 4 h, total 14C activity in the lysimeters decreased to 19.1 to 26.1% of the applied amount, and less than 1% of the activity was detected below the 20-cm depth. Analysis of plant materials showed that less than 3% of the applied 14C was incorporated into the plants, suggesting only a minor role for plant uptake in removing NDMA from the vegetated soils. The rapid dissipation and limited downward movement of NDMA in the in situ lysimeters was consistent with the negligible leaching observed in the field study, and suggests volatilization as the only significant loss pathway. This conclusion was further corroborated by rapid NDMA volatilization found from water or a thin layer of soil under laboratory conditions. In a laboratory incubation experiment, prolonged wastewater irrigation did not result in enhanced NDMA degradation in the soil. Therefore, although NDMA may be present at relatively high levels in treated wastewater, gaseous diffusion and volatilization in unsaturated soils may effectively impede significant leaching of NDMA, minimizing the potential for ground water contamination from irrigation with treated wastewater.

Comparison of Adsorbed Mercury Screening Method With Cold-Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry for Determination of Mercury in Soil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Easterling, Donald F.; Hovanitz, Edward S.; Street, Kenneth W.

2000-01-01

A field screening method for the determination of elemental mercury in environmental soil samples involves the thermal desorption of the mercury from the sample onto gold and then the thermal desorption from the gold to a gold-film mercury vapor analyzer. This field screening method contains a large number of conditions that could be optimized for the various types of soils encountered. In this study, the conditions were optimized for the determination of mercury in silty clay materials, and the results were comparable to the cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometric method of determination. This paper discusses the benefits and disadvantages of employing the field screening method and provides the sequence of conditions that must be optimized to employ this method of determination on other soil types.

Potential for ground-water contamination from movement of wastewater through the unsaturated zone, upper Mojave River Basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Umari, A.M.; Martin, P.M.; Schroeder, R.A.; Duell, L.F.; Fay, R.G.

1993-01-01

Septic-tank wastewater disposed in 30-foot-deep seepage pits (dry wells) at 46,000 residences is estimated to equal 18 percent of the natural recharge to the sole-source aquifer in the rapidly developing upper Mojave River Basin (Victor Valley) in the high desert northeast of Los Angeles. Vertical rates of movement of the wastewater wetting front through the unsaturated zone at three newly occupied residences ranged from 0.07 to 1.0 foot per day. These rates translate to traveltimes of several months to several years for the wastewater wetting front to reach the water table and imply that wastewater from many disposal systems already has reached the water table, which averages about 150 feet below land surface in the Victor Valley. As wastewater percolates from seepage pits into the adjacent unsaturated zone, the nitrogen present in reduced form is rapidly converted to nitrate. Analyses on soil-core extracts and soil moisturefrom suction lysimeters installed beneath the seepage pits at eight residences showed that nitrate concentrations and nitrate/ chloride ratios generally become lower with increasing depth. The intervals of greatest decline seemed to coincide with finer soil texture or were near the water table. Nitrate-reducing bacteria were tested for and found to be present in soil cores from two residences. Sparse nitrogen-15 data from suction lysimeters at one of these residences, where thenitrate concentration decreased by about one-half at a depth of 200 feet, indicate that the nitrate decline was accompanied by nitrogen-15 enrichment in the residual nitrate with an isotope-separation factor of about -10 permil. Despite the potential input of abundant nitrogen with the domestic wastewater recharge, nitrate concentrations in the area's ground water are generally low. The absence of high nitrate concentrations in the ground water is consistent with the existence of denitrification, a microbial nitrogen-removal mechanism, as wastewater moves through the

Effect of dissolved organic carbon in recycled wastewaters on boron adsorption by soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In areas of water scarcity, recycled municipal wastewaters are being used as water resources for non-potable applications, especially for irrigation. Such wastewaters often contain elevated levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and solution boron (B). Boron adsorption was investigated on eight ...

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.

Effluent Storage and Biomat Occurrence among Septic System Absorption Field Architectures in a Typic Fragiudult.

PubMed

Prater, N J M; Brye, K R; Dunn, S; Soerens, T S; Sharpley, A N; Mason, E; Gbur, E E

2013-07-01

On-site wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs) are commonly used by households in areas of low population density to treat household wastewater and recycle it back to the environment. However, new absorption field products of differing architecture types have recently become available. A 3-yr field study was conducted in Bethel Heights, northwest Arkansas to assess several newer architecture types (i.e., chambers, polystyrene-aggregate, and gravel-less pipe) relative to the traditional pipe-and-gravel design under wet- and dry-soil conditions. Thirteen products of four different architecture types were installed in 46-cm-deep trenches in a Captina silt loam (fine-silty, siliceous, active, mesic Typic Fragiudult). Products were evaluated based on in-trench solution storage measured with an electronic water-level sensor approximately weekly from January 2009 through January 2012. Between May 2010 and January 2012, the thickness of any biomat formation was measured approximately weekly by insertion of a wooden dowel through in-trench monitoring ports. Architecture type alone did not affect ( > 0.05) in-trench solution storage. However, solution storage among individual products differed under wet- and dry-soil conditions ( < 0.05). When present, biomat thickness differed significantly ( < 0.05) among all four architecture types, ranging from 1.4 to 6.2 cm thick on average in the pipe-and-aggregate and polystyrene-aggregate types, respectively. Regression analyses showed that biomat thickness increased in three products, did not change in nine products, and decreased in one product over time. Results showed that several currently approved alternative products had similar in-trench solution storage but that several alternative products also had greater solution storage than that of the traditional pipe-and-gravel system. With no observed effluent surfacing, the soil morphology approach appears to be adequate and appropriately environmentally conservative for assigning

Research on disposal of copper(II)-containing wastewater by secondary strontium residue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qing, Duowen; Xu, Longjun; Cui, Caixi

2018-01-01

Secondary strontium residue (SSR) was used as absorbent to remove Cu2+ in solution and the effects of experimental conditions on absorption of Cu2+ were investigated. The results showed that the absorption process reached balance in around 40 min. The absorption capacity achieved the maximum when PH value reached 6, and the maximum adsorption of Cu2+-containing wastewater by secondary strontium residue was 5.46 mg/g. Removal ratio of Cu2+ was in relation to initial concentration of Cu2+ in solution. Adsorptive process tallied with Langmuir Isothermal adsorption model.

Effect of iron oxide reductive dissolution on the transformation and immobilization of arsenic in soils: New insights from X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

PubMed

Fan, Jian-Xin; Wang, Yu-Jun; Liu, Cun; Wang, Li-Hua; Yang, Ke; Zhou, Dong-Mei; Li, Wei; Sparks, Donald L

2014-08-30

The geochemical behavior and speciation of arsenic (As) in paddy soils is strongly controlled by soil redox conditions and the sequestration by soil iron oxyhydroxides. Hence, the effects of iron oxide reductive dissolution on the adsorption, transformation and precipitation of As(III) and As(V) in soils were investigated using batch experiments and synchrotron based techniques to gain a deeper understanding at both macroscopic and microscopic scales. The results of batch sorption experiments revealed that the sorption capacity of As(V) on anoxic soil was much higher than that on control soil. Synchrotron based X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) mapping studies indicated that As was heterogeneously distributed and was mainly associated with iron in the soil. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure (μ-XANES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses revealed that the primary speciation of As in the soil is As(V). These results further suggested that, when As(V) was introduced into the anoxic soil, the rapid coprecipitation of As(V) with ferric/ferrous ion prevented its reduction to As(III), and was the main mechanism controlling the immobilization of As. This research could improve the current understanding of soil As chemistry in paddy and wetland soils. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Determination of soil exchangeable base cations by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer and extraction with ammonium acetate].

PubMed

Zhang, Yu-ge; Xiao, Min; Dong, Yi-hua; Jiang, Yong

2012-08-01

A method to determine soil exchangeable calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), and sodium (Na) by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) and extraction with ammonium acetate was developed. Results showed that the accuracy of exchangeable base cation data with AAS method fits well with the national standard referential soil data. The relative errors for parallel samples of exchangeable Ca and Mg with 66 pair samples ranged from 0.02%-3.14% and 0.06%-4.06%, and averaged to be 1.22% and 1.25%, respectively. The relative errors for exchangeable K and Na with AAS and flame photometer (FP) ranged from 0.06%-8.39% and 0.06-1.54, and averaged to be 3.72% and 0.56%, respectively. A case study showed that the determination method for exchangeable base cations by using AAS was proven to be reliable and trustable, which could reflect the real situation of soil cation exchange properties in farmlands.

Degradation of Nitroguanidine in Soils

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-01-01

columns. Nitroguanidine was biodegraded if sufficient supplemental carbon was provided in the wastewater. The primary product formed during the... biodegradation of nitroguanidine in soil was ammonia. Only trace concentration of nitrosoguanidine were detected and no significant levels of other organic...low cost treatment option for these wastewaters. In addition, preliminary work was performed to evaluate the biodegradability of guanidine nitrate

Modeling Nitrogen Losses in Conventional and Advanced Soil-Based Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems under Current and Changing Climate Conditions

PubMed Central

Cooper, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Most of the non-point source nitrogen (N) load in rural areas is attributed to onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). Nitrogen compounds cause eutrophication, depleting the oxygen in marine ecosystems. OWTS rely on physical, chemical and biological soil processes to treat wastewater and these processes may be affected by climate change. We simulated the fate and transport of N in different types of OWTS drainfields, or soil treatment areas (STA) under current and changing climate scenarios, using 2D/3D HYDRUS software. Experimental data from a mesocosm-scale study, including soil moisture content, and total N, ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) concentrations, were used to calibrate the model. A water content-dependent function was used to compute the nitrification and denitrification rates. Three types of drainfields were simulated: (1) a pipe-and-stone (P&S), (2) advanced soil drainfields, pressurized shallow narrow drainfield (PSND) and (3) Geomat (GEO), a variation of SND. The model was calibrated with acceptable goodness-of-fit between the observed and measured values. Average root mean square error (RSME) ranged from 0.18 and 2.88 mg L-1 for NH4+ and 4.45 mg L-1 to 9.65 mg L-1 for NO3- in all drainfield types. The calibrated model was used to estimate N fluxes for both conventional and advanced STAs under current and changing climate conditions, i.e. increased soil temperature and higher water table. The model computed N losses from nitrification and denitrification differed little from measured losses in all STAs. The modeled N losses occurred mostly as NO3- in water outputs, accounting for more than 82% of N inputs in all drainfields. Losses as N2 were estimated to be 10.4% and 9.7% of total N input concentration for SND and Geo, respectively. The highest N2 losses, 17.6%, were estimated for P&S. Losses as N2 increased to 22%, 37% and 21% under changing climate conditions for Geo, PSND and P&S, respectively. These findings can provide practitioners

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

Recent improvements in oily wastewater treatment: Progress, challenges, and future opportunities.

PubMed

Jamaly, Sanaa; Giwa, Adewale; Hasan, Shadi Wajih

2015-11-01

Oily wastewater poses significant threats to the soil, water, air and human beings because of the hazardous nature of its oil contents. The objective of this review paper is to highlight the current and recently developed methods for oily wastewater treatment through which contaminants such as oil, fats, grease, and inorganics can be removed for safe applications. These include electrochemical treatment, membrane filtration, biological treatment, hybrid technologies, use of biosurfactants, treatment via vacuum ultraviolet radiation, and destabilization of emulsions through the use of zeolites and other natural minerals. This review encompasses innovative and novel approaches to oily wastewater treatment and provides scientific background for future work that will be aimed at reducing the adverse impact of the discharge of oily wastewater into the environment. The current challenges affecting the optimal performance of oily wastewater treatment methods and opportunities for future research development in this field are also discussed. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Olive oil mill wastewater for remediation of slag contaminated soil.

PubMed

Ferrara, Luciano; Panzella, Lucia; Napolitano, Alessandra; Giudicianni, Italo; d'Ischia, Marco; Arienzo, Michele

2013-12-01

Two olive mill wastewaters (OMW) samples, OMWa and OMWb, containing different polyphenolic loads were used for decontaminating an unauthorized dump site in the Campania region, south Italy. In a bench-scale experiment, OMWa at pH 6.0 (OMWapH6.0) and 4.7 (OMWapH4.7), OMWb at pH 4.7 (OMWbpH4.7) and OMWa free of the polyphenolic moiety polyphenol-free OMWa (PF-OMWa) were added to the soil for a 96 h contact time. At 96 h, OMWapH4.7 was more effective than OMWapH6.0, with Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn removal percentages of 30.7-68.1. Cd and Pb levels were 6.0 and 915 mg kg(-1), respectively, decreasing below the regulatory limits for industrial and commercial areas (15.0 and 1 × 10(3) mg kg(-1), respectively). A threefold decrease in Zn levels was also observed from 13.5 × 10(3) to 4.3 × 10(3) mg kg(-1). The metal removal efficiency of PF-OMWa dropped from 30.7 % to 15.6 % for Cd and from 37.9 % to 1.3 % for Pb. OMWbpH4.7 at 96 h was more efficient than OMWapH4.7, with mean removal percentages of 32.5 versus 7.8, respectively.

Matching agricultural freshwater supply and demand: using industrial and domestic treated wastewater for sub-irrigation purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartholomeus, Ruud; van den Eertwegh, Gé; Worm, Bas; Cirkel, Gijsbert; van Loon, Arnaut; Raat, Klaasjan

2017-04-01

Agricultural crop yields depend largely on soil moisture conditions in the root zone. Climate change leads to more prolonged drought periods that alternate with more intensive rainfall events. With unaltered water management practices, reduced crop yield due to drought stress will increase. Therefore, both farmers and water management authorities search for opportunities to manage risks of decreasing crop yields. Available groundwater sources for irrigation purposes are increasingly under pressure due to the regional coexistence of land use functions that are critical to groundwater levels or compete for available water. At the same time, treated wastewater from industries and domestic wastewater treatment plants are quickly discharged via surface waters towards sea. Exploitation of these freshwater sources may be an effective strategy to balance regional water supply and agricultural water demand. We present results of two pilot studies in drought sensitive regions in the Netherlands, concerning agricultural water supply through reuse of industrial and domestic treated wastewater. In these pilots, excess wastewater is delivered to the plant root zone through sub-irrigation by drainage systems. Sub-irrigation is a subsurface irrigation method that can be more efficient than classical, aboveground irrigation methods using sprinkler installations. Domestic wastewater treatment plants in the Netherlands produce annually 40-50mm freshwater. A pilot project has been setup in the eastern part of the Netherlands, in which treated wastewater is applied to a corn field by sub-irrigation during the growing seasons of 2015 and 2016, using a climate adaptive drainage system. The chemical composition of treated domestic wastewater is different from infiltrating excess rainfall water and natural groundwater. In the pilot project, the bromide-chloride ratio and traces of pharmaceuticals in the treated wastewater are used as a tracer to describe water and solute transport in the

Ecosystem Services and Community-Based Approaches to Wastewater and Saline Soils Reclamation in the Drylands of Uzbekistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toderich, Kristina; Khujanazarov, Timur; Aralova, Dildora; Shuyskaya, Elena; Gismatulina, Liliya; Boboev, Hasan

2017-04-01

The working hypothesis of this article support an indication of declining water quality, increasing soils salinity and higher production costs in the Bukhara oasis- a borderline lands between the sandy Kyzylkum Desert and irrigated zone in the lower stream of Zarafshan River Basin. The pollution of waters and soils with toxic metals is the major environmental problem in these agro-ecological zones. Conventional remediation approaches usually do not ensure adequate results. The mobility of toxic pollutants can be highly facilitated by the chemical properties of soils and the aridity of the climate. The impact of these factors of land degradation induces reduction in biodiversity and yields losses of agricultural crops and wild desert plant communities. A recent survey showed that the chemical composition of the drainage effluents is sulfate-chloride-hydrocarbonate - magnesium-sodium-calcium with high level of mineralization 4200 - 18800 ppm. Concentration of chloride and sulfate, detected both in drainage effluents and ground water, is 10 times higher than maximum allowable concentration (MAC); and traces of heavy metals, such as strontium, selenium, arsenic, lead, zinc, uranium are 2 times higher than MAC. Distribution of boron showed a strong correlation with those of arsenic and antimony. Aluminum has a significant correlation with arsenic and lead distribution. Antimony correlates significantly with zinc and arsenic, while copper and iron (Fe57) also well correlate with each other. Because these metals rarely exist in natural environment, it is presumed that they are caused both by the usage of some chemicals at the agricultural field in harvest season and by the discharge of some technogenic chemicals from industry. The desalinated/treated wastewater were used to irrigate high value crops and the waste brine is transformed into a resource that was used to grow aquatic species (fish, algae) and irrigate halophytic species with benefits for livestock, farmers and

DESIGN INFORMATION REPORT: PROTECTION OF WASTEWATER LAGOON INTERIOR SLOPES

EPA Science Inventory

A problem common to many wastewater treatment and storage lagoons is erosion of the interior slopes. Erosion may be caused by surface runoff and wind-induced wave action. The soils that compose the steep interior slopes of lagoons are especially susceptible to erosion and slumpin...

Monitoring water stable isotopic composition in soils using gas-permeable tubing and infrared laser absorption spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rothfuss, Youri; Vereecken, Harry; Brüggemann, Nicolas

2013-06-01

In soils, the isotopic composition of water (δ2H and δ18O) provides qualitative (e.g., location of the evaporation front) and quantitative (e.g., evaporation flux and root water uptake depths) information. However, the main disadvantage of the isotope methodology is that contrary to other soil state variables that can be monitored over long time periods, δ2H and δ18O are typically analyzed following destructive sampling. Here we present a nondestructive method for monitoring soil liquid water δ2H and δ18O over a wide range of water availability conditions and temperatures by sampling water vapor equilibrated with soil water using gas-permeable polypropylene tubing and a cavity ring-down laser absorption spectrometer. By analyzing water vapor δ2H and δ18O sampled with the tubing from a fine sand for temperatures ranging between 8°C and 24°C, we demonstrate that our new method is capable of monitoring δ2H and δ18O in soils online with high precision and after calibration, also with high accuracy. Our sampling protocol enabled detecting changes of δ2H and δ18O following nonfractionating addition and removal of liquid water and water vapor of different isotopic compositions. Finally, the time needed for the tubing to monitor these changes is compatible with the observed variations of δ2H and δ18O in soils under natural conditions.

Vadose zone transport of natural and synthetic estrogen hormones at Penn State's "Living Filter" wastewater irrigation site

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The increase in endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in the environment has generated new research focused on the behavior of these compounds in natural soil and water ecosystems. To understand how estrogens behave in the soil environment as a result of 25+ years of wastewater irrigation, soils fro...

Electrokinetic treatment of polluted soil at pilot level coupled to an advanced oxidation process of its wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ochoa, B.; Ramos, L.; Garibay, A.; Pérez-Corona, M.; Cuevas, M. C.; Cárdenas, J.; Teutli, M.; Bustos, E.

2016-02-01

Soil contaminated with hydrocarbons is a current problem of great importance. These contaminants may be toxic, can retain water and block gas exchange with the atmosphere, which produces a poor-quality soil unsuitable for ecological health. Electroremediation is among the treatments for the removal of such contaminants. In this research, a pilot-level electroremediation test was applied using a circular arrangement of electrodes with a Ti cathode at the middle of the cell surrounded by six IrO2-Ta2O5 | Ti anodes. The presence of an NaOH electrolyte helps to develop the electromigration and electro-osmosis of gasoline molecules (at 1126 mg kg-1) surrounded by Na+ ions. The hydrocarbons are directed towards the cathode and subsequently removed in an aqueous Na+ - hydrocarbon solution, and the -OH migrates to the anode. During electrokinetic treatment, the physicochemical characteristics of the soil close to either the cathode or anode and at the half-cell were evaluated during the three weeks of treatment. During that time, more than 80% of hydrocarbons were removed. Hydrocarbons removed by the electrokinetic treatment of gasoline-polluted soil were collected in a central wastewater compartment and subsequently treated with a Fenton-type advanced oxidation process. This achieved more than 70% mineralization of the hydrocarbons to CO2 and H2O within 1.5 h; its low toxicity status was verified using the Deltatox® kit test. With this approach, the residual water complied with the permissible limits of COD, pH, and electrical conductivity for being discharged into water bodies, according to Mexican norm NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996.

Metagenomic analysis of an ecological wastewater treatment plant's microbial communities and their potential to metabolize pharmaceuticals.

PubMed

Balcom, Ian N; Driscoll, Heather; Vincent, James; Leduc, Meagan

2016-01-01

Pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants have been detected in drinking water, groundwater, surface water, and soil around the world. Even in locations where wastewater treatment is required, they can be found in drinking water wells, municipal water supplies, and agricultural soils. It is clear conventional wastewater treatment technologies are not meeting the challenge of the mounting pressures on global freshwater supplies. Cost-effective ecological wastewater treatment technologies have been developed in response. To determine whether the removal of micropollutants in ecological wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is promoted by the plant-microbe interactions, as has been reported for other recalcitrant xenobiotics, biofilm microbial communities growing on the surfaces of plant roots were profiled by whole metagenome sequencing and compared to the microbial communities residing in the wastewater. In this study, the concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were quantified in each treatment tank of the ecological WWTP treating human wastewater at a highway rest stop and visitor center in Vermont. The concentrations of detected PPCPs were substantially greater than values reported for conventional WWTPs likely due to onsite recirculation of wastewater. The greatest reductions in PPCPs concentrations were observed in the anoxic treatment tank where Bacilli dominated the biofilm community. Benzoate degradation was the most abundant xenobiotic metabolic category identified throughout the system. Collectively, the microbial communities residing in the wastewater were taxonomically and metabolically more diverse than the immersed plant root biofilm. However, greater heterogeneity and higher relative abundances of xenobiotic metabolism genes was observed for the root biofilm.

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.

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.

Occurrence, fate, and persistence of gemfibrozil in water and soil.

PubMed

Fang, Yu; Karnjanapiboonwong, Adcharee; Chase, Darcy A; Wang, Jiafan; Morse, Audra N; Anderson, Todd A

2012-03-01

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have emerged as a group of potential environmental contaminants of concern. The occurrence of gemfibrozil, a lipid-regulating drug, was studied in the influent and effluent at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and groundwater below a land application site receiving treated effluent from the WWTP. In addition, the sorption of gemfibrozil in two loam soils and sand was assessed, and biological degradation rates in two soil types under aerobic conditions were also determined. Results showed that concentrations of gemfibrozil in wastewater influent, effluent, and groundwater were in the range of 3.47 to 63.8 µg/L, 0.08 to 19.4 µg/L, and undetectable to 6.86 µg/L, respectively. Data also indicated that gemfibrozil in the wastewater could reach groundwater following land application of the treated effluent. Soil-water distribution coefficients for gemfibrozil, determined by the batch equilibrium method, varied with organic carbon content in the soils. The sorption capacity was silt loam > sandy loam > sand. Under aerobic conditions, dissipation half-lives for gemfibrozil in sandy loam and silt loam soils were 17.8 and 20.6 days, respectively; 25.4 and 11.3% of gemfibrozil was lost through biodegradation from the two soils over 14 days. Copyright © 2011 SETAC.

Comparison of emerging contaminants in receiving waters downstream of a conventional wastewater treatment plant and a forest-water reuse system

EPA Science Inventory

Forest-water reuse (FWR) systems treat municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastewaters via land application to forest soils. Previous studies have shown that both large-scale conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and FWR systems do not completely remove many contam...

Fate of four phthalate plasticizers under various wastewater treatment processes.

PubMed

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

2018-05-18

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

Metagenomic analysis of an ecological wastewater treatment plant’s microbial communities and their potential to metabolize pharmaceuticals

PubMed Central

Balcom, Ian N.; Driscoll, Heather; Vincent, James; Leduc, Meagan

2016-01-01

Pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants have been detected in drinking water, groundwater, surface water, and soil around the world. Even in locations where wastewater treatment is required, they can be found in drinking water wells, municipal water supplies, and agricultural soils. It is clear conventional wastewater treatment technologies are not meeting the challenge of the mounting pressures on global freshwater supplies. Cost-effective ecological wastewater treatment technologies have been developed in response. To determine whether the removal of micropollutants in ecological wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is promoted by the plant-microbe interactions, as has been reported for other recalcitrant xenobiotics, biofilm microbial communities growing on the surfaces of plant roots were profiled by whole metagenome sequencing and compared to the microbial communities residing in the wastewater. In this study, the concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were quantified in each treatment tank of the ecological WWTP treating human wastewater at a highway rest stop and visitor center in Vermont. The concentrations of detected PPCPs were substantially greater than values reported for conventional WWTPs likely due to onsite recirculation of wastewater. The greatest reductions in PPCPs concentrations were observed in the anoxic treatment tank where Bacilli dominated the biofilm community. Benzoate degradation was the most abundant xenobiotic metabolic category identified throughout the system. Collectively, the microbial communities residing in the wastewater were taxonomically and metabolically more diverse than the immersed plant root biofilm. However, greater heterogeneity and higher relative abundances of xenobiotic metabolism genes was observed for the root biofilm. PMID:27610223

Laser Absorption spectrometer instrument for tomographic 2D-measurement of climate gas emission from soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seidel, Anne; Wagner, Steven; Dreizler, Andreas; Ebert, Volker

2014-05-01

One of the most intricate effects in climate modelling is the role of permafrost thawing during the global warming process. Soil that has formerly never totally lost its ice cover now emits climate gases due to melting processes[1]. For a better prediction of climate development and possible feedback mechanisms, insights into physical procedures (like e.g. gas emission from underground reservoirs) are required[2]. Therefore, a long-term quantification of greenhouse gas concentrations (and further on fluxes) is necessary and the related structures that are responsible for emission need to be identified. In particular the spatial heterogeneity of soils caused by soil internal structures (e.g. soil composition changes or surface cracks) or by surface modifications (e.g. by plant growth) generate considerable complexities and difficulties for local measurements, for example with soil chambers. For such situations, which often cannot be avoided, a spatially resolved 2D-measurement to identify and quantify the gas emission from the structured soil would be needed, to better understand the influence of the soil sub-structures on the emission behavior. Thus we designed a spatially scanning laser absorption spectrometer setup to determine a 2D-gas concentration map in the soil-air boundary layer. The setup is designed to cover the surfaces in the range of square meters in a horizontal plane above the soil to be investigated. Existing field instruments for gas concentration or flux measurements are based on point-wise measurements, so structure identification is very tedious or even impossible. For this reason, we have developed a tomographic in-situ instrument based on TDLAS ('tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy') that delivers absolute gas concentration distributions of areas with 0.8m × 0.8m size, without any need for reference measurements with a calibration gas. It is a simple and robust device based on a combination of scanning mirrors and reflecting foils, so

Transformation of nanosilver in oxidized and reduced soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, Y.; Mitsunobu, S.; Yamaguchi, N.

2013-12-01

A recent development in the manufacturing of consumer products has been the incorporation of nano-sized (< 100 nm) particles. Because of their antimicrobial properties, Ag nanoparticles (NPs) have been used in many purposes including medical devices, foodstorage containers, soaps and sanitizers, wound dressings, and fabrics. Textiles enhanced with AgNPs (e.g., socks) may leach Ag(I) and nanoparticles as they are washed. These nanoparticles are either deposited directly to land or gradually washed away in household wastewater. The AgNPs, similar to Ag(I), will partition to sludge in a wastewater treatment plant, and the sewage sludge may be applied as a land amendment to agricultural fields and urban landscapes. As a consequence, the concentration of Ag in soils can increase gradually for a long period of Ag-containing sludge. Because of their antimicrobial properties, the presence of Ag in the soil adversely affects soil's biologically-mediated functions such as nutrient cycling. In many of previous studies, however, it was not clear if toxicity was caused by the AgNPs themselves or Ag ions released as the result of oxidation and dissolution. Also, mobility and fate of Ag in the environment remain little known. To understand toxicological properties and fate of Ag in soils, chemical speciation of Ag is the critical information. The objective of this study was to determine chemical speciation of Ag derived from AgNP (Ago) and Ag chemicals (AgNO3) in oxidized and reduced soils. We employed X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy to identify Ag species and probable hosting phases in soils, and the study was focused on how the soil redox condition transforms AgNP into Ag(I) and vice versa. A soil incubation study was conducted using a volcanic ash soil amended with AgNO3 and AgNPs up to the levels of 1000 mg kg-1 soil. The soil water content was adjusted to the levels of field capacity (oxidized) and saturated (reduced) condition. After 30 days of

Carbon sequestration in a surface flow constructed wetland after 12 years of swine wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Reddy, Gudigopuram B; Raczkowski, Charles W; Cyrus, Johnsely S; Szogi, Ariel

2016-01-01

Constructed wetlands used for the treatment of swine wastewater may potentially sequester significant amounts of carbon. In past studies, we evaluated the treatment efficiency of wastewater in a marsh-pond-marsh design wetland system. The functionality of this system was highly dependent on soil carbon content and organic matter turnover rate. To better understand system performance and carbon dynamics, we measured plant dry matter, decomposition rates and soil carbon fractions. Plant litter decomposition rate was 0.0052 g day(-1) (±0.00119 g day(-1)) with an estimated half-life of 133 days. The detritus layer accumulated over the soil surface had much more humin than other C fractions. In marsh areas, soil C extracted with NaOH had four to six times higher amounts of humic acid, fulvic acid and humin than soil C extracted by cold and hot water, HCl/HF, and Na pyruvate. In the pond area, humic acid, fulvic acid and humin content were two to four times lower than in the marsh area. More soil C and N was found in the marsh area than in the pond area. These wetlands proved to be large sinks for stable C forms.

Accumulation of heavy metals in edible parts of vegetables irrigated with waste water and their daily intake to adults and children, District Mardan, Pakistan.

PubMed

Amin, Noor-ul; Hussain, Anwar; Alamzeb, Sidra; Begum, Shumaila

2013-02-15

Green vegetable crops irrigated with wastewater are highly contaminated with heavy metals and are the main source of human exposure to the contaminants. In this study accumulation of eight heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Fe, Mn, Co and Pb) in green vegetables like Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum melongena, irrigated with wastewater in Mardan are studied using Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer. The studied metals in vegetable grown on wastewater irrigated soil were significantly higher than those of tube well water irrigated soil and WHO/FAO permissible limits (P<0.05). The most heavily contaminated vegetable was wastewater irrigated A. cepa, where the accumulation of Mn (28.05 mg kg(-1)) in the edible parts was 50-fold greater than A. cepa irrigated with tube well water irrigated soil. It may be concluded that both adults and children consuming these vegetables grown in wastewater irrigated soil ingest significant amount of these metals and thus can cause serious health problems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phytoextraction of 55-year-old wastewater-irrigated soil in a Zn-Pb mine district: effect of plant species and chelators.

PubMed

Tai, YiPing; Yang, YuFen; Li, ZhiAn; Yang, Yang; Wang, JiaXi; Zhuang, Ping; Zou, Bi

2017-07-16

Untreated water from mining sites spreads heavy metal contamination. The present study assessed the phytoextraction performance of heavy metal-accumulating plants and the effects of chemical chelators on cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) removal from paddy fields that have been continuously irrigated with mining wastewater from mines for 55 years. Outdoor pot experiments showed that the total Pb, Zn, and Cd content was lower in the rhizosphere soil of Amaranthus hypochondriacus than in that of Sedum alfredii, Solanum nigrum, and Sorghum bicolor. The aboveground biomass (dry weight) and relative growth rate of A. hypochondriacus were significantly higher than that of the other three species (P < .05). However, the total metal accumulation was significantly higher in the A. hypochondriacus system than in the other plants' system (P < .05). The increase in shoot biomass of A. hypochondriacus depended mostly on the chelator type [ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), malate, oxalate, and citrate] and their application frequency. Single application of EDTA significantly increased the shoot biomass of A. hypochondriacus and total metal removal loading from soil (P < .05). In conclusion, A. hypochondriacus may be effective for in situ phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated farmland soil and EDTA can accelerate the phytoextraction effect.

Efficiency of a multi-soil-layering system on wastewater treatment using environment-friendly filter materials.

PubMed

Ho, Chia-Chun; Wang, Pei-Hao

2015-03-23

The multi-soil-layering (MSL) system primarily comprises two parts, specifically, the soil mixture layer (SML) and the permeable layer (PL). In Japan, zeolite is typically used as the permeable layer material. In the present study, zeolite was substituted with comparatively cheaper and more environmentally friendly materials, such as expanded clay aggregates, oyster shells, and already-used granular activated carbon collected from water purification plants. A series of indoor tests indicated that the suspended solid (SS) removal efficiency of granular activated carbon was between 76.2% and 94.6%; zeolite and expanded clay aggregates achieved similar efficiencies that were between 53.7% and 87.4%, and oyster shells presented the lowest efficiency that was between 29.8% and 61.8%. Further results show that the oyster shell system required an increase of wastewater retention time by 2 to 4 times that of the zeolite system to maintain similar chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency. Among the four MSL samples, the zeolite system and granular activated carbon system demonstrated a stable NH3-N removal performance at 92.3%-99.8%. The expanded clay aggregate system present lower removal performance because of its low adsorption capacity and excessively large pores, causing NO3--N to be leached away under high hydraulic loading rate conditions. The total phosphorous (TP) removal efficiency of the MSL systems demonstrated no direct correlation with the permeable layer material. Therefore, all MSL samples achieved a TP efficiency of between 92.1% and 99.2%.

Model Test of Proposed Loading Rates for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems

EPA Science Inventory

State regulatory agencies set standards for onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS), commonly known as septic systems, based on expected hydraulic performance and nitrogen (N) treatment in soils of differing texture. In a previous study, hydraulic loading rates were proposed fo...

[Distribution and speciation of Pb in Arabidopsis thaliana shoot and rhizosphere soil by in situ synchrotron radiation micro X-ray fluorescence and X-ray absorption near edge structure].

PubMed

Shen, Ya-Ting

2014-03-01

In order to investigate plant reacting mechanism with heavy metal stress in organ and tissue level, synchrotron radiation micro X-ray fluorescence (micro-SRXRF) was used to determine element distribution characteristics of K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb in an Arabidopsis thaliana seedling grown in tailing dam soil taken from a lead-zinc mine exploration area. The results showed a regular distribution characters of K, Ca, Fe, Cu and Zn, while Pb appeared not only in root, but also in a leaf bud which was beyond previously understanding that Pb mainly appeared in plant root. Pb competed with Mn in the distribution of the whole seedling. Pb may cause the increase of oxidative stress in root and leaf bud, and restrict Mn absorption and utilization which explained the phenomenon of seedling death in this tailing damp soil. Speciation of Pb in Arabidopsis thaliana and tailing damp rhizosphere soil were also presented after using PbL3 micro X-ray absorption near edge structure (micro-XANES). By comparison of PbL3 XANES peak shape and peak position between standard samples and rhizosphere soil sample, it was demonstrated that the tailing damp soil was mainly formed by amorphous forms like PbO (64.2%), Pb (OH)2 (28.8%) and Pb3O4 (6.3%) rather than mineral or organic Pb speciations. The low plant bioavailability of Pb demonstrated a further research focusing on Pb absorption and speciation conversion is needed, especially the role of dissolve organic matter in soil which may enhance Pb bioavailability.

[Effect of Long-Term Fertilization on Organic Nitrogen Functional Groups in Black Soil as Revealed by Synchrotron-Based X-Ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure Spectroscopy].

PubMed

Li, Hui; Gao, Qiang; Wang, Shuai; Zhu, Ping; Zhang, Jin-jing; Zhao, Yi-dong

2015-07-01

Nitrogen (N) is a common limiting nutrient in crop production. The N content of soil has been used as an important soil fertility index. Organic N is the major form of N in soil. In most agricultural surface soils, more than 90% of total N occurs in organic forms. Therefore, understanding the compositional characteristics of soil organic N functional groups can provide the scientific basis for formulating the reasonable farmland management strategies. Synchrotron radiation soft X-ray absorption near-edge structure (N K-edge XANES) spectroscopy is the most powerful tool to characterize in situ organic N functional groups compositions in soil. However, to our most knowledge, no studies have been conducted to examine the organic N functional groups compositions of soil using N K-edge XANES spectroscopy under long-term fertilization practices. Based on a long-term field experiment (started in 1990) in a black soil (Gongzhuling, Northeast China), we investigated the differences in organic N functional groups compositions in bulk soil and clay-size soil fraction among fertilization patterns using synchrotron-based N K- edge XANES spectroscopy. Composite soil samples (0-20 cm) were collected in 2008. The present study included six treatments: farmland fallow (FALL), no-fertilization control (CK), chemical nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilization (NPK), NPK in combination with organic manure (NPKM), 1.5 times of NPKM (1.5 NPKM), and NPK in combination with maize straw (NPKS). The results showed that N K-edge XANES spectra of all the treatments under study exhibited characteristic absorption peaks in the ranges of 401.2-401.6 and 402.7-403.1 eV, which were assigned as amides/amine-N and pyrrole-N, respectively. These characteristic absorption peaks were more obvious in clay-size soil fraction than in bulk soil. The results obtained from the semi-quantitative analysis of N K-edge XANES spectra indicated that the relative proportion of amides/amine-N was the highest

Root-Zone Redox Dynamics - In Search for the Cause of Damage to Treated-Wastewater Irrigated Orchards in Clay Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yalin, David; Shenker, Moshe; Schwartz, Amnon; Assouline, Shmuel; Tarchitzky, Jorge

2016-04-01

Treated wastewater (TW) has become a common source of water for agriculture. However recent findings raise concern regarding its use: a marked decrease (up to 40%) in yield appeared in orchards irrigated with TW compared with fresh water (FW) irrigated orchards. These detrimental effects appeared predominantly in orchards cultivated in clay soils. The association of the damage with clay soils rather than sandy soils led us to hypothesize that the damage is linked to soil aeration problems. We suspected that in clay soils, high sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and high levels of organic material, both typical of TW, may jointly lead to an extreme decrease in soil oxygen levels, so as to shift soil reduction-oxidation (redox) state down to levels that are known to damage plants. Two-year continuous measurement of redox potential, pH, water tension, and oxygen were conducted in the root-zone (20-35 cm depth) of avocado trees planted in clay soil and irrigated with either TW or FW. Soil solution composition was sampled periodically in-situ and mineral composition was sampled in tree leaves and woody organs biannually. In dry periods the pe+pH values indicated oxic conditions (pe+pH>14), and the fluctuations in redox values were small in both TW and FW plots. Decreases in soil water tension following irrigation or rain were followed by drops in soil oxygen and pe+pH values. TW irrigated plots had significantly lower minimum pe+pH values compared with FW-irrigated plots, the most significant differences occurred during the irrigation season rather than the rain season. A linear correlation appeared between irrigation volume and reduction severity in TW-irrigated plots, but not in the FW plots, indicating a direct link to the irrigation regime in TW-irrigated plots. The minimum pe+pH values measured in the TW plots are indicative of suboxic conditions (9soil solution and in

Conversion of activated-sludge reactors to microbial fuel cells for wastewater treatment coupled to electricity generation.

PubMed

Yoshizawa, Tomoya; Miyahara, Morio; Kouzuma, Atsushi; Watanabe, Kazuya

2014-11-01

Wastewater can be treated in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with the aid of microbes that oxidize organic compounds using anodes as electron acceptors. Previous studies have suggested the utility of cassette-electrode (CE) MFCs for wastewater treatment, in which rice paddy-field soil was used as the inoculum. The present study attempted to convert an activated-sludge (AS) reactor to CE-MFC and use aerobic sludge in the tank as the source of microbes. We used laboratory-scale (1 L in capacity) reactors that were initially operated in an AS mode to treat synthetic wastewater, containing starch, yeast extract, peptone, plant oil, and detergents. After the organics removal became stable, the aeration was terminated, and CEs were inserted to initiate an MFC-mode operation. It was demonstrated that the MFC-mode operation treated the wastewater at similar efficiencies to those observed in the AS-mode operation with COD-removal efficiencies of 75-80%, maximum power densities of 150-200 mW m(-2) and Coulombic efficiencies of 20-30%. These values were similar to those of CE-MFC inoculated with the soil. Anode microbial communities were analyzed by pyrotag sequencing of 16S rRNA gene PCR amplicons. Comparative analyses revealed that anode communities enriched from the aerobic sludge were largely different from those from the soil, suggesting that similar reactor performances can be supported by different community structures. The study demonstrates that it is possible to construct wastewater-treatment MFCs by inserting CEs into water-treatment tanks. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Using ultraviolet-visible ( UV-Vis) absorption spectrum to estimate the dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentration in water, soils and sediments of typical water-level fluctuation zones of the Three Gorges Reservoir areas].

PubMed

Li, Lu-lu; Jiang, Tao; Lu, Song; Yan, Jin-long; Gao, Jie; Wei, Shi-qiang; Wang, Ding-yong; Guo, Nian; Zhao, Zhena

2014-09-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a very important component in terrestrial ecosystem. Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is a significant constituent of DOM, which can be measured by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectrum. Thus the relationship between CDOM and DOM was investigated and established by several types of models including single-wavelength model, double-wavelength model, absorption spectrum slope (S value) model and three-wavelength model, based on the UV-Vis absorption coefficients of soil and sediment samples (sampled in July of 2012) and water samples (sampled in November of 2012) respectively. The results suggested that the three-wavelength model was the best for fitting, and the determination coefficients of water, soil and sediment data were 0. 788, 0. 933 and 0. 856, respectively. Meanwhile, the nominal best model was validated with the UV-Vis data of 32 soil samples and 36 water samples randomly collected in 2013, showing the RRMSE and MRE were 16. 5% and 16. 9% respectively for soil DOM samples, 10. 32% and 9. 06% respectively for water DOM samples, which further suggested the prediction accuracy was higher in water DOM samples as compared with that in soil DOM samples.

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

Impact of treated wastewater for irrigation on soil microbial communities

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The use of treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation has been suggested as an alternative to use of fresh water because of the increasing scarcity of fresh water in arid and semiarid regions of the world. However, significant barriers exist to widespread adoption due to some potential contaminants tha...

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

Design and development of decentralized water and wastewater technologies: a combination of safe wastewater disposal and fertilizer production.

PubMed

Fach, S; Fuchs, S

2010-01-01

Modern wastewater treatment plants are often inappropriate for communities in developing countries. Such communities lack the funding, resources and skilled labour required to implement, operate, and maintain these plants. This research was conducted to investigate and establish an appropriate wastewater treatment system for the district of Gunung Kidul, Indonesia. Due to its lack of water during the dry season, this district is considered one of the poorest areas in the nation. First, wastewater was stored in septic tank units for a retention time of 26 days. Anaerobic conditions occurred, resulting in an 80% reduction of initial COD. The retained sludge was well stabilized with great potential, if dewatered, for reuse as fertilizer. Consequently, supernatant was separated for experiments consisting of lab scale aerobic sand filtering unit. Through filtration, further removals of COD (about 30%) and pathogens were achieved. Rich in nitrogen, the resulting effluent could be used for irrigation and soil conditioning. With faecal sludge and also a mixture of septic sludge and food waste, the hydrolysis stage of anaerobic digestion was examined. This paper discusses the laboratory findings in Karlsruhe and the design and implementation of a treatment system in Glompong, Indonesia.

Investigation of Pb species in soils, celery and duckweed by synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Liqiang; Shen, Yating; Liu, Jian; Zeng, Yuan

2016-08-01

The Pb species play a key role in its translocation in biogeochemical cycles. Soils, sediments and plants were collected from farmlands around Pb mines, and the Pb species in them was identified by X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectrometry. In soils, Pb5(PO4)3Cl and Pb3(PO4)2 were detected, and in sediments, Pb-fulvic acids (FAs) complex was identified. A Pb complex with FA fragments was also detected in celery samples. We found that (1) different Pb species were present in soils and sediments; (2) the Pb species in celery, which was grown in sediments, was different from the species present in duckweed, which grew in water; and (3) a Pb-FA-like compound was present in celery roots. The newly identified Pb species, the Pb-FA-like compound, may play a key role in Pb tolerance and translocation within plants.

Impact assessment of treated/untreated wastewater toxicants discharged by sewage treatment plants on health, agricultural, and environmental quality in the wastewater disposal area.

PubMed

Singh, Kunwar P; Mohan, Dinesh; Sinha, Sarita; Dalwani, R

2004-04-01

Studies were undertaken to assess the impact of wastewater/sludge disposal (metals and pesticides) from sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Jajmau, Kanpur (5 MLD) and Dinapur, Varanasi (80 MLD), on health, agriculture and environmental quality in the receiving/application areas around Kanpur and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India. The raw, treated and mixed treated urban wastewater samples were collected from the inlet and outlet points of the plants during peak (morning and evening) and non-peak (noon) hours. The impact of the treated wastewater toxicants (metals and pesticides) on the environmental quality of the disposal area was assessed in terms of their levels in different media samples viz., water, soil, crops, vegetation, and food grains. The data generated show elevated levels of metals and pesticides in all the environmental media, suggesting a definite adverse impact on the environmental quality of the disposal area. The critical levels of the heavy metals in the soil for agricultural crops are found to be much higher than those observed in the study areas receiving no effluents. The sludge from the STPs has both positive and negative impacts on agriculture as it is loaded with high levels of toxic heavy metals and pesticides, but also enriched with several useful ingredients such as N, P, and K providing fertilizer values. The sludge studied had cadmium, chromium and nickel levels above tolerable levels as prescribed for agricultural and lands application. Bio-monitoring of the metals and pesticides levels in the human blood and urine of the different population groups under study areas was undertaken. All the different approaches indicated a considerable risk and impact of heavy metals and pesticides on human health in the exposed areas receiving the wastewater from the STPs.

Dual application of duckweed and azolla plants for wastewater treatment and renewable fuels and petrochemicals production

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Shortages in fresh water supplies today affects more than 1 billion people worldwide. Phytoremediation strategies, based on the abilities of aquatic plants to recycle nutrients offer an attractive solution for the bioremediation of water pollution and represents one of the most globally researched issues. The subsequent application of the biomass from the remediation for the production of fuels and petrochemicals offers an ecologically friendly and cost-effective solution for water pollution problems and production of value-added products. Results In this paper, the feasibility of the dual application of duckweed and azolla aquatic plants for wastewater treatment and production of renewable fuels and petrochemicals is explored. The differences in absorption rates of the key wastewater nutrients, ammonium and phosphorus by these aquatic macrophytes were used as the basis for optimization of the composition of wastewater effluents. Analysis of pyrolysis products showed that azolla and algae produce a similar range of bio-oils that contain a large spectrum of petrochemicals including straight-chain C10-C21 alkanes, which can be directly used as diesel fuel supplement, or a glycerin-free component of biodiesel. Pyrolysis of duckweed produces a different range of bio-oil components that can potentially be used for the production of “green” gasoline and diesel fuel using existing techniques, such as catalytic hydrodeoxygenation. Conclusions Differences in absorption rates of the key wastewater nutrients, ammonium and phosphorus by different aquatic macrophytes can be used for optimization of composition of wastewater effluents. The generated data suggest that the composition of the petrochemicals can be modified in a targeted fashion, not only by using different species, but also by changing the source plants’ metabolic profile, by exposing them to different abiotic or biotic stresses. This study presents an attractive, ecologically friendly and cost

Dual application of duckweed and azolla plants for wastewater treatment and renewable fuels and petrochemicals production.

PubMed

Muradov, Nazim; Taha, Mohamed; Miranda, Ana F; Kadali, Krishna; Gujar, Amit; Rochfort, Simone; Stevenson, Trevor; Ball, Andrew S; Mouradov, Aidyn

2014-02-28

Shortages in fresh water supplies today affects more than 1 billion people worldwide. Phytoremediation strategies, based on the abilities of aquatic plants to recycle nutrients offer an attractive solution for the bioremediation of water pollution and represents one of the most globally researched issues. The subsequent application of the biomass from the remediation for the production of fuels and petrochemicals offers an ecologically friendly and cost-effective solution for water pollution problems and production of value-added products. In this paper, the feasibility of the dual application of duckweed and azolla aquatic plants for wastewater treatment and production of renewable fuels and petrochemicals is explored. The differences in absorption rates of the key wastewater nutrients, ammonium and phosphorus by these aquatic macrophytes were used as the basis for optimization of the composition of wastewater effluents. Analysis of pyrolysis products showed that azolla and algae produce a similar range of bio-oils that contain a large spectrum of petrochemicals including straight-chain C10-C21 alkanes, which can be directly used as diesel fuel supplement, or a glycerin-free component of biodiesel. Pyrolysis of duckweed produces a different range of bio-oil components that can potentially be used for the production of "green" gasoline and diesel fuel using existing techniques, such as catalytic hydrodeoxygenation. Differences in absorption rates of the key wastewater nutrients, ammonium and phosphorus by different aquatic macrophytes can be used for optimization of composition of wastewater effluents. The generated data suggest that the composition of the petrochemicals can be modified in a targeted fashion, not only by using different species, but also by changing the source plants' metabolic profile, by exposing them to different abiotic or biotic stresses. This study presents an attractive, ecologically friendly and cost-effective solution for efficient bio

Elemental transport and distribution in soils amended with incinerated sewage sludge.

PubMed

Paramasivam, S; Sajwan, K S; Alva, A K; VanClief, D; Hostler, K H

2003-05-01

Sewage sludge (SS) is the major solid waste of sewage and wastewater treatment plants in cities around the world. Even though treated effluent water from wastewater treatment plants are utilized for irrigation, disposal of sewage sludge is becoming a serious problem. This is due to its high content of certain heavy metals still posing threat of accumulation in plants and groundwater contamination when it is used as soil amendment or disposed in landfills. Water treatment plants incinerate the dewatered activated sewage sludge (ISS) and dissolve the ash in water to store in ash ponds for long-term storage (WISS). A study was undertaken to evaluate the transport and leaching potential of various elements and their distribution within soil columns amended with various rates of ISS. Results of this study indicates that ISS from wastewater treatment plants can be used as soil amendment on agricultural lands at low to medium rates (< or = 100 Mg ha(-1)) without causing potential loading of metals into groundwater.

Efficiency of a Multi-Soil-Layering System on Wastewater Treatment Using Environment-Friendly Filter Materials

PubMed Central

Ho, Chia-Chun; Wang, Pei-Hao

2015-01-01

The multi-soil-layering (MSL) system primarily comprises two parts, specifically, the soil mixture layer (SML) and the permeable layer (PL). In Japan, zeolite is typically used as the permeable layer material. In the present study, zeolite was substituted with comparatively cheaper and more environmentally friendly materials, such as expanded clay aggregates, oyster shells, and already-used granular activated carbon collected from water purification plants. A series of indoor tests indicated that the suspended solid (SS) removal efficiency of granular activated carbon was between 76.2% and 94.6%; zeolite and expanded clay aggregates achieved similar efficiencies that were between 53.7% and 87.4%, and oyster shells presented the lowest efficiency that was between 29.8% and 61.8%. Further results show that the oyster shell system required an increase of wastewater retention time by 2 to 4 times that of the zeolite system to maintain similar chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency. Among the four MSL samples, the zeolite system and granular activated carbon system demonstrated a stable NH3-N removal performance at 92.3%–99.8%. The expanded clay aggregate system present lower removal performance because of its low adsorption capacity and excessively large pores, causing NO3−-N to be leached away under high hydraulic loading rate conditions. The total phosphorous (TP) removal efficiency of the MSL systems demonstrated no direct correlation with the permeable layer material. Therefore, all MSL samples achieved a TP efficiency of between 92.1% and 99.2%. PMID:25809517

Hydroponic root mats for wastewater treatment-a review.

PubMed

Chen, Zhongbing; Cuervo, Diego Paredes; Müller, Jochen A; Wiessner, Arndt; Köser, Heinz; Vymazal, Jan; Kästner, Matthias; Kuschk, Peter

2016-08-01

Hydroponic root mats (HRMs) are ecotechnological wastewater treatment systems where aquatic vegetation forms buoyant filters by their dense interwoven roots and rhizomes, sometimes supported by rafts or other floating materials. A preferential hydraulic flow is created in the water zone between the plant root mat and the bottom of the treatment system. When the mat touches the bottom of the water body, such systems can also function as HRM filter; i.e. the hydraulic flow passes directly through the root zone. HRMs have been used for the treatment of various types of polluted water, including domestic wastewater; agricultural effluents; and polluted river, lake, stormwater and groundwater and even acid mine drainage. This article provides an overview on the concept of applying floating HRM and non-floating HRM filters for wastewater treatment. Exemplary performance data are presented, and the advantages and disadvantages of this technology are discussed in comparison to those of ponds, free-floating plant and soil-based constructed wetlands. Finally, suggestions are provided on the preferred scope of application of HRMs.

Development of an innovative decentralized treatment system for the reclamation and reuse of strong wastewater from rural community: Effects of elevated CO2 concentrations.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaochen; Fukushi, Kensuke

2016-09-15

In a previous study, a soil-plant-based natural treatment system was successfully developed for post-treatment of anaerobically digested strong wastewater full of potential nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). For upgraded performance, an innovative decentralized treatment system was further developed, in which an anaerobic digestion stage and a natural treatment system stage are placed within a greenhouse. This allows the CO2 generated by the processing of wastewater and biogas consumption to be sequestrated within the greenhouse for elevating its concentration level and potentially enhance nutrient removal and recovery from the applied wastewater. To investigate the feasibility of the system, a bench-scale experiment was conducted using CO2 chambers. Valuable Kentucky bluegrass was planted in two soil types (red ball earth and black soil) at three CO2 concentrations (340 ppm, 900 ppm, and 1400 ppm). The results confirmed the positive effects of elevated CO2 concentration on the biomass production and turf quality of Kentucky bluegrass as well as the resulting higher nutrient recovery efficiencies. More importantly, it was demonstrated that the elevated CO2 concentration significantly stimulated the soil nitrifying microorganisms and thus improved the nitrogen removal efficiency (a critical issue in ecological wastewater treatment). A CO2 concentration of 1400 ppm is therefore recommended for use in the system. The mechanism underlying this phenomenon was shown to be an indirect effect, in which the higher CO2 concentration first positively influenced growing plants, which then stimulated the soil nitrifier communities. The effects of soil type (a design parameter) and hydraulic and nutrient loading rates (an operational parameter) on system performance were also examined. The results favored black soil for system establishment. Based on the findings of this study, our proposed system is thought to have the potential to be scaled up and adopted by

Treated wastewater and Nitrate transport beneath irrigated fields near Dodge city, Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sophocleous, M.; Townsend, M.A.; Vocasek, F.; Ma, Liwang; Ashok, K.C.

2010-01-01

Use of secondary-treated municipal wastewater for crop irrigation south of Dodge City, Kansas, where the soils are mainly of silty clay loam texture, has raised a concern that it has resulted in high nitratenitrogen concentrations (10-50 mg/kg) in the soil and deeper vadose zone, and also in the underlying deep (20-45 m) ground water. The goal of this field-monitoring project was to assess how and under what circumstances nitrogen (N) nutrients under cultivated corn that is irrigated with this treated wastewater can reach the deep ground water of the underlying High Plains aquifer, and what can realistically be done to minimize this problem. We collected 15.2-m-deep cores for physical and chemical properties characterization; installed neutron moisture-probe access tubes and suction lysimeters for periodic measurements; sampled area monitoring, irrigation, and domestic wells; performed dye-tracer experiments to examine soil preferential-flow processes through macropores; and obtained climatic, crop, irrigation, and N-application rate records. These data and additional information were used in the comprehensive Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM2) to identify key parameters and processes that influence N losses in the study area. We demonstrated that nitrate-N transport processes result in significant accumulations of N in the thick vadose zone. We also showed that nitrate-N in the underlying ground water is increasing with time and that the source of the nitrate is from the wastewater applications. RZWQM2 simulations indicated that macropore flow is generated particularly during heavy rainfall events, but during our 2005-06 simulations the total macropore flow was only about 3% of precipitation for one of two investigated sites, whereas it was more than 13% for the other site. Our calibrated model for the two wastewater-irrigated study sites indicated that reducing current levels of corn N fertilization by half or more to the level of 170 kg/ha substantially

Effect of dry land transformation and quality of water use for crop irrigation on the soil bacterial community in the Mezquital Valley, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lüneberg, Kathia; Schneider, Dominik; Daniel, Rolf; Siebe, Christina

2017-04-01

Soil bacteria are important determinants of soil fertility and ecosystem services as they participate in all biogeochemical cycles. Until now the comprehension of compositional and functional response that bacterial communities have to land use change and management, specifically in dry land its limited. Dry lands cover 40% of the world's land surface and its crop production supports one third of the global population. In this regions soil moisture is limited constraining farming to the rainy season or oblige to irrigate, as fresh water resources become scarce, to maintain productivity, treated or untreated wastewater for field irrigation is used. In this study the transformation of semiarid shrubland to agriculture under different land systems regarding quantity and quality of water use for crop irrigation on bacterial communities was investigated. The land systems included maize rain-fed plantations and irrigation systems with freshwater, untreated wastewater stored in a dam and untreated wastewater during dry and rainy season. Bacterial community structure and function was heavily affected by land use system and soil properties, whereas seasonality had a slighter effect. A soil moisture, nutrient and contaminant-content increasing gradient among the land use systems, going from rain fed plantation over fresh water, dam wastewater to untreated wastewater irrigated plantations was detected, this gradient diminished the abundance of Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria, but enhanced the one from Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. Discernible clustering of the dry land soil communities coincides with the moisture, nutrient and contaminant gradient, being shrubland soil communities closer to the rain-fed's system and farer to the one from untreated wastewater irrigated soil. Soil moisture together with sodium content and pH were the strongest drivers of the community structure. Seasonality promoted shifts in the composition of soil bacteria under irrigation with

Mechanism of Electro-Coagulation with Al/Fe Periodically Reversing Treating Berberine Pharmaceutical Wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Zhaonan; Liu, Zheng; Hu, Xiaomin

2017-05-01

The method of treating pharmaceutical wastewater by electro-coagulation with Al/Fe periodically reversing (ECPR) was proposed based on traditional electrochemical method. The principle of ECPR was generalized. Mechanism of ECPR to treat berberine pharmaceutical wastewater was investigated. Treatability and mechanism studies were conducted under laboratory conditions. For berberine wastewater (800 mg/L), decolourization efficiency and COD removal efficiency were highest to 98% and 95% respectively when voltage was 8V, reaction time was 60 min, alternating period was 10 S electrolyte concentration was 0.015 mol/L, stirring speed was 750 rpm, pH value was 3-10 and distance between two plates was 0.6 cm. For removal berberine, flocculation, floatation and oxidation provided 73%, 8% and 18% removal efficiency, which can be inferred by analysing UV-visible absorption spectrum, acidification experiment, EDTA shielding experiment, structure-activity relationship, oxidation and floatation. Meanwhile decolourization and COD removal conformed to apparent pseudo-first order and zero-order kinetics for 200mg/L and 400-1000 mg/L berberine wastewater respectively.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2012-06-01

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

Validation of an analytical method based on the high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry for the fast-sequential determination of several hazardous/priority hazardous metals in soil.

PubMed

Frentiu, Tiberiu; Ponta, Michaela; Hategan, Raluca

2013-03-01

The aim of this paper was the validation of a new analytical method based on the high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry for the fast-sequential determination of several hazardous/priority hazardous metals (Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in soil after microwave assisted digestion in aqua regia. Determinations were performed on the ContrAA 300 (Analytik Jena) air-acetylene flame spectrometer equipped with xenon short-arc lamp as a continuum radiation source for all elements, double monochromator consisting of a prism pre-monocromator and an echelle grating monochromator, and charge coupled device as detector. For validation a method-performance study was conducted involving the establishment of the analytical performance of the new method (limits of detection and quantification, precision and accuracy). Moreover, the Bland and Altman statistical method was used in analyzing the agreement between the proposed assay and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry as standardized method for the multielemental determination in soil. The limits of detection in soil sample (3σ criterion) in the high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry method were (mg/kg): 0.18 (Ag), 0.14 (Cd), 0.36 (Co), 0.25 (Cr), 0.09 (Cu), 1.0 (Ni), 1.4 (Pb) and 0.18 (Zn), close to those in inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry: 0.12 (Ag), 0.05 (Cd), 0.15 (Co), 1.4 (Cr), 0.15 (Cu), 2.5 (Ni), 2.5 (Pb) and 0.04 (Zn). Accuracy was checked by analyzing 4 certified reference materials and a good agreement for 95% confidence interval was found in both methods, with recoveries in the range of 94-106% in atomic absorption and 97-103% in optical emission. Repeatability found by analyzing real soil samples was in the range 1.6-5.2% in atomic absorption, similar with that of 1.9-6.1% in optical emission spectrometry. The Bland and Altman method showed no statistical significant difference between the two spectrometric

NATIONAL RESEARCH NEEDS CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS: RISK-BASED DECISION MAKING FOR ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The Research Needs Conference Proceedings consist of a description of the background for the project and a series of white papers on the topics of integrated risk assessment/management for decentralized wastewater systems, design and performance of onsite soil adsorption systems,...

DETERMINATION OF PERFLUORINATED CHEMICALS (PFCS) IN SOILS, SEDIMENT AND OTHER MATRICES

EPA Science Inventory

Soils that receive land application of treated wastewater from carpet manufacturing plants were sampled for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and other perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) that are potential degradation products of fluorotelomer-based polymers (FBPs). Soils from other pot...

Use of wastewater ER sludges for the immobilization of heavy metals

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

Macha, S.; Murray, D.; Urasa, I.T.

1996-10-01

The distribution, mobility, and bioavailability of heavy metals in soils, surface water, and ground water have been of major interest and concern from both environmental and geochemical standpoints. Wastewater sludges represent an important anthropogenic factor whose impact on these processes is not fully understood. In the past, incineration and landfilling were common practices for discarding wastewater sludges. However, as local and state laws governing the disposal of these materials have become more stringent, land application has been used as an alternative. Reported studies have shown that the impact of land application of sludges can vary widely and is influenced bymore » a number of factors, including the source of the sludge; the organic matter content of the sludge; the form in which the sludge is applied; and the prevailing conditions of the receiving soils. It has also been shown that sewage sludge can have solubilizing effects on solid-phase heavy metals, thereby causing geochemical shifts of the insoluble fractions of metals to the more soluble forms. The work presented in this paper utilized synthetic minerals, standard solutions, sludges, and agricultural soils obtained from different sources to determine the mechanisms involved in the mineralization of heavy metals by sludge; the influence of soil conditions; interelemental effects; the influence of natural organic matter; and possible microbial activity that may come into play. Several types of sludge were evaluated for lead binding capacity.« less

Treatment of wastewater batik by electrochemical coagulation using aluminium (Al) electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riyanto; Puspitasari, Eny

2018-01-01

Treatmentof wastewater batik by electrocoagulation method using aluminium (Al) electrodes has been done. Electrocoagulation method was chosen for treatment of wastewater batik because it is cheap, easy and efficient waste degradation. This research was conducted using aluminium (Al) electrodes and sodium chloride as an electrolyte solution. The purity of aluminium electrode was analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX). Electrochemical coagulation has been done using wastewater batik volume 50 mL with variation of time (10, 30, 50, 70, and 90 minutes), variation of voltage (5, 7, 9, 10, and 11 V), and variation of salt addition (0.5; 0.75; 1.00; and 1.25 g). Batik wastewater was analyzed before and after electrocoagulation by Spectrophotometer UV-Vis and the content of Pb was analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The research results show that optimum conditions electrolysis time, voltage and sodium chloride was 90 minutes, 10 V and 1.25 g, respectively. The results of this study showed the longer the electrolysis time, the higher the voltage, and the increasing number of salt added, then the batik waste decreased absorbance, alteration of color from black to clear yellow. The content of Pb in batik waste has decreased from 0.5844 mg/L to 0.1630 mg/L.

Plant absorption of trace elements in sludge amended soils and correlation with soil chemical speciation.

PubMed

Torri, Silvana; Lavado, Raúl

2009-07-30

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between Lolium perenne L. uptake of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in sludge amended soils and soil availability of these elements assessed by soil sequential extraction. A greenhouse experiment was set with three representative soils of the Pampas Region, Argentina, amended with sewage sludge and sewage sludge enriched with its own incinerated ash. After the stabilization period of 60 days, half of the pots were sampled for soil analysis; the rest of the pots were sown with L. perenne and harvested 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks after sowing, by cutting just above the soil surface. Cadmium and Pb concentrations in aerial tissues of L. perenne were below detection limits, in good agreement with the soil fractionation study. Copper and Zn concentration in the first harvest were significantly higher in the coarse textured soil compared to the fine textured soil, in contrast with soil chemical speciation. In the third harvest, there was a positive correlation between Cu and Zn concentration in aerial biomass and soil fractions usually considered of low availability. We conclude that the most available fractions obtained by soil sequential extraction did not provide the best indicator of Cu and Zn availability to L. perenne.

Determination of silver in soils, sediments, and rocks by organic-chelate extraction and atomic absorption spectrophotometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chao, T.T.; Ball, J.W.; Nakagawa, H.M.

1971-01-01

A useful method for the determination of silver in soil, sediment, and rock samples in geochemical exploration has been developed. The sample is digested with concentrated nitric acid, and the silver extracted with triisooctyl thiophosphate (TOTP) in methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) after dilution of the acid digest to approximately 6 M. The extraction of silver into the organic extractant is quantitative and not affected by the nitric acid concentration from 4 M to 8 M, or by different volumes of TOTP-MIBK. The extracted silver is stable and remains in the organic phase up to several days. The silver concentration is determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. ?? 1971.

Monitoring water stable isotope composition in soils using gas-permeable tubing and infrared laser absorption spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rothfuss, Youri; Vereecken, Harry; Brüggemann, Nicolas

2013-04-01

-permeable polypropylene tubing and a cavity ring-down laser absorption spectrometer. By analyzing water vapor δ2H and δ18O sampled with the tubing from a fine sand for temperatures ranging between 8-24° C, we demonstrate that (i) our new method is capable of monitoring δ2H and δ18O in soils online with high precision and, after calibration, also with high accuracy, (ii) our sampling protocol enabled detecting changes of δ2H and δ18O following non-fractionating addition and removal of liquid water and water vapor of different isotopic compositions, and (iii) the time needed for the tubing to monitor these changes is compatible with the observed variations of δ2H and δ18O in soils under natural conditions.

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...

Assessment of soil nitrogen variability related to N doses applied through fertirrigation system.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castellanos, M. T.; Tarquis, A. M.; Ribas, F.; Cabello, M. J.; Arce, A.; Cartagena, M. C.

2009-04-01

The knowledge of water and nitrogen dynamics in soils under drip irrigation and fertilizer application is essential to optimizing water and nitrogen management. Recent studies of water and nitrogen distribution in the soil under drip irrigation focus on water and inorganic nitrogen distribution around the drip emitters. Results of the studies are not verified with field experimental data. Reasons might include difficulties in obtaining field experimental data under irrigation and nitrogen fertilization [1]. N is an element which produces a stronger crop response, accelerates vegetative growth, plant development and yield increase. Accumulation and redistribution of N within the soil varies depending on management practices, soil characteristics, and growing season precipitation. Soil N high content at post-harvest is usually provided as evidence that N fertilizer had been applied in excess. The aim of this study is to characterize mineral N distribution in the soil profile measured at 5, 15, 25, 35, 45 and 55 cm of depth at the end of melon crop that received three N treatments: 93 (N93), 243 (N243) and 393 kg N ha-1(N393). The agronomic practices created a higher variability in soil Nitrogen content. NH4- N reduction in the soil profile can also be explained by the nitrification process. The high absorption and rapid nitrification of NH4+ ions in the plot layer are the main reason of a reduce movement downstream. NO3- ions present higher mobility in the soil profile. [1] Rahil, M.H.; Antonopoulos, V.Z. 2007. Simulating soil water flow and nitrogen dynamics in a sunflower field irrigated with reclaimed wastewater. Agricultural Water Management 92, 142 - 150. Acknowledgements: This project has been supported by INIA-RTA04-111

Comparing organic versus conventional soil management on soil respiration.

PubMed

Mátyás, Bence; Chiluisa Andrade, Maritza Elizabeth; Yandun Chida, Nora Carmen; Taipe Velasco, Carina Maribel; Gavilanes Morales, Denisse Estefania; Miño Montero, Gisella Nicole; Ramirez Cando, Lenin Javier; Lizano Acevedo, Ronnie Xavier

2018-01-01

Soil management has great potential to affect soil respiration. In this study, we investigated the effects of organic versus conventional soil management on soil respiration.  We measured the main soil physical-chemical properties from conventional and organic managed soil in Ecuador. Soil respiration was determined using alkaline absorption according to Witkamp.  Soil properties such as organic matter, nitrogen, and humidity, were comparable between conventional and organic soils in the present study, and in a further analysis there was no statically significant correlation with soil respiration. Therefore, even though organic farmers tend to apply more organic material to their fields, but this did not result in a significantly higher CO2 production in their soils in the present study.

Comparing organic versus conventional soil management on soil respiration

PubMed Central

Mátyás, Bence; Chiluisa Andrade, Maritza Elizabeth; Yandun Chida, Nora Carmen; Taipe Velasco, Carina Maribel; Gavilanes Morales, Denisse Estefania; Miño Montero, Gisella Nicole; Ramirez Cando, Lenin Javier; Lizano Acevedo, Ronnie Xavier

2018-01-01

Soil management has great potential to affect soil respiration. In this study, we investigated the effects of organic versus conventional soil management on soil respiration.  We measured the main soil physical-chemical properties from conventional and organic managed soil in Ecuador. Soil respiration was determined using alkaline absorption according to Witkamp.  Soil properties such as organic matter, nitrogen, and humidity, were comparable between conventional and organic soils in the present study, and in a further analysis there was no statically significant correlation with soil respiration. Therefore, even though organic farmers tend to apply more organic material to their fields, but this did not result in a significantly higher CO2 production in their soils in the present study. PMID:29623193

The effect of mineral-ion interactions on soil hydraulic conductivity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The reuse of winery wastewater (WW) for irrigation could provide an alternative water source for wine production. The shift of many wineries and other food processing industries to K+-based cleaners requires studies on the effects of K+ on soil hydraulic conductivity (HC). Soils of contrasting mine...

Soil and Water: Some Teaching Suggestions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, Richard B.

1987-01-01

Outlines six soil and water investigations that students can pursue outdoors, in nature centers, or in classrooms: soil characteristics; relationship between soil ph and plant life; what aggregates tell us; differences in soil structure; differences in rate of water absorption by soil; and soil exploration with a Berlesi funnel. (NEC)

Pesticide interactions with soils affected by olive oil mill wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keren, Yonatan; Bukhanovsky, Nadezhda; Borisover, Mikhail

2013-04-01

Soil pesticide sorption is well known to affect the fate of pesticides, their bioavailability and the potential to contaminate air and water. Soil - pesticide interactions may be strongly influenced by soil organic matter (SOM) and organic matter (OM)-rich soil amendments. One special OM source in soils is related to olive oil production residues that may include both solid and liquid wastes. In the Mediterranean area, the olive oil production is considered as an important field in the agricultural sector. Due to the significant rise in olive oil production, the amount of wastes is growing respectively. Olive oil mill waste water (OMWW) is the liquid byproduct in the so-called "three phase" technological process. Features of OMWW include the high content of fatty aliphatic components and polyphenols and their often-considered toxicity. One way of OMWW disposal is the land spreading, e.g., in olive orchards. The land application of OMWW (either controlled or not) is supposed to affect the multiple soil properties, including hydrophobicity and the potential of soils to interact with pesticides. Therefore, there is both basic and applied interest in elucidating the interactions between organic compounds and soils affected by OMWW. However, little is known about the impact of OMWW - soil interactions on sorption of organic compounds, and specifically, on sorption of agrochemicals. This paper reports an experimental study of sorption interactions of a series of organic compounds including widely used herbicides such as diuron and simazine, in a range of soils that were affected by OMWW (i) historically or (ii) in the controlled land disposal experiments. It is demonstrated that there is a distinct increase in apparent sorption of organic chemicals in soils affected by OMWW. In selected systems, this increase may be explained by increase in SOM content. However, the SOM quality places a role: the rise in organic compound - soil interactions may both exceed the SOM

A Review of Environmental Contamination and Health Risk Assessment of Wastewater Use for Crop Irrigation with a Focus on Low and High-Income Countries

PubMed Central

Khalid, Sana; Shahid, Muhammad; Natasha; Sarwar, Tania; Shah, Ali Haidar

2018-01-01

Population densities and freshwater resources are not evenly distributed worldwide. This has forced farmers to use wastewater for the irrigation of food crops. This practice presents both positive and negative effects with respect to agricultural use, as well as in the context of environmental contamination and toxicology. Although wastewater is an important source of essential nutrients for plants, many environmental, sanitary, and health risks are also associated with the use of wastewater for crop irrigation due to the presence of toxic contaminants and microbes. This review highlights the harmful and beneficial impacts of wastewater irrigation on the physical, biological, and chemical properties of soil (pH, cations and anions, organic matter, microbial activity). We delineate the potentially toxic element (PTEs) build up in the soil and, as such, their transfer into plants and humans. The possible human health risks associated with the use of untreated wastewater for crop irrigation are also predicted and discussed. We compare the current condition of wastewater reuse in agriculture and the associated environmental and health issues between developing and developed countries. In addition, some integrated sustainable solutions and future perspectives are also proposed, keeping in view the regional and global context, as well as the grounded reality of wastewater use for crop production, sanitary and planning issues, remedial techniques, awareness among civil society, and the role of the government and the relevant stakeholders. PMID:29724015

A Review of Environmental Contamination and Health Risk Assessment of Wastewater Use for Crop Irrigation with a Focus on Low and High-Income Countries.

PubMed

Khalid, Sana; Shahid, Muhammad; Bibi, Irshad; Sarwar, Tania; Shah, Ali Haidar; Niazi, Nabeel Khan

2018-05-01

Population densities and freshwater resources are not evenly distributed worldwide. This has forced farmers to use wastewater for the irrigation of food crops. This practice presents both positive and negative effects with respect to agricultural use, as well as in the context of environmental contamination and toxicology. Although wastewater is an important source of essential nutrients for plants, many environmental, sanitary, and health risks are also associated with the use of wastewater for crop irrigation due to the presence of toxic contaminants and microbes. This review highlights the harmful and beneficial impacts of wastewater irrigation on the physical, biological, and chemical properties of soil (pH, cations and anions, organic matter, microbial activity). We delineate the potentially toxic element (PTEs) build up in the soil and, as such, their transfer into plants and humans. The possible human health risks associated with the use of untreated wastewater for crop irrigation are also predicted and discussed. We compare the current condition of wastewater reuse in agriculture and the associated environmental and health issues between developing and developed countries. In addition, some integrated sustainable solutions and future perspectives are also proposed, keeping in view the regional and global context, as well as the grounded reality of wastewater use for crop production, sanitary and planning issues, remedial techniques, awareness among civil society, and the role of the government and the relevant stakeholders.

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

PubMed

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

2017-03-01

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

Survey of organic wastewater contaminants in biosolids destined for land application

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinney, C.A.; Furlong, E.T.; Zaugg, S.D.; Burkhardt, M.R.; Werner, S.L.; Cahill, J.D.; Jorgensen, G.R.

2006-01-01

In this study, the presence, composition, and concentrations of organic wastewater contaminants (OWCs) were determined in solid materials produced during wastewater treatment. This study was undertaken to evaluate the potential of these solids, collectively referred to as biosolids, as a source of OWCs to soil and water in contact with soil. Nine different biosolid products, produced by municipal wastewater treatment plants in seven different states, were analyzed for 87 different OWCs. Fifty-five of the OWCs were detected in at least one biosolid product. The 87 different OWCs represent a diverse cross section of emerging organic contaminants that enter wastewater treatment plants and may be discharged without being completely metabolized or degraded. A minimum of 30 and a maximum of 45 OWCs were detected in any one biosolid. The biosolids used in this study are produced by several production methods, and the plants they originate from have differing population demographics, yet the percent composition of total OWC content, and of the most common OWCs, typically did not vary greatly between the biosolids tested. The summed OWC content ranged from 64 to 1811 mg/kg dry weight. Six biosolids were collected twice, 3-18 months apart, and the total OWC content of each biosolid varied by less than a factor of 2. These results indicate that the biosolids investigated in this study have OWC compositions and concentrations that are more similar than different and that biosolids are highly enriched in OWCs (as mass-normalized concentrations) when compared to effluents or effluent-impacted water. These results demonstrate the need to better describe the composition and fate of OWCs in biosolids since about 50% of biosolids are land applied and thus become a potentially ubiquitous nonpoint source of OWCs into the environment. ?? 2006 American Chemical Society.

Greenhouse studies on the phyto-extraction capacity of Cynodon nlemfuensis for lead and cadmium under irrigation with treated wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madyiwa, S.; Chimbari, M. J.; Schutte, C. F.; Nyamangara, J.

For over 30 years, discharge of sewage effluent and sludge on pasturelands has been used in Zimbabwe as a cheap method for secondary treatment of wastewater without any monitoring of accumulation of heavy metals in soils and grasses, let alone in animals grazing on the pastures. Cynodon nlemfuensis (star grass) has been the main grass planted on the wastewater irrigated pasturelands. This study was conducted to assess the capacity of star grass to accumulate lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) and develop models incorporating grass yield, metal uptake and soil bio-available (EDTA extractable) metal content, that could be used to determine critical grass and soil concentrations at which grass productivity declines. Star grass was planted in 30 fertilized pots containing sandy soil within a greenhouse. The pots consisted of nine treatments of varying levels of added inorganic Pb and Cd subjected to treated wastewater application and one control that had no added metals and received water application only. The elements were applied to the soils once just after planting the grass. Chemical analyses showed that star grass had a relatively high phyto-extraction capacity of Pb and Cd, comparable to that of hyper-accumulating grasses such as Lolium perenne (rye grass). It accumulated Pb and Cd to levels far beyond the recommended maximum limits for pasture grass. Analysis of variance on log-normal transformed data showed that bio-available soil metal concentrations correlated strongly with grass metal content and grass metal content correlated strongly with the yield. There was however a weak correlation between the yield and bio-available soil levels. The yield versus grass metal content models that were developed for the first crop and re-growth predicted similar critical metal concentrations and yields. Using the critical grass metal concentrations in the soil bio-available metal concentration versus grass metal concentration models allowed for the prediction of the

Validation of an analytical method based on the high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry for the fast-sequential determination of several hazardous/priority hazardous metals in soil

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The aim of this paper was the validation of a new analytical method based on the high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry for the fast-sequential determination of several hazardous/priority hazardous metals (Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in soil after microwave assisted digestion in aqua regia. Determinations were performed on the ContrAA 300 (Analytik Jena) air-acetylene flame spectrometer equipped with xenon short-arc lamp as a continuum radiation source for all elements, double monochromator consisting of a prism pre-monocromator and an echelle grating monochromator, and charge coupled device as detector. For validation a method-performance study was conducted involving the establishment of the analytical performance of the new method (limits of detection and quantification, precision and accuracy). Moreover, the Bland and Altman statistical method was used in analyzing the agreement between the proposed assay and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry as standardized method for the multielemental determination in soil. Results The limits of detection in soil sample (3σ criterion) in the high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry method were (mg/kg): 0.18 (Ag), 0.14 (Cd), 0.36 (Co), 0.25 (Cr), 0.09 (Cu), 1.0 (Ni), 1.4 (Pb) and 0.18 (Zn), close to those in inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry: 0.12 (Ag), 0.05 (Cd), 0.15 (Co), 1.4 (Cr), 0.15 (Cu), 2.5 (Ni), 2.5 (Pb) and 0.04 (Zn). Accuracy was checked by analyzing 4 certified reference materials and a good agreement for 95% confidence interval was found in both methods, with recoveries in the range of 94–106% in atomic absorption and 97–103% in optical emission. Repeatability found by analyzing real soil samples was in the range 1.6–5.2% in atomic absorption, similar with that of 1.9–6.1% in optical emission spectrometry. The Bland and Altman method showed no statistical significant difference

Mechanisms of ammonium transformation and loss in intermittently aerated leachfield soil.

PubMed

Richard, John T; Potts, David A; Amador, José A

2014-11-01

Optimization of N removal in soil-based wastewater treatment systems requires an understanding of the microbial processes involved in N transformations. We examined the fate of NH in intermittently aerated leachfield mesocosms over a 24-h period. Septic tank effluent (STE) was amended with NHCl to help determine N speciation and distribution in drainage water, soil, and headspace gases. Our results show that 5.7% of the N was found in soil, 10.0% in drainage water, and 84.3% in the gas pool. Ammonium accounted for 41.7% of the soil N pool, followed by NO (29.2%), organic N (21.7%), and microbial biomass N (7.5%). In drainage water, NO constituted ∼80% of the N pool, whereas NH was absent from this pool. Nitrous oxide was the dominant form of N in the gas phase 6 h after addition of NH-amended STE to the mesocosms, after which its mass declined exponentially; by contrast, the mass of N was initially low but increased linearly with time to become the dominant form of N after 24 h. Analysis based on the isotopic enrichment of NO and N indicates that nitrification contributed 98.8 and 23.1% of the NO flux after 6 and 24 h, respectively. Our results show that gaseous losses are the main mechanism for NH removal from wastewater in intermittently aerated soil. In addition, nitrification, which is generally not considered a significant pathway for N loss in soil-based wastewater treatment, is an important source process for NO. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Application of Terahertz Radiation to Soil Measurements: Initial Results

PubMed Central

Dworak, Volker; Augustin, Sven; Gebbers, Robin

2011-01-01

Developing soil sensors with the possibility of continuous online measurement is a major challenge in soil science. Terahertz (THz) electromagnetic radiation may provide the opportunity for the measurement of organic material density, water content and other soil parameters at different soil depths. Penetration depth and information content is important for a functional soil sensor. Therefore, we present initial research on the analysis of absorption coefficients of four different soil samples by means of THz transmission measurements. An optimized soil sample holder to determine absorption coefficients was used. This setup improves data acquisition because interface reflections can be neglected. Frequencies of 340 GHz to 360 GHz and 1.627 THz to 2.523 THz provided information about an existing frequency dependency. The results demonstrate the potential of this THz approach for both soil analysis and imaging of buried objects. Therefore, the THz approach allows different soil samples to be distinguished according to their different absorption properties so that relations among soil parameters may be established in future. PMID:22163737

Occurrence of enteric pathogens on fresh produce grown on irrigated soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aims: To assess the potential health risks of fresh produce grown on irrigated soils treated with manure in Kano State, a large produce region in Nigeria. Methodology: Fresh produce irrigated with wastewater on manure treated soils were assessed for the prevalence, serotype distribution and toxigeni...

Ex situ remediation of polluted soils by absorptive polymers, and a comparison of slurry and two-phase partitioning bioreactors for ultimate contaminant degradation.

PubMed

Tomei, M Concetta; Mosca Angelucci, Domenica; Annesini, M Cristina; Daugulis, Andrew J

2013-11-15

The present study has provided a comparison between a conventional ex situ method for the treatment of contaminated soil, a soil slurry bioreactor, with a novel technology in which a contaminant is rapidly and effectively removed from the soil by means of absorptive polymer beads, which are then added to a two-phase partitioning bioreactor (TPPB) for biodegradation of the target molecule. 4-nitrophenol (4NP) was selected as a model contaminant, being representative of a large class of xenobiotics, and the DuPont thermoplastic Hytrel™ 8206 was utilized for its extraction from soil over ranges of soil contamination level, soil moisture content, and polymer:soil ratios. Since the polymers were able to rapidly (up to 77% and 85% in 4 and 24h respectively) and selectively remove the contaminant, the soil retained its nutrient and microflora content, which is in contrast to soil washing which can remove these valuable soil resources. After 4h of reaction time, the TPPB system demonstrated removal efficiency four times higher (77% vs 20%) than the slurry system, with expected concomitant savings in time and energy. A volumetric removal rate of 75 mg4NPh(-1) L(-1) was obtained in the TPPB, significantly greater than the value of 1.7 obtained in the slurry bioreactor. The polymers were readily regenerated for subsequent reuse, demonstrating the versatility of the polymer-based soil treatment technology. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nitrogen removal and power generation from treated municipal wastewater by its circulated irrigation for resource-saving rice cultivation.

PubMed

Watanabe, Toru; Mashiko, Takuma; Maftukhah, Rizki; Kaku, Nobuo; Pham, Dong Duy; Ito, Hiroaki

2017-02-01

This study aims at improving the performance of the cultivating system of rice for animal feed with circulated irrigation of treated municipal wastewater by applying a larger amount of wastewater, as well as adding a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to the system. The results of bench-scale experiments indicate that this modification has increased the rice yield, achieving the target for the rice cultivar used in the experiment. In addition, an assessment of protein content of the harvested rice showed that the value of the rice as animal fodder has improved. Compared with normal one-way irrigation, circulated irrigation significantly enhanced the plant growth and rice production. The direction of the irrigation (bottom-to-top or top-to-bottom) in the soil layer had no significant effect. This modified system demonstrated >96% for nitrogen removal from the treated wastewater used for the irrigation, with approximately 40% of the nitrogen being used for rice plant growth. The MFC installed in the system facilitated power generation comparable with that reported for normal paddy fields. The power generation appeared to be enhanced by bottom-to-top irrigation, which could provide organic-rich treated wastewater directly to the bacterial community living on the anode of the MFC set in the soil layer.

Emergy Analysis for the Sustainable Utilization of Biosolids Generated in a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant

EPA Science Inventory

This contribution describes the application of an emergy-based methodology for comparing two management alternatives of biosolids produced in a wastewater treatment plant. The current management practice of using biosolids as soil fertilizers was evaluated and compared to another...

Industrial wastewater treatment using higher aquatic vegetation in the former mining company of the Far Eastern Federal district

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krupskaya, L. T.; Zvereva, V. P.; Gula, K. E.; Gul', L. P.; Golubev, D. A.; Filatova, M. Yu.

2017-09-01

The article describes the results of studying the problems of industrial wastewater treatment using higher aquatic vegetation (hydrophytes) in the former mining enterprise of the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD). They are aimed at reducing the negative environment impact of toxic tin ore wastes. The material of research were drainage, mine and slime waters as well as Lemna minor and Common reed grass (Phragmites communis). In the work conventional modern physico-chemical, chemical, biological and mathematical-statistical methods were used, as well as in the process of research the methods of atomic absorption spectrophotometry for AAS and mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma on ISP-MS ELASN DRS II PerkinElmer was applied. The data obtained in the course of the experiment (2015-2016), indicate that a degree of wastewater treatment, using Lemna minor, is high. Virtually, all compounds of toxic chemical elements contained in industrial wastewater (zinc, cobalt, nickel, cadmium, iron, manganese, lead, etc.) were fully absorbed by a hydrophyte. Pollutant extraction was almost 95%. The obtained results of the study in laboratory conditions proved the possibility of effective use of the Lemna minor for the purification of drainage and mine waters. A key contribution of this paper is the relationship between possible toxic metals contained in industrial wastewater and a higher degree of absorption by their higher aquatic vegetation. These hydrophytes absorb these possible toxic metals in an aqueous medium and are contaminated with these heavy metals.

Simultaneous Atomic Absorption Spectrometry for Cadmium and Lead Determination in Wastewater: A Laboratory Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Correia, Paulo R. M.; Oliveira, Pedro V.

2004-01-01

The simultaneous determination of cadmium and lead by multi-element atomic absorption spectrometry with electrochemical atomization is proposed by employing a problem-based approach. The reports indicate that the students assimilated the principles of the simultaneous atomic absorption spectrometry (SIMAAS), the role of the chemical modifier, the…

The impact of co-contaminants and septic system effluent quality on the transport of estrogens and nonylphenols through soil.

PubMed

Stanford, Benjamin D; Amoozegar, Aziz; Weinberg, Howard S

2010-03-01

The impact that varying qualities of wastewater may have on the movement of steroid estrogens through soils into groundwater is little understood. In this study, the steroid estrogens 17beta-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) were followed through batch and column studies to examine the impact that organic wastewater constituents from on-site wastewater treatment systems (i.e., septic systems or decentralized systems) may have on influencing the rate of transport of estrogens through soils. Total organic carbon (TOC) content (as a surrogate indicator of overall wastewater quality) and the presence of nonyl-phenol polyethoxylate surfactants (NPEO) at concentrations well below the critical micelle concentration were independently shown to be indicative of earlier breakthrough and less partitioning to soil in batch and column experiments. Both NPEO and wastewater with increasing TOC concentrations led to shifts in the equilibrium of E1 and E2 towards the aqueous phase and caused the analytes to have an earlier breakthrough than in control experiments. The presence of nonylphenols, on the other hand, did not appreciably impact partitioning of E1 or E2. Biodegradation of the steroids in soil was also lower in the presence of septic tank effluents than in an organic-free control water. Furthermore, the data indicate that the rate of movement of E1 and E2 present in septic tank effluent through soils and into groundwater can be decreased by removing the NPEOs and TOC through wastewater treatment prior to sub-surface disposal. This study offers some insights into mechanisms which impact degradation, transformation, and retardation, and shows that TOC and NPEO surfactants play a role in estrogen transport. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk assessment and loading capacity of reclaimed wastewater to be reused for agricultural irrigation.

PubMed

Chiou, Ren-Jie

2008-07-01

The reuse of treated municipal wastewater should be one of the new water resource target areas. The suitability of the reuse of wastewater for agricultural irrigation has to consider health risk, soil contamination and the influence of the reclaimed water on crop growth. In this work the aim is to use quantitative risk analysis to assess the health effects related to reclaimed water quality and to calculate the loading capacity of reclaimed wastewater in terms of the heavy metal accumulation. The results of chemical risk assessment show there would be slightly significant health risk and what risk there is can be limited within an acceptable level. The following exposure pathway: reclaimed water-->surface water-->fish (shellfish)-->human, and arsenic risks are of more concern. In terms of reuse impact in soil contamination, the most possible heavy metal caused accumulation is arsenic. The irrigative quantity has to reach 13,300 m(3)/ha to cause arsenic accumulation. However, only 12,000 m(3)/ha is essential for rice paddy cropland. The high total nitrogen of reclaimed water from secondary treatment makes it unfavorable for crop growth. The recommended dilution ratio is 50% during the growth period and 25% during the maturity period.

Assessing the use of treated waste water for irrigation agricultural lands by using soil quality indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arcenegui, V.; Morugán, A.; García-Orenes, F.; Zornoza, R.; Mataix-Solera, J.; Navarro, M. A.; Guerrero, C.; Mataix-Beneyto, J.

2009-04-01

The use of treated wastewater for the irrigation of agricultural soils is an alternative to utilizing better-quality water, especially in semiarid regions where water shortage is a very serious problem. However, this practise can modify the soil equilibrium and affect its quality. In this work two soil quality indices (models) are used to evaluate the effects of long-term irrigation with treated wastewater in soil. The models were developed studying different soil properties in undisturbed forest soils in SE Spain, and the relationships between soil parameters were established using multiple linear regressions. Model 1, that explained 92% of the variance in soil organic carbon (SOC) showed that the SOC can be calculated by the linear combination of 6 physical, chemical and biochemical properties (acid phosphatase, water holding capacity (WHC), electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorus (P), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and aggregate stability (AS)). Model 2 explains 89% of the SOC variance, which can be calculated by means of 7 chemical and biochemical properties (urease, phosphatase, and

Greenhouse gas emissions from on-site wastewater treatment systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somlai-Haase, Celia; Knappe, Jan; Gill, Laurence

2016-04-01

Nearly one third of the Irish population relies on decentralized domestic wastewater treatment systems which involve the discharge of effluent into the soil via a percolation area (drain field). In such systems, wastewater from single households is initially treated on-site either by a septic tank and an additional packaged secondary treatment unit, in which the influent organic matter is converted into carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) by microbial mediated processes. The effluent from the tanks is released into the soil for further treatment in the unsaturated zone where additional CO2 and CH4 are emitted to the atmosphere as well as nitrous oxide (N2O) from the partial denitrification of nitrate. Hence, considering the large number of on-site systems in Ireland and internationally, these are potential significant sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and yet have received almost no direct field measurement. Here we present the first attempt to quantify and qualify the production and emissions of GHGs from a septic tank system serving a single house in the County Westmeath, Ireland. We have sampled the water for dissolved CO2, CH4 and N2O and measured the gas flux from the water surface in the septic tank. We have also carried out long-term flux measurements of CO2 from the drain field, using an automated soil gas flux system (LI-8100A, Li-Cor®) covering a whole year semi-continuously. This has enabled the CO2 emissions from the unsaturated zone to be correlated against different meteorological parameters over an annual cycle. In addition, we have integrated an ultraportable GHG analyser (UGGA, Los Gatos Research Inc.) into the automated soil gas flux system to measure CH4 flux. Further, manual sampling has also provided a better understanding of N2O emissions from the septic tank system.

New techniques to control salinity-wastewater reuse interactions in golf courses of the Mediterranean regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beltrao, J.; Costa, M.; Rosado, V.; Gamito, P.; Santos, R.; Khaydarova, V.

2003-04-01

Due to the lack water around the Mediterranean regions, potable water luxurious uses - as in golf courses - are increasingly contested. In order to solve this problem, non conventional water resources (effluent, gray, recycled, reclaimed, brackish), like treated wastewater, for irrigation gained increasing role in the planning and development of additional water supplies in golf courses. In most cases, the intense use of effluent for irrigation attracted public awareness in respect of contaminating pathogens and heavy metals. The contaminating effect of salinity in soil and underground water is very often neglected. The objective of this work is to present the conventional techniques to control salinity of treated wastewater and to present some results on new clean techniques to solve this problem, in the framework of the INCO-COPERNICUS project (no. IC-15CT98-0105) "Adaptation of Efficient Water Use Criteria in Marginal Regions of Europe and Middle Asia with Scarce Sources Subject to Environmental Control, Climate Change and Socio-Economic Development" and of the INCO-DC project (no. IC18-CT98-0266) "Control of Salination and Combating Desertification Effects in the Mediterranean Region. Phase II". Saline water is the most common irrigation water in arid climates. Moreover, for each region treated wastewater is always more saline than tap water, and therefore, when treated wastewater is reused in golf courses, more salinity problems occur. Conventional techniques to combat the salination process in golf courses can be characterized by four generations: 1) Problem of root zone salination by soil leaching - two options can occur - when there is an impermeable layer, salts will be concentrated above this layer; on the other hand, when there is no impermeable layer, aquifers contamination can be observed; 2) Use of subsurface trickle irrigation - economy of water, and therefore less additional salts; however the problem of groundwater contamination due to natural rain

Performance of slow rate systems for treatment of domestic wastewater.

PubMed

Tzanakakis, V E; Paranychianakis, N V; Angelakis, A N

2007-01-01

The performance of slow rate (SR) systems in terms of treatment efficiency, environmental and health risks, and land sustainability was investigated over a three-year period in a rural community close to Iraklio, Greece. Four plant species (Acacia cyanophylla, Eucalyptus camandulensis, Populus nigra and Arundo donax) were used in order to investigate the role of vegetation in the treatment of wastewater and in biomass production. Wastewater effluent was pre-treated in a septic tank before its application to land. Applied hydraulic loading rates were based on crop water requirements which were determined separately for each plant species. The evaluation of treatment performance was accomplished by measuring COD, TKN, NH3-N, NO3-N, total and reactive P, TC and FC in soil solution samples taken at different depths (15, 30 and 60 cm). SR systems showed great potential for COD, TKN and NH4-N removal which reached 89, 90 and 94%, respectively at a depth of 15 cm. An outstanding removal was also observed for TC and FC which reached 99.99%. The concentration of both P and NO3-N in soil solution increased with the passage of time, but it was lower in winter. Despite the differences in the application rates among the SR systems planted with different plant species, the treatment efficiency was not affected. Moreover, increasing the soil depth from 15 to 60 cm had no effect on the treatment efficiency of the SR systems.

Predictors of blood lead levels in agricultural villages practicing wastewater irrigation in Central Mexico.

PubMed

Cifuentes, E; Villanueva, J; Sanin, L H

2000-01-01

To investigate whether the agricultural use of untreated wastewater (i.e. crop irrigation) was associated with elevated blood lead levels in a farming population in the Mezquital Valley and which risk factors, other than exposure to untreated wastewater, were associated with elevated blood lead levels, lead levels were measured in venous blood obtained from 735 individuals. Blood samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Food habits and dietary intake were gathered by interview, using a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. The average blood lead level was 7.8 microg/dL (SD 4.66 microg/dL; range 1.2-36.7 microg/dL). 23% of the study population had blood lead levels exceeding 10 microg/dL. The use of lead-glazed ceramics (LGC) was significantly associated with elevated lead levels (p = < 0.001). Other significant variables included age, gender (males), and non-farming-related occupations (e.g., technicians, factory workers). p = 0.005, 0.08, and 0.001, respectively. When the analysis was stratified by the use of LGC for food preparation, an inverse relationship between higher daily calcium intake and blood lead level was detected (beta = - 0.040, p = < 0.05). Thus, blood lead levels were positively associated with the use of LGC. Calcium intake showed a protective effect, maybe by decreasing absorption of lead in the gastrointestinal tract. No association between occupational exposure to untreated wastewater or crop consumption and blood lead levels was detected. Further environmental and health surveillance is recommended.

Dissipation of fragrance materials in sludge-amended soils.

PubMed

DiFrancesco, Angela M; Chiu, Pei C; Standley, Laurel J; Allen, Herbert E; Salvito, Daniel T

2004-01-01

A possible removal mechanism for fragrance materials (FMs) in wastewater is adsorption to sludge, and sludge application to land may be a route through which FMs are released to the soil environment. However, little is known about the concentrations and fate of FMs in soil receiving sludge application. This study was conducted to better understand the dissipation of FMs in sludge-amended soils. We first determined the spiking and extraction efficiencies for 22 FMs in soil and leachate samples. Nine FMs were detected in digested sludges from two wastewater treatment plants in Delaware using these methods. We conducted a 1-year die-away experiment which involved four different soils amended with sludge, with and without spiking of the 22 FMs. The initial dissipation of FMs in all spiked trays was rapid, and only seven FMs remained at concentrations above the quantification limits after 3 months: AHTN, HHCB, musk ketone, musk xylene, acetyl cedrene, OTNE, and DPMI. After 1 year, the only FMs remaining in all spiked trays were musk ketone and AHTN. DPMI was the only FM that leached significantly from the spiked trays, and no FMs were detected in leachate from any unspiked tray. While soil organic matter content affected the dissipation rate in general, different mechanisms (volatilization, transformation, leaching) appeared to be important for different FMs.

Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil Imitation Biological Treatment Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Chang; Chen, Jun; Wu, Ke; Zhou, Zhongkai; Cheng, Tingting

2018-01-01

In this paper, the treatment methods of heavy metal pollution in soils were analyzed, the existence and transformation of heavy metals in soil were explored, and the mechanism of heavy metal absorption by plants was studied. It was concluded that the main form of plants absorb heavy metals in the soil is exchangeable. The main mechanism was that the plant cell wall can form complex with heavy metals, so that heavy metals fixed on the cell wall, and through the selective absorption of plasma membrane into the plant body. In addition, the adsorption mechanism of the adsorbed material was analyzed. According to the results of some researchers, it was found that the mechanism of adsorption of heavy metals was similar to that of plants. According to this, using adsorbent material as the main material, Imitate the principle of plant absorption of heavy metals in the soil to removing heavy metals in the soil at one-time and can be separated from the soil after adsorption to achieve permanent removal of heavy metals in the soil was feasibility.

[Effect of Recycled Water Irrieation on Heavy Metal Pollution in Irrigation Soil].

PubMed

Zhou, Yi-qi; Liu, Yun-xia; Fu, Hui-min

2016-01-15

With acceleration of urbanization, water shortages will become a serious problem. Usage of reclaimed water for flushing and watering of the green areas will be common in the future. To study the heavy metal contamination of soils after green area irrigation using recycled wastewater from special industries, we selected sewage and laboratory wastewater as water source for integrated oxidation ditch treatment, and the effluent was used as irrigation water of the green area. The irrigation units included broad-leaved forest, bush and lawn. Six samples sites were selected, and 0-20 cm soil of them were collected. Analysis of the heavy metals including Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb in the soil showed no significant differences with heavy metals concentration in soil irrigated with tap water. The heavy metals in the soil irrigated with recycled water were mainly enriched in the surface layer, among which the contents of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb were below the soil background values of Beijing. A slight pollution of As and Cd was found in the soil irrigated by recycled water, which needs to be noticed.

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

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

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

Phthalate esters in the environment: A critical review of their occurrence, biodegradation, and removal during wastewater treatment processes.

PubMed

Gao, Da-Wen; Wen, Zhi-Dan

2016-01-15

Phthalate esters are one of the most frequently detected persistent organic pollutants in the environment. A better understanding of their occurrence and degradation in the environment and during wastewater treatment processes will facilitate the development of strategies to reduce these pollutants and to bioremediate contaminated freshwater and soil. Phthalate esters occur at measurable levels in different environments worldwide. For example, the concentrations of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in atmospheric particulate matter, fresh water and sediments, soil, and landfills are N.D.-10.4 ng/m(3), N.D.-31.7 μg/L, N.D.-316 μg/kg dry weight, and N.D.-200 μg/kg dry weight, N.D.-43.27 μg/L, respectively. Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) are primary phthalate ester pollutants. Urbanization has increased the discharge of phthalate esters to atmospheric and aquatic environments, and the use of agricultural plastics has exacerbated soil contamination by phthalate esters in rural areas. Aerobic biodegradation is the primary manner of phthalate ester mineralization in the environment, and this process has been widely studied. Phthalate esters can be removed during wastewater treatment processes. The combination of different wastewater treatment technologies showed greater efficiency in the removal of phthalate esters than individual treatment steps, such as the combination of anaerobic wastewater treatment with a membrane bioreactor would increase the efficiency of phthalate ester removal from 65%-71% to 95%-97%. This review provides a useful framework to identify future research objectives to achieve the mineralization and elimination of phthalate esters in the environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Olive mill wastewater spreading on soil wettability and acidity under different season in a semi humid area: A field study in Bait Reema - West Bank - Palestine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamimi, Nesreen; Marei Sawalha, Amer; Schaumann, Gabriele E.

2014-05-01

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is generated seasonally in large amounts during the olive oil production in Palestine, and it is often disposal of in uncontrolled manner into the open environment. OMW has a high amount of phototoxic compounds, high salinity and acidity and therefore is challenging when disposed on soil. The objective of this study was to study the persistence and degree of water repellency during different season of OMW application in soil samples (0-5 cm deep), and to elucidate how extent this phenomenon is associated with soil acidity, to analyze the relationships between soil water repellency and environmental factors including, temperature and moisture and to describe the seasonal variation in the phenol concentration of the soil. In order to understand how climatic conditions at the time of OMW disposal affect the development of soil water repelleny in field, soil acidity and phenol content in soil, we conducted a field study in Bait Reema village in the West Bank - Palestine. The study site is characterized by 1.5 m thick brown rendzina and has an annual average rainfall of 550 mm. On an extensively used olive orchard field, we implemented 16 plots (2.5 x 3.5 m). OMW application (14 L / m2) was conducted either in winter, spring or summer on two replicate plots distributed randomly among the 16 plots. To test the effect of soil moisture on the persistence of OMW effects, we implemented an OMW application in summer on two additional plots, but kept those plots moist before and after OMW application until start of the rain season. For each of the treatment variants, we implemented two control plots which were treated in the same way as their counterparts, but with tap water. Soil samples (0-5 cm) were collected after 2 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months , 9 months, 12 months , and 18 months. pH was determined and analyzed in aqueous soil extracts (1:5), the total phenol content was determined by using Folin-Ciocalteu's reagent, soil water

Meta-Analysis of Mass Balances Examining Chemical Fate during Wastewater Treatment

PubMed Central

2008-01-01

Mass balances are an instructive means for investigating the fate of chemicals during wastewater treatment. In addition to the aqueous-phase removal efficiency (Φ), they can inform on chemical partitioning, transformation, and persistence, as well as on the chemical loading to streams and soils receiving, respectively, treated effluent and digested sewage sludge (biosolids). Release rates computed on a per-capita basis can serve to extrapolate findings to a larger scale. This review examines over a dozen mass balances conducted for various organic wastewater contaminants, including prescription drugs, estrogens, fragrances, antimicrobials, and surfactants of differing sorption potential (hydrophobicity), here expressed as the 1-octanol−water partition coefficient (KOW) and the organic carbon normalized sorption coefficient (KOC). Major challenges to mass balances are the collection of representative samples and accurate quantification of chemicals in sludge. A meta-analysis of peer-reviewed data identified sorption potential as the principal determinant governing chemical persistence in biosolids. Occurrence data for organic wastewater compounds detected in digested sludge followed a simple nonlinear model that required only KOW or KOC as the input and yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.9 in both instances. The model predicted persistence in biosolids for the majority (>50%) of the input load of organic wastewater compounds featuring a log10KOW value of greater than 5.2 (log10KOC > 4.4). In contrast, hydrophobicity had no or only limited value for estimating, respectively, Φ and the overall persistence of a chemical during conventional wastewater treatment. PMID:18800497

The heavy metal partition in size-fractions of the fine particles in agricultural soils contaminated by waste water and smelter dust.

PubMed

Zhang, Haibo; Luo, Yongming; Makino, Tomoyuki; Wu, Longhua; Nanzyo, Masami

2013-03-15

The partitioning of pollutant in the size-fractions of fine particles is particularly important to its migration and bioavailability in soil environment. However, the impact of pollution sources on the partitioning was seldom addressed in the previous studies. In this study, the method of continuous flow ultra-centrifugation was developed to separate three size fractions (<1 μm, <0.6 μm and <0.2 μm) of the submicron particles from the soil polluted by wastewater and smelter dust respectively. The mineralogy and physicochemical properties of each size-fraction were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope etc. Total content of the polluted metals and their chemical speciation were measured. A higher enrichment factor of the metals in the fractions of <1 μm or less were observed in the soil contaminated by wastewater than by smelter dust. The organic substance in the wastewater and calcite from lime application were assumed to play an important role in the metal accumulation in the fine particles of the wastewater polluted soil. While the metal accumulation in the fine particles of the smelter dust polluted soil is mainly associated with Mn oxides. Cadmium speciation in both soils is dominated by dilute acid soluble form and lead speciation in the smelter dust polluted soil is dominated by reducible form in all particles. This implied that the polluted soils might be a high risk to human health and ecosystem due to the high bioaccessibility of the metals as well as the mobility of the fine particles in soil. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Speciation and Lability of Ag-, AgCl- and Ag2S-Nanoparticles in Soil Determined by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films

EPA Science Inventory

Long-term speciation and lability of silver (Ag-), silver chloride (AgCl-) and silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag₂S-NPs) in soil were studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and newly developed "nano" Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films (DGT) devices. These nano-D...

Chemical treatment of wastewater from flue gas desulphurisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasiecznik, Iwona; Szczepaniak, Włodzimierz

2017-11-01

The article presents results of laboratory tests of removing boron and arsenium from non-ideal solutions using double-layered magnesium/aluminium hydroxides (Mg/Al Double-Layered Hydroxide - DLH) produced with nitrate-chloride method. In research, wastewater from an installation for flue gas desulfurization was examined. Double-layered hydroxides are perfect absorbents for anionic compounds. The research proved high effectiveness of preparation with reference to arsenium, as well as confirmed the effect of presence of sulfatic and arsenate ions on the effectiveness of boron removal. On the basis of research on absorption kinetics a theoretical dose of DLH/NO3-Cl/M preparation was calculated and compared with a dose that ensures emimination of boron below the limit standarized by the national regulations. Application of double-layered magnesium/aluminium hydroxides for boron elimination from industrial wastewater requires significantly higher doses of preparation than those calculated in model investigations. It is due to the priority of removal of multivalent ions, such as sulfatic, arsenate or phosphate ions, by DLH/NO3-Cl/M.

The Development of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) By Haplusterts Soil (Samo - Thod Series)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Intaravicha, N.; Changjan, A.

2018-05-01

In this paper, we investigated on simultaneous electric energy production and organic matter was removed from synthetic wastewater by Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs). Single chamber MFCs was made up by Haplusterts great group soil (Samo - Thod soil group) in trial design 3 x 3 factorial design in Completely Randomize Design (CRD) which 3 levels synthetic wastewater; 0, 200 and 400 mg/l of glucose and 3 levels of flooding time: 1, 3 and 5 days. The results showed the interaction significant with decreasing sugar from synthesis wastewater and Open Circuit Voltage (OCV). The maximum OCV of 200 and 400 mg/l of glucose in 3 flooding days were 131 and 142 mV and decreasing to 110 and 126 mV in 5 flooding days, respectively. The highest percent of decreased glucose approached to 80% in 5 flooding days of 0.4 g/l of glucose. The findings suggested that not only MFCs were a significantly to reduce organic matter in wastewater but also generated electric energy in the same time.

Occurrence of antibiotics in wastewater treatment facilities in Wisconsin, USA.

PubMed

Karthikeyan, K G; Meyer, Michael T

2006-05-15

Samples from several wastewater treatment facilities in Wisconsin were screened for the presence of 21 antibiotic compounds. These facilities spanned a range of community size served (average daily flow from 0.0212 to 23.6 million gallons/day), secondary treatment processes, geographic locations across the state, and they discharged the treated effluents to both surface and ground waters (for ground water after a soil passage). A total of six antibiotic compounds were detected (1-5 compounds per site), including two sulfonamides (sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole), one tetracycline (tetracycline), fluoroquinolone (ciprofloxacin), macrolide (erythromycin-H(2)O) and trimethoprim. The frequency of detection of antibiotics was in the following order: tetracycline and trimethoprim (80%)>sulfamethoxazole (70%)>erythromycin-H(2)O (45%)>ciprofloxacin (40%)>sulfamethazine (10%). However, the soluble concentrations were in the parts-per-billion (ppb) range (wastewater treatment facility. The concentrations detected were within an order of magnitude of those reported for similar systems in Europe and Canada: they were within a factor of two in comparison to those reported for Canada but generally lower relative to those measured in wastewater systems in Europe. Only sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline were detected in groundwater monitoring wells adjacent to the treatment systems. Future intensive wastewater monitoring programs in Wisconsin may be limited to the six antibiotic compounds detected in this study.

Below the disappearing marshes of an urban estuary: historic nitrogen trends and soil structure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wigand, Cathleen; Roman, Charles T.; Davey, Earl; Stolt, Mark; Johnson, Roxanne; Hanson, Alana; Watson, Elizabeth B.; Moran, S. Bradley; Cahoon, Donald R.; Lynch, James C.; Rafferty, Patricia

2014-01-01

Marshes in the urban Jamaica Bay Estuary, New York, USA are disappearing at an average rate of 13 ha/yr, and multiple stressors (e.g., wastewater inputs, dredging activities, groundwater removal, and global warming) may be contributing to marsh losses. Among these stressors, wastewater nutrients are suspected to be an important contributing cause of marsh deterioration. We used census data, radiometric dating, stable nitrogen isotopes, and soil surveys to examine the temporal relationships between human population growth and soil nitrogen; and we evaluated soil structure with computer-aided tomography, surface elevation and sediment accretion trends, carbon dioxide emissions, and soil shear strength to examine differences among disappearing (Black Bank and Big Egg) and stable marshes (JoCo). Radiometric dating and nitrogen isotope analyses suggested a rapid increase in human wastewater nutrients beginning in the late 1840s, and a tapering off beginning in the 1930s when wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were first installed. Current WWTPs nutrient loads to Jamaica Bay are approximately 13 995 kg N/d and 2767 kg P/d. At Black Bank, the biomass and abundance of roots and rhizomes and percentage of organic matter on soil were significantly lower, rhizomes larger in diameter, carbon dioxide emission rates and peat particle density significantly greater, and soil strength significantly lower compared to the stable JoCo Marsh, suggesting Black Bank has elevated decomposition rates, more decomposed peat, and highly waterlogged peat. Despite these differences, the rates of accretion and surface elevation change were similar for both marshes, and the rates of elevation change approximated the long term relative rate of sea level rise estimated from tide gauge data at nearby Sandy Hook, New Jersey. We hypothesize that Black Bank marsh kept pace with sea level rise by the accretion of material on the marsh surface, and the maintenance of soil volume through production of

Below the disappearing marshes of an urban estuary: historic nitrogen trends and soil structure.

PubMed

Wigand, Cathleen; Roman, Charles T; Davey, Earl; Stolt, Mark; Johnson, Roxanne; Hanson, Alana; Watson, Elizabeth B; Moran, S Bradley; Cahoon, Donald R; Lynch, James C; Rafferty, Patricia

2014-06-01

Marshes in the urban Jamaica Bay Estuary, New York, USA are disappearing at an average rate of 13 ha/yr, and multiple stressors (e.g., wastewater inputs, dredging activities, groundwater removal, and global warming) may be contributing to marsh losses. Among these stressors, wastewater nutrients are suspected to be an important contributing cause of marsh deterioration. We used census data, radiometric dating, stable nitrogen isotopes, and soil surveys to examine the temporal relationships between human population growth and soil nitrogen; and we evaluated soil structure with computer-aided tomography, surface elevation and sediment accretion trends, carbon dioxide emissions, and soil shear strength to examine differences among disappearing (Black Bank and Big Egg) and stable marshes (JoCo). Radiometric dating and nitrogen isotope analyses suggested a rapid increase in human wastewater nutrients beginning in the late 1840s, and a tapering off beginning in the 1930s when wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were first installed. Current WWTPs nutrient loads to Jamaica Bay are approximately 13 995 kg N/d and 2767 kg P/d. At Black Bank, the biomass and abundance of roots and rhizomes and percentage of organic matter on soil were significantly lower, rhizomes larger in diameter, carbon dioxide emission rates and peat particle density significantly greater, and soil strength significantly lower compared to the stable JoCo Marsh, suggesting Black Bank has elevated decomposition rates, more decomposed peat, and highly waterlogged peat. Despite these differences, the rates of accretion and surface elevation change were similar for both marshes, and the rates of elevation change approximated the long-term relative rate of sea level rise estimated from tide gauge data at nearby Sandy Hook, New Jersey. We hypothesize that Black Bank marsh kept pace with sea level rise by the accretion of material on the marsh surface, and the maintenance of soil volume through production of

Effects on crops of irrigation with treated municipal wastewaters.

PubMed

Fasciolo, G E; Meca, M I; Gabriel, E; Morábito, J

2002-01-01

The fertilizing potential of treated municipal wastewater (oxidation ditch) and crop sanitary acceptability for direct human consumption were evaluated in Mendoza, Argentina. Two experiments were performed on a pilot plot planted with garlic (1998) and onions (1999) using furrow irrigation with three types of water in 10 random blocks: treated effluent (2.5 x 10(3) MPN Escherichia coli/100 ml, 3 helminth eggs/l, and Salmonella (positive); and well water (free of microorganisms), with and without fertilizer. Two responses were evaluated: (1) crop yield, and (2) crop microbiological quality for human consumption at different times after harvest. Crop yields were compared using Variance analysis. Crops' sanitary acceptability was assessed using a two-class sampling program for Salmonella (n=10; c=0), and a three-class program for E. coli (n=5, c=2, M=10(3) and m=10 MPN/g) as proposed by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) for fresh vegetables. Wastewater irrigation acted as well water with fertilizer, increasing garlic and onion yields by 10% and 15%, respectively, compared to irrigation with well water with no fertilizer. Wastewater-irrigated garlic reached sanitary acceptability 90 days after harvest, once attached roots and soil were removed. Onions, which were cleaned immediately after harvest, met this qualification earlier than garlic (55 days). Neither the wastewater-irrigated crops nor the control crops were microbiologically acceptable for consumption raw at harvest.

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.

Comparison of Lead Species in Household Dust Wipes, Soil, and Airborne Particulate Matter in El Paso, Texas, by X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pingitore, N. E.; Clague, J.; Amaya, M. A.

2006-12-01

Understanding the interplay of indoor and outdoor sources of lead in an urban setting is one foundation in establishing risk for lead exposure in children in our cities. A household may be the source for lead contamination due to the deterioration of interior lead-based paint, or a sink if lead particles are tracked or blown into the home from such potential ambient sources as yard soil or urban street dust. In addressing this issue, X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) presents the opportunity to directly and quantitatively speciate lead at low concentrations in bulk samples. We performed XAS analyses on dust wipes from window sills or floors from 8 houses that exceeded Federal standards for lead in dust. We entered these data into a Principal Components Analysis (PCA) that also included El Paso environmental samples: lead-based paints, soils, and airborne particulate matter. A simple two-component mixing system accounted for more than 95% of the variance of this data set. Paint and lead oxide appear to be the principal components, with all the samples falling in a compositional range from pure paint to 75% paint, 25% lead oxide. Note that several different lead compounds are possible constituents of a given lead-based paint. The paints spread from one end out along perhaps a fifth of the range of the compositional axis, followed closely, but not overlapped, by the soil samples, which covered the remainder of the compositional range. Two of the dust wipes plotted within the paint range, and the remaining 6 dust wipes plotted randomly through the soil range. Samples of airborne particulate matter plotted in both the paint and soil ranges. These observations suggest that the lead on most of the dust wipes originated outside the house, probably from deteriorated exterior lead-based paint deposited in adjacent yards. This paint mixed with lead oxide present in the soil and entered the houses by the airborne route. The probable source of the oxide in the soil is former

Correlation Among Soil Enzyme Activities, Root Enzyme Activities, and Contaminant Removal in Two-Stage In Situ Constructed Wetlands Purifying Domestic Wastewater.

PubMed

Ni, Lixiao; Xu, Jiajun; Chu, Xianglin; Li, Shiyin; Wang, Peifang; Li, Yiping; Li, Yong; Zhu, Liang; Wang, Chao

2016-07-01

Two-stage in situ wetlands (two vertical flow constructed wetlands in parallel and a horizontal flow constructed wetland) were constructed for studying domestic wastewater purification and the correlations between contaminant removal and plant and soil enzyme activities. Results indicated the removal efficiency of NH4 (+) and NO3 (-) were significantly correlated with both urease and protease activity, and the removal of total phosphorus was significantly correlated with phosphatase activity. Chemical oxygen demand removal was not correlated with enzyme activity in constructed wetlands. Plant root enzyme (urease, phosphatase, protease and cellulose) activity correlation was apparent with all contaminant removal in the two vertical flow constructed wetlands. However, the correlation between the plant root enzyme activity and contaminant removal was poor in horizontal flow constructed wetlands. Results indicated that plant roots clearly played a role in the removal of contaminants.

Predicting acute toxicity of traditional Chinese medicine wastewater using UV absorption and volatile fatty acids as surrogates.

PubMed

Lv, Longyi; Li, Weiguang; Yu, Yang; Meng, Liqiang; Qin, Wen; Wu, Chuandong

2018-03-01

In this study, the applicability of UV absorbance at 254 nm (UV 254 ) and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) to serve as reliable surrogates to predict acute toxicity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) wastewater was investigated. The medicine residues and VFAs were identified as main components of the TCM wastewater, and their individual and joint toxicity assays were operated with luminescent bacteria. The median effective concentration (EC 50 ) values of medicine residues and VFAs were in the range of 26.46-165.55 mg/L and 11.45-20.58 g/L, respectively. The joint toxicity action modes of medicine residues, VFAs and medicine residues-VFAs were identified as additive, additive and synergistic respectively. UV 254 and VFAs showed better correlations with acute toxicity according to the correlation analysis, compared with other conventional parameters. The regression model was a good fit for toxic unit (TU 50 ) as a function of UV 254 and VFAs according to the stepwise regression method (adjusted R 2  = 0.836). Validation of the model to the pilot-scale samples provided satisfactory prediction results in the influent and hydrolysis acidification effluent samples tests, but for EGSB effluent and final effluent samples, the model needed further optimization. Surrogates prediction using UV 254 and VFAs provided a valuable and cost-saving tool for rapid or on-line monitoring of acute toxicity of TCM wastewater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of mixed wastewaters from piggery and winery for nutrient removal and lipid production by Chlorella sp. MM3.

PubMed

Ganeshkumar, Vimalkumar; Subashchandrabose, Suresh R; Dharmarajan, Rajarathnam; Venkateswarlu, Kadiyala; Naidu, Ravi; Megharaj, Mallavarapu

2018-05-01

The larger-scale generation of piggery and winery wastewaters and consequent eutrophication are quite alarming, necessitating the use of a cost-effective treatment. This study attempted to remediate wastewaters from piggery and winery mixed in the ratios of 20:80, 50:50, 80:20, 100:0 and 0:100, in terms of nutrient removal and subsequent lipid accumulation by soil microalga, Chlorella sp. MM3. The per cent removal of total nitrogen and phosphates by the alga from mixed wastewaters within 10-days ranged between 51 and 89 and 26-49, respectively. As determined by FTIR spectroscopy, the lipid accumulation in the microalgal cells grown in wastewater mixtures ranged between 29 and 51%. Our results suggest that Chlorella sp. MM3 could be a potential candidate for bioremediation of wastewaters derived from piggery farm and winery industry, and that mixing of these wastewaters in 20:80 ratio would be an efficient approach for phycoremediation of mineral-rich effluents and subsequent yield of fairly good amounts of biofuel. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adsorption-desorption of dimethenamid and fenarimol onto three agricultural soils as affected by treated wastewater and fresh sewage sludge-derived dissolved organic carbon.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Liébana, José Antonio; Peña, Aránzazu

2018-07-01

The use of treated wastewaters (TWW) in agriculture is widening in areas suffering drought, such as southern Europe, to preserve freshwater supply for human consumption. The composition of TWW, especially concerning their organic carbon (OC) content, has been demonstrated to influence the processes governing the behavior of non-ionic pesticides in soils. Three OC-poor agricultural soils (SV, RM1 and RM3) from the province of Granada (Spain) were chosen for the assessment of the adsorption and desorption of the herbicide dimethenamid (DIM) and the fungicide fenarimol (FEN). TWW and sewage sludge extracts at different dissolved OC (DOC) concentrations (30, 90 and 300 mg L -1 ) were considered to evaluate their effect on pesticide adsorption-desorption. As expected by their properties, DIM and FEN were weakly and moderately adsorbed to the soils, respectively. Soil OC seemed to be the major factor controlling FEN adsorption, whereas the mineral fraction played a key role in DIM adsorption, especially in RM1 with high clay:OC ratio. Although TWW did not significantly modify the adsorption of pesticides, it enhanced DIM desorption from the three soils. Adsorption of FEN to SV and RM3 was directly related to the concentration of DOC, possibly due to co-sorption phenomena. Hysteretic desorption was found in all cases, indicating partially reversible adsorption. While FEN desorption was not altered by the solutions, the use of sludge extracts at the highest DOC concentration (300 mg L -1 ) enhanced DIM desorption as occurred with TWW. Interactions with DOC in solution seemed to predominate for this less hydrophobic compound, thus increasing the risk of natural waters contamination if TWW will be used. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term effects of sulfidized silver nanoparticles in sewage sludge on soil microflora.

PubMed

Kraas, Marco; Schlich, Karsten; Knopf, Burkhard; Wege, Franziska; Kägi, Ralf; Terytze, Konstantin; Hund-Rinke, Kerstin

2017-12-01

The use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in consumer products such as textiles leads to their discharge into wastewater and consequently to a transfer of the AgNPs to soil ecosystems via biosolids used as fertilizer. In urban wastewater systems (e.g., sewer, wastewater treatment plant [WWTP], anaerobic digesters) AgNPs are efficiently converted into sparingly soluble silver sulfides (Ag 2 S), mitigating the toxicity of the AgNPs. However, long-term studies on the bioavailability and effects of sulfidized AgNPs on soil microorganisms are lacking. Thus we investigated the bioavailability and long-term effects of AgNPs (spiked in a laboratory WWTP) on soil microorganisms. Before mixing the biosolids into soil, the sludges were either anaerobically digested or directly dewatered. The effects on the ammonium oxidation process were investigated over 140 d. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) suggested an almost complete sulfidation of the AgNPs analyzed in all biosolid samples and in soil, with Ag 2 S predominantly detected in long-term incubation experiments. However, despite the sulfidation of the AgNPs, soil ammonium oxidation was significantly inhibited, and the degree of inhibition was independent of the sludge treatment. The results revealed that AgNPs sulfidized under environmentally relevant conditions were still bioavailable to soil microorganisms. Consequently, Ag 2 S may exhibit toxic effects over the long term rather than the short term. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3305-3313. © 2017 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. © 2017 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.

Effect of detergents from laundry greywater on soil properties: a preliminary study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, R. M.; Al-Gheethi, A. A.; Noramira, J.; Chan, C. M.; Hashim, M. K. Amir; Sabariah, M.

2018-03-01

Detergent compounds are classes of the organic micro-pollutants in the laundry wastewater. The disposal of these compounds into the soil has several adverse effects on their composition. In the present study, changes in the soil characteristics, which included saturated hydraulic conductivity ( K sat), EC, pH, exchangeable sodium percentage, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and sodium adsorption on ratio were examined after the irrigation with laundry wastewater. Ten clothes were washed with one full cap of powder (PLD) and liquid laundry (LLD). Laundry greywater samples were used for the irrigation of soil. The results revealed that the pH of soil increased from 3.85 to 4.42 and 4.09 after irrigation by PLD and LLD greywater, respectively. The EC of the irrigated soil increased from 50.32 to 152.5 and 147.6 μS/cm, respectively. The CEC was raised to 79.93 and 41.39 meq/100 g, while K sat was reduced to 7.38 × 10-10 and 7.11 × 10-10 cm/s, respectively. These findings highlighted the negative effects of laundry greywater discharge on soil properties.

[Variation in soil Mn fractions as affected by long-term manure amendment using atomic absorption spectrophotometer in a typical grassland of inner Mongolia].

PubMed

Fu, Ming-ming; Jiang, Yong; Bai, Yong-fei; Zhang, Yu-ge; Xu, Zhu-wen; Li, Bo

2012-08-01

The effect of sheep manure amendment on soil manganese fractions was conducted in a 11 year experiment at inner Mongolia grassland, using sequential extraction procedure in modified Community Bureau of Reference, and determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Five treatments with dry sheep manure addition rate 0, 50, 250, 750, and 1500 g x m(-2) x yr(-1), respectively, were carried out in this experiment. Results showed that the recovery rate for total Mn was 91.4%-105.9%, as the percentage recovered from the summation of the improved BCR results with aqua regia extractable contents, and it was 97.2%-102.9% from certified soil reference materials. Plant available exchangeable Mn could be enhanced by 47.89%, but reducible and total Mn contents decreased significantly under heavy application of manure at depth of 0-5 cm. The effect of manure amendment on Mn fractions was greater in 0-5 cm than in 5-10 cm soil layer. The results are benefit to micronutrient fractions determination and nutrient management in grassland soils.

Functional traits of soil invertebrates as indicators for exposure to soil disturbance.

PubMed

Hedde, Mickaël; van Oort, Folkert; Lamy, Isabelle

2012-05-01

We tested a trait-based approach to link a soil disturbance to changes in invertebrate communities. Soils and macro-invertebrates were sampled in sandy soils contaminated by long-term wastewater irrigation, adding notably organic matter and trace metals (TM). We hypothesized that functional traits of invertebrates depict ways of exposure and that exposure routes relate to specific TM pools. Geophages and soft-body invertebrates were chosen to inform on exposure by ingestion or contact, respectively. Trait-based indices depicted more accurately effects of pollution than community density and diversity did. Exposure by ingestion had more deleterious effects than by contact. Both types of exposed invertebrates were influenced by TM, but geophages mainly responded to changes in soil organic matter contents. The trait-based approach requires to be applied in various conditions to uncorrelate specific TM impacts from those of other environmental factors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Micelles as Soil and Water Decontamination Agents.

PubMed

Shah, Afzal; Shahzad, Suniya; Munir, Azeema; Nadagouda, Mallikarjuna N; Khan, Gul Shahzada; Shams, Dilawar Farhan; Dionysiou, Dionysios D; Rana, Usman Ali

2016-05-25

Contaminated soil and water pose a serious threat to human health and ecosystem. For the treatment of industrial effluents or minimizing their detrimental effects, preventive and remedial approaches must be adopted prior to the occurrence of any severe environmental, health, or safety hazard. Conventional treatment methods of wastewater are insufficient, complicated, and expensive. Therefore, a method that could use environmentally friendly surfactants for the simultaneous removal of both organic and inorganic contaminants from wastewater is deemed a smart approach. Surfactants containing potential donor ligands can coordinate with metal ions, and thus such compounds can be used for the removal of toxic metals and organometallic compounds from aqueous systems. Surfactants form host-guest complexes with the hydrophobic contaminants of water and soil by a mechanism involving the encapsulation of hydrophobes into the self-assembled aggregates (micelles) of surfactants. However, because undefined amounts of surfactants may be released into the aqueous systems, attention must be paid to their own environmental risks as well. Moreover, surfactant remediation methods must be carefully analyzed in the laboratory before field implementation. The use of biosurfactants is the best choice for the removal of water toxins as such surfactants are associated with the characteristics of biodegradability, versatility, recovery, and reuse. This Review is focused on the currently employed surfactant-based soil and wastewater treatment technologies owing to their critical role in the implementation of certain solutions for controlling pollution level, which is necessary to protect human health and ensure the quality standard of the aquatic environment.

[Characterizing composition and transformation of dissolved organic matter in subsurface wastewater infiltration system].

PubMed

Wang, Li-Jun; Liu, Yu-Zhong; Zhang, Lie-Yu; Xi, Bei-Dou; Xia, Xun-Feng; Liu, Ya-Ru

2013-08-01

In the present study, the soil column with radius of 30 cm and height of 200 cm was used to simulate a subsurface wastewater infiltration system. Under the hydraulic loading of 4 cm x d(-1), composition and transformation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from different depths were analyzed in a subsurface wastewater infiltration system for treatment of septic tank effluent using three-dimensional excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (3D-EEM) with regional integration analysis (FRI). The results indicate that: (1) from different depth, the composition of DOM was also different; influent with the depth of 0.5 m was mainly composed of protein-like substances, and that at other depths was mainly composed of humic- and fulvic-like substances. (2) DOM stability gradually increased and part of the nonbiodegradable organic matter can be removed during organic pollutants degradation process. (3) Not only the organic pollutants concentration was reduced effectively, but also the stability of the DOM improved in subsurface wastewater infiltration system.

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.

Screening for illicit drugs in pooled human urine and urinated soil samples and studies on the stability of urinary excretion products of cocaine, MDMA, and MDEA in wastewater by hyphenated mass spectrometry techniques.

PubMed

Mardal, Marie; Kinyua, Juliet; Ramin, Pedram; Miserez, Bram; Van Nuijs, Alexander L N; Covaci, Adrian; Meyer, Markus R

2017-01-01

Monitoring population drug use through wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a useful method to quantitatively follow trends and estimate total drug consumption in communities. Concentrations of drug biomarkers might be low in wastewater due to dilution; and therefore analysis of pooled urine (PU) is useful to detect consumed drugs and identify targets of illicit drugs use. The aims of the study were (1) to screen PU and urinated soil (US) samples collected at festivals for illicit drug excretion products using hyphenated techniques; (2) to develop and validate a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry / mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS) method of quantifying urinary targets of identified drugs in wastewater; and (3) to conduct a 24 h stability study, using PU and US to better reflect the chemical environment for targets in wastewater. Cocaine (COC) and ecstasy-like compounds were the most frequently detected illicit drugs; an analytical method was developed to quantify their excretion products. Hydroxymethoxymethamphetamine (HMMA), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), HMMA sulfate (HMMA-S), benzoylecgonine (BE), and cocaethylene (CE) had 85-102% of initial concentration after 8 h of incubation, whereas COC and ecgonine methyl ester (EME) had 74 and 67% after 8 h, respectively. HMMA showed a net increase during 24 h of incubation (107% ± 27, n = 8), possibly due to the cleavage of HMMA conjugates, and biotransformation of MDMA. The results suggest HMMA as analytical target for MDMA consumption in WBE, due to its stability in wastewater and its excretion as the main phase I metabolite of MDMA. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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

Autocatalytic Pyrolysis of Wastewater Biosolids for Product Upgrading.

PubMed

Liu, Zhongzhe; McNamara, Patrick; Zitomer, Daniel

2017-09-05

The main goals for sustainable water resource recovery include maximizing energy generation, minimizing adverse environmental impacts, and recovering beneficial resources. Wastewater biosolids pyrolysis is a promising technology that could help facilities reach these goals because it produces biochar that is a valuable soil amendment as well as bio-oil and pyrolysis gas (py-gas) that can be used for energy. The raw bio-oil, however, is corrosive; therefore, employing it as fuel is challenging using standard equipment. A novel pyrolysis process using wastewater biosolids-derived biochar (WB-biochar) as a catalyst was investigated to decrease bio-oil and increase py-gas yield for easier energy recovery. WB-biochar catalyst increased the py-gas yield nearly 2-fold, while decreasing bio-oil production. The catalyzed bio-oil also contained fewer constituents based on GC-MS and GC-FID analyses. The energy shifted from bio-oil to py-gas, indicating the potential for easier on-site energy recovery using the relatively clean py-gas. The metals contained in wastewater biosolids played an important role in upgrading pyrolysis products. The Ca and Fe in WB-biochar reduced bio-oil yield and increased py-gas yield. The py-gas energy increase may be especially useful at water resource recovery facilities that already combust anaerobic digester biogas for energy since it may be possible to blend biogas and py-gas for combined use.

Development of a Method for the Determination of Chromium and Cadmium in Tannery Wastewater Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Bukhari, Mahwish; Awan, M. Ali; Qazi, Ishtiaq A.; Baig, M. Anwar

2012-01-01

This paper illustrates systematic development of a convenient analytical method for the determination of chromium and cadmium in tannery wastewater using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). A new approach was developed by which liquid was converted into solid phase sample surface using absorption paper for subsequent LIBS analysis. The optimized values of LIBS parameters were 146.7 mJ for chromium and 89.5 mJ for cadmium (laser pulse energy), 4.5 μs (delay time), 70 mm (lens to sample surface distance), and 7 mm (light collection system to sample surface distance). Optimized values of LIBS parameters demonstrated strong spectrum lines for each metal keeping the background noise at minimum level. The new method of preparing metal standards on absorption papers exhibited calibration curves with good linearity with correlation coefficients, R2 in the range of 0.992 to 0.998. The developed method was tested on real tannery wastewater samples for determination of chromium and cadmium. PMID:22567570

An overview of the environmental applicability of vermicompost: from wastewater treatment to the development of sensitive analytical methods.

PubMed

Pereira, Madson de Godoi; Neta, Lourdes Cardoso de Souza; Fontes, Maurício Paulo Ferreira; Souza, Adriana Nascimento; Matos, Thaionara Carvalho; Sachdev, Raquel de Lima; dos Santos, Arnaud Victor; da Guarda Souza, Marluce Oliveira; de Andrade, Marta Valéria Almeida Santana; Paulo, Gabriela Marinho Maciel; Ribeiro, Joselito Nardy; Ribeiro, Araceli Verónica Flores Nardy

2014-01-01

The use of vermicompost (humified material) for treating wastewaters, remediating polluted soils, improving agricultural productivity, protecting crop production, and developing sensitive analytical methods is reviewed here, covering the past 17 years. The main advantages of vermicompost, considering all applications covered in this paper, comprise (i) easy acquisition, (ii) low costs, (iii) structural, chemical, and biological characteristics responsible for exceptional adsorptive capacities as well as pollutant degradation, and (iv) the promotion of biocontrol. Specifically, for wastewater decontamination, a considerable number of works have verified the adsorption of toxic metals, but the application of vermicompost is still scarce for the retention of organic compounds. Problems related to the final disposal of enriched vermicompost (after treatment steps) are often found, in spite of some successful destinations such as organic fertilizer. For decontaminating soils, the use of vermicompost is quite scarce, mainly for inorganic pollutants. In agricultural productivity and biocontrol, vermicompost imparts remarkable benefits regarding soil aggregation, plant nutrition, and the development of beneficial microorganisms against phytopathogens. Finally, the use of vermicompost in sensitive analytical methods for quantifying toxic metals is the newest application of this adsorbent.

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.

[Analysis of effects of salt stress on absorption and accumulation of mineral elements in Elymus spp. using atomic absorption spectrophotometer].

PubMed

Jia, Ya-xiong; Sun, Lei; He, Feng; Wan, Li-qiang; Yuan, Qing-hua; Li, Xiang-lin

2008-12-01

Salinization contributes significantly to soil degradation and the growth and survival of plants. A high level of salts imposes both ionic and osmotic stresses on plants, resulting in an excessive accumulation of sodium (Na) in plant tissues. Na toxicity disrupts the uptake of soil nutrients. Plant uptake and absorption of macro-elements under salt stress have been studied in plants, but there is little literature addressing the effect of salt stress on plant accumulation and absorption of micro-elements. Species in Elymus genus are among the most important forage plants on high-salinity soils in China An experiment was conducted to study the effect of salt stress on accumulation and absorption of both macro- and micro-elements by wild plants of Elymus genus. Plant samples taken from two populations with different salt tolerance were tested and the level of 4 macro-elements, namely Na, K, Ca and Mg, and 4 micro-elements, namely Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The relationship between the selection of elements in the process of absorption and accumulation and salt tolerance was also analyzed. The results showed that the level of Na in root and leaf tissues increased with increasing salt stress. The level of Na in leaf tissue of plants with high salt tolerance (HS) was significantly higher than that in plants with low salt tolerance (P<0.05). The level of K and Ca decreased in response to increasing salt stress, while that in HS was higher than in LS. The level of Fe and Zn in the tissues of both roots and leaves increased. No significant difference was detected between HS and LS samples in the level of Cu in root tissues, while that of Cu in leaf tissue of both samples increased. The level of Mn decreased with increasing salt stress, but was higher in HS than in LS. Fe and Zn in roots and leaves of HS were lower than in those of LS.

Occurrence of antibiotics in wastewater treatment facilities in Wisconsin, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karthikeyan, K.G.; Meyer, M.T.

2006-01-01

Samples from several wastewater treatment facilities in Wisconsin were screened for the presence of 21 antibiotic compounds. These facilities spanned a range of community size served (average daily flow from 0.0212 to 23.6 million gallons/day), secondary treatment processes, geographic locations across the state, and they discharged the treated effluents to both surface and ground waters (for ground water after a soil passage). A total of six antibiotic compounds were detected (1-5 compounds per site), including two sulfonamides (sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole), one tetracycline (tetracycline), fluoroquinolone (ciprofloxacin), macrolide (erythromycin-H2O) and trimethoprim. The frequency of detection of antibiotics was in the following order: tetracycline and trimethoprim (80%) > sulfamethoxazole (70%) > erythromycin-H2O (45%) > ciprofloxacin (40%) > sulfamethazine (10%). However, the soluble concentrations were in the parts-per-billion (ppb) range (??? 1.3 ??g/L), and importantly were unaffected by the size of the wastewater treatment facility. The concentrations detected were within an order of magnitude of those reported for similar systems in Europe and Canada: they were within a factor of two in comparison to those reported for Canada but generally lower relative to those measured in wastewater systems in Europe. Only sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline were detected in groundwater monitoring wells adjacent to the treatment systems. Future intensive wastewater monitoring programs in Wisconsin may be limited to the six antibiotic compounds detected in this study. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. 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)

The Effect of Soil Properties on Metal Bioavailability: Field Scale Validation to Support Regulatory Acceptance

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

Bioavailability, metals, soil, bioaccessibility, ecological risk, arsenic, cadmium , chromium, lead 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF:U 17. LIMITATION...located in Sacramento, CA. Soils from a former wastewater treatment lagoon are contaminated with high concentrations of lead , chromium, and cadmium ...in soil. Soil and Sediment Contamination, 2003. 12(1): p. 1-21. 23. Pierzynski, G.M. and A.P. Schwab, Bioavailability of Zinc, Cadmium , and Lead

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

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.

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.

Sustainability of water reclamation: long-term recharge with reclaimed wastewater does not enhance antibiotic resistance in sediment bacteria

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Wastewater reclamation for municipal irrigation is an increasingly attractive option for extending water supplies. However, public health concerns include the potential for development of antibiotic resistance (AR) in soil bacteria after exposure to residual pharmaceuticals in reclaimed water. Thoug...

Microbial Community Profiles in Wastewaters from Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Technology

PubMed Central

Jałowiecki, Łukasz; Chojniak, Joanna Małgorzata; Dorgeloh, Elmar; Hegedusova, Berta; Ejhed, Helene; Magnér, Jörgen; Płaza, Grażyna Anna

2016-01-01

The aim of the study was to determine the potential of community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs) methodology as an assay for characterization of the metabolic diversity of wastewater samples and to link the metabolic diversity patterns to efficiency of select onsite biological wastewater facilities. Metabolic fingerprints obtained from the selected samples were used to understand functional diversity implied by the carbon substrate shifts. Three different biological facilities of onsite wastewater treatment were evaluated: fixed bed reactor (technology A), trickling filter/biofilter system (technology B), and aerated filter system (the fluidized bed reactor, technology C). High similarities of the microbial community functional structures were found among the samples from the three onsite wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), as shown by the diversity indices. Principal components analysis (PCA) showed that the diversity and CLPPs of microbial communities depended on the working efficiency of the wastewater treatment technologies. This study provided an overall picture of microbial community functional structures of investigated samples in WWTPs and discerned the linkages between microbial communities and technologies of onsite WWTPs used. The results obtained confirmed that metabolic profiles could be used to monitor treatment processes as valuable biological indicators of onsite wastewater treatment technologies efficiency. This is the first step toward understanding relations of technology types with microbial community patterns in raw and treated wastewaters. PMID:26807728

Influence of voltage input to heavy metal removal from electroplating wastewater using electrocoagulation process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wulan, D. R.; Cahyaningsih, S.; Djaenudin

2017-03-01

In medium capacity, electroplating industry usually treats wastewater until 5 m3 per day. Heavy metal content becomes concern that should be reduced. Previous studies performed electrocoagulation method on laboratory scale, either batch or continuous. This study was aimed to compare the influence of voltage input variation into heavy metal removal in electroplating wastewater treatment using electrocoagulation process on laboratory-scale in order to determine the optimum condition for scaling up the reactor into pilot-scale. The laboratory study was performed in 1.5 L glass reactor in batch system using wastewater from electroplating industry, the voltage input varied at 20, 30 and 40 volt. The electrode consisted of aluminium 32 cm2 as sacrifice anode and copper 32 cm2 as cathode. During 120 min electrocoagulation process, the pH value was measured using pH meter, whereas the heavy metal of chromium, copper, iron, and zinc concentration were analysed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Result showed that removal of heavy metals from wastewater increased due to the increasing of voltage input. Different initial concentration of heavy metals on wastewater, resulted the different detention time. At pilot-scale reactor with 30 V voltage input, chromium, iron, and zinc reached removal efficiency until 89-98%, when copper reached 79% efficiency. At 40V, removal efficiencies increased on same detention time, i.e. chromium, iron, and zinc reached 89-99%, whereas copper reached 85%. These removal efficiencies have complied the government standard except for copper that had higher initial concentration in wastewater. Kinetic rate also calculated in this study as the basic factor for scaling up the process.