Advanced extraction and lower bounds for removal of pollutants from wastewater by water plants.

The capacity to reach lower bounds for extraction of pollutants from wastewater by four floating aquatic macrophytes--water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), salvinia (Salvinia rotundifolia), and water primroses (Ludvigia palustris)--is investigated. It is shown that the following lower bounds can be established for wastewater purification with water hyacinth: biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), 1.3 mg/L; chemical oxygen demand (COD), 11.3 mg/L; total suspended solids (TSS), 0.5 mg/L; turbidity, 0.7 NTU; ammonia, 0.2 mg/L; and phosphorus, 1.4 mg/L. Also, the following lower bounds can be established for wastewater purification with water lettuce: BOD, 1.8 mg/L; COD, 12.5 mg/L; TSS, 0.5 mg/L; turbidity, 0.9 NTU; ammonia, 0.2 mg/L; and phosphorus, 1.6 mg/L. These lower bounds were reached in 11- to 17-day experiments that were performed on diluted wastewater with reduced initial contents of the tested water quality indicators. As expected, water hyacinth exhibited the highest rates and levels of pollutant removal, thereby producing the best lower bounds of the water quality indicators. Given the initially low levels, BOD was further reduced by 86.3%, COD by 66.6%, ammonia by 97.8%, and phosphorus by 65.0% after 11 days of a batch experiment. The capacity of water plants to purify dilute wastewater streams opens new options for their application in the water treatment industry.     

Treatment of high-strength pet food wastewater using two-stage membrane bioreactors.

A two-stage membrane bioreactor was used to treat dissolved-air-flotation pretreated, high-strength pet food wastewater characterized by oil and grease concentrations of 50 000 to 82 000 mg/L and total chemical oxygen demand (COD) and five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) concentrations of 100 000 and 80 000 mg/L, respectively, to meet stringent surface discharge criteria (i.e., BOD5, total suspended solids [TSS], and ammonium-nitrogen [NH4(+)-N] of < 10 mg/L at an overall hydraulic retention time of 6.3 days). Organic contaminants were removed primarily in the first stage, followed by almost complete removal of ammonia in the second stage. Despite a rise in poorly biodegradable COD in the second stage, overall removal of TSS, BOD5, COD, and ammonia was 100, 99.9, 95.2, and 99.7%, respectively, thus readily achieving the required criteria. Consistent nitrite accumulation over a period of more than 100 days, even at dissolved oxygen concentrations of more than 2.5 mg/L, was remarkable. A residual alkalinity requirement for nitrification was quantified. Membrane performance was extensively studied in this work.     

Trout farm effluents: characterization and impact on the receiving streams

Effluents from three rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) farms located in Northern Portugal were characterized and their impact on the receiving streams was evaluated. Mean fish productions in the studied fish farms were 15, 55 and 500 t of trout per year, respectively. The feeding water was abstracted from Fornelo, Inha and Coura Rivers, at flow rates ranging from 1.2 (15 t year(-1) fish farm) to 4.8 litre s(-1) per ton annual fish production (500 t year(-1) fish farm). As the water flows through the farms, net variations in the chemical characteristics were observed: a mean reduction in the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration between 0.7 and 2.4 mg litre(-1); mean increases between 1.9 and 3.2 mg CaCO3 litre(-1) for total alkalinity, between 0.9 and 14 mg litre(-1) for BOD5, between 0.27 and 1.46 mg litre(-1) for ammonia nitrogen (NH4-N), between 0.060 and 0.579 mg litre(-1) for soluble phosphorus (PO4-P) and less than 16 mg litre(-1) for suspended solids; variations in the pH value and nitrate nitrogen concentration were not statistically significant (p<0.05). At the 500 t year(-1) fish farm it was also possible to detect net increases of total hardness (3.2 mg CaCO3 litre(-1)), electric conductivity (19 mS cm(-1)) and permanganate value (3.6 mgO2 litre(-1)). At the other farms net variations in these parameters were not significant. Net mass flow variations reported to the annual fish production are presented. The DO mass flow decreased, on average, between 255 and 549 g t(-1) of fish per day. The mean daily BOD5 increase ranged from 353 to 1510 g t(-1) of fish. The corresponding ranges for the other parameters were 105-157 g t(-1) for NH4-N, 24-62 g t(-1) for PO4-P, 348-1035 g CaCO3 t(-1) for total alkalinity and 224 x 10(6)-506 x 10(6) t(-1) for mesophilic bacteria. Daily net variations of suspended solids, total hardness, electric conductivity and permanganate value were below 1753 g t(-1), 342 g CaCO3 t(-1), 2081 mS cm t(-1) and 392 gO2 t(-1), respectively. Longitudinal concentration profiles for the most relevant parameters show the impact of the effluent discharges on the physico-chemical and bacteriological river water quality downstream from the trout farms. Analyzing the situations from a purely chemical point of view, the polluted stretches were 3, 5 and 12 km long downstream from the effluent discharges, respectively. The microbiological contamination extended over longer distances.     

纳米生态基对水产养殖污水的处理效果

采用三因子四水平的正交设计,实验研究了纳米生态基在不同温度、溶解氧和水力停留时间下对水产养殖污水的处理效果,确定了纳米生态基处理养殖污水的最佳条件。结果表明,含氨氮和亚硝氮浓度较高的模拟养殖污水用纳米生态基挂膜,所需时间约为22 d。纳米生态基对氨氮的去除效果明显,平均去除率达到93.5%。对氨氮去除率的影响程度,水力停留时间>温度>溶解氧。当温度为30℃,DO为5.43 mg/L,HRT为0.33 h时,纳米生态基对氨氮的处理能力最佳,去除率达到94.6%。纳米生态基对亚硝氮的平均去除率为69.3%。对亚硝氮去除率的影响程度,水力停留时间>溶解氧>温度。当温度为21℃,DO为6.40 mg/L,HRT为0.33 h时,纳米生态基对亚硝氮的处理能力最佳,去除率为71.5%。纳米生态基处理养殖污水的最佳条件:温度为30℃,DO为6.40 mg/L,HRT为0.33 h。     

Delivery and frequency distributions of combined wastewater collection system wet and dry weather loads

Combined wastewater collection systems continue to serve as a common urban conveyance method in urban areas of Europe and older urban areas of the United States. This study uses combined wastewater collection system monitoring data from the urbanizing Liguori catchment and channel in Cosenza (Italy) to illustrate event-based delivery and distribution of conveyed pollutant indices. Motivated by recent European Union (EU) discharge control legislation, this study specifically differentiates the event-based delivery of these indices between dry and wet-weather flows. Although the relatively steady to diurnal-variable delivery phenomena in dry weather flows are known, transport limiting phenomena for wet-weather hydrology and mass delivery typically are not known for the same catchment. Limiting categories of transport for a pollutant phase are generated by variables such as flow volume and duration, stream power, hydrograph parameters, and previous dry hours (PDH). Transport limitations of wet and dry weather events from the 414-ha catchment were analyzed and characterized as limited by mass indices (first-order, first flush transport) or limited by flow (zero-order transport). Results indicated significant concentration differences between mass- and flow-limited events. Higher concentrations were associated with mass-limited events. Frequency distributions of flow, total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) were consistently exponential for wet-weather and mass-limited events. In contrast, flow, TSS, and BOD5 concentrations were distributed normally for flow-limited events. Results indicated a reasonable linear relationship between discharged TSS, COD, and BOD5 (biochemical oxygen demand) for Liguori Channel discharges into the Crati River. Wet-weather event transport was predominately mass-limited for TSS, COD, and BOD5.     

Municipal wastewater treatment using novel constructed soil filter system

The study gives a new approach for contaminant removal from municipal wastewater using constructed soil filter (CSF) and presents performance of two CSF units located in Mumbai, India. In this system, natural weathered rock is formulated which combines sedimentation, infiltration and biochemical processes to remove suspended solids and oxidisable organics and inorganics of the wastewater. Results show elevated dissolved oxygen (DO) levels, removal of COD (136-205 to 38-40 mg l(-1)) and BOD (80-125 to less than 12 mg l(-1)) suspended solids from 135-203 to 13-18 mg l(-1) and turbidity from 84-124 to 8-11 NTU, bacterial removal of 2.4-3.1 log order for Total coliform and Fecal coliform from site I which is almost 8 years old facility, and site II which is 3 years old. Estimated hydraulic retention time of 0.5-1.0 h, hydraulic loading of 0.036-0.047 m(3)m(-2)h(-1), no pretreatment, high DO levels in the effluent, no bio-sludge production, no mechanical aeration, low energy requirement (0.04 kW h m(-3)) and green aesthetic ambience are its unique features.     

Stressor identification and health assessment of fish exposed to wastewater effluents in Miho Stream, South Korea

This study evaluated the effects of an industrial wastewater treatment plant (IWTP) and a municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP) effluents on a variety of bioindicators ranging from biochemical, organism, and population-level responses in pale chub (Zacco platypus) and fish community structure. The Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) indicated that the site upstream of these wastewater treatment plant discharges is in fair–good condition and downstream of the plant is in poor condition. The EROD (ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase) activity, condition factor, and liver somatic index were significantly increased at the downstream site compared to those of the upstream site. The most significant change observed in pale chub population in the downstream site of the Miho Stream, relative to the upstream population, was the total absence of an younger age group. Stressors impacting the downstream site were identified as mostly organic or nutrient enrichment and habitat degradation associated with wastewater treatment plants. The results of causal analysis suggest that the primary causes affecting fish population in the downstream site are through both size-selective mortality caused by ammonia toxicity and recruitment failure caused by habitat degradation and reproduction problem due to an IWTP and MWTP effluents.     

Simultaneous nitrification-denitrification and clarification in a pseudoliquified activated sludge system.

This paper describes results from a pilot study of a novel wastewater treatment technology, which incorporates nutrient removal and solids separation to a single step. The pseudoliquified activated sludge process pilot system was tested on grit removal effluent at flowrates of 29.4 to 54.7 m3/d, three different solid residence times (SRT) (15, 37, and 57 days), and over a temperature range of 12 to 28 degrees C. Despite wide fluctuations in the influent characteristics, the system performed reliably and consistently with respect to organics and total suspended solids (TSS) removals, achieving biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and TSS reductions of > 96% and approximately 90%, respectively, with BOD5 and TSS concentrations as low as 3 mg/L. Although the system achieved average effluent ammonia concentrations of 2.7 to 3.2 mg/L, nitrification efficiency appeared to be hampered at low temperatures (< 15 degrees C). The system achieved tertiary effluent quality with denitrification efficiencies of 90 and 91% total nitrogen removal efficiency at a total hydraulic retention time of 4.8 hours and an SRT of 12 to 17 days. With ferric chloride addition, effluent phosphorous concentrations of 0.5 to 0.8 mg/L were achieved. Furthermore, because of operation at high biomass concentrations and relatively long biological SRTs, sludge yields were over 50% below typical values for activated sludge plants. The process was modeled using activated sludge model No. 2, as a two-stage system comprised an aerobic activated sludge system followed by an anoxic system. Model predictions for soluble BOD, ammonia, nitrates, and orthophosphates agreed well with experimental data.     

Application of a constructed wetland for industrial wastewater treatment: a pilot-scale study

The main objective of this study was to examine the efficacy and capacity of using constructed wetlands on industrial pollutant removal. Four parallel pilot-scale modified free water surface (FWS) constructed wetland systems [dimension for each system: 4-m (L)x1-m (W)x1-m (D)] were installed inside an industrial park for conducting the proposed treatability study. The averaged influent contains approximately 170 mg l(-1) chemical oxygen demand (COD), 80 mg l(-1) biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), 90 mg l(-1) suspend solid (SS), and 32 mg l(-1) NH(3)-N. In the plant-selection study, four different wetland plant species including floating plants [Pistia stratiotes L. (P. stratiotes) and Ipomoea aquatica (I. aquatica)] and emergent plants [Phragmites communis L. (P. communis) and Typha orientalis Presl. (T. orientalis)] were evaluated. Results show that only the emergent plant (P. communis) could survive and reproduce with a continuous feed of 0.4m(3)d(-1) of the raw wastewater. Thus, P. communis was used in the subsequent treatment study. Two different control parameters including hydraulic retention time (HRT) (3, 5, and 7d) and media [vesicles ceramic bioballs and small gravels, 1cm in diameter] were examined in the treatment study. Results indicate that the system with a 5-d HRT (feed rate of 0.4m(3)d(-1)) and vesicles ceramic bioballs as the media had the acceptable and optimal pollutant removal efficiency. If operated under conditions of the above parameters, the pilot-plant wetland system can achieve removal of 61% COD, 89% BOD, 81% SS, 35% TP, and 56% NH(3)-N. The treated wastewater meets the current industrial wastewater discharge standards in Taiwan.     

Treatment of food industry waste by bench-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket-anoxic-aerobic system.

An upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB)-anoxicaerobic system was used for treatment of tomato and bean processing wastewater. At various hydraulic retention times, ranging from 0.7 to 5 days, excellent removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), ammonia-nitrogen (NH4-N), and total Kjeldahl nitrogen was achieved with final effluent BOD/TSS/NH4N concentrations of less than 15/15/1 mg/L. Biogas yield in the UASB reactor varied from 0.33 to 0.44 m3/kgCODremoved. The kinetics of anaerobic treatment were investigated. The yield coefficient was 0.03 gVSS/gCOD; maximum specific growth rate was 0.24 day(-1); Monod half velocity constant was 135 mgCOD/L; and specific substrate utilization rate was 3.25 gCOD/gVSS x d. Nitrification and denitrification kinetics were studied in batch experiments, and the rates were comparable with those in the continuous flow system.     

Assessment of water quality and toxicity of polluted Rivers Fez and Sebou in the region of Fez (Morocco)

Water quality assessment in the region of Fez based on the physicochemical and ecotoxicological investigations is presented. The results indicate that sites located close to the most urbanized and industrialized areas are severely impaired. The major water quality problems are: low dissolved oxygen (DO), high turbidity, organic matter and ammonia contents, severe chromium and copper pollution and high acute and chronic toxicity. This results in the loss of the aquatic life which is still flourishing in the Fez River upstream from the Fez Medina. Remote sites downstream show signs of physicochemical recovery. However, even there, bioassays showed significant acute and chronic toxicity. Well water in the region of Fez has moderately poor water quality with nitrate and metal enrichments. Use of water for drinking or for agriculture from the rivers or from some wells without treatment may expose the population to health risk.     

A comparison of river water quality sampling methodologies under highly variable load conditions

When river water quality fluctuates over relatively short periods of time with respect to the sampling frequency, the collection of grab samples may be inappropriate for characterising average water quality. This paper presents the results of a water quality monitoring study carried out on a stretch of the river Lambro (northern Italy) dominated by a periodically overloaded sewage treatment works (STW) located near its upstream end. Water quality was strongly influenced by a pronounced diurnal cycle in pollutant loads caused by the regular emission of untreated waste water during periods of high domestic flow (daytime). Two different sampling techniques were employed: grab sampling and 24-h composite sampling using automatic samplers. Samples were collected at the plant overflow and at several sites along the river and analysed for two common ingredients of household detergents, linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS) and boron (B) and for routine water quality variables. The results obtained show that: (1) The diurnal variability of point-source-derived chemical concentrations in the river downstream of the undersized STW increased with increasing removal efficiency in sewage treatment. (2) The shape of the diurnal concentration signal remained relatively intact for a considerable distance downstream of the STW for several water quality variables, suggesting that hydrodynamic dispersion plays a relatively minor role in controlling concentration patterns in this river. (3) In-stream degradation of LAS was consistent with first order kinetics with a rate constant of 0.05-0.06 h(-1). (4) Grab sampling is a relatively inefficient methodology for capturing mean concentrations for rivers subjected to highly variable loads, especially when it is restricted to office hours. The inefficiency of grab sampling is more marked for substances (e.g. LAS) which are effectively removed during sewage treatment than for substances which are not. (5) For LAS, diurnal variability in the concentration signal decreases with distance downstream, making grab sampling an increasingly reliable methodology for estimating mean concentrations. (6) 24-h composite sampling is an efficient way of eliminating the effect of diurnal variations in load strength.     

Preparation of biofilm electrode with Xanthomonas sp. and carbon nanotubes and the application to rapid biochemical oxygen demand analysis in high-salt condition

A Xanthomonas sp. was isolated from the sludge on the drain outlet of a pharmaceutical factory. Then, the bacterium and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were co-attached to an oxygen electrode for rapid analysis of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). The response current was linear with BOD values in the range 10 to 300 mg/L for standard BOD solution with a response time of 35 seconds (R = 0.9994) and 20 to 580 mg/L for pharmaceutical wastewater with a response time < or =200 seconds (R = 0.9985), which means that this modified electrode might be used for online BOD analysis of pharmaceutical wastewater. Further studies revealed that the modified electrode can be used for BOD measurement in a high-salt condition. Also, the bacterium/CNTs biofilm can maintain its activity and good performance, even after being sealed and stored at 4 degrees C for 50 days.     

Bisphenol A concentrations in receiving waters near US manufacturing and processing facilities

Bisphenol A (BPA) (CAS 80-05-7) was analyzed in receiving waters upstream and downstream of US manufacturers (1996 and 1997) and processors (1997) during seasonal low flow periods. BPA was not detected (< 1 microgram/l) in any surface water sample in 1996 or at six of seven sites in 1997. Concentrations near the seventh site ranged from 2 to 8 micrograms/l; however, its receiving stream had no measurable flow and concentrations represent undiluted effluent. All surface water concentrations from this and other studies were less than the freshwater predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) of 64 micrograms/l, suggesting that BPA discharges from manufacturing and processing facilities to surface water do not pose an environmental concern.     

Monitoring of iodinated X-ray contrast media in surface water

A monitoring programme was carried out in order to determine iodinated X-ray contrast media (ICM) in the River Danube and to investigate the raw water quality for drinking water production at Langenau waterworks. The study revealed that the maximum concentrations of ICM (over 500 ng l(-1) for diatrizoic acid and iopamidol) were found in 2h-composite samples taken from the downstream of the Ulm/Neu-Ulm metropolitan area. By means of a concentration profile over one month the highest ICM concentrations were observed on weekdays. The extended data evaluation with principal component analysis shows that the upstream and downstream samples had different pattern of variations in ICM concentration and also demonstrates a clear change in ICM composition by the discharge of municipal wastewater. In addition to load profiles of ICM, time-dependent plots of principal component 1 exhibited peaks, indicating a short-term discharge of ICM between the two sampling sites. In conclusion, a point source for ICM contamination between the sampling sites in Ulm upstream and Leipheim downstream seems to be the reasonable explanation for peak ICM concentrations. Due to the observed high variations of ICM concentrations in river, the evaluation of natural waters by means of a single analysis is not representative.     

Treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater containing antibiotics by O3 and O3/H2O2 processes

Ozonation of three different synthetic pharmaceutical formulation wastewater containing two human antibiotics and a veterinary antibiotic has been studied to enhance the their biodegradability. The effects of pH and initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) value as well as addition of hydrogen peroxide on ozonation process were investigated. Total organic carbon (TOC), COD, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and aromatic content (UV254) were the parameters followed to evaluate the performance of ozonation process. Comparison of the biodegradability of selected wastewaters containing different antibiotics confirmed that the variation of biodegradability was associated with the target compound. While BOD5/COD ratio of veterinary antibiotic formulation wastewater was increased from 0.077 to 0.38 with an applied ozone dosage of 2.96 g/l, this ratio for human antibiotic I and human antibiotic II was increased from 0 to 0.1 and 0.27 respectively. Moreover the results of this investigation showed that the ozonation process is capable of achieving high levels of COD and aromaticity removals at about their natural pH values.     

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification with anoxic phosphorus uptake in a membrane bioreactor system.

The performance of an innovative membrane bioreactor (MBR) process using anoxic phosphorus uptake with nitrification and denitrification for the treatment of municipal wastewater with respect to operational performance and effluent quality is addressed in this paper. The system was operated at steady-state conditions with a synthetic acetate-based wastewater at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12 hours and on degritted municipal wastewater at a total system HRT of 6 hours. The MBR system was able to achieve 99% biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and ammonia-nitrogen (NH4(+)-N); 98% total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN); and 97% phosphorus removal, producing effluent BOD, COD, NH4+-N, TKN, nitrate-nitrogen, nitrite-nitrogen, and phosphate-phosphorus of <3, 14, 0.2, 0.26, 5.8, 0.21, and <0.01 mg/L, respectively, at the 6-hour HRT. The comparison of the synthetic and municipal wastewater run is presented in this paper. Steady-state mass balance on municipal wastewater was performed to reveal some key features of the modified MBR system.     

低温条件下硝化污泥的驯化

为了在低温13～14％下取得较好的硝化效果，分3个温度阶段25℃，16～17℃，13—14℃对活性污泥进行了驯化培养，研究了进水氨氮浓度和混合液COD对硝化污泥的影响。实验结果表明，硝化污泥经过驯化培养后，氨氮去除率可达80％以上，且在DO浓度为2ing／L，pH为6．7～7．5，进水氨氮为300mg／L，混合液COD为80mg／L条件下，硝化污泥能取得较快的增长，氨氮平均去除率可达89％。     

Degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol by combining photo-assisted Fenton reaction and biological treatment.

The photo-Fenton reaction effect on the biodegradability improvement of 100 mg/L solution of 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) has been investigated. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) at 5 and 21 days, BODn/ chemical oxygen demand (COD) and BODn/total organic carbon (TOC) ratios, average oxidation state, and inhibition on activated sludge were monitored. For 50 mg/L hydrogen peroxide and 10 mg/L iron(II) initial concentrations and 40 minutes of reaction time in the photo-Fenton process, the biodegradability of the pretreated solution, measured as BOD5/COD ratio, was improved from 0 for the original DCP solution up to 0.18 (BOD21/COD = 0.24). At that point, all DCP was eliminated from the solution. To study the effect of the pretreatment step, the biological oxidation of pretreated solutions was tested in two semicontinuous stirred tank reactors, one operated with activated sludge and one with biomass acclimated to phenol. Results showed that more than 80% TOC removal could be obtained by codigestion of the pretreated solution with municipal wastewater. Total organic carbon removals of approximately 60% were also obtained when the sole carbon source for the aerobic reactors was the pretreated solution. The hydraulic retention times used in the bioreactors were of the same order of magnitude as those used at domestic wastewater treatment plants (i.e., between 12 and 24 hours). Kinetic studies based on pseudo-first-order kinetics have also been carried out. Constants were found to be in range 0.67 to 1.7 L x g total volatiles suspended solids(-1) x h(-1).