Comparison of bioluminescence and nitrification inhibition methods for assessing toxicity to municipal activated sludge

The aim of this study was to compare two alternative toxicity assessment methods to determine wastewater toxicity and predict treatment plant process upsets. The toxicity of two synthetic organic compounds (triclosan and 4-n-nonylphenol), which are commonly detected in municipal wastewater, and municipal and industrial wastewaters with different heavy metals content were evaluated by the nitrification inhibition assay and bioluminescence toxicity test. Comparison between both assays confirmed that Vibrio fischeri is generally more sensitive than autotrophic bacteria, and, if not calibrated, the bioluminescence method tends to overestimate toxic effects on activated sludge biomass. The nitrification inhibition assay appears to predict plant process upsets more accurately. Both methods showed a significant toxicity decrease through treatment that could be partially attributed to the significant heavy metals removal obtained by primary and secondary treatment. A good correlation for the two assays was obtained, as indicated by a high correlation coefficient (r2 = 0.80).     

Toxicity of leather tanning wastewater effluents in sea urchin early development and in marine microalgae

This study was designed to investigate the composition and the toxicity of leather tanning wastewater and conditioned sludge collected at the leather tanning wastewater treatment plant (CODISO) located in Solofra, Avellino (Southern Italy). Samples were analyzed for their conventional parameters (COD, TSS, chromium and ammonia) and for metal content. Effluent samples included raw wastewater, and samples collected following coagulation/flocculation process and biological treatment. A set of toxicity endpoints were tested using sea urchin and marine microalgal bioassays by evaluating acute embryotoxicity, developmental defects, changes in sperm fertilization success and transmissible damage from sperm to the offspring, and changes in algal growth rate. Dose-related toxicity to sea urchin embryogenesis and sperm fertilization success was exerted by effluent or sludge samples according to the following rank: conditioned sludge > coagulated effluent > or = raw influent > effluent from biological treatment. Offspring quality was not affected by sperm exposure to any wastewater or to sludge samples. Algal growth was inhibited by raw or coagulated effluent to a similar extent and, again, the effluent from the biological treatment resulted in a decreased toxicity. The results suggest that coagulated effluent and conditioned sludge result in higher toxicity than raw influent in sea urchin embryos and sperm, whereas the biological wastewater treatment of coagulated effluent, in both sea urchins and algae, cause a substantial improvement of wastewater quality. Hence a final biological wastewater treatment should be operated to minimize any environmental damage from tannery wastewater.     

发酵类抗生素废水处理工艺及运行效果

介绍了内蒙古某抗生素废水处理厂的处理工艺流程、处理单元类型及其详细设计参数,通过对该污水处理厂半年内运行效果的调研,分析评价该污水处理系统的处理效果及出水指标;该水厂工艺流程对COD、TOC、氨氮、总氮、总磷、BOD和急性毒性的平均去除率分别为96.52%、95.83%、50.24%、55.20%、62.05%、98.52%和99.14%,COD、氨氮、总氮、总磷出水水质分别为477、438、556.7和7.69 mg/L,达到排放到城区下水道要求,园区内所有废水汇集到园区污水处理厂进行集中深度处理达标后排放水体。通过对该水厂工艺的介绍和水质分析,为我国抗生素生产企业面临的废水处理工艺类型选择及工程改造升级提供一定参考。     

Ranking potential impacts of priority and emerging pollutants in urban wastewater through life cycle impact assessment

Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), a feature of the Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, is used in this work outside the LCA framework, as a means to quantify the potential environmental impacts on ecotoxicity and human toxicity of wastewater containing priority and emerging pollutants. In order to do this, so-called characterisation factors are obtained for 98 frequently detected pollutants, using two characterisation models, EDIP97 and USES-LCA. The applicability of this methodology is shown in a case study in which wastewater influent and effluent samples from a Spanish wastewater treatment plant located in the Mediterranean coast were analysed. Characterisation factors were applied to the average concentration of each pollutant, obtaining impact scores for different scenarios: discharging wastewater to aquatic recipient, and using it for crop irrigation. The results show that treated wastewater involves a substantially lower environmental impact when compared to the influent, and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are very important contributors to toxicity in this wastewater. Ciprofloxacin, fluoxetine, and nicotine constitute the main PPCPs of concern in this case study, while 2,3,7,8-TCDD, Nickel, and hexachlorobenzene are the priority pollutants with highest contribution. Nevertheless, it must be stressed that the new characterisation factors are based on very limited data, especially with regard to toxicology, and therefore they must be seen as a first screening to be improved in the future when more and higher quality data is available.     

Possible use of constructed wetland to remove selenocyanate,arsenic, and boron from electric utility wastewater

Wetland microcosms were used to evaluate the ability of constructed wetlands to remove extremely high concentrations of selenocyanate (SeCN-), arsenic (As), and boron (B) from wastewater generated by a coal gasification plant in Indiana. The wetland microcosms significantly reduced the concentrations of selenium (Se), As, B, and cyanide (CN) in the wastewater by 64%, 47%, 31%, and 30%, respectively. In terms of the mass of each contaminant, 79%, 67%, 57%, and 54% of the Se, As, B, and CN, respectively, loaded into the microcosms were removed from the wastewater. The primary sink for the retention of contaminants within the microcosms was the sediment, which accounted for 63%, 51%, and 36% of the Se, As, and B, respectively. Accumulation in plant tissues accounted for only 2-4%, while 3% of the Se was removed by biological volatilization to the atmosphere. Of the 14 plant species tested, cattail, Thalia, and rabbitfoot grass were highly tolerant of the contaminants and exhibited no growth retardation. Environmental toxicity testing with fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) larvae confirmed that the water treated by the wetland microcosms was less toxic than untreated water. The data from the wetland microcosms support the view that constructed wetlands could be used to successfully reduce the toxicity of aqueous effluent contaminated with extremely high concentrations of SeCN-, As, and B, and that a pilot-scale wetland should therefore be constructed to test this in the field. Cattail, Thalia, and rabbitfoot grass would be suitable plant species to establish in such wetlands.     

双氧水强化微电解法处理硝基苯废水的试验研究

以某化工厂的硝基苯生产废水为研究对象,在小试确定试验条件的基础上,采用双氧水强化微电解法对废水进行处理,探讨双氧水强化微电解法对废水处理的原理及处理工艺条件.实验结果表明：双氧水强化微电解法处理难降解有机废水,效果好,可以提高废水的生化性,为废水的后续处理提供了有利条件,是难生化有机废水处理的有效方法之一.     

Reduction of pharmaceutically active compounds by a lagoon wetland wastewater treatment system in Southeast Louisiana

A number of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) have been detected in the aquatic environment as a result of discharges of municipal wastewater. In the state of Louisiana, USA, many municipalities treat wastewater using natural systems, such as lagoons and wetlands, rather than conventional wastewater treatment technologies. Nearly all research to date has focused on the fate of PhACs in conventional treatment plants, not constructed and natural wetlands. In the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) for Mandeville, Louisiana, USA, wastewater flows of 7600 m³ d⁻¹ are treated in a series of aeration lagoons (basins), followed by a constructed wetland and UV disinfection, before being discharged into a natural forested wetland (i.e. Bayou Chinchuba) and eventually, Lake Pontchartrain. Thirteen out of the 15 PhACs investigated were detected in the wastewater inflow to the treatment plant. Only 9 of the 13 compounds were above the detection limits at the treatment plant effluent. The concentrations of most compounds were reduced by greater than 90% within the plant, while carbamazepine and sotalol were only reduced by 51% and 82%, respectively. The percent reductions observed in the Mandeville system were greater than reduction rates reported for conventional WWTPs; perhaps due to the longer treatment time (∼30 days). Most target PhACs were not completely removed before discharge into Lake Pontchartrain, although their collective annual loading was reduced to less than 1 kg and down to ppb with significant potential for dilution in the large lake.     

Degradation of alachlor using an enhanced sono-Fenton process with efficient Fenton's reagent dosages

In this study, an enhanced sono-Fenton process for the degradation of alachlor is presented. At high ultrasonic power, low pH, and in the presence of adequate Fenton's reagent dosages, alachlor degradation can reach nearly 100%. The toxicity of treated alachlor wastewater, which was measured by changes in cell viability, slightly decreased after the Fenton or ultrasound/H₂O₂ process and significantly decreased after the enhanced sono-Fenton process. A satisfactory relationship was observed between the total organic carbon removal and cell viability increment, indicating that alachlor mineralization is a key step in reducing the toxicity of the solution. The formation of alachlor degradation byproducts was observed during the oxidation process, in which the first step was the substitution of a chloride by a hydroxyl group. In conclusion, the enhanced sono-Fenton process was effective in the degradation and detoxification of alachlor within a short reaction time. Thus, the treated wastewater can then be passed through a biological treatment unit for further treatment.     

Reduction of pharmaceutically active compounds by a lagoon wetland wastewater treatment system in Southeast Louisiana

A number of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) have been detected in the aquatic environment as a result of discharges of municipal wastewater. In the state of Louisiana, USA, many municipalities treat wastewater using natural systems, such as lagoons and wetlands, rather than conventional wastewater treatment technologies. Nearly all research to date has focused on the fate of PhACs in conventional treatment plants, not constructed and natural wetlands. In the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) for Mandeville, Louisiana, USA, wastewater flows of 7600 m³ d⁻¹ are treated in a series of aeration lagoons (basins), followed by a constructed wetland and UV disinfection, before being discharged into a natural forested wetland (i.e. Bayou Chinchuba) and eventually, Lake Pontchartrain. Thirteen out of the 15 PhACs investigated were detected in the wastewater inflow to the treatment plant. Only 9 of the 13 compounds were above the detection limits at the treatment plant effluent. The concentrations of most compounds were reduced by greater than 90% within the plant, while carbamazepine and sotalol were only reduced by 51% and 82%, respectively. The percent reductions observed in the Mandeville system were greater than reduction rates reported for conventional WWTPs; perhaps due to the longer treatment time (30 days). Most target PhACs were not completely removed before discharge into Lake Pontchartrain, although their collective annual loading was reduced to less than 1 kg and down to ppb with significant potential for dilution in the large lake.     

An integrated test strategy for the assessment of anaerobic biodegradability of wastewaters

The anaerobic biodegradability of wastewaters from different chemical plants was determined by an integrated test strategy consisting of an anaerobic toxicity test, a static anaerobic biodegradation test and a continuously operated fixed bed reactor test. This integrated procedure offered a useful tool for screening wastewaters for anaerobic biodegradability. Four different wastewaters were tested for anaerobic toxicity and biodegradability. One wastewater was used in subsequent testing in a fixed bed reactor which aimed to illustrate a potential design of an anaerobic treatment plant.     

An approach to wastewater treatment in organised industrial districts: a pilot-scale example from Turkey

In this study, a detailed wastewater profile and treatability studies of Demirtas Organized Industrial District (OID) were undertaken on a pilot-scale. The industrial categorisation of Demirtas OID was determined, and the wastewater characterisations of each industrial sector were analysed and the flow-rates were measured. The results were used to design a wastewater treatment plant for Demirtas OID. Pilot-scale chemical and biological treatability studies were carried out. The steady-state performance of the pilot-scale treatment system in removing chemical oxygen demand (COD) and suspended solids (SS) was studied for a period of three months. The removal efficiencies obtained in this study were 42% of COD and 67% of SS in the chemical treatment, and 84% of COD and 25% of SS in the biological treatment. The overall removal efficiency of the pilot-scale system was 91% COD and 75% SS. The pilot-scale study showed that the wastewater from Demirtas OID could be treated with biological and chemical methods, and the treated wastewater met the Regulation of Discharge Standards of Turkey. The significance of this study is that it is the first such system in Turkey to be tested on a pilot scale.     

可拆卸式矿化垃圾生物反应床处理电厂柠檬酸酸洗废水研究

在实验室和现场对电厂柠檬酸酸洗废水进行生石灰前处理和后续可拆卸式三级矿化垃圾生物反应床的生物处理，主要研究了以往采用矿化垃圾反应床处理废水未涉及的反应床级数对废水处理效果的影响，比较了现场试验和实验室试验中的废水处理效果，并探讨了其原因。试验结果表明，本研究中的矿化垃圾反应床的适宜级数为3，第一级反应床的贡献最大，无论是实验室试验还是现场试验，采用本法处理电厂柠檬酸酸洗废水，均可使废水COD达到一级排放标准。     

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.     

炼油厂汽提废水预处理工业试验

炼油厂汽提废水含较高浓度的酚 ,会对污水处理场产生冲击。采用上流式曝气生物滤池对废水进行预处理工业试验 ,取得了满意的试验结果 :出水酚浓度低于 9.0mg/L ,酚降解率 >90 % ,完全可以消除它对污水处理场的冲击。并通过工业试验为工艺设计和工业运行确定了有关参数和运行条件。     

污水处理工程--两段式活性污泥工艺

我国中小城市的污水处理通常有如下特点(1 )工业废水所占比重较大,甚至超过50 %,致使要处理的城市污水的污染物浓度较高,污染物负荷变化较大 ;(2)城市财政状况比较紧张,可用于建设污水处理厂的资金有限.两段式活性污泥工艺是对传统活性污泥工艺的改进,在好氧处理之前采用一个缺氧或厌氧段,用于有机物的水解酸化或生物除磷.两段式工艺有以下优点处理效率高、工程投资和日常运行费用低,更适合我国国情.本文以两个工程项目为例,论述了两段式活性污泥工艺的工程设计与实际应用.山东省招远市污水处理厂于1999年7月投入运行,处理后排放水中的污染物指标低于设计值.蓬莱市污水处理厂工程即将竣工,设计处理能力20000m3 /d,工程总投资约1200万元,远远低于目前国内的平均水平.     

生化-臭氧-曝气生物滤池组合工艺处理制药园区综合废水

针对某制药工业园区综合废水污染物成分复杂、难降解、毒性大、色度深等特点，提出了水解酸化／好氧-臭氧-曝气生物滤池（H／O-O3-BAF）的工艺流程。通过现场实验研究对处理流程以及各个处理单元的运行参数进行了优化。系统稳定运行期间，处理出水化学需氧量（COD）小于50mg／L，色度小于4倍，出水水质达到《城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准》（GB18918—2002）中一级A标准。发光菌毒性的测试表明，该工艺流程可有效削减废水中的生物毒性。     

电化学消毒法处理回用水的可行性研究

研究电化学方法对城市污水处理厂二沉池出水进行消毒的可行性。采用人工配水 ,在近似城市污水厂二沉池出水含菌量与含盐量的水质下 ,研究不同的运行条件下的杀菌效果。为电化学方法应用于中水回用消毒环节提供了试验依据     

A rational procedure for estimation of greenhouse-gas emissions from municipal wastewater treatment plants.

Municipal wastewater treatment may lead to the emission of greenhouse gases. The current Intergovenmental Panel on Climate Change (Geneva, Switzerland) approach attributes only methane emissions to wastewater treatment, but this approach may overestimate greenhouse gas emissions from the highly aerobic processes primarily used in North America. To better estimate greenhouse gas emissions, a procedure is developed that can be used either with plant-specific data or more general regional data. The procedure was evaluated using full-scale data from 16 Canadian wastewater treatment facilities and then applied to all 10 Canadian provinces. The principal greenhouse gas emitted from municipal wastewater treatment plants was estimated to be carbon dioxide (CO2), with very little methane expected. The emission rates ranged from 0.005 kg CO2-equivalent/m3 treated for primary treatment facilities to 0.26 kg CO2-equivalent/m3 for conventional activated sludge, with anaerobic sludge digestion to over 0.8 kg CO2-equivalent/m3 for extended aeration with aerobic digestion. Increasing the effectiveness of biogas generation and use will decrease the greenhouse gas emissions that may be assigned to the wastewater treatment plant.     

UV spectra analysis for water quality monitoring in a fuel park wastewater treatment plant

In the context of the high application potentials for on-line measurements in wastewater quality monitoring, UV spectroscopy has received recent attention. In the present work UV spectrophotometric analyses were coupled to principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) to characterize samples taken from a fuel park wastewater treatment plant and to attempt preliminary contaminant identification in the treated wastewater. The score plot resulting from PCA identified two different groups of spectra, one including the influents to the biological reactor and the other the treated wastewater samples. Among the latter, weekday and weekend samples could be further distinguished. The same groups of samples were identified in a dendrogram from CA. The score plot and the dendrogram also allowed the tentative identification of employed process chemicals (lubricant and detergents) as residual contaminants in the treated effluent.     

Evaluation on estrogenicity and oxidative hepatotoxicity of fossil fuel industrial wastewater before and after the powdered activated carbon treatment

There are 10 manufacturers who produce fossil fuel products in the Da-Hse Industrial District, Kaohsiung County, southwestern Taiwan. Before discharging the wastewater into the nearby aquatic environment, the pretreated wastewater from these manufacturers must be processed in a treatment plant which includes four major processing units: equalization, a primary clarifier, an aeration basin, and a final clarifier. In order to estimate the potential environmental risks of industrial wastewater from each manufacturer and the treatment efficiency of the powdered activated carbon treatment (PACT) system used in this wastewater treatment plant, in vitro bioassays for estrogenicity and oxidative hepatotoxicity were carried out using a stably transfected human breast cancer cell line, MVLN, and a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, HepG2, respectively. Estrogenic substances occurred in nine of 10 pretreated wastewaters from these manufacturers in which the relative luciferase activity ranged from 18.9% to 98.0% for 1-fold-condensed wastewaters corresponding to the concentration of the original wastewater. The estrogenicity was highest at the influent of the treatment plant and decreased through the treatment process. About 81% estrogenicity clearance was found through all processing units. On the other hand, oxidative hepatotoxic substances existed in seven of 10 pretreated wastewaters from these manufacturers in which relative TBARs activity ranged from 18.5% to 43.0% for 1-fold-condensed wastewater. The TBARs of influent samples apparently decreased through the processing units until the aeration basin, but abruptly rose in the final clarifier, which was a result of the addition of an active charcoal-retrieving agent with the molecular formula of (C(2)H(3))(n)CONHCH(2)N(CH(3))(3)Cl and which had high TBARs activity. No TBARs activity being found in effluent samples could be a consequence of allowing sufficient time for coagulation between the active charcoal and its retrieval agent which decreased the residual active charcoal-retrieving agent. We concluded that the industrial wastewater treatment plant using the PACT system in the Da-Hse Industrial District is suitable for removing estrogenic substances and oxidative hepatotoxic substances discharged from these industrial manufacturers.