The removal of microorganisms and organic micropollutants from wastewater during infiltration to aquifers after irrigation of farmland in the Tula Valley, Mexico

The Tula Valley receives untreated wastewater from Mexico City for agricultural irrigation, half of which infiltrates to aquifers from where drinking water is extracted. Samples of wastewater and infiltrated water from three areas of the valley were analyzed for microorganisms, organic micropollutants, and some basic parameters. Concentrations of microorganisms in the infiltrated water were generally very low but the incidence of fecal coliforms (present in 68% of samples), somatic bacteriophages (36%), Giardia spp. (14%), and helminth eggs (8%) suggested a health risk. Organic micropollutants, often present at high concentrations in the wastewater, were generally absent from the infiltrated water except carbamazepine which was in 55% of samples (up to 193 ng/L). There was no correlation between carbamazepine concentrations and the presence of microorganisms but highest concentrations of carbamazepine and boron coincided. A treatment such as nanofiltration would be necessary for the infiltrated water to be a safe potable supply.     

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.     

Dietary exposure of rainbow trout to 8:2 and 10:2 fluorotelomer alcohols and perfluorooctanesulfonamide: Uptake, transformation and elimination

The bioaccumulation of perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA) and two fluorotelomer alcohols (8:2 FTOH, 10:2 FTOH) by rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) through dietary exposure, including depuration rates and metabolism was investigated. Concentrations in the spiked feed ranged from 10.9 μg g⁻¹ wet weight (wet wt) for PFOSA and 6.7 μg g⁻¹ wet wt for 8:2 FTOH to 5.0 μg g⁻¹ wet wt for 10:2 FTOH. Trout was fed at 1.5% body weight per day for 30 d and depuration was followed for up to 30 d following previously published dietary exposure protocols. Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) was the major perfluoroalkylsulfonate (PFSA) detected in fish following dietary exposure to PFOSA. Half-lives of PFOS and PFOSA were 16.9 ± 2.5 and 6.0 ± 0.4 d, respectively. A biomagnification factor (BMF) of 0.023 was calculated for PFOSA which indicates that dietary exposure to PFOSA does not result in biomagnification in the rainbow trout. PFOS had a BMF of 0.08. The fluorotelomer saturated acids (8:2 FTCA, 10:2 FTCA) and fluorotelomer unsaturated acids (8:2 FTUCA, 10:2 FTUCA) were the major products detected in rainbow trout following dietary exposure to 8:2 FTOH and 10:2 FTOH, respectively. Half-lives were 3.7 ± 0.4, 2.1 ± 0.5, 3.3, and 1.3 d for 10:2 FTCA, 10:2 FTUCA, 8:2 FTCA, and 8:2 FTUCA, respectively. Small amounts of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorodecanoate (PFDA) were also detected in the FTOH exposed fish.     

Combining passive samplers and biomonitors to evaluate endocrine disrupting compounds in a wastewater treatment plant by LC/MS/MS and bioassay analyses

Two types of integrative sampling approaches (passive samplers and biomonitors) were tested for their sampling characteristics of selected endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). Chemical analyses (LC/MS/MS) were used to determine the amounts of five EDCs (nonylphenol, bisphenol A, estrone, 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol) in polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) and freshwater mussels (Unio pictorum); both had been deployed in the influent and effluent of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Genoa, Italy. Estrogenicity of the POCIS samples was assessed using the yeast estrogen screen (YES). Estradiol equivalent values derived from the bioassay showed a positive correlation with estradiol equivalents calculated from chemical analyses data. As expected, the amount of estrogens and EEQ values in the effluent were lower than those in the influent. Passive sampling proved to be the preferred method for assessing the presence of these compounds since employing mussels had several disadvantages both in sampling efficiency and sample analyses.     

Uptake of Cd(II) and Pb(II) by microalgae in presence of colloidal organic matter from wastewater treatment plant effluents

The present study addresses the key issue of linking the chemical speciation to the uptake of priority pollutants Cd(II) and Pb(II) in the wastewater treatment plant effluents, with emphasis on the role of the colloidal organic matter (EfOM). Binding of Cd(II) and Pb(II) by EfOM was examined by an ion exchange technique and flow field-flow fractionation coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in parallel to bioassays with green microalga Chlorella kesslerii in ultrafiltrate (<1 kDa) and colloidal isolates (1 kDa to 0.45 μm). The uptake of Cd by C. kesslerii was consistent with the speciation analysis and measured free metal ion concentrations, while Pb uptake was much greater than that expected from the speciation measurement. Better understanding of the differences in the effects of the EfOM on Cd(II) and Pb(II) uptake required to take into account the size dependence of metal binding by EfOM.     

Application of an ELISA to the quantification of carbamazepine in ground, surface and wastewaters and validation with LC-MS/MS

Carbamazepine is a psychiatric pharmaceutical widely detected in aquatic environments. Due to its generalized occurrence and environmental persistence it might be considered as an anthropogenic pollution indicator. In this research, a previously developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), based on a commercial monoclonal antibody, was applied to the quantification of carbamazepine in ground, surface and wastewaters and results were validated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).The performance of the applied ELISA methodology was tested in the presence of high concentrations of sodium chloride and dissolved organic matter. The method was not significantly affected by matrix effects, being adequate for the quantification of carbamazepine in environmental samples, even without sample pre-treatment. This method allows the quantification of carbamazepine in the range of 0.03-10 μg L⁻¹, with a relative error lower than 30%. Due to a pH dependent cross-reactivity with cetirizine, an antihistaminic drug, the assay also enabled the quantification of cetirizine in the samples.The application of the developed method to the quantification of carbamazepine was performed by using environmental samples with very different matrices, collected in the geographical area of Ria de Aveiro, an estuarine system located in the North of Portugal. Carbamazepine was detected in all analyzed wastewater samples and in one surface water with concentrations between 0.1 and 0.7 μg L⁻¹. Validation with LC-MS/MS revealed that results obtained by ELISA are 2-28% overestimated, which was considered highly satisfactory due to the absence of sample pre-treatments.     

Assessment of phenylurea herbicides sorption on various Mediterranean soils affected by irrigation with wastewater

The retention values of two herbicides, chlorotoluron and isoproturon, in five Mediterranean soils were assessed by two different approaches, a dynamic method, using a batch technique (BT) and a static method, using a soil saturated paste (SP). The SP method led in all cases to lower herbicide sorption when compared with BT, although pesticide distribution constants from both methods were linearly related for the set of used soils (R² ? 0.99) showing that both methods similarly reflected the behaviour of the different soils. Low-quality water, evaluated by employing recycled urban wastewater, did not modify herbicide sorption when compared with high quality water, in any soil and with any method.     

Ecotoxicological risk assessment linked to the discharge by hospitals of bio-accumulative pharmaceuticals into aquatic media: The case of mitotane

The release of hospital wastewater into the urban sewer networks contributes to the general contamination of aquatic media by pharmaceutical residues. These residues include bio-accumulative pharmaceuticals that lead to increased risk for ecosystems because they can concentrate in organisms and food chains, and therefore reach toxic levels. In order to assess the ecotoxicological risks linked to this particular category of residues, we have developed a specific method, by combining a theoretical calculation of pollutant concentrations in organisms to estimate Body Residue (BR), and ecotoxicity biomarkers in fish cell lines, enabling the calculation of a Critical Body Residue (CBR). This method finally results in the calculation of a specific risk quotient (Qb = BR/CBR), characterizing the risk linked to this type of pollutant. This method was applied to mitotane, a bio-accumulative pharmaceutical typically found in hospital wastewater, in the framework of an exposure scenario corresponding to the discharge of all the hospital wastewaters into the Rhone River which flows through the city of Lyon, France. This approach leads to risk quotients (Qb and Qbg) much higher than those found with the classical approach, i.e. Q = PEC/PNEC (Predictive Environmental Concentration/Predictive Non Effect Concentration) = 0.0006. This difference in the appreciation of risk is important when using cytotoxicity as the criterion for measuring the toxicity of mitotane (Qb = 0.056) and it is even greater when the criterion used is genotoxicity (Qbg = 6.8). This study must be now consolidated by taking the biomagnification of the pharmaceuticals into consideration.     

Enhancement effect of water associated with natural organic matter (NOM) on organic compound-NOM interactions: a case study with carbamazepine

Natural organic matter (NOM) in soils and sediments is recognized to strongly affect environmental distributions of organic compounds. Water associated with NOM may have a significant impact on NOM-organic compound interactions. The objectives of this research were (1) to determine the effect of hydration of a model NOM sorbent on interactions with a probe organic compound, carbamazepine (CBZ), and (2) based on the comparison with the literature data, to evaluate the effect of organic compound structure on the cooperative participation of water molecules in organic sorbate-NOM interactions. CBZ is one of the most widely reported water pollutants from the pharmaceutical and personal care products family. Therefore, CBZ sorption on Pahokee peat was compared from water and from n-hexadecane, using solubility-normalized solute concentrations. CBZ-NOM interactions were enhanced by one to two orders of magnitudes when NOM became fully hydrated. This enhancement is associated with the distinct ability of CBZ to undergo strong, specific interactions with NOM which was revealed by comparing the transfer of CBZ and another model sorbate, phenanthrene, from solution in n-hexadecane to the hydrated NOM sorbent. The enhancing effect of NOM hydration on CBZ-NOM interactions was also observed when CBZ sorption was examined on partially hydrated NOM. In comparison with a smaller-size organic sorbate such as phenol, CBZ needs more NOM-associated water in order to demonstrate the strengthening of interactions with NOM. Therefore, for penetration of the larger sorbate molecules into the NOM interior, a greater number of water molecules are needed to compensate for the local NOM disintegration thus suggesting the greater extent of the cooperativity in an involvement of water molecules in the CBZ-NOM interactions.     

Determination of biocides and pesticides by on-line solid phase extraction coupled with mass spectrometry and their behaviour in wastewater and surface water

This study focused on the input of hydrophilic biocides into the aquatic environment and on the efficiency of their removal in conventional wastewater treatment by a mass flux analysis. A fully automated method consisting of on-line solid phase extraction coupled to LC-ESI-MS/MS was developed and validated for the simultaneous trace determination of different biocidal compounds (1,2-benzisothiazoline-3-one (BIT), 3-Iodo-2-propynylbutyl-carbamate (IPBC), irgarol 1051 and 2-N-octyl-4-isothiazolinone (octhilinone, OIT), carbendazim, diazinon, diuron, isoproturon, mecoprop, terbutryn and terbutylazine) and pharmaceuticals (diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole) in wastewater and surface water. In the tertiary effluent, the highest average concentrations were determined for mecoprop (1010 ng/L) which was at comparable levels as the pharmaceuticals diclofenac (690 ng/L) and sulfamethoxazole (140 ng/L) but 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than the other biocidal compounds. Average eliminations for all compounds were usually below 50%. During rain events, increased residual amounts of biocidal contaminants are discharged to receiving surface waters.     

SBR法处理高浓度氯霉素废水的实验研究

采用常规活性污泥法、间歇曝气活性污泥法和SBR法对高浓度氯霉素废水进行了对比处理试验。结果表明 ,SBR法优于其他两种方法。当进水COD浓度为 4 910mg L ,COD容积负荷为 9.8kg m3·d ,去除率可达 91.6 %。当废水中NH+4约为 4 5 5mg L时 ,脱氮率可达 6 0 %左右。污泥指数稳定在 88左右。     

SBR法短程硝化处理纤维素乙醇废水的中试研究

针对纤维素产乙醇废水高有机物、高氨氮、难降解的特点,运用短程硝化反硝化脱氮工艺,基于序批式活性污泥反应器（SBR）的调试运行,研究反应器运行方式对COD去除和脱氮效能的影响,为日后纤维素乙醇废水处理的工程化提供借鉴。结果表明：通过控制DO（0.5 mg·L-1）、pH（7.6~8.5）和投加碳源等条件,可实现亚硝酸盐氮的积累和转化,最终三氮去除率稳定在70%以上;通过投加不同碳源对比实验,发现乙酸钠作为反硝化外加碳源比葡萄糖具有更高的效率;厌氧工艺处理过的纤维素乙醇废水经短程硝化反硝化工艺处理后,COD去除率维持在20%上下,表明废水可生化性极低,已不适应生物法处理,须利用化学氧化法才能进一步去除;通过周期实验,发现硝化阶段碱度过量对短程硝化进程影响并不明显,相反充足的碱度是保证硝化反应进行的必要条件。     

规模化猪场粪污废水生物聚沉氧化新工艺及其生产性实验效果研究

针对我国猪场粪污废水现行厌氧-好氧活性污泥法处理模式达标难度大、运行成本高的问题,研发出生物聚沉氧化新工艺（bio-coagulation dewatering followed by bio-oxidation, BDBO)。在广东惠州某5万头猪场构筑了采用该工艺的实际工程,通过现场采样,详细分析新工艺各个单元的污染物,包括化学需氧量（COD）、氨氮、总氮（TN）和总磷（TP）的变化情况,研究了新工艺对猪场粪污废水的处理效果及机制。结果表明,在水力停留时间（HRT）仅为2.5 d的新工艺系统中,猪场粪污原水（进水）的COD、氨氮和TP分别为（11 697±1 484）、（837±25）、（532±97）mg·L-1,处理出水水质分别为（273±58）、（44±9）、（4.5±1.0）mg·L-1,总去除率分别达到了97.7%、94.7%、99.2%,出水远优于广东省地方畜禽养殖业污染物排放标准（DB 44/613-2009）。运行成本大约6元·t-1,比原常规处理系统（采用生化处理+物化处理组合工艺）出水水质更好,成本约为原处理系统的1/2~1/3,并同步解决了污泥的深度脱水问题。研究发现新工艺可相对快速处理达标并且成本相对较低,其机制在于废水进入常规生化系统（A2/O）之前,高效去除了悬浮颗粒物（SS）,使得以SS形式存在的COD、P和部分N被大幅度削减。新工艺解决了目前猪场废水处理时间长、难达标（尤其是氨氮）、运行成本高的难题。     

表面活性剂冲洗法治理非水卡流体污染多相流研究进展

表面活性剂冲洗法是一种治理土壤与地下水非水相流体（NAPLs）污染的有效技术。在简要介绍表面活性剂冲洗法去除作用机理的基础上，总结了近些年来与表面活性剂冲洗法多相流相关的国内外试验研究和模型研究成果，主要包括表面活性剂作用所引起的混溶驱替和不混溶驱替多相流问题，并指出目前研究中存在的问题和进一步探讨的方向。     

表面活性剂冲洗法治理非水相流体污染多相流研究进展

表面活性剂冲洗法是一种治理土壤与地下水非水相流体(NAPLs)污染的有效技术.在简要介绍表面活性剂冲洗法去除作用机理的基础上,总结了近些年来与表面活性剂冲洗法多相流相关的国内外试验研究和模型研究成果,主要包括表面活性剂作用所引起的混溶驱替和不混溶驱替多相流问题,并指出目前研究中存在的问题和进一步探讨的方向.     

Contribution of ambient ozone to Scots pine defoliation and reduced growth in the Central European forests: a Lithuanian case study

The study aimed to explore if changes in crown defoliation and stem growth of Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) could be related to changes in ambient ozone (O₃) concentration in central Europe. To meet this objective the study was performed in 3 Lithuanian national parks, close to the ICP integrated monitoring stations from which data on meteorology and pollution were provided. Contribution of peak O₃ concentrations to the integrated impact of acidifying compounds and meteorological parameters on pine stem growth was found to be more significant than its contribution to the integrated impact of acidifying compounds and meteorological parameters on pine defoliation. Findings of the study provide statistical evidence that peak concentrations of ambient O₃ can have a negative impact on pine tree crown defoliation and stem growth reduction under field conditions in central and northeastern Europe where the AOT40 values for forests are commonly below their phytotoxic levels.     

非饱和土壤轻油污染多相流研究进展

轻油泄漏到地下后 ,在非饱和土壤中水、气、油三相相互作用、相互影响 ,共同构成多相流体系统。在简要分析轻油污染问题的产生、危害以及轻油泄漏在地表以下运移方式的基础上 ,介绍并总结了近些年来国内外土壤轻油污染有关的多相流研究方面的进展 ,包括国外的模型研究成果、国内外试验研究方法和研究成果 ,并指出目前研究中存在的问题和需要进一步探讨的方向     

微孔分子筛的合成及其去除水中氨氮的实验研究

以廉价的天然矿物岩石作为主要原料,采用水热晶化法合成了微孔分子筛。分子筛有效孔径约为0.9 nm,BET比表面积583m2/g,阳离子交换容量(CEC)316 meq/100 g。将其用于水体中氨氮的去除,实验结果表明,分子筛对氨氮的吸附速率较快,吸附时间为20 min时,吸附基本达饱和;分子筛对氨氮的最大吸附量可达11.6 mg/g,其吸附规律很好地符合Fruendlich吸附等温式;在有干扰离子如Ca2+、Mg2+、Al3+和Fe3+等存在的情况下,仍能优先选择吸附NH4+,且吸附率几乎没有变化。动态吸附柱实验的效果好于静态实验,出水12 h内去除率均>85％;饱和了氨氮的分子筛,用氢氧化钠溶液洗脱再生,解吸率达92％,再生后的分子筛与原分子筛相比吸附率几乎没有降低。     

基于污水处理厂提标改造需求的难降解工业废水处理工艺改进——以湖南省某城镇污水处理厂为例

以湖南省某城镇污水处理厂一期1.0× 104 m3·d-1提标改造工程项目为案例,针对其进水中工业废水占比高(达80％)、污染物浓度波动大、难降解有机物含量高等特点,在原水解酸化池+AAO+高效沉淀池+纤维转盘滤池工艺的基础上,通过现场中试实验,分析了以臭氧催化氧化+生物活性炭滤池(O3-BAC)作为提标改造主...     

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

The amphipod Hyalella azteca was exposed for 28 d to different combinations of Zn contaminated sediment and food. Sediment exposure (+clean food) resulted in increased Zn body burdens, increased mortality and decreased body mass when the molar concentrations of simultaneously extracted Zn were greater than the molar concentration of Acid Volatile Sulfide (SEM_Zn-AVS > 0), suggesting that dissolved Zn was a dominant route of exposure. No adverse effect was noted in the foodexposure (+clean sediment), suggesting selective feeding or regulation. Combined exposure (sediment + food) significantly increased adverse effects in comparison with sediment exposure, indicating contribution of dietary Zn to toxicity and bioaccumulation. The observed enhanced toxicity also supports the assumption on the presence of an avoidance/selective feeding reaction of the amphipods in the single sediment or food exposures. During 14 d post-exposure in clean medium, the organisms from the same combined exposure history received two feeding regimes, i.e. clean food and Zn spiked food. Elevated Zn bioaccumulation and reduced reproduction were noted in amphipods that were offered Zn spiked food compared to the respective organisms that were fed clean food. This was explained by the failure of avoidance/selective feeding behavior in the absence of an alternative food source (sediment), forcing the amphipods to take up Zn while feeding. Increasing Zn body burdens rejected the assumption that Zn uptake from food was regulated by H. azteca. Our results show that the selective feeding behavior should be accounted for when assessing ecological effects of Zn or other contaminants, especially when contaminated food is a potential exposure route.