Simultaneous removal of emerging contaminants and disinfection for municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent quality improvement: a systemic analysis of the literature

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This work presents a bibliographic review of the literature regarding the simultaneous removal of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and...     

LED irradiated photo-Fenton for the removal of estrogenic activity and endocrine disruptors from wastewater treatment plant effluent

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The goal of this work was to evaluate the performance of the LED irradiated photo-Fenton process on the removal of (i) estrogenic activity and (ii)...     

固定化菌藻系统对污水处理厂出水的深度处理

将海藻酸钠固定化活性污泥和小球藻制成颗粒小球,以自制的流化床反应器对重庆市某污水处理厂出水进行深度处理,探讨了系统对氨氮、TP、COD的去除效果,实验结果表明:在HRT=12 h,溶解氧浓度为3.0 mg/L左右,pH值为6.2至8.0之间,环境室温条件下,系统对氨氮、TP、COD均有较好的去除效果,系统稳定运行后对氨氮、TP、COD去除率基本维持在60%、60%和30%以上,出水氨氮、TP、COD浓度基本维持在8、0.5和40 mg/L以下,出水浓度达到了《城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准》(GB 18918-2002)的一级A标准。这项研究显示固定化菌藻胶球系统在污水处理厂出水的深度处理中具有潜在的应用前景。     

Investigation and modeling of solar UV-induced chlorine decay in disinfection contact basins at full-scale wastewater treatment plants

Residual chlorine loss due to UV sunlight in the chlorine disinfection contact basins (DCBs) was investigated at two full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Chlorine decay due to solar UV-induced photochemical reaction was found to be significant and had diurnal and seasonal variations. The total chlorine loss due to sunlight ranged from 19 to 26% of the total chlorine chemical use at the two plants studied. Covering chlorine contact basins led to more stable chlorine demand regardless of the diurnal and seasonal sunlight intensity. Therefore, covering chlorine contact basins offers more stable, or accurate, chlorine dosage and effluent residual control and requires less effort by plant operators. A mathematical model was developed to calculate the amount of UV-induced chlorine decay. The model developed can be used to estimate the UV-induced chlorine decay rate and total chlorine loss due to sunlight at WWTPs with various basin configurations, flowrates, chlorine dosages, and geographical locations. The model results allow the capital cost of covering needs to be assessed against the chlorine chemical cost savings.     

Pesticide contamination profiles of water, sediment and aquatic organisms in the effluent of Gaobeidian wastewater treatment plant

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs, including DDT, HCH and HCB) and six indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180) were measured in water, sediment, zooplankton, fish and Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) from Gaobeidian Lake, which is located in the effluent of Gaobeidian wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Beijing, China. DDTs were dominant except for in water. In water, the concentrations of DDTs (6.22 ng l(-1)) and HCHs (18.0 ng l(-1)) were less than the limits (l000 ng l(-1) for DDTs and 5000 ng l(-1) for HCHs). However, PCBs concentration (20.8 ng l(-1)) exceeded the limit (14 ng l(-1)) suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The high ratio of p,p'-DDT/DDTs (0.80) in water suggested that DDTs had recently been discharged into the ambient environment despite a longtime ban in China. For fish and Pelodiscus sinensis, the accumulation patterns of OCPs and PCBs were different in muscle and liver. And HCB and PCB 153 were significant different in different species (p<0.05). PCBs were dominated by PCB 52 in zooplankton, but by PCB 138 and 153 in Pelodiscus sinensis. The highest food web magnification factor (FWMF) was 4.83 for p,p'-DDT and the second highest was 4.36 for PCB 101 in Gaobeidian Lake. As compared with the other studies, biomagnification in the present study was not obvious. Trophic levels and age were two important factors that might contribute to the bioaccumulation in the present study.     

Occurrence of pharmaceuticals in a municipal wastewater treatment plant: mass balance and removal processes

Occurrence and removal efficiencies of fifteen pharmaceuticals were investigated in a conventional municipal wastewater treatment plant in Michigan. Concentrations of these pharmaceuticals were determined in both wastewater and sludge phases by a high-performance liquid chromatograph coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer. Detailed mass balance analysis was conducted during the whole treatment process to evaluate the contributing processes for pharmaceutical removal. Among the pharmaceuticals studied, demeclocycline, sulfamerazine, erythromycin and tylosin were not detected in the wastewater treatment plant influent. Other target pharmaceuticals detected in wastewater were also found in the corresponding sludge phase. The removal efficiencies of chlortetracycline, tetracycline, sulfamerazine, acetaminophen and caffeine were >99%, while doxycycline, oxytetracycline, sulfadiazine and lincomycin exhibited relatively lower removal efficiencies (e.g., <50%). For sulfamethoxazole, the removal efficiency was approximately 90%. Carbamazepine manifested a net increase of mass, i.e. 41% more than the input from the influent. Based on the mass balance analysis, biotransformation is believed to be the predominant process responsible for the removal of pharmaceuticals (22% to 99%), whereas contribution of sorption to sludge was relatively insignificant (7%) for the investigated pharmaceuticals.     

Fate of selected pharmaceuticals in hospital and municipal wastewater effluent: occurrence,removal, and environmental risk assessment

The concentrations and distribution of β-blockers, lipid regulators, and psychiatric and cancer drugs in the influent and effluent of the municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and the effluent of 16 hospitals that discharge into the wastewater treatment plant mentioned in this study at two sampling dates in summer and winter were examined. The pharmaceutical contribution of hospitals to municipal wastewater was determined. The removal of target pharmaceuticals was evaluated in a WWTP consisting of conventional biological treatment using activated sludge. Additionally, the potential environmental risk for the aquatic receiving environments (salt lake) was assessed. Beta-blockers and psychiatric drugs were detected in high concentrations in the wastewater samples. Atenolol (919 ng/L) from β-blockers and carbamazepine (7008 ng/L) from psychiatric pharmaceuticals were detected at the highest concentrations in hospital wastewater. The total pharmaceutical concentration determined at the WWTP influent and effluent was between 335 and 737 ng/L in summer and between 174 and 226 ng/L in winter. The concentrations detected in hospital effluents are higher than the concentrations detected in WWTP. The total pharmaceutical contributions from hospitals to the WWTP in summer and winter were determined to be 2% and 4%, respectively. Total pharmaceutical removal in the WWTP ranged from 23 to 54%. According to the risk ratios, atenolol could pose a high risk (risk quotient > 10) for fish in summer and winter. There are different reasons for the increase in pharmaceutical consumption in recent years. One of these reasons is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been going on for 2 years. In particular, hospitals were operated at full capacity during the pandemic, and the occurrence and concentration of pharmaceuticals used for the therapy of COVID-19 patients has increased in hospital effluent. Pandemic conditions have increased the tendency of people to use psychiatric drugs. It is thought that beta-blocker consumption has increased due to cardiovascular diseases caused by COVID-19. Therefore, the environmental risk of pharmaceuticals for aquatic organisms in hospital effluent should be monitored and evaluated.

     

Dissolved organic matter from treated effluent of a major wastewater treatment plant: characterization and influence on copper toxicity

A combination of reverse osmosis (RO) concentration and DAX-8/XAD-4 resin adsorption techniques is used to isolate the various constituents of urban dissolved organic matter (DOM) from inorganic salts. Three fractions: hydrophobic (HPO), transphilic (TPI) and hydrophilic (HPI) accounting respectively for 35%, 20% and 45% of extracted carbon, are isolated from effluents of a major French wastewater treatment plant. This atypical DOC distribution, in comparison with natural water where the HPO fraction dominates, shows the significance of HPI fraction which often gets neglected because of extraction difficulties. A number of analytical techniques (elemental, spectroscopic: UV, FTIR) allow highlighting the weak aromaticity of wastewater effluent DOM (EfOM) due to fewer degradation and condensation processes and the strong presence of proteinaceous structures indicative of intense microbial activity. Copper toxicity in the presence of DOM is estimated using an acute toxicity test on Daphnia Magna (Strauss). Results reveal the similar protective role of each EfOM fraction compared to reference Suwannee river fulvic acid despite lower EfOM aromaticity (i.e. specific UV absorbance). The environmental implications of these results are discussed with respect to the development of site-specific water quality criteria.     

Occurrence and removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives in an ecological wastewater treatment plant in South China and effluent impact to the receiving river

Ecological wastewater treatment plant (EWWTP), a kind of emerging wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in recent years, combined microbiology with botany which is efficient for the removal of nitrogen and organic matter, as well as deodorization. The occurrence and removal of micro-organic pollutants in EWWTPs were still not well known. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their typical derivatives (SPAHs) including the oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs), chlorinated PAHs (ClPAHs), and methyl PAHs (MPAHs) were investigated in an EWWTP in Guangdong Province, China. The concentrations of the Σ6 OPAHs (114–384 ng/L) were higher than the Σ16 PAHs (92–250 ng/L), and much higher than the Σ4 MPAHs (13–64 ng/L) and Σ9 ClPAHs (2–3 ng/L) in the EWWTP and the effluent receiving river. The total removal efficiencies of the PAHs, OPAHs, MPAHs, and ClPAHs in the EWWTP (43?±?14%, 41?±?7%, 55?±?16%, and 18?±?4%) were lower than the traditional WWTPs, probably due to the lower concentration of the sludge in the ecological treatment. The advanced treatment process (microfiltration and UV disinfection treatment) contributed much less (0–20%) to the whole removal efficiency than the ecological treatment (80–100%). The effluent from the EWWTP slightly reduced the PAHs and SPAHs concentrations in the receiving river. The high concentrations of the PAHs and SPAHs in the receiving river were similar to the influent of the EWWTP, indicating that some untreated wastewater was directly discharged to the river, especially in the upstream.

     

Application of molecularly imprinted and non-imprinted polymers for removal of emerging contaminants in water and wastewater treatment: a review

Over the past decade, several studies have reported trace levels of endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products in surface waters, drinking water, and wastewater effluents. There has also been an increased concern about the ecological and human health impact of these contaminants, and their removal from water and wastewater has become a priority. Traditional treatment processes are limited in their ability to remove emerging contaminants from water, and there is a need for new technologies that are effective and feasible. This paper presents a review on recent research results on molecularly imprinted (MIP) and non-imprinted (NIP) polymers and evaluates their potential as a treatment method for the removal of emerging contaminants from water and wastewater. It also discusses the relative benefits and limitations of using MIP or NIP for water and wastewater treatment. MIP, and in particular NIP, offer promising applications for wastewater treatment, but their toxicity and possible health effects should be carefully studied before they are considered for drinking water treatment. More research is also required to determine how best to incorporate MIP and NIP in treatment plants.     

义乌市城镇污水提标处理的环境与经济效益分析

自2014年以来,浙江省义乌市全面推进城镇污水治理工作,在城镇污水提标处理方面开展了诸多实践。以义乌市2015年和2017年施行的污水排放标准为情境要素,结合该市9座污水处理厂实际运行数据及能耗、化学药剂和污染物排放的生命周期环境影响清单数据,模拟分析了义乌市城镇污水提标处理的环境和经济效益。结果表明,义乌市污水提标处理虽然有益于水体污染物减排,但由于既有污水处理厂普遍进水碳源不足,污水二级处理工艺需仰赖增加化学药剂投放来进行强化,使得投入了大量资金的污水提标处理并未能真正有效地解决水体污染问题,而且还会在气候变暖、土壤酸化、土壤生态毒性等方面产生负面影响。进一步地,围绕污水提标处理的强效思路、污水过度处理负面效应的缓解对策、及污水处理经济效益的增收策略进行了展望,以期为义乌市乃至我国构建经济高效、绿色低碳的污水治理模式提供参考。     

Agricultural reuse of reclaimed water and uptake of organic compounds: pilot study at Mutah University wastewater treatment plant, Jordan

The residues of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorinated benzenes (CBs) and phenols were investigated for soil, wastewater, groundwater and plants. The uptake concentration of these compounds was comparatively determined using various plant types: Zea mays L., Helianthus annus L., Capsicum annum L., Abelmoschus esculentus L., Solanum melongena L. and Lycopersicon esculentum L. which were grown in a pilot site established at Mutah University wastewater treatment plant, Jordan. Soil, wastewater, groundwater and various plant parts (roots, leaves and fruits) samples were extracted in duplicate, cleaned up by open-column chromatography and analyzed by a multi-residue analytical methods using gas chromatography equipped with either mass selective detector (GC/MS), electron capture detector (GC/ECD), or flame ionization detector (FID). Environmentally relevant concentrations of targeted compounds were detected for wastewater much higher than for groundwater. The overall distribution profiles of PAHs and PCBs appeared similar for groundwater and wastewater indicating common potential pollution sources. The concentrations of PAHs, PCBs and phenols for different soils ranged from 169.34 to 673.20 microg kg(-1), 0.04 to 73.86 microg kg(-1) and 73.83 to 8724.42 microg kg(-1), respectively. However, much lower concentrations were detected for reference soil. CBs were detected in very low concentrations. Furthermore, it was found that different plants have different uptake and translocation behavior. As a consequence, there are some difficulties in evaluating the translocation of PAHs, CBs, PCBs and phenols from soil-roots-plant system. The uptake concentrations of various compounds from soil, in which plants grown, were dependent on plant variety and plant part, and they showed different uptake concentrations. Among the different plant parts, roots were found to be the most contaminated and fruits the least contaminated.     

Fe0还原、芬顿氧化及其耦合技术去除染料厂剩余污泥中的AOX

染料废水中含有大量难生物降解的卤代有机物合成中间体,合成卤代有机物在废水的生物处理过程中容易被吸附到剩余污泥中,如不能妥善处理会引起生态健康风险。研究了零价铁还原、芬顿氧化及其组合技术对染料企业剩余污泥中AOX（可吸附有机卤代物）的去除效果,优化了处理条件,解析了去除机理。结果表明,铁粉投加量为5 g·L-1,厌氧反应30 d时,零价铁还原对污泥中AOX降解率仅为24.7%;Fe2+投加量0.059 mol·L-1,H2O2投加量0.89 mol·L-1,芬顿氧化1.5 h时,污泥中AOX去除率提高至73.7%;投加2 g·L-1的铁粉,还原30 d后再进行芬顿反应,则污泥中AOX去除率可达到90.3%。GC-MS分析结果表明,污泥中的主要AOX物质为2,6-二氯-4-硝基苯胺,该物质经过零价铁还原与芬顿氧化组合工艺处理后,比直接芬顿氧化能得到更有效的去除。     

Autotrophic nitrogen removal for decentralized treatment of ammonia-rich industrial textile wastewater: process assessment,stabilization and modelling

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Digital textile printing (DTP) is a game-changer technology that is rapidly expanding worldwide. On the other hand, process wastewater is rich in...     

Occurrence and removal of six pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a wastewater treatment plant employing anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic and UV processes in Shanghai,China

The occurrence and removal of six pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) including caffeine (CF), N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), carbamazepine, metoprolol, trimethoprim (TMP), and sulpiride in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Shanghai, China were studied in January 2013; besides, grab samples of the influent were also taken every 6 h, to investigate the daily fluctuation of the wastewater influent. The results showed the concentrations of the investigated PPCPs ranged from 17 to 11,400 ng/L in the WWTP. A low variability of the PPCP concentrations in the wastewater influent throughout the day was observed, with the relative standard deviations less than 25 % for most samples. However, for TMP and CF, the slight daily fluctuation still reflected their consumption patterns. All the target compounds except CF and DEET, exhibited poor removal efficiencies (<40 %) by biological treatment process, probably due to the low temperature in the bioreactor, which was unfavorable for activated sludge. While for the two biodegradable PPCPs, CF, and DEET, the anaerobic and oxic tank made contributions to their removal while the anoxic tank had a negative effect to their elimination. The tertiary UV treatment removed the investigated PPCPs by 5–38 %, representing a crucial polishing step to compensate for the poor removal by the biologic treatment process in winter.     

深圳某水质净化厂A/A/O微曝氧化沟深度脱氮除磷工艺效果分析

为探究A/A/O微曝氧化沟深度脱氮除磷工艺的性能,根据深圳市某水质净化厂长期监测数据,分析了进水污染物浓度、生物池沿程脱氮除磷性能和微生物相。结果表明：进水可生化性一般,生物脱氮可行,但生物除磷效果有限,需借助化学除磷增强除磷效果,投药浓度与进水BOD₅/TP值变化趋势呈负相关;生物池好氧段微生物的氨氧化速率和亚硝酸盐氧化速率能满足硝化反应的正常进行;但缺氧段反硝化速率较低,是生物脱氮的限制因素,可通过降低内回流DO和增加缺氧段碱度来增强微生物的反硝化速率;生物池中有大量的累枝虫、钟虫、盾纤虫和轮虫,且成熟期菌胶团数量较多,结构紧密;深度处理对TP和SS的去除率分别为60.3%和33.71%。物料平衡分析结果显示,被同化的氮含量和反硝化的氮含量各占43%和57%,通过微生物合成和吸附被去除的磷含量和与除磷药剂形成化学沉淀的磷含量各占49.06%和50.94%。本研究结果为水质净化厂深度脱氮除磷提供了思路,可为提高出水水质标准提供参考。     

The air-water exchange of polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers at an urban lake, a receipt water body for the effluent from a municipal sewage treatment plant

The effluents and sludge from municipal sewage treatment plants (MSTPs) are considered as potential sources of many contaminants to the ambient environments. In the present work, the air-water exchange of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) was studied using passive air samplers at an urban lake, which receives the effluents from a MSTP in Beijing, China. The concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs in atmosphere were in the range 15.5-108 ng sample⁻¹ and 2.37-27.8 ng sample⁻¹, respectively, during the sampling period (August, 2007-July, 2008). The predominant PCBs and PBDEs were lowly halogenated congeners. The calculation for the exchange fluxes of PCBs and PBDEs using fugacity model showed that, the net exchange fluxes in different seasons were closely related to the halogen number of different congeners. Except for CBs-28 and 52, the net exchange fluxes was mainly directed from air to water for most of predominant congeners, which implied that the lower chlorinated CBs were dominated by volatilization process rather than the dry/wet depositions and diffusion between air-water interface, additionally, for heavy congeners, the dry/wet deposition process was an important source of PCBs and PBDEs in this lake.     

Contamination of nonylphenolic compounds in creek water, wastewater treatment plant effluents, and sediments from Lake Shihwa and vicinity, Korea: comparison with fecal pollution

Nonylphenolic compounds (NPs), coprostanol (COP), and cholestanol, major contaminants in industrial and domestic wastewaters, were analyzed in creek water, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, and sediment samples from artificial Lake Shihwa and its vicinity, one of the most industrialized regions in Korea. We also determined mass discharge of NPs and COP, a fecal sterol, into the lake, to understand the linkage between discharge and sediment contamination. Total NP (the sum of nonylphenol, and nonylphenol mono- and di-ethoxylates) were 0.32-875 μg L⁻¹ in creeks, 0.61-87.0 μg L⁻¹ in WWTP effluents, and 29.3-230 μg g⁻¹ TOC in sediments. Concentrations of COP were 0.09-19.0 μg L⁻¹ in creeks, 0.11-44.0 μg L⁻¹ in WWTP effluents, and 2.51-438 μg g⁻¹ TOC in sediments. The spatial distributions of NPs in creeks and sediments from the inshore region were different from those of COP, suggesting that Lake Shihwa contamination patterns from industrial effluents differ from those from domestic effluents. The mass discharge from the combined outfall of the WWTPs, located in the offshore region, was 2.27 kg d⁻¹ for NPs and 1.00 kg d⁻¹ for COP, accounting for 91% and 95% of the total discharge into Lake Shihwa, respectively. The highest concentrations of NPs and COP in sediments were found in samples at sites near the submarine outfall of the WWTPs, indicating that the submarine outfall is an important point source of wastewater pollution in Lake Shihwa.