Capacity to Influence Sources of Heavy Metals to Wastewater Treatment Sludge

Wastewater treatment sludge contains valuable nutrients, yet represents a residue problem due to the amount of heavy metals, which is one of the factors preventing the use of sludge as fertilizer. In Sweden, the government has a declared aim of closing the ecocycles of nutrients to arable land, while at the same time the existing limit values are among the lowest in the world. This paper focuses on the opportunities for Swedish wastewater utilities (WWUs) to manage and reduce sources of heavy metals in order to get sludge approved and recycled. A case study focusing on sources of the heavy metals Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn and the WWUs ability to influence the source by means of existing regulations was traced and categorized. A substantial fraction of the heavy metals were shown to be caused by diffuse emissions, such as the use of goods and products in society. For most sources discussed in the paper, a WWU can only manage the sources to a limited extent, if at all. This study shows that the WWUs cannot manage both recycling of nutrients and a decrease in heavy metals ending up in sludge. Diffuse emissions of heavy metals must be examined in context, not as a separate phenomenon or an issue for a single actor. The existing environmental legislation does not handle diffuse sources, yet long-term strategies for reducing the emissions to wastewater treatment must involve the reduction of diffuse emissions.     

Heavy metals in sandy sediments of the Rías Baixas (NW Spain)

We studied the concentrations of certain heavy metals in the total and labile fractions of sandy sediments from four embayments situated on the northwestern coast of Spain. In orderto compensate for the effects of the heterogeneity in texture ofthe different samples, data were normalized. Organic carbon was the most suitable normalizing factor for copper, lead and zinc inthe total fraction and copper in the labile fraction, and iron was the most suitable for the other metals in both fractions.Enrichment of copper, lead and zinc in these sediments may have been caused by sewage contamination. The percentages of extractability for chromiun were remarkable.     

Habitat function of agricultural soils as affected by heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contamination

Ecotoxic activity of soils polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and heavy metals (HM) was evaluated in pot and laboratory experiments. Plants and soil microorganisms were chosen as test organisms and six different soil materials were used in the study. The applied levels of HM and PAH were aimed to reflect environmental conditions in the "worst case" situation. Zn(2+), Pb(2+) and Cd(2+) were introduced to the soils as an aqueous solution of the mixture of salts at the concentrations corresponding to 1000, 500 and 3 mg kg(-1), respectively. Mixture of four PAH compounds (flourene, anthracene, pyrene and chrysene) as a CH(2)Cl(2) solution was applied at levels of 10-100 mg summation operator 4PAH kg(-1). Population and activity of soil microflora was evaluated as measured of total bacteria counts, intensity of respiration and enzyme activity (dehydrogenases and phosphatases). Effect on plants was evaluated on the base of the growth (plant at an early stage of their development) and yield (mature plant) measurements. The results indicate that combined effect of PAH and heavy metals on soil microorganisms activity and on some plants at an early stage of their development can be stronger than in soils amended with HM or PAH separately. Reaction of tested organisms was related to soil properties, PAH concentration, time and plant species. Mature plants (maize) were insensitive to the applied levels of both group of contaminants.     

Heavy Metal Content in Xylem Sap (Vitis Vinifera) from Mining and Smelting Areas

No data are available on the content of heavy metals in the xylem sap of grapevines growing in contaminated areas. The aim of this work was to obtain data on the concentration of Pb, Zn, Cd and Cu in the xylem sap of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) cultivar Monica (ungrafted), growing near contaminated sites: a smelter, an abandoned and an active mine, and to investigate relationships between xylem sap mineral composition and the heavy metal content of the soil. The concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd and Cu in the sap were enhanced compared to that of the soil, ranging from 4.3 to 611.4 µg Pb , 801 to 6176 µg Zn , 2.5 to 45 µg Cd and 19.8 to 161 µg Cu . Dry matter of xylem sap was significantly related to the heavy metals content in xylem saps, but no significant relationship between the metals in sap and total and DTPA/TEA extractable metal fraction in soil was found.     

Contaminants in Wintering Canvasbacks and Scaups from San Francisco Bay, California

Organochlorines, metals, and trace elements were measured in liver, kidney, or whole-body tissues of canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria), lesser scaups (A. affinis), and greater scaups (A. marila) collected from San Francisco Bay and three coastal areas of California during the winter of 1986–1987. Potentially toxic concentrations of mercury (mean 10.4 µg/g, dry weight) and selenium (mean 32.7 µg/g, dry weight) were found in livers of scaups and canvasbacks from several San Francisco Bay sites. These elements varied spatially, temporally, and between species, with the highest concentrations found in late winter. Mean concentrations of mercury, selenium, and cadmium were generally higher in scaups than in canvasbacks. Of all the organochlorines included in the analyses, only p,p'-DDE and total PCBs were detected in all samples in this study. Mean whole-body concentrations of DDE and PCBs from San Francisco Bay ducks collected in late winter varied spatially and between species, but the concentrations were not considered toxic. Causes for inter-specific differences are unclear, but may be attributable to differences in diet, movement, or physiology.     

Total recycling of CCA treated wood waste by low-temperature pyrolysis

A system to turn a potentially harmful stream of solid waste into a set of substreams with either commercial value or highly concentrated residual streams is presented. The waste which is considered is metal impregnated (in particular Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) treated) wood waste and timber, such as telephone poles, railway sleepers, timber from landscape and cooling towers, wooden silos, hop-poles, cable drums and wooden playground equipment. These waste streams sum up to several 100,000 tons of material per year currently to be dumped in every major country of the European Community (EC). Technologies need to be developed to reduce this CCA treated wood waste, such that all of the metals are contained in a marketable product stream, and the pyrolysis gases and/or pyrolysis liquid are used to their maximum potential with respect to energy recuperation. Pyrolysing the CCA treated wood waste may be a good solution to the growing disposal problem since low temperatures and no oxidising agents are used, which result in lower loss of metals compared to combustion. An experimental labscale pyrolysis system has been developed to study the influence of the pyrolysis temperature and the duration of the pyrolysis process on the release of metals and the mass reduction. The macrodistribution and microdistribution of the metals in the solid pyrolysis residue is studied using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP–MS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (SEM–EDXA). Furthermore, a complete mass balance is calculated over the pyrolysis system. Based on these results a semi-industrial pyrolysis system (pilot plant scale) has been developed consisting of three stages: grinding, packed bed pyrolysis and metal separation. Special types of equipment have been developed to carry out the three stages. A new grinding system has been developed, based on a crushing mechanism rather than a cutting mechanism. The crushed wood is introduced by means of a screw feeding system into a reaction column. In this pyrolysis reactor the wood is heated by subjecting it to a flow of hot gases. This causes an adiabatic pyrolysis, which results in volatilisation of the volatile compounds whereas the mineral compounds (containing the metals) remain entrapped in a coal-type residue which is very rich in carbon. The condensable compounds in the pyrolysis gas condense while leaving the reaction zone due to the inverse temperature gradient. The pyrolysis gas leaving the reactor is used as fuel for the hot gas generator. The charcoal which is extracted at the bottom of the reactor, is cooled, compressed, removed and stored, ready to feed the subsequent stage. A specially developed grinder is used to remove the metal particles from the charcoal and the separation between metal and charcoal particles is accomplished in a pneumatic centrifuge as a result of the difference in density. Using this system the ultimate waste is less than 3% of the initial wood mass. Results obtained with a semi-industrial scale prototype confirm the effectiveness of the process.     

水环境中重金属污染研究概述

重金属污染是水环境污染的一个重要方面，而水质模型是重金属污染研究的重点方法之一，作者在对溪落渡水库重金属污染的研究工作过程中，收集和整理了大量有关资料，本文概述了目前常用的重金属迁移转化动力学数学模型及建立该模型时所涉及到的重金属存在形态、污染特征，迁移转化过程等方面的研究成果和存在问题。     

Monitoring of Gin Drinkers' Bay landfill,Hong Kong: II. Gas contents,soil properties,and vegetation performance on the side slope

This second part of the study concerned the plant cover, gas contents, and soil properties of the side slope area of the landfill, which is not protected against gas infiltration. Five different sites on the slope and a control site outside the landfill were chosen, and pipes were installed in the region. Gas contents were tested, and plant cover recorded by quadrat analysis Over 20 species of grasses, herbs, and vines were present on the slope The relative adaptabilities of the species were ranked according to the abundance of the plants Plant cover was found to be negatively correlated with landfill gas contents. The landfill soil had elevated contents of nitrogen, organic carbon, and extractable metals Total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, and extractable lead were further identified to be negatively correlated while available phosphate was positively correlated with plant cover     

DISTRIBUTION OF BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES IN A STREAM EXPOSED TO URBAN RUNOFF1

ABSTRACT: A study of benthic macroinvertebrate community composition was conducted at eight sites along Shabakunk Creek, a small stream in Mercer County, New Jersey, which receives urban runoff. The relationship between changes in substrate composition and the nature of the benthic macroinvertebrate community has been examined. Organisms were collected seasonally from natural substrates in riffles. Attempts to employ artificial substrates for invertebrate collection proved unsuccessful, as the population on the samplers was not representative of that in the stream bed. Number of total benthic macroinvertebrate taxa collected declined from 13 in relatively undeveloped upstream areas to four below heavily developed areas, while population density decreased simultaneously in the same areas. Periphyton samples collected from natural substrates were analyzed for selected heavy metals. Significantly higher heavy metal concentrations are reported from substrates sampled below heavily developed areas, and changes in these values are discussed with regard to changes in benthic macroinvertebrate distribution.     

Honeybees and their products as potential bioindicators of heavy metals contamination

The concentrations of three representative heavy metals(cadmium, chromium and lead) were measured by atomic absorptionspectroscopy in honeybees and in apiary's products (honey,pollen, propolis, and wax). Samples were collected from fivedifferent sampling points: four from areas surrounding the cityof Rome, and the fifth in the city center which receives intensevehicular traffic. All apiaries employed for this study werespecifically constructed without any metal part in order toavoid the risk of contamination of the assayed materials.Sample collection was conducted over a 3-month period (6samplings for honey and pollen, 3 sampling for propolis and wax,2 samplings for honeybees, all of which were collected in duplicate). Experimental data revealed, in general,statistically significant differences between the backgroundlevels of heavy metals recorded from the reference sites and thelevels measured in the site located in the center of the city ofRome.These results indicate that honeybees and, to a lesser extent,some of their products (pollen, propolis, wax, but not honey),can be considered representative bioindicators of environmentalpollution.