Assessment of fates of estrogens in wastewater and sludge from various types of wastewater treatment plants

We measured five estrogens in the wastewater samples from the municipal wastewater treatment plants (M-WWTPs), livestock wastewater treatment plants (L-WWTPs), hospital WWTPs (H-WWTPs) and pharmaceutical manufacture WWTPs (P-WWTPs) in Korea. The L-WWTPs showed the highest total concentration (0.195-10.4 μg L⁻¹) of estrogens in the influents, followed by the M-WWTPs (0.028-1.15 μg L⁻¹), H-WWTPs (0.068-0.130 μg L⁻¹) and P-WWTPs (0.015-0.070 μg L⁻¹). Like the influents, the L-WWTPs (0.003-0.729 μg L⁻¹) and the M-WWTPs (0.001-0.299 μg L⁻¹) also showed higher total concentration of estrogens in the effluents than the H-WWTPs (0.002-0.021 μg L⁻¹) and P-WWTPs (0.011 μg L⁻¹ in one sample). The L-WWTPs (37.5-543 μg kg⁻¹, dry weight) showed higher total concentrations in sludge than the M-WWTPs (3.16-444 μg kg⁻¹, dry weight) like the wastewater. The distribution of estrogens in the WWTPs may be affected by their metabolism in the human body, their transition through biological treatment processes, and their usage for livestock growth. Unlike the concentration results, the daily loads of estrogens from the M-WWTPs were the highest, which is related to the high capacities of WWTPs.     

Zero-valent iron nanoparticles in treatment of acid mine water from in situ uranium leaching

Acid mine water from in situ chemical leaching of uranium (Straz pod Ralskem, Czech Republic) was treated in laboratory scale experiments by zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI). For the first time, nZVI were applied for the treatment of the real acid water system containing the miscellaneous mixture of pollutants, where the various removal mechanisms occur simultaneously. Toxicity of the treated saline acid water is caused by major contaminants represented by aluminum and sulphates in a high concentration, as well as by microcontaminants like As, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, U, V, and Zn. Laboratory batch experiments proved a significant decrease in concentrations of all the monitored pollutants due to an increase in pH and a decrease in oxidation-reduction potential related to an application of nZVI. The assumed mechanisms of contaminants removal include precipitation of cations in a lower oxidation state, precipitation caused by a simple pH increase and co-precipitation with the formed iron oxyhydroxides. The possibility to control the reaction kinetics through the nature of the surface stabilizing shell (polymer vs. FeO nanolayer) is discussed as an important practical aspect.     

农村生活固体垃圾的处理现状及影响因素

随着我国农村经济与农民收入水平的快速提高,农村生活固体垃圾产生与排放的数量快速增加,已经严重影响了农村环境、农民健康和农业可持续发展.该文的主要目的是基于甘肃和河北省60个村和240个农户的调研资料,深入了解农村生活固体垃圾的处理和管理现状及影响生活固体垃圾有效处理的制约因素.结果表明,大多数村没有处理生活固体垃圾的设施,总体看甘肃省拥有的处理设施要好于河北省.超过一半的村中生活固体垃圾都没有人管理,但部分村开始制定相关的管理计划.描述性统计分析和计量模型的分析结果表明,农村生活固体垃圾的处理状况与农民人均收入水平的提高和交通便利程度的改进有显著正相关关系,而非农就业机会的增加不利于当地生活垃圾的处理.     

土地利用规划中不确定性的识别和处理研究

首先概述不确定性概念及其产生、相关理论和研究进展,深刻地揭示由于在我国土地和用规划中长期以来忽视开展不确定性研究,导致规划指标偏离现实需求,频繁修改规划方案和违法用地现象不断发生,在此基础上,引入不确定性规划理念,重新审视不确定性在土地利用规划中的地位和作用,全面系统地阐述土地利用规划中不确定性的类型及其特性,具体表现及其识别和处理方法.研究结果表明,由于人们的知识所限,客观世界中普遍存在不确定性.不确定性孕育着规划的产生,规划是对未来不确定性的缓解和抵消.土地利用规划中长期以来忽视业已存在的不确定性,直接影响土地利用规划的科学性和可操作性.土地利用规划中最基本的不确定性是预测未来和为了适应未来而对现在进行调整的失误.对未来的无知所引发的不确定性,只能求助于不确定性科学,增强对未来的预测能力和控制能力,使不确定性的负面影响最小化.     

城市污水处理厂建设程序中的环境影响评价研究

在介绍污水处理厂的基础建设程序及环境影响评价的发展概况的基础上,以京溪污水处理厂为例,指出城市规划部门在规划制定过程中,应加大环境影响评价工作的深度,以使污水厂的建设程序得以顺利开展。同时指出城市的卫生、地质、规划、国土、环保等职能部门在制定本部门的法规政策过程中,应发挥协调机制,在工程建设的相关方面达成共识,以确保污水处理厂等市政项目的建设顺利开展,促进城市更好的发展。     

DNA damage in caged Gammarus fossarum amphipods: a tool for freshwater genotoxicity assessment

The aim of this study was to propose a tool for freshwater environmental genotoxicity assessment using Gammarus fossarum, a high ecologically relevant species. In a first part, gammarids were caged upstream and downstream wastewater treatment plant effluent output. The sensitivity of genotoxic responses of haemocytes, oocytes and spermatozoa was compared using the Comet assay. Spermatozoa appeared to be the most sensitive, suitable and relevant cell type for genotoxicity risk assessment. In a second part, a watershed-scale study was conducted over 2 years to evaluate the applicability of our caging procedure. The genotoxic impact of a contamination was followed, taking into account seasonal variability. DNA damage in spermatozoa exhibited low basal level and low variability in control upstream sites, providing a reliable discrimination of polluted sites. Finally, DNA damage in caged G. fossarum has been proved to be a sensitive and reproducible tool for freshwater genotoxicity assessment.     

Chlorination of chlortoluron: kinetics, pathways and chloroform formation

Chlortoluron chlorination is studied in the pH range of 3-10 at 25 ± 1 °C. The chlorination kinetics can be well described by a second-order kinetics model, first-order in chlorine and first-order in chlortoluron. The apparent rate constants were determined and found to be minimum at pH 6, maximum at pH 3 and medium at alkaline conditions. The rate constant of each predominant elementary reactions (i.e., the acid-catalyzed reaction of chlortoluron with HOCl, the reaction of chlortoluron with HOCl and the reaction of chlortoluron with OCl⁻) was calculated as 3.12 (± 0.10) × 10⁷ M⁻² h⁻¹, 3.11 (±0.39) × 10² M⁻¹ h⁻¹ and 3.06 (±0.47) × 10³ M⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively. The main chlortoluron chlorination by-products were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with purge-and-trap pretreatment, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-MS and GC-electron capture detector. Six volatile disinfection by-products were identified including chloroform (CF), dichloroacetonitrile, 1,1-dichloropropanone, 1,1,1-trichloropropanone, dichloronitromethane and trichloronitromethane. Degradation pathways of chlortoluron chlorination were then proposed. High concentrations of CF were generated during chlortoluron chlorination, with maximum CF yield at circumneutral pH range in solution.     

Use of fugacity model to analyze temperature-dependent removal of micro-contaminants in sewage treatment plants

Effluents from sewage treatment plants (STPs) are known to contain residual micro-contaminants including endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) despite the utilization of various removal processes. Temperature alters the efficacy of removal processes; however, experimental measurements of EDC removal at various temperatures are limited. Extrapolation of EDC behavior over a wide temperature range is possible using available physicochemical property data followed by the correction of temperature dependency. A level II fugacity-based STP model was employed by inputting parameters obtained from the literature and estimated by the US EPA’s Estimations Programs Interface (EPI) including EPI’s BIOWIN for temperature-dependent biodegradation half-lives. EDC removals in a three-stage activated sludge system were modeled under various temperatures and hydraulic retention times (HRTs) for representative compounds of various properties. Sensitivity analysis indicates that temperature plays a significant role in the model outcomes. Increasing temperature considerably enhances the removal of β-estradiol, ethinyestradiol, bisphenol, phenol, and tetrachloroethylene, but not testosterone with the highest biodegradation rate. The shortcomings of BIOWIN were mitigated by the correction of highly temperature-dependent biodegradation rates using the Arrhenius equation. The model predicts well the effects of operating temperature and HRTs on the removal via volatilization, adsorption, and biodegradation. The model also reveals that an impractically long HRT is needed to achieve a high EDC removal. The STP model along with temperature corrections is able to provide some useful insight into the different patterns of STP performance, and useful operational considerations relevant to EDC removal at winter low temperatures.     

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.     

固硫灰渣深度处理焦化废水的实验研究

选用同硫灰渣深度处理经生化处理后焦化废水,采用分光光度计法评价焦化废水的处理效果,采用XRD、XRF、SEM和IR等分析材料的成分、结构和微观形貌等.结果表明,固硫灰渣用量60 g/L、吸附时间15 min,焦化废水的脱色率可达94.22%,COD从原水的76.01 mg/L降低到处理后的5.76 mg/L,NH+4-...