Solid-phase microextraction to monitor the sonochemical degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with GC-MS has been used to monitor the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by ultrasound treatment. Immersion SPME sampling enabled the fast and solventless extraction of target contaminants at the low microg l(-1) concentration level. The developed protocol was found to be linear in the concentration range from 0.1 to 50 microg l(-1) for most target analytes, with the limits of detection ranging between 0.01 and 0.70 microg l(-1) and the relative standard deviations between 4.31 and 27%. The developed SPME protocol was used to follow concentration profiles of aqueous solutions containing 16 PAHs, which were subject to low frequency ultrasonic irradiation. At the conditions employed in this study (80 kHz of ultrasound frequency, 130 W l(-1) of applied electric power density, 30 microg l(-1) of initial concentration for each of the 16 PAHs), sonochemical treatment was found capable of destroying the lower molecular weight PAHs (naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene) within 120-180 min of irradiation. The higher molecular weight PAHs were more recalcitrant to ultrasound treatment.     

Removal of pathogens from greywater using green roofs combined with chlorination

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Greywater is an important alternative water resource which could be treated and reused in buildings, reducing the freshwater demand in drought...     

Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in wastewater treatment plant effluents using hollow fibre liquid-phase microextraction

A simple and efficient method for the enrichment of low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in effluents originating from wastewater treatment plants is presented here. The proposed protocol couples the recently introduced hollow fibre liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) method with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Method parameters were controlled and the optimised experimental conditions were: 5 ml aqueous samples, containing 2.5% NaCl w/v, stirred at 1000 rpm, extracted with toluene for 15 min. The developed protocol yielded a linear calibration curve in the concentration range from 0.5 to 50 microg l(-1) for all target analytes (namely acenaphthene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene) and limits of detection in the low microg l(-1) level (0.005-0.011 microg l(-1)). The repeatability and inter-day precision of the method varied between 2.7% and 11.3% and 7.9% and 14.4% respectively. The relative recoveries from different types of natural water samples revealed that matrix had a small effect on the hollow fibre LPME process. The developed method was then applied for the determination of PAHs contamination in effluent samples taken from two major municipal wastewater treatment plants. The results were compared with those obtained with solid-phase microextraction. The ability of both microextraction methods to concentrate organic analytes was demonstrated as both methods confirmed the presence of PAHs as well as of phthalates in the examined effluent samples.     

Treatment of olive mill effluents Part I. Organic matter degradation by chemical and biological processes--an overview

Olive mill effluents constitute a serious environmental problem in the Mediterranean Sea region due to the unique features associated with this type of agro-waste (i.e. seasonal and localized production, high and diverse organic load, low flow rates). Therefore, it is not surprising that research efforts have been directed towards the development of efficient treatment technologies including various physico-chemical and biological processes. This work reviews recent advances regarding olive mill effluent treatment with emphasis given on biological and chemical degradation processes.     

Biodegradation of Aliphatic and Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Specificity among Bacteria Isolated from Refinery Waste Sludge

Indigenous microorganisms, enriched and isolated from refinery waste sludge, were observed to possess a broad range of metabolic activities for mixtures of several classes of substrates of petroleum hydrocarbons, such as monoaromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and n- and branched alkanes. Three of the best-growing bacterial isolates selectively enriched with these compounds were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as belonging to the genera Enterobacter and Ochrobactrum. Two of them, Enterobacter sp. strain EK3.1 and Ochrobactrum sp. strain EK6 utilise a hydrocarbon mixture of the branched alkane 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane and the PAHs acenaphthylene and acenaphthene. Enterobacter sp. strain EK4 can grow with a mixture of 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane, toluene, acenaphthylene and acenaphthene as carbon sources. Nucleic acid fingerprint analysis, by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of the PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes, of the autochthonous bacterial community in contaminated soil samples showed complex and different community structures under different treatments of refinery waste sludge in landfarm areas. The characteristic peaks of the T-RFLP profiles of the individual, isolated degrading bacteria Enterobacter spp. and Ochrobactrum sp. were detected in the T-RFLP fingerprint of the bacterial community of the four months old treated landfarm soil, suggesting the enrichment of bacteria belonging to the same operational taxonomic units, as well as their importance in degrading activity.     

Use of halophytes in pilot-scale horizontal flow constructed wetland treating domestic wastewater

Recent findings encourage the use of halophytes in constructed wetlands for domestic wastewater treatment due to their special physiological characteristics as the ability to accumulate heavy metals and salts in their tissues makes them ideal candidates for constructed wetland vegetation. In this particular study, we investigated the application of halophytic plants in a horizontal flow constructed wetland for domestic wastewater treatment purposes. The pilot plant which was situated in Crete (Greece) was planted with a polyculture of halophytes (Tamarix parviflora, Juncus acutus, Sarcocornia perrenis, and Limoniastrum monopetalum). The system’s performance was monitored for a period of 11 months during which it received primary treated wastewater from the local wastewater treatment plant. Results show that halophytes developed successfully in the constructed wetland and achieved organic matter and pathogen removal efficiencies comparable to those reported for reeds in previous works (63% and 1.6 log units, respectively). In addition, boron concentration in the effluent was reduced by 40% in comparison with the influent. Salinity as expressed by electrical conductivity did not change during the treatment, indicating that the accumulation of salts in the leaves is not able to overcome electrical conductivity increasing due to evapotranspiration. The results indicate an improvement in the treatment of domestic wastewater via the use of halophyte-planted CWs.     

Constructed wetlands treating highway runoff in the central Mediterranean region

Two free water surface (FWS) and two subsurface flow (SSF) pilot-size constructed wetlands treating highway runoff (HRO) were monitored over a period of two years (September 2005-August 2007). One FWS and one SSF were designed with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12h, named FWS12 and SSF12, respectively, with each one capable of treating a maximum HRO of 12.6 m(3) d(-1). The other couple, named FWS24 and SSF24, respectively, was designed with an HRT of 24h, with each receiving a maximum HRO of 6.3 m(3) d(-1). The influent flowed from a highway section with a total surface 2752 m(2) on the island of Crete, Greece, in the heart of the South-Central Mediterranean region. Influent and effluent were monitored for COD, TSS, total N (TN), NO(3)(-) and total P (TP) concentrations. Furthermore, removal efficiencies were examined for heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) for both years, while polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs) were examined for the period between September 2006 and August 2007. The influent had a two-year average COD value of 101 mg l(-1), whereas the mean values for TSS, TN, N-NO(3)(-) and TP were 203, 4.30, 1.25 and 4.17 mg l(-1), respectively. For Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn the respective two-year mean influent concentrations were 56, 114, 49 and 250 microg l(-1). Mean concentration of total PAHs in runoff (summation operator PAHs, 16 compounds) were 12.01 microg l(-1). The performance among the four beds was not significantly different according to ANOVA analysis followed by Tukey test (at p<0.05) for almost all the above physicochemical parameters, suggesting that all systems performed in a similar way. All studied systems, achieved a mean of two-year removal efficiencies of 47% for COD, 89% for TSS, 49% for TN, 58% for N-NO(3)(-), 60% for TP, 47% for Cu, 23% for Ni, 33% for Pb, 61% for Zn and 59% for summation operator PAHs (16 compounds).     

Phytoextraction of Pb and Cd by the Mediterranean saltbush (Atriplex halimus L.): metal uptake in relation to salinity

Background, aim, and scope  

The success of phytoextraction depends upon the identification of suitable plant species that hyperaccumulate heavy metals and produce large amounts of biomass using established agricultural techniques. In this study, the Mediterranean saltbush Atriplex halimus L., which is a C4 perennial native shrub of Mediterranean basin with an excellent tolerance to drought and salinity, is investigated with the main aim to assess its phytoremediation potential for Pb and Cd removal from contaminated soils. In particular, the influence of soil salinity in metal accumulation has been studied as there is notable evidence that salinity changes the bioavailability of metals in soil and is a key factor in the translocation of metals from roots to the aerial parts of the plant.     

Sonochemical reduction of the antioxidant activity of olive mill wastewater

The use of ultrasonic irradiation to reduce the antioxidant activity of olive oil mill wastewaters (OMWs) originating from two-phase and three-phase decanters was examined. Sonication of diluted OMW samples was conducted at ultrasonic frequencies of 24 and 80 kHz, an applied power varying between 75 and 150 W, and liquid bulk temperatures varying between 25 and 60 degrees C. At the conditions in question, the reduction in antioxidant activity was found to increase with decreasing temperature and increasing power and frequency. Addition of NaCl in the samples also appeared to enhance reduction. Antioxidant activity of OMW samples was assessed using the recently developed Co(II)/ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-induced luminol chemiluminescence analytical protocol, while the total phenolic load was measured according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method.     

Determination of Enterobacteria in Air and Wastewater Samples from a Wastewater Treatment Plant by Epi-Fluorescence Microscopy

Bacteria, fungi and viruses are often encountered in aerosols and they can be pathogenic or cause allergies following inhalation. Wastewater treatment facilities have been found to generate bioaerosols, which are transported by the prevailing winds downstream to areas that can be up to several hundred meters away. Bioaerosol formation has a significant effect on air quality in the vicinity of the treatment plants. The amount and characteristics of the formed bioaerosols depend on the aeration system employed at the aeration tank of the wastewater treatment facility. In this work we determined Enterobacteria in air and wastewater samples at the main wastewater treatment facility of the city of Chania (Crete, Greece). Concentrations of airborne bacteria were measured near the aeration and sedimentation tanks. Samples of airborne bacteria were taken by using Merck’s MAS-100 bioaerosol collector followed by incubation and enumeration of the colonies. The use of different growth media enabled the separation and enumeration of several classes of microorganisms. As part of this study, Enterobacteria in air samples were also determined by filtration sampling followed by analysis of the collected microorganisms using DAPI staining to determine total cell counts (both viable and non-viable cells). Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with specific 23S rRNA probes was also used in order to identify specific groups of microorganisms (well known pathogens) present in the bioaerosols. The analysis was also performed in wastewater taken from the aeration and secondary sedimentation tanks in an effort to correlate the airborne bacteria with those in the wastewater.