The behaviour of polychlorinated biphenyls in the primary sedimentation process of sewage treatment: A pilot plant study

The behaviour of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in the primary sedimentation stage of sewage treatment has been studied using a pilot scale primary sedimentation plant. The plant was operated at different hydraulic loadings, selected to cover the range expected during normal operation of a sewage treatment works. Concentrations of PCB in raw sewage were found to be in the low ng l^?1 range and in the high ng l^?1 range in primary sludges. A relationship between raw sewage PCB concentrations and variations in the raw sewage flow to the full-scale sewage treatment works was evident. Removal efficiencies of PCB were found to be highest at dry weather flow and lowest at three times dry weather flow, their removals being comparable to those of suspended solids. Mass balances of PCB and suspended solids in the treatment process have been calculated and the possible sources of error considered. Comparisons of the results have been made with those of previous studies. The implications of the presence of PCB in waste waters and sewage sludges for water re-use and sewage sludge disposal are discussed.     

Removal of zeolite type a during primary sedimentation and its effect on metal removal

Using two pilot plants operated in parallel, treating settled sewage the removal of the detergent builder zeolite type A during primary sedimentation has been studied. With one zeolite free pilot plant acting as a control to the other it was also possible to determine the effect of zeolite on suspended solids and heavy metal removal over a range of hydraulic loadings. At both influent concentrations of zeolite studied (30 and 60 mg l⁻¹) zeolite removal was substantial under all conditions. No evidence of enhanced removal of suspended solids in the presence of zeolite was observed. Removals of lead, zinc, copper and chromium were slightly enhanced in some experiments. The observed improvements in metal removal appeared to be strongly influenced by the sewage matrix.     

The trophic potential of sewage effluent resulting from various levels of treatment

On Italy's Adriatic coast there are a large number of aerobic sewage treatment plants, the majority of which do not feature high-efficiency tertiary treatment processes. In order to investigate the relationship between these plants and the trophic potential of the water they discharge, we constructed a pilot plant capable of reproducing the sewage treatment process with four different levels of purification on a rising scale of efficiency in terms of the best-known macronutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). Water samples taken at various points on the plant for each of the four operating modes underwent laboratory assessment to establish their trophic potential in relation to a dinoflagellate alga (Prorocentum micans). We were thus able to demonstrate that after biological treatment alone the sewage water has a high eutrophication effect; this gradually decreases as the nutrients are removed and virtually disappears when the plant is providing maximum removal at full efficiency.     

Bioanalytical tools for the evaluation of organic micropollutants during sewage treatment, water recycling and drinking water generation

A bioanalytical test battery was used for monitoring organic micropollutants across an indirect potable reuse scheme testing sites across the complete water cycle from sewage to drinking water to assess the efficacy of different treatment barriers. The indirect potable reuse scheme consists of seven treatment barriers: (1) source control, (2) wastewater treatment plant, (3) microfiltration, (4) reverse osmosis, (5) advanced oxidation, (6) natural environment in a reservoir and (7) drinking water treatment plant. Bioanalytical results provide complementary information to chemical analysis on the sum of micropollutants acting together in mixtures. Six endpoints targeting the groups of chemicals with modes of toxic action of particular relevance for human and environmental health were included in the evaluation: genotoxicity, estrogenicity (endocrine disruption), neurotoxicity, phytotoxicity, dioxin-like activity and non-specific cell toxicity. The toxicity of water samples was expressed as toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQ), a measure that translates the effect of the mixtures of unknown and potentially unidentified chemicals in a water sample to the effect that a known reference compound would cause. For each bioassay a different representative reference compound was selected. In this study, the TEQ concept was applied for the first time to the umuC test indicative of genotoxicity using 4-nitroquinoline as the reference compound for direct genotoxicity and benzo[a]pyrene for genotoxicity after metabolic activation.The TEQ were observed to decrease across the seven treatment barriers in all six selected bioassays. Each bioassay showed a differentiated picture representative for a different group of chemicals and their mixture effect. The TEQ of the samples across the seven barriers were in the same order of magnitude as seen during previous individual studies in wastewater and advanced water treatment plants and reservoirs. For the first time a benchmarking was performed that allows direct comparison of different treatment technologies and covers several orders of magnitude of TEQ from highly contaminated sewage to drinking water with TEQ close or below the limit of detection. Detection limits of the bioassays were decreased in comparison to earlier studies by optimizing sample preparation and test protocols, and were comparable to or lower than the quantification limits of the routine chemical analysis, which allowed monitoring of the presence and removal of micropollutants post Barrier 2 and in drinking water. The results obtained by bioanalytical tools were reproducible, robust and consistent with previous studies assessing the effectiveness of the wastewater and advanced water treatment plants. The results of this study indicate that bioanalytical results expressed as TEQ are useful to assess removal efficiency of micropollutants throughout all treatment steps of water recycling.     

Characterization of sewage solid-associated viruses and behavior in natural waters

The association of bacteriophages and animal viruses with solids has been demonstrated to have a protective effect, resulting in enhanced survival in natural waters and resistance to inactivation by chlorine. In this study, attempts were made to differentiate solid-associated viruses and freely suspended viruses in secondarily treated sewage by the retention of sewage solids on membrane filters treated with fetal calf serum to prevent adsorption of freely suspended virus. Solid-associated viruses collected on membrane filters were eluted with pH 11.5, 0.05 M glycine buffer. The percentage of the total coliphage and animal virus associated with solids in secondarily treated sewage discharges ranged from < 1.0 to 24% and 3 to 100%, respectively. The largest quantity of solid-associated coliphage was attached to particles greater than 8.0 μm and less than 0.65 μm in size. Tapwater, lake water and estuarine water were all capable of eluting solid-associated coliphages. Elution of coliphages in marine water appeared to be related to the salinity of the water. Coliphages eluted from sewage solids in seawater could readsorb to naturally occurring marine sediment.     

Monitoring the biological activity of micropollutants during advanced wastewater treatment with ozonation and activated carbon filtration

A bioanalytical test battery was used to monitor the removal efficiency of organic micropollutants during advanced wastewater treatment in the South Caboolture Water Reclamation Plant, Queensland, Australia. This plant treats effluent from a conventional sewage treatment plant for industrial water reuse. The aqueous samples were enriched using solid-phase extraction to separate some organic micropollutants of interest from metals, nutrients and matrix components. The bioassays were chosen to provide information on groups of chemicals with a common mode of toxic action. Therefore they can be considered as sum indicators to detect certain relevant groups of chemicals, not as the most ecologically or human health relevant endpoints. The baseline toxicity was quantified with the bioluminescence inhibition test using the marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri. The specific modes of toxic action that were targeted with five additional bioassays included aspects of estrogenicity, dioxin-like activity, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and phytotoxicity. While the accompanying publication discusses the treatment steps in more detail by drawing from the results of chemical analysis as well as the bioanalytical results, here we focus on the applicability and limitations of using bioassays for the purpose of determining the treatment efficacy of advanced water treatment and for water quality assessment in general. Results are reported in toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQ), that is, the concentration of a reference compound required to elicit the same response as the unknown and unidentified mixture of micropollutants actually present. TEQ proved to be useful and easily communicable despite some limitations and uncertainties in their derivation based on the mixture toxicity theory. The results obtained were reproducible, robust and sensitive. The TEQ in the influent ranged in the same order of magnitude as typically seen in effluents of conventional sewage treatment plants. In the initial steps of the treatment chain, no significant degradation of micropollutants was observed, and the high levels of dissolved organic carbon probably affected the outcome of the bioassays. The steps of coagulation/flocculation/dissolved air flotation/sand filtration and ozonation decreased the effect-based micropollutant burden significantly.     

Organic contaminants in the aquatic environment II. Behaviour and fate in the hydrological cycle

The literature concerning the behaviour and fate of organic compounds in natural aquatic systems and in water and waste-water-treatment processes is reviewed. The factors governing the transport of organic compounds in water bodies are considered and the physical, chemical and biological processes which may bring about their transformation are also reviewed.The behaviour and removal of individual classes of organic micropollutants in conventional unit waste-water-treatment processes are assessed, together with an evaluation of the effectiveness of both tertiary and advanced waste-water-treatment procedures in the exclusion of organic contaminants from waste waters. Consideration is also given to the behaviour of organics in sewage-sludge treatment.The role of water-treatment processes in the removal of organic pollutants from raw and recycled waters and the production of potentially harmful organics during chlorination or other disinfection procedures is evaluated.The fate of organic micropollutants in the hydrological cycle and the effects of the disposal of sewage sludges contaminated with organic substances of concern are discussed.     

Micropollutant removal by attached and suspended growth in a hybrid biofilm-activated sludge process

Removal of organic micropollutants in a hybrid biofilm-activated sludge process was investigated through batch experiments, modeling, and full-scale measurements. Batch experiments with carriers and activated sludge from the same full-scale reactor were performed to assess the micropollutant removal rates of the carrier biofilm under oxic conditions and the sludge under oxic and anoxic conditions. Clear differences in the micropollutant removal kinetics of the attached and suspended growth were demonstrated, often with considerably higher removal rates for the biofilm compared to the sludge. For several micropollutants, the removal rates were also affected by the redox conditions, i.e. oxic and anoxic. Removal rates obtained from the batch experiments were used to model the micropollutant removal in the full-scale process. The results from the model and plant measurements showed that the removal efficiency of the process can be predicted with acceptable accuracy (±25%) for most of the modeled micropollutants. Furthermore, the model estimations indicate that the attached growth in hybrid biofilm-activated sludge processes can contribute significantly to the removal of individual compounds, such as diclofenac.     

Study of river pollution caused by micropollutants

Of the polluting substances present in surface waters greatest importance is attributed to the micropollutants. Concerning the water quality of the Danube river, among the micropollutants, special attention should be devoted to the petroleum and phenol derivatives, further to some heavy metals (mercury, zinc, etc.). Phenolic compounds in the low concentrations encountered are readily soluble in water, so that they are present in small quantities only in the suspended solids and in the bottom sediment. Petroleum derivatives and fats are of great importance in this respect together with some heavy metals, which tend to adsorb to the suspended solids, respectively to form precipitates and thus to settle to the bottom.The investigations on quality variations were carried out over a Danube section upstream of Budapest. This section offers a model opportunity for studying changes in the pollutants tending to separate and form precipitates in water, the settling thereof as a function of flow conditions and time, etc.These investigations have offered an explanation for the “disappearance” of the persistent substances, which has been observed during the regular water analyses. The results of analyses performed on the water as well as on the bottom sediment are discussed in the paper.     

Occurrence and fate of quinolone and fluoroquinolone antibiotics in a municipal sewage treatment plant

This study developed a method for analysis of nineteen quinolone and fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs) in sludge samples, and investigated the occurrence and fate of the FQs in a municipal sewage treatment plant (STP) with anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic treatment processes. Eleven compounds, including pipemidic acid, fleroxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, lomefloxacin, sparfloxacin, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, and sarafloxacin (only in sludge), were detected in the STP. The predominance of ofloxacin and norfloxacin, followed by lomefloxacin, ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin, and moxifloxacin, were found in wastewater, suspended solids, and sludge. The total concentrations of FQs were 2573 ± 241 ng/L, 1013 ± 218 ng/L, and 18.4 ± 0.9 mg/kg in raw sewage, secondary effluent, and sludge, respectively. Extremely low mass change percentages were observed for FQs in anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic treatment units, suggesting biodegradation to be of minor importance in the removal of FQs in STPs. 50-87% of the initial FQs loadings (except for pipemidic acid (36%)) were ultimately found in the dewatered sludge. Mean removal efficiencies of FQs in the STP were 56-75%, except for new generation drugs such as moxifloxacin (40 ± 5%) and gatifloxacin (43 ± 13%). A significant positive correlation was found between removal efficiencies and K_d of FQs. The major factor in the removal of FQs in the STP was sorption to sludge, which was not governed by hydrophobic interactions. The long-term cycling and persistence of FQs in the STP has made activated sludge as a huge reservoir of FQ antibiotics.     

采用氧化沟工艺的某污水处理厂的设计与运行

某城市污水处理厂采用氧化沟处理工艺,占地省、运行费用低、处理效果好、工作可靠,系统对悬浮物、COD、BOD5的去除率分别为90.5%、73.1%、90.2%,均达到了设计要求.出水各项指标均达到了<污水综合排放标准>(GB 8978-1996)的二级标准.     

Rate and pathways of phosphorus assimilation in the Nepean River at Camden, New South Wales

The Nepean River receives effluent containing phosphorus from a sewage treatment plant at Camden, N.S.W. Phosphorus concentration, suspended solids, sediments and aquatic plants downstream of the outfall, were examined to determine the rate and pathways of phosphorus loss from the waterway.The phosphorus added was found to follow first order kinetics in its removal from the waterway. Two reaction pathways were discernible with over 90% of the added phosphorus being removed from the water column in 11 days, and the remainder in a further 70 days. The process remained constant from summer to winter and could be modelled for dry weather flows representing 68% of river flows.Soluble phosphorus was first incorporated into particles before being removed from the water column. Evidence is presented to show that the particles were predominantly phytoplankton and they were largely removed from the water column by littoral zone filtration. The second pathway appears to be sedimentation of nutrient laden particles.     

A pilot-scale evaluation of magnetic ion exchange treatment for removal of natural organic material and inorganic anions

The objective of this research was to evaluate a magnetic ion exchange process (MIEX) for the removal of natural organic material (NOM) and bromide on a continuous-flow pilot-scale basis under different operating conditions and raw water characteristics. The most important operating variable was the effective resin dose (ERD), which is the product of the steady-state resin concentration in the contactor and the regeneration ratio. The raw water employed in this study had a moderate concentration of ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing substances and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and a low turbidity, alkalinity, and concentration of competing anionic species. Experiments were conducted using the ambient raw water and raw water spiked with bromide, chloride, and sulfate. Substantial removal of UV-absorbing substances and DOC was achieved at ERDs as low as 0.16mL/L. Moderate bromide removal was achieved, depending on the ERD. Increasing the sulfate concentration resulted in decreased removal of UV-absorbing substances, DOC, and bromide. Consistent results were observed between the continuous-flow pilot plant tests and batch equilibrium studies.     

Tertiary filtered municipal wastewater as alternative water source in agriculture: a field investigation in Southern Italy

Results are reported concerning a 2-year field investigation on municipal wastewater reclamation for the irrigation of two experimental crops: tomato and fennel. Throughout the investigation, approximately 500 m(3) of tertiary membrane filtered wastewater without further disinfection was supplied to one of two parcels (500 m(2) each) of a test field located in Southern Italy. The second parcel was comparatively irrigated with 500 m(3) of conventional well water. Objectives of the investigation were (i) the evaluation of the performance of a membrane filtration pilot plant (productivity=0.7 m(3)h(-1)) for tertiary treatment and (ii) the comparison between agronomic results (features of soil and crops) after irrigation with reclaimed wastewater versus conventional groundwater. Over long term operation, the pilot plant performance resulted very good in terms of suspended solids and bacterial removal. Referring to the agronomic results, no substantial differences were observed after 2 years, both in terms of microbiological quality of the crops and characteristics of the soil. The whole results indicate membrane filtered municipal effluent as a viable alternative water resource for irrigation.     

Effect of biological and chemical oxidation on the removal of estrogenic compounds (NP and BPA) from wastewater: an integrated assessment procedure

A major source of the wide presence of EDCs (Endocrine Disrupting Compounds) in water bodies is represented by direct/indirect discharge of sewage. Recent scientific literature reports data about their trace concentration in water, sediments and aquatic organisms, as well as removal efficiencies of different wastewater treatment schemes. Despite the availability of a huge amount of data, some doubts still persist due to the difficulty in evaluating synergistic effects of trace pollutants in complex matrices. In this paper, an integrated assessment procedure was used, based on chemical and biological analyses, in order to compare the performance of two full scale biological wastewater treatment plants (either equipped with conventional settling tanks or with an ultrafiltration membrane unit) and tertiary ozonation (pilot scale).Nonylphenol and bisphenol A were chosen as model EDCs, together with the parent compounds mono- and di-ethoxylated nonylphenol (quantified by means of GC-MS). Water estrogenic activity was evaluated by applying the human breast cancer MCF-7 based reporter gene assay. Process parameters (e.g., sludge age, temperature) and conventional pollutants (e.g., COD, suspended solids) were also measured during monitoring campaigns.Conventional activated sludge achieved satisfactory removal of both analytes and estrogenicity. A further reduction of biological activity was exerted by MBR (Membrane Biological Reactor) as well as ozonation; the latter contributed also to decrease EDC concentrations.     

Micropollutants Levels In Macroinvertebrates Collected From Drinking Water Sources Of Delhi,India

Heavy metals and organochlorine pesticide's residues were measured in the benthic macroinvertebrates taken from raw water of three water works, namely the Gokulpuri water works (Yamuna tank and Ganga tank), Haiderpur water works and Wazirabad water works in the National Capital, Delhi, from January 1997 to July 1997. These water works obtain raw water supply from the River Yamuna, the Western Yamuna Canal and the Gang Canal. The biota samples collected with the help of artificial substratum were found to accumulate varying levels of these micropollutants. The disposal of partially treated/untreated wastewater and contribution of agricultural chemicals, like fertilizers and pesticides either through run-off or through ground water, may be the main sources of such micropollutants in biota.     

稳定塘工艺深度处理污水厂二级出水的研究

采用CAST/稳定塘组合工艺以实现城镇污水处理的功能提升。分析了该组合工艺在冬、夏两季最大处理水量时的运行效果,结果表明:稳定塘系统可有效去除二级处理出水中的氮、磷和悬浮物,冬季(HRT=6.4 d)对TN、氨氮、TP、COD和SS的去除率分别为40%、70%、55%、50%、70%,夏季(HRT=5.4 d)对上述指标的去除率分别为56%、97%、76%、55%、68%,处理效果优于冬季。两种工况下稳定塘系统的出水水质均可达到《城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准》(GB18918—2002)的一级A标准,可有效降低受纳水体的营养负荷。第一和第二单元去除了原水中大部分的污染物,其净化机理以微生物分解和物理化学作用为主,二者对去除污染物的总贡献率>70%;第三单元进水中的污染物浓度已经很低,主要作为系统出水水质的屏障。因此,CAST/稳定塘组合工艺用于提升城镇污水处理功能是可行的。     

Behaviour of chlorophenoxy herbicides during the activated sludge treatment of municipal waste water

The potential of the activated sludge treatment process for the removal of chlorophenoxy herbicides (CPH) from domestic waste water has been investigated. A series of laboratory jar tests and pilot plant experiments were performed using real settled sewage fortified with 10 μl⁻¹ of each of six CPH. The experiments were designed with the objective of assigning any CPH removal which might occur to a particular removal mechanism. In particular, the effect of varying the sludge age between each pilot plant experiment was studied, in view of the importance of sludge age in determining the biodegradative potential of activated sludge.Generally, activated sludge treatment proved ineffective in removing CPH contaminants from settled sewage. Statistical treatment of the data suggested that neither adsorption nor catabolic biodegradation were responsible for those significant CPH removals that did occur. Indeed, there was no evidence of acclimatization of the mixed liquor to the presence of CPH contaminants. Furthermore, there was no obvious effect of sludge age on the efficiency of CPH removal from settled sewage. However, the extent and pattern of substitution of CPH appeared to be important in determining the efficiency of CPH removal, which implies that a biological mechanism was involved. The likelihood that co-metabolism was responsible for CPH removal has been considered.The possible implications of poor CPH removal by activated sludge treatment have been discussed, with reference to the relevant EEC legislation.     

The Application of Cross-flow Microfiltration Technology to the Concentration of Sewage Works Sludge Streams

A LOCALLY DEVELOPED cross-flow microfiltration process using woven fabric tubes was used to concentrate waste activated sludge and anaerobic digested sludge from a conventional sewage works.
Results showed that waste activated sludge could be concentrated from 5 to 50 g/l total solids. The permeate quality was good (0 to 50 mg/l suspended solids), but deteriorated both with time and increasing feed solids concentration.
A cross-flow microfilter was coupled to a pilot scale anaerobic digester and the digester solids were increased from 26 to 55 g/l total solids. The organic loading to the digester was increased from 1.8 to 3.1 kg volatile solids per m³ per day. The solids retention time was held constant at 26 days, while the liquid retention time was decreased from 26 to 14 days. The permeate quality was significantly better than the supernatant liquor from a comparable digester (suspended solids 122 and 570 mg/l, respectively).
Data obtained from the cross-flow microfiltration of waste activated sludge was used to regress for the constants in a mathematical model of steady-state flux.     

The effects of pH and suspended solids in the removal of organics from waters and wastewaters by the activated carbon adsorption process

The effects of pH, inorganic suspended solids and organic suspended solids on the adsorption of organics by activated carbon were investigated using sewage effluents and selected organic compounds of varying size, structure, molecular weight and properties in model solutions. It was found that suspended solids, and in particular organic suspended solids, could interfere with the adsorption process, both in terms of adsorption capacity and adsorption rate; the effect of the solids diminished as the size of the adsorbate increased. The effect of pH variation became more significant as the acidity or basicity of the adsorbate in solution increased. Adsorption of organics from biologically treated sewage effluents was somewhat more effective in the acid and alkaline pH regions than in the neutral pH region.