Ozonation and reductive deiodination of iopromide to reduce the environmental burden of iodinated X-ray contrast media.

The potential of ozonation for the removal of iodinated X-ray contrast media (ICM) with focus on the oxidation products was examined. Iopromide used as model compound was dissolved in tap water, respectively in the effluent of a membrane bioreactor and was ozonated. Ozone (10 mg/L) was continuously introduced into a semi-batch reactor (35 L/h). After 30 minutes the ozone concentration was increased to 30 mg/L. In all experiments the iopromide concentration decreased very fast, whereas the decrease of the amount of organic bound iodine (AOI) was much lower. The concentration of iodate, the inorganic oxidation product increases with time, depending on the AOI decrease. The data clearly show that the ozonation of iopromide using a common applied ozone dosage leads to the formation of numerous iodinated transformation products, which are detectable by LC-ESI-MS. As an alternative treatment, especially for the treatment of urine or hospital waste water, the source for the contamination, it was tested if iopromide can be deiodinated by zero-valent iron. First experiments done in stirred batch reactors using iopromide dissolved in ultra pure water and urine with an initial pH of 2 showed that iopromide can be deiodinated completely by zero-valent iron. Even in contaminated urine collected in a hospital a deiodination of ICM was possible. Kinetic studies at constant pH showed that the deiodination can be described by pseudo-first order for equal iopromide and iron concentrations. The observed rate constant kobs increased with decreasing pH with a maximum at pH 3 with 4.76x10(-4) s(-1). The concentration of iopromide can be decreased by ozonation and by the reductive dehalogenation. In case of ozonation iodinated organic compounds are the main reaction products, whereas the reductive dehalogenation leads to transformation products which are not iodinated and are thus most probable biodegradable.     

Copper Complexation and Toxicity to Daphnia in Natural Waters

Toxicity of copper to Daphnia magna in artificial medium, artificial medium plus algae, and natural water from Hamilton Harbour and Lake Ontario was determined, with and without added Tris, in order to test the assumption that free cupric ion concentrations are the same in equivalently toxic media even when total copper concentrations vary. Free cupric ion concentrations were calculated from the increase in the total copper concentration tolerated after Tris addition and from cupric ion electrode measurements. Copper toxicity was greatest in inorganic medium, lowest in inorganic medium plus algae and in Hamilton Harbour water, and intermediate in lake water. However, after Tris addition, toxicity was greatest in lake water and lowest in inorganic medium and inorganic medium plus algae. Both the bioassay and electrode data indicate that free cupric ion concentrations differ in different test waters when toxicity is the same. Free metal concentrations do not, therefore, provide a good measure of copper toxicity for Daphnia in natural waters.     

溶解氧对同步硝化反硝化脱氮影响研究

以实际生活污水为处理对象,利用生物膜内所具有的A/O环境,针对DO浓度对生物膜法同步脱氮效果影响进行试验研究.研究结果表明,在DO为2.5 mg/L时SND脱氮效果达最佳,TN去除率近70%;DO浓度过高或过低都不利于生物膜内部DO浓度梯度的形成,合理控制DO浓度,对生物膜法同步脱氮尤为重要.     

A survey of endocrine disrupting chemicals in sewage and a preliminary treatment trial.

This paper demonstrates that synthetic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) (e.g. bisphenol-A) and natural EDCs (e.g. estrone and 17beta-estradiol) were found in the crude sewage from two sewage treatment works. Conventional biological processes can lower EDC concentrations to several hundred nanograms per litre. Because natural EDCs (e.g. estrone and 17beta1-estradiol) have biological activity and an adverse impact on the environment at extremely low concentrations (several tens of nanograms per litre), and because the existing wastewater/sewage treatment processes are not adequate to reduce natural EDC concentrations lower than 100 ng L(-1), further treatment after conventional biological processes is required. Preliminary trials with ferrate (VI) and electrochemical oxidation processes demonstrated that the former is more effective than the latter in reducing EDC concentrations, and that both the processes can effectively reduce EDCs to very low levels, ranging between 20 and 100 ng L(-1).     

典型人工纳米材料的水环境行为研究进展

概述典型人工纳米材料释放到水环境中可能发生的团聚、沉降、溶解等行为及其影响因素(包括pH值、离子强度、天然有机物、无机胶体、水动力条件等)。这些水环境条件通过静电作用、位阻效应、桥联作用与溶解离子络合作用等影响纳米颗粒的行为。分析当前研究的不足,认为应开展自然环境条件下的纳米材料行为研究,例如更低浓度的纳米材料环境行为、纳米材料与天然胶体之间的相互作用等,为进一步研究和预测人工纳米材料在水环境中的归趋提供理论依据。     

Dynamics of photosynthetic pigments in an Andean lake in Colombia

Guatavita Lake is a small, sheltered tropical high mountain lake located in the Colombian Andes, with a closed watershed and a maximum depth of 25 m. It is the freshwater source for human consumption in nearby small towns, as well as being a site of cultural value for the country, as it was a sacred place to indigenous peoples until about five centuries ago. As the structure and function of this aquatic ecosystem is poorly understood, this study provides initial knowledge on its phytoplankton biomass dynamics, which should be useful in designing efficient management plans with environmental baseline information for similar lakes elsewhere. Physical and chemical data, and photosynthetic pigment concentrations, were measured for the period November 1999–November 2000 at the central vertical axis of Guatavita Lake. The vertical profile of the chlorophyll‐a concentration was closely related to the dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations and the thermal stratification characteristics. The maximum chlorophyll‐a concentration in the metalimnion was recorded for the thermal stratification period (November 1999–June 2000). Deepening of the maximum chlorophyll‐a concentration began in February, continuing to June, when it reached its lowest value at the 15 m depth. The phytoplankton biomass values showed an increment within the entire water column at the beginning of the mixing period (July). The relation between the metalimnetic peak of chlorophyll‐a and the dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration suggests the growth of the phytoplankton community is limited mainly by the availability of nitrogen.     

Aerobic transformations in sewer systems: are they relevant?

In-sewer transformation processes affect wastewater quality. Especially during dwf the transformation processes can exert a significant influence on wastewater quality. The transformation rates under aerobic conditions were estimated from an oxygen mass balance over a sewer reach. Oxygen probes were installed at the upstream and downstream end of the sewer reach. Moreover, 14 wastewater samples, taken at the downstream end of the sewer reach, were used to measure the oxygen uptake rate and the water quality parameters COD(total), COD(dissolved) and ammonium. The results show that the rate of fluctuations in COD concentrations in sewer systems is an order of magnitude higher than the aerobic transformation rate. Consequently, it is concluded that the aerobic transformations in sewer systems are generally not relevant with respect to the influent fluctuations for Dutch wastewater systems. However, in situations with very long aerobic transport times, the aerobic conversions can be significant. An ASM1 based model concept for transformations in sewer systems was used to study the applicability of the model for Dutch sewer conditions. The difference between the measured and simulated values was rather low for the range of upstream dissolved oxygen and COD(total), COD(dissolved) and COD(suspended) levels. Therefore, it is concluded that the ASM1 based sewer model properly describes the changes in dissolved oxygen level in an aerobic sewer reach.     

Predicting suspended sediment concentration from nephelometric turbidity in organic‐rich waters

Nephelometric turbidity is an optical index for the side scattering of light caused by fine particles suspended in water. When a mixed composition of suspended inorganic and organic materials, including dissolved organic material, is present, turbidity measurements can be affected by the different optical properties of the organic and inorganic materials present, and different turbidimeters are more or less sensitive to these influences. Two different methods of nephelometric turbidity measurement were assessed (using instruments confirming to two different turbidity standard methods: EPA 180.1 and ISO 7027). We investigated the influence of particulate organic matter and coloured dissolved organic matter on relationships between turbidity and suspended sediment concentration for rivers in diverse Otago catchments, in the South Island of New Zealand. The presence of organic matter and dissolved colour affected turbidity measurement owing to light absorption; however, turbidity measurement following the ISO 7027 standard, which specifies near infrared radiation at wavelengths where organic absorption is very weak, was less affected by organics. As a result, rating equations between suspended sediment and turbidity may be significantly different with ISO 7027 compared with EPA 180.1 methods.     

Chemical denitrification for nitrogen removal from landfill leachate.

A new system that removes nitrogen from landfill leachate and other waste waters with similar properties has been proposed with nitritation (i.e. oxidation of ammonium to nitrite) of half of the influent ammonium followed by chemical denitrification with a reaction between equal amounts of ammonium and nitrite to form nitrogen gas. Chemical denitrification occurs at high concentrations and the reactions were studied in combination with a concentration step. Studied concentration methods were freezing/thawing and evaporation/drying. Chemical denitrification is well-known in inorganic chemistry and has been observed in natural systems. Studies in laboratory were focused on chemical denitrification and showed that nearly complete removal of soluble nitrogen can be obtained in evaporation/drying of water solutions or leachate with equal amounts of ammonium and nitrite. Freezing/drying was less efficient with a removal of about 50-60% at high initial concentrations. Chemical denitrification is much influenced by concentration, pH-value, temperature and some compounds in leachate have an inhibiting effect on the reaction. Factors as safety (ammonium nitrite as a salt is explosive above 60 degrees C) and possible side-reactions as formation of ammonia and nitrogen oxides must be carefully evaluated before use in full-scale. Conductivity is a suitable parameter to follow-up the chemical denitrification process.     

Influence of river regulation on nitrogen and phosphorus mass transport in a large south American river

The Paraná upper reaches, above the confluence with the Paraguay River, drains a predominantly humid, tropical-subtropical basin that has been extensively altered by anthropogenic activities. Deforestation followed by intense mechanized agriculture has progressively increased in the last decades. Many industrial settlements and hydroelectric impoundments have been developed. Suspended matter, total phosphorus, and inorganic nitrogen exportation rates were estimated at 14 t km^?2 y^?1, 28kg TP km^?2 y^?1 and 188kg N km ^?2 y^?1 respectively. These rates are compartively low when compared to other areas of the world. It was estimated that riverine mass transport represented roughly 6 per cent of the phosphorus and 20 per cent of the nitrogen inputs in the basin. Mass transport of suspended matter and soluble reactive phosphorus are lower and inorganic nitrogen higher than in 1967–1969. Siltation in the man-made lakes reduced both suspended matter and phosphorus transport. Inorganic nitrogen increase is thought to be related to increased fertilizer inputs.     

基于节能的鼓风曝气系统溶解氧稳定智能控制方法

目前,国内大多数采用活性污泥法的城市污水处理厂的曝气控制系统普遍存在着溶解氧浓度波动大、曝气量冗余大、曝气单元能耗高等问题。介绍了一种基于气量动态变化反馈控制原理与PID反馈控制原理的鼓风曝气系统溶解氧稳定智能控制方法,该方法可以使曝气池适应污水处理厂进水水量和水质的变化,保持溶解氧浓度的稳定,对污水处理厂稳定安全的运行和降低系统能耗均有显著效果。该方法对于采用鼓风曝气的活性污泥法工艺具有良好的普适性和有效性,并在实际应用中取得了很好的效果。     

Modifying ADM1 to include formation and emission of odourants.

A mathematical model that is based upon the ADM1 structure has been developed to describe the formation and emission of odourous compounds in anaerobic sludge digestion. Special emphasis is given to the general mechanisms for the formation of common odorous sulfur compounds that are found in anaerobic digesters: methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulfide and hydrogen sulfide, as well as volatile fatty acids and ammonia. The model includes multiple-reaction stoichiometry, microbial growth kinetics and conventional material balances for an ideally mixed reactor. Simulations that were performed with the model revealed that changes in common operational parameters such as temperature, HRT and sludge metal content can dramatically impact upon the gas phase concentrations of odourants. Additional research is required to reduce uncertainty in the model formulation.     

Bioavailability of a nonylphenol isomer in dependence on the association to dissolved humic substances.

Humic substances are important environmental components since they represent a very large part of organic compounds on earth. According to many reports, dissolved humic substances are a determinant parameter for the bioavailability of xenobiotic compounds. For the present bioavailability studies, two kinds of dissolved humic substances, a commercially available humic acid and fulvic acids isolated from peat were used. As the relevant xenobiotic, a defined branched nonylphenol isomer, 4(3',5'-dimethyl-3'-heptyl)-phenol (p353NP) was synthesised according to Friedel-Crafts alkylation. Equilibrium dialysis studies were implemented in order to investigate the association between 14C-labelled p353NP and dissolved humic substances. The biodegradability in the presence of dissolved humic substances was examined in experiments with the nonylphenol degrading bacterium strain Sphingomonas TTNP3 and with p353NP as sole carbon source. The results showed that p353NP-humic acid associates were formed in high amounts, whereas no adducts with fulvic acids occurred. In the degradation studies with Sphingomonas TTNP3, no effects of dissolved humic substances on the bioavailability of p353NP could be observed. It was assumed that the association between nonylphenol and humic acids occurs rapidly and is reversible. Thus, the formation of "labile" complexes did not influence biodegradation rates, which were quite low.     

A mass balance study on nitrification and deammonification in vertical flow constructed wetlands treating landfill leachate.

A laboratory-scale, mass-balance study was carried out on the transformation of nitrogenous pollutants in four vertical flow wetland columns. Landfill leachate containing low organic matter, but a high concentration of ammoniacal-nitrogen, was treated under dissolved oxygen concentrations close to saturation. Influent total nitrogen (TN) comprised ammoniacal-nitrogen with less than 1% nitrate and nitrite, negligible organic nitrogen, and very low BOD. Nitrification occurred in three of the four columns. There was a substantial loss of total nitrogen (52%) in one column, whereas other columns exhibited zero to minor losses (< 12%). Nitrogen loss under study conditions was unexpected. Two hypotheses are proposed to account for it: (1) either the loss of TN is attributed to nitrogen transformation into a form (provisionally termed alpha-nitrogen) that is undetectable by the analytical methods used; or (2) the loss is caused by microbial denitrification or deammonification. By elimination and stoichiometric mass balance calculations, completely autotrophic nitrogen-removal over nitrite (CANON) deammonification is confirmed as responsible for nitrogen loss in one column. This result reveals that CANON can be native to aerobic engineered wetland systems treating high ammonia, low organic content wastewater.     

The basics of oxidants in water treatment. Part B: ozone reactions.

The oxidation of organic and inorganic compounds during ozonation can occur via ozone or OH radicals or a combination thereof. Ozone is an electrophile with a high selectivity. The reactions of ozone with inorganic compounds are typically fast and occur by an oxygen atom transfer reaction. Organic micropollutants are oxidised with ozone selectively. Ozone reacts mainly with double bonds, activated aromatic systems and non-protonated amines. The kinetics of direct ozone reactions depend strongly on the speciation (acid-base, metal complexation). The reaction of OH radicals with the majority of inorganic and organic compounds is nearly diffusion-controlled. The degree of oxidation by ozone and OH radicals is given by the corresponding kinetics and the ratio of the concentration of the two oxidants. Product formation from the ozonation of organic micropollutants has only been established for a few compounds. Numerous organic and inorganic ozonation disinfection/oxidation byproducts have been identified. The byproduct of main concern is bromate, which is formed in bromide-containing waters. A low drinking water standard of 10 microgL(-1) has been set for bromate. In certain cases (bromide > approximately 50 microgL(-1)), it may be necessary to use control measures to lower bromate formation (lowering of pH, ammonia addition, chlorination-ammonia process).     

Accumulation of fine sediment within substrate gravels along two regulated rivers,UK

The channel-bed materials have a marked influence on the biota of lotic systems. Experimental studies suggest that flow regulation, specificially the reduction in magnitude of flood events, may lead to the infiltration of fine particles into, and the concentration of these sediments within, open framework gravels downstream from tributary sediment sources. This paper examines the distribution of fines (sub-2 mm), within channel substrate gravels along two regulated rivers in upland Britain. Bulk- and freeze-sample techniques were used: the latter yielded volumes of fines five times those of the former. This emphasizes the problem of wash-out during bulk-sample collection, especially in compact, coarse gravel substrates. Nevertheless, the same spatial pattern was revealed by both data sets. Along both regulated rivers, the proportion of the substrate finer than 2 mm exceeds 20 per cent, by weight, below tributary confluences, contrasting with values for non-regulated sites of less than 5 per cent. Both the amount and size of matrix sediments decrease downstream from the confluences. The spatial scale of the impact is small and the resultant ecological consequences of substrate sedimentation are likely to be localized.     

Hydrological changes and river regulation in the UK

Water levels of streams and rivers in the United Kingdom have been regulated by weirs for more than one thousand years, but regulation of the flow regime by impoundments began in the latter half on the 19th Century. Organized river flow measurements were not undertaken until 1935, and today the average record length is about 20 years. Only three gauging stations have provided data suitable for pre- and post-impoundment comparisons. Other studies have relied on the comparison of regulated and naturalized discharges. In either case climate and land-use changes make evaluation of the hydrological effect of impoundments problematic. This paper reviews research on hydrological changes due to river regulation in the UK, and presents a case study of the River Severn to evaluate the influence of Clywedog Reservoir on flood magnitude and frequency. Consequent upon dam completion, on average, median flows have been reduced by about 50per cent; mean annual floods have been reduced by about 30per cent; and low flows have been maintained at about 22 per cent higher than the natural Q₉₅ discharge. However, marked differences exist between rivers. The direct effect of reservoir compensation flows and the indirect effect of inter basin transfers for supply have significantly increased minimum flows in most rivers, although in the case of the latter this involves the discharge of treated effluents. In contrast, the effects of impoundments on flood magnitude and frequency is less clear and on the River Severn, at least, changes in flood hydrology during the past two decades are shown to be more related to climate change than to river regulation.     

Characterizing natural dissolved organic matter in a freshly submerged catchment (Three Gorges Dam, China) using UV absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy and PARAFAC

This study applied parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) to fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) of natural water samples in a freshly submerged catchment in the upper reach of Three Gorges Dam (China). Two fluorescent natural dissolved organic matter (NDOM) components (humic/fulvic-like) were uncovered and were positively correlated with selected water quality parameters, i.e. dissolved oxygen concentration, dissolved organic carbon concentration, dissolved Kjeldahl nitrogen concentration and total (dissolved plus particulate) phosphorus concentration, respectively. To other water quality parameters (i.e. total nitrogen, particulate nitrogen, particulate phosphorus, dissolved phosphorus, dissolved nitrate, pH, and chemical oxygen demand), either the two components did not show any correlation or only one component showed correlation. In particular, particulate N correlated significantly to the fulvic acid, but not to the humic acid. Meanwhile, two conventional spectroscopic indices i.e. specific UV absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA254) and fluorescence index (FI) indicated that the whole NDOM in the waters were low in aromaticity and predominantly derived from aquatic microbial processes. Given together, it concludes that N and P did not function equally in the NDOM production, and the two components were not derived from the same microbial processes. The EEMs-PARAFAC has proven to be of potential as an effective tool in investigation of the interlink between NDOM and nutrients which may be utilized as an indicator of water environment.     

High rate nitrogen removal by the CANON process at ambient temperature

Completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) is a cost-effective nitrogen removal process. Implementation of the CANON process relies on the cooperation of ammonium-oxidizing and Anammox bacteria, as well as the inhibition of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. Strict limitations on dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the reactor, and the addition of sufficient inorganic carbon in the influent, were adopted as the main operational strategies. The reactor was fed with synthetic inorganic wastewater composed mainly of NH(4)(+)-N, and operated for 106 days. Stable nitrogen removal rates (NRR) of around 1.4 kg N m(-3) d(-1) were obtained at ambient temperature. Morphological characteristics and analysis of bacterial community confirmed the formation of functional outer aerobic and inner anaerobic granular sludge, providing evidence of stable nitrogen removal.     

Transports in the Duluth-Superior Harbor

A hydrodynamic model and a water quality model for the Duluth-Superior harbor are developed and verified by using data on currents, water levels, and water quality parameters. The water quality model is subsequently used to simulate the transport of particulates resuspended by ship traffic and the dispersal of dissolved material spilled into the harbor at a major industrial site.Resuspension of bottom sediments by ship traffic is an important secondary source of harbor turbidity. Suspended solids in ship resuspension plumes range from 10 to 50 mg/L, five times the usual concentration of suspended solids in the harbor. An estimated 10⁵ kg of material is resuspended per passage of a ship. The resuspended material is coarse and settles rapidly, thus only 0.1% of the material flows out directly into Lake Superior. Most of the material resuspended by ship traffic is redistributed to the low turbulence areas within the shipping channels.It was found that a spill of dissolved pollutant in the inner harbor would take from 8 to 21 days to reach Lake Superior at peak concentrations. The peak concentration of pollutant at the lake entries depends on seiche amplitude and ranges from 0.05 to 0.1% of the initial concentration at the spill site. At a 0.1% concentration level, the spill would extend over 30% of the harbor, and would remain in the harbor for 30 to 40 days.