Oestrogenicity and Wastewater Recycling: Experience from Essex and Suffolk Water

Research into possible endocrine disrupters and their effects, which is necessary to prove the safety of recycling schemes, is described. The research concentrated on the analysis of three steroid oestrogens and on trout bioassay (vitellogenin). The work was carried out in (a) experimental fish tanks using various mixtures of river water and treated wastewater, (b) pilot plants for wastewater and potable water treatment, and (c) monitoring the oestrogenic effects of discharging disinfected treated wastewater into Hanningfield reservoir during the 1995–98 drought. The overall conclusion is that the presence of minute traces of oestrogens in wastewater is not an insurmountable problem because they can be removed by dilution and self-purification in rivers and reservoirs, by activated carbon and ultraviolet radiation in the recycling plant, and by ozone and activated carbon in water-treatment plants.     

Applications of Anaerobic Digestion for the Treatment of Industrial Wastewaters in Europe

For many decades, anaerobic digestion has been the most important technique of sewage sludge treatment at larger sewage-treatment works. Also, the low running costs of the process make it attractive for the treatment of strong industrial effluents. This paper reviews these advantages and discusses some disadvantages of the anaerobic treatment of industrial effluent. Operating and cost data are presented from Europe and from a detailed UK case study which supports the conclusion that anaerobic treatment will be the most cost-effective method of treatment of strong industrial effluents such as those from food and paper processing.     

The Fate of Heavy Metals in Pilot-Plant Scale Upflow Sludge-Blanket Clarifiers

T he R emoval of heavy metals and aluminium residuals during upflow sludge-blanket clarification was investigated using a pilot-plant system. Pilot units treating predosed raw water on site were assessed for sludge-blanket formation and stabilization, and were found to produce clarified water of a comparable quality to the main works units after the start-up and stabilization periods were complete. The heavy metals Cr, Fe, Mn, and Ni were the only heavy metals detectable at the investigation site and these occurred at concentrations well below guidelines values for potable abstraction and supply.
Mean removals of Fe, Mn, Cr, and Ni were about 98, 89, 51, and 30 per cent respectively, during steady-state operation, and Fe, Mn, and Cr all displayed reduced removals during transient changes in surface load, whereas Ni removal appeared to be relatively independent. Aluminium residuals derived from the dosed alum coagulant also showed decreases in removal from about 83 per cent during steady-state operation to between 40 and 50 per cent during transient experiments.     

Environmental Health and the Water Distribution System: A Case History of an Outbreak of Giardiasis

I n J uly /A ugust 1985 a significant outbreak of giardiasis occurred in part of south Bristol. An epidemiological inquiry carried out strongly suggested that the outbreak was water-borne. Although no positive evidence was found to link the outbreak with mains water. the Company immediately accepted its feasibility m d co-operated fully with the Hcalth Authorities in the ensuing investigation.
The piper ilescrihes the investigation to ascertain whether the supply system was involved, and considers some of the broader implications of the situation.     

Desalination: the State of the Art

Desalination technology is applied in many areas of the world to provide fresh water from brackish or seawater sources. The paper reviews the technology which is available and discusses both distillation and membrane processes. Indications of capital and operating costs are provided.     

Refinements to the BOD Test

For about eighty years the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) has remained one of the major indicators of organic pollution in the water industry.
Whilst many adaptations and refinements have been made over the last 2–3 decades, one of the most significant was to suppress nitrification by the addition of allylthiourea (ATU) at 0.5 mg/1, thus ensuring that only carbonaceous oxidation was measured. Evidence has accrued to show that, for some situations, this concentration is insufficient to fully suppress nitrification.
Poor stability is a problem with biochemical oxygen demand when samples have to be stored prior to analysis, and a method of storage is proposed which minimizes instability. As an empirical bioassay procedure, the accuracy of BOD can be poor compared with alternative methods such as chemical oxygen demand; and problems with incubator and refrigerator temperatures, the preparation of standards, and replacement batteries for dissolved-oxygen probes are discussed.
The aim of this paper is to show that these problems with biochemical oxygen demand can be eliminated, thereby retaining confidence in its use.     

Burnley Sewage-Treatment Works: Design and Operation of a High-Rate Nitrifying Filter

The paper deals with the planning, construction, operation and performance of the purpose-built nitrifying filter from its commissioning in August 1986 to the present day. Burnley sewage-treatment works consists of inlet screens, Dorr detritors, primary sedimentation tanks, surface-aeration activated sludge units, and final settlement; sludge is digested and tankered to farmland.
The filter was designed and built following the closure of several local works and subsequent diversion of flows to Burnley. It was realized that the increased volume from the extended Burnley works would reduce the dilution of the effluent by the River Calder. This would result in a deterioration in the quality of the river. As a consequence an ammonia standard of 14 mg/l was imposed on the works following the completion of the nitrifying filter.     

Upgrading the Activated-Sludge Process for Total Nitrogen Removal in Hong Kong

In order to protect the sensitive waters in Tolo harbour (Hong Kong), Sha Tin and Tai Po sewage-treatment works were first designed to remove 70% of the nitrogen load from the sewage. Since then, due to continuing serious eutrophication problems in the harbour, both plants have been modified to increase the removal efficiency to 90%.
The modifications were based on the Bardenpho process. However, the designers of the two plants adopted different approaches to process intensity, complexity and control of bacterial foam. At Sha Tin, the average monthly results have shown an increase of total nitrogen removal from 60–70% to about 80% since its completion. The addition of methanol was found to be ineffective on further enhancement of the denitrification rate due to difficulties in the apportioning of the second anoxic zone. The overall monthly results for Tai Po have also shown an increase in the removal rate to about 80%, even though 90% was achieved for a short period of time. The major problem encountered at the latter plant was that the process design did not provide an effective control on bacterial foaming, which had affected the smooth operation of the process.     

The Impact of Plastic Materials on Iron Levels in Village Groundwater Supplied in Malawi

I ron is not normally considered to be a constituent of health significance, and recommended limits for iron in drinking water supplies are based on aesthetic considerations. Experience in Malawi has demonstrated that, even when present in only trace amounts, iron can influence the consumer's acceptance of an improved borehole supply. The effect of the use of plastic construction materials on the iron content of village groundwater supplies was investigated using a statistical approach. The majority of groundwater points using only plastic materials was found to supply water containing less than the WHO guideline value of 0.3 mg/l iron. In contrast, the use of ferrous-materials increased the iron content of the water to unacceptable levels, sometimes causing the consumers to reject the borehole as a source of drinking water.
Bacteriological data show that the quality of the alternative, traditional supply is far inferior to the new improved supply. An otherwise perfectly safe supply may therefore be abandoned as a direct result of contamination introduced by 'down the hole' components. This frustrates efforts to improve the well-being of rural communities, and is a waste of precious development resources.