Perfluorinated alkyl substances: Sewage treatment and implications for receiving waters

An 80% metabolic conversion of the Tamiflu® pro-drug (oseltamivir phosphate, OP) to its metabolite oseltamivir carboxylate (OC) and a high excretion rate combined with poor removal at sewage treatment works (STWs) means that potentially high STW OC emissions may occur in receiving waters. A risk assessment approach undertaken within the River Lee catchment in North East London indicates that predicted environmental concentrations for surface waters (PECsw) are likely to be in the general range of 40–80 μg L−1 during a pandemic sitaution within urban catchments having low dilution capacities. This implies low risk exposure levels which confirms previous studies, but there are considerable uncertainties associated with the methodology as well as risks that might result from persistent, long term chronic exposure to low-level water and sediment concentrations which might be mobilised under subsequent extreme flow conditions.

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Paraben resistance in bacteria from sewage treatment plant effluents in India

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2013.447 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 68 (9) ◽

pp. 2067-2073 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Krishna Kumar Selvaraj ◽

Senthilkumari Sivakumar ◽

Srimurali Sampath ◽

Govindaraj Shanmugam ◽

Umamaheswari Sundaresan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pathogenic Bacteria ◽

Bacterial Resistance ◽

Sewage Treatment ◽

Sewage Treatment Plant ◽

Treatment Plant ◽

Diffusion Method ◽

Continuous Exposure ◽

Gram Negative Bacteria ◽

Gram Positive Bacteria ◽

Receiving Waters

Parabens, the antimicrobial preservatives used in cosmetics, food and pharmaceuticals, are often detected in the aquatic environment. Generally, sewage treatment plants (STPs) receive community sewage containing parabens, which are ultimately released into streams/rivers. In this study, bacteria in STP effluents were evaluated for their resistance to parabens. The susceptibility was in the order of Staphylococcus aureus > Bacillus sp. >Escherichia coli > Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Gram-negative bacteria showed less susceptibility than their control and Gram-positive bacteria. Further, the bacteria were more sensitive towards butyl and ethyl parabens. Interestingly, the strains showed resistance to ≥5 mg of parabens, which is equivalent to or higher than reported environmental concentrations. The increase in paraben chain length did not enhance the susceptibility in all cases and it was understood that the activity may differ for each bacterium in the environment. This is the first profile on paraben resistance in common pathogens of Indian STPs. Paraben resistance may be developed due to continuous exposure even at sub-inhibitory and/or chronic levels in the environment and this resistance may be transferred to other pathogenic bacteria in receiving waters. Thus the study demonstrates the effectiveness of the disc diffusion method in environmental bacterial resistance assessment and addresses the risk involved in the use of parabens.

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Urban Drainage Systems: Design and Operation

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1993.0291 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 27 (12) ◽

pp. 31-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

J. Marsalek ◽

T. O. Barnwell ◽

W. Geiger ◽

M. Grottker ◽

W. C. Huber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sewage Treatment ◽

Systems Design ◽

Urban Drainage ◽

Sewer System ◽

Drainage Systems ◽

Planning And Design ◽

Sewer Systems ◽

Combined Sewer ◽

Urban Drainage Systems ◽

Receiving Waters

Design and operation of urban drainage systems are addressed in the context of the urban water system comprising drainage, sewage treatment plants and receiving waters. The planning and design of storm sewers are reviewed with reference to planning objectives, design objectives, flows and pollutant loads, sewer system structures and urban runoff control and treatment. The discussion of combined sewers focuses on hydraulic design of combined sewer systems, including combined sewer overflow (CSO) structures, and the use of CSO structures and storage in control of CSOs. The section on operation of sewer systems focuses on real time control, its feasibility, planning, design, operation and applications. Sewer system planning and design are generally conducted using computer modelling tools and procedures which are reviewed in the last section. A brief listing of selected models focuses on internationally used models. Finally, it was concluded that further improvements in environmental and ecological protection of urban waters is feasible only by consideration of urban drainage systems in conjunctions with sewage treatment and water quality in the receiving waters.

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Wastewater Disposal in the Rijeka Region

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1986.0080 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 77-84

Author(s):

M. I. Mastrović ◽

G. D. Šilović

Keyword(s):

Coastal Waters ◽

Significant Contribution ◽

Sewage Treatment ◽

Legal Regulations ◽

Wastewater Disposal ◽

Receiving Waters ◽

Environmentally Sound ◽

Year 2000 ◽

The Impact

This paper emphasizes the need for detailed analysis of wastewaters and their impact on the environment in physical plans for urban/tourist coastal areas, as a significant contribution to environmentally sound development, especially the development of tourism in these areas. The paper describes an analysis of this kind, prepared as part of the Regional Physical Plan for the Rijeka Region to the Year 2000. (The Rijeka Region is a major part of the Yugoslav Upper Adriatic.) The existing situation regarding sewerage systems, sewage treatment methods and disposal methods of the communes of the Region is presented. The quantities of wastewaters generated by the residential and tourist populations and by industry are given (by sub-regions) as calculated in 1981 and as estimated for the year 2000. A survey was made of the impact of wastewater on receiving rivers and coastal waters, and the quality of the receiving waters is given, in grades as compared with those prescribed by the Yugoslav legal regulations. Based on urban development concepts, and on the estimated wastewater quantities, alternative forecasts are made of the future impact of wastewater on coastal waters. General guidelines are presented for the provision of adequate sewage disposal facilities in order to achieve the optimum situation.

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Determination of endocrine disrupters in sewage treatment and receiving waters

TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry ◽

10.1016/s0165-9936(03)01010-0 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 22 (10) ◽

pp. 697-707 ◽

Cited By ~ 86

Author(s):

R Gomes

Keyword(s):

Sewage Treatment ◽

Endocrine Disrupters ◽

Receiving Waters

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Tracking heavy metals reveals sustainability deficits of urban drainage systems

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1997.0332 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 35 (9) ◽

pp. 77-87 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Markus Boller

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Mass Flow ◽

Sewage Treatment ◽

Hazardous Substances ◽

Critical Metals ◽

Small Water ◽

Professional Groups ◽

Lead And Zinc ◽

Receiving Waters ◽

Negative Side Effects

Heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, lead and zinc are the critical metals in domestic wastewaters. Based on mass flow studies, the runoff from roofs and streets contribute 50-80% of these metals to the total mass flow in domestic sewage. Depending on the sewerage concept, the metals accumulate in different environmental compartments. Witt the combined sewer system, most commonly applied, the major part of the metals is bound to the sludge during sewage treatment. If the sludge is used in agriculture, the metals are enriched slowly in the top soils. With separate sewer systems, the metal loads to the receiving waters are increased, finally leading to accumulation in the sediments. If the new concept for the infiltration of runoff waters is applied, rapid and concentrated accumulation at the infiltration sites will occur. As a short term measure, new adsorptive elements in infiltration facilities would allow us to control the accumulation. The deposition of heavy metals in the environment cannot be avoided as long as no further efforts are made to reduce metal emission at the source. New partnerships between environmental/sanitary engineers and other professional groups such as architects, plumbers, car engineers, material technologists have to be established in order to minimize diffuse longterm deposition of hazardous substances and to be able to realize sustainable small water cycles without negative side-effects.

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Distributions of Microplastics in Surface Water, Fish, and Sediment in the Vicinity of a Sewage Treatment Plant

Water ◽

10.3390/w12123333 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 3333

Author(s):

Tae-Jin Park ◽

Seung-Hyun Lee ◽

Myung-Sung Lee ◽

Jae-Kwan Lee ◽

Ji-Hyoung Park ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Surface Water ◽

Rainy Season ◽

Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽

Sewage Treatment ◽

Sewage Treatment Plant ◽

Treatment Plant ◽

Dry Season ◽

Water Fish ◽

Receiving Waters ◽

The Impact

Microplastics are ubiquitously found in freshwater and marine environments worldwide. In particular, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) or sewage treatment plants (STPs) have been recognized as a main source of microplastics in the receiving freshwater. However, only a few studies have been conducted to examine the impact of these facilities on receiving waters. In this study, we investigated the distribution of microplastics in surface water, fish, and sediment near a sewage treatment plant (STP) in the Tanchon stream, one of the main tributaries flowing into the Han River, Korea. The concentration of microplastics in water varied spatially and temporarily, ranging between 5.3 and 87.3 particles/m3 (31.4 ± 28.5 particles/m3). In fish, the concentration in upstream and downstream sites was 7.3 ± 7.3 and 12.4 ± 17.9 particles/fish, respectively. Spatially, the downstream site was the most polluted with microplastics in water and fish. The concentration of microplastics was positively correlated with fish body length and weight. In sediment, microplastic concentration in upstream and downstream sites was 493.1 ± 136.0 and 380.0 ± 144.2 particles/kg, respectively. The contribution of upstream to the microplastic load in downstream was 15.8% in dry season (April), which was higher than that of STP effluent and Yangjaechon creek. Meanwhile, the highest load was observed in STP effluent (5.1%) in rainy season (August). Microplastics were more abundant in water in the rainy season (37.4 ± 37.0 particles/m3) than in the dry season (28.2 ± 22.2 particles/m3). Polyethylene (49%) and polypropylene (18%) were the most abundant polymer types in water, fish, and sediment. Regarding shape of microplastics, fragments were dominant (95%) over fiber and film in water, fish, and sediment.

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The Microbiology Associated with Glycol Removal in Constructed Wetlands

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1999.0145 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 99-107 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

S. Chong ◽

H. Garelick ◽

D. M. Revitt ◽

R. B. E. Shutes ◽

P. Worrall ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Constructed Wetlands ◽

Sewage Treatment ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Pilot Scale ◽

Surface Flow ◽

Alternative Methods ◽

Surface System ◽

Receiving Waters ◽

Removal Efficiencies ◽

Microbial Groups

During the winter months, the application of large quantities of glycol based anti- and de-icers to aircraft and runways poses a serious threat to receiving waters because of their toxicity and BOD effect. The orthodox approach has been to store runoff waters in aerated lagoons before discharge to receiving waters or to sewage treatment works. In the development of a pollution control strategy for Heathrow Airport Ltd. (HAL), a combination of alternative methods for treatment are being considered, and amongst these is the use of constructed wetlands on a pilot scale. Results from this study indicate that most constructed wetland plants and substrate micro-organism populations throughout the beds are not adversely affected by airport runoff or exposure to shock-loads of glycols at initial total concentrations of 1180mg/1 and 632mg/1 in the subsurface and surface flow reedbeds respectively. Apart from Typha spp, the aquatic macrophytes have adapted well to the exposure to airport runoff. Glycol removal efficiencies have improved as the beds have matured, and average removal efficiencies of 78% for the sub-surface system and 54% for the surface system have been recorded. Complimentary monitoring of substrate micro-organism populations prior to and after glycol dosings have shown that aerobic microbial groups of bacteria, fungi and actinomyctes, are present in higher numbers (105−107 CFU/g substrate dry weight) than their anaerobic counterparts (103−105 CFU/g substrate dry weight). In the laboratory, studies have shown fungi and bacteria to be most tolerant of glycol, with several strains able to utilise these compounds.

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Improvement priorities for sewage treatment in Latvian small and medium sized towns

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1998.0318 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 37 (8) ◽

pp. 137-144 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. C. Martin ◽

C. Hoggart ◽

A. Matisa

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Sewage Treatment ◽

Investment Strategy ◽

Policy Goals ◽

Best Value ◽

Receiving Waters ◽

The Many ◽

The Baltic ◽

Technical Solutions

This paper describes the development of a strategy to identify the priorities for investment in sewage treatment in the rural areas in Latvia. The strategy is developed from the baseline conditions ascertained for the present quality of the many receiving waters (rivers, lakes, ground water and the Baltic Sea) and from the condition of the 800 Plus sewerage systems which serve all of the small and medium sized towns in the country. Technical solutions are developed consistent with Latvian policy goals and the priorities established for improvement to the environment and public health. An investment strategy has been prepared to optimise the use of the available funds, to achieve the best value for money. It has been agreed in consultation with interested parties at national, regional and local levels, to produce a plan with wide acceptance. The strategy is known in Latvia as ‘800 Plus’.

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