scholarly journals Air concentrations and particle–gas partitioning of polyfluoroalkyl compounds at a wastewater treatment plant

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Vierke ◽  
Lutz Ahrens ◽  
Mahiba Shoeib ◽  
Eric J. Reiner ◽  
Rui Guo ◽  
...  

Environmental contextPolyfluoroalkyl compounds, widely used chemicals in consumer and industrial products, are global pollutants in the environment. Transport mechanisms and environmental pathways of these compounds, however, are not yet fully understood. We show that a wastewater treatment plant can be an important source for polyfluoroalkyl compounds to the atmosphere where they have the potential to be transported long distances. AbstractAn air sampling campaign was conducted at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to investigate air concentrations and particle–gas partitioning of polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs). Samples were collected at an aeration tank and a secondary clarifier using both active high volume samplers and passive samplers comprising sorbent-impregnated polyurethane foam (SIP) disks. Water to air transport of PFCs was believed to be enhanced at the aeration tank owing to aerosol-mediated transport caused by surface turbulence induced by aeration. Mean air concentrations of target PFCs at the aeration tank were enriched relative to the secondary clarifier by factors of ~19, ~4 and ~3 for ∑fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) (11 000 v. 590 pg m–3), ∑perfluorooctane sulfonamides & perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanols (FOSAs & FOSEs) (120 v. 30 pg m–3) and ∑perfluoroalkyl carboxylates & perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFCAs & PFSAs) (4000 v. 1300 pg m–3) respectively. The particle associated fraction in the atmosphere increased with increasing chain length for PFCAs (from 60 to 100%) and PFSAs were predominantly bound to particles (~98%). Lower fractions on particles were found for FTOHs (~3%), FOSAs (~30%) and FOSEs (~40%). The comparison of the active and passive air sampling showed good agreement.

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Klinksieg ◽  
T. Dockhorn ◽  
N. Dichtl

Full-scale and lab-scale research experiments were conducted to determine the phosphorous precipitation efficiency of iron hydroxide sludge from drinking water treatment. During full-scale investigations at a wastewater treatment plant, ferric sludge was added to the inflow of the primary settling tank in a first experimental phase and to the inflow of the aeration tank in a second phase. In the outflow of the mechanical stage and in the outflow of the biological stage, a reduction of the PO4-P concentrations could be observed. The concentration of COD, the SVI and the filament abundance were not changed significantly by adding the ferric sludge to the wastewater treatment plant. In lab tests, improved precipitation efficiency of the ferric sludge could be achieved by using anaerobic conditions and acid pulping. The research showed that the wastewater treatment process can benefit from the reuse of ferric sludge from drinking waterworks and that this also presents an inexpensive recycling option for these sludges.


Author(s):  
R. Babko ◽  
V. Pliashechnyk ◽  
T. Kuzmina ◽  
Y. Danko ◽  
J. Szulżyk-Cieplak ◽  
...  

Abstract The work is devoted to the task of simplifying the assessment of the effect of effluents from treatment facilities on the river hydrobiocenosis. The studies were carried out on the mountain river Uzh (Uzhgorod, Ukraine). Our approach to assessing the impact of waste treatment facilities on the river receiver is based on the estimate of the similarity of species composition and quantitative characteristics of populations of organisms from the aerotank and from the river. It is shown that the quantitative development of populations of species of ciliates from the aeration tank is a good indicator for assessing the degradation of organic matter coming with wastewater. The use of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the protozoa from the wastewater treatment plant as a criterion for assessing the quality of the environment in the area of wastewater discharge showed their representativeness and effectiveness. The use of a limited number of species makes it possible to conduct an express assessment of the effect of effluents on receiving reservoirs for specialists working with activated sludge in the laboratories of treatment facilities.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8

Successful start-up of a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is a key issue for the succeeding operation of WWTP on the one hand and the nutritious phosphorus removal is of great concern on the other. After the construction of Mudanjiang WWTP with a flow rate of 100,000 m3 d-1 in Heilongjiang Province of China, a novel way of start-up through feeding wastewater continuously into the system was attempted against the conventional start-up method of inoculating activated sludge in the aeration tank by feeding wastewater intermittently. Activated sludge was cultivated and proliferated in the aeration tanks instead of dosing acclimated sludge from other source. After one-month’s start-up operation, MLSS, SV and SVI increased to 2.5 kg m-3, 30% and nearly 80% respectively, which indicated that quick and simple start-up had been achieved. After successful start-up, an investigation into phosphorus removal was conducted with the emphasis on influencing factors such as ORP and NOx-N concentration etc. When the aeration tank was switched from aerobic to anaerobic mode, phosphorus removal efficiency of 80% could be realized within the whole treatment system. Experimental results revealed that an ORP of -140 mV and NOX-N of 2 mg l-1 were critical for the anaerobic phosphorus release, and DO in the range of 1.7-2.5 mg l-1, BOD5/TP of 20-30 and SVI of 70~80 as well as SRT of 5 days were the optimal phosphorus removal conditions for the aeration tanks.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 6761-6768

Several methods of wastewater treatment systems are implemented but among these methods activated sludge process is demonstrating process in Malaysia. Fortunately, numbers of studies have been conducted to treat and remove either nitrogen or combined phosphorus and nitrogen resulted in enhancement removal of nutrients worldwide. This research aims to study the current operation in Mawar wastewater treatment plant and monitor the reduction of several parameters. The research also examines the new standard limits of effluents. From the result obtained, the monitoring of Mawar wastewater treatment plant indicates that influent concentration of majority of the parameters were in small. Despite that, the removal efficiency of several parameters was not high. That was basically because to the need of proper maintenance activities. Besides, the concentration of measured parameters in the aeration tank inlet were small. Comparison of Mawar wastewater to the typical composition of untreated domestic sewage indicated that the wastewater in Mawar wastewater treatment plant is classified as weak wastewater. The enhancement of nitrogen removal resulted in Mawar wastewater treatment plant led to decrease the removal efficiency of several parameters.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 243-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Ahmadi ◽  
Hassan Izanloo ◽  
Aliakbar Mehr alian ◽  
Hoda Amiri ◽  
Mohammad Noori Sepehr

The potential of a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) in full scale has been investigated as an alternative for upgrading of the Kish Island Markazi wastewater treatment plant. In this regard, the activated sludge process (ASP) upgraded to an MBBR process and different operating parameters results in this change compared with ASP. Results show that with increasing the average flow influent from 1,049 ± 88 to 1,944 ± 275 m3 d−1 and reducing the aeration tank volume from 300 to 150 m3, organic loading rate (OLR), mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), sludge retention time (SRT), sludge volume index (SVI), hydraulic loading rate (HLR) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) were changed to 0.32 ± 0.04–1.8 ± 0.36 kg COD/m3d, 2,641.19 ± 284.99–7,354.2 ± 778.35 mg L−1, 5.28 ± 0.64–22.1 ± 1.53 d, 135 ± 37.3–29.2 ± 3.81, 23.14 ± 1.94–43.37 ± 5.04 m d−1 and 2.76 ± 0.22–1.48 ± 0.18 h, respectively. Effluent concentrations under this operation condition were well below the discharge limits for irrigation water. Therefore, the MBBR process is a good alternative for upgrading wastewater plants especially when there is inadequate space or modifications are needed that will require large investment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-130
Author(s):  
Natalia Jakubowska-Krepska ◽  
Bartłomiej Gołdyn ◽  
Paulina Krzemińska-Wowk ◽  
Łukasz Kaczmarek

Abstract The aim of this study was the evaluation of the relationship between the presence of tardigrades and various levels of sewage pollution in different tanks of a wastewater treatment plant. The study was carried out in the wastewater treatment plant located near Poznań (Poland) during one research season. The study was conducted in a system consisting of three bioreactor tanks and a secondary clarifier tank, sampled at regular time periods. The presence of one tardigrade species, Thulinius ruffoi, was recorded in the samples. The tardigrades occurred in highest abundance in the tanks containing wastewater with a higher nutrient load. Thulinius ruffoi was mainly present in well-oxygenated activated sludge and its abundance was subject to seasonal fluctuations; however, its preference for more polluted tanks seems to be consistent across the year. Although more detailed experimental study is needed to support the observations, our data indicate that T. ruffoi has a high potential to be used as a bioindicator of nutrient load changes.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document