Removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals and microbial indicators by a decentralised membrane bioreactor for water reuse

Submerged membrane bioreactors (MBRs) have attracted a significant amount of interest for decentralised treatment systems due to their small footprint and ability to produce high quality effluent, which is favourable for water reuse applications. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the capacity of a full-scale decentralised MBR to eliminate 17 endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and five indigenous microbial indicators. The results show that the MBR consistently achieved high removal of EDCs (>86.5%). Only 2 of the 17 EDCs were detected in the MBR permeate, namely two-phenylphenol and 4-tert-octylphenol. Measured log10 reduction values of vegetative bacterial indicators were in the range of 5–5.3 log10 units, and for clostridia, they were marginally lower at 4.6 log10 units. Removal of bacteriophage was in excess of 4.9 log10 units. This research shows that MBRs are a promising technology for decentralised water reuse applications.

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Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Thyroid Cancer: An Overview

Toxics ◽

10.3390/toxics9010014 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 14

Author(s):

Mathilda Alsen ◽

Catherine Sinclair ◽

Peter Cooke ◽

Kimia Ziadkhanpour ◽

Eric Genden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thyroid Cancer ◽

Flame Retardants ◽

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽

National Institutes Of Health ◽

Future Research ◽

National Library ◽

Comprehensive Overview ◽

Carcinogenic Effect ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Endocrine Disrupting

Endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDC) are known to alter thyroid function and have been associated with increased risk of certain cancers. The present study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of available studies on the association between EDC exposure and thyroid cancer. Relevant studies were identified via a literature search in the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health PubMed as well as a review of reference lists of all retrieved articles and of previously published relevant reviews. Overall, the current literature suggests that exposure to certain congeners of flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and phthalates as well as certain pesticides may potentially be associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer. However, future research is urgently needed to evaluate the different EDCs and their potential carcinogenic effect on the thyroid gland in humans as most EDCs have been studied sporadically and results are not consistent.

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Full scale membrane bioreactor treatment of hospital wastewater as forerunner for hot-spot wastewater treatment solutions in high density urban areas

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2011.010 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

pp. 66-71 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

S. Beier ◽

C. Cramer ◽

S. Köster ◽

C. Mauer ◽

L. Palmowski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Water Reuse ◽

Membrane Bioreactor ◽

Hot Spot ◽

Membrane Bioreactors ◽

High Density ◽

Hospital Wastewater ◽

Treatment Processes ◽

Attractive Option ◽

Hospital Wastewaters

Membrane Bioreactors (MBR) are a very attractive option for the treatment of hospital wastewater and elimination of pharmaceuticals in high density urban areas. The present investigation showed that, depending on the substance, between 19% and 94% of the level of antibiotics found in the environment originate from hospitals. Because of their ecotoxic potential, hospital wastewaters can have a significant impact on the environment. The segregation of these wastewaters and their separate treatment at the source can reduce the entry of drugs in waterways and enable water reuse after adequate polishing treatment processes.

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Distribution profiles of endocrine disrupting PAHs/APEOs in river sediments: is there a potential ecotoxicological problem?

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2008.829 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 57 (2) ◽

pp. 237-242 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Uri Zoller

Keyword(s):

Health Risk ◽

Water Reuse ◽

Egg Production ◽

Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽

River Sediments ◽

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽

Coastal Region ◽

Production Test ◽

Conventional Activated Sludge ◽

Endocrine Disrupting

The endocrinic/mutagenic potencies of the endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkylphyenol ethoxylates (APEOs) and their metabolites are well documented. Less so is the endocrinic ecotoxicological/health risk potential of these persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in river sediments. From ∼5 × 108 m3/y of sewage produced in Israel, ∼70% are reused, mainly in agriculture, following a conventional activated sludge treatment (AST). A major related question is: does this practice conform to sustainability? We have found the APEOs concentration profiles of Israel's rivers/streams, Mediterranean Sea coastal water and groundwater, to be 12.5–74.6, 4.5–25.0 and trace−20.2 μg/L, respectively. In two “representative” rivers, in the central coastal region of the country, the total concentrations of the PAHs and APEOs were found to be (in the upper layers of their sediments) 1.02–1.59, 1.78–2.30, 1.48–3.12 and 31.27–376.23, 2.40–91.70, 62.99–63.63 μg/g, respectively. The distribution of the PAHs in the co-presence of APEOs in rivers and their sediments, can be rationalized in terms of the hydrophobicity/nonbiodegradability of the former and the hydrophilicity-CMC/nonbiodegradability of the latter. Based on (a) the zebrafish egg production test (ZFEPT) – a long-term exposure of zebrafish to actually found environmental concentrations of EDCs; and (b) the low effectiveness of POPs removal in AST, our preliminary conclusions are that (1) there is a potential ecotoxicological/health risk problem; and (2) the practice of conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)-treated water reuse is incompatible with sustainability.

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The application of membrane bioreactors as decentralised systems for removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2010.884 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 61 (5) ◽

pp. 1081-1088 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

N. Le-Minh ◽

H. M. Coleman ◽

S. J. Khan ◽

Y. van Luer ◽

T. T. T. Trang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽

Membrane Bioreactors ◽

Solid Retention Time ◽

Chemical Contaminants ◽

Conventional Activated Sludge ◽

Decentralised Systems ◽

Endocrine Disrupting ◽

Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽

Androgenic Steroids

The concentrations of some important endocrine disrupting chemicals and pharmaceuticals after various stages of wastewater treatment were investigated. The endocrine disrupting chemicals included natural and synthetic estrogenic and androgenic steroids. The pharmaceuticals included a series of sulfonamide antibiotics and trimethoprim. The removal efficiency of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) was investigated and compared with a conventional activated sludge (CAS) system. Samples were analysed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results showed that the MBR and CAS systems effectively removed steroidal estrogens and androgens, but only partially eliminated the target antibiotics from wastewater. The MBR was shown to be more effective than the CAS system which was possibly attributed to the high solid retention time and concentration of biosolids in the MBR. The results highlight the potential wider application of MBRs for the removal of trace chemical contaminants in wastewater and their potential for use as decentralised wastewater treatment systems.

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Application of Membrane Science to Remove Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs) and Pharmaceutically Active Compounds (PhACs): A Review

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.893.500 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 893 ◽

pp. 500-503 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elnaz Halakoo ◽

Javid Adabi ◽

Sara Aalinezhad ◽

Alireza Layeghi Moghaddam ◽

Alireza Rahimi

Keyword(s):

Endocrine Disrupting Compounds ◽

Membrane Bioreactors ◽

Membrane Technology ◽

Pharmaceutically Active Compounds ◽

High Quality ◽

Water And Wastewater Treatment ◽

Endocrine Disrupting ◽

Water Quality Regulations ◽

Major Factors ◽

Membrane Science

To date, membrane technology is of great concern while conventional processes are not able to fulfill prosperous separation. The presence of EDCs in the environment indicates that conventional treatment plants (CTPs) may have limited capability to remove these compounds. Membrane process such as membrane bioreactors (MBRs), nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) can produce high quality effluents suitable for reuse applications. Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology is a promising method for water and wastewater treatment because of its ability to produce high-quality effluent that meets water quality regulations. This paper aimed to provide a review of recent research on feasibility of membrane technology such as MBR, NF and RO and also their application to remove EDCs and PhACs from aqueous solution which are highly harmful and toxic. The major factors which exert influence on the separation of these organic micropollutants have been also studied.

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Recent Advances in the Prediction of Fouling in Membrane Bioreactors

Membranes ◽

10.3390/membranes11060381 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 381

Author(s):

Yaoke Shi ◽

Zhiwen Wang ◽

Xianjun Du ◽

Bin Gong ◽

Veeriah Jegatheesan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neural Networks ◽

Artificial Neural Networks ◽

Membrane Fouling ◽

Membrane Bioreactor ◽

Membrane Bioreactors ◽

Activated Sludge Process ◽

Excess Sludge ◽

High Quality ◽

Current State ◽

Prediction Techniques

Compared to the traditional activated sludge process, the membrane bioreactor (MBR) has several advantages such as the production of high-quality effluent, generation of low excess sludge, smaller footprint requirements, and ease of automatic control of processes. The MBR has a broader prospect of its applications in wastewater treatment and reuse. However, membrane fouling is the biggest obstacle for its wider application. This paper reviews the techniques available to predict fouling in MBR, discusses the problems associated with predicting fouling status using artificial neural networks and mathematical models, summarizes the current state of fouling prediction techniques, and looks into the trends in their development.

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Comparison of treatment efficiency of submerged nanofiltration membrane bioreactors using cellulose triacetate and polyamide membrane

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2005.0650 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 51 (6-7) ◽

pp. 305-312 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

J.-H. Choi ◽

K. Fukushi ◽

K. Yamamoto

Keyword(s):

Membrane Bioreactor ◽

Cellulose Triacetate ◽

Membrane Bioreactors ◽

Nanofiltration Membrane ◽

Treatment Efficiency ◽

High Quality ◽

Term Operation ◽

Chlorine Disinfection ◽

Polyamide Membrane

This study evaluates the performance of nanofiltration membrane bioreactor (NF MBR) systems using cellulose triacetate (CA) and polyamide (PA) membranes. The results indicated that both NF membranes could produce high quality permeate in the submerged NF MBR system. In addition, hollow fiber CA membranes exhibited the capability of higher permeate productivity than PA membranes. However, to obtain high quality permeate for a long-term operation, CA membranes should be maintained using an appropriate method, such as chlorine disinfection, in order to control the membrane biodegradation. The results demonstrated that PA membranes were capable of producing higher quality permeate for a long period than CA membranes. In order to enhance the practicability of PA membranes in submerged NF MBR systems, it is required that the membranes should have the lowest possible intrinsic salt rejection.

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Continuous and sequencing membrane bioreactors applied to food industry effluent treatment

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2007.474 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 56 (2) ◽

pp. 71-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

J. Lobos ◽

C. Wisniewski ◽

M. Heran ◽

A. Grasmick

Keyword(s):

Membrane Permeability ◽

Water Reuse ◽

Food Industry ◽

Membrane Bioreactor ◽

Membrane Bioreactors ◽

Effluent Treatment ◽

Transmembrane Pressure ◽

Treated Water ◽

Industry Effluent ◽

Sludge Production

This work focuses on the performances of two immersed membrane bioreactors used for the treatment of easily biodegradable organic matter present in food industry effluents, for the purpose of water reuse. Two reactor functioning modes (continuous and sequencing) were compared in terms of organic carbon removal and of membrane permeability. For each working mode, pollutant removal was very high, treated water quality presented a low COD concentration (<125 mg.L−1), no solids in suspension and low turbidity (<0.5 NTU). The quality of the treated water (including germ removal) enabled its reuse on site. Moreover, by developing high biomass concentrations in the reactor, excess sludge production remained very low (<0.1 gVSS.gCOD−1). The performances appeared slightly better for the continuous system (lower COD concentration in the effluent, <50 mg.L−1, and lower sludge production). In terms of filtration, a distinct difference was observed between continuous and sequencing systems; transmembrane pressure showed a small and constant evolution rate in continuous membrane bioreactor (CMBR) although it appeared more difficult to control in sequencing membrane bioreactor (SMBR) probably due to punctually higher permeate flow rate and modified suspension properties. The rapid evolution of membrane permeability observed in SMBR was such that more frequent chemical cleaning of the membrane system was required.

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Membrane bioreactors for wastewater treatment: the state of the art and new developments

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1997.0353 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 35 (10) ◽

pp. 35-41 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

L. van Dijk ◽

G. C. G. Roncken

Keyword(s):

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Membrane Bioreactor ◽

Membrane Separation ◽

High Energy ◽

Membrane Bioreactors ◽

Widespread Application ◽

New Developments ◽

Effluent Quality ◽

Small Footprint ◽

Transfer Flow

The combination of membrane separation technology and bioreactors has lead to a new focus on wastewater treatment. The application of membranes has led to very compact wastewater treatment systems with an excellent effluent quality. For concentrated wastewaters, like industrial streams and landfill leachate the membrane bioreactor has been applied at full scale successfully. The relatively high energy requirements have hindered the wide spread application of membrane bioreactors. Using new membrane techniques, like transfer flow modules, creates the possibilities of a more widespread application. This opens possibilities for far going reuse of wastewater, both industrial and municipal, decrease in sludge production and small-footprint bioreactors for less concentrated wastewater streams.

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Removal of typical endocrine disrupting chemicals by membrane bioreactor: in comparison with sequencing batch reactor

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2011.426 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 64 (10) ◽

pp. 2096-2102 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Yingjun Zhou ◽

Xia Huang ◽

Haidong Zhou ◽

Jianhua Chen ◽

Wenchao Xue

Keyword(s):

Membrane Bioreactor ◽

Sequencing Batch Reactor ◽

Membrane Separation ◽

Batch Reactor ◽

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Removal Rates ◽

Endocrine Disrupting ◽

Solids Retention ◽

17Β Estradiol

The removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) by a laboratory-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) fed with synthetic sewage was evaluated and moreover, compared with that by a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) operated under same conditions in parallel. Eight kinds of typical EDCs, including 17β-estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), estriol (E3), 17α-ethynilestradiol (EE2), 4-octylphenol (4-OP), 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), bisphenol A (BPA) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPnEO), were spiked into the feed. Their concentrations in influent, effluent and supernatant were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method. The overall estrogenecity was evaluated as 17β-estradiol equivalent quantity (EEQ), determined via yeast estrogen screen (YES) assay. E2, E3, BPA and 4-OP were well removed by both MBR and SBR, with removal rates more than 95% and no significant differences between the two reactors. However, with regard to the other four EDCs, of which the removal rates were lower, MBR performed better. Comparison between supernatant and effluent of the two reactors indicated that membrane separation of sludge and effluent, compared with sedimentation, can relatively improve elimination of target EDCs and total estrogenecity. By applying different solids retention times (SRTs) (5, 10, 20 and 40 d) to the MBR, 10 and 5 d were found to be the lower critical SRTs for efficient target EDCs and EEQ removal, respectively.

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