Development of the heavy metal pollution trends in several European rivers: an analysis of point and diffuse sources

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 215-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rona Vink ◽  
Horst Behrendt ◽  
Wim Salomons
Keyword(s):  
Metal Pollution ◽  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
River System ◽  
Polluted River ◽  
Diffuse Source ◽  
Diffuse Sources ◽  
Water Treatment Plants ◽  
Source Contributions ◽  
River Elbe ◽  
Point And Diffuse Sources

A comparison has been made between the metal pollution in several European rivers in various stages of clean-up and management for the period of 1980-1996. The investigated rivers were Rhine, Meuse, Scheldt, Weser and Elbe. The results from this comparison showed that the simple statement that characterizes the river Elbe as ‘the most polluted river in Europe’ is a simplification. Three independent methods are presented to estimate point and diffuse source contributions in emissions and riverine transports. All methods were applied to the Elbe and Rhine rivers to estimate the contribution of point and diffuse sources for six heavy metals. The results of the source apportionment estimates show that there are temporal differences in source strength and source origin. A dramatic drop in industrial inputs and inputs from waste water treatment plants can be observed. The comparison of all methods shows some differences, which might be caused by retention processes (such as sedimentation) in the river system.

Inventories of point and diffuse sources and estimated nutrient loads - a comparison for different river basins in Central Europe

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 99-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Horst Behrendt
Keyword(s):  
River System ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Nutrient Load ◽  
Nutrient Loads ◽  
Diffuse Sources ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Point And Diffuse Sources ◽  
Diffuse Emissions

A comparison of the estimated emissions (input) with the measured loads at monitoring stations (output) is presented for the large Rivers Rhine, Elbe and its main tributaries and for the River Warnow, a smaller river in the north-east part of Germany. The comparison shows that the discrepancies between the estimated emissions and the measured load is small for the Rhine and its main tributaries, Mosel, Neckar and Main. Large discrepancies were found for the Elbe and its main tributaries. For all investigated river systems a strong relationship exists between the quotient of measured nutrient load versus the estimated sum of point and diffuse emissions of nutrients and the areal specific runoff. A function is derived for the dependency of the sum of retention and/or losses in a river system on the specific runoff and the nutrient concentration in the river. The high accuracy of the estimated retention and/or losses within the different river basins offer the possibility to use these equations for a prediction of the emitted nutrients from measured nutrient load in similar rivers.

P-pollution in a heavily urbanized river basin from point and diffuse sources: the River Ruhr case study (Germany)

2007 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Tetzlaff ◽  
F. Wendland
Keyword(s):  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
Industrial Effluents ◽  
Combined Sewer Overflows ◽  
Land Use Patterns ◽  
Diffuse Sources ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Combined Sewer ◽  
Point And Diffuse Sources ◽  
Groundwater Outflow

An area-differentiated model approach (MEPhos) for the quantification of mean annual P-inputs from point and diffuse sources is presented. The following pathways are considered: artificial drainage, wash-off, groundwater outflow, soil erosion, rainwater sewers, combined sewer overflows, municipal waste water treatment plants and industrial effluents. Based on the modelling results “hot spots” for high P-loads can be localized and management option for the input reduction to surface waters proposed. The model is applied to the River Ruhr basin (4,485 km2) in Germany with contrasting natural conditions, land use patterns as well as population and industry densities.

Composting of Sewage Sludge of Moscow Waste Water Treatment Plants Using Recycling Filler

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D.A. Danilovich ◽  
M.N. Kozlov ◽  
V.I. Sklyar ◽  
Yu.A. Nikolaev ◽  
N.M. Shchegolkova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Waste Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Waste Waters ◽  
Organic Additives ◽  
Organoleptic Properties ◽  
Water Treatment Plants ◽  
Waste Water Treatment Plants ◽  
The City

This work demonstrates a possibility of composting of municipal waste waters sludge (WWS) digested during 5-7 days, of the Kuryanovo waste water treatment plants (the city of Moscow) without the use of traditional organic additives – sawdust, peat, thatch. As a recycling filler (repeatedly used), enhancing the porosity of the composted mixture, ribbed polyethylene spheres (∅=8 cm) and wood chips (having dimension of 5-10 cm) were used. Composting was performed efficiently in both cases, however, the use of wood ships had technological and economical advantages. The process of composting was carried out during 2-4 weeks and was composed of classical phases of active heating (a rate of 0.2-0.3oC/h was obtained), maintaining of maximum temperature during 1-2 days, and cooling down to the ambient temperature. During the course of composting, a product was obtained, having attractive organoleptic properties, suitable for application in municipal laying-out of greenery.

Design and Operation of Small Wastewater Treatment Plants by the Microbial Film Process

1990 ◽  
Vol 22 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 139-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Iwai ◽  
Y. Oshino ◽  
T. Tsukada
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
Fishing Villages ◽  
Sewer Systems ◽  
Water Treatment Plants ◽  
History Of ◽  
Microbial Film

Although the ratio of sewer systems to population in Japan has been improving in recent years, the construction of sewer systems in small communities such as farming or fishing villages, etc. had lagged behind that of urban areas. However, construction of small-scale sewer systems in farming and fishing villages has been actively carried out in recent years. This report explains the history of the promotion of small-scale sewer systems, why submerged filter beds are being employed in many cases, and introduces the design, operation and maintenance of representative waste-water treatment plants in farming and fishing villages which incorporate de-nitrogen and dephosphorization.

Stirring and aeration system for the upgrading of small waste water treatment plants

1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (12) ◽  
pp. 149-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus Höfken ◽  
Katharina Zähringer ◽  
Franz Bischof
Keyword(s):  
Waste Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
Water Treatment Plants ◽  
Waste Water Treatment Plants ◽  
Basic Fluid ◽  
Aeration System ◽  
Technical Realization ◽  
Wide Range

A novel agitating system has been developed which allows for individual or combined operation of stirring and aeration processes. Basic fluid mechanical considerations led to the innovative hyperboloid design of the stirrer body, which ensures high efficiencies in the stirring and the aeration mode, gentle circulation with low shear forces, excellent controllability, and a wide range of applications. This paper presents the basic considerations which led to the operating principle, the technical realization of the system and experimental results in a large-scale plant. The characteristics of the system and the differences to other stirring and aeration systems are illustrated. Details of the technical realization are shown, which conform to the specific demands of applications in the biological treatment of waste water. Special regard is given to applications in the upgrading of small compact waste water treatment plants.

Sources and transport of phosphorus in the Vltava river basin (Czech Republic)

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 137-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef Hejzlar ◽  
Vojtech Vyhnálek ◽  
Jirí Kopácek ◽  
Jirí Duras
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Atmospheric Deposition ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Diffuse Sources ◽  
River Elbe ◽  
Municipal Wastewaters ◽  
Total P

Export and sources of P in the Vltava basin (subbasin of upper Elbe: total area – 28,093 km2; population density – 115 km−2; forests – 35%, farmland – 51%) were evaluated during 1972–1993. Annual export rates of total P from the basin to the river Elbe ranged between 38 and 68 kg km−2 a−1. Reservoirs with hydraulic retention times longer than 15 days were efficient traps for phosphorus retaining 20 to 30% of total P loading into the watercourses. Point sources (municipal wastewaters) were most important throughout the period and their share varied from approximately 60% in wet years to more than 90% in dry years. Export from diffuse sources (dominated by output from farmland) was highly dependent on discharge and fluctuaded between 5 and 40 kg km−2 a−1 in dry and wet years, respectively. Only about 2% of the P input into the basin from the fertilisation of farmland and from the atmospheric deposition was exported to the watercourses.

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