The effect of public or private structures in wastewater treatment on the conditions for the design, construction and operation of wastewater treatment plants

2004 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
pp. 273-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Grünebaum ◽  
H. Bode
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Organisational Form ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Framework Conditions ◽  
Definition Of

Organised in public or private structures, wastewater services have to cope with different framework conditions as regards planning, construction, financing and operation. This leads quite often to different modes of management. In recent years there has been a push for privatisation on the water sector in general, the reasons for which are manifold, ranging from access to external know-how and capital to synergistic effects through integration of wastewater treatment into other tasks of similar or equal nature. Discussed are various models of public/private partnership (PPP) in wastewater treatment, encompassing for example the delegation of partial tasks or even the proportional or entire transfer of ownership of treatment facilities to private third parties. Decisive for high performance and efficiency is not the legal or organisational form, but rather the clear and unmistakable definition of tasks which are to be assigned to the different parties, customers and all other partners involved, as well as of clear-cut interfaces. On account of the (of course legitimate) profit-oriented perspective of the private sector, some decisionmaking processes in relation to project implementation (design and construction) and to operational aspects will differ from those typically found on the public sector. This does apply to decisions on investments, financing and on technical solutions too. On the other hand, core competencies in wastewater treatment should not be outsourced, but remain the public bodies’ responsibility, even with ‘far-reaching’ privatisation models. Such core competencies are all efforts geared to sustainable wastewater treatment as lifesupporting provision for the future or as contribution to the protection of health and the environment and to the development of infrastructure. Major areas of wastewater treatment and other related tasks are reviewed. The paper concludes with a list of questions on the issue of outsourcing.

Bottlenecks in the Implementation of On-Site Wastewater Treatment Plants on a Large Scale in The Netherlands

1990 ◽  
Vol 22 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 291-298
Author(s):  
Frits A. Fastenau ◽  
Jaap H. J. M. van der Graaf ◽  
Gerard Martijnse
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Definition Of

More than 95 % of the total housing stock in the Netherlands is connected to central sewerage systems and in most cases the wastewater is treated biologically. As connection to central sewerage systems has reached its economic limits, interest in on-site treatment of the domestic wastewater of the remaining premises is increasing. A large scale research programme into on-site wastewater treatment up to population equivalents of 200 persons has therefore been initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and Environment. Intensive field-research work did establish that the technological features of most on-site biological treatment systems were satisfactory. A large scale implementation of these systems is however obstructed in different extents by problems of an organisational, financial and/or juridical nature and management difficulties. At present research is carried out to identify these bottlenecks and to analyse possible solutions. Some preliminary results are given which involve the following ‘bottlenecks':-legislation: absence of co-ordination and absence of a definition of ‘surface water';-absence of subsidies;-ownership: divisions in task-setting of Municipalities and Waterboards; divisions involved with cost-sharing;-inspection; operational control and maintenance; organisation of management;-discharge permits;-pollution levy;-sludge disposal. Final decisions and practical elaboration of policies towards on-site treatment will have to be formulated in a broad discussion with all the authorities and interest groups involved.

scholarly journals Fate of selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products after secondary wastewater treatment processes in Taiwan

2010 ◽  
Vol 62 (10) ◽  
pp. 2450-2458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Yu-Chen Lin ◽  
Cheng-Fan Lin ◽  
Yu-Ting Tsai ◽  
Hank Hui-Hsiang Lin ◽  
Jie Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Personal Care Products ◽  
Personal Care ◽  
Matrix Interference ◽  
Treatment Processes ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
Removal Efficiencies

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) constitute a class of chemicals of emerging concern due to the potential risks they pose to organisms and the environment, even at low concentrations (ng/L). Recent studies have found that PPCPs are not efficiently removed in secondary wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This study has: (1) simultaneously investigated the occurrence of sixty-one PPCPs using solid phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, (2) evaluated removal efficiencies of target PPCPs in six WWTPs that discharge effluents into major Taiwanese rivers, and lastly (3) examined matrix interference during analysis of target PPCPs in water samples. The twenty target PPCPs were chosen for their high detection frequencies, high influent concentrations, and stability during wastewater treatment processes. Caffeine and acetaminophen were detected at the highest concentrations (as high as 24,467 and 33,400 ng/L) and were effectively removed (both >96%); other PPCPs were detected in the high ng/L range but were not effectively removed. Matrix interference (by ion suppression or enhancement) during the analysis resulted in underestimation of the removal efficiencies of erythromycin-H2O, cefazolin, clarithromycin, ibuprofen, diclofenac, clofibric acid and gemfibrozil.

scholarly journals A Survey of the Presence of Pharmaceutical Residues in Wastewaters. Evaluation of Their Removal using Conventional and Natural Treatment Procedures

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 1639 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Guedes-Alonso ◽  
S. Montesdeoca-Esponda ◽  
J. Pacheco-Juárez ◽  
Z. Sosa-Ferrera ◽  
J. J. Santana-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Pharmaceutical Compounds ◽  
Adaptation Strategy ◽  
Pharmaceutical Residues ◽  
Natural Treatment ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
Removal Efficiencies

To encourage the reutilization of treated wastewaters as an adaptation strategy to climate change it is necessary to demonstrate their quality. If this is ensured, reclaimed waters could be a valuable resource that produces very little environmental impact and risks to human health. However, wastewaters are one of the main sources of emerging pollutants that are discharged in the environment. For this, it is essential to assess the presence of these pollutants, especially pharmaceutical compounds, in treated wastewaters. Moreover, the different treatment processes must be evaluated in order to know if conventional and natural treatment technologies are efficient in the removal of these types of compounds. This is an important consideration if the treated wastewaters are used in agricultural activities. Owing to the complexity of wastewater matrixes and the low concentrations of pharmaceutical residues in these types of samples, it is necessary to use sensitive analytical methodologies. In this study, the presence of 11 pharmaceutical compounds were assessed in three different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Gran Canaria (Spain). Two of these WWTPs use conventional purification technologies and they are located in densely populated areas, while the other studied WWTP is based in constructed wetlands which purify the wastewaters of a rural area. The sampling was performed monthly for two years. A solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled to ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was applied for the analysis of the samples, and the 11 pharmaceuticals were detected in all the studied WWTPs. The concentrations were variable and ranged from ng·L−1 in some compounds like diclofenac or carbamazepine to µg·L−1 in common pharmaceutical compounds such as caffeine, naproxen or ibuprofen. In addition, removal efficiencies in both conventional and natural purification systems were evaluated. Similar removal efficiencies were obtained using different purifying treatments, especially for some pharmaceutical families as stimulants or anti-inflammatories. Other compounds like carbamazepine showed a recalcitrant behavior. Secondary treatments presented similar removal efficiencies in both conventional and natural wastewater treatment plants, but conventional treatments showed slightly higher elimination ratios. Regarding tertiary system, the treatment with highest removal efficiencies was reverse osmosis in comparison with microfiltration and electrodialysis reversal.

Nutrient removal from wastewaters using high performance materials

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 101-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.D.R. Mackinnon ◽  
K. Barr ◽  
E. Miller ◽  
S. Hunter ◽  
T. Pinel
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Nutrient Removal ◽  
Pilot Plant ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Biological Nutrient Removal ◽  
Wastewater Stream ◽  
Rich Solution

Return side streams from anaerobic digesters and dewatering facilities at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contribute a significant proportion of the total nitrogen load on a mainstream process. Similarly, significant phosphate loads are also recirculated in biological nutrient removal (BNR) wastewater treatment plants. Ion exchange using a new material, known by the name MesoLite, shows strong potential for the removal of ammonia from these side streams and an opportunity to concurrently reduce phosphate levels. A pilot plant was designed and operated for several months on an ammonia rich centrate from a dewatering centrifuge at the Oxley Creek WWTP, Brisbane, Australia. The system operated with a detention time in the order of one hour and was operated for between 12 and 24 hours prior to regeneration with a sodium rich solution. The same pilot plant was used to demonstrate removal of phosphate from an abattoir wastewater stream at similar flow rates. Using MesoLite materials, >90% reduction of ammonia was achieved in the centrate side stream. A full-scale process would reduce the total nitrogen load at the Oxley Creek WWTP by at least 18%. This reduction in nitrogen load consequently improves the TKN/COD ratio of the influent and enhances the nitrogen removal performance of the biological nutrient removal process.

Determination of pharmaceutical residues and assessment of their removal efficiency at the Daugavgriva municipal wastewater treatment plant in Riga, Latvia

2016 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 387-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Reinholds ◽  
O. Muter ◽  
I. Pugajeva ◽  
J. Rusko ◽  
I. Perkons ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Emerging Contaminants ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
High Resolution Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Pharmaceutical Products ◽  
Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Toxicological Studies

Pharmaceutical products (PPs) belong to emerging contaminants that may accumulate along with other chemical pollutants in wastewaters (WWs) entering industrial and/or urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In the present study, the technique of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (Orbitrap-HRMS) was applied for the analysis of 24 multi-class PPs in WW samples collected at different technological stages of Daugavgriva WWTP located in Riga, Latvia. Caffeine and acetaminophen levels in the range of 7,570–11,403 ng/L and 810–1,883 ng/L, respectively, were the predominant compounds among 19 PPs determined in the WW. The results indicate that aerobic digestion in biological ponds was insufficiently effective to degrade most of the PPs (reduction efficiency <0–50.0%) with the exception of four PPs that showed degradation efficiency varying from 55.0 to 99.9%. Tests of short-term chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis for PP degradation in WW samples were performed, and the results reflected the complexity of different degradation mechanisms and physicochemical transformations of PPs. The toxicological studies of WW impact on Daphnia magna indicated gradual reduction of the total toxicity through the treatment stages at the WWTP.

scholarly journals Fate and mass loading of antibiotics in hospital and domestic wastewater treatment plants in Bangkok, Thailand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donwichai Sinthuchai ◽  
Suwanna Kitpati Boontanon ◽  
Pitchaya Piyaviriyakul ◽  
Narin Boontanon ◽  
Ranjna Jindal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Inappropriate Use ◽  
Effective Removal ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
High Concentrations

Abstract Excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics contributes to the spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment, especially in low- to middle-income countries. This study investigated the occurrence, relative abundance, and fate of eight antibiotics at each treatment stage in four domestic and four hospital wastewater treatment plants (dWWTPs and hWWTPs, respectively), as well as mass loadings into the receiving water environments in Bangkok, Thailand. Samples were prepared by solid-phase extraction and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Antibiotic concentrations were higher in hWWTPs than dWWTPs; approximately 60 times for influents and 10 times for effluents. Ciprofloxacin concentration increased in most dWWTPs, especially in the aeration unit and return sludge, suggesting that it predominantly occurred in the solid phase. Sulfamethoxazole predominantly occurred in the dissolved form, which is more difficult to degrade, and exhibited high concentrations in effluent. Moreover, antibiotic pollutant loadings were approximately 30–3,530 times higher from dWWTPs than from hWWTPs due to higher daily discharges from the domestic sector. These plants are a major point source of antibiotic residue release to aquatic environments; thus, their efficiency should be improved by incorporating advanced treatment processes to ensure effective removal of antibiotics.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants in the Removal of Common Antibiotics from Municipal Wastewater in Hamadan, Iran

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 10921-10921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Shokoohi ◽  
Abdollah Dargahi ◽  
Razieh Khamutian ◽  
Yaser Vaziri
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
Industrial Wastewater ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Direct And Indirect Effects ◽  
Major Health

The presence of antibiotics in the environment, especially aquatic environments, is a major health and environmental concern.Wastewater treatment plants play an important role in the treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater and removal of contaminants.The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of prevalent antibiotics in municipal wastewater of Hamadan,Iran and to evaluate the removal efficiency of wastewater treatment plants. During 3 months (April, May, and June 2016), a total of 12 composite influent and effluent samples were collected from the wastewater treatment plants. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used for preparing the samples, which were then analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection.Based on the analysis of 6 antibiotics, three antibiotics, including amoxicillin, imipenem, and cefixime, were detected, and their concentrations were measured at 1.6, 10.7, and 5.8 ug/L, respectively. The removal efficiency of these antibiotics in wastewater treatment plants was 55.66%, 34.01%, and 24.33%, respectively. Due to the presence of examined antibiotics in the effluent and influent wastewater treatment plants, they might cause direct and indirect effects on human health and environment if proper measures are not taken by the authorities. Since the removal of these antibiotics from wastewater treatment plants is relatively poor, it is suggested to use advanced wastewater treatment plants to reduce antibiotics in effluent wastewater and decrease the adverse effects of these micropollutants.

Simultaneous determination of several veterinary pharmaceuticals in effluents from urban, livestock and slaughterhouse wastewater treatment plants using a simple chromatographic method

2012 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 603-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Cavenati ◽  
Pedro N. Carvalho ◽  
C. Marisa R. Almeida ◽  
M. Clara P. Basto ◽  
M. Teresa S. D. Vasconcelos
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Simultaneous Determination ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Array Detector ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Urban Network ◽  
Veterinary Pharmaceuticals

Minocycline, oxytetracycline, tetracycline, enrofloxacin and ceftiofur, commonly used veterinary pharmaceuticals, were searched in four urban, two livestock and two slaughterhouse effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the north of Portugal. A simple method that includes solid-phase extraction followed with analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector was established and applied to the simultaneous determination of the five pharmaceuticals in WWTP effluents. This method, which is expeditious, inexpensive and available in most laboratories, showed to be useful for screening for problematic levels of drugs in WWTP effluents. It is known that several livestock and slaughterhouse effluents (pre-treated or treated) are discharged to the urban network before discharge into the environment. The presence of these drugs in such effluents can constitute a significant environmental problem that should be addressed, by the monitoring of these drugs and by implementation of methodologies that contribute to their decrease/elimination from wastewaters. Minocycline (≤6 μg L−1), oxytetracycline (≤7 μg L−1), tetracycline (≤6 μg L−1) and enrofloxacin (<2 μg L−1) could be detected and/or quantified in three urban effluents. Detectable levels of enrofloxacin (<2 μg L−1) and quantifiable levels of tetracycline (≤15 μg L−1) were found in the slaughterhouse effluents.

Evaluation of removal efficiency of human antibiotics in wastewater treatment plants in Bangkok, Thailand

2015 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 182-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donwichai Sinthuchai ◽  
Suwanna Kitpati Boontanon ◽  
Narin Boontanon ◽  
Chongrak Polprasert
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Advanced Treatment ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
Suitable Treatment

This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic concentration at each stage of treatment and to evaluate the removal efficiency of antibiotics in different types of secondary and advanced treatment, as well as the effects of the location of their discharge points on the occurrence of antibiotics in surface water. Eight target antibiotics and four hospital wastewater treatment plants in Bangkok with different conventional and advanced treatment options were investigated. Antibiotics were extracted by solid phase extraction and analysed by high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The antibiotic with the highest concentration at influent was cefazolin at 13,166 ng/L, while the antibiotic with the highest concentration at effluent was sulfamethoxazole at 1,499 ng/L. The removal efficiency of antibiotics from lowest to highest was sulfamethoxazole, piperacillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, dicloxacillin, ciprofloxacin, cefazolin, and cefalexin. The adopted conventional treatment systems could not completely remove all antibiotics from wastewater. However, using advanced treatments or disinfection units such as chlorination and UV could increase the antibiotic removal efficiency. Chlorination was more effective than UV, ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole concentration fluctuated during the treatment process, and sulfamethoxazole was the most difficult to remove. Both these antibiotics should be studied further regarding their contamination in sludge and suitable treatment options for their removal.

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