scholarly journals Identification and risk assessment of human and veterinary antibiotics in the wastewater treatment plants and the adjacent sea in Tunisia

2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (11) ◽  
pp. 3000-3021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leyla Tahrani ◽  
Joris Van Loco ◽  
Roel Anthonissen ◽  
Luc Verschaeve ◽  
Hedi Ben Mansour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography ◽  
Veterinary Antibiotics ◽  
Antimicrobial Drugs ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Wastewater Samples ◽  
Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract In the following study, we came up with and validated a prompt, sensitive and precise method for the simultaneous determination of 56 antimicrobial drugs (tetracyclines, sulfonamides, β-lactams, macrolides and quinolones) using the ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). This method was implemented with success to determine antibiotics in samples collected from four wastewater treatment plants and five coasts in Tunisia. Results showed the presence of high concentrations of antibiotics that ranged from 0.1 to 646 ng mL−1, which can induce many negative impacts on health and the environment. For this reason, we have opted to evaluate toxicity of wastewater samples using a battery of biotests. In fact, genotoxicity was assessed using three tests: Vitotox, comet and micronucleus assays. The input and output of wastewater treatment plants induced a strongly genotoxic effect on the Salmonella typhimurium TA104 prokaryotic Vitotox assay. This result was confirmed using the comet and the micronucleus assays performed on the human liver hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The genotoxic power of the tested wastewater treatment plants' samples could be attributed to the presence of the higher quantities of antibiotics that are detected in these samples and to the antibiotic and organic compound cocktails.

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 Ecological Risk Assessment of Five Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds in Wastewater Treatment Plants from Monterrey, Mexico

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khirbet López-Velázquez ◽  
Jorge L. Guzmán-Mar ◽  
Hugo A. Saldarriaga-Noreña ◽  
Mario A. Murillo-Tovar ◽  
Minerva Villanueva-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Compounds ◽  
Potential Ecological Risk ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
17Β Estradiol ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Wastewater Samples ◽  
Hazardous Compounds

Abstract The potential ecological risk of five residual endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) in four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) was studied. The wastewater samples were collected in WWTPs of the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey, Mexico (designed as Monterrey City hereinafter) and 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), bisphenol A (BPA), 4-nonylphenol (4NP), and 4-tert-octylphenol (4TOP) were studied by SPE/GC-MS method. Results showed that all EDCs are widely distributed in WWTPs, finding high concentrations of BPA (450 ng/L) and EE2 (407.5 ng/L) in influents, while EE2 and 4TOP were the most abundant in effluents at levels from 1.6–26.8 ng/L (EE2) and < LOQ – 5.0 ng/L (4TOP), which corroborate that the wastewater discharges represent critical sources of EDCs to the aquatic environments. The potential ecological risk of residual EDCs was evaluated through risk quotients (RQs), and results indicated that the effluents of the WWTPs represent a high risk to exposed aquatic species, mainly due to the effect of residual estrogens E2 and EE2 which were considered as the most hazardous compounds among the studied EDCs, with RQ values up to 49.1 and 1165.2, respectively.

scholarly journals Occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Six Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants at the Early Stage of COVID-19 Pandemic in The United States

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 798
Author(s):  
Samendra P. Sherchan ◽  
Shalina Shahin ◽  
Jeenal Patel ◽  
Lauren M. Ward ◽  
Sarmila Tandukar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
The United States ◽  
Secondary Effluent ◽  
Untreated Wastewater ◽  
Treatment Processes ◽  
Wastewater Samples

In this study, we investigated the occurrence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in primary influent (n = 42), secondary effluent (n = 24) and tertiary treated effluent (n = 34) collected from six wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs A–F) in Virginia (WWTP A), Florida (WWTPs B, C, and D), and Georgia (WWTPs E and F) in the United States during April–July 2020. Of the 100 wastewater samples analyzed, eight (19%) untreated wastewater samples collected from the primary influents contained SARS-CoV-2 RNA as measured by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays. SARS-CoV-2 RNA were detected in influent wastewater samples collected from WWTP A (Virginia), WWTPs E and F (Georgia) and WWTP D (Florida). Secondary and tertiary effluent samples were not positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA indicating the treatment processes in these WWTPs potentially removed SARS-CoV-2 RNA during the secondary and tertiary treatment processes. However, further studies are needed to understand the log removal values (LRVs) and transmission risks of SARS-CoV-2 RNA through analyzing wastewater samples from a wider range of WWTPs.

Quality improvement of biosolids by ferrate(VI) oxidation of offensive odour compounds

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 119-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen C. Chao ◽  
Sergio J. de Luca ◽  
Carlos N. Idle
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Potassium Ferrate ◽  
Sulphur Compounds ◽  
Environmental Recovery ◽  
Oxidizing Power ◽  
Aldehydes And Ketones ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
By Products

Studies concerning the treatment, stabilization and final disposal of biosolids, one of the by-products of wastewater treatment, in environmental recovery, have been intensified by the sanitary and environmental effects of land disposal. The careful assessment of biosolid quality shows that, when appropriately managed, the environmental risks of their uses can be minimized by chemical stabilization, and biosolids could even be used as fertilizer and soil conditioner. A research study of biosolid stabilization was performed using lime as a standard process compared to potassium ferrate (VI). The chances of leaching and solubilization of metals were tested, simulating conditions for disposal in the environment. The sanitary effectiveness in terms of pathogens (bacteria, fungi and helminth eggs) were also evaluated. Experiments were performed on the lime and ferrate(VI) treatment of compounds such as ammonia, nitrate, soluble sulphides, and total sulphates, indicators of odouriferous offensive compounds which might occasionally prevent some uses of the solids, and the results are presented in this paper. Wastewater Treatment Plants emit offensive odours generated during the sewage treatment process, as well as during the treatment and the management of biosolids. This occurs in the drying beds and the spreading of biosolids on land, due to the high concentrations of sulphur compounds, nitrogen compounds, acids and organic compounds (aldehydes and ketones). The potassium ferrate(VI) utilized in the research is a powerful oxidizing agent throughout the pH scale, with the advantage of not generating by-products which will cause toxicity or mutagenicity (DE LUCA, 1981). The ion ferrate(VI) has greater oxidizing power than permanganate, e.g., it oxidizes reduced sulfur forms to sulphate, ammonia to nitrate, hypochlorite to chlorite and chlorite to chlorate(DE LUCA et al., 1992; CHAO et al., 1992). This paper shows that, as expected, the potassium ferrate (VI) treatment replaces several chemical products utilized for odour control of sludges, mainly aggressive odours caused by ammonia and sulphides, through the formation of precipitates with iron compounds. Ferrate (VI) has often been shown to destroy soluble sulphides, transforming them into sulphate. The generation of oxygen in the decomposition of ferrate(VI) increases its oxidizing power. Ferrate(VI) applied to sludges also has the double effect of transforming ammonia into nitrates, such that this product takes the place of sulphates, acting as an electron acceptor, thus preventing the development of further odours when biosolids are utilized.

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 &gt;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 Occurrence and Removal of Veterinary Antibiotics in Livestock Wastewater Treatment Plants, South Korea

Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin-Pil Kim ◽  
Dal Rae Jin ◽  
Wonseok Lee ◽  
Minhee Chae ◽  
Junwon Park
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Batch Reactor ◽  
Veterinary Antibiotics ◽  
Livestock Wastewater ◽  
Treatment Processes ◽  
Removal Efficiencies ◽  
A2o Process

In this study, livestock wastewater treatment plants in South Korea were monitored to determine the characteristics of influent and effluent wastewater, containing four types of veterinary antibiotics (sulfamethazine, sulfathiazole, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline), and the removal efficiencies of different treatment processes. Chlortetracycline had the highest average influent concentration (483.7 μg/L), followed by sulfamethazine (251.2 μg/L), sulfathiazole (230.8 μg/L) and oxytetracycline (25.7 μg/L), at five livestock wastewater treatment plants. Sulfathiazole had the highest average effluent concentration (28.2 μg/L), followed by sulfamethazine (20.8 μg/L) and chlortetracycline (11.5 μg/L), while no oxytetracycline was detected. For veterinary antibiotics in the wastewater, a removal efficiency of at least 90% was observed with five types of treatment processes, including a bio-ceramic sequencing batch reactor, liquid-phase flotation, membrane bioreactor, bioreactor plus ultrafiltration (BIOSUF) and bio best bacillus systems. Moreover, this study evaluated the removal efficiency via laboratory-scale experiments on the conventional contaminants, such as organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and veterinary antibiotics. This was done using the hydraulic retention time (HRT), under three temporal conditions (14 h, 18 h, 27 h), using the anaerobic–anoxic–oxic (A2O) process, in an attempt to assess the combined livestock wastewater treatment process where the livestock wastewater is treated until certain levels of water quality are achieved, and then the effluent is discharged to nearby sewage treatment plants for further treatment. The removal efficiencies of veterinary antibiotics, especially oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline, were 86.5–88.8% and 87.9–90.8%, respectively, exhibiting no significant differences under various HRT conditions. The removal efficiency of sulfamethazine was at least 20% higher at HRT = 27 h than at HRT = 14 h, indicating that sulfamethazine was efficiently removed in the A2O process with increased HRT. This study is expected to promote a comprehensive understanding of the behavior and removal of veterinary antibiotics in the livestock wastewater treatment plants of South Korea.

scholarly journals ANN-Based Soft Sensor to Predict Effluent Violations in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Pisa ◽  
Ignacio Santín ◽  
Jose Vicario ◽  
Antoni Morell ◽  
Ramon Vilanova
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
False Positive Rate ◽  
Soft Sensor ◽  
Aquatic Life ◽  
Pollutant Concentrations ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Artificial Neural Network Ann

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) form an industry whose main goal is to reduce water’s pollutant products, which are harmful to the environment at high concentrations. In addition, regulations are applied by administrations to limit pollutant concentrations in effluent. In this context, control strategies have been adopted by WWTPs to avoid violating these limits; however, some violations still occur. For that reason, this work proposes the deployment of an artificial neural network (ANN)-based soft sensor in which a Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) network is used to generate predictions of nitrogen-derived components, specifically ammonium ( S N H ) and total nitrogen ( S N t o t ). S N t o t is a limiting nutrient and can therefore cause eutrophication, while nitrogen in the S N H form is toxic to aquatic life. These parameters are used by control strategies to allow actions to be taken in advance and only when violations are predicted. Since predictions complement control strategies, the evaluation of the ANN-based soft sensor was carried out using the Benchmark Simulation Model N.2. (BSM2) and three different control strategies (from low to high control complexity). Results show that our proposed method is able to predict nitrogen-derived products with good accuracy: the probability of detecting violations of BSM2’s limits is 86%–94%. Moreover, the prediction accuracy can be improved by calibrating the soft sensor; for example, perfect prediction of all future violations can be achieved at the expense of increasing the false positive rate.

scholarly journals Occurrence of intestinal parasites in sewage samples and efficiency of wastewater treatment systems in Tunisia

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Sabbahi ◽  
M. Trad ◽  
L. Ben Ayed ◽  
N. Marzougui
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Multiple Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Intestinal Parasites ◽  
Sampling Period ◽  
Hymenolepis Diminuta ◽  
Helminth Eggs ◽  
Wastewater Samples ◽  
One Year ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Systems

Abstract The present study aimed to: (i) identify helminth eggs and protozoan cysts in wastewater samples to which both human and animals could be exposed when they are reused in agriculture; and (ii) evaluate the efficiency of their removal by two wastewater treatment systems (activated sludge and lagoon). For these purposes, 234 wastewater samples (117 raw, 117 treated) were collected from 20 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Tunisia over a one-year sampling period. Parasitic load was enumerated by the modified Bailenger method. The results showed that helminth eggs found were Nematodes mainly represented by Ascaris sp. (95%), Hookworm species (50%), and Enterobius vermicularis (45%). For Cestodes, species identified were Taeniid eggs (85%), Hymenolepis nana (70%), Hymenolepis diminuta (55%) and digestive Strongyles. Among protozoa, Giardia sp., Entamoeba histolytica/dispar/moshkovskii and Entamoeba coli cysts were found in 100% of raw wastewater samples. The overall removal efficiency of helminth eggs and protozoan cysts in the treatment plants ranged from 56.5 to 100% and from 50.4 to 95.5%, respectively. The result from Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) shows that the close clustering of the parasitic mean removal levels indicates that there is little difference in wastewater treatment processes between the WWTPs examined.

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document