A Comparative Analysis of Two Different Wastewater Treatment Processes in Actual Wastewater Treatment Plants

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.

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Beta-lactam Resistance Development during the Treatment Processes of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants

Chemosphere ◽

10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130749 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 130749

Author(s):

Tereza Stachurová ◽

Hana Piková ◽

Martin Bartas ◽

Jaroslav Semerád ◽

Kateřina Svobodová ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Municipal Wastewater ◽

Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽

Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽

Beta Lactam ◽

Resistance Development ◽

Treatment Processes ◽

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants

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Performance evaluation of different wastewater treatment technologies operating in a developing country

Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development ◽

10.2166/washdev.2011.022 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 37-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Sílvia C. Oliveira ◽

Marcos von Sperling

Keyword(s):

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽

Septic Tank ◽

Operational Parameters ◽

Technical Literature ◽

Effluent Quality ◽

Loading Rates ◽

Treatment Processes ◽

Treatment Technologies ◽

Uasb Reactors

This article analyses the performance of 166 wastewater treatment plants operating in Brazil, comprising six different treatment processes: septic tank + anaerobic filter, facultative pond, anaerobic pond + facultative pond, activated sludge, UASB reactors alone, UASB reactors followed by post-treatment. The study evaluates and compares the observed effluent quality and the removal efficiencies in terms of BOD, COD, TSS, TN, TP and FC with typical values reported in the technical literature. In view of the large performance variability observed, the existence of a relationship between design/operational parameters and treatment performance was investigated. From the results obtained, no consistent relationship between loading rates and effluent quality was found. The influence of loading rates differed from plant to plant, and the effluent quality was dictated by several combined factors related to design and operation.

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

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2010.476 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 62 (10) ◽

pp. 2450-2458 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

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.

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Comparative analysis of genetic diversity and expression of amoA in wastewater treatment processes

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology ◽

10.1007/s00253-004-1558-x ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 64 (5) ◽

pp. 740-744 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Y. Ebie ◽

N. Noda ◽

H. Miura ◽

M. Matsumura ◽

S. Tsuneda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Comparative Analysis ◽

Treatment Processes

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

Processes ◽

10.3390/pr8060720 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 720 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

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.

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Occurrence and fate of relevant substances in wastewater treatment plants regarding Water Framework Directive and future legislations

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2012.943 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 65 (7) ◽

pp. 1179-1189 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

S. Martin Ruel ◽

J.-M. Choubert ◽

H. Budzinski ◽

C. Miège ◽

M. Esperanza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Water Framework Directive ◽

Municipal Wastewater ◽

River Flow ◽

Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽

Quality Standard ◽

Treated Wastewater ◽

Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽

Conventional Activated Sludge ◽

Treatment Processes

The next challenge of wastewater treatment is to reliably remove micropollutants at the microgram per litre range. During the present work more than 100 substances were analysed through on-site mass balances over 19 municipal wastewater treatment lines. The most relevant substances according to their occurrence in raw wastewater, in treated wastewater and in sludge were identified, and their fate in wastewater treatment processes was assessed. About half of priority substances of WFD were found at concentrations higher than 0.1 μg/L in wastewater. For 26 substances, potential non-compliance with Environmental Quality Standard of Water Framework Directive has been identified in treated wastewater, depending on river flow. Main concerns are for Cd, DEHP, diuron, alkylphenols, and chloroform. Emerging substances of particular concern are by-products, organic chemicals (e.g. triclosan, benzothiazole) and pharmaceuticals (e.g. ketoprofen, diclofenac, sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine). About 80% of the load of micropollutants was removed by conventional activated sludge plants, but about two-thirds of removed substances were mainly transferred to sludge.

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