scholarly journals Evaluating Pollutants of Emerging Concern in Aquatic Media Through E-PRTR Regulation. A Case Study: Cordoba, Spain, 2009-2018

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 4795-4800
Author(s):  
R. Marin Galvin

The E-PRTR EU Regulation can be followed for the evaluation of the level of pollutants of emerging concern in treated wastewater. This regulation is of regional responsibility in the UE, and establishes for the Andalusian region of Spain the following pollution parameters as mandatory to be controlled periodically in treated wastewater in Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) with more than 100.000 equivalent inhabitants of treatment capacity: COD, N-Kjeldahl, total P, Cl-, F- (conventional pollution); As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Zn and Pb, as heavy metals; PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), adsorbed organic halides (AOXs), benzene and chloroform, as organic compounds. This paper shows results obtained in the application of the E-PRTR Regulation to the wastewater of Cordoba during 2009-2018. As shown, average of COD, N-Kjeldahl an total P values, respectively, in urban and treated wastewater were 604 and 89 mg/L, 54.1 and 33.4 mg/L and 3.4 and 1.4 mg/L. With respect to heavy metals, the mean content in treated wastewater was 0.135 mg/L, starting from 0.226 mg/L in raw wastewater. The majority of these are Cu and Zn (0.043 mg/L and 0.107 mg/L, respectively, in raw wastewater). For pollutants of emerging concern, the mean content of PAHs was 13 ng/L in treated water vs 31 ng/L in raw wastewater. Moreover, concentration of AOXs in raw wastewater was of 20 ng/L while in treated wastewater decreased up to 16 ng/L. Also, benzene content in raw wastewater and treated wastewater decreased from 40 ng/L to 11 ng/L. Finally, the major organic compound was chloroform, with a level in raw wastewater of 5.6 ng/L that was reduced along the treatment up to 3.2 ng/L. The provided data indicated a low concentration of the compounds of emerging concern in the wastewater of Cordoba and its minimal impact on the receiving aquatic environment (the Guadalquivir river).

Author(s):  
E. O. Nwaichi ◽  
B. G. Ibiama ◽  
J. O. Akaninwor

Heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are common environmental pollutants. Its increased presence in the aquatic environment has raised serious concerns about its effect on aquatic life and by extension, a man who is at the apex of the food chain. This research investigated the concentrations of selected heavy metals (Lead, Nickel, Cadmium and Chromium) and PAHs in two species of commonly consumed crayfish in Nigeria and their health risk implications. Wet digestion procedure and atomic absorption spectrometry were used for heavy metal determination while the United States environmental protection agency (USEPA) test method for evaluation of solid waste was used for PAHs analysis. Results showed that Pb, Ni and Cd in both species of crayfish were above tolerable limits. The mean level for Ni in Litopenaeus setiferus was 3.0630.116mg/kg and 5.1571.676mg/kg in Litopenaeus stylirostris. The mean value for Cd in L. setiferus was 0.8330.070 mg/kg and 0.6000.025 mg/kg for L.stylirostris. The mean value for Pb in L. setiferus was 4.5500.656mg/kg and 3.6430.486 mg/kg in L. stylirostris. Mean values for Cr in L. setiferus was 0.0870.082 mg/kg and 0.000 mg/kg in L. stylirostris. Mean PAHs concentrations in L. setiferus and L. stylirostris were 0.0036±0.002 ppm and 0.0083±0.004 ppm respectively. Health risk assessment revealed an increasing health risk due to the consumption of both species of crayfish. Results for PAHs in both species of crayfish showed compliance with set limits. Its presence in fish food however suggests possible health concerns especially with regards to their carcinogenic tendencies. Anthropogenic activities should be closely monitored as bioaccumulation along the food chain is implicated.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athar Hussain ◽  
Manjeeta Priyadarshi ◽  
Saif Said ◽  
Suraj Negi

Most of the industrial sewage effluents used for irrigation contains heavy metals which cause toxicity to crop plants as the soils are able to accumulate heavy metal for many years. The vegetables grown for the present study were irrigated with treated wastewater brought from a nearby full-scale sewage treatment plant at different compositions along with tap water as a control. The concentration levels of the Cd, Co, Cu, Mn and Zn in the soil were found to below the toxic limits as prescribed in literature. Daily Intake Metals (DIM) values suggest that the consumption of plants grown in treated wastewater and tap water is nearly free of risks, as the dietary intake limits of Cu, Fe, Zn and Mn. The Enrichment Factor for the treated wastewater irrigated soil was found in order Zn> Ni> Pb> Cr> Cu> Co> Mn> Cd. Thus, treated wastewater can be effectively used for irrigation. This will have twofold significant environmental advantages: (1) helpful to reduce the groundwater usage for irrigation and (2) helpful to reduce the stress on surface water resources.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wahyu Wilopo ◽  
Septiawan Nur Haryono ◽  
Doni Prakasa Eka Putra ◽  
I Wayan Warmada ◽  
Tsuyoshi Hirajima

Development of indusrialization and urbanization not only increase economic growth but also contribute to the environmental degradation, especially contamination of heavy metals in water. In other side, there are many geological materials have capability to immobilize heavy metals. Therefore, the objective of this research is to know the maximum capacity of natural zeolite from Trembono area, Gunung Kidul regency to immobilize copper (Cu2+) from water and to understand their mechanism. This experiment was carry out by a batch test. The result showed that the maximum capacity of zeolite to immobilize Cu (qmax) is 63,69 mmolCu/kg Zeolite according to Langmuir adsorption equilibrium model. In addition, the capability to immobilize Cu will increases due to decreasing the grain size. The result of this research can be used as an alternative for waste water treatment, especially Cu. Keywords: Removal, copper (Cu2+), natural zeolite, Langmuir isotherm


Author(s):  
Arkadiusz Telesiński ◽  
Anna Kiepas-Kokot

The objective of this study was to assess the soil pollution on an industrial wasteland, where coal-tar was processed in the period between 1880 and 1997, and subsequent to assess the decline in the content of phenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during enhanced natural attenuation. The soil of the investigated area was formed from a layer of uncompacted fill. Twelve sampling points were established in the investigated area for collecting soil samples. A study conducted in 2015 did not reveal any increase in the content of heavy metals, monoaromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX), and cyanides. However, the content of PAHs and phenols was higher than the content permitted by Polish norms in force until 2016. In the case of PAHs, it was observed for individual compounds and their total contents. Among the various methods, enhanced natural attenuation was chosen for the remediation of investigated area. Repeated analyses of the contents of phenols and PAHs were conducted in 2020. The results of the analyses showed that enhanced natural attenuation has led to efficient degradation of the simplest substances—phenol and naphthalene. The content of these compounds in 2020 was not elevated compared to the standards for industrial wastelands. The three- and four-ring hydrocarbons were degraded at a lower intensity. Based on the mean decrease in content after 5-year enhanced natural attenuation, the compounds can be arranged in the following order: phenols > naphthalene > phenanthrene > fluoranthene > benzo(a)anthracene > chrysene > anthracene.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elijah Abakpa Adegbe ◽  
Oluwaseyi Oluwabukola Babajide ◽  
Lois Riyo Maina ◽  
Shola Elijah Adeniji

Abstract Background Heavy metal accumulation in the ecosystem constitutes a potential toxic effect which is hazardous to human health. Increasing environmental pollution has necessitated the use of cattle egrets to evaluate the levels of heavy metal contamination, to establish their use in biomonitoring of heavy metals and to provide data for monitoring pollution in the environment. Results The present study assessed the utilization of Bubulcus ibis in monitoring pollution in five abattoirs, namely Agege, Bariga, Kara, Itire and Idi-Araba, all situated in Lagos State. The concentration of five (5) heavy metals, cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) was determined in the liver, muscle and feather of Bubulcus ibis using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The trend of metal accumulation was in the order: Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd > Ni for all the sampled tissues. The mean tissue concentrations of the metals were significantly different (p < 0.05) among the sites. The highest levels of metal concentration were reported in the liver in all the locations. Mean concentration of Cd in Kara (0.003 ± 0.00058) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those found at Agege (0.0013 ± 0.00058) and Idi-Araba (0.001 ± 0.001). A significant difference (p < 0.05) was also observed between the mean concentrations of Cu in Bariga (0.01 ± 0.001) and Idi-Araba (0.003 ± 0.001). Conclusion All the studied heavy metals were present in the liver, muscle and feathers of the cattle egrets. The contamination levels were ascertained from the study which indicated that cattle egrets are useful in biomonitoring studies and the generated data will serve as baseline data which could be compared with data from other locations for monitoring heavy metal pollution.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Zexing Kuang ◽  
Yangguang Gu ◽  
Yiyong Rao ◽  
Honghui Huang

The concentrations of heavy metals in sediments and marine organisms in Daya Bay were investigated, and the Monte Carlo method was used to analyze the uncertainty of the results of geo-accumulation characteristics and ecological and health risks. The mean concentrations of metal elements in sediments were in the following order: Zn > Cr > Cu > As > Cd > Hg, while those in marine organisms were Zn > Cu > As > Cr ≈ Cd > Hg. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) indicated that the primary pollutant was Hg, with 5.46% moderately polluted, and 39.52% for unpolluted to moderately polluted. Potential ecological risks (RI) were between low and high risks, and the contributions of Hg, Cd, and As to ecological risks were 50.85%, 33.92%, and 11.47%, respectively. The total hazard coefficients (THQ) were less than 1, but on the basis of total carcinogenic risks (TCR), the probability of children and adults exceeded the unacceptable risk threshold of 22.27% and 11.19%, respectively. Sensitivity analysis results showed that the concentrations of carcinogenic elements contributed to risk in the order of As > Cd > Cr. Therefore, in order to effectively control heavy metals contamination in Daya Bay, it is necessary to strengthen the management of Hg, Cd, and As emissions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4405
Author(s):  
Miroslav Rimar ◽  
Olha Kulikova ◽  
Andrii Kulikov ◽  
Marcel Fedak

Waste is a product of society and one of the biggest challenges for future generations is to understand how to sustainably dispose of large amounts of waste. The main objective of this study was to determine the possibility and conditions of the decentralized combustion of non-hazardous municipal waste. The analysis of the combustion properties of a mixture of wood chips and 20–30% of municipal solid waste showed an improvement in the operating parameters of the combustion process. Analysis also confirmed that the co-combustion of dirty fuels and biomass reduced the risk of releasing minerals and heavy metals from fuel into the natural environment. Approximately 55% of the heavy metals passed into the ash. The analysis of municipal solid waste and fuel mixtures containing municipal solid waste for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons showed the risk of increasing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in flue gases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saheed Adekunle Ganiyu ◽  
Abimbola Temitope Oyadeyi ◽  
Azeem Adedeji Adeyemi

AbstractThis study has been conducted to appraise the concentrations of selected heavy metals and total dissolved solids (TDSs) in the drinking water from shallow wells in parts of Ibadan metropolis, southwest Nigeria. Fifteen (15) water samples were collected from three representative residential locations [traditional core area (TCA), peri-urban area (PUA), and urban area (UA)] for geochemical analysis. Heavy metals and TDS were analyzed with the aid of atomic absorption spectrophotometer and calibrated meter, respectively. The mean concentration (mg/L) of Zn, Pb Mn, Fe, and Cd has been 3.930, 0.658, 0.0304, 1.698, and 0.501, respectively, and as a consequence, the order of abundance of studied metals was Zn > Fe > Pb > Cd > Mn. Concentrations of Zn, Fe, Pb, and Cd were higher than recommended standards in 60%, 86.7%, 100%, and 100% of groundwater samples, respectively. However, at all points tested, the mean concentrations of Mn and TDS in water samples lie within the safe limits set by World Health Organization. The evaluation of geoaccumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF), and contamination factor suggests that representative water samples were low-to-moderate contamination. The potential ecological risk index advocates low-to-moderate ecological risk in TCA and PUA, while it demonstrated exclusive “moderate” risk in UA. Further, the range of pollution load index (PLI) (0.55–1.32) in both TCA and PUA shows nil-to-moderate pollution status, while PLI values > 1 in UA indicate moderate contaminated state. The degree of contamination in groundwater showed the following trends: UA > TCA > PUA in the study area. Moreover, the results of EF and quantification of contamination of analyzed metals in water samples indicate geogenic and anthropogenic inputs. The contribution of studied metals to the incidence of non-cancer risk via oral intake within the residential sites follows the order: cadmium > lead > zinc > iron > manganese. The hazard index as a result of ingested heavy metals for the three population classes surpasses the acceptable range in the order of infant < child < adult. Cadmium and lead made considerable impact to the estimation of cancer risk in the study area for the three human population categories. Factor analysis extracted only one component that explained 94.64% of the entire variance, while cluster analysis identified three distinct groups based on similar water quality characteristics. Based on the findings of the study, awareness programs toward protecting the shallow groundwater sources should be launched, encouraged, and sustained. Moreover, the study suggests better hygienic practices and pre-treatment of contaminated water before consumption.


Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1313
Author(s):  
Antonia Arroyo ◽  
Fabián Provoste ◽  
Montserrat Rodríguez ◽  
Ana L. Prieto

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a family of organic compounds of widespread presence in the environment. They are recalcitrant, ubiquitous, prone to bioaccumulation, and potentially carcinogenic. Effluent from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) constitutes a major source of PAHs into water bodies, and their presence should be closely monitored, especially considering the increasing applications of potable and non-potable reuse of treated wastewater worldwide. Modeling the fate and distribution of PAHs in WWTPs is a valuable tool to overcome the complexity and cost of monitoring and quantifying PAHs. A mechanistic model was built to evaluate the fate of PAHs in both water and sludge lines of a Chilean WWTP. Naphthalene and benzo(a)pyrene were used as models of low-MW and high-MW PAHs. As there were no reported experimental data available for the case study, the influent load was determined through a statistical approach based on reported values worldwide. For both naphthalene and benzo(a)pyrene, the predominant mechanism in the water line was sorption to sludge, while that in the sludge line was desorption. Compared to other studies in the literature, the model satisfactorily describes the mechanisms involved in the fate and distribution of PAHs in a conventional activated sludge WWTP. Even though there is evidence of the presence of PAHs in urban centers in Chile, local regulatory standards do not consider PAHs in the disposal of WWTP effluents. Monitoring of PAHs in both treated effluents and biosolids is imperative, especially when considering de facto reuse and soil amendment in agricultural activities are currently practiced downstream of the studied WWTP.


Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 282
Author(s):  
Hui-Ju Tsai ◽  
Chih-Hsing Hung ◽  
Chih-Wen Wang ◽  
Hung-Pin Tu ◽  
Chiu-Hui Li ◽  
...  

Background: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing annually in Taiwan. In addition to traditional risk factors, heavy metals contribute to the development of CKD. The aim of this study was to investigate associations among heavy metals and proteinuria and CKD in the general population in Southern Taiwan. We also explored the interaction and synergetic effects among heavy metals on proteinuria. Methods: We conducted a health survey in the general population living in Southern Taiwan between June 2016 and September 2018. Seven heavy metals were measured: blood lead (Pb) and urine nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), and cadmium (Cd). Proteinuria was measured using reagent strips. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Results: The mean age of the 2447 participants was 55.1 ± 13.2 years and included 977 males and 1470 females. Participants with high blood Pb and high urine Ni, Mn, Cu, and Cd were significantly associated with proteinuria. Interactions between blood Pb and urine Cr, and between urine Cd and Cu, had significant effects on proteinuria. The participants with high blood Pb and high urine Cu were significantly associated with an eGFR of <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Conclusion: High blood Pb and high urine Cu may be associated with proteinuria and an eGFR of <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. High urine Ni, Mn, and Cd were significantly associated with proteinuria. Co-exposure to Cd and Cu, and Pb and Cr, may have synergistic effects on proteinuria.


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