Wastewater treatment plants’ contribution in microplastics’ contamination of surface water. Effluent concentration and detection techniques review

2021 ◽  
Vol 227 ◽  
pp. 26-33
Author(s):  
Argyro Gkatzioura ◽  
Antigoni Zafirakou ◽  
Antonis A. Zorpas
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Detection Techniques ◽  
Effluent Concentration

scholarly journals The role of wastewater treatment plants in surface water contamination by plastic pollutants

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 00054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bozena Mrowiec
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Contamination ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Municipal Sewage ◽  
Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Surface Water Contamination

The aim of this paper was to review the literature data regarding the physico-chemical characteristic of plastic pollutants discharged with municipal sewage, the practical possibility of removing microplastic particles from wastewater during different treatment steps in WWTPs and the problem of surface water contamination within them. Microplastics (the size range of 1 nm to < 5 mm), have been recognized as an emerging threat, as well as an ecotoxicological and ecological risk for water ecosystems. Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are mentioned as the main point sources of microplastics in an aquatic environment. Microplastic particles can be effectively removed in the primary treatment zones via solids skimming and sludge settling processes. Different tertiary treatment processes such as: gravity sand filtration, discfilter, air flotation and membrane filtration provide substantial additional removal of microplastics, and the efficiency of wastewater treatment process can be at a removal level of 99.9%. Nevertheless, given the large volumes of effluent constantly discharged to receivers, even tertiary level WWTPs may constitute a considerable source of microplastics in the surface water.

Global implementation of two shared socioeconomic pathways for future sanitation and wastewater flows

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. T. M. van Puijenbroek ◽  
A. F. Bouwman ◽  
A. H. W. Beusen ◽  
P. L. Lucas
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Emission Model ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Nutrient Emissions ◽  
Sewage Systems

Households are an important source of nutrient loading to surface water. Sewage systems without or with only primary wastewater treatment are major polluters of surface water. Future emission levels will depend on population growth, urbanisation, increases in income and investments in sanitation, sewage systems and wastewater treatment plants. This study presents the results for two possible shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). SSP1 is a scenario that includes improvement of wastewater treatment and SSP3 does not include such improvement, with fewer investments and a higher population growth. The main drivers for the nutrient emission model are population growth, income growth and urbanisation. Under the SSP1 scenario, 5.7 billion people will be connected to a sewage system and for SSP3 this is 5 billion. Nitrogen and phosphorus emissions increase by about 70% under both SSP scenarios, with the largest increase in SSP1. South Asia and Africa have the largest emission increases, in the developed countries decrease the nutrient emissions. The higher emission level poses a risk to ecosystem services.

scholarly journals Effects of atrazine, isoproturon and diuron on glutathione metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Alves-Pereira ◽  
Rita Nunes ◽  
Marta Candeias ◽  
Rui Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Eukaryotic Cells ◽  
Glutathione Metabolism ◽  
Contaminated Groundwater ◽  
Selective Control ◽  
Agricultural Applications

AbstractTriazines and phenylureas, mainly used in agricultural applications for the selective control of germinating grasses and broad-leaved weeds, are often found in contaminated groundwater, surface water and the effluents of wastewater treatment plants. The toxicity of these herbicides in eukaryotic cells is poorly understood.

scholarly journals Fate and Removal of Pharmaceuticals and Illegal Drugs Present in Drinking Water and Wastewater

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Szymonik ◽  
Joanna Lach ◽  
Krystyna Malińska
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Diclofenac Sodium ◽  
Clofibric Acid ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Illegal Drugs

Abstract Rapid development of pharmaceutical industry, and thus widespread availability of different types of therapeutical and increased intake of pharmaceuticals, results in elevated concentrations of pharmaceuticals in municipal wastewater subjected to treatment in wastewater treatment plants. Pharmaceuticals present in raw wastewater discharged from hospitals, households, veterinary and health care clinics eventually end up in wastewater treatment plants. Commonly applied methods for treating wastewater do not allow complete removal of these contaminants. As a consequence, pharmaceuticals still present in treated wastewater are introduced to water environment. The most frequently identified pharmaceuticals in surface water belong to the following groups: non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs, beta-blockers, estrogens and lipid regulators. The most difficult is removal of diclofenac, clofibric acid and carbamazepine as these substances show low biodegradability. Diclofenac can be removed in the process of wastewater treatment by 40%, carbamazepine by 10%, and clofibric acid from 26 to 50%. The presence of diclofenac sodium in the rivers in Poland was confirmed and the concentrations were following: 380 ng/dm3 (the Warta river), 470 ng/dm3 (the Odra river), 140 ng/dm3 (the Vistula river). Naproxene was found in the Warta river at the concentration of 100 ng/dm3. The presence of pharmaceuticals in surface water can be toxic to aqueous microorganisms and fish. Recent studies confirmed also the presence of pharmaceuticals in drinking water. This is considered as a problem especially in urban agglomerations such as Berlin or large cities in Spain and China. The studies showed that pharmaceuticals were also identified in the samples taken from the Polish rivers and drinking water. The presence of naproxene and diclofenac at the concentrations of 13 and 4 ng/dm3 was identified in drinking water sampled from water intakes in Poznan. Surface water and drinking water showed also the presence of illegal drugs.

Occurrence of Estrogens in Wastewater Treatment Plants and Surface Water in Bangkok Area, Thailand

2014 ◽  
Vol 931-932 ◽  
pp. 721-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Apaporn Ruchiraset ◽  
Sopa Chinwetkitvanich
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Grab Sampling ◽  
Treatment Processes ◽  
17Β Estradiol ◽  
Receiving Waters ◽  
Surface Water Samples ◽  
Receiving Water

This study is the beginning of attempts to obtain existing data of estrogens contamination in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Bangkok Metropolitan area. Influents and effluents of seven WWTPs in Bangkok, and water samples from Bang-sue canal (receiving water from Chatuchak (CTC)-WWTP) and Chaopraya River (as receiving water from Chongnonsri (CNS)-WWTP) were collected by grab sampling. The sampling and analyses were done three times in a year round, during March to April 2010, October 2010, and January 2011. 17β-estradiol (E2) was found as in the majority in most samples including the surface water samples. In addition, the results of receiving water samples in both locations show that downstream (of discharged point) estrogens were a little higher than upstream ones. This could imply that WWTPs might be the important sources of estrogens contamination in surface (receiving) waters in Bangkok area and that the biological wastewater treatment processes currently used in WWTPs could not completely remove these estrogens.

Removal of low-calorie sweeteners at five Brazilian wastewater treatment plants and their occurrence in surface water

2021 ◽  
Vol 289 ◽  
pp. 112561
Author(s):  
Priscilla da Costa Cunha Alves ◽  
Caio Rodrigues-Silva ◽  
Alyson Rogério Ribeiro ◽  
Susanne Rath
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Low Calorie

scholarly journals Increased Antimicrobial and Multidrug Resistance Downstream of Wastewater Treatment Plants in an Urban Watershed

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maitreyee Mukherjee ◽  
Edward Laird ◽  
Terry J. Gentry ◽  
John P. Brooks ◽  
Raghupathy Karthikeyan
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Multidrug Resistance ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Heterotrophic Bacteria ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Diffusion Method ◽  
Urban Watershed ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Wwtp Effluent

Development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and multidrug resistance (MDR) through propagation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in various environments is a global emerging public health concern. The role of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as hot spots for the dissemination of AMR and MDR has been widely pointed out by the scientific community. In this study, we collected surface water samples from sites upstream and downstream of two WWTP discharge points in an urban watershed in the Bryan-College Station (BCS), Texas area, over a period of nine months. E. coli isolates were tested for resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, cephalothin, cefoperazone, gentamycin, and imipenem using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Antimicrobial resistant heterotrophic bacteria were cultured on R2A media amended with ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and sulfamethoxazole for analyzing heterotrophic bacteria capable of growth on antibiotic-containing media. In addition, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method was used to measure eight ARG – tetA, tetW, aacA, ampC, mecA, ermA, blaTEM, and intI1 in the surface water collected at each time point. Significant associations (p &lt; 0.05) were observed between the locations of sampling sites relative to WWTP discharge points and the rate of E. coli isolate resistance to tetracycline, ampicillin, cefoperazone, ciprofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole together with an increased rate of isolate MDR. The abundance of antibiotic-resistant heterotrophs was significantly greater (p &lt; 0.05) downstream of WWTPs compared to upstream locations for all tested antibiotics. Consistent with the results from the culture-based methods, the concentrations of all ARG were substantially higher in the downstream sites compared to the upstream sites, particularly in the site immediately downstream of the WWTP effluent discharges (except mecA). In addition, the Class I integron (intI1) genes were detected in high amounts at all sites and all sampling points, and were about ∼20 times higher in the downstream sites (2.5 × 107 copies/100 mL surface water) compared to the upstream sites (1.2 × 106 copies/100 mL surface water). Results suggest that the treated WWTP effluent discharges into surface waters can potentially contribute to the occurrence and prevalence of AMR in urban watersheds. In addition to detecting increased ARG in the downstream sites by qPCR, findings from this study also report an increase in viable AMR (HPC) and MDR (E. coli) in these sites. This data will benefit establishment of improved environmental regulations and practices to help manage AMR/MDR and ARG discharges into the environment, and to develop mitigation strategies and effective treatment of wastewater.

scholarly journals Impact of informal settlements and wastewater treatment plants on helminth egg contamination of urban rivers and risks associated with exposure

2020 ◽  
Vol 192 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac Dennis Amoah ◽  
Sheena Kumari ◽  
Poovendhree Reddy ◽  
Thor Axel Stenström ◽  
Faizal Bux
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
World Health ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Urban Rivers ◽  
Helminth Eggs ◽  
Natural Factors ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe quality of surface water could be influenced by both anthropogenic and natural factors. This study was designed to determine the impact of informal settlement and wastewater treatment plants on helminth egg contamination of urban rivers and the risks associated with everyday use. We also ascertained the accumulation of these eggs in the river sediments. The study was carried out in two rivers in the eThekwini Municipality of South Africa. Grab samples were taken at different points over a 10-month period. Ascaris spp., hookworm, Toxocara spp., Trichuris spp. and Taenia spp. were the helminth eggs detected in both the water column and sediments, with mean Ascaris spp. eggs of 0–6.3 (± 5.1)/L in the water and 0–6.8 (± 5.2)/kg in sediment samples. The helminth egg concentrations showed seasonal variation, probably due to changes in infection levels of the populations or natural factors, such as rainfall. The informal settlements had a greater impact than treated wastewater. For every 10,000 recreational users of the rivers 19 to 58 may be infected under undisturbed conditions, increasing to 29–88 individuals when the riverbed is disturbed. The risk from agricultural use of the rivers was above the tolerable risk values applicable for wastewater reuse, recommended by the World Health Organization. This calls for a re-evaluation of the policies governing surface water quality assessment, where the inclusion of helminth eggs and sediment monitoring will be critical.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document