scholarly journals The impact of on-site wastewater effluent on rural karstified aquifers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luka Vucinic ◽  
David O'Connell ◽  
Donata Dubber ◽  
Patrice Behan ◽  
Quentin Crowley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Groundwater Quality ◽  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Effluent ◽  
Ratio Method ◽  
Karst Groundwater ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
Karst Springs ◽  
Aquifer Systems ◽  
The Impact

<p>Karst aquifers are exceptionally vulnerable to pollution and may be impacted by multiple contamination sources. In rural and suburban areas, human wastewater effluent from on-site domestic wastewater treatment systems (DWTSs) and agricultural sources are the most significant threats to groundwater quality. It has been estimated that around 2.8 billion people worldwide rely on DWTSs for treating domestic wastewater. As karst groundwater is a major source of drinking water for at least one-quarter of the world’s population it makes protection and management of karst aquifers extremely important. These aquifer systems are highly complex and challenging to understand, especially with regards to the fate and transport of contaminants through such systems. Thus, significant knowledge gaps exist with respect to linking contaminants with the origins of pollution and quantifying different pollution impacts on groundwater quality in karst environments.</p><p>In this paper, a novel approach for investigation of the impact of contaminants from DWTS effluent on rural karstified aquifers using a range of source-specific tracers is proposed, as it is extremely difficult to distinguish between agricultural and DWTS effluent pollution using only traditional water quality parameters or any single environmental marker. Domestic wastewater is primarily discharged from toilets, washing machines, showers and dishwashers, but even after on-site wastewater treatment processes a large number of different contaminants, including source-specific ones, can still reach the groundwater and wider environment. One example are microplastic particles which are found with other solid materials in the wastewater effluent principally due to household washing and cleaning processes. Investigations of microplastic occurrences in groundwater systems are very rare but several karst springs in the west of Ireland have been sampled during this study for quantification and identification of microplastic particles using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Many of these particles were successfully linked to human wastewater on the basis of their physical and chemical properties and/or adsorbed/absorbed pollutants. The overall numbers of microplastics and numbers of household-derived microplastic particles were linked to other well-known indicators of human contamination such as fluorescent whitening compounds (FWCs) and specific anion ratio signatures (Cl:Br). Our results show a significant correlation between microplastics and detected FWC signals at different karst springs over time, which suggests the majority of found microplastic particles to be from DWTS effluent. Notably, certain limitations were found and furthermore understood in terms of the capability of Cl:Br ratio method in determining human wastewater impacts on karst groundwater. Additionally, we have found that faecal sterol and stanol concentrations, as source-specific faecal markers, and their ratios can very successfully differentiate and quantify DWTS effluent pollution and agricultural faecal contamination at karst springs due to rapid and extensive transport of these contaminants particularly through the karst conduit networks. </p>

A comparison of emerging contaminant fingerprinting techniques to assess the impact of human wastewater on karst groundwater quality

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luka Vucinic ◽  
David O'Connell ◽  
Donata Dubber ◽  
Patrice Behan ◽  
Quentin Crowley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Quality ◽  
Karst Aquifer ◽  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Effluent ◽  
Chemical Pollution ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
Karst Springs ◽  
Aquifer Systems ◽  
Pollution Impacts ◽  
The Impact

<p>Lowland karst aquifers in Ireland are extremely complex to understand and are considered to be highly vulnerable to pollution (e.g. low-lying karst catchments exhibit a lot of surface water – groundwater interactions which makes them very susceptible to direct contamination). These aquifers are impacted by multiple contamination sources on land (in particular, rural sources from agriculture and on-site domestic wastewater effluent) which makes their protection and management challenging. Human wastewater effluent is identified as significant threat to groundwater quality in such lowland Irish karst environments, since approximately one-third of the population in Ireland is relying on decentralized wastewater treatment systems for the treatment of domestic wastewater. However, it is difficult to distinguish between human wastewater effluent and agricultural pollution impacts on karst aquifers using only traditional water quality parameters or any single environmental tracing method. Hence, the impact of microbial and chemical contaminants of human wastewater origin on groundwater quality must be assessed using a multiple-tracer approach, ideally targeting source-specific tracers. This paper presents an overview of the results obtained during the research conducted throughout the last several years at nine karst catchments in Ireland using a range of methodologies in order to determine and quantify domestic wastewater pollution impacts on karst springs. Microbial pollution was assessed using flow cytometric fingerprinting and faecal indicator bacteria, while chemical pollution impact assessment included the analysis of fluorescent whitening compounds (FWCs; well-known indicators of human contamination since their origin is mostly from laundry detergents), specific anion ratio signatures (Cl/Br), quantification and identification of microplastic particles using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and faecal sterol and stanol profiles and ratios. A thorough analysis of the results obtained using a multiple-tracer approach has been conducted and methodologies have been evaluated in terms of applicability and sensitivity in a range of different karst catchments. The ability of these methodologies and techniques to determine and quantify human faecal pollution impacts on karst springs will be discussed. The results show a significant correlation between microplastic particle counts and detected FWCs signals at different springs, which helps to understand the contribution of household-derived contaminants to this environmental problem. Moreover, our results indicate that faecal sterols and stanols can be useful faecal source tracking method in karst aquifer systems despite the fact that concentrations of sterols and stanols of interest were usually low which makes the interpretation of results challenging.</p>

THE IMPACT OF DOMESTIC WASTEWATER EFFLUENT ON KARST AQUIFERS

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luka Vucinic ◽  
◽  
David W. O'Connell ◽  
Quentin G. Crowley ◽  
Catherine Coxon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Effluent ◽  
Karst Aquifers ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Performance of Anaerobic Baffled Reactor for Decentralized Wastewater Treatment in Urban Malang, Indonesia

Processes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anie Yulistyorini ◽  
Miller Camargo-Valero ◽  
Sukarni Sukarni ◽  
Nugroho Suryoputro ◽  
Mujiyono Mujiyono ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Pollutant Removal ◽  
Treated Effluent ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Impact

In order to assess the impact of the Sanitation by Communities (SANIMAS) program for community-led sanitation in Indonesia (established in 2002), this research work was conducted with the aim of characterizing the current performance of anaerobic baffled reactors (ABRs), which were deployed in high numbers for the provision of domestic wastewater treatment in densely populated urban areas in Malang (Indonesia). Small and decentralized sewage treatment facilities serve ≈3% of the total population in Malang, including 89 ABR treatment plants. Our findings reveal that only 14% of the 89 ABRs in Malang have an acceptable performance with regard to pollutant removal and integrity of their building structure, but the majority of them produce a treated effluent of poor quality, according to discharge consents set by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia (Regulation No. P.68/2016). Clearly the lack of consistent operation and maintenance practices have had a detrimental effect on these decentralized sewage treatment systems, despite their robustness and buffer capacity to cope with changes in organic and hydraulic loading rates. Urbanization will continue to exert pressure on the provision of sanitation services in lower and middle economies, and the role of decentralized sewage management systems is expected to be prominent in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals era (2015–2030); however, sustainable service delivery must be conceived beyond the provision of sanitation infrastructure.

scholarly journals Domestic wastewater treatment plants as sources of macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B- and penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sílvia Letícia Oliveira Toledo ◽  
Renata Michelle Silveira Silva ◽  
Isabella Cristina Rodrigues dos Santos ◽  
William Gustavo Lima ◽  
Leticia Gonçalves Rodrigues Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Anthropogenic Source ◽  
Beta Lactam ◽  
Southeast Brazil ◽  
Beta Lactam Antibiotics ◽  
Domestic Wastewater Treatment ◽  
The Impact

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the main bacteria that affect human health. Its reduced susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics has driven the clinical use of macrolides and lincosamides. However, the presence of macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB)-resistant S. aureus strains is increasingly common. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are the main anthropogenic source of resistance determinants. However, few studies have assessed the importance of this environment on the dissemination of MLSB-resistant S. aureus strains. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the impact of a domestic WWTP on the resistance to MLSB and penicillin in S. aureus in southeast Brazil. Of the 35 isolates tested, 40.6% were resistant to penicillin. Resistance to erythromycin (8.6%) and quinolones (2.8%) was less common. Despite the low rate of resistance to clindamycin (2.8%), many isolates showed reduced susceptibility to this antibiotic (57.1%). Regarding the resistance phenotypes of staphylococci isolates, inducible MLSB resistance (D-test positive) was found in two isolates. In addition, 27 S. aureus isolates showed the ability to produce penicillinase. In this article, we report for the first time the importance of WWTPs in the dissemination of MSLB resistance among S. aureus from southeast Brazil.

scholarly journals Influence of city municipal waste disposal on groundwater quality and assessment of groundwater suitability in agriculture

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-344
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Quality ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Municipal Waste ◽  
Waste Stabilization ◽  
Groundwater Suitability ◽  
The Impact

This study focuses on the impact of the disposal of Tirunelveli city municipal waste in the quality of groundwater in Ramayanpatti village where the waste is disposed; the study also assesses the quality of the groundwater suitability in irrigation in the disposed region. Tirunelveli city generates municipal waste of nearly 15 MLD of domestic wastewater and 100 tons of solid waste in a day. The domestic wastewater is treated by waste stabilization pond. The solid waste is dumped in the open yard. These two disposal sites are located in the Ramayanpatti area and their boundaries are at a distance of 500m from each other. Ground water resources are extracted in use for agriculture in the area of Ramayanpatti. Around thirty, locations have been identified in the Ramayanpatti area for sampling, based on the contour and flow direction. The dominant chemical cation species in the majority of the groundwater samples are in the order of Na>Ca>Mg>K and anion species are in the order of HCO3>Cl>SO4>NO3. Gibbs plot shows that the region is dominated by evaporation and dilution phenomenon. Rhode’s plot shows that there is no reduction in the rate of infiltration of soil in the Ramayanpatti region. Dendrogram shows that the leachates infiltration is predominant in the winter season. The study shows that the groundwater quality, nearer and to the southeastern side of the disposal sites are most affected and contaminated by solid waste leachates. The inference with various irrigation plots show that the quality of groundwater in the southeastern region is doubtful for use in irrigation and the groundwater needs to be assessed in order to use in irrigation for agriculture.

Water matrix effect on UV photodegradation of perfluorooctanoic acid

2011 ◽  
Vol 64 (10) ◽  
pp. 1980-1986 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. R. Giri ◽  
H. Ozaki ◽  
T. Okada ◽  
S. Takikita ◽  
S. Taniguchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Perfluorooctanoic Acid ◽  
Wastewater Effluent ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Toc Removal ◽  
The Impact

The widespread detection of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in the water environment has been a concern for the last several years, while effluents from wastewater treatment facilities are the major sources of these compounds. Even advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) are not useful for mineralization of the compounds due to their very high stability. Photochemical techniques using particularly vacuum UV (VUV) have been found to be very promising in this regard. But the use of VUV in UV-based AOTs has still not progressed much. Moreover, the impact of water quality on PFCs photomineralization is unknown. This investigation aimed to assess photomineralization potentials of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in ultrapure water (UPW), tap water (TW), surface water and treated wastewater effluent using a reactor setup enabling maximum utilization of VUV emission of low pressure lamp in laboratory batch experiments. Neya River water (NRW) and the Nakahama Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent (NWWTPE) represented surface water and treated wastewater effluent respectively. Also, tests were carried out in 50% diluted NRW and NWWTPE. PFOA photomineralization in terms of PFOA removal, defluorination and total organic carbon (TOC) removal are discussed. The usefulness of the method for PFOA mineralization in organic-rich wastewaters, and further research needs are also highlighted.

Monitoring of groundwater in Gabal el Asfar wastewater irrigated area (Greater Cairo)

1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (11) ◽  
pp. 163-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Rashed ◽  
S. R. Awad ◽  
M. A. Salam ◽  
E. Smidt
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Quality ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
National Level ◽  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Sewage Effluent ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
Greater Cairo ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

In arid to semi-arid countries water scarcity on a national level is seemingly contradicted by the local occurrence of sometimes large amounts of domestic wastewater. Consequently, in many countries this wastewater is considered as an additional source of water, particularly for irrigation purposes. The government of Egypt is planning to use wastewater in land reclamation in many areas on the Eastern and Western fringes of the Nile Valley and Delta. A preliminary survey on the effects of wastewater irrigation was carried out by the Research Institute for Groundwater (RIGW) in the Gabal el Asfar area (Greater Cairo) in 1990-1991. A general framework of reuse of sewage effluent for irrigation in Egypt was discussed. The hydrogeological setting of the Gabal el Asfar area, the groundwater flow system and the thickness of the unsaturated zone were described. The impact on groundwater quality from sewage effluent irrigation has been assessed and the migration of pollution was evaluated. The main objective of the present study is to analyze and explain changes in groundwater quality between 1991 and 1994. The study is executed within the framework of the Environmental Management Groundwater Resources project.

scholarly journals The effect of plant-soil treatment plant on the groundwater quality

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 00137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Pawęska
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Quality ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Domestic Wastewater ◽  
Soil Treatment ◽  
Irrigation Regime ◽  
Physicochemical Composition ◽  
Plant Soil ◽  
Irrigated Area ◽  
The Impact

The paper presents the impact assessment of the plant-soil treatment plant on the groundwater quality. The physicochemical composition of groundwater was analysed. The samples were collected form the piezometer network located in the irrigated area and around it. Water quality tests were carried out in 2014 with the frequency of the month. Changes in the physicochemical composition of groundwater were determined with reference to quality of domestic wastewater used for irrigation. The obtained results were also referred to groundwater parameters limits before the facility’s operation started. As a result of many years of exploitation the groundwater quality under the irrigated area has changed. The boundary of individual segments of wastewater treatment plant is clearly marked by the change in concentrations of the observed pollution indicators. The highest values of organic matter expressed by BOD and COD were observed in the groundwater the I segment (respectively 6.9 gO2·m-3 and 66.2 gO2·m-3). This was the results of a change in the irrigation regime. As the result of irrigation, an increase of nitrate (V) and nitrate (III) was also observed in comparison to their pre-operational values. Plant-soil treatment plant prove high effectiveness of work. However, due to their significant impact on the groundwater quality their operating should be gradually reduced.

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