Drinking Water Treatment Facilities Research Articles

Microbial extracellular polymeric substances in the environment, technology and medicine.

Microbial biofilms exhibit a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), including polysaccharides, proteins, extracellular DNA and lipids. EPS promote interactions of the biofilm with other cells and sorption of organics, metals and chemical pollutants, and they facilitate cell adhesion at interfaces and ensure matrix cohesion. EPS have roles in various natural environments, such as soils, sediments and marine habitats. In addition, EPS are relevant in technical environments, such as wastewater and drinking water treatment facilities, and water distribution systems, and they contribute to biofouling and microbially influenced corrosion. In medicine, EPS protect pathogens within the biofilm against the host immune system and antimicrobials, and emerging evidence suggests that EPS can represent potential virulence factors. By contrast, EPS yield a wide range of valuable products that include their role in self-repairing concrete. In this Review, we aim to explore EPS as a functional unit of biofilms in the environment, in technology and in medicine.

Environmental Sustainability of the Removal of Alpaca Fiber Dye Using a Thermally Modified Sludge from a Drinking Water Treatment Facility

In this work, the removal of dye using thermally modified sludge from a drinking water treatment facility (DWTS) was evaluated. This study gives value to the waste from the coagulation flocculation process (waste sludge) in order to remove an emerging organic agent (Bordeaux B). The sustainability of the process leads to a circular economy, which represents an important environmental contribution. The physicochemical characterization of the DWTS was carried out by standard methods. DRX and FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and superficial specific area SBET N2 at 77 K were used. Thermal activation processes were carried out (200–600 °C) to obtain the best activated thermal conditions for dye removal (T: 500 °C). Muscovite and other minerals were found in the DWTS. Experimental conditions (batch mode) were determined: contact time (CT), pH, adsorbent dose (AD), and dye initial concentration (Co). SBET = 54.77 and 67.90 m2/g by DWTS and TA-500. The best removal efficiency was achieved at 500 °C (R = 85.57 ± 0.76 %, q max = 37.45 ± 0.14 mg/g), which, compared to other unconventional adsorbents, is more reliable and competitive. The adsorption process was adjusted to the Langmuir mathematics model, following pseudo-second-order kinetics (R2 = 0.99).

Sources, fate, distribution, impact, and treatment of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in drinking water

AbstractThis review examined the global issue of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in drinking water, including their sources, health effects, and the efficacy of advanced treatment technologies like biodegradation and photocatalytic degradation, using case studies. Recently, endocrine disrupting substances or disruptors in drinking water have become a global issue. Emerging pollutants including endocrine disrupting chemicals can enter the body through water drinking. Endocrine disruptors affect gene expression and damage the endocrine system, harming humans, wildlife, and the environment. Pesticides, detergents and surfactants, plasticizers, industrial compounds, medicines, natural plant derivatives, and heavy metals are endocrine disruptive compounds in water. These endocrine disrupting substances enter raw water bodies by untreated and treated wastewater discharges, runoff, and leachate. However, the convectional drinking water treatment facility cannot cleanse and process endocrine disruptive substances from raw water intakes, resulting in inefficient eliminations and health risks. Mechanisms, benefits, and drawbacks of new water treatment technologies such biodegradation, photocatalytic degradation, and oxidation for endocrine disruptive chemicals are reviewed. Thus, many case studies from the Philippines, Mexico, and Egypt will be examined to highlight the health dangers of EDC exposure.

Risk-based public health impact assessment for drinking water contamination emergencies

Chemical spills in surface waters pose a significant threat to public health and the environment. This study investigates the public health impacts associated with organic chemical spill emergencies and explores timely countermeasures deployable by drinking water facilities. Using a dynamic model of a typical multi-sourced New England drinking water treatment facility and its distribution network, this study assesses the impacts of various countermeasure deployment scenarios, including source switching, enhanced coagulation via poly‑aluminum chloride (PACl), addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC), and temporary system shutdown. This study reveals that the deployment of multiple countermeasures yields the most significant reduction in total public health impacts, regardless of the demand and supply availability. With the combination PAC deployed first with other countermeasures proving to be the most effective strategies, followed by the combination of facility shutdowns. By understanding the potential public health impacts and evaluating the effectiveness of countermeasures, authorities can develop proactive plans, secure additional funding, and enhance their capacity to mitigate the consequences of such events. These insights contribute to safeguarding public health and improving the resilience of drinking water systems in the face of the ever-growing threat of chemical spills.

Monitoring natural organic matter in drinking water treatment with photoelectrochemical oxygen demand

AbstractConventional metrics such as total organic carbon (TOC) and ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (UV254) may oversee aspects of natural organic matter (NOM) reactivity in drinking water treatment. The novel photoelectrochemical oxygen demand (peCOD) analyzer indirectly measures the oxygen consumed during NOM oxidation with photo‐ and electrochemical methods, quantifying NOM reactivity. peCOD was valuable for tracking NOM degradation in nine drinking water treatment facilities, particularly in processes where conventional metrics failed to capture changes in NOM from partial oxidation (e.g., biofiltration and oxidation). However, peCOD exhibited moderate correlations with TOC (R2 = 0.67) and UV254 (R2 = 0.48), indicating the need for its concurrent use with conventional methods. While peCOD was not a significant predictor of disinfection by‐product formation potential (R2 < 0.20), its inclusion alongside standard NOM metrics improved the performance of multivariable regression models. Thus, peCOD provided a rapid, standardized, operator‐friendly, environmentally conscious, concentration‐based approach for evaluating NOM characteristics in drinking water samples.

Ondokuz Mayıs University drinking water treatment plant carbon footprint: emission sources and strategies for sustainability

In this study, it was aimed to calculate the carbon footprint of the drinking water treatment facility within Samsun Ondokuz Mayıs University and to determine the greenhouse gas emission sources within the facility. The total daily CO2 emission of the drinking water treatment plant is calculated as 85.05 kg CO2e/d. The analyses show that off-site CO2 emissions are higher than on-site CO2 emission values. It has been determined that the primary source of off-site emissions arises from the electrical energy consumption used in the units, constituting approximately 86.4% of the total CO2 emissions. The second important contribution parameter arises from the reaction of coagulants in mechanical mixing processes. This study emphasizes the importance of taking measures that support greener and sustainable production to reduce the current greenhouse gas emissions of the facility. In addition, calculating the carbon emissions of the drinking water treatment plant is important in informing the relevant institutions in the European Union’s efforts to achieve the goal of zeroing carbon emissions by 2050.

Study on Conventional Drinking Water Treatment for Removing Emerging Contaminants: A Literature Review

Emerging contaminants (ECs) are substances that can be synthetic or natural, or even microorganisms that are usually not monitored in the environment and could be harmful to the environment and human health. These chemicals can include pharmaceuticals, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, and industrial chemicals, e.g., perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Common conventional drinking water treatment plants (CDWTP) are not designed to remove emerging contaminants, so these compounds can enter the water system and affect the drinking water treatment process. This study aims to focus on the performance of CDWTP in removing ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and PFOA parameters, as well as determine suitable water treatment units to eliminate these parameters from the system. An extensive literature review was conducted and further analysed using descriptive and qualitative analysis to understand the unit performance in removing emerging contaminants, followed by the simple simulation to determine the types of advanced drinking water treatment facilities that perform better in eliminating ECs. The results show that CDWTP could reduce ibuprofen concentration in water with 40%, 20%, and 36% efficiency through coagulation-flocculation, sand filtration, and disinfection, respectively. Acetaminophen removal is up to 67%, 51%, and 66.45% during coagulation-flocculation, sand filtration, and disinfection, respectively. However, PFOA removal is only up to 5%, 7%, and 2% during coagulation-flocculation, sand filtration, and disinfection, respectively. Membrane treatment technology with reverse osmosis could remove ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and PFOA compounds more effectively with removal efficiencies of 99.99%, 96%, and 100%, respectively.

Assessment of Biofilm Growth on Microplastics in Freshwaters Using a Passive Flow-Through System.

Biofilms that colonize on the surface of microplastics (MPs) in freshwaters may pose a potential health risk. This study examined factors that influence MP-associated biofilm growth, including polymer type, degree of weathering, and source water quality. Weathered MPs produced in-lab were employed in biofilm trials conducted on site using a passive flow-through system with raw water at drinking water treatment facility intakes. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was used to quantify biofilm abundance; biofilm composition was assessed via metagenomic sequencing. Biofilm growth was observed on all polymer types examined and most prevalent on polyvinyl chloride (PVC), where ATP levels were 6 to 12 times higher when compared to other polymers. Pathogen-containing species including Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli were present on all polymers with relative abundance up to 13.7%. S. enterica was selectively enriched on weathered MPs in specific water matrices. These findings support the need to research the potential accumulation of pathogenic organisms on microplastic surfaces.

The Relationship between Sanitary Hygiene and Coliform Bacteria Contamination at Refill Drinking Water Depots

Objective: This study aims to determine the relationship between sanitation hygiene and Coliform bacteria contamination in refilled drinking water in Waled District in 2023. Methods: This study uses an analytic observational design with a cross-sectional approach where the researcher will simultaneously observe or measure the independent and dependent variables (period). The sampling technique is total sampling with a sample of 30 refilled drinking water depots with 30 workers—data collection through observation and interviews. Data analysis was used, namely data analysis using Fisher's exact test. Results: Based on laboratory tests, it was found that more than half of the refilled drinking water depots were contaminated with coliform bacteria as much as 60%. After analysis, it was found that factors related to Coliform bacteria contamination in filled drinking water were access to sanitation facilities (p = 0.001), and worker behavior (p = 0.001), while factors that were not related were drinking water treatment facilities (p = 0.063), raw water (p = 1.000) and consumer service hygiene (p = 0.418). Conclusion: Of the five sanitation hygiene factors, those that have a significant relationship with coliform bacteria contaminants are sanitation facilities and behavior, while drinking water treatment facilities, raw water, and consumer service hygiene are factors that are not significant in determining bacterial contamination.

Study of the Chlorine Influence on the Corrosion of Three Steels to Be Used in Water Treatment Municipal Facilities

Many municipal facilities, such as pools and drinking water treatment facilities, are subject to ongoing maintenance due to the corrosion of their metallic materials caused by chlorine, leading to high costs and a possible risk to public health. A proper study of the employed product's effect could lead to the use of better materials, which significantly increase the lifetime of metallic equipment more attacked by corrosion, through studies evaluating their cost-effectiveness. This paper was carried out with the objective of studying the degradation of some metallic materials (AISI 316L, AISI 321 and Duplex 14462) used in the referred facilities in order to select the one that possessed a better behavior. It was observed that the introduction of some more adequate materials can drastically reduce maintenance operations, with Duplex 14462 showing the best results, ideal for greater chlorine concentrations, followed by AISI 321, which may be employed for components in less contact with chlorine, since it is more easily affordable.

Role of Refined Coal Use in Power Plant Effects on Downstream Drinking Water Quality

Use of refined coal at power plants has been incentivized in tax law due to perceived benefits in control of criteria air pollutants. Refined coal use at power plants increased by 20% from 99 million metric tons in 2016 to 119 million metric tons in 2020. Additives in the refining process (e.g., halogens) can be present in power plant wastewater, especially where wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) is utilized. Discharge of wastewaters containing halogens can have unintended negative effects on water quality at downstream drinking water plants. The increases in refined coal consumption over the past decade, and incomplete information on the nature and quantity of chemical additives used in refining, have increased uncertainty of the potential effects on drinking water. Considering 2020, the total bromide load associated with discharge of wet FGD wastewater generated from use of refined coal is estimated to range from 470 thousand kg/day to 12,900 thousand kg/day. While tax credits expired in 2021, additive use may continue to manage air pollutants; use of additives is not reported. Additional information on halogen application rates is needed to improve estimates and enable assessment of the potential effects of this practice on downstream drinking water treatment facilities.

Backwashing of granular media filters and membranes for water treatment: a review

AbstractFilter backwashing is a supplemental part of a drinking water treatment (DWT) facility to wash the filter bed at regular intervals using water or air scour/water by fluidizing the filter bed. Deposited material induces clogging the filter pores and enhances head loss in the bed. Biofiltration has been extensively utilized to decrease organic matter and manage the occurrence of disinfection by-products within drinking water sources. Biological rapid sand filters are frequently utilized to eliminate ammonium from groundwater provinces with the purpose of meeting drinking water requirements. Biological activated carbon (BAC) filters need to be backwashed to wash and enhance the treatment capability by detaching both restrained materials and residual biomass. The reclamation of activated carbon-used backwash water (UBW) was managed by exercising an ultrafiltration (UF) procedure.

Application of Yellow Clay Powder for Efficient Treatment of Cyanobacterium Microcystis sp. - Laden Source Water in Drinking Water Treatment Facility

Objectives : This study evaluated the effect of dosing yellow clay powder as a sedimentation aid when <i>Microcystis</i> sp. bloomed.Methods : Pre-oxidation (chlorination and ozonation) treatment and coagulation/precipitation experiments of <i>Microcystis</i> sp. - laden source water were performed with a jar-tester. Treatment efficiency was evaluated by analyzing the turbidity and particulate matter of the supernatant after sedimentation according to the presence or not of pre-oxidation, the concentrations of yellow clay powder, and polyamine dosing.Results and Discussion : As a result of evaluating the turbidity and particulate matter of the supernatant after coagulation/sedimentation according to the dosing concentrations of yellow clay powder, the turbidity of the supernatant decreased as the dosing concentrations of yellow clay powder increased regardless of the presence or not of pre-oxidation. In particular, when pre-oxidation was not performed, both turbidity and particulate matter of the supernatant after sedimentation were significantly reduced. In addition, without pre-oxidation, when yellow clay powder (50 mg/L) and polyamine (1.0 mg/L) were dosed together, turbidity was reduced by 25% and the amount of particulate matter by 41% compared to utilizing pre-oxidation. Regarding the concentrating efficiency of sedimentation sludge, when yellow clay powder was added, concentrating efficiency increased by more than 31~38% regardless of pre-oxidation treatment compared to when yellow clay powder was not added. However, with pre-oxidation, the concentrating efficiency decreased by about 27~34% under the same yellow clay powder and polyamine dosing conditions compared to without pre-oxidation.Conclusion : When yellow clay powder was added to <i>Microcystis</i> sp. - laden source water, turbidity and particulate matter were effectively reduced after coagulation/sedimentation regardless of the presence or not of pre-oxidation. In particular, when pre-oxidation was not performed, the turbidity and particulate matter after coagulation/sedimentation were significantly reduced as compared with utilizing pre-oxidation, and using yellow clay powder together with a polyamine reduced turbidity and particulate matter the most. In addition, the sludge concentration of <i>Microcystis</i> sp. - containing sludge with low concentrating efficiency was increased by dosing yellow clay powder.

Evaluation of organics reduction performance of the GAC filtration with regenerated carbons using the long-term operational data of drinking water treatment facilities

Abstract Degradation of raw water quality promoted the introduction of GAC (granular activated carbon) filtration and ozonation into Korean drinking water treatment facilities in 1994 in order to cope with organic pollutants. This study focuses on the evaluation of organics reduction performance of the GAC filtration with regenerated carbons using long-term operational data. Three drinking water treatment facilities at Busan were selected for this purpose. It was found in this study that GAC filtration and ozonation helped these facilities to reduce the treated levels of DOC (dissolve organic carbon) as well as of 1,4-dioxane. Regeneration affected organics reduction performance of GAC filtration. The GAC filtration with regenerated carbons was found more effective for DOC reduction, while the filtration with virgin carbons was more effective for THM (trihalomethane) reduction. These results were related to the pore size change that occurred after the regeneration. The regeneration increased the meso pore volume but decreased the micro pore volume. The regeneration cycle was important for the decrease in the micro pore volume. The micro pore volume remained relatively unchanged after the first regeneration but was substantially decreased after the regeneration was repeated by more than second time.

Fate of microplastics in the drinking water production

Microplastics are ubiquitous and consequently enter drinking water treatment plants. Knowledge of the microplastic fate in drinking water production is still very limited, although explorative studies have shown tap water contains low contents of microplastics. In this study, we measure microplastic concentrations in drinking water sources and assess the effectiveness of various drinking water treatment facilities to reduce the microplastic concentrations in water to gain insight into the fate of microplastics. Two analytical techniques, laser direct infrared spectroscopy (LDIR) and optical microscopy, have been applied to cover the particle size range from 20 µm to 5 mm. In total five different drinking water sites were investigated using four different types of raw water (groundwater, surface water, dune filtrate and riverbank filtrate) for drinking water production.This research shows that drinking water treatment removes the majority of microplastics and that concentration of microplastics larger than 20 µm in tap water is less than 2 microplastics particles per litre. Between the different raw water sources it is found that groundwater had by far the lowest microplastics concentrations (< 1.000 microplastics per m3) and the highest concentration was found in riverine water, up to 460.000 particles per m3, specifically in the Lek Canal () (a canal connected to the river Rhine). On average the most abundant plastics found are polyamide (PA, 33%), polyethylene terephthalate (PET, 15%), rubbers (10%), polyethylene (PE, 10%) and chlorinated polyethylene (CPE, 7%). This study also showed that natural treatment steps, such as dune infiltration and sedimentation, remove microplastics effectively. However, this may introduce an adverse effect where microplastics potentially accumulate in the sediment and environment.

Acanthamoeba genotypes and Vermamoeba vermiformis in drinking water treatment facilities

Acanthamoeba genotypes and Vermamoeba vermiformis in drinking water treatment facilities

Comparing centralized and point‐of‐use treatments of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances

AbstractPer‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals are a growing threat to public health and safety. This study seeks to compare the life cycle environmental, economic, and human health performances of centralized and point‐of‐use (POU) systems used to upgrade existing drinking water treatment facilities for enhanced PFAS removal, using Merrimack, NH as a testbed. Out of all studied system upgrade scenarios, a POU scenario that combines granular activated carbon and ion exchange filters has the lowest environmental and human health impacts and relatively low economic impact. Despite all drinking water taps in the house being protected, the centralized scenario does not perform the best in terms of the health impacts because of its relatively low perfluorooctane sulfonate removal efficiency. This suggests a potential tradeoff between protecting the highest number of taps and achieving the highest removal efficiency at limited taps as two water treatment objectives.

Effect of Changes in Physical Properties of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) on the Adsorption of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) with Increasing the Number of Thermal Regeneration: Pore Size and NOM Molecular Weight

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of increasing the number of regeneration of granular activated carbon (GAC) on the adsorption capacity of natural organic matter (NOM), and to suggest the technical process options associated the limit number of regeneration and the efficient use of regenerated GAC.Methods : The physicochemical properties of virgin and thermally regenerated GAC were analyzed. To evaluate the NOM adsorption capacity of virgin- and regenerated-GAC, five laboratory-scale columns packed with virgin- and regenerated-GAC were used for treating effluent from pilot-scale drinking water treatment facility. The NOM concentration in the influent and the effluent treated by each column was analyzed by LC-OCD (liquid chromatography-organic carbon detector) to evaluate the adsorption capacity of each NOM fractions (humic substances (HS), building blocks (BB), low molecular weight organics (LMWs)).Results and Discussion : Due to the change in the pore structure of GAC by thermal regeneration, the volume of micropores (&lt; 2 nm) decreased, while the volume of mesopores (&gt; 2 nm) increased. The volume ratio of micropore in virgin-GAC was about 60%, but it gradually decreased as the number of regenerations increased, resulting that the volume ratio of micropore in the 5th-regenerated (5th-Re) GAC decreased to 23%. On the other hand, the volume ratio of mesopore increased in proportion to the number of regenerations from 40% of the virgin GAC to 77% of the 5th-Re-GAC. The DOC adsorption capacities of the regenerated GACs were higher than that of virgin GAC, and the DOC adsorption capacity increased as the number of regenerations increased. As a result of comparing the adsorption capacity of virgin- and regenerated-GAC by NOM fractions, the adsorption capacity of high molecular weight NOM, such as HS, increased by 1.5 to 1.7 times as the number of regenerations increased. In contrast, the adsorption capacity of low molecular weight NOM, such as BB and LMWs, decreased by 78% and 48% as the number of regeneration increased. The limit number of regeneration was evaluated based on that the adsorption capacity (qe) of each NOM fractions keep over than 70% relative to its virgin GAC. As a result, the adsorption capacity for low molecular weight NOM was greatly reduced in GAC regenerated over than 3rd time, so that the 2nd-Re-GAC was valid to keep 70% removal of whole NOM fractions. Low adsorption of low molecular weight NOM (BB and LMWs) by 3rd-Re-GAC could be complemented by using together with virgin-GAC, and low adsorption of high molecular NOMs (HS) could be compensated as well.Conclusions : Due to the change in the pore structure of GAC by thermal regeneration, the DOC adsorption capacity was higher in regenerated GAC than its virgin-GAC, and the adsorption capacity of DOC and high molecular weight NOM (HS) was enhanced as the number of regenerations increased. On the other hand, the pore volume of micropore was reduced by regenerations, and in more than 3rd times regenerations, the adsorption capacity of low molecular weight NOMs (BB and LMWs) was reduced by less than 70% compared to its virgin GAC, so that 2nd-Re-GAC was suggested for suitable GAC. When using a mixture of virgin- and 3rd-Re-GAC, low adsorption of low molecular weight NOM (BB and LMWs) by 3rd-Re-GAC could be complemented by using together with virgin-GAC, and low adsorption of high molecular NOMs (HS) could be compensated as well.

Glass-bottled drinking water: a time capsule to study the historic presence of hazardous chemicals using effect-based methods

BackgroundContamination of drinking water by hazardous chemicals can be associated with human health risks. Recent studies using effect-based in vitro methods have demonstrated that a large part of the observed toxic effects are caused by unknown chemicals. In this study, we have used a panel of effect-based methods to study the presence of chemical contaminants in a unique material; glass-bottled Swedish tap water collected during the 1990s. These water samples were compared to drinking water from the same source waters and drinking water facilities, yet collected about 25 years later, in 2020.ResultsSamples were concentrated by solid phase extraction and evaluated for the following activities; estrogen receptor activity, androgen receptor activity, antiandrogenic activity, aryl hydrocarbon receptor activity, and oxidative stress response. We observed aryl hydrocarbon receptor activities in almost all studied samples and estrogen receptor activity in three out of ten studied samples. No activities were observed for androgen receptor activity, antiandrogenic activity or oxidative stress response. In general, observed activities were more frequent and higher in the water samples collected during the 1990s as compared to the corresponding samples collected in 2020.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that it is possible to conduct an effect-based evaluation of the presence of hazardous chemicals in drinking water, with as small starting volume as 330 mL, by using miniaturized bioassays. Further, by comparing the glass-bottled water samples with newly collected water samples from the same drinking water treatment facilities, our results indicate that the presence of aryl hydrocarbon receptor and estrogen receptor activating compounds in the drinking water has decreased over the approximately quarter of a century that is separating the two sampling occasions. This difference could be due to improved raw water quality and/or improved treatment efficiency in the treatment plants.

Arsenic speciation in titanium dioxide (TiO2) waste produced via drinking water filtration: Potential environmental implications for soils, sediments, and human health

Arsenic (As) contamination in soil and water is a global human health and environmental problem due to its common occurrence and high toxicity. At least four million people in Latin America have long-term exposure to As in drinking water. In northwestern Costa Rica, As has been measured in drinking water at concentrations ranging from 20 to over 80 µg As L−1. Arsenic contaminated drinking water can be treated using filter technologies; titanium dioxide (TiO2)-based drinking water filters decrease As concentration and help mitigate As exposure. However, this process creates an As-enriched TiO2 solid-phase waste product. An objective of this study is to determine the chemical forms of As in this waste product, which is commonly distributed on soil surfaces and throughout urban and rural areas adjacent to drinking water treatment facilities in the sample area. An additional objective is to determine biogeochemical changes in As speciation in filter waste and affected soils which may be induced through earthworm ingestion, which also occurs in the sample area. Arsenic concentrations in the solid-phase filter waste were measured to be up to 600 mg kg−1. There was a strong correlation between As and Ti (R2 > 0.90) indicating As accumulates within or on the surface of the TiO2 mineral. Earthworm castings enriched in TiO2 contained up to 530 mg As kg−1, which provided direct evidence soil macroorganisms ingest filter waste. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed Ti is predominantly anatase with minor amounts of quartz and feldspar. These results are novel and innovative because they identify and characterize a previously unexplored problem of anthropogenic soil and sediment As contamination and redistribution in urban and rural environments. Additionally, dry windy seasons in the region increase potential risk of As and TiO2 exposure through dust inhalation. Earthworm consumption did not decrease As concentrations in earthworm castings. Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), specifically X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, indicated the dominant species of As in soil and sediment samples was arsenate [As(V)], which is similar to the chemical form of As in the groundwaters of this region. No evidence of arsenite [As(III)] was identified in any of the solid-phase samples, including earthworm castings.