Household Wastewater Research Articles

Ecofriendly magnetic nanocomposite (Fe3O4/SiO2/Ag) fabrication for sustainable dye wastewater management: catalysis and SERS for a cleaner approach.

Our study focuses on sustainable dye wastewater management through catalysis, scrutinized by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using an ecofriendly magnetic nanocomposite (Fe3O4/SiO2/Ag (FSA)). To our knowledge, the use of green synthesis for fabricating nanocomposites from a single source, namely Nerium oleander leaves, has not been extensively explored. This poses a distinctive and challenging approach, differentiating it from conventional chemical methods. Analytical investigations confirm the nanocomposite morphology, featuring Fe3O4 cubic cores with SiO2 spheres and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) decoration. Efficient catalysis rapidly degrades unary and binary dye systems (MB, RhB, and MB + RhB), with high efficiency in short durations (MB: 96% in 10min, RhB: 94% in 2min, MB + RhB: 96% MB and 91% RhB in 9min) and with elevated "k" values. SERS monitors water quality, revealing complete degradation and quenching of dye fingerprints with fabricated nanocomposite FSA. The nanocomposite exhibits reusability over four cycles by easy recovery of catalyst with external magnet. The nanocomposite achieved 89.7% degradation efficiency in real-time household wastewater treatment. The proposed research aligns with UN SDGs 6 and 15 and this approach holds promise for advancing industrial waste management.

Performance of a pilot-scale microbial electrolysis cell coupled with biofilm-based reactor for household wastewater treatment: simultaneous pollutant removal and hydrogen production.

The septic tank is the most commonly used decentralized wastewater treatment systems for household wastewater treatment in on-site applications. The removal rate of various pollutants is lower in different septic tank configurations. The integration of a microbial electrolysis cells (MEC) into septic tank or biofilm-based reactors can be a green and sustainable technology for household wastewater treatment and energy production. In this study, a 50-L septic tank was converted into a 50-L MEC coupled with biofilm-based reactor for simultaneous household wastewater treatment and hydrogen production. The biofilm-based reactor was integrated by an anaerobic packed-bed biofilm reactor (APBBR) and an aerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (aeMBBR). The MEC/APBBR/aeMBBR was evaluated at different organic loading rates (OLRs) by applying voltage of 0.7 and 1.0V. Result showed that the increase of OLRs from 0.2 to 0.44kg COD/m3 d did not affect organic matter removals. Nutrient and solids removal decreased with increasing OLR up to 0.44kg COD/m3 d. Global removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total nitrogen (TN), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4+), total phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS) removal ranged from 81 to 84%, 84 to 85%, 53 to 68%, 88 to 98%, 11 to 30% and 76 to 88% respectively, was obtained in this study. The current density generated in the MEC from 0 to 0.41 A/m2 contributed to an increase in hydrogen production and pollutants removal. The maximum volumetric hydrogen production rate obtained in the MEC was 0.007 L/L.d (0.072 L/d). The integration of the MEC into biofilm-based reactors applying a voltage of 1.0V generated different bioelectrochemical nitrogen and phosphorus transformations within the MEC, allowing a simultaneous denitrification-nitrification process with phosphorus removal.

Factors Associated With The Incidence Of Diarrhea In Toddlersin The Meureubo Health Center Working Area, Meureubo Sub-District, West Aceh District In 2023

Diarrhea is a potential endemic disease that can result in extraordinary outbreaks (KLB) and is often associated with mortality. According to data from the Meureubo Health Center in 2022, this center recorded the highest percentage of diarrhea cases among toddlers, reaching 67%. This study aims to examine the relationship between several factors clean water sources, latrine facilities, household waste management, wastewater disposal, maternal knowledge and education, nutritional status, personal hygiene, and environmental sanitation and the incidence of diarrhea in toddlers within the Meureubo Health Center working area, Meureubo District. This quantitative research utilizes a cross-sectional design and was conducted from May 13-29, 2023. The population includes all toddlers in the Meureubo Health Center working area, with a sample size of 97. Proportional random sampling was used to select the 97 respondents. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test with Stata 15, including univariate and bivariate analyses. The univariate results show that 43.30% of toddlers experienced diarrhea, 19.58% lacked access to clean water, 5.15% had inadequate latrine facilities, 57.73% faced insufficient household waste management, and 21.65% had improper wastewater disposal systems. Additionally, 30.93% of mothers had poor knowledge, 35.05% had a primary education level, 20.62% of toddlers were malnourished, and 39.18% had poor personal hygiene and environmental sanitation. Bivariate analysis reveals significant relationships between diarrhea incidence in toddlers and clean water sources (p-value: 0.0001), latrine facilities (p-value: 0.013), household waste management (p-value: 0.0001), wastewater disposal (p-value: 0.0001), maternal knowledge (p-value: 0.0001), maternal education (p-value: 0.036), nutritional status (p-value: 0.022), and personal hygiene and environmental sanitation (p-value: 0.0001). It is recommended that health workers, particularly those in health promotion, provide counseling on personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness

Preparation, characterization and application of polymeric ultra-permeable biodegradable ferromagnetic nanocomposite adsorbent for removal of Cr(VI) from synthetic wastewater: kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) contamination in drinking water due to industrial activities is a growing worldwide concern. Cr(VI) concentrations exceeding a few parts per billion (ppb) can cause serious health problems such as asthma, blood cancer, kidney-related diseases, liver and spleen damage, as well as neurological system, immunological deficiencies, and reproductive issues. This study, thus, explored the feasibility of employing a novel polymeric ferromagnetic nanocomposite adsorbent made of low-cost, biodegradable, and ultra-permeable materials from pulp and paper sludge for adsorptive removal of hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) from synthetic wastewater. Vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller surface area (BET), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) were used to analyze the produced nanocomposite adsorbent. The Fourier transform infrared results confirmed the presence of adsorptive peaks attributed to −OH, −NH2, and FeO. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs revealed a porous adsorbent surface. XRD revealed the existence of the crystalline spinel-structured magnetite (Fe3O4) phase of iron oxide, while the saturation magnetization was established to be 26.90 emu/g. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis confirmed a slight decrease in the surface area of the nanocomposite adsorbent to 6.693 m2.g−1, compared to Fe3O4 (7.591 m2.g−1). The optimum conditions for Cr6+ removal were pH 2.0, 1.0 g/L adsorbent dose, room temperature (25°C), 120 min contact time, and 20 mg/L pollutant concentration. During removal, the Cr(VI) was adsorbed by electrostatic attraction and/or reduced to trivalent chromium Cr(III). At low starting Cr(VI) concentrations, chemisorption dominated the removal process, but as concentrations increased, physisorption became more significant. The prepared nanocomposite adsorbent presented exceptional removal efficiency of up to 92.23%, indicating that it may be useful for the adsorption of metal ions from industrial and household wastewater.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of Azolla fern in removing the toxicity of lead and cadmium in water

Background: Heavy metals are harmful to living organisms and are emitted into the environment from many different sources. Compared to alternative remediation technologies that are either too expensive or impractical, phytoremediation, in which plants are used to remove hazardous toxins from water and soil, is a viable option for use at extremely large field sites. Heavy metals may be removed from the environment by a wide variety of plants. Azolla, a kind of aquatic fern, is one example.Methods: Different concentrations of heavy elements (5,10, and 25mg/ L) were prepared and treated with the plant in different masses (0.2,0.4, and 0.8 grams)and over time periods of one and two weeks. The concentration of each element was measured before and after the treatment periods using an atomic absorption device.Results: As evidenced that spring Azolla (green type) was more effective at removing cadmium and lead elements than autumn Azolla (red type), where the spring Azolla recorded higher removal efficiency for Cd , where it was 1.80% under biomass 0.8g, contact time 10 days, and at metal concentration 10mg\L ,while the highest percentage removal for Pb , was 40.02% under biomass 0.4g, contact time 15 day and at metal concentration 5mg\L . Azolla has great potential for removing heavy metals from water resources and can be used in heavy metal phytoremediation initiatives in environmental improvement projects.Conclusion: This research suggests using the aquatic macrophyte Azolla, especially spring fern, to treat sewage and household wastewater containing Cadmium and Lead.Keywords: Azolla; Heavy metals; Phytoremediation; Cd; Pb

Integrating Suspended Sludge and Fixed Film into a Biological Wastewater Treatment System to Enhance Nitrogen Removal

Integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) technology greatly enhances nitrogen removal effectiveness and treatment capacity in municipal wastewater treatment plants, addressing the issue of limited land availability. Hence, this method is appropriate for treating household wastewater from office buildings. The research was conducted at the wastewater treatment plant in an office building in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Experiments were conducted to ascertain the most favorable working conditions, including hydraulic retention time (HRT), alkalinity dosage, and dissolved oxygen (DO). According to the study, the IFAS system had the highest nitrogen removal effectiveness when operated at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 7 h, an alkalinity dose of 7.14 mgCaCO3/mgN-NH4+, and a dissolved oxygen (DO) value of 6 mg/L. The nitrification efficiency ranges from 89.2% to 98.8%. The N-NO3− concentration post-treatment is within the range of 27–45 mgN-NO3−/L, which is lower than the allowable discharge limit of 60 mg/L as per Vietnam’s wastewater discharge requirements. The research findings have enhanced the efficiency of the office building management process, thereby promoting the sustainable growth of society.

Determining the efficiency of local heat recycling wastewater based on a heat exchanger

RELEVANCE. The authors research the potential energy, economic and environmental effects of using local heat recovery from wastewater generated in showers. At the moment in Russia, almost all household wastewater is disposed of in sewer networks without the beneficial use of the heat that they possess. It is important to determine the effect of implementing this method of heat recovery, to identify and analyze the problems that prevent this from being done.THE PURPOSE. The purpose of the work is to determine the potential effect of using local heat recovery from wastewater generated in showers.METHODS. Based on a verified mathematical model of the heat exchanger, the energy effect from the individual use of the shower room is determined. A number of assumptions are applied to the heat consumption structure of an individual building and, based on available data on the average annual heat consumption of residential buildings in Moscow, the economic and environmental effect of energy-saving measures is calculated.RESULTS. Relative savings within the annual heat consumption of a building with a decentralized and centralized hot water supply system were 5,3% and 3,1%, respectively (64 and 37 GCal). Fuel economy amounted to: 9145 toe and 5227 toe for a building with a decentralized and centralized hot water supply system, respectively (14,5 and 8,5 thousand tons of CO2-eq). The payback period for energy-saving measures for the case of a decentralized hot water system based on an instantaneous electric water heater was 1,5 years.CONCLUSION. Local waste heat recovery makes it possible to obtain a significant energy and environmental effect within any locality, but at the moment there are no measures to support consumers implementing energy-saving measures. Currently, this method of heat recovery is of interest only to those consumers whose source of thermal energy for the needs of hot water supply is electricity.

Household Waste Water Treatment using Activated Charcoal: An Effective and Sustainable Approach

Effective household wastewater management is crucial for environmental sustainability and public health, especially in areas with limited advanced treatment infrastructure. This study explores the use of activated charcoal as a cost-effective and efficient method for treating household wastewater. Known for its high adsorption capacity, activated charcoal was evaluated for its ability to remove key contaminants from wastewater collected from residential sources such as kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry areas. The research utilized both batch adsorption tests and column filtration experiments. In the batch tests, wastewater samples were treated with varying doses of activated charcoal (2, 5, 10, and 15 g/L) over different contact times (30 minutes to 4 hours). The results showed that activated charcoal effectively reduced Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), with average reductions of 75%, 65%, and 70%, respectively. Additionally, activated charcoal demonstrated significant effectiveness in removing heavy metals and organic compounds, with removal efficiencies ranging from 60% to 80% depending on the contaminant type and operational conditions. The optimal treatment conditions were found to be a dosage of 10 g/L and a contact time of 2 hours. Future research could focus on optimizing regeneration processes and exploring hybrid systems that combine activated charcoal with other treatment technologies to further enhance performance.

Perfluoroalkyl-modified covalent organic frameworks for continuous photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide synthesis and extraction in a biphasic fluid system

H2O2 photosynthesis represents an appealing approach for sustainable and decentralized H2O2 production. Unfortunately, current reactions are mostly carried out in laboratory-scale single-phase batch reactors, which have a limited H2O2 production rate (<100 μmol h−1) and cannot operate in an uninterrupted manner. Herein, we propose continuous H2O2 photosynthesis and extraction in a biphasic fluid system. A superhydrophobic covalent organic framework photocatalyst with perfluoroalkyl functionalization is rationally designed and prepared via the Schiff-base reaction. When applied in a home-built biphasic fluid photo-reactor, the superhydrophobicity of our photocatalyst allows its selective dispersion in the oil phase, while formed H2O2 is spontaneously extracted to the water phase. Through optimizing reaction parameters, we achieve continuous H2O2 photosynthesis and extraction with an unprecedented production rate of up to 968 μmol h−1 and tunable H2O2 concentrations from 2.2 to 38.1 mM. As-obtained H2O2 solution could satisfactorily meet the general demands of household disinfection and wastewater treatments.

Factors Associated With The Incidence of Diarrhea in Toddlers in The Meureubo Health Center Working Area, Meureubo Sub-District, West Aceh District in 2023

Diarrhea is a potential endemic disease that can result in extraordinary outbreaks (KLB) and is often associated with mortality. According to data from the Meureubo Health Center in 2022, this center recorded the highest percentage of diarrhea cases among toddlers, reaching 67%. This study aims to examine the relationship between several factors clean water sources, latrine facilities, household waste management, wastewater disposal, maternal knowledge and education, nutritional status, personal hygiene, and environmental sanitation and the incidence of diarrhea in toddlers within the Meureubo Health Center working area, Meureubo District. This quantitative research utilizes a cross-sectional design and was conducted from May 13-29, 2023. The population includes all toddlers in the Meureubo Health Center working area, with a sample size of 97. Proportional random sampling was used to select the 97 respondents. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test with Stata 15, including univariate and bivariate analyses. The univariate results show that 43.30% of toddlers experienced diarrhea, 19.58% lacked access to clean water, 5.15% had inadequate latrine facilities, 57.73% faced insufficient household waste management, and 21.65% had improper wastewater disposal systems. Additionally, 30.93% of mothers had poor knowledge, 35.05% had a primary education level, 20.62% of toddlers were malnourished, and 39.18% had poor personal hygiene and environmental sanitation. Bivariate analysis reveals significant relationships between diarrhea incidence in toddlers and clean water sources (p-value: 0.0001), latrine facilities (p-value: 0.013), household waste management (p-value: 0.0001), wastewater disposal (p-value: 0.0001), maternal knowledge (p-value: 0.0001), maternal education (p-value: 0.036), nutritional status (p-value: 0.022), and personal hygiene and environmental sanitation (p-value: 0.0001). It is recommended that health workers, particularly those in health promotion, provide counseling on personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness.

Improving contaminant removal and inhibiting CH4 and H2S emissions from septic tanks: Nitrified human urine as a source of electron acceptor

Septic tanks are widely adopted in decentralized household wastewater treatment systems serving billions of people globally. Due to the lack of effective electron acceptors, insufficient nutrient removal and the emission of harmful gases, e. g. H2S, CH4, etc., are the common drawbacks. In the present work, we attempted to supplement nitrite into septic tanks as an electron acceptor, via nitrifying human urine source-separated from blackwater, to overcome these drawbacks. Partial or complete nitritation of source-separated urine was achieved in a sequencing batch reactor. The addition of nitrified urine into septic tanks improved organic and nitrogen removals in blackwater up to 90 % and 70 %, respectively. The emission of harmful gases from the septic tanks was stably diminished, with more than 75 % of CH4, CO2 and H2S reductions. Nitrite addition significantly reduced the abundance of hydrogenotrophic methanogens in septic tanks. Though the activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria recovered after the initial inhibition upon nitrite addition, the bio-generated H2S was retained in water since the increased wastewater pH after nitrite addition promoted the disassociation of H2S in aqueous solution.

Water, Sanitation, Waste Management, and Professional Activities in Relation to Diseases with Neighboring Citizens of Congo Rivers in the Brazzaville Agglomeration (Republic of Congo)

Situated on the right bank of the Pool Malébo, in the Congo River basin, the city of Brazzaville is rich in potential water resources. These resources are polluted by human practices that deteriorate the quality of the soil and, consequently, the quality of the water. The aim of this study is therefore to inventory the activities carried out by the population around watercourses, to investigate waste management and to assess the impact on water and soil quality. The survey sample was selected on the basis of impacted zones located between 250 m and 750 m around watercourses. The aim of this study is therefore to inventory the activities carried out by the population around watercourses, to investigate waste management and to assess the impact on water and soil quality. The survey form was drawn up using Sphinx Plus2-Edition Lexica-V5 software. The survey data was entered into the same software, then transferred to Excel to generate the graphical. 880 people were surveyed, the most dominant age group was 25-48 years old, i.e. a rate of 66%. The most dominant gender was female, with a rate of 54%. The average age of the respondents was lower secondary school, and they were generally employed in the private sector. Commercial activities (restaurants/bars, pharmacies, grocery stores/ butchers, markets, etc.) are the most common economic activity, with a rate of around 70%; 59% of these activities are located close to or very close to the watercourse (750-1000 m). The activities that contribute to soil degradation, and consequently water degradation, in the city of Brazzaville are: 59% the dumping of household waste and/or wastewater on the ground and 32% uncontrolled urbanization. The study shows that soil and water pollution in Brazzaville is caused by poor management of household waste and uncontrolled urbanization.

Review: The Use of Eco-Enzymes in Greywater Treatment

Water pollution such as in rivers has become a concern due to its impact on health and the decreasing availability of clean water. There is a common assumption that industrial pollution is the main cause of water pollution. However, an interesting fact is that river pollution is largely dominated by contamination from household wastewater (domestic waste) discharged directly into drainage systems and ending up in rivers without prior treatment. Such cases are particularly prevalent in developing countries. Therefore, the challenge is to find solutions to treat domestic wastewater using simpler and cheaper technologies. Current research is focused on treating domestic wastewater especially greywater with eco-enzymes. Eco-enzymes are enzymes produced from the fermentation process of organic materials such as fruit peels or vegetable scraps for a minimum of three months. This paper will review the treatment of greywater using eco-enzymes, including the eco-enzyme production process, its characteristics, greywater characteristics, the methods employed, and the research findings. Finally, the paper will recommend possible avenues for further research related to the treatment of greywater using eco-enzymes

LAHAN BASAH BUATAN UNTUK PENGOLAHAN AIR LIMBAH GREY WATER MENGGUNAKAN SALVINIA ROTUNDIFOLIA

Household wastewater consists of 80% grey water and 20% black water. The decline in water quality can have adverse impacts on well-being. Constructed wetland is an engineered system designed to harness the ecological principles of natural wetlands to address water pollution issues. The Free Water Surface system within the constructed wetland involves the flow of water on the surface. An appropriate plant example for use in a constructed wetland is Salvinia rotundifolia. Plant acclimatization was carried out for 12 days. The reactor operation continued for 12 days using a continuous system. The percentage removal of parameters in the constructed wetland reactor were as follows: COD 23.40-84.38%, BOD 37.93-72.73%, TSS 43.24-85%, phosphate 59.47-65%, and nitrate 10.99-31.08%. The values of areal removal rate constant (kA) and volumetric removal rate constant (kV) for the constructed wetland reactor were as follows: for COD, 1.48-3.75 m/day and 0.80-22.28 /day; for BOD, 1.70-3.73 m/day and 1.43-15.59 /day; for TSS, 2.11-8.83 m/day and 1.70-22.77 /day; for phosphate, 1.40-6.61 m/day and 2.89-11.20 /day; and for nitrate, 0.18-2.32 m/day and 0.58-1.54 /day. This study demonstrates that the constructed wetland reactor with Salvinia rotundifolia plants achieves removal efficiencies of up to 85%, thus meeting the standards set by the Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation No. 68 of 2016 regarding Domestic Wastewater Quality Standards.

Yard phytoarchitecture for onsite sanitation of household wastewater containing copper

Copper can be found in various equipment, building materials, and consumer products. When buildings are used, copper can enter wastewater in different ways. It is challenging for occupants to remove copper physically or chemically since they can potentially reduce copper levels through yard phytoarchitecture. This study aims to formulate houseplants' suitability to become decorative plants for the yard phytoarchitecture, simultaneously as onsite sanitation. This study identified the copper deconcentration pathway in wastewater by studying published works-based research. Literature was collected and selected based on recency, accessibility, and the relationship among copper, wastewater, and plants. The study findings show that processing copper by plant has the greatest opportunity to be implemented on a building scale. The yard phytoarchitecture system involves arranging plants in the yard, which serves both as a decorative feature and a way to treat the building's wastewater. It can be used on dry yards or ponds and only requires a small amount of land. The plants used should have low leaf density and high root density. It plays a dual role consisting of onsite sanitation infrastructure and yard aesthetics, which mutually strengthen the environmental health locally and positively effect on a larger scale.

Facile Preparation Method of TiO2/Activated Carbon for Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue.

The development of nanocomposite photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activity, cost-effectiveness, a simple preparation process, and scalability for practical applications is of great interest. In this study, nanocomposites of TiO2 Degussa P25 nanoparticles/activated carbon (TiO2/AC) were prepared at various mass ratios of (4:1), (3:2), (2:3), and (1:4) by a facile process involving manual mechanical pounding, ultrasonic-assisted mixing in an ethanol solution, paper filtration, and mild thermal annealing. The characterization methods included XRD, SEM-EDS, Raman, FTIR, XPS, and UV-Vis spectroscopies. The effects of TiO2/AC mass ratios on the structural, morphological, and photocatalytic properties were systematically studied in comparison with bare TiO2 and bare AC. TiO2 nanoparticles exhibited dominant anatase and minor rutile phases and a crystallite size of approximately 21 nm, while AC had XRD peaks of graphite and carbon and a crystallite size of 49 nm. The composites exhibited tight decoration of TiO2 nanoparticles on micron-/submicron AC particles, and uniform TiO2/AC composites were obtained, as evidenced by the uniform distribution of Ti, O, and C in an EDS mapping. Moreover, Raman spectra show the typical vibration modes of anatase TiO2 (e.g., E1g(1), B1g(1), Eg(3)) and carbon materials with D and G bands. The TiO2/AC with (4:1), (3:2), and (2:3) possessed higher reaction rate constants (k) in photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) than that of either TiO2 or AC. Among the investigated materials, TiO2/AC = 4:1 achieved the highest photocatalytic activity with a high k of 55.2 × 10-3 min-1 and an MB removal efficiency of 96.6% after 30 min of treatment under UV-Vis irradiation (120 mW/cm2). The enhanced photocatalytic activity for TiO2/AC is due to the synergistic effect of the high adsorption capability of AC and the high photocatalytic activity of TiO2. Furthermore, TiO2/AC promotes the separation of photoexcited electron/hole (e-/h+) pairs to reduce their recombination rate and thus enhance photocatalytic activity. The optimal TiO2/AC composite with a mass ratio of 4/1 is suggested for treating industrial or household wastewater with organic pollutants.

ROOT ZONE TECHNOLOGY FOR WASTE WATER TREATMENT

In India, the primary cause of surface and ground water pollution is the discharge of untreated sewage, according to a 2007 study by the Central Pollution Control Board. In India, there is a significant delay between the generation and treatment of household wastewater. India's insufficient treatment capacity is not the only issue; there are also sewage treatment plants that exist, but they are not being maintained or operated. Because of poor design, inadequate maintenance, unreliable electricity supplies, absentee staff, and incompetent management, the majority of government-owned sewage treatment plants remain closed for the most part of the year. Usually, the wastewater produced in these places evaporates or percolates into the soil. Uncollected waste builds up in urban areas, releasing pollutants that seep into surface and groundwater and creating unsanitary conditions. Furthermore, industrialists prefer not to treat the waste produced and instead to dump it untreated into rivers in the areas where these treatment plants are located because the cost of treatment is so high.The Root Zone Treatment System (RZTS), sometimes referred to as the reed bed system or the constructed wetland system, is a sealed filter bed that is planted with vegetation that can grow in wetlands and is made up of a sand, gravel, and soil system, sometimes with a cohesive element. The wastewater flows through the filter bed, where biodegradation of the wastewater occurs, after the coarse and floating material has been removed. Complex physical, chemical, and biological processes that are the outcome of the interaction of wastewater, wetland plants, filter bed material, and microorganisms define the functional mechanisms in the soil matrix that are in charge of the mineralization of biodegradable matter.

Municipal Wastewater Characterization and Natural Treatment Using Reed Beds

Domestic wastewater, if not correctly disposed of, is a cause of pollution for water-based bodies. The reed bed system is a sort of phytoremediation method used to remove toxins from the environment. This system has a high potential for application in the treatment of household wastewater (WW) because it has good performance as a whole, low operating and maintenance costs, and is not harmful to the environment. This research aimed to study characteristics variation of Grdarasha area WW (located in the left side of Erbil-Kirkuk main road) before and after reed beds. The reed bed system was proven to have a good efficiency in removing Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) (15. 91-71. 07) %, Total Solid (TS) (8.33-50) %, Total volatile Solid (TVS) (18.8-50) %, and chloride (2.5 – 82.98%). In furtherance of transferring oxygen from the environment, the interplay between pollutant-plants-medium-microbes is critical in pollutant removal utilizing the reed bed technique.

Application of QUAL2Kw for Water Quality Modeling in the Cibarani Irrigation Channel, Bandung City, Indonesia

The Cikapundung River, a vital water source for Bandung City, has faced substantial water pollution in recent decades, primarily due to rapid population growth. A significant contributor to this pollution has been the Cibarani Irrigation Channel, situated within the heart of Bandung City. This channel has transformed into a conduit for domestic sewage, receiving excess rainwater and household wastewater from the surrounding residential areas. Remarkably, despite the pronounced contamination, the local community continues to utilize this water source for activities such as fish farming and washing. This study aims to evaluate the quality of the Cibarani irrigation channel and determine the pollutant load the channel receives from each domestic waste inlet. The results indicate that the Cibarani irrigation channel’s water quality, based on DO, NH3-N, and TP concentrations, does not meet the Class II raw water quality standard. The concentrations of DO and TP from domestic wastewater are 2 mg/L and 3 mg/L, respectively, while the NH3-N concentration, ranging from 10-40 mg/L, surpasses the permissible limit of domestic wastewater quality standards. It was also discovered that the downstream BOD concentration significantly exceeds the allowable limit despite the wastewater concentration not exceeding the standard limit.

Prevalence of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter species in wastewater effluents: A menace of environmental and public health concern.

The prevalence of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter species in wastewater effluents presents a formidable challenge at the intersection of environmental sustainability and public health. This study examined the presence of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter in wastewater effluents in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, and its implications for environmental ecosystems and public health. Forty-five samples from household effluent (HHE) and wastewater treatment plant effluent (WWTPE) were collected at different geographical locations within the province between April and September 2022. The counts of the presumptive Campylobacter genus ranged from 5.2 × 103 to 6.03 × 104 CFU/mL for HHE and 4.93 × 103 to 1.04 × 104 CFU/mL for WWTPE. About 42.55% of the samples were positive for Campylobacter species. Five virulence determinants including the cadF and wlaN were detected in all the isolates; however, flgR (19.23%), ciaB, and ceuE (15.38%) were less prevalent. The antibiogram profiles of confirmed Campylobacter isolates revealed high resistance (>55%) against all tested antibiotics ranging from 55.77% (nalidixic acid) to 92.30% (erythromycin), and resistance against the other antibiotics followed the order ciprofloxacin (51.92%), azithromycin (50%), and levofloxacin (48.08%). On the contrary, gentamicin was sensitive against 61.54% of the isolates, followed by imipenem (57.69%) and streptomycin (51.92%). The WWTPE's antibiotic resistance index (ARI) was 0.19, lower than the permitted Krumperman threshold of 0.2; and HHE's ARIs were higher. The isolates' respective multiple antibiotic resistance indexes (MARI) varied between 0.08 and 1.00. Among the phenotypically resistant Campylobacter isolates examined, 21 resistance determinants encoding resistance against β-lactam, carbapenems, aminoglycosides, phenicol, quinolones, tetracyclines, and macrolides were detected, which explains the phenotypic resistance observed in the study. This study concludes that the wastewaters in the study areas are important reservoirs of multidrug-resistant and potentially pathogenic Campylobacter species, suggesting the need for proper treatment of the wastewaters to eliminate the organisms in the effluents before discharge the final effluent to the receiving watershed.