Industrial Sewage Treatment Plants Research Articles

Microbial community structure and diversity attached to the periphyton in different urban aquatic habitats.

Periphyton is a complex community composed of diverse prokaryotes and eukaryotes; understanding the characteristics of microbial communities within periphyton becomes crucial for biogeochemical cycles and energy dynamics of aquatic ecosystems. To further elucidate the community characteristics of periphyton across varied aquatic habitats, including unpolluted ecologically restored lakes, aquaculture ponds, and areas adjacent to domestic and industrial wastewater treatment plant outfalls, we explored the composition and diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities in periphyton by employing Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Our findings indicated that the prokaryotic communities were predominantly composed of Proteobacteria (40.92%), Bacteroidota (21.01%), and Cyanobacteria (10.12%), whereas the eukaryotic communities were primarily characterized by the dominance of Bacillariophyta (24.09%), Chlorophyta (20.83%), and Annelida (15.31%). Notably, Flavobacterium emerged as a widely distributed genus among the prokaryotic community. Unclassified_Tobrilidae exhibited higher abundance in unpolluted ecologically restored lakes. Chaetogaster and Nais were enriched in aquaculture ponds and domestic wastewater treatment plant outfall area, respectively, while Surirella and Gomphonema dominated industrial sewage treatment plant outfall area. The alpha diversity of eukaryotes was higher in unpolluted ecologically restored lakes. pH and nitrogen content ( , , and TN) significantly explained the variations for prokaryotic and eukaryotic community structures, respectively. Eukaryotic communities exhibited a more pronounced response to habitat variations compared to prokaryotic communities. Moreover, the association networks revealed an intensive positive correlation between dominant Bacillariophyta and Bacteroidota. This study provided useful data for identifying keystone species and understanding their ecological functions.

Optimal Operation of Domestic and Industrial Sewage Treatment Plants Using Machine Learning Methods

Purpose: This study aims to determine the economic and technical feasibility of operating and leasing sewage treatment plants through an application that uses mathematical modeling and Machine Learning techniques for process optimization. Theoretical Framework: Efficient operation of sewage treatment plants (STPs) is crucial to ensure water quality, minimize environmental impacts, and optimize costs. This study explores how Machine Learning (ML) can model and optimize sewage treatment processes, adapting to real-time conditions. Method/Design/Approach: The BSM1 model is combined with Machine Learning techniques to create simplified metamodels, enabling optimized results and the development of an application for evaluating economic and technical outcomes. Results and Conclusion: The reduced metamodel successfully reproduced the Simulink model, achieving satisfactory optimization. Research Implications: This research benefits water quality improvement, cost reduction, sustainability, innovation, water resource management, awareness, and resilience to extreme weather events, as well as influencing informed policies. Originality/Value: Efficiency, sustainability, economy, and quality of life are core values in this research, benefiting society, the environment, and the economy.

Research on drinking-groundwater source safety management based on numerical simulation

A drinking-groundwater source protection technology system based on a three-dimensional finite-difference groundwater model was constructed and applied to the safe management of drinking groundwater in the first terrace of Fujiang River. In the study area, the main type of groundwater is the quaternary systemic alluvial deposit loose rock pore water and the aquifer thickness varies between 20 and 35 m. Groundwater is the main source of water and is used for various purposes through two exploitation wells. The water volumes of 1# exploitation well (1#) and 2# exploitation well (2#) are 10,000 m3/day and 5000 m3/day, respectively. An analysis of 22 indicators from 11 groundwater samples showed that a higher concentration of chemical-oxygen-demand (CODMn) and ammonia–nitrogen (NH3–N), and they had a high correlation with most of the other water-quality factors. Therefore, CODMn and NH3–N were selected as indicator factors for model calibration and prediction. Twenty-two hydraulic head observation wells were used for flow-model calibration. The flow model indicated that a drop funnel formed with a maximum depth of 12 m, and the particle-capture zone in the original downstream direction of the south side extended to 1100 m because of groundwater exploitation. The solute-transport model showed that industrial pollution sources were the main factors that led to a deterioration of water quality. To analyze the necessity and effectiveness of remediation measures for the safety of drinking-water sources, two scenarios were considered to predict the concentration of NH3-N and CODMn in groundwater exploitation wells over 20 years. Scenario I, which considered that current conditions were maintained, predicted that the NH3-N would exceed the drinking-water quality standard of 0.5 mg/L after 16 years. Scenario II, in which industrial sewage treatment plants were installed outside the particle-trapped zone of the exploitation wells and strict anti-seepage measures were implemented, predicted that the peak concentrations of NH3-N and CODMn in the exploitation wells would be 0.26 mg/L and 1.33 mg/L, respectively, after 3 years of model operation. This study provides a theoretical basis for drinking-groundwater source protection that can be applied to safety management practices.

Development of high-efficiency equipment for wastewater treatment from difficult-to-oxidize organic compounds and suspended solids

The most important problem in the modern developing world - is the problem of industrial wastewater treatment, while there is a need to create a simple to manufacture, efficient, simple and reliable in operation treatment equipment to prevent the ingress of chemical pollutants into water bodies. The main task in the design and development of new equipment for industrial sewage treatment plants is to obtain technically feasible, environmentally efficient equipment for wastewater treatment of textile industries, which will meet the requirements of environmental regulations of the legislation of Russia. A great danger to the aquatic microflora are hard-oxidized organic compounds, residues of dyes, Synthetic surfactants, acids, alkalis are widely used in the flax processing industry.

Characterization of antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial community in selected municipal and industrial sewage treatment plants beside Poyang Lake

Sewage treatment plants (STPs) are significant reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). Municipal STPs (MSTPs) and industrial STPs (ISTPs) are the two most important STP types in cities. In this study, the ARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and bacterial communities of selected STPs, including two MSTPs and one ISTP, in the vicinity of Poyang Lake were comprehensively investigated through high-throughput qPCR and high-throughput Illumina sequencing. The results showed that the profiles of ARGs, MGEs and bacteria differed between the ISTP and the two MSTPs, most likely due to differences in influent water quality, such as the Pb that characterized in the ISTP’s influent. The longer hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of the two MSTPs than of the ISTP may also have accounted for the different profiles. Thus, a prolonged HRT in the CASS process seems to allow a more extensive removal of ARGs and bacteria in ISTPs with similar treatment process. By providing comprehensive insights into the characteristics of ARGs, MGEs and the bacterial communities of the selected MSTPs and ISTP, our study provides a scientific basis for controlling the propagation and diffusion of ARGs and ARB in different types of STPs.

Forecasting nitrate concentration in babol groundwater resources using the grey model (1,1)

Aims: Nitrate can enter water bodies through using chemical fertilizers and discharging the effluents from municipal and industrial sewage treatment plants. As a superiority to the conventional statistical models, Grey models (GMs) require only a limited amount of representative data to estimate the behavior of unknown systems. In the current study, the nitrate concentration of the year 2023 in Babol groundwater resources was forecasted by using GM, namely GM (1, 1). Materials and Methods: This descriptive-cross-sectional study was performed in the city of Babol. The data of 63 wells in urban and rural areas during the warm and cold seasons between 2007 and 2017 were supplied from the Health Center and Babol Rural Water and Sewage Company. In data set, the observed values between 2007 and 2015 were used to fit models, and the observed values between 2016 and 2017 were used to evaluate the accuracy of the model's predictions. To assess the efficiency of the model fitted and precision of the predicted values, we used indexes of forecast absolute error, small error probability, and the proportion of variance statistical metrics. Results: Simulated results showed that the accuracy of the model GM (1, 1) to predict and forecast both data sets is entirely appropriate and reliable. The forecasting values of nitrate concentration of the year 2023 and 8 years later, for urban and rural areas in warm and cold seasons, are 21.30 and 7.30 and 15.63 and 5.34 mg/L, respectively. Conclusion: Although the predicted concentration of nitrate in the studied area is lower than that the standard concentration suggested by the World Health Organization, all water resources should be protected effectively.

Corrosion of cement pastes made of CEM I and CEM III/A caused by a saturated water solution of ammonium chloride after 4 and 25 days of aggressive immersion

One of the most common causes of the decay of concrete structures is contact with aggressive chemical compounds. Fluids containing chlorides and ammonium ions behave aggressively toward reinforced concrete in many environmental engineering structures. Therefore, the highest level of safety should be preserved in the case of industrial sewage treatment plant facilities, which also aim to protect the environment against pollutants.An accelerated test of the degradation of hydrated cement paste, as the most reactive component of concrete, was conducted. Sulfate resistant cement CEM I, slag cement CEM III/A and corrosive saturated ammonium chloride water solution were used. Investigation after 4 and 25 days of immersion found that portlandite dissolution triggered an increase in porosity. Thaumasite crystallized following ettringite dissolution. Another intermediate phase was Friedel’s salt. The final products of cement paste corrosion were found to be gypsum, calcite and vaterite. Porosity was higher in the case of CEM III/A. Chloride ion concentrations and porosity were not the highest in the surface areas, which were in the direct contact with an aggressive solution. Nitrogen crystalline phases were not found.

Cod Fractions - Methods of Measurement and Use in Wastewater Treatment Technology

The paper presents the results of studies concerning the designation of COD fraction in raw wastewater. The research was conducted in four municipal mechanical-biological sewage treatment plants and one industrial sewage treatment plant. The following fractions of COD were determined: non-biodegradable (inert) soluble SI, biodegradable soluble fraction SS, particulate slowly degradable XS and particulate non-biodegradable XI. The methodology for determining the COD fraction was based on the ATV-A131 guidelines and Łomotowski-Szpindor methodology. The real concentration of fractions in raw wastewater and the percentage of each fraction in total COD are different from data reported in the literature.

Adapting SimpleTreat for simulating behaviour of chemical substances during industrial sewage treatment

The multimedia model SimpleTreat, evaluates the distribution and elimination of chemicals by municipal sewage treatment plants (STP). It is applied in the framework of REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals). This article describes an adaptation of this model for application to industrial sewage treatment plants (I-STP). The intended use of this re-parametrized model is focused on risk assessment during manufacture and subsequent uses of chemicals, also in the framework of REACH. The results of an inquiry on the operational characteristics of industrial sewage treatment installations were used to re-parameterize the model. It appeared that one property of industrial sewage, i.e. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) in combination with one parameter of the activated sludge process, the hydraulic retention time (HRT) is satisfactory to define treatment of industrial wastewater by means of the activated sludge process. The adapted model was compared to the original municipal version, SimpleTreat 4.0, by means of a sensitivity analysis. The consistency of the model output was assessed by computing the emission to water from an I-STP of a set of fictitious chemicals. This set of chemicals exhibit a range of physico-chemical and biodegradability properties occurring in industrial wastewater. Predicted removal rates of a chemical from raw sewage are higher in industrial than in municipal STPs. The latter have typically shorter hydraulic retention times with diminished opportunity for elimination of the chemical due to volatilization and biodegradation.

Impact of urban and industrial sewage discharges on the trophic ecology of two wild native cyprinids in a Mediterranean stream

Event Abstract Back to Event Impact of urban and industrial sewage discharges on the trophic ecology of two wild native cyprinids in a Mediterranean stream Sergi Vargas1, 2*, Nicole F. Colin1, 2, Alberto Maceda-Veiga2, 3 and Adolfo De Sostoa1, 2 1 University of Barcelona, Department of Animal Biology (Vertebrates), Faculty of Biology, Spain 2 University of Barcelona , Institute of Biodiversity Research (IRBio), Faculty of Biology, Spain 3 Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, Spain Mediterranean Rivers have experienced a long-history of anthropogenic impacts. Water pollution is still one of the major threats to freshwater biota despite the marked investments in sewage treatment plants (STPs) in recent decades. This is attributed, in part, to the reduced water flow of these systems due to climate and water abstractions, coupled to some illegal spills and agricultural run-off. The present study examined the potential effects of the effluents from urban and industrial STPs on the trophic ecology of the Mediterranean barbel (Barbus meridionalis) and the Ebro chub (Squalius laietanus) in a small Mediterranean stream. Fish were collected in summer 2012 and their gut contents were compared between three reference and three polluted sites and related to the water quality. In all sampling sites, the composition of prey consumed by both fish species was compatible with ommivory, including macro-invertebrates, plants and detritus. However, the two fish species ingested a higher richness and diversity prey in the baseline compared to the polluted sites. These differences were also mirrored in the taxonomic composition of preys consumed, reflecting the replacement of sensitive species with tolerant ones along a pollution gradient. Specifically, fish diet was dominated in reference sites by water beetles and plant matter, whereas two typical representatives of polluted waters, snails and chironomids, were the predominant prey type downstream the STPs inputs. No major differences in richness, diversity and taxonomic composition were observed in the prey consumed within polluted or reference sites. Our results are consistent with the generalist trophic ecology of native cyprinids in Mediterranean rivers, and suggest a similar trophic position for B. meridionalis and S. laietanus. However, differences in the taxonomic composition of prey consumed between polluted and reference sites suggest that STP inputs may have altered the energy fluxes in this Mediterranean stream. Image 1 Keywords: Barbus meridionalis, Squalius laietanus, Fish diet, STPS, River pollution Conference: XV European Congress of Ichthyology, Porto, Portugal, 7 Sep - 11 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Physiology, Behavior and Toxicology Citation: Vargas S, Colin NF, Maceda-Veiga A and De Sostoa A (2015). Impact of urban and industrial sewage discharges on the trophic ecology of two wild native cyprinids in a Mediterranean stream. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XV European Congress of Ichthyology. doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2015.03.00165 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 23 Nov 2015; Published Online: 28 Nov 2015. * Correspondence: Mr. Sergi Vargas, University of Barcelona, Department of Animal Biology (Vertebrates), Faculty of Biology, Barcelona, ES-08028, Spain, v.sergi@hotmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Sergi Vargas Nicole F Colin Alberto Maceda-Veiga Adolfo De Sostoa Google Sergi Vargas Nicole F Colin Alberto Maceda-Veiga Adolfo De Sostoa Google Scholar Sergi Vargas Nicole F Colin Alberto Maceda-Veiga Adolfo De Sostoa PubMed Sergi Vargas Nicole F Colin Alberto Maceda-Veiga Adolfo De Sostoa Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Pilot-Scale Study on Electrosorption Technology for Reclaimed Treatment of Power Plant Industrial Wastewater

Based on the pilot test, the feasibility of E lectrosorption Technology of industrial sewage treatment plant was studied. The result s show that, when the equipment w ater flow and electrode voltage appropriate, in the sewage plant industrial average conductivity row is 3277μS/cm, 4072μS/cm, averaged desalination rate is 74.8%, averaged water production rate is about 75.5%, average consu mption water of a ton is 2.46kW•H. E lectrosorption technology is g ood removal effect of salinity, chloride and total hardness , and water production rate is high, simple operation, can be used for desalination of industrial recyclin wastewater .

Advanced enzymatic elimination of phenolic contaminants in wastewater: a nano approach at field scale

The removal of recalcitrant chemicals in wastewater treatment systems is an increasingly relevant issue in industrialized countries. The elimination of persistent xenobiotics such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) emitted by municipal and industrial sewage treatment plants remains an unsolved challenge. The existing efficacious physico-chemical methods, such as advanced oxidation processes, are resource-intensive technologies. In this work, we investigated the possibility to remove phenolic EDCs [i.e., bisphenol A (BPA)] by means of a less energy and chemical consuming technology. To that end, cheap and resistant oxidative enzymes, i.e., laccases, were immobilized onto silica nanoparticles. The resulting nanobiocatalyst produced at kilogram scale was demonstrated to possess a broad substrate spectrum regarding the degradation of recalcitrant pollutants. This nanobiocatalyst was applied in a membrane reactor at technical scale for tertiary wastewater treatment. The system efficiently removed BPA and the results of long-term field tests illustrated the potential of fumed silica nanoparticles/laccase composites for advanced biological wastewater treatment.

Pressurised hot water extraction followed by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of N-nitrosamines in sewage sludge

A method for the quantitative determination of the nine EPA N-nitrosamines in sewage sludge was developed by using pressurised hot water extraction (PHWE) followed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography coupled to chemical ionization ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (GC–CI-MS–MS).The pressurised hot water extraction was optimized using a central composite design with regard to operational parameters such as temperature, extraction time and pH of water as extracting solvent. The optimum conditions were: water at pH 7.5 as extracting solvent, temperature of 125°C and extraction time of 5min. The sewage sludge extract was automatically analyzed by HS-SPME using a divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/CAR/PDMS) fiber and GC–CI-MS–MS.The limits of detection of all compounds were lower than 0.15μg/kg of dry weight (d.w.) of sewage sludge. The repeatability and reproducibility between days (10μg/kg d.w.) expressed as relative standard deviation were lower than 16 and 19%, respectively. The method was applied to determine the N-nitrosamines in sewage sludge from urban and industrial sewage treatment plants (STPs) and from a potable water treatment plant. Some N-nitrosamines were determined in the samples and N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) and N-nitrosodi-n-butylamine (NDBA) showed the highest values (371 and 305μg/kg (d.w.), respectively) in sewage from industrial STPs.

Automated on‐fiber derivatization with headspace SPME‐GC‐MS‐MS for the determination of primary amines in sewage sludge using pressurized hot water extraction

An automated, environmentally friendly, simple, selective, and sensitive method was developed for the determination of ten primary aliphatic amines in sewage sludge at μg/kg dry weight (d.w.). The procedure involves a pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) of the analytes from the solid matrix, followed by a fully automated on-fiber derivatization with 2,3,4,5-pentafluorobenzaldehyde (PFBAY) and headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and subsequent gas chromatography ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (GC-IT-MS-MS) analysis. The limits of detection (LODs) of the method were between 0.5 and 45 μg/kg (d.w.) for all compounds except for ethyl-, isopropyl-, and amylamine, whose LODs were 70, 109, and 116 μg/kg (d.w.), respectively. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were between 10 and 350 μg/kg (d.w.). Repeatability and intermediate precision, expressed as RSD(%) (n=3), were lower than 18 and 21%, respectively. The method developed enabled to determine primary aliphatic amines in sludge from various urban and industrial sewage treatment plants as well as from a potable treatment plant. Most of the primary aliphatic amines were found in the sewage sludge samples analyzed corresponding to the maximum concentrations to the samples from the urban plant: for instance, isobutylamine and methylamine were found at 7728 and 12 536 μg/kg (d.w.), respectively. Amylamine was detected only in few samples but always at concentrations lower than its LOQ.

LANCE: Laccase-nanoparticle conjugates for the elimination of micropollutants (endocrine disrupting chemicals) from wastewater in bioreactors

Elimination of recalcitrant chemicals during wastewater treatment is a difficult problem for both developing and industrialized countries. The biological elimination of very persistent xenobiotics such as endocrine disrupting chemicals from municipal and industrial sewage treatment plants is an ambitious challenge as existing physico-chemical methods, such as advanced oxidation processes, are energy-intensive and consume high amounts of chemicals. Through the entry into force of strict legislative measures, such as the Water Framework Directives (EU WFD in Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for the Community action in the field of water policy, 2000) and REACH (REACH EU in European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use (EC 1907/2006), 2007), the market for wastewater treatment is exploding. For instance the European market potential for the membrane bioreactor technology is estimated to 57 M€ per year. Based on recent progresses in nanotechnology, new developments in catalysis and environmental applications can be foreseen for the near future. Indeed, because of high surface area-to-volume ratio in nano-systems, heterogeneous enzymatic or catalytic reactions can be greatly enhanced. In the LANCE project a nanoparticle (NP)-based technology is under development. Cheap and resistant oxidative enzymes, i.e. laccases are immobilized onto the surface of the particles in order to produce systems possessing a broad substrate spectrum for the degradation of cocktails of recalcitrant pollutants. One of the objectives is to produce NPs that are compatible with wastewater treatment and can be synthesised in a cost-effective and large-scale fashion, e.g. silica-based NPs using flame spray pyrolysis and emulsion-based techniques. The modified particles are applied in bioreactors where they are retained, i.e. membrane bioreactors or perfusion basket reactors to eliminate pollutants from the wastewater. Such reactors allow multi-cycle use of the NPs coated with active enzymes and thus contribute to decrease the treatment costs. The two-year activities of the LANCE project encompass the synthesis of various NP systems, the immobilization of selected low cost industrial laccases on the latter, and the technical and scientific proof of the “depollution” concept.

Social bacteria and asocial eukaryotes

The end of 2007 brought us draft genome sequences of two eukaryotic microorganisms, Babesia bovis and Malassezia globosa, as well as complete genomes of the ammonia-oxidizing archaeal chemoautotroph Nitrosopumilus maritimus, and several environmental bacteria (Table 1). In terms of genome size, this list covers both sides of the spectrum: the 245 kb genome of an obligate insect symbiont Sulcia muelleri is the second smallest microbial genome sequenced so far, whereas the 13 033 kb chromosome of the social myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum breaks the record as the largest bacterial genome – and the largest DNA molecule in the prokaryotic world.

The Microbial Community Composition of a Nitrifying-Denitrifying Activated Sludge from an Industrial Sewage Treatment Plant Analyzed by the Full-Cycle rRNA Approach

The composition of the microbial community present in the nitrifying-denitrifying activated sludge of an industrial wastewater treatment plant connected to a rendering facility was investigated by the full-cycle rRNA approach. After DNA extraction using three different methods, 94 almost full-length 16S rRNA gene clones were retrieved and analyzed phylogenetically. 59% of the clones were affiliated with the Proteobacteria and clustered with the beta- (29 clones), alpha- (24), and delta-class (2 clones), respectively. 15 clones grouped within the green nonsulfur (GNS) bacteria and 11 clones belonged to the Planctomycetes. The Verrucomicrobia, Acidobacteria, Nitrospira, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were each represented by one to five clones. Interestingly, the highest 'species richness' [measured as number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs)] was found within the alpha-class of Proteobacteria, followed by the Planctomycetes, the beta-class of Proteobacteria, and the GNS-bacteria. The microbial community composition of the activated sludge was determined quantitatively by using 36 group-, subgroup-, and OTU-specific rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), confocal laser scanning microscopy and digital image analysis. 89% of all bacteria detectable by FISH with a bacterial probe set could be assigned to specific divisions. Consistent with the 16S rRNA gene library data, members of the beta-class of Proteobacteria dominated the microbial community and represented almost half of the biovolume of all bacteria detectable by FISH. Within the beta-class, 98% of the cells could be identified by the application of genus- or OTU-specific probes demonstrating a high in situ abundance of bacteria related to Zoogloea and Azoarcus sensu lato. Taken together, this study provides the first encompassing, high-resolution insight into the in situ composition of the microbial community present in a full-scale, industrial wastewater treatment plant.

Substances with estrogenic activity in effluents of sewage treatment plants in southwestern Germany. 1. Chemical analysis

A gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantitative determination of natural and synthetic estrogens (17beta-estradiol, estrone, 17alpha-ethinylestradiol, and mestranol), phytoestrogens (genistein and beta-sitosterol), and xenoestrogens (benzyl butyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, bisphenol A, 4-nonylphenol [NP], 4-nonylphenoxyacetic acid [NP1EC], 4-nonylphenol diethoxylate [NP2EO], and alpha-endosulfan) in effluents of sewage treatment plants (STPs) was developed. Identification and quantification were carried out with the standard addition method using analyte-specific and, in some cases, deuterium-labeled internal standards. The effluents of 18 STPs were investigated. Apart from alpha-endosulfan and mestranol, all selected substances were detected in the majority of samples. The median concentrations of steroidal estrogens were between 0.4 ng/L (17alpha-ethinylestradiol) and 1.6 ng/L (17beta-estradiol). The metabolites of the nonylphenol polyethoxylates, NP, NPIEC, and NP2EO were found in concentrations ranging from the upper-ng/L-range (NP) to the lower-microg/L range (NP1EC). For all substances except mestranol and alpha-endosulfan, median values were calculated and compared to the results of other investigations in Europe and the United States. Possible dependencies of measured concentrations on the geographical location, the capacity, the influent composition, and the technical fitting of the STPs are discussed.

Substances with estrogenic activity in effluents of sewage treatment plants in southwestern Germany. 2. Biological analysis

The proliferation test with human estrogen receptor-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells (E-Screen assay) was applied for quantitative determination of total estrogenic activity in 24-h composite effluent samples from 16 municipal and two industrial sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the state of Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. The estrogenic efficacy relative to the positive control, 17beta-estradiol, was between 26 and 74% (median, 48%) for the 16 municipal STPs. Estradiol equivalent concentrations (EEQs) were between 0.2 and 7.8 ng/L (median, 1.6 ng/L) and, thereby, were lower than those found in a pilot study, which revealed EEQs of greater than 10 ng/L in the effluents of two other STPs. The EEQs in 14 of the 16 effluent samples were very similar (0.9-3.3 ng/L), indicating a rather constant input of estrogenic substances via STPs into rivers. Additional activated charcoal filtration turned out to be very efficient in further eliminating estrogenic activity from effluents. The EEQs of the E-Screen assay and those calculated from the results of extensive chemical analysis using the estradiol equivalency factors determined for 13 natural and synthetic estrogenic substances were comparable for most of the effluent samples. 17beta-Estradiol, 17alpha-ethinylestradiol, and, to a lesser extent, estrone contributed to 90% or more of the EEQ value.

Combining fluorescent in situ hybridization (fish) with cultivation and mathematical modeling to study population structure and function of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in activated sludge

16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes for phylogenetically defined groups of autotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were used for analyzing the natural diversity of nitrifiers in an industrial sewage treatment plant receiving sewage with high ammonia concentrations. In this facility discontinuous aeration is used to allow for complete nitrification and denitrification. In situ hybridization revealed a yet undescribed diversity of ammonia oxidizers occurring in the plant. Surprisingly, the majority of the ammonia oxidizers were detected with probe combinations which indicate a close affiliation of these cells with Nitrosococcus mobilis. In addition, low numbers of ammonia-oxidizers related to the Nitrosomonas europaea - Nitrosomonas eutropha cluster were present. Interestingly, we also observed hybridization patterns which suggested the occurrence of a novel population of ammonia oxidizers. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that all specifically stained ammonia oxidizers were clustered in microcolonies formed by rod-shaped bacteria. Combination of FISH and mathematical modeling was used to investigate diffusion limitation of ammonia and O2 within these aggregates. Model simulations suggest that mass transfer limitations inside the clusters are not as significant as the substrate limitations due to the activity of surrounding heterotrophic bacteria. To learn more about the ammonia-oxidizers of the industrial plant, we enriched and isolated ammonia-oxidizing bacteria from the activated sludge by combining classical cultivation techniques and FISH. Monitoring the isolates with the nested probe set allowed us to specifically identify those ammonia oxidizers which were found in situ to be numerically dominant. The phylogenetic relationship of these isolates determined by comparative 16S rDNA sequence analysis confirmed the affiliation suggested by FISH.