Wastewater Spills Research Articles

Smart win–win waste management: superhydrophobic filter using valorized cellulose acetate from discarded cigarette butts for cleaning up marine oil spill at Hurghada Red Sea shore in Egypt

The essential target of academics and the industrial sector is the innovation of an industrial ecology approach. Worldwide, cigarette butts (CBs) comprise the most predominant form of litter that spreads into the ecosystem and inland. In the meantime, oil is spilled into marine life from various activities and transportation. The result is a complex oil–water composition in a high concentration that causes severe hazards to the environment and to aquatic life. In this regard, the current investigation focuses on obtaining hydrophobic cellulose acetate from CBs for use as a filter media. The filter is applied in marine oil spill separation as a win–win industrial ecology technique. Initially, the separated CB residuals were prepared by successive washing. Subsequently, the obtained cellulose acetate fibers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the new CB-based filters were used in the separation/adsorption of marine oil wastewater spill. Subsequently, a group of experiments were conducted. The results showed that the cleanup efficiency could be up to 99% in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD). Moreover, the products were recovered by washing with hot water for further use, which showed high removal activity that reached 95% after successive uses. In comparison to commercial oil sorption materials, the results were promising as the RP-C18 cartridge revealed a maximum oil removal of 90%. Such preliminary data on a cellulose acetate filter scheme are a good indicator in the development of an oil spill facility, being a suitable candidate for controlling oil wastewater effluent streams.

The Utilization of PAK-27 Algaecide Infused Barley Balls for Eliminating E. Coli Bacteria: A One Health Approach

Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria can enter bodies of water through the release of fecal matter into the environment from various sources including wastewater spills, agriculture runoff, sewage leaks, inadequate infrastructure, and poor sanitation procedures. High levels of E. coli bacteria in the water can threaten the health of humans, non-human animals (NHAs), and the environment. For this reason, a One Health approach is necessary to address the issue of E. coli water contamination. This article proposes a unique and cost-effective initiative to reduce E. coli levels in Valens Lake. It utilizes a two-pronged approach using the natural properties of barley straw and environmentally friendly algaecide PAK-27. The proposed innovative initiative could lead to improvements in water quality and generate positive health impacts for humans, NHAs, and the environment.

In situ construction of green multiscale nanosilicon-based sponges for stable oil-water separation

ABSTRACT Oil and industrial wastewater spills have caused serious ecological impacts, thus superhydrophobic materials are paid much attention for their unique oil/water selective adsorption properties. Herein, we propose a green and efficient method for preparing superhydrophobic adsorbents for oil/water separation. Superhydrophobic melamine sponges (SMS) were prepared by in situ growth of nanosilica on melamine sponge skeletons followed by surface modification with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HTMS). The contact angle, oil-water separation, oil absorption, recyclability, acid resistance and alkali resistance of SMS were characterised to evaluate its performance. These results showed that the prepared SMS not only exhibits superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 152°, but also has a strong adsorption capacity of 42–105 times its own weight for various oils and organic reagents, and outstanding recoverability with a retention of adsorption capacity of about 98% after 20 repeated cycles. In addition, it exhibits excellent environmental tolerance over a wide pH range. These excellent properties make it valuable for practical applications in the field of oil-water separation.

Experimental Modeling of the Impact of Oil and Wastewater Spills in the Middle Taiga of Western Siberia

Experimental Modeling of the Impact of Oil and Wastewater Spills in the Middle Taiga of Western Siberia

In Situ Fenton Triggered PDA Coating Copper Mesh with Underwater Superoleophobic Property for Oily Wastewater Pretreatment

The issue of oily wastewater treatment has become a worldwide challenge due to increasing industrial oily wastewater and frequent oil spill accidents. As an integral part of practical sewage treatment, pretreatment is conducted to remove inorganic particles, floating oil, and some emulsified oil, and to pave the way for post-treatment. Here, we report a facile fabricated, hydrostable, and rapid underwater-formed superoleophobic copper mesh with polydopamine (PDA) coating for efficient oily wastewater pre-treatment. Unlike with traditional technologies, using the interface phenomenon to solve the problem of oil/water mixture separation provided a new approach for the low energy input pretreatment process. The PDA coating formed by the in situ Fenton method not only rapidly constructs a protection layer for the etched hierarchical micro-size particles on mesh and results in enhanced hydrophilicity, but also exhibits high uniformity and enhanced stability in acid/alkali medium. Benefiting from the above processes, a very high flux of 25 L m−2 s−1 and high separation efficiency of 99.0% toward various oil/water mixtures were achieved, revealing excellent prospects for practical usage. Therefore, this new approach offered insight into the development of a cost-effective and functional method for efficient pretreatment of oily wastewater.

Mapping the Vulnerability of Groundwater to Wastewater Spills for Source Water Protection in a Shale Gas Region

Source water protection in areas of shale gas development encompasses identifying areas that are the most vulnerable to groundwater quality deterioration due to spills of natural gas production wastewater. This study uses the density-dependent flow and transport code TOUGH2 to quantify the time and distance of travel of saline wastewater plumes for different hydrogeological settings in Northeast British Columbia. The models were designed to address three main factors identified from the DRASTIC method for vulnerability assessment: (1) depth to water, (2) impact of vadose zone, and (3) conductivity of the aquifer materials. The vadose zone permeability and depth to water table are dominant controls on the wastewater migration rate and footprint. Overall, the vulnerability in the region is relatively low, with exceptions near river valleys and areas with shallow water tables. The vulnerability maps can be used as a preliminary risk assessment tool, as they are based on the main factors influencing the potential of a wastewater spill to contaminate an aquifer.

Producing (extra)ordinary death on the farm: unruly encounters and contaminated calves

ABSTRACT In 2010, twenty-eight bovines on a Pennsylvania beef farm were exposed to a hydraulic fracturing wastewater leak on their grazing pasture. Over the following year, eleven out of seventeen calves born to the exposed animals died. The farmers framed the deaths as outside normal deathly production on the farm, while state institutions claimed the deaths resulted from the farmers’ negligence, framing them as ordinary. I draw on necropolitics to examine how death becomes a normalized mode of capital production in agri-food systems, investigating how the wastewater spill and calves’ deaths ruptured the everyday production of bovine death. The paper argues that death must occur in prescribed sites and at approved times to function as a site of value accumulation in capitalist agriculture. I examine how the spill and calf death events emerged through promiscuous entanglements between overlapping modes of capital extraction across and through the site of the farm. Using assemblages, I trace unruly, promiscuous encounters at this food-energy contact zone to consider how the calves’ deaths render visible the space-time boundaries used to manage more-than-human mortality as a metabolic process in livestock production, and highlight disparate power relations between diverse necropolitical actors and modes of governance.

Geochemical and geophysical indicators of oil and gas wastewater can trace potential exposure pathways following releases to surface waters

Releases of oil and gas (OG) wastewaters can have complex effects on stream-water quality and downstream organisms, due to sediment-water interactions and groundwater/surface water exchange. Previously, elevated concentrations of sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), barium (Ba), strontium (Sr), and lithium (Li), and trace hydrocarbons were determined to be key markers of OG wastewater releases when combined with Sr and radium (Ra) isotopic compositions. Here, we assessed the persistence of an OG wastewater spill in a creek in North Dakota using a combination of geochemical measurements and modeling, hydrologic analysis, and geophysical investigations. OG wastewater comprised 0.1 to 0.3% of the stream-water compositions at downstream sites in February and June 2015 but could not be quantified in 2016 and 2017. However, OG-wastewater markers persisted in sediments and pore water for 2.5 years after the spill and up to 7.2-km downstream from the spill site. Concentrations of OG wastewater constituents were highly variable depending on the hydrologic conditions. Electromagnetic measurements indicated substantially higher electrical conductivity under the bank adjacent to a seep 7.2 km downstream from the spill site. Geomorphic investigations revealed mobilization of sediment is an important contaminant transport process. Labile Ba, Ra, Sr, and ammonium (NH4) concentrations extracted from sediments indicated sediments are a long-term reservoir of these constituents, both in the creek and on the floodplain. Using the drivers of ecological effects identified at this intensively studied site we identified 41 watersheds across the North Dakota landscape that may be subject to similar episodic inputs from OG wastewater spills. Effects of contaminants released to the environment during OG waste management activities remain poorly understood; however, analyses of Ra and Sr isotopic compositions, as well as trace inorganic and organic compound concentrations at these sites in pore-water provide insights into potentials for animal and human exposures well outside source-remediation zones.

Endocrine disrupting activities and geochemistry of water resources associated with unconventional oil and gas activity

The rise of hydraulic fracturing and unconventional oil and gas (UOG) exploration in the United States has increased public concerns for water contamination induced from hydraulic fracturing fluids and associated wastewater spills. Herein, we collected surface and groundwater samples across Garfield County, Colorado, a drilling-dense region, and measured endocrine bioactivities, geochemical tracers of UOG wastewater, UOG-related organic contaminants in surface water, and evaluated UOG drilling production (weighted well scores, nearby well count, reported spills) surrounding sites. Elevated antagonist activities for the estrogen, androgen, progesterone, and glucocorticoid receptors were detected in surface water and associated with nearby shale gas well counts and density. The elevated endocrine activities were observed in surface water associated with medium and high UOG production (weighted UOG well score-based groups). These bioactivities were generally not associated with reported spills nearby, and often did not exhibit geochemical profiles associated with UOG wastewater from this region. Our results suggest the potential for releases of low-saline hydraulic fracturing fluids or chemicals used in other aspects of UOG production, similar to the chemistry of the local water, and dissimilar from defined spills of post-injection wastewater. Notably, water collected from certain medium and high UOG production sites exhibited bioactivities well above the levels known to impact the health of aquatic organisms, suggesting that further research to assess potential endocrine activities of UOG operations is warranted.

Distribution of Endocrine Disruptor Chemicals and Bacteria in Saline Pétrola Lake (Albacete, SE Spain) Protected Area is Strongly Linked to Land Use

Saline lakes are subject to numerous environmental impacts related to human activities, changing the chemical and biological natural conditions of the ecosystem. Sustainable development depends on the conservation of such delicate saline ecosystems, which may hold distinctive biodiversity. Pollution is one of the major threats to surface water bodies, for example by increasing nutrient contents and organic pollutants, including endocrine disrupting chemicals. Microbially mediated redox processes exert a fundamental control on nutrient turnover and contaminant removal. This study examines the influence of land use on the distribution of endocrine disrupting chemicals as well as on the microbial community composition in lacustrine sediments from Pétrola saline Lake (SE Spain). The lake is impacted by anthropogenic activities (agriculture, farming, mining and urban wastewater spills). Applying chemical and molecular tools (sequencing of 16S rRNA gene) showed a clear influence of land use on the chemistry and bacterial abundance of the lake sediments. The sampling points closer to wastewater outflows and mining ponds (2635, 2643 and 2650) showed fewer numbers and types of endocrine disrupting chemicals as well as a smaller number of families in the microbial community. These findings improve our understanding of how land use affects both water chemistry and the abundance of organisms responsible for biogeochemical cycles.

Design and preparation of mixed special wettability fabrics based on backed weave for separation of light oil/water/heavy oil mixtures

In recent years, the frequent emission of oily wastewater and marine oil spills has resulted in water bodies containing large amounts of light oil/water/heavy oil mixtures. The increasing pollution of the water prompts us to develop new materials that can separate oil and water effectively. In this work, a mixed special wettability fabric based on the backed weave organization is prepared by using different yarns with special infiltration properties. The mixed special wettability fabric can separate the light oil/water/heavy oil three-phase mixtures successfully in one step, due to the effect of gravity-driven and capillary force-driven. Under the optimal process with the reed number of the fabric 84#, the separation efficiency of water can reach 98.36%, and the average separation flux is 0.447 L/m2 s. In addition, the mixed special wettability fabric shows a good recycling, as well as structural stability, which is good for the application in practical oil–water separation.

Forecasting concentrations of organic chemicals in the vadose zone caused by spills of hydraulic fracturing wastewater

The return water from hydraulic fracturing operations is characterised by high concentrations of salts and toxic organic compounds. This water is stored on the surface in storage tanks and/or ponds. Wastewater spills caused by inappropriate storage can lead to the contamination of various environmental compartments, thus posing a risk to human health. Such risk can be determined by estimating the concentrations of the substances in the storage system and the behaviour of the same in function of the characteristics of the environment in which they are released.To this end, here we addressed the evolution of the concentrations of pollutants in a tank used to store wastewater from hydraulic fracturing operations. To do this, we estimated both the volume of flowback and the concentrations of the pollutants found in these waters. We then examined the dynamic behaviour of spill-derived compounds in the various environmental compartments in function of the conditions of the medium (humid, semi-arid, and arid). This approach allowed us to rank the hazard posed by the chemical compounds in question, as well as to determine those parameters associated with both the compounds and external natural conditions that contribute to environmental risk. Our results shed greater light on the mechanism by which external environmental variables (especially recharge rate) influence the migration of organic compounds in the vadose zone, and contribute to the prediction of their concentrations. Also, by estimating the time that chemicals remain in contaminated areas, we identify the phases of contamination that pose the greatest risk to human health. In summary, the approach used herein allows the ranking of compounds on the basis of risk to human health and can thus facilitate the design of pollutant management strategies. Of note, our ranked list highlights the relevance of benzene.

Chronic impact of an accidental wastewater spill from a smelter, China: A study of health risk of heavy metal(loid)s via vegetable intake

Chronic impact will last from a sudden pollution accident, however, potential adverse effects of heavy metal(loid)s are overlooked when pollution decreased during years of equilibration. Here, we assessed the potential health risks of heavy metal(loid)s via intake of vegetables from fields affected by the smelting wastewater spill eight years later, basing on site-specific target hazard quotient (STHQ) and cancer risk (SCR) models. Results showed kohlrabi, lettuce and garlic had significant high concentrations of Sb (10.4 mg kg−1), Pb (21.0 mg kg−1), Cd (6.49 mg kg−1), and Zn (441 mg kg−1), and sweet potato and garlic enriched high levels of As (19.6 mg kg−1) and Cu (14.1 mg kg−1), respectively. Transfer factors of metal(loid)s from soil to plants were enhanced by high soluble metal(loid) concentrations, and Sb, As, Pb and Cd in most edible tissues exceeded the contamination limitations for food in China and FAO/WHO. Chinese cabbage had significant high STHQ of As (adult 9.31 and child 19.8) and Sb (adult 0.76 and child 1.61) (p < 0.05), and the highest STHQ of Cd (adult 1.41 and child 3.02) was in lettuce, whereas the highest STHQ of other elements from vegetables were below 1. However, the non-carcinogenic risks based on total STHQ values of these vegetables were several times higher than the acceptable level of 1. In addition, the total SCR values at 5% were hundreds times of safety level of 5.0 × 10−5 set by International Commission on Radiological Protection. Considering food frequency and metal(loid) levels, long-term consumption of local vegetables, especially lettuce and Chinese cabbage, are likely to increase non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic (e.g. As and Cd) health risks. Child's health risk of toxic elements was far greater than adult. This study might serve as a case study of long-term adverse impact for other pollutant incidents. People should pay attention to human health through food chain, and the government should solve the outstanding environmental problems that harm the health of the masses.

Effects of antimicrobial exposure on detrital biofilm metabolism in urban and rural stream environments

The occurrence of antimicrobials and other pharmaceuticals in streams is increasingly being reported, yet the impacts of these contaminants of emerging concern on aquatic ecosystems are relatively unknown. Bacteria and fungi are vital components of stream environments and, therefore, exposure to antimicrobials may have important consequences for ecosystem services, such as carbon cycling. The objective of this study was to investigate how two antimicrobials, ciprofloxacin and climbazole, impact detrital biofilm metabolism in urban and rural streams. To establish baseline conditions, the biological oxygen demand (BOD) of red maple (Acer rubrum) biofilms was measured in one urban and one rural stream. In mesocosm studies, the BOD of biofilms on single- and mixed-species leaf litter from the same sites was measured after exposure to 10 μg/L of the antimicrobials, both in combination and individually. The presence of ciprofloxacin and climbazole did not affect BOD compared to the controls at the urban site, although significant differences were identified for select treatments at the rural site. In addition, the BOD of mixed-leaf biofilms was not significantly different from that of single species litter after exposure. Overall, exposure to 10 μg/L of the antimicrobials did not significantly impact community-level carbon processing by the leaf biofilms, and leaf mixtures did not result in increased biofilm BOD compared to single species leaves. The outcomes of this work demonstrate a need for further research for the understanding the effects of antimicrobials on rural streams to prevent unintended consequences to ecological processes and biota from future development, leaking septic systems, and wastewater spills.

Resurgent lead poisoning and renewed public attention towards environmental social justice issues: A review of current efforts and call to revitalize primary and secondary lead poisoning prevention for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children within the U.S.

The recent Colorado Gold King Mine waste-water spill and Michigan's water supply re-routing program catastrophe, has directed renewed public attention towards resurgent environmental lead contamination threats. Leaded environments present social justice issues for children and mothers possessing blood lead levels (BLLs) > 5 μg/dL. Childhood lead exposure remains a continual U.S. public health problem manifesting in lifelong adverse neuropsychological consequences. The 2007 Inspector General Report demonstrated low BLL screening rates across the U.S. and this study examined the regularity of children's BLL screening rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Lead Poisoning National Surveillance2010-2014 children's BLL screening rates, were examined to assess BLL screening regularity in states traditionally known to have regularly occurring BLL screenings: New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The results extracted from the CDC data showed that < 50% of children were BLL screened by six-years of age across the states that were sampled. The findings highlight that without a "clear map" of lead exposed areas through accurate and consistent BLL screenings, how the potential for such disparities within - and between-states within the U.S. could arise due to environmental social justice issues in relation to BLL screening barriers. Barriers preventing children's BLL screenings were considered, and public health interventions recommended to improve screening rates included: routine BLL screening for all pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children; while, removing known lead exposure sources within communities. This study calls for action during a time of renewed public attention to resurgent lead poisoning within the U.S.

Unconventional oil and gas chemicals and wastewater-impacted water samples promote adipogenesis via PPARγ-dependent and independent mechanisms in 3T3-L1 cells

Unconventional oil and natural gas (UOG) operations have contributed to a surge in domestic oil and natural gas production in the United States, combining horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing to unlock previously inaccessible fossil fuel deposits. >1000 organic chemicals are used in the production process, and wastewater is produced following injection and for the life of the producing well. This wastewater is typically disposed of via injecting into disposal wells for long-term storage, treatment and discharge from wastewater treatment plants, and/or storage in open evaporation pits; however, wastewater spill rates are reported at 2–20% of active well sites across regions, increasing concerns about the environmental impacts of these wastewaters. This study assessed adipogenic activity (both triglyceride accumulation and pre-adipocyte proliferation) for a mixture of 23 commonly used UOG chemicals and a small subset of UOG wastewater-impacted surface water extracts from Colorado and West Virginia, using 3T3-L1 cells and a peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) reporter assay. We report potent and efficacious adipogenic activity induced by both a laboratory-created UOG chemical mixture and UOG-impacted water samples at concentrations below environmental levels. We further report activation of PPARγ at similar concentrations for some samples, suggesting a causative molecular pathway for the observed effects, but not for other adipogenic samples, implicating PPARγ-dependent and independent effects from UOG associated chemicals. Taken together, these results suggest that UOG wastewater has the potential to impact metabolic health at environmentally relevant concentrations.

Statistical modelling of Fat, Oil and Grease (FOG) deposits in wastewater pump sumps

The accumulation of FOG (Fat, Oil and Grease) deposits in sewer pumping stations results in an increase in maintenance costs, malfunctioning of pumps and, a potential increase of wastewater spills in receiving open water bodies.It is thought that a variety of parameters (e.g. geometry of the pump sump, pump operation, socioeconomic parameters of the catchment) influences the built-up of FOG. Based on a database containing data of 126 pumping stations located in five Dutch municipalities a statistical model was built. It is shown that 3 parameters are most significant in explaining the occurrence of FOG deposits: mean income of the population in a catchment, the amount of energy (kinetic and potential) per m3 per day and the density of restaurants, bars and hotels in a catchment. Further it is shown that there are significant differences between municipalities that can be traced back to the local ‘design paradigm’. For example, in Amsterdam, the design philosophy of discharging in the pump sump under the water surface (and hence maintaining a low level of turbulence in the pump sump) results in an increase of the probability of the formation of FOG.

Cultural theory of risk as a heuristic for understanding perceptions of oil and gas development in Eastern Montana, USA

This paper applies Douglas’ cultural theory of risk to understand perceptions of risk associated with oil and gas development in eastern Montana. Based on the analysis of interviews with 36 rural residents, findings show the dominant perception of risk is most closely aligned with an Individualist worldview. Despite direct experience with oil or wastewater spills, most interviewees described spills as “no big deal”, viewed nature as resilient, and felt that the economic benefits outweigh negative impacts. Cultural theory was a useful heuristic for understanding this dominant worldview, as well as identifying points of deviation. For example, interviewees discussed the benefits of landowner associations – a more Egalitarian approach to dealing with oil companies. Some landowners relied on external authorities (e.g., sheriff) when dealing with oil companies, revealing a Hierarchical approach to issues they face. Interviewees expressed frustration with the lack of enforcement of existing regulations, which can be interpreted as either support for – or indictment of – Hierarchical solutions. While the Individualist worldview is dominant, our qualitative analysis reveals the complex tensions at work among rural residents. The results suggest areas where policymakers, advocacy groups, and residents may find common ground to address potential environmental and health risks.

Automatic Regulation of Wastewater Discharge

Wastewater plants, mainly with secondary treatments, discharge polluted water to environment that cannot be used in any human activity. When those dumps are in the sea it is expected that most of the biological pollutants die or almost disappear before water reaches human range. This natural withdrawal of bacteria, viruses and other pathogens is due to some conditions such as the salt water of the sea and the sun effect, and the dumps areas are calculated taking into account these conditions. However, under certain meteorological phenomena water arrives to the coast without the full disappearance of pollutant elements. In Mediterranean Sea there are some periods of adverse climatic conditions that pollute the coast near the wastewater dumping. In this paper, authors present an automatic control that prevents such pollution episodes using two mathematical models, one for the pollutant transportation and the other for the pollutant removal in wastewater spills.

Environmental signatures and effects of an oil and gas wastewater spill in the Williston Basin, North Dakota.

Wastewaters from oil and gas development pose largely unknown risks to environmental resources. In January 2015, 11.4ML (million liters) of wastewater (300g/L TDS) from oil production in the Williston Basin was reported to have leaked from a pipeline, spilling into Blacktail Creek, North Dakota. Geochemical and biological samples were collected in February and June 2015 to identify geochemical signatures of spilled wastewaters as well as biological responses along a 44-km river reach. February water samples had elevated chloride (1030mg/L) and bromide (7.8mg/L) downstream from the spill, compared to upstream levels (11mg/L and <0.4mg/L, respectively). Lithium (0.25mg/L), boron (1.75mg/L) and strontium (7.1mg/L) were present downstream at 5-10 times upstream concentrations. Light hydrocarbon measurements indicated a persistent thermogenic source of methane in the stream. Semi-volatile hydrocarbons indicative of oil were not detected in filtered samples but low levels, including tetramethylbenzenes and di-methylnaphthalenes, were detected in unfiltered water samples downstream from the spill. Labile sediment-bound barium and strontium concentrations (June 2015) were higher downstream from the Spill Site. Radium activities in sediment downstream from the Spill Site were up to 15 times the upstream activities and, combined with Sr isotope ratios, suggest contributions from the pipeline fluid and support the conclusion that elevated concentrations in Blacktail Creek water are from the leaking pipeline. Results from June 2015 demonstrate the persistence of wastewater effects in Blacktail Creek several months after remediation efforts started. Aquatic health effects were observed in June 2015; fish bioassays showed only 2.5% survival at 7.1km downstream from the spill compared to 89% at the upstream reference site. Additional potential biological impacts were indicated by estrogenic inhibition in downstream waters. Our findings demonstrate that environmental signatures from wastewater spills are persistent and create the potential for long-term environmental health effects.