Wastewater Treatment Plant Discharge Research Articles

Conflict between urbanization and water environmental protection: Lessons from the Xiangjiang River Basin in China

China, the largest developing country, has experienced rapid urbanization since its reform and opening-up. However, the increasing pollution load from urban areas has deteriorated urban river water quality, contradicting the concept of sustainable and green development promoted by the Chinese government. This situation elucidates governmental shortcomings in systematic environmental protection. Our study revealed that the current wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharge standards in urban areas are insufficient for attaining the desired urban river water quality and thus intensify the conflict between urbanization and water environmental protection. As urbanization continues, the urban population will grow, further exacerbating pollution and conflict. Our focus was the Xiangjiang River basin in Zunyi, a typical urbanized city in China. Using a validated one-dimensional mathematical model, we compared the water quality in the Xiangjiang River between current and upgraded WWTP discharge standards. The results showed that the water quality in the Xiangjiang River falls short of the standards, with more than 60 % of the river exceeding limits. However, upgrading WWTP discharge standards significantly reduces the proportion of river sections exceeding limits, with only 0.4 % exceeding standards during specific periods. This enhancement greatly improved the Xiangjiang River's water quality, aided in restoring the entire water environment in the basin, and supported water environmental protection goals. Our research findings offer crucial support for local governments in shaping comprehensive water environmental protection policies and insights for addressing similar environmental challenges caused by rapid urbanization in other developing regions.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Impact of Hospital Wastewater on Aquatic Systems in Bucharest

The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the global response to a pandemic, including the way of using chemical compounds such as disinfectants and antibiotics. The large-scale use of antibiotics and disinfectants during the COVID-19 pandemic caused environmental pressure not only due to the chemicals themselves but also due to their effect on bacterial communities, inducing resistance to chemicals and changing the population structure of bacterial communities, especially in aquatic environments. The dissemination of fecal bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and pathogens from hospital wastewater into the environment, via wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), triggered the premises of a major public health issue. Rivers flowing through cities are natural streams for WWTP discharges, and they directly bear the impact of anthropic activities, disseminating domestic and industrial pollution over large areas. The aim of the present study was to assess the microbiological bacterial structure of municipal and hospital wastewaters as well as their impact on natural streams, covering the pre-to post-COVID-19 pandemic period of time. The results indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic had a direct impact on hospital wastewater microbiological quality and the environment due to an excessive use of antibiotics and disinfectants. In addition, the constant presence of antibacterial compounds increased the rate of bacterial selection and induced population structural changes in the bacterial communities from aquatic systems.

Transcriptomic profiles of brains in juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) exposed to pharmaceuticals and personal care products from a wastewater treatment plant discharge

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are frequently detected in marine environments, posing a threat to aquatic organisms. Our previous research demonstrated the occurrence of neuroactive compounds in effluent and sediments from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in a fjord North of Stavanger, the fourth-largest city in Norway. To better understand the influence of PPCP mixtures on fish, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were caged for one month in 3 locations: site 1 (reference), site 2 (WWTP discharge), and site 3 (6.7 km west of discharge). Transcriptomic profiling was conducted in the brains of exposed fish and detection of PPCPs in WWTP effluent and muscle fillets were determined. Caffeine (47.8 ng/L), benzotriazole (10.9 ng/L), N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) (5.6 ng/L), methyl-1H-benzotriazole (5.5 ng/L), trimethoprim (3.4 ng/L), carbamazepine (2.1 ng/L), and nortriptyline (0.4 ng/L) were detected in the WWTP effluent. Octocrylene concentrations were observed in muscle tissue at all sites and ranged from 53 to 193 ng/g. Nervous system function and endocrine system disorders were the top enriched disease and function pathways predicted in male and female fish at site 2, with the top shared canonical pathways involved with estrogen receptor and Sirtuin signaling. At the discharge site, predicted disease and functional responses in female brains were involved in cellular assembly, organization, and function, tissue development, and nervous system development, whereas male brains were involved in connective tissue development, function, and disorders, nervous system development and function, and neurological disease. The top shared canonical pathways in females and males were involved in fatty acid activation and tight junction signaling. This study suggests that pseudopersistent, chronic exposure of native juvenile Atlantic cod from this ecosystem to PPCPs may alter neuroendocrine and neuron development.

Combined Effects of Fronts, Upwelling and the Biological Pump on Organophosphate Esters in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuary During Summer

AbstractEstuarine and coastal environments are important transport pathways and regional sinks for anthropogenic pollutants. In this study, the occurrence and transport of the continuously released organophosphate esters (OPEs) was investigated together with physical and biochemical parameters throughout the water column in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary during the summer. Total dissolved and particulate OPEs showed great spatial heterogeneity, with mean concentrations of 550 ± 280 ng/L in the estuary, 110 ± 270 ng/L in the front/upwelling zone, and 410 ± 450 ng/L in the continental shelf. OPE concentrations in the estuarine bottom waters were high due to massive terrestrial/sediment inputs. In contrast, the “surface enrichment and depth depletion” of OPEs in the continental shelf was closely related to seasonal stratification. Reduced OPE concentrations were observed in the frontal/upwelling zone due to isopycnal heaving. Frontal activity and upwelling induced phytoplankton blooms in the coastal regions, which jointly contributed to elevated OPEs beneath surface water with high phytoplankton aggregation. The OPEs mainly originated from wastewater treatment plant discharges, industrial pollution and consumer products. These OPEs generally posed a low ecological risk to aquatic lives, but their long‐term effects cannot be ignored due to their continuous high production, usage and release.

Removal of most frequent microplastic types and sizes in secondary effluent using Al2(SO4)3: choosing variables by a fuzzy Delphi method

Microplastics (MPs) as an emerging pollutant can affect aquatic organisms through physical ingestion, chemical problems and possible creation of biological layers on their surfaces in the environment. One of the significant ways for MPs to enter the aquatic environment is through the effluent discharge of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this study, first, the concentration and characteristics of MPs in secondary wastewater effluent, and the influential variables related to the coagulation process, for MPs removal were identified using systematic reviews of previous studies. Then, the most proper MPs characterization and coagulation variables were chosen by experts’ opinions using a fuzzy Delphi method. Therefore, the experiment tested in conditions close to the full-scale wastewater treatments. Finally, in the laboratory removal of MPs by coagulation of polyamide (PA), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene (PE), < 125 and 300–600 μm in size, was tested by a jar test applying Al2(SO4)3 in doses of 5 to 100 mg/L plus 15 mg/L polyacrylamide as a coagulant aid. Using R and Excel software, the results were analyzed statistically. It was concluded that the maximum and minimum removal efficiency was 74.7 and 1.39% for small PA and large PE, respectively. Smaller MPs were found to have higher removal efficiency. The MPs type PA achieved greater removal efficiency than PS, while PE had the least removal efficiency.

Sedimentary abundance and major determinants of river microplastic contamination in the central arid part of Iran

The proliferation of anthropogenic activities around the Central Iranian Rivers shows a warning alarm of river microplastic (MP) pollution. In the Zayandeh-rood River, the mean abundance of sedimentary MPs trapped at the mouth of 21 modified sub-catchments was 588 items/kg d.w and followed the order: downstream (1701 items/kg d.w) > midstream (269.2 items/kg d.w) > upstream (57.2 items/kg d.w). The widespread distribution of fiber and fragment forms across all stations and the high MP abundance near the discharge of the largest wastewater treatment plant indicate their origin from both point and non-point sources. Using the linear multiple linear regression (MLR) and nonlinear artificial neural network (ANN), we assessed the contribution of three types of variables including the sediment physio-chemical properties, river geometry and land-use characteristics. According to both modeling results, the mean annual number of local people and tourist visitors (0.35 million people) are the most important determinants of river MP pollution whose contribution dominates through the use of plastic products and their direct and indirect release into the environment. The ANN model (R2 = 0.99) outperformed the MLR model (R2 = 0.80) and showed the importance of total organic carbon (TOC)-rich regions as MP hotspots. To alleviate the river MP pollution, suggested measures involve altering plastic usage and disposal practices among visitors and reducing the TOC content in the industrial/municipal wastewater entering the river.

Ammonium concentration in stream sediments resulting from decades of discharge from a wastewater treatment plant

A study of ammonium pollution in the sediments of a stream that receives wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharge has been carried out. It is urgently necessary to find environmental indicators that can help prevent and detect potential contamination of water, as water is an increasingly scarce resource. To understand the behaviour of ammonium ions introduced by a historical (50-year) contamination process, vertical boreholes were drilled in the stream banks to depths between 30 and 120 cm. Moisture, pH, ammonium (soluble and exchangeable), and clay fraction content were analysed. The variation profile of these parameters was evaluated as a function of depth to determine factors related to the distribution of ammonium in several locations along the stream banks.The ammonium concentration was asymmetrically distributed among samples collected in near-surface locations, with ammonium concentrations between 0.3048 mmol/kg soil and 0.0007 mmol/kg soil. Ammonium was typically concentrated at sediment depths of 30–40 cm, which also exhibited the highest clay fraction content. High positive correlations were detected (r > 0.8; p < 0.0001) among the different ammonium variables (exchanged and dissolved species). No contamination effect was observed below 60–70 cm depth, which was due to ammonium retention in a natural barrier layer of clayey sediment.The clays in our study area (previously identified as smectite, a 2:1 sheet silicate) were able to control the contamination by retaining ammonium in the interlayers, which retarded nitrification. It is suggested that clay could serve as a geo-indicator of ammonium pollution evolution.

Microplastics in the Syr Darya River Tributaries, Uzbekistan

The objective of the study was a pre-screening of the microplastic (MP) content in surface water and benthic sediments of Kara Darya and Chirchiq rivers, the first-order tributaries of the Syr Darya River (Uzbekistan). For the first time, surface water and benthic sediment samples were taken from this region, and quantitative screening of MPs 0.15–5.00 mm in size was performed. A combined visual and μRaman-based methodology was used to quantify and characterize artificial polymer microparticles from the surface water and bottom sediments of two rivers. The average abundance of MPs in the Kara Darya River and Chirchiq River waters was found to be 4.28 ± 0.09 and 0.95 ± 0.36 items per m3, and that in benthic sediments attained 244 ± 28.9 and 333 ± 11.5 items per kg of dry soil, respectively. MP concentration in surface water and benthic sediments of the Kara Darya River significantly exceeded (p-value &lt; 0.01) that in the Chirchiq River. Microfibers were most abundant; the proportion of MP fibers in the water of the Kara Darya and Chirchiq rivers amounted to 89 and 95%, respectively, and that in benthic sediments of the rivers was 86 and 84%, respectively. The dominance of microfibers may indicate the route of entry to the rivers through domestic wastewater treatment plant discharges. The polymer microparticles in the surface water and benthic sediments of the Kara Darya and Chirchiq rivers were mainly represented by polyethylenterephtalate (PET), which accounted for half of all MPs detected in the Kara Darya River. Microparticles of textile origin were particularly abundant in the Kara Darya River, where viscose and nylon fibers were also found, which suggests the leading role of synthetic textiles in the pollution. The reported data are the first experimental evidence of MP pollution of the Syr Darya tributaries, but the distribution and circulation of MPs in surface water in Central Asia requires further comprehensive studies.

Co-transport of Microplastics and a surrogate for Human Enteric Viruses in a saturated column packed with Quartz Sand

Groundwater can be contaminated with infective human enteric viruses from various sources, such as wastewater treatment plant discharge, landfills, septic tanks, agricultural practices, and artificial groundwater recharge. Anthropogenic pollutants, such as microplastics, may exhibit an affinity to transport biocolloids (bacteria, viruses) further and reduce their degradation rates in the natural environment. Human enteric viruses (poliovirus, hepatitis A, rotavirus, and adenovirus) can adsorb to the abiotic surface of microplastics and are simultaneously present in wastewater discharge. These newly formed clumps of pathogens and microplastics could penetrate deeper into soils as vectors for preferential flow and threaten groundwater systems, triggering a higher risk for drinking water and possibly followed by a disease outbreak. The mechanisms behind the adsorption of human enteric viruses on microplastic surfaces and their potential role in prolonging virus survival and promoting environmental transport remain unclear. This study aims to explore the possibility of co-transport of microplastics and human enteric viruses in saturated porous media, using PRD1 bacteriophage as a surrogate. PRD1 bacteriophages have been widely used as surrogates of rotavirus because they share many fundamental properties and features. Column experiments were performed using quartz sand (soil grain size: 0.60 - 1.30 mm) as a porous media in a 30 cm long and 7 cm diameter column. The column experiments were conducted by maintaining Darcy velocity of 2.65 m/day. Three different influent solution scenarios were considered in the experiments: PRD1 mixed with microplastics, PRD1 alone, and microplastics alone. The enumeration of PRD1 in the effluent solution was performed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as well as the culture method, in order to differentiate between infective and inactive virus transport. Microplastics were quantified using Solid-Phase Cytometry (SPC). Results were analyzed by calculating the collision and sticking efficiencies of the microplastics and PRD1 using the classical colloid filtration theory and Hydrus 1D modeling tool. There was no evidence of interference or inhibition of microplastics on the performance of qPCR and DNA extraction in the methodological setup. Additionally, the efficacy of qPCR and DNA extraction methods did not yield significantly different results across any of the influent solution conditions. Preliminary results suggest that the presence of microplastics enhanced the transport of PRD1, which led to reduced attachment of PRD1 in the porous media. The concentration of infective phages showed a delayed sharp increase, indicating that there may be a sorption mechanism that delays their breakthrough. It is possible that a portion of the active phages possess a higher sticking efficiency and that population heterogeneity contributes to this phenomenon. A comprehensive understanding of the processes that govern virus transport with globally distributed microplastics is crucial for protecting public health.

The Potential Impacts of Statins and Beta-Blockers on West Virginia Ichthyofauna

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), such as statins and beta-blockers, are commonly used to treat cardiovascular disease in adults. Active versions of these pharmaceuticals and their various metabolites enter surface waters via wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharge, as well as from other point sources. Sub-lethal effects of statins and beta-blockers on wild fish at environmental concentrations have been understudied up to this point. The objectives of this study were to use several health condition metrics and determine if there was a relationship between fish condition and environment concentrations of statins and beta-blockers near two West Virginia WWTPs. Water samples were collected from upstream, downstream, and effluent pipe from August to November 2022, and analyzed for atorvastatin, simvastatin, metoprolol, and carvedilol via liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Fish were sampled upstream, at the discharge, and downstream of each WWTP in November 2022. Fish health was assessed with three metrics: relative weight (Wr), hepatosomatic index (HSI), and gonadosomatic index (GSI). ANOVAs were used to assess differences among the health metrics based on sex, genus/species, and location relative to WWTPs. Additionally, changes in Wr relative to surface water concentrations of statins and beta-blockers was modeled with a Bayesian linear mixed effects model, with surface water concentrations as fixed effects with a random slope, while the section and genus parameters were treated as random intercepts. Surface concentrations for atorvastatin (0.47–4.36 ng/L), simvastatin (0.27–0.95 ng/L), metoprolol (2.80–21.01 ng/L), and carvedilol (0.43–0.90 ng/L) varied across sampling sections. HSI based on sex and species were nearly significant. GSI was significantly higher in females. Wr differed among genera, as well as the interaction between genus and sample section (p &lt; 0.001). Fixed effects from the linear mixed effects model showed Wr was negatively related to simvastatin (−0.139 [−2.072–1.784]) and carvedilol (−0.262 [−2.164–1.682]) while atorvastatin (0.207 [−1.371–1.845]) and metoprolol (0.052 [−0.533–0.584]) were positively related to Wr. Individual genera responded differently to each pharmaceutical based on location, indicating that it is likely that other factors were also influencing the fish health metrics. Further research targeting individual tissues and controlled experiments with different exposure regimes will be required to further enlighten the long-term effects of cardiovascular PPCPs on fish health.

Modelling micropollutant cycle in Lake Como in a winter scenario: Implications for water use and reuse, ecosystem services, and the EU zero pollution action plan

The fate and effects of 42 pharmaceuticals was studied in Lake Como (Italy), in wastewater treatment plants delivering water to the lake, in two rivers and in potable water obtained from lake water. Lake Como is one of the deepest and largest lakes in Northern Italy, serving important ecosystem services (i.e., drinking water, recreational, industrial, irrigation uses), some of which are currently at risk giving the current water scarcity and climate change scenarios. The highest concentrations measured in lake water were those of diclofenac, followed by carbamazepine, its metabolite, and clarithromycin. The data measured allowed to calibrate and run a fugacity-based lake model, which showed that the most important chemical load generally comes from the advective water from the north of the lake, rather than from the direct wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges. This indicates that only an important reduction of chemical discharge (reduced use or extensive treatment) at a drainage basin level could significantly reduce concentrations in water. This has strong implications on how to implement the EU zero pollution action plan to significantly improve water ecosystem and human health protection.

Ecotoxicological mixture risk assessment of 35 pharmaceuticals in wastewater effluents following post-treatment with ozone and/or granulated activated carbon

Reducing the risk posed by mixtures of pharmaceuticals is a goal of current initiatives such as the European Green Deal to reduce anthropological environmental impacts. Wastewater effluent typically contains large numbers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). For some APIs, existing technology such as conventional activated sludge (CAS) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have removal rates below 20 %, thus the WWTP discharges are adding to the toxic burden of receiving waters.We present an environmental risk assessment of mixtures of 35 APIs in effluent samples from 82 Northern European WWTPs using the concentration addition model, and identify the respective risk-driving APIs. This is then compared to a corresponding mixture risk assessment of effluent samples from the Danish Hillerød WWTP subjected to post-treatment with varying specific ozone doses (0.15–1.05 mgO3/mgDOC) and/or granulated activated carbon (GAC).All 82 WWTP effluent samples exceeded risk thresholds by at least a factor of 30, with a median RQSUM of 92.9, highlighting the need for effluent post-treatment and/or a substantial dilution in the recipient waters. Antibiotics, analgesics and anti-depressants were among the top risk drivers with 99 % of the average mixture risk attributable to azithromycin, diclofenac, venlafaxine, clarithromycin and mycophenolic acid. Effluent mixture risk was reduced by ozonation in a concentration-dependent manner, decreasing below threshold levels to a median RQSUM of 0.83 following treatment with 0.65 mgO3/mg DOC. Fresh GAC was also effective at reducing the mixture risk both alone and with ozone treatment, with median RQSUM of 0.04 and 0.07 respectively.To our knowledge, this is the first study to present a risk assessment of pharmaceutical mixtures in effluent comparing “conventional” WWTP processes with additional post-treatment with ozone and/or GAC for reducing the joint risks of pharmaceutical mixtures for recipient waters. We demonstrate the need for additional WWTP treatment technologies, and the efficacy of GAC and ozonation in decreasing the risk to the aquatic environment from pharmaceutical mixtures to below acceptable threshold limits.

A Comparative Analysis of Rural Domestic Wastewater Discharge Standards in the Yangtze River Delta Region, China

With the deepening of comprehensive improvement of rural living environments in China, various regions have issued rural domestic wastewater discharge standards based on their economic foundations, management levels, and characteristics of rural wastewater discharge. The Yangtze River Delta region, in particular, has been at the forefront of exploring these standards nationwide. By analyzing the local standards for rural domestic wastewater discharge in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces within the Yangtze River Delta region, along with the "Discharge standard of pollutants for municipal wastewater treatment plant" and the "Standard for irrigation water quality", it was found that the standards in each region primarily consider the classification based on the water environmental grade of the receiving water body. The pollutant concentration control requirements are generally consistent with the pollutant concentration limits for urban wastewater treatment plant discharge, but the total nitrogen and total phosphorus limits are more lenient than those for urban wastewater treatment plants. This paper can guide the transformation of rural domestic wastewater discharge from high standards to resource utilization, and provide references for the selection of wastewater treatment technologies, models, and governance strategies in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Dissemination of ESBL-producing E. coli ST131 through wastewater and environmental water in Switzerland

The E. coli lineage ST131 is a major cause of multidrug-resistant urinary tract and bloodstream infections worldwide. Recently emerged ST131 sublineages spread globally within few years, but their dissemination routes are incompletely understood. In this study, we investigate the potential role of wastewater and surface water in the spread of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing ST131. Streams, lakes, and two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the canton of Zug, Switzerland, were consecutively sampled over 1.5 years. ST131 was detected in 38% of the samples taken downstream (1–5 km) of WWTP discharge sites, but usually absent in water bodies distant from urban areas or WWTP discharge. Specific strains were repeatedly isolated (≤5 pairwise cgSNP distance) from wastewater or river sites downstream of effluent discharge, indicating their repeated entry or persistence in WWTPs in large concentrations. Genetic characterization of the ESBL-producing water isolates revealed a predominance of clades A and C1 and an emerging ciprofloxacin-resistant sublineage with mutations in quinolone resistance determining regions (QRDR) within clade A. Multiple isolates belonged to internationally circulating sublineages, including C1-M27 and papGII + sublineages with chromosomally encoded ESBLs. This study demonstrates that the clinically relevant E. coli lineage ST131 pollutes river ecosystems, representing a significant challenge to public health and to technologies to minimize their entry into the water environment.

Nutrient uptake in tropical rivers receiving wastewater treatment plant discharge: High mass removal but low nutrient uptake efficiencies

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have eliminated many problems related to sewage inputs to aquatic systems. However, the treated effluents still affect river and stream ecosystems. Yet, very limited information is available about the fate of treated effluents in tropical receiving water bodies. Here, we examined the longitudinal changes in ammonium (NH4-N), nitrate (NO3-N), and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations in reaches downstream from chronic WWTP inputs in three receiving rivers in São Paulo state (Southeastern Brazil). The studied WWTPs were not designed or operated to have specific tertiary treatment for nutrient removal at the time of the study. We conducted a total of five sampling campaigns between 2019 and 2021. We applied the nutrient spiraling approach to these high-magnitude nutrient additions to examine net nutrient uptake. Changes in nutrient loads along the reaches were also examined. Overall, nutrient concentrations and loads were considerably increased by WWTP discharges. Net uptake lengths (SW-net) for NO3-N, NH4-N, and SRP ranged from 1.2 to 13.6, 1.5–infinity (uptake coefficient < 0), and 1.2–7.5 km, respectively. Net uptake velocities (Vf-net) varied between 0.7–2.5, −0.4 to 4.1, and 0.2–10.2 mm/min, respectively. Areal net uptake rates (Unet) ranged from 0.78 to 10.7, −20.08–45.8, and 0.18–4.4 g/m2/min for NO3-N, NH4-N, and SRP, respectively. High export (long SW-net) and limited net uptake along the reaches (low Vf-net) indicated that nutrients were transported downstream for long distances without efficient removal (nutrient availability higher than demand) despite the high mass removal (high Unet). These results suggest that the export of nutrients is substantial, potentially creating water quality impairments to downstream ecosystems. Our study highlighted that WWTPs with limited nutrient removal have considerable effects on water chemistry, nutrient cycling and loading in tropical receiving freshwaters.

The photolytic breakdown of caffeine and paracetamol residues in surface water.

High concentrations of the most consumed pharmaceuticals, caffeine and paracetamol, have been observed globally in wastewater treatment plant discharge. Here, we assess the potential for photodegradation of caffeine and paracetamol residues at concentrations like those observed in treated wastewater discharges to the environment. Laboratory assays were used to measure rates of photodegradation of these two compounds both in distilled water and in natural river water with leaf litter leachate. When exposed to artificial light simulating natural sunlight, the half-life values of caffeine and paracetamol were significantly shorter than in the dark. The presence of organic matter increased caffeine and paracetamol half-life by lessening the photolytic effect. These results suggest that photolysis is a substantial contributor to the degradation of caffeine and paracetamol. The findings contribute to our understanding of persistence of pharmaceuticals in treated wastewater discharge. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The photodegradation of caffeine and paracetamol residues in surface water was examined. With leaf litter leachate, caffeine and paracetamol were photodegraded in distilled and natural river water in laboratory. Caffeine's half-life ranged from 2.3 to 16.2 days under artificial sunlight andparacetamols from 4.3 to 12.2 days. When incubated in the dark, the half-life for both compounds exceeded 4 weeks. Organic matter decreased the photolytic action of caffeine and paracetamol.

RNA-Seq Virus Fraction in Lake Baikal and Treated Wastewaters.

In this study, we analyzed the transcriptomes of RNA and DNA viruses from the oligotrophic water of Lake Baikal and the effluent from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) discharged into the lake from the towns of Severobaikalsk and Slyudyanka located on the lake shores. Given the uniqueness and importance of Lake Baikal, the issues of biodiversity conservation and the monitoring of potential virological hazards to hydrobionts and humans are important. Wastewater treatment plants discharge treated effluent directly into the lake. In this context, the identification and monitoring of allochthonous microorganisms entering the lake play an important role. Using high-throughput sequencing methods, we found that dsDNA-containing viruses of the class Caudoviricetes were the most abundant in all samples, while Leviviricetes (ssRNA(+) viruses) dominated the treated water samples. RNA viruses of the families Nodaviridae, Tombusviridae, Dicitroviridae, Picobirnaviridae, Botourmiaviridae, Marnaviridae, Solemoviridae, and Endornavirida were found in the pelagic zone of three lake basins. Complete or nearly complete genomes of RNA viruses belonging to such families as Dicistroviridae, Marnaviridae, Blumeviridae, Virgaviridae, Solspiviridae, Nodaviridae, and Fiersviridae and the unassigned genus Chimpavirus, as well as unclassified picorna-like viruses, were identified. In general, the data of sanitary/microbiological and genetic analyses showed that WWTPs inadequately purify the discharged water, but, at the same time, we did not observe viruses pathogenic to humans in the pelagic zone of the lake.

Nematode community structures in the presence of wastewater treatment plant discharge.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) represent major point sources of pollution in coastal systems, affecting benthic ecosystems. In the present study, we assessed the potential role that WWTPs have in shaping nematode communities and established baseline knowledge of free-living nematode community structures in St. Andrew Bay, Florida. Sediment samples were collected from four sites representing areas of WWTP outflow and areas with no apparent outflow, during the winter and summer. Nematode communities across sites were significantly different, and the differences were strongly associated with the distance to the nearest WWTP. While the communities were not different along transects at each site, nor across seasons, community dissimilarity across sites was high, implying strong contrasts throughout the bay system. Dominance of tolerant, opportunistic genera and Ecological Quality Status assessments suggest that the system is stressed by organic enrichment, possibly linked to the WWTPs. Our results suggest that knowledge on the life-history of dominant genera is imperative to assess the ecological quality of a benthic system, in addition to taxonomic and functional metrics. Considering the value of marine nematodes as bioindicators, more work should be done to monitor temporal variability in nematode communities in this system as future infrastructure changes alter its dynamics.

First evidence of environmental bioaccumulation of pharmaceuticals on adult native anurans (Rhinella arenarum) from Argentina

The presence of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in surface water is well known, whereas their natural occurrence in biota is much less explored. The aim of this work was to evaluate the bioaccumulation of PhACs in adult toads of the neotropical species Rhinella arenarum. Three sites were selected in Buenos Aires (Argentina): a reference site (Site 1), a site with direct discharge from a secondary wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) (Site 2) and a site 300 m downstream of the WWTP discharge (Site 3). Surface water samples, as well as muscle, liver and fat bodies of toads were collected, extracted and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Highly significant differences in total PhACs concentration in surface water (p < 0.005) were detected between Site 2 and the other sites. These concentrations ranged from 0.37 to 52.46 ng/L at Site 1, 0.71–6950.37 ng/L at Site 2, and 0.12–75.45 ng/L at Site 3. In general, bioaccumulation of PhACs in toad tissues was similar between sites and tissues of each site. The highest concentrations were detected in the muscle of toads from Site 3 (1.06–87.24 ng/g dw), followed by liver (1.77–38.10 ng/g dw) and fat bodies (0.68–20.59 ng/g dw) from Site 1. Ibuprofen (6950 ng/L), acetaminophen (3277 ng/L) and valsartan (2504 ng/L) were the compounds with the highest concentrations in surface water from Site 2, whereas acetaminophen (87.2 ng/g dw, muscle from Site 3), desloratadine (38.1 ng/g dw, liver from Site 1), and phenazone (25.9 ng/g dw, liver from Site 1) were the ones that showed the highest concentrations in biota. This is the first time a field study has examined the environmental bioaccumulation of PhACs in anurans, demonstrating their potential for monitoring the status of natural ecosystems.

Tracking the Impact of Anthropogenic Inputs on Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter in the Gapeau River Using 3D Fluorescence Spectroscopy

The spatial and geographical variation of dissolved organic matter fluorescence signal is influenced by various factors, including biodegradation, photochemical degradation, and anthropogenic inputs. Understanding this variation is crucial for environmental studies such as pollution tracking and remote sensing of coastal waters. In this study, we used 3D fluorescence spectroscopy of excitation emission matrices (EEMs) coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) to track the geographical variation of fluorescence signal along the urban Gapeau river in the PACA region of France. Two geographical sampling campaigns were conducted in August 2016 at 14 sampling points, resulting in 56 EEMs from nonfiltered and filtered samples. PARAFAC analysis revealed two components (C1 and C2), with C1 showing humic-like fluorescence and C2 showing protein "tyrosine"-like fluorescence. Both C1 and C2 increased at the wastewater treatment plant discharge point of La Crau city before decreasing with distance, indicating the impact of photochemical and biological degradation of dissolved organic matter. There were no significant differences between filtered and nonfiltered samples, indicating a negligible impact of particulate organic matter. The fluorescence signal at each sampling point can be used to determine mixing composition using a model developed elsewhere [1,2]. Future improvements to this work could include boat-based sampling campaigns and depth-profiling of the fluorescence signal to check for variability with depth.