Wastewater Treatment Plant Influent Research Articles

Is the petrochemical industry an overlooked critical source of environmental microplastics?

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the environment and have been verified to be harmful to organisms. The petrochemical industry is a possible contributor, for it is the primary plastic producer but is not focused on. In this background, MPs in the influent, effluent, activated sludge, and expatriate sludge of a typical petrochemical wastewater treatment plant (PWWTP) were identified by the laser infrared imaging spectrometer (LDIR). It revealed that the abundances of MPs in the influent and effluent were as high as 10310 and 1280 items/L with a removal efficiency of 87.6%. The removed MPs accumulated in the sludge, and the MP abundances in activated and expatriate sludge reached 4328 and 10767 items/g, respectively. It is estimated that 1440,000 billion MPs might be released into the environment by the petrochemical industry in 2021 globally. For the specific PWWTP, 25 types of MPs were identified, among which Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), and Silicone resin were dominant. All of the detected MPs were smaller than 350 µm, and those smaller than 100 µm prevailed. As for the shape, the fragment was dominant. The study confirmed the critical status of the petrochemical industry in releasing MPs for the first time.

First reported detection of the mobile colistin resistance genes, mcr-8 and mcr-9, in the Irish environment

The emergence and dissemination of mobile colistin resistance (mcr) genes across the globe poses a significant threat to public health, as colistin remains one of the last line treatment options for multi-drug resistant infections. Environmental samples (157 water and 157 wastewater) were collected in Ireland between 2018 and 2020. Samples collected were assessed for the presence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria using Brilliance ESBL, Brilliance CRE, mSuperCARBA and McConkey agar containing a ciprofloxacin disc. All water and integrated constructed wetland influent and effluent samples were filtered and enriched in buffered peptone water prior to culture, while wastewater samples were cultured directly. Isolates collected were identified via MALDI-TOF, were tested for susceptibility to 16 antimicrobials, including colistin, and subsequently underwent whole genome sequencing. Overall, eight mcr positive Enterobacterales (one mcr-8 and seven mcr-9) were recovered from six samples (freshwater (n = 2), healthcare facility wastewater (n = 2), wastewater treatment plant influent (n = 1) and integrated constructed wetland influent (piggery farm waste) (n = 1)). While the mcr-8 positive K. pneumoniae displayed resistance to colistin, all seven mcr-9 harbouring Enterobacterales remained susceptible. All isolates demonstrated multi-drug resistance and through whole genome sequencing analysis, were found to harbour a wide variety of antimicrobial resistance genes i.e., 30 ± 4.1 (10–61), including the carbapenemases, blaOXA-48 (n = 2) and blaNDM-1 (n = 1), which were harboured by three of the isolates. The mcr genes were located on IncHI2, IncFIIK and IncI1-like plasmids. The findings of this study highlight potential sources and reservoirs of mcr genes in the environment and illustrate the need for further research to gain a better understanding of the role the environment plays in the persistence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance.

Sampling Considerations for Wastewater Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance in Fecal Bacteria

Wastewaters can be analyzed to generate population-level data for public health surveillance, such as antibiotic resistance monitoring. To provide representative data for the contributing population, bacterial isolates collected from wastewater should originate from different individuals and not be distorted by a selection pressure in the wastewater. Here we use Escherichia coli diversity as a proxy for representativeness when comparing grab and composite sampling at a major municipal wastewater treatment plant influent and an untreated hospital effluent in Gothenburg, Sweden. All municipal samples showed high E. coli diversity irrespective of the sampling method. In contrast, a marked increase in diversity was seen for composite compared to grab samples from the hospital effluent. Virtual resampling also showed the value of collecting fewer isolates on multiple occasions rather than many isolates from a single sample. Time-kill tests where individual E. coli strains were exposed to sterile-filtered hospital wastewater showed rapid killing of antibiotic-susceptible strains and significant selection of multi-resistant strains when incubated at 20 °C, an effect which could be avoided at 4 °C. In conclusion, depending on the wastewater collection site, both sampling method and collection/storage temperature could significantly impact the representativeness of the wastewater sample.

Contamination Pattern and Risk Assessment of Polar Compounds in Snow Melt: An Integrative Proxy of Road Runoffs.

To assess the contamination and potential risk of snow melt with polar compounds, road and background snow was sampled during a melting event at 23 sites at the city of Leipzig and screened for 489 chemicals using liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry with target screening. Additionally, six 24 h composite samples were taken from the influent and effluent of the Leipzig wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) during the snow melt event. 207 compounds were at least detected once (concentrations between 0.80 ng/L and 75 μg/L). Consistent patterns of traffic-related compounds dominated the chemical profile (58 compounds in concentrations from 1.3 ng/L to 75 μg/L) and among them were 2-benzothiazole sulfonic acid and 1-cyclohexyl-3-phenylurea from tire wear and denatonium used as a bittern in vehicle fluids. Besides, the analysis unveiled the presence of the rubber additive 6-PPD and its transformation product N-(1.3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine quinone (6-PPDQ) at concentrations known to cause acute toxicity in sensitive fish species. The analysis also detected 149 other compounds such as food additives, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides. Several biocides were identified as major risk contributors, with a more site-specific occurrence, to acute toxic risks to algae (five samples) and invertebrates (six samples). Ametryn, flumioxazin, and 1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester are the main compounds contributing to toxic risk for algae, while etofenprox and bendiocarb are found as the main contributors for crustacean risk. Correlations between concentrations in the WWTP influent and flow rate allowed us to discriminate compounds with snow melt and urban runoff as major sources from other compounds with other dominant sources. Removal rates in the WWTP showed that some traffic-related compounds were largely eliminated (removal rate higher than 80%) during wastewater treatment and among them was 6-PPDQ, while others persisted in the WWTP.

Characterization of microfibers originated from the textile screen printing industry

Textile industries are known for their higher levels of environmental impact due to their nature of processes. However, the impact of the textile manufacturing process on emerging microfiber pollution is less explored. This research focuses on analyzing the microfiber release behavior of textile fabrics during the screen printing process. The effluent released in the screen printing process was carefully collected at the point of origin and characterized for microfiber count and length. The analysis revealed a higher amount of microfiber release of 1,394,205.22 ± 426,262.50 microfibers/L of printing effluent. This result was 25 times higher than previous research that analyzed the influent of textile wastewater treatment plants. The lower water usage throughout the cleaning process was noted as the main reason for the higher concentration. Based on the total amount of textile (fabrics) processed, it was noted that the print process releases 23.10 ± 7.06 microfibers/sq.cm of fabric. The majority of identified microfibers were in the length range of 100–500 μm (61.25 %), with an average length of 519.1 μm. The use of adhesives and raw cut edges of the fabric panels were noted as the primary reason for microfiber emission, even in the absence of water. Significantly a higher amount of microfiber release was noted with the lab-scale simulation of the adhesive process. A comparative analysis of microfiber quantity with industry effluent, lab-scale simulation, and household laundry of the same fabric showed that, out of all phases, the lab-scale simulation caused higher fiber release (1156.63 ± 21.74 microfibers per sq.cm of fabric). This shows that the adhesive process during the printing process was the key reason for higher microfiber emissions. When domestic laundry and the adhesive process were compared, domestic laundry showed significantly lesser release (320.31 ± 49 microfibers/sq.cm of fabric). Though various studies have explored the impact of microfiber released from domestic laundry, the results of the current study alarm that the textile printing process is an underestimated source of microfiber release into the environment, which requires greater attention.

Short-term stability of wastewater samples for storage and shipment in the context of the EU Sewage Sentinel System for SARS-CoV-2

In the context of an EU-wide surveillance system for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, recommended by the European Commission, this study aims to provide scientific support to the adequacy of transport and storage conditions of samples both in terms of duration and samples temperature. Three laboratories in Slovenia, Cyprus and Estonia investigated the short-term, one-week, isochronous stability of wastewater samples by RT-qPCR based detection of SARS-CoV-2 genes. The results were tested for statistical significance to determine uncertainty of quantification and shelf-life, at testing temperatures of + 20 °C and − 20 °C, relative to reference at + 4 °C. Samples were collected from three urban wastewater treatment plant influents and analysed respectively for SARS-CoV-2 genes N1, N2 (Laboratory 1), N2, E (Laboratory 2) and N3 (Laboratory 3), with various analytical methods. For a period of 7/8 days at + 20 °C, decreasing trends of measured concentrations were observed for all genes resulting in instability according to the statistical analysis, while at − 20 °C the trend of variation was stable only for N1, N2 (Laboratory 1) and N3 (Laboratory 3). Trends for gene E concentrations at − 20 °C (Laboratory 2) could not be tested statistically for stability because of lack of data. Over a period of just 3 days at + 20 °C, the variation was statistically non-significant indicating stability for genes N1, E and N3 for laboratories 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Nonetheless, the outcome of the study presents evidence to support the choice of the selected temperature at which samples shall be preserved during storage before analysis or transport to the laboratory. The conditions (+4 °C, ∼ few days) chosen for EU wastewater surveillance are in accordance with these results, highlighting the importance of stability testing of environmental samples to determine the short-term analytical uncertainty.

Watermains Leakage and Outdoor Water Use Are Responsible for Significant Phosphorus Fluxes to the Environment Across the United States

AbstractHuman activity has led to excess phosphorus (P) concentrations and the continued eutrophication of coastal and freshwaters across the United States (US). Developing more effective P management policy requires a comprehensive understanding of P sources in the environment. Public water systems across the United States widely dose water with phosphate (PO4) in order to control the corrosion of lead and copper within their distribution networks. Using public water system PO4 dosing facility data and target PO4‐P dosing concentrations, we estimate that PO4 dosing added 4–14.9 kt PO4‐P yr−1 into the US water distribution network in 2015. Using estimates of public water supply inputs and domestic water deliveries, we estimate that 0.7–2.6, and 0.8–3.1 kt PO4‐P yr−1 were then lost from the network due to watermains leakage and outdoor water use, respectively. After accounting for these fluxes, we estimate that 9.3 kt PO4‐P yr−1 was then returned to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and accounted for up to 2.7% of the national WWTP influent P load. As sources of P to the environment, lower and upper estimates of combined watermains leakage and outdoor water use PO4‐P fluxes exceeded P loads to surface waterbodies from documented point sources across 461–541 counties. The exceedance of these fluxes above other major components of the US P‐budget emphasizes the need to include them in P source apportionment studies, both across the US and in other countries where public water supplies are dosed with PO4.

Investigation of Domestic Wastewater Treatment and Electricity Generation Using A Two Chambered Microbial Fuel Cell with Composite Anode Electrode

Microbial fuel cell is a bioelectrochemical system that generate electricity with the oxidation of organic substrates by exoelectrogenic microorganisms. It can be said that the studies on microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are generally aimed to increase the amount of energy produced. In this study, domestic wastewater treatment was investigated by using a two-chamber microbial fuel cell. Ankara Tatlar Wastewater Treatment Plant influent water was used as substrate. In order to reduce the diffusional resistance by reducing the distance between the anode and cathode electrode, the cathode chamber was placed in the middle of the anode chamber. Anode and cathode chambers separated by Nafion 117 membrane. In addition, an anode consisting of a stainless-steel mesh and a graphite supported catalyst has been developed to increase the electricity generation potential. During the experiment, the maximum voltage and the maximum power density values were obtained as 595 mV and 205.867 mW/m2 respectively. COD value is a criteria which indicates the waste treatment ability of the systems. For this experiment COD values of the wastewaster were measured both the beginning and the end of the experiment as 451 mg/L O2 and 361 mg/L O2. These results proved that the developed electrode structure is at a comparable level with the values reported in the literature for two-chamber MFC studies.

Application of PARAFAC Technique to Compare Fluorescence Property of Different Dissolved Organic Matters

Objectives : It provides a detailed procedure for analyzing dissolved organic matter (DOM) by the PARAFAC technique and aims to identify compare different fluorescent components of DOM with various water sources.Methods : PARAFAC modeling was performed based on the PARAFAC tutorial by Stedmon et al. [11] using a total of 160 samples originated from wetlands, river, wastewater treatment plant influent and effluent. The procedure includes data preprocessing, initial model creation, outlier analysis, split-half analysis, core consistency, and sum of squared error analysis (SSE). After finishing the model validation step, the samples were analyzed through the verified PARAFAC model.Results and Discussion : An initial model with 2 to 4 components was created, and as a result of outlier analysis, the four WWTP Influent samples were removed as outliers. As a result of SSE analysis, the model with two components has a relatively higher SSE value than the model with three or four components. In the case of core consistency, the model with 2, 3, and 4 components scored 99.6%, 94.9%, and 65.7%, respectively. As a result of the split-half analysis, the spectra of the model having the three components of the split data were the same, so it was finally determined that the number of three components was appropriate in the model. The DOM samples were analyzed by the developed PARAFAC model. It was confirmed that the ratio of humic components was higher in the order of WWTP effluent ≈ wetland > river > WWTP influent, and the ratio of protein components affected by microbial activity was in the order of WWTP influent > river > wetland ≈ WWTP effluent.Conclusion : In this paper, the procedure of PARAFAC modeling was described and the DOM fluorescence properties were compared. This research provides a practical method for increasing the utilization of the PARAFAC model in the water treatment research field. In addition, the result of the PARAFAC model is useful data to control DOM efficiently in water treatment facilities.

Frequency and diversity of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales recovered from untreated wastewater impacted by selective media containing cefotaxime and meropenem in Ohio, USA.

As safe agents of last resort, carbapenems are reserved for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms. The impact of β-lactam antibiotics, cefotaxime, and meropenem on the frequency and diversity of carbapenemase-producing organisms recovered from environmental samples has not been fully established. Therefore, this methodological study aimed at determining β-lactam drugs used in selective enrichment and their impact on the recovery of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) from untreated wastewater. We used a longitudinal study design where 1L wastewater samples were collected weekly from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent and quarterly from contributing sanitary sewers in Columbus, Ohio USA with 52 total samples collected. Aliquots of 500 mL were passed through membrane filters of decreasing pore sizes to enable all the water to pass through and capture bacteria. For each sample, the resulting filters were placed into two modified MacConkey (MAC) broths, one supplemented with 0.5 μg/mL of meropenem and 70 μg/mL of ZnSO4 and the other supplemented with 2 μg/mL cefotaxime. The inoculated broth was then incubated at 37° C overnight, after which they were streaked onto two types of correspondingly-modified MAC agar plates supplemented with 0.5 μg/mL and 1.0 μg/mL of meropenem and 70 μg/mL of ZnSO4 and incubated at 37°C overnight. The isolates were identified based on morphological and biochemical characteristics. Then, up to four distinct colonies of each isolate's pure culture per sample were tested for carbapenemase production using the Carba-NP test. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) MALDI-TOF MS was used to identify carbapenemase-producing organisms. In total 391 Carba-NP positive isolates were recovered from the 52 wastewater samples: 305 (78%) isolates had blaKPC, 73 (19%) carried blaNDM, and 14 (4%) harbored both blaKPC and blaNDM resistance genes. CPE genes of both blaKPC and blaNDM were recovered in both types of modified MAC broths, with 84 (21%) having a blaKPC gene, 22 (6%) carrying blaNDM and 9 (2%) harbored both a blaKPC and blaNDM of isolates recovered from MAC medium incorporated with 0.5ug/mL meropenem and 70ug/mL ZnSO4. The most prevalent isolates were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Citrobacter spp.

Metagenomic surveillance of antibiotic resistome in influent and effluent of wastewater treatment plants located on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

As hotspots for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have attracted global attention. However, there lacks a sufficient metagenomic surveillance of antibiotic resistome in the WWTPs located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Here, metagenomic approaches were used to comprehensively investigate the occurrence, mobility potential, and bacterial hosts of ARGs in influent and effluent of 18 WWTPs located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The total ARG relative abundances and diversity were significantly decreased from influent to effluent across the WWTPs. Multidrug, bacitracin, sulfonamide, aminoglycoside, and beta-lactam ARGs generally consisted of the main ARG types in effluent samples, which were distinct from influent samples. A group of 72 core ARGs accounting for 61.8–95.8 % of the total ARG abundances were shared by all samples. Clinically relevant ARGs mainly conferring resistance to beta-lactams were detected in influent (277 ARGs) and effluent (178 ARGs). Metagenomic assembly revealed that the genetic location of an ARG on a plasmid or a chromosome was related to its corresponding ARG type, demonstrating the distinction in the mobility potential of different ARG types. The abundance of plasmid-mediated ARGs accounted for a much higher proportion than that of chromosome-mediated ARGs in both influent and effluent. Moreover, the ARGs co-occurring with diverse mobile genetic elements in the effluent exhibited a comparable mobility potential with the influent. Furthermore, 137 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) assigned to 13 bacterial phyla were identified as the ARG hosts, which could be effectively treated in most WWTPs. Notably, 46 MAGs were found to carry multiple ARG types and the potential pathogens frequently exhibited multi-antibiotic resistance. Some ARG types tended to be carried by certain bacteria, showing a specific host-resistance association pattern. This study highlights the necessity for metagenomic surveillance and will facilitate risk assessment and control of antibiotic resistome in WWTPs located on the vulnerable area.

High-resolution temporal wastewater treatment plant investigation to understand influent mass flux of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

This study aims to identify sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and reveals previously undescribed variability in daily PFAS concentrations by measuring their occurrence in WWTP influent each hour over the course of a week. ∑50PFAS concentrations ranged between 89 ± 38 on Monday and 173 ± 110 ng L-1 on Friday, where perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), disubstituted phosphate esters (diPAPs), and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) contributed the largest proportion to overall weekly concentrations 37%, 30%, and 17% respectively. Simultaneous pulse events of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS; 400 ng L-1) and perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS; 18 ng L-1) indicate significant industrial or commercial waste discharge that persists for up to 3 h. The minimum number of hourly grab samples required to detect variation of PFOS and PFHpS concentrations are 7 and 9 samples respectively, indicating a high degree of variability in PFAS concentrations between days. Overall, the risk of sampling bias from grab samples is high given the variability in PFAS concentrations and more frequent sampling campaigns must be balanced against the cost of analysis carefully to avoid the mischaracterisation of mass flux to receiving surface waters.

Microplastic sampling strategies in urban drainage systems for quantification of urban emissions based on transport pathways

AbstractTracking waterborne microplastic (MP) in urban areas is a challenging task because of the various sources and transport pathways involved. Since MP occurs in low concentrations in most wastewater and stormwater streams, large sample volumes need to be captured, prepared, and carefully analyzed. The recent research in urban areas focused mainly on MP emissions at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), as obvious entry points into receiving waters. However, important transport pathways under wet‐weather conditions are yet not been investigated thoroughly. In addition, the lack of comprehensive and comparable sampling strategies complicated the attempts for a deeper understanding of occurrence and sources. The goal of this paper is to (i) introduce and describe sampling strategies for MP at different locations in a municipal catchment area under dry and wet‐weather conditions, (ii) quantify MP emissions from the entire catchment and two other smaller ones within the bigger catchment, and (iii) compare the emissions under dry and wet‐weather conditions. WWTP has a high removal rate of MP (>96%), with an estimated emission rate of 189 kg/a or 0.94 g/[population equivalents (PEQ · a)], and polyethylene (PE) as the most abundant MP. The specific dry‐weather emissions at a subcatchment were ≈30 g/(PEQ · a) higher than in the influent of WWTP with 23 g/(PEQ · a). Specific wet‐weather emissions from large sub‐catchment with higher traffic and population densities were 1952 g/(ha · a) higher than the emissions from smaller catchment (796 g/[ha · a]) with less population and traffic. The results suggest that wet‐weather transport pathways are likely responsible for 2–4 times more MP emissions into receiving waters compared to dry‐weather ones due to tire abrasion entered from streets through gullies. However, more investigations of wet‐weather MP need to be carried out considering additional catchment attributes and storm event characteristics.

Drug consumption in German cities and municipalities during the COVID-19 lockdown: a wastewater analysis

Analysis of illicit drugs, medicines, and pathogens in wastewater is a powerful tool for epidemiological studies to monitor public health trends. The aims of this study were to (i) assess spatial and temporal trends of population-normalized mass loads of illicit drugs and nicotine in raw wastewater in the time of regulations against SARS-CoV-2 infections (2020–21) and (ii) find substances that are feasible markers for characterizing the occurrence of selected drugs in wastewater. Raw sewage 24-h composite samples were collected in catchment areas of 15 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in urban, small-town, and rural areas in Germany during different lockdown phases from April 2020 to December 2021. Parent substances (amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, carbamazepine, gabapentin, and metoprolol) and the metabolites of cocaine (benzoylecgonine) and nicotine (cotinine) were measured. The daily discharge of WWTP influents were used to calculate the daily load (mg/day) normalized by population equivalents (PE) in drained catchment areas (in mg/1,000 persons/day). A weekend trend for illicit drugs was visible with higher amounts on Saturdays and Sundays in larger WWTPs. An influence of the regulations to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infections such as contact bans and border closures on drug consumption has been proven in some cases and refuted in several. In addition, metoprolol and cotinine were found to be suitable as marker substances for the characterization of wastewater. A change in drug use was visible at the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 crisis. Thereafter from mid-2020, no obvious effect was detected with regard to the regulations against SARS-CoV-2 infections on concentration of drugs in wastewater. Wastewater-based epidemiology is suitable for showing changes in drug consumption during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Using integrative samplers to estimate the removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a WWTP and by soil aquifer treatment enhanced with a reactive barrier

The need and availability of freshwater is a major environmental issue, aggravated by climate change. It is necessary to find alternative sources of freshwater. Wastewater could represent a valid option but requires extensive treatment to remove wastewater-borne contaminants, such as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). It is urgent to develop not only sustainable and effective wastewater treatment techniques, but also water quality assessment methods. In this study, we used polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) to investigate the presence and abatement of contaminants in an urban wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and in soil aquifer treatment (SAT) systems (a conventional one and one enhanced with a reactive barrier). This approach allowed us to overcome inter-day and intraday variability of the wastewater composition. Passive sampler extracts were analyzed to investigate contamination from 56 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Data from the POCIS were used to estimate PPCPs' removal efficiency along the WWTP and the SAT systems. A total of 31 compounds, out of the 56 investigated, were detected in the WWTP influent. Removal rates along WWTP were highly variable (16-100 %), with benzophenone-3, benzophenone-1, parabens, ciprofloxacin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen as the most effectively removed chemicals. The two SAT systems yielded much higher elimination rates than those achieved through the primary and secondary treatments together. The SAT system that integrated a reactive barrier, based on sustainable materials to promote enhanced elimination of CECs, was significantly more efficient than the conventional one. The removal of the recalcitrant carbamazepine and its epoxy- metabolite was especially remarkable in this SAT, with removal rates between 69–81 % and 63–70 %, respectively.

A Review on Conventional and Advanced Water Treatments in Ibuprofen Removal

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) represent a group of pharmaceutical compounds that are most frequently detected in the aqueous medium. Development of analytical equipment for the detection of organic compounds at low concentration levels, contributed to the detection of NSAIDs in drinking water as well. It is considered that the presence of this group of pharmaceutical components in drinking water is caused by soil washing and via effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Ibuprofen is one of the most frequently detected pharmaceutical components in influents of WWTPs. Although the concentration levels of various classes of pharmaceutical active components are low, their continuous intake can lead to harmful consequences for aquatic systems. Based on the conducted studies, ibuprofen is currently one of the most commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs worldwide. This paper presents an overview of the detection of ibuprofen in the aquatic media, conventional methods for the treatment of ibuprofen in water, as well as advanced oxidation processes for the treatment of water in order to eliminate ibuprofen.

Spatiotemporal trends and impact of Covid-19 lockdown on eight sewage contaminants in Brisbane, Australia, from 2012 to 2020

This study aims to investigate the spatiotemporal trends and impact of COVID-19 lockdowns to the profile of physiochemical parameters in the influent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) around Brisbane, Australia. One 24-hr composite influent sample was collected from 10 WWTPs and analyzed for a range of physiochemical parameters per week (i.e., chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonia, volatile suspended solid (VSS)) and per month (i.e., Ni and Cr) from 2012 to 2020, including the period of COVID-19 lockdowns in the region. The catchments studied were urban, with a mix of domestic and industrial activities contributing towards the contaminant profile. Statistical analysis identified that industrial and commercial land use, as well as population size had a large impact to the parameter loads and profile. Per capita mass loads of Cr in one catchment were 100 times higher than in others from one industrial point source. TP demonstrated a potential monotonic decrease over time due to practical reduction policies that have been implemented for phosphorous content in household detergents, except for one catchment where trade waste from food manufacturing industries contributed to an overall increase of 6.9%/year TP. The COVID-19 lockdown (March–April 2020) posed different impact on different catchments, either decrease (7–61%) or increase (2–40%) of most parameter loads (e.g., COD, TOC, TN, TP, VSS, Ammonia), which was likely driven by catchment characteristics (i.e., the proportion of residential, commercial, and industrial land uses). This study enhances our understanding of spatiotemporal trend of contaminants in the catchments for further effective source control.

Correlation between BOD5 and COD – biodegradability indicator of wastewater

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) are the most commonly parameters for characterization of organic matter content of water. Correlation between BOD5 and COD for different types of water can provide relevant information about the nature of pollution, the content of organic matter and its level of biodegradability. This correlation could also be used to assess the quality of effluent after the treatment processes, to improve the performance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and/or to monitor the quality of river water into which wastewater are discharged. The objective of this study was to assess the degree of biodegradability of different types of water (influents and effluents of 3 important municipal WWTPs of Romania, untreated wastewater discharged by different economic units from Bucharest; effluents of 5 different hospitals and surface water - natural receptors of the effluents discharged by the municipal treatment plants), based on the ratios of BOD5/COD. BOD5/COD ratio (also called Biodegradability Index) varied depending on the type of water investigated and should be periodically rechecked due to variations in climatic conditions, untreated industrial wastewater discharged into natural receptors, water supply characteristics, water availability. Biodegradability Index enable the evaluation of the organic pollution of wastewater, providing the possibility of estimation regarding the biological treatability of influent of WWTP.

Occurrence and risks of 23 tire additives and their transformation products in an urban water system

Tire wear particles (TWPs) enter road surface with the friction between tires and road surfaces. Under the volatilization, leaching, and transformation action on TWPs by sunlight and rain, tire additives are released into urban water systems, such as surface rainfall runoff, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), receiving surface waters, and drinking water treatment plant (DWTP). In this study, we investigated the occurrence of 23 tire additives and their transformation products in the urban water system of the Pearl River Delta region, South China. Nineteen target compounds were detected in the surface runoff, with 1,3-Diphenylguanidine (DPG) showing highest maximum concentration of 58780 ng/L. Benzothiazole and its transformation products are detected at the frequency of 100 % with the total concentrations of 480–42160 ng/L. The antioxidant derivative N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine-quinone (6PPD-Q) was also detected up to 1562 ng/L, which was considerably higher than that of the parent compound 6PPD (the maximum concentration of 7.52 ng/L). Eleven and 8 compounds were detected in WWTPs influents and effluents, respectively, with removal rates of − 62–100 %. Seventeen compounds were detected in the receiving Zhujiang and Dongjiang rivers, while 9 compounds were detected in drinking water sources and DWTP samples. Road runoff, with total concentrations of target compounds up to 79200 ng/L, is suggested as the main non-point source for receiving rivers, while WWTPs effluents are the point sources due to incomplete removal of target compounds after accepting the initial runoff. 6PPD-Q and other 10 compounds displayed median to high ecological risks in surface waters, and the human daily intake of tire additives was estimated to be 2.63 × 10−8-3.16 × 10−5 mg/(kg d) via drinking water. This is the first report of the 6PPD-Q and 1,3-Diphenylurea levels in surface waters in China.

A year-long study of the occurrence and risk of over 140 contaminants of emerging concern in wastewater influent, effluent and receiving waters in the Republic of Ireland

Despite being a developed country in the European Union (EU), knowledge of the nature and extent of contamination of water bodies with contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in Ireland is limited. In this study, >140 CECs including pharmaceuticals, pesticides and personal care products were monitored in monthly samples of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent, effluent and receiving surface waters at both an urban and a rural location (72 samples in total) in Ireland over a 12-month period in 2018–2019. In total, 58 CECs were detected, including several EU Water Framework Directive Watch List compounds. Of all classes, the highest concentrations were measured for pharmaceuticals across all media, i.e., propranolol in surface waters (134 ng·L−1), hydrochlorothiazide in effluent (1067 ng·L−1) and venlafaxine in influent wastewater (8273 ng·L−1). Overall, high wastewater treatment removal was observed and a further reduction in CEC occurrence and concentration was measured via dilution in the receiving river environment. Lastly, an environmental risk assessment (ERA) was performed using risk quotients (RQ), which revealed that in surface waters, total RQ for all CECs was an order of magnitude lower than in effluents. The majority of CECs in surface waters posed a lower risk except E2 and EE2 which presented a medium risk (RQs of 3.5 and 1.1, respectively) in the rural area. This work represents the most comprehensive CEC monitoring dataset to date for Ireland which allowed for an ERA prioritisation to be performed for the first time.