Water Treatment Plant Effluent Research Articles

Stress tolerance in the green crab, Carcinus maenas exposed to waste water treatment plant effluent

Wastewater treatment plant effluent (WTPE) is commonly discharged into marine environments. We investigated the effect of WTPE on the stress tolerance of the green crab Carcinus maenas. Crabs were placed in 5 and 20% of WTPE and incubated for 4 days and then underwent an anoxia challenge for 1 hour. 20% WTPE‐exposed crabs showed decreased treadmill running endurance (145±76 and 316±179 sec, respectively), righting response (8.9±8.4 and 3.5±5.7 sec), and oxygen consumption (0.067±0.012 and 0.064±0.009 µmol/g/min). Glutathione‐S‐transferase (GST) activity, as an indicator for oxidative stress, was increased in WTPE exposed crabs (0.9±0.46, 3.3±0.52 and 2.25±1.84 units/mg protein for control, 5% and 20%, respectively). Gene expression assessed by qPCR revealed only a 1.5 fold increase in AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK), as an indicator of cellular energy stress, and a 1.3 fold increase in HSP70, as a general stress marker, for the 20% WTPE treated animals. Overall, there was very little change in the selected stress parameters after exposure to WTPE, paired with anoxia. This is different than observed in a parallel study using the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, which showed diminished performance at the whole animal and cellular level after exposure to WTPE. Our data indicate that WTPE does not diminish the performance of the green crab, but that of other species. Therefore, WTPE might aid in the success of the invasive green crab in dominating new environments. Further studies will continue to explore this.Supported by an APS summer fellowship to G.P. and a Maine SeaGrant Project Development grant to M.F.

Transcriptional and cellular responses of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to perfluoroalkyl phosphonic acids

Perfluoroalkyl phosphonic acids (PFPAs), a new class of perfluoroalkyl substances used primarily in the industrial sector as surfactants, were recently detected in surface water and wastewater treatment plant effluents. Toxicological effects of PFPAs have as yet not been investigated in aquatic organisms. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of perfluorooctylphosphonic acid (C8-PFPA) and perfluorodecylphosphonic acid (C10-PFPA) exposure (31–250μg/L) on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii using genomic (qRT-PCR), biochemical (reactive oxygen species production (ROS) and lipid peroxidation), and physiological (cellular viability) indicators. After 72h of exposure, no differences were observed in cellular viability for any of the two perfluorochemicals. However, increase in ROS concentrations (36% and 25.6% at 125 and 250μg/L, respectively) and lipid peroxidation (35.5% and 35.7% at 125 and 250μg/L, respectively) was observed following exposure to C10-PFPA. C8-PFPA exposure did not impact ROS production and lipid peroxidation in algae. To get insights into the molecular response and modes of action of PFPA toxicity, qRT-PCR-based assays were performed to analyze the transcription of genes related to antioxidant responses including superoxide dismutase (SOD-1), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX I). Genomic analyses revealed that the transcription of CAT and APX I was up-regulated for all the C10-PFPA concentrations. In addition, PFPAs were quantified in St. Lawrence River surface water samples and detected at concentrations ranging from 250 to 850pg/L for C8-PFPA and 380 to 650pg/L for C10-PFPA. This study supports the prevalence of PFPAs in the aquatic environment and suggests potential impacts of PFPA exposure on the antioxidant defensive system in C. reinhardtii.

Development of an extraction and purification method for the determination of multi-class pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors in freshwater invertebrates

Aquatic organisms from freshwater ecosystems impacted by waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are constantly exposed to constant concentrations of pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors and related compounds, among other anthropogenic contaminants. Macroinvertebrates inhabiting freshwater ecosystems might be useful bioindicators of exposure to contaminants, since their lives are long enough to bioaccumulate, but at the same time may integrate short-term changes in the environment. However, studies about potential bioaccumulation of emerging contaminants in these organisms are very scarce. The objectives of this study were to develop an analytical methodology for the analysis of 41 pharmaceuticals and 21 endocrine disruptors in freshwater invertebrates. In addition, bioaccumulation of these contaminants in three macroinvertebrate taxa inhabiting a waste water treatment plant -impacted river was evaluated. The method for the simultaneous extraction of both families of compounds is based on sonication, purification via removal of phospholipids, and analysis by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (UPLC–MS/MS) in tandem. Recoveries for pharmaceuticals were 34–125%, and for endocrine disruptors were 48–117%. Method detection limits (MDLs) for EDCs were in the range of 0.080–2.4ngg−1, and for pharmaceuticals, 0.060–4.3ngg−1. These pollutants were detected in water samples taken downstream the waste water treatment plant effluent at concentrations up to 572ngL−1. Two non-esteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, diclofenac and ibuprofen, and four endocrine disruptors – estrone, bisphenol A, TBEP, and nonylphenol – were detected in at least one macroinvertebrate taxa in concentrations up to 183ngg−1 (dry weight). An isobaric interference was identified during the analysis of diclofenac in Hydropsyche samples, which was successfully discriminated via accurate mass determination by TFC-LTQ Orbitrap.

Anthropogenic Rare Earth Element in rivers: Gadolinium and lanthanum. Partitioning between the dissolved and particulate phases in the Rhine River and spatial propagation through the Rhine-Meuse Delta (the Netherlands)

In this study, we report for the first time lanthanum and gadolinium anomalies at the catchment scale (Rhine-Meuse River system) together with the partitioning of their anthropogenic contents between the dissolved and the particulate phases. We compare the dissolved and total REE patterns of samples taken at 9 locations in the Rhine Branches including Lobith (situated at the German–Dutch border where the Rhine is not yet divided in three Branches), in surface water fed by the Rhine Branches (canals and lake IJsselmeer and Ketelmeer) and 3 locations where the water is derived from the river Meuse (originating from Belgium and France).We demonstrate that the anthropogenic input of lanthanum in the German part of the Rhine River identified by Kulaksiz and Bau (2011) can be traced in the complex Rhine-Meuse Delta up to the North Sea. In the Dutch Branches of the Rhine River, in contrast to the German part of the Rhine River, the anthropogenic lanthanum (LaANTHRO) is mainly present in the particulate phase (SPM) and not in the dissolved phase (defined as the <0.45μm fraction). In the Meuse River no anthropogenic lanthanum was found. The amount of LaANTHRO transported by the Rhine River at the Lobith station (German–Dutch border) varies from 2008 to 2010 between 3.7 and 5.2tons/y in the dissolved phase, and between 28.8 and 37.4tons/y in the particulate phase. However, a big discrepancy is evidenced when we compare the LaANTHRO load calculated on bases of the total water samples with the LaANTHRO load calculated as the sum of the particulate and dissolved load: the total LaANTHRO load is roughly 2 times larger than the LaANTHRO load calculated as the sum of the dissolved and particulate LaANTHRO load. The difference between the two calculated fluxes is most likely caused by not sampling the finest fraction of the particulate pool in the SPM samples with an overflow centrifuge.The anthropogenic gadolinium identified by high gadolinium anomalies in the REE patterns originates from numerous point sources (waste water treatment plant effluents) and can thus be considered as diffuse pollution when compared to anthropogenic lanthanum clearly resulting from a single source. The amount of anthropogenic gadolinium measured in the dissolved phase (main carrier of Gd) increases or decreases along the Rhine and Meuse Rivers depending whether or not the mixing water contains anthropogenic gadolinium, i.e. receives waste water effluents.

Factory-discharged pharmaceuticals could be a relevant source of aquatic environment contamination: Review of evidence and need for knowledge

Human and veterinary active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are involved in contamination of surface water, ground water, effluents, sediments and biota. Effluents of waste water treatment plants and hospitals are considered as major sources of such contamination. However, recent evidences reveal high concentrations of a large number of APIs in effluents from pharmaceutical factories and in receiving aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, laboratory exposures to these effluents and field experiments reveal various physiological disturbances in exposed aquatic organisms. Also, it seems to be relevant to increase knowledge on this route of contamination but also to develop specific approaches for further environmental monitoring campaigns. The present study summarizes available data related to the impact of pharmaceutical factory discharges on aquatic ecosystem contaminations and presents associated challenges for scientists and environmental managers.

Functional metagenomic analysis reveals rivers are a reservoir for diverse antibiotic resistance genes

The environment harbours a significant diversity of uncultured bacteria and a potential source of novel and extant resistance genes which may recombine with clinically important bacteria disseminated into environmental reservoirs. There is evidence that pollution can select for resistance due to the aggregation of adaptive genes on mobile elements. The aim of this study was to establish the impact of waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluent disposal to a river by using culture independent methods to study diversity of resistance genes downstream of the WWTP in comparison to upstream. Metagenomic libraries were constructed in Escherichia coli and screened for phenotypic resistance to amikacin, gentamicin, neomycin, ampicillin and ciprofloxacin. Resistance genes were identified by using transposon mutagenesis. A significant increase downstream of the WWTP was observed in the number of phenotypic resistant clones recovered in metagenomic libraries. Common β-lactamases such as blaTEM were recovered as well as a diverse range of acetyltransferases and unusual transporter genes, with evidence for newly emerging resistance mechanisms. The similarities of the predicted proteins to known sequences suggested origins of genes from a very diverse range of bacteria. The study suggests that waste water disposal increases the reservoir of resistance mechanisms in the environment either by addition of resistance genes or by input of agents selective for resistant phenotypes.

Rare Earth Elements as Hydrological Tracers of Anthropogenic and Critical Zone Contributions: A Case Study at the Alzette River Basin Scale.

Enrichments in Gd and LREE/HREE fractionation have been observed for the dissolved and colloidal fractions in waters of the Alzette River during low flow conditions. They can be related to the effluents of the waste water treatment plants (Gd/Gd*: 8-380 and LaN/YbN: 0.02-0.07). Mean daily flux balance calculations at the basin scale show that during low flow conditions Gd only comes from the anthropogenic effluents. When flood events occur, the Gd anomaly progressively disappears and gives way to a chemical water signature, which is closer to that of natural REE sources in the basin (Gd/Gd*<1.4 and 0.11<LaN/YbN<1.5).

정수처리 과정에서의 미량오염물질의 거동 및 제거 특성

Micropollutants emerge in surface water through untreated discharge from sewage and wastewater treatment plants (STPs and WWTPs). Most micropollutants resist the conventional systems in place at water treatment plants (WTPs) and survive the production of tap water. In particular, pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors (ECDs) are micropollutants frequently detected in drinking water. In this review, we summarized the distribution of micropollutants at WTPs and also scrutinized the effectiveness and mechanisms for their removal at each stage of drinking water production. Micropollutants demonstrated clear concentrations in the final effluents of WTPs. Although chronic exposure to micropollutants in drinking water has unclear adverse effects on humans, peer reviews have argued that continuous accumulation in water environments and inappropriate removal at WTPs has the potential to eventually affect human health. Among the available removal mechanisms for micropollutants at WTPs, coagulation alone is unlikely to eliminate the pollutants, but ionized compounds can be adsorbed to natural particles (e.g. clay and colloidal particles) and metal salts in coagulants. Hydrophobicities of micropollutants are a critical factor in adsorption removal using activated carbon. Disinfection can reduce contaminants through oxidation by disinfectants (e.g. ozone, chlorine and ultraviolet light), but unidentified toxic byproducts may result from such treatments. Overall, the persistence of micropollutants in a treatment system is based on the physico-chemical properties of chemicals and the operating conditions of the processes involved. Therefore, monitoring of WTPs and effective elimination process studies for pharmaceuticals and ECDs are required to control micropollutant contamination of drinking water.

Assessing the effects of treated and untreated urban discharges to estuarine and coastal waters applying selected biomarkers on caged mussels

To assess effects of urban discharges, biomarkers were measured in caged mussels in northern Iberian Peninsula. Lysosomal membrane stability and histopathology of gonad and digestive gland were analysed as general effect biomarkers. Exposure to specific pollutants was evaluated by autometallographical detection of metals, peroxisomal acyl-CoA oxidase activity, micronucleus test and transcription levels of vitellogenin and MT20 genes. Health status of mussels was impaired after 3days of caging at the untreated outfall discharge and at the waste water treatment plant effluent discharge to the estuary. The most relevant finding was the significant up-regulation of vitellogenin gene transcription in male mussels exposed to the untreated outfall discharge. Metals and xenoestrogenic endocrine disruptors were bioavailable in some discharges and disturbed the health status of mussels. Biomarkers were effective in the assessment of effects of urban discharges and could be implemented in operative controls required to assess the risks associated to effluent discharges.

A multilayer-perceptron based method for variable selection in soft sensor design

The paper proposes a new method for variable selection for prediction settings and soft sensors applications. The new variable selection method is based on the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural network model, where the network is trained a single time, maintaining low computational cost. The proposed method was successfully applied, and compared with four state-of-the-art methods in one artificial dataset and three real-world datasets, two publicly available datasets (Box–Jenkins gas furnace and gas mileage), and a dataset of a problem where the objective is to estimate the fluoride concentration in the effluent of a real urban water treatment plant (WTP). The proposed method presents similar or better approximation performance when compared to the other four methods. In the experiments, among all the five methods, the proposed method selects the lowest number of variables and variables-delays pairs to achieve the best solution. In soft sensors applications having a lower number of variables is a positive factor for decreasing implementation costs, or even making the soft sensor feasible at all.

Toxicity of the micropollutants Bisphenol A, Ciprofloxacin, Metoprolol and Sulfamethoxazole in water samples before and after the oxidative treatment

The amount of organic micropollutants detected in surface waters increases steadily. Common waste water treatment plants are not built to remove these substances. Thus there is a need for new technologies. A promising technology is the use of advanced oxidation processes through which organic micropollutants can be removed from waste water. However, the formation of oxidation by-products is likely and needs to be investigated since the by-products not only differ from their parent compounds in regard to their chemical and physical properties but they can also differ in toxicity. Therefore this study was designed to combine chemical and toxicological analyses of the advanced oxidation (O3 [5mg/L] or UV/H2O2 [Hg-LP lamp; 15W; 1g/L H2O2]) of waste water treatment plant effluents and pure water. Effluent samples from conventional activated sludge waste water treatment (mechanical treatment, activated sludge basin, and primary as well as secondary treatment steps) and high-purity deionized water (pure water) were spiked with Bisphenol A, Ciprofloxacin, Metoprolol or Sulfamethoxazole and treated with O3 or UV/H2O2. For the toxicological analyses mammalian cells (CHO-9, T47D) were exposed to the water samples for 24h and were tested for cytotoxicity (MTT Test), genotoxicity (Alkaline Comet Assay) and estrogenicity (ER Calux(®)). The results indicate that the oxidative treatment (O3 or UV/H2O2) of Bisphenol A, Metoprolol, Sulfamethoxazole or Ciprofloxacin in waste water did not result in toxic oxidation by-products, whereas the UV/H2O2 treatment of Bisphenol A and Ciprofloxacin in pure water resulted in by-products with cytotoxic but no estrogenic effects after 60min.

Screening of currently used pesticides in water, sediments and biota of the Guadalquivir River Basin (Spain)

The occurrence of 50 currently used pesticides and their transformation products in surface and waste waters, sediment and fish in the Guadalquivir River Basin was determined in 2010 and 2011. After selective sample extraction, pesticides were identified and quantified by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The contamination profile in water and sediments is marked by the presence of organophosphorus and triazines. Transformation products were even at higher concentrations than parent pesticides. A wider range of pesticides was present in water than in sediments but none of them were detected in fish. The mean concentrations ranged from 0.2 to 13.0ng/L in water and from 0.1 to 13.2ng/g d.w. in sediment. The spatial distribution of most pesticides was consistent with the agricultural activities of the area or their urban applications. The waste water treatment plant effluents that impact the river are minor sources for few pesticides but for most of them run-off would be the most important contribution. The temporal distribution showed differences between both sampling campaigns related to the river flow. The low-flow produced a pesticide concentration effect, generating higher levels in water and accumulation in sediments. This forecasts a hazard in future scenarios if the current situation of the climate change and water scarcity evolves to more critical conditions highlighting the need of these monitoring studies.

The Distribution Characteristics of the Typical Antibiotics in the Aquatic Environment of a City in China

The distribution characteristics of six typical antibiotics in the aquatic environment (wastewater treatment plant effluent, Shiao-ching River, Yellow River, Yellow river Reservoir, drinking water treatment plant effluent) of a city in china were analyzed by using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The results show that except for erythromycin, other five antibiotics include sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethazine, amoxicillin, tetracycline and oxytetracycline were detected in the aquatic environment, the concentrations of tetracycline and oxytetracycline were relatively higher, the tetracycline and oxytetracycline concentrations of wastewater treatment plant effluent were 32.39 ng/L and 59.36 ng/L respectively. The wasterwater treatment plant process can not completely remove the antibiotic,and the five antibiotics concentrations in the wastewater treatment plant effluent were higher than their concentrations in the other water bodies. A certain content antibiotics was discharged into the receiving water and wastewater treatment plant drainage is the main way of antibiotics to release into the water environment. Traces of antibiotics were detected in the water samples which were taken from the Yellow River and the Shiao-ching River in the city, but they were less polluted by antibiotics levels. The antibiotics removal effect of conventional drinking water treatment process is not obvious.

2D-THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY (2D-TLC) FLASH TEST OF 17α-ETHINYLESTRADIOL AND RELATED STEROIDS DETECTED BY FLUORESCENCE DENSITOMETRY

We present a two dimensional (2D) planar chromatographic separation of ethinyl steroids on cyanopropyl phase. A mixture of nine steroids was separated by using a cyanopropyl-coated silica gel plate (Merck, 1.16464) with the solvent mix of dichloromethane, methanol, cyclohexane (95 + 5 + 60, v/v) in the first direction and with a mixture of water, acetonitrile, ethanol, dioxane, and NH3 (25%) (8 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 0.05, v/v) in the second direction. Both developments were carried out over a distance of 70 mm. The steroids were catalytically transformed into fluorescent compounds that can be sensitively detected. The fluorescence was measured by a simple 8-bit CCD-camera. The range of linearity covers two magnitudes of power using the extended Kubelka-Munk expression for data transformation. This separation method is inexpensive, fast, and reliable and can be used to quantify 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in the effluents of waste water treatment plants at an LOD of 2 ng per spot. Using a solid phase extraction pretreatment procedure achieves an LOD of 2 ng L−1 water.

Occurrence and distribution of organic trace substances in waters from the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

This study deals with the evaluation of water quality of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) in order to assess its suitability as a raw water source for drinking water production. Therefore, water samples from (1) surface water, (2) tap water, and (3) wastewater treatment plant effluents were taken randomly by 2011-2012 in the area of the TGR and were analyzed for seven different organic contaminant groups (207 substances in total), applying nine different analytical methods. In the three sampled water sources, typical contaminant patterns were found, i.e., pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in surface water with concentrations of 0.020-3.5 μg/L and 0.004-0.12 μg/L, disinfection by-products in tap water with concentrations of 0.050-79 μg/L, and pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plant effluents with concentrations of 0.020-0.76 μg/L, respectively. The most frequently detected organic compounds in surface water (45 positives out of 57 samples) were the pyridine pesticides clopyralid and picloram. The concentrations might indicate that they are used on a regular basis and in conjunction in the area of the TGR. Three- and four-ring PAH were ubiquitously distributed, while the poorly soluble five- and six-ring members, perfluorinated compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers, were below the detection limit. In general, the detected concentrations in TGR are in the same range or even lower compared to surface waters in western industrialized countries, although contaminant loads can still be high due to a high discharge. With the exception of the two pesticides, clopyralid and picloram, concentrations of the investigated organic pollutants in TGR meet the limits of the Chinese Standards for Drinking Water Quality GB 5749 (Ministry of Health of China and Standardization Administration of China 2006) and the European Union (EU) Council Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption (The Council of the European Union 1998), or rather, the EU Directive on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy (The European Parliament and The Council of the European Union 2008). Therefore, the suggested use of surface water from TGR for drinking water purposes is a valid option. Current treatment methods, however, do not seem to be efficient since organic pollutants were detected in significant concentrations in purified tap water.

Ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction plus simultaneous silylation for rapid determination of salicylate and benzophenone-type ultraviolet filters in aqueous samples

A rapid procedure, using minimal amounts of solvent, for the reliable determination of five salicylate and benzophenone-type ultraviolet (UV) filters: ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS), 3,3,5-trimethyl-cyclohexyl salicylate (HMS), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-3), 2,4-dihydroxy-benzophenone (BP-1) and 2,2′-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-8), in aqueous samples is described. The method involves an ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (UA-DLLME) plus simultaneous silylation prior to their determination by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The parameters affecting the extraction and derivatization efficiency of the target UV filters from aqueous samples were systematically investigated and the conditions optimized. The optimal silylation and extraction conditions involved the rapid injection of a mixture of 750μL of acetone (as a dispersant), 15μL of tetrachloroethylene (as an extractant), and 20μL of BSTFA (as a derivatizing agent) into a 10-mL volume of aqueous samples (pH 7.0) containing 0.5g of sodium chloride in a glass tube with a conical bottom. After ultrasonication for 2.0min and centrifugation at 5000rpm (10min), the sedimented phase 5.0μL was directly introduced into the GC–MS. The limits of quantitation (LOQs) were less than 6ng/L. The precision for these analytes, as indicated by the relative standard deviations (RSDs), was less than 9% for both intra- and inter-day analysis. Accuracy, expressed as the mean extraction recovery, was between 74 and 92%. The method was then applied to environmental aqueous samples, using a standard addition method, showing the occurrence of BP-3 in samples of both river water and municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP) effluents.

Removal of highly polar micropollutants from wastewater by powdered activated carbon

Due to concerns about ecotoxicological effects of pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants released from wastewater treatment plants, activated carbon adsorption is one of the few processes to effectively reduce the concentrations of micropollutants in wastewater. Although aimed mainly at apolar compounds, polar compounds are also simultaneously removed to a certain extent, which has rarely been studied before. In this study, adsorption isotherm and batch kinetic data were collected with two powdered activated carbons (PACs) to assess the removal of the polar pharmaceuticals 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) and cytarabine (CytR) from ultrapure water and wastewater treatment plant effluent. At pH 7.8, single-solute adsorption isotherm data for the weak acid 5-Fu and the weak base CytR showed that their adsorption capacities were about 1 order of magnitude lower than those of the less polar endocrine disrupting chemicals bisphenol A (BPA) and 17-α-ethinylestradiol (EE2). To remove 90 % of the adsorbate from a single-solute solution 14, 18, 70, and 87 mg L(-1) of HOK Super is required for EE2, BPA, CytR, and 5-Fu, respectively. Effects of solution pH, ionic strength, temperature, and effluent organic matter (EfOM) on 5-Fu and CytR adsorption were evaluated for one PAC. Among the studied factors, the presence of EfOM had the highest effect, due to a strong competition on 5-Fu and CytR adsorption. Adsorption isotherm and kinetic data and their modeling with a homogeneous surface diffusion model showed that removal percentage in the presence of EfOM was independent on the initial concentration of the ionizable compounds 5-Fu and CytR. These results are similar to neutral organic compounds in the presence of natural organic matter. Overall, results showed that PAC doses sufficient to remove >90 % of apolar adsorbates were able to remove no more than 50 % of the polar adsorbates 5-Fu and CytR and that the contact time is a critical parameter.

Multiresidue analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 72 micropollutants in aqueous samples with ultra high performance liquid chromatography–high resolution mass spectrometry

A multiresidue method for the simultaneous quantification of 72 micropollutants in aqueous samples by ultra high performance liquid chromatography–high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC–HRMS) is described. A variety of substance classes like industrial chemicals, analgesics, anticonvulsants, antihypertensives, psychoactive substances, flame retardants, neutral and acidic pesticides are comprised. A sample volume of 1mL was enriched by online solid phase extraction (SPE), separated on a 2.6μm core–shell column and detected with an Exactive™ high resolution mass spectrometer. Simultaneous determination of compounds with different ionization behavior was achieved by polarity switching. One complete run lasted 15min. The method was validated in the matrices drinking water (DW), diluted surface water (dSW) and diluted waste water treatment plant effluent (dWW) by analyzing 10 replicates spiked at two concentration levels. Limits of quantification (LOQs) ranged between 0.01 and 0.06μg/L in DW, 0.03 and 0.38μg/L in dSW, 0.06 and 0.38μg/L in dWW. The accuracies were between 77 and 117% in DW, 70 and 121% in dSW, 71 and 121% in dWW for both spike levels, respectively. Five compounds in dSW and one compound in dWW were affected by matrix effects, leading to accuracies outside the ranges stated above. The precision for level 2 was excellent with relative standard deviations (RSDs) between 2.2 and 6.5% in DW, 0.5 and 4.9% in dSW and between 1.2 and 6.6% in dWW.

Analysis of triclosan and 4n‐nonylphenol in Colombian reservoir water by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry

AbstractIn this work were determined triclosan and 4n‐nonylphenol in water from a reservoir that is used to provide water to a purification plant in an important city in Colombia. The analytical methodology was validated using solid‐phase extraction and analysis by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). The analysis by GC‐MS showed good linearity in the range of 0.05–5 μg/L for both compounds. Recoveries from 79 to 109% and standard deviations of 2.5–7.7 for low concentrations and from 3.8 to 9.6 (n = 5) for high concentrations were obtained for both compounds. In Colombia, this is the first time that these compounds have been analysed in water supplying of a drinking water treatment plant. The validated method was applied to the analysis of 27 samples collected in August 2010 in 11 locations from the reservoir and in the influent and effluent of the drinking water treatment plant. In total, seven samples were found to contain triclosan.

Organic Fouling on ZrO2 Ceramic Membrane in the Ultrafiltration of Synthetic Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent

Organic Fouling on ZrO2 Ceramic Membrane in the Ultrafiltration of Synthetic Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent