Occurrence of Phthalates in Sewage Sludge from Three Wastewater Treatment Plants in Istanbul,Turkey

Phthalates are considered priority pollutants because of their potential adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. The objectives of this study were to determine the occurrence of five phthalates (DMP, DEP, DBP, BBP, and DEHP) in sewage sludge and to determine the seasonal variability of these contaminants at three (Bahçe?ehir, Pa?aköy, and Tuzla) full‐scale municipal and domestic wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Istanbul, Turkey. Mass balance was also calculated for DEHP at Tuzla WWTP sludge treatment units. DMP, DEP, DBP, BBP, and DEHP concentrations in sewage sludge ranged from 1.4 to 2.7 mg/kg dry weight (dw), 1.1 to 2.8, 0.6 to 4.6, 2.8 to 6.2, 18 to 490 mg/kg dw, respectively. Phthalate concentrations from the Bahçe?ehir and Pa?aköy WWTPs met the limit (100 mg/kg dw) of Turkey national sludge regulation and the Europe Union draft of sludge directive for land application, whereas phthalate concentrations from Tuzla WWTP exceeded the maximum permissible concentration. Phthalate concentrations did not show seasonal variations for Bahçe?ehir and Pa?aköy WWTPs, which receive mainly household wastewater while some fluctuations were observed DEP, DBP, and DEHP at Tuzla WWTP which has a lot of industrial wastewater contribution. The mass balance showed that approximately 17% of DEHP in the primary and secondary sludge was removed by anaerobic digestion, while 43% returned back to the beginning of the WWTP and 40% remained in the dewatered sludge. This study suggests that phthalates in sludge from WWTPs with industrial wastewater contribution may limit the use of sludge for land application.     

Performance Evaluation of Constructed Wetlands Treating Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent in Taihu Lake,China

Constructed wetlands are often used for advanced treatment of the secondary effluent of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Through assessing wetlands based on economic, technical, environmental, and social impacts, an optimal process is selected. In this study, a set of assessment methods for wetland treatment technology is established: The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to establish the evaluation index system; the entropy weight method is employed to calculate the index weights; and the preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE) is utilized for ranking of the selected treatment technologies. Then four processes applied in Taihu Lake basin, China are evaluated. The results show the following ranking: Vertical‐flow wetland–ecological pond–surface‐flow wetland–horizontal‐flow wetland, vertical‐flow wetland–horizontal‐flow wetland, ecological pond–horizontal‐flow wetland–surface‐flow wetland, and ecological ditch–ecological pond. The wetland exhibits certain universality and space portability with regard to treatment of municipal WWTP effluent. From the view of comprehensive benefits, the ranking of the treatment technology based on the vertical‐flow wetland is high (Φ values between 0.0224 and 0.0349), whereas that based on the ecological pond is low (Φ values between ?0.2086 and ?0.2652), owing to the mechanism of the process itself and the role of microorganisms in the system. Moreover, for organic matter removal, a vertical‐flow wetland process is recommended (48%), whereas for the removal of N contamination, an integrated‐flow wetland process is suggested (31.2% for NH₃‐N, 32.4% for TN removals).     

Performance Evaluation of a Full‐Scale Extended Aeration System in Al‐Bireh City,Palestine

Major challenges attributed to dysfunctional wastewater treatment facilities in developing countries include lack of commitment and poor informed decision making by the higher municipal administration. This paper presents how process monitoring and control during full scale operation ensures sustainability of civic infrastructures like Al‐Bireh wastewater treatment plant (AWWTP). It is written from the perspective of practical process selection to evaluate the performance of AWWTP, a single‐sludge nitrification–denitrification process with aerobic sludge stabilization. Process monitoring data (July 2000–April 2007) from available monthly operating reports were analyzed and evaluated. Additional data on microbiological analysis and information about facility unit operations were gathered through review of published local literature and interviews with AWWTP personnel. Influent and effluent data evaluated were the chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP). Despite annual and seasonal variations in AWWTP influent for COD, BOD, TN, and TP, the Palestinian wastewater reuse requirements for restricted irrigation were met. Process design and proper facility operation have direct impacts on effluent quality. The study concludes that regardless of the design capacity and process type, adequate administrative and operational management dictate the sustainability of AWWTP and reuse schemes.     

Assessment of Urban Source Metal Levels in Influent,Effluent, and Sludge of Two Municipal Biological Nutrient Removal Wastewater Treatment Plants of Bursa,an Industrial City in Turkey

Removal of Al, As, Cd, total Cr (Tot. Cr), Cu, Total Fe (Tot. Fe), Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, and Zn from urban effluent by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) operated under five‐stage Bardenpho® process were investigated and water soluble metals in the dewatered sludge were quantified. Samples were collected from two WWTPs on a weekly basis over an approximately 2.5‐year time span. Tot. Fe and Al were the most abundant, As, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Cd were the least abundant metals in the influents of both WWTPs. Removal efficiencies above 75% were achieved for Tot. Cr, Tot. Fe, Al, and Cu, whereas, no significant removal was observed for As, Cd, Pb, Sb, and Sn. Removal of Tot. Cr, Cu, Tot. Fe, Zn, Al, Mn, and Ni were influenced by influent suspended solids concentrations, and of Tot. Cr, Zn, and Cd were influenced by their initial content in the influent. Zn removal efficiency of biological nutrient removal (BNR) system in this study was higher and Cd removal efficiency was lower than that of conventional activated sludge reported in the literature. No remarkable difference for metals such as Cu, Mn, Ni, and Pb was observed between the removal efficiencies of conventional system and BNR system.     

Uncertainty assessment of a model for biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal: Application to a large wastewater treatment plant

In the last few years, the use of mathematical models in WasteWater Treatment Plant (WWTP) processes has become a common way to predict WWTP behaviour. However, mathematical models generally demand advanced input for their implementation that must be evaluated by an extensive data-gathering campaign, which cannot always be carried out. This fact, together with the intrinsic complexity of the model structure, leads to model results that may be very uncertain. Quantification of the uncertainty is imperative. However, despite the importance of uncertainty quantification, only few studies have been carried out in the wastewater treatment field, and those studies only included a few of the sources of model uncertainty. Seeking the development of the area, the paper presents the uncertainty assessment of a mathematical model simulating biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal. The uncertainty assessment was conducted according to the Generalised Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) methodology that has been scarcely applied in wastewater field. The model was based on activated-sludge models 1 (ASM) and 2 (ASM2). Different approaches can be used for uncertainty analysis. The GLUE methodology requires a large number of Monte Carlo simulations in which a random sampling of individual parameters drawn from probability distributions is used to determine a set of parameter values. Using this approach, model reliability was evaluated based on its capacity to globally limit the uncertainty. The method was applied to a large full-scale WWTP for which quantity and quality data was gathered. The analysis enabled to gain useful insights for WWTP modelling identifying the crucial aspects where higher uncertainty rely and where therefore, more efforts should be provided in terms of both data gathering and modelling practises.     

Fate of antibiotics during wastewater treatment and antibiotic distribution in the effluent-receiving waters of the Yellow Sea,northern China

Antibiotics including three β-lactams, two fluoroquinolones and two macrolides, which were the top seven most prescribed antibiotics in Dalian, China, were selected to investigate their occurrence in six municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and their distribution in the effluent-receiving waters of the Yellow Sea. Four WWTPs employing different treatment technologies were selected to explore the mechanism of antibiotics elimination during wastewater treatment. Results showed that fluoroquinolones and macrolides were dominant species in both WWTPs effluents and the surveyed coastal waters. Biodegradation was the main pathway for β-lactams removal, however, primary treatment performed better than biological treatment for fluoroquinolones removal. Concentrations of macrolides increased dramatically after the biological treatment, which was probably due to the release of macrolides enclosed in feces particles. In the surveyed coastal waters, reduction of antibiotic concentration with distance was observed. Potential environmental risk caused by the occurrence of these antibiotics should be evaluated in future work.     

Treatment of Malting Wastewater in a Granular Sludge Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR)

Aerobic granular sludge was successfully cultivated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) treating wastewater from the malting process with a high content of particulate organic matter. At an organic loading rate of 3.2 kg/(m³ d) COD_total and an influent particle concentration of 0.95 g/L MLSS an average removal of 50% in COD_total and 80% in COD_dissolved could be achieved. A comparison of granular and flocculent sludge grown under the same operating conditions showed no significant difference in removal efficiency although granules exhibited a higher metabolic activity in terms of specific oxygen uptake rate (r_{O2, X}). Two distinct mechanisms of particle removal were observed for granular sludge: during initial granule formation, particles were incorporated into the biofilm matrix. For mature granules, a high level of protozoa growth on the granule surface accounted for the ability to remove particulate COD. Combined evaluation of the development in MLSS content and sludge bed settling rate (i.e., mean derivative of the normalized sludge volume) was found to be an adequate method for monitoring the characteristic settling properties of a granulizing sludge bed. By means of this method, a distinct substrate gradient out of several operating conditions was concluded to have the biggest impact on the formation of aerobic granular sludge.     

Behavior of Steroid Hormones and Conjugates During Wastewater Treatment – A Comparison of Three Sewage Treatment Plants

The fate of the steroid hormones 17 β‐estradiol, estrone, estriol, 16 α‐hydroxyestrone, and β‐estradiol 17‐acetate, the hormone‐conjugates β‐estradiol 3‐sulfate and estrone 3‐sulfate, and the oral contraceptives 17 α‐ethinylestradiol and mestranol were studied during wastewater treatment as wastewater treatment plants are the major source contamination of urban surface waters with steroid hormones. The elimination efficiencies of three different concepts of WWTPs, i. e., activated sludge versus trickling filter, were compared over four weeks at different weather conditions. While larger WWTPs operating on activated sludge eliminated hormones more constantly than smaller WWTPs, heavy rainfall events led to a collapse of the elimination efficiency. By using trickling filter techniques for the treatment of wastewater an elimination of the steroid hormones could not be observed. Additionally, mass flows on a per person basis are compared. In the three experiments, which ran continuously for four weeks each, it turned out that the concentrations of ethinylestradiol and mestranol were below 6 ng/L in all samples. The inflow concentrations were 70 to 82 ng/L (estrone), 17 to 44 ng/L (estradiol), 61 to 130 ng/L (hydroxyestrone), 189 to 255 ng/L (estriol), 10 to 17 ng/L (estrone‐3‐sulfate) and about 28 ng/L (estradiol‐3‐ sulfate). While in the activated sludge treatment plants the elimination of estrone was 90 and 50%, respectively, estrone was formed from precursors in the trickling filter plant. A similar situation occurred for 17β‐estradiol, estrone 3‐sulfate, and estradiol 3‐sulfate. Hydroxyestrone was eliminated with similar efficiencies in all wastewater treatment plants (64 to 82%), as well as estriol (34 to 69%). Accordingly, the emissions of the wastewater treatment plants differed largely and were not attributed to the size of the respective plant, only.     

Simultaneous Organic Matter and Nitrogen Removal from Piggery Slaughterhouse Wastewater Using Bioaugmented Gaslift Membrane Bioreactor

A single bioaugmentation reactor and a side-stream gaslift membrane bioreactor combined with bioaugmentation are conducted to treat real wastewater from a centralized piggery slaughterhouse in Vietnam. The bioaugmented reactor is inoculated with heterotrophic microorganisms (Bacillus sp.) isolated from piggery slaughterhouse wastewater. The results of a single bioaugmentation experiment show high removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) (84.8%–97.5%) and total nitrogen (TN) (69.9%–87.2%) at loading rates of 1.28–3.89 and 0.14–0.37 kg m⁻³ d⁻¹, respectively. The combined system demonstrates a significantly higher TN removal efficiency (89.0%–96.1%) (p < 0.001), more stable flux (36.0–38.4 L m⁻² h⁻¹), and transmembrane pressure (0.95–1.05 bar), and better capacity of separation of solid–liquid phases compared to the single bioaugmentation. High COD and TN removal efficiency is possibly due to assimilation and simultaneous nitrification and denitrification processes. The results of this study also indicate the feasibility and propitious efficiency of the bioaugmented gaslift membrane bioreactor for piggery slaughterhouse wastewater treatment.     

Redistribution of sewage-nitrogen in estuarine food webs following sewage treatment upgrades

Stable nitrogen isotopes were used to assess the effects of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) upgrades on the utilisation of sewage-N by estuarine biota in Moreton Bay, Australia. We measured δ¹⁵N of filamentous algae, mangrove leaves and shore crabs at the Brisbane and Logan Rivers before and after scheduled WWTP upgrades, and at two reference rivers where WWTPs had been upgraded >4 years previously. The total N discharged into Brisbane River decreased by >80% after the upgrades had occurred, but N loads remained similar at Logan River despite the upgrade. In Brisbane River, δ¹⁵N values of algae and crabs decreased and were comparable to the reference rivers within 1-2 years but no changes occurred at Logan River. The δ¹⁵N of mangrove leaves remained elevated in all rivers, indicating that sewage-N remained a major source to mangroves either from residual WWTP discharges or from N accumulated in the sediments over many years.     

Wastewater treatment for small communities in Catalonia (Mediterranean region)

An evaluation of small wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) treating the effluents of communities with <2000 inhabitants in Catalonia (north-east of Spain) was carried out to establish the definition of appropriate wastewater treatment (AWT) and the criteria for the selection of the alternative processes that can achieve the AWT. The implementation of an AWT in these communities before the end of the year 2005 is necessary to comply with the European Directive 91/271. The AWT is that which permits the accomplishment of quality objectives in receiving waters after the discharge of the effluents. The standards for the AWT in each particular case are set out through a contaminant loading balance. Nevertheless, the final applied standards can only be as strict as they are for larger WWTPs. These criteria are very close to those stated in the French legislation, and it is felt that they are at the same time environment-friendly and realistic for small WWTPs. Secondary treatments are generally recommended to achieve the AWT. Natural wastewater treatment systems are preferred over conventional treatments to achieve the appropriate treatment because they are simple to operate, can reach the same level of treatment efficiency and have lower operation and maintenance costs. The policy debate that has produced all these statements is described.     

Removal of Aromatic Volatile Organic Compounds in the Sequencing Batch Reactor of Petroleum Refinery Wastewater Treatment Plant

This paper presents a field investigation of aromatic volatile organic compounds (AVOCs) emissions from a sequence batch reactor (SBR) with powdered activated carbon (PAC) to treat the wastewater in a large petroleum refinery plant. AVOC with high Henry's constant preferred to transfer from liquid‐phase into air‐phase so that might cause the emission and odor problem. During SBR operation, AVOC concentrations and distributions in wastewater, sludge and off‐gas were analyzed. The total AVOC removal from wastewater was >99% under the kinetic parameters of SBR operated. Batch experiments were carried out in the laboratory to obtain the adsorptive characteristic of AVOC onto PAC, but the results showed that bio‐degradation was the main removal mechanism (85%). Nevertheless, off‐gas emission (<1%) and AVOC in the sludge (<0.1%) remained a stable level. Oxidation/reduction potential (ORP) was correlated to the logarithm of the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in a linear relationship so that ORP profile could indirectly reflect the DO and biomass concentrations. Since the influent AVOC concentration was varied and difficultly to measure, ORP could be used as real‐time parameter for optimizing SBR operation. The results provided useful information for future evaluation of AVOC emissions from wastewater treatment plants.     

Characteristics of Activated Sludge in an Anoxic Baffled Reactor

This study characterized sludge from an anoxic baffled reactor (ABR) used to treat textile dyeing wastewater. The process was run over 150 days. On day 152, five sludge samples were collected from compartments 1–5 of the ABR and a set of captive tests was conducted to investigate their particle size distributions (PSDs), dye biosorption and biodegradation properties, and dehydrogenase activity (DHA). The results indicated that the PSD of the five sludge samples from the ABR were similar. Methylene blue biosorption to the sludge samples followed the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model and the actual biosorption process was controlled by external and intraparticle diffusion, simultaneously. After the sludge samples were cultivated for 24 h, the acid red GR dye removal efficiencies were 59.5, 68.3, 76.4, 61.5, and 65.4%, respectively. Eliminating dye biosorption, the dye biodegradation efficiencies were only 38.8, 46.3, 52.6, 48.3, and 46.0%, respectively. Furthermore, the DHA values were 28.2, 45.3, 56.5, 41.0, and 35.0 µg TF mL^?1 h^?1, respectively, and the DHA variation was in accordance with the dye biodegradation efficiency variation.     

分级进水对阶梯垂直流人工湿地污水处理效果的影响

本文研究了分级进水对阶梯垂直流人工湿地处理生活污水效果的影响.在保持总水力负荷为100 mm/d的情况下,分别将总进水量的0%、10%、20%和30%用于湿地第2级阶梯的进水,分析了系统对化学需氧量(COD)和氮、磷的总去除率和沿程变化.结果表明,不同分级进水比例条件下人工湿地对COD和总磷(TP)的去除率差异不明显,COD和TP的最高去除率分别为87.80%和81.17%,COD的去除主要集中在第1级,其贡献率平均为82.18%,TP的去除主要集中在第3级,贡献率平均为54.37%.分级进水对总氮(TN)去除率影响显著(P0.05),当2级进水比例为20%时,TN去除率最高,为61.70%±4.48%,且3个梯级对TN的去除贡献率分别为36.52%、42.11%和21.37%.相同组合形式的垂直流人工湿地处理生活污水的工程应用中,可根据需求设置20%左右的2级进水比例,以提高人工湿地对污染物的去除效果.     

Nutrients and organic matter in the surface sediment of a submerged macrophyte zone in a eutrophic lake:Implications for lake management

Little is known about the distribution and risk levels of nutrients and organic matter(OM) in the surface sediment of shallow submerged macrophyte-dominated lakes. In the current study, sixty surface sediment samples were collected from Xukou Bay, a typical submerged macrophyte-dominated zone in Lake Taihu, China. A 60-day degradation experiment of Potamogeton malaianus, a dominant species in the bay,was done in the laboratory. The results demonstrated that the ranges of total nitrogen(TN) and t...     

Optimization of the Coagulation–Flocculation Process for Slaughterhouse Wastewater Using Response Surface Methodology

Slaughterhouse wastewater is one of the main sources of environmental pollutants, containing a high amount of organic matter (chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)), total nitrogen (TN), total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), grease, and oil. The main aim of the present research is optimizing the coagulation–flocculation process and examining the effects of experimental factors with each other, for example, pH, the concentration of two different coagulants (FeCl₃ and alum), rapid mixing rate, and settling time. Therefore, it is aimed to treat slaughterhouse wastewater using the coagulation–flocculation process with the optimization of the response surface methodology (RSM). COD, turbidity, and suspended solids (SS) of the treated wastewater are chosen as the response variables. Furthermore, the optimal conditions for three responses are acquired by employing the desirability function approach. When the experimental results of two coagulants are compared, it is observed that the alum coagulant gave better results for the three responses. The alum coagulant utilized in the present research is able to increase COD, SS, and turbidity removal efficiency by 75.25%, 90.16%, and 91.18%, respectively. It is possible to optimize coagulation–flocculation by utilizing the RSM analysis, which proves that coagulation can pre‐treat slaughterhouse wastewater.     

Bio-augmented activated sludge treatment of potato wastewaters

A laboratory study was conducted to determine the effect of bacterial augmentation with LLMO (liquid live microorganisms) on the activated sludge treatment of potato wastewaters. Completed mixed activated sludge bench scale reactors were used in this study. Parameters varied during the continuous reactor run included hydraulic detention time, LLMO addition, and powdered activated carbon addition. The hydraulic detention time lasted 1, 2, and 3 days, while the sludge age was maintained at 10 days for both reactors. The bio-augmented reactor had a better COD removal than the non-bio-augmented reactor at a lower MLVSS level in the reactor. It is concluded that bacterial augmentation with LLMO improved slightly the COD removal efficiency in treating potato wastewaters with the activated sludge process. The bio-augmentation increased the substrate removal rate, increased the oxygen utilization, and decreased the excess sludge production.     

Response Surface Optimization of Acid Red 119 Dye Adsorption by Mixtures of Dried Sewage Sludge and Sewage Sludge Ash

The mixtures of dried sewage sludge (DSS) and sewage sludge ash were studied for removal of acid red 119 (AR119) dye as a new, more environmental friendly, and low cost adsorbent. For this purpose, response surface methodology was applied to optimize the dye removal efficiency and turbidity of treated dye solutions as two individual responses. Results revealed that an optimum condition under specified constraints (dye removal efficiency >95% and turbidity <50 NTU) was obtained at a contact time of 60 min, 40 wt% DSS in the mixture, an initial pH of 6, and an initial dye concentration of 200 mg dye/L in distilled water. Under the optimal condition, dye removal efficiency of 94.98% and effluent turbidity of 24.9 NTU was observed. In further studies, at optimum condition, the effect of some additives on adsorption process and desorption/reusability of adsorbent was investigated. It was observed that removal efficiency was significantly decreased to 83.76% when a simulated dye wastewater (containing the selected dye, acetic acid, and Glauber's salt dissolved in tap water) was used. Desorption studies revealed that AR119 dye could be well removed from dye‐loaded adsorbent by 0.3 M NaOH solution.     

鄱阳湖西侧周边农村水塘夏季表层沉积物氮、磷、有机质分布特征及评价

水塘作为农村重要的水生态系统,其环境状况与人们生产生活和健康密切相关。为了解鄱阳湖西侧周边农村水塘沉积物的有机质和营养盐赋存状况,于2018—2019年对鄱阳湖流域西侧附近4个县的23个水塘进行沉积物营养盐的分析,同时通过相关分析和差异性分析对其来源进行解析,并采用综合污染指数评价法和主成分分析法对水塘沉积物的污染程度进行评价。结果表明：水塘沉积物污染物含量较高,其有机质、有机碳（TOC）、总氮（TN）和总磷（TP）含量分别为5.81%±2.16%、2.46%±1.02%、（6.48±2.35） mg/g和（1.89±0.80） mg/g。3种形态的无机氮中铵态氮含量最高,其次为硝态氮和亚硝态氮。沉积物TP受到洗涤废水的影响较大,清淤和活化显著减轻了沉积物TN和TOC污染。综合污染指数评价结果表明重度污染和中度污染的水塘占比分别为95.65%和4.35%,其平均评价结果为重度污染,表明水塘沉积物污染严重。而主成分分析结果表明P18水塘污染最重,而P6水塘污染最轻。综合污染指数与主成分分析总得分的相关系数为0.92,表明两者的评价结果较为一致。本研究通过分析鄱阳湖西侧农村水塘的沉积物营养...     

Airports and Environment: Proposal of Wastewater Reclamation at São Paulo International Airport

One way to reduce water consumption in urban areas is by using alternative sources of supply that can be provided by collecting rainwater and reusing wastewater for less restricted purposes. Thus, this study evaluated the characteristics of effluents produced by the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of São Paulo International Airport (SPIA), Brazil, in order to reuse it in non‐potable situations. The results achieved, indicated high efficiency in the biological system utilized by SPIA. The removal rates is equal to or >90% for most of the parameters analyzed, among them, fluoride, salinity, nitrite, nitrate, ammonium nitrogen, total nitrogen, phosphorus, sedimentable solids, turbidity, conductivity, apparent color, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, fecal coliforms, and oils and greases. Despite the final effluents were good enough to be launched in the local streams, they shall be submitted to a complementary treatment in order to fit some quality parameters to be reused for specific demands (landscape irrigation, toilet flushing, vehicle washing, fire fighting, and dust control).