Hi all…a two part paper on the presence and fate of 220 emerging contaminants in two Windsor Ontario wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and one drinking water treatment plant (WTP) has just been published. Part I provides drinking water professionals with additional information on what compounds may be present in source waters as well as some performance data for the WTP. While one WWTP is upstream of the WTP it should be noted that the Detroit River (flowing at 5,324 m3/s) substantially dilutes WWTP discharges.

The authors report that “Three of the 47 target pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) contributed 89–96% of the total concentration of PhACs/EDCs in the WWTP influents. They were acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen.” The WWTPs were able to remove between 89–96% of the total concentration of PhACs/EDCs coming into the plants but despite the fact that the drinking WTP employed ozone, 3 pharmaceuticals (enrofloxacin, chlorotetracycline, and 17-α estradiol) were not removed. Part II concludes “Because the effluent is diluted substantially by the receiving water, the level of risk posed to aquatic receptors and the environment is probably negligible.”

Bill

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Occurrence, removal, and environmental impacts of emerging contaminants detected in water and wastewater in Southern Ontario—Part I: occurrence and removal

Shahram Tabe, Vince Pileggi, Monica Nowierski, Sonya Kleywegt and Paul Yang

Water Practice & Technology Vol 11 No 2 doi: 10.2166/wpt.2016.035

http://wpt.iwaponline.com/content/11/2/298?etoc

Abstract

“A comprehensive study was conducted at two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and one water treatment plant (WTP) in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The occurrence of 220 emerging and legacy compounds, their removal efficiencies by the existing treatment processes, and their potential environmental impacts were studied. The results are reported in a two part paper. In this part (I), the occurrence and removal efficiencies are presented. Three of the 47 target pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) contributed 89–96% of the total concentration of PhACs/EDCs in the WWTP influents. They were acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen. The existing treatment processes successfully removed between 95 and 98% of ‘all’ PhACs/EDCs, primarily due to the high removal rates of these three analgesics. Concentrations of PhACs/EDCs detected at the WTP intake were two to three orders of magnitude lower than those in the effluent of the upstream WWTP. These concentrations remained relatively unchanged in the finished drinking water, indicating the WTP’s low removal efficiency for trace amounts of them. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were detected at concentrations as high as 150 ng/L (for PBDE-209) in the WWTPs’ influent, and removed at 86–96% efficiency. PDBE effluent concentrations were mostly below 1 ng/L at both WWTPs, with a maximum of 9 ng/L for PBDE-209. Octylphenol, nonylphenol, and nonylphenol ethoxylates concentrations were monitored in one WWTP’s effluent, and ranged between undetectable and 286 ng/L (LoDs varied between 1.3 and 15.2 ng/L).”

Occurrence, environmental impacts and removal of legacy and emerging contaminants from two wastewater and one water treatment plant in Southern Ontario. Part II: environmental impacts

Shahram Tabe, Joanne Parrott, Monica Nowierski, Vince Pileggi, Sonya Kleywegt, Paul Yang

Published June 2016, 11 (2) 315-328; DOI: 10.2166/wpt.2016.036

http://wpt.iwaponline.com/content/11/2/315?etoc

Abstract

“This is part two of a paper about the potential environmental impacts of treated effluent from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharging to the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The WWTP uses conventional activated sludge with nitrification. The assessment was conducted over six months using a variety of established tests, including in vitro cell-based screening assays, as well as acute, chronic and full-life cycle in vivo exposures. Effluent monitoring included pharmaceutically active compounds and endocrine disrupting compounds. No tests reported significant toxicity. However, enhanced algal growth was observed in a Pseudokerchneriella subcapitata growth inhibition test. In full life-cycle fathead minnow exposure, liver somatic index changes were noted in exposed fish – increases for males, decreases for females – and production of viable fry decreased. Neither alteration is thought biologically significant. Because the effluent is diluted substantially by the receiving water, the level of risk posed to aquatic receptors and the environment is probably negligible.”