Profiling of the Microbiome Associated With Nitrogen Removal During Vermifiltration of Wastewater From a Commercial Dairy.

Vermifiltration is a biological treatment process during which earthworms (e.g., Eisenia fetida) and microorganisms reduce the organic load of wastewater. To infer microbial pathways responsible for nutrient conversion, past studies characterized the microbiota in vermifilters and suggested that nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria play a significant role during this wastewater treatment process. In contrast to previous studies, which were limited by low-resolution sequencing methods, the work presented here utilized next generation sequencing to survey in greater detail the microbiota of wastewater from a commercial dairy during various stages of vermifiltration. To complement sequence analysis, nitrogenous compounds in and gaseous emissions from the wastewater were measured. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene profiles from untreated wastewater, vermifilter influent, and vermifilter effluent suggested that members of Comamonadaceae, a family of the Betaproteobacteria involved in denitrification, increased in abundance during the vermifiltration process. Subsequent functional gene analysis indicated an increased abundance of nitrification genes in the effluent and suggested that the nitrogen removal during vermifiltration is due to the microbial conversion of ammonia, a finding that was also supported by the water chemistry and emission data. This study demonstrates that microbial communities are the main drivers behind reducing the nitrogen load of dairy wastewater during vermifiltration, providing a valuable knowledge framework for more sustainable and economical wastewater management strategies for commercial dairies

Analysis and Design of Wastewater Treatment

The work proposes the reuse of wastewater from the Faculty of Agronomic Engineering of the Technical University of Manabí, located in the Lodana parish in the city of Portoviejo, to irrigate the diversity of plantations that exist in the institution as a banana, cocoa and lemon. In the work, the results of the physical-chemical and bacteriological analysis carried out on the residual water generated in the institution are offered, being able to verify that it does not meet the parameters required to be used in the irrigation of crops. The technical scheme of the proposed treatment system is shown, specifying the structure of the zeolite filter. The calculations made for the technical and structural design of each of the devices that make up the proposed treatment system are provided. The analysis of the performance of the system that is illustrated with a series of data reflected in tables is exposed and where an efficiency between 84% and 88% can be verified. A review of compliance with environmental regulations is carried out and an economic analysis is provided on the cost of the investment for the introduction of the system in the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering of the Technical University of Manabí

Identification and quantification of microplastics in wastewater using focal plane array-based reflectance micro-FT-IR imaging

Microplastics (<5 mm) have been documented in environmental samples on a global scale. While these pollutants may enter aquatic environments via wastewater treatment facilities, the abundance of microplastics in these matrices has not been investigated. Although efficient methods for the analysis of microplastics in sediment samples and marine organisms have been published, no methods have been developed for detecting these pollutants within organic-rich wastewater samples. In addition, there is no standardized method for analyzing microplastics isolated from environmental samples. In many cases, part of the identification protocol relies on visual selection before analysis, which is open to bias. In order to address this, a new method for the analysis of microplastics in wastewater was developed. A pretreatment step using 30% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was employed to remove biogenic material, and focal plane array (FPA)-based reflectance micro-Fourier-transform (FT-IR) imaging was shown to successfully image and identify different microplastic types (polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon-6, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene). Microplastic-spiked wastewater samples were used to validate the methodology, resulting in a robust protocol which was nonselective and reproducible (the overall success identification rate was 98.33%). The use of FPA-based micro-FT-IR spectroscopy also provides a considerable reduction in analysis time compared with previous methods, since samples that could take several days to be mapped using a single-element detector can now be imaged in less than 9 h (circular filter with a diameter of 47 mm). This method for identifying and quantifying microplastics in wastewater is likely to provide an essential tool for further research into the pathways by which microplastics enter the environment.This work is funded by a NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) CASE studentship (NE/K007521/1) with contribution from industrial partner Fera Science Ltd., United Kingdom. The authors would like to thank Peter Vale, from Severn Trent Water Ltd, for providing access to and additionally Ashley Howkins (Brunel University London) for providing travel and assistance with the sampling of the Severn Trent wastewater treatment plant in Derbyshire, UK. We are grateful to Emma Bradley and Chris Sinclair for providing helpful suggestions for our research

The effect of silane treatment on nanosized carica papaya seed modified pullulan as biocoagulant in wastewater treatment

Currently, conventional wastewater treatment process used chemical coagulant such as Aluminium sulphate. However, the residual aluminium in treated wastewater causes toxicity and serious health issues such as Alzheimer’ disease. Thus, in this study the potential of nanosized Carica Papaya (CP) seeds treated by silane coupling agent incorporated to pullulan on wastewater treatment was investigated. The biocoagulant produce prepared at a different composition of CP range from 1% to 9% was used to treat sewage wastewater. The biocoagulant was characterized by particle size analyser, FTIR and FESEM. The treated wastewater was analyzed by jar test in term of turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen and Total Suspended Solid with biocoagulant dosage at 0.6 g/L. The size of nanosized biocoagulant was obtained at 608.9 nm. Silane treatment provides well dispersion of nanosized Carica Papaya seed powder in the pullulan matrix phase. FTIR analysis shows the presence of O-H, C=O and Si-O-CH3 bond. The highest turbidity reduction observed at the composition of nanosized CP5/P and silane treated nanosized CP5/P up to 93.89% and 93.98% respectively. However, no significant changes observed on turbidity reduction with increasing CP seeds content for both biocoagulant. Further, at these compositions, the TSS reduced up to 20% and 60% respectively. The DO value of wastewater decreased from the initial value and the increased the pH from 6.58 to 6.69 lead to the neutral condition. Therefore, the effectiveness of both untreated and silane treated biocoagulant were further confirmed upon textile wastewater with turbidity reduction achieved up to 7.84% and 14.54 % respectively. Overall, silane treatment enhanced the effectiveness of nanosized CP modified pullulan as biocoagulant

Multiobjectives Analysis of Wastewater Management System in Tapioca Starch Industry: Case Study - Ciamis District, West Java (Analisis Multiobyektif Sistem Pengelolaan Air Limbah Industri Tapioka: Studi Kasus Kabupaten Ciamis, Jawa Barat)

Ciamis district is one of the industrial centers of tapioca starch in West Java. Industry has been utilizing solid waste into by-products, fertilizers and animal feeds, but the wastewater which consist a lot of organic substances still discharged directly into the water that potentially cause water pollution. This study aims to determine the wastewater treatment system that can be applied in tapioca starch industry based on five scenarios proposed by using fuzzy goal programming approach. The first objective is the achievement of stream standard (DO-dissolved oxygen and BOD-biochemical oxygen demand) and wastewater quality standards. The second objective is to minimize the cost of wastewater treatment. Wastewater treatment system that proposed, consists of a primary, secondary and collective treatment that shared by some of the industries in one segment with 20% efficiency of BOD removal for primary, 60% for secondary and 85% for collective treatment. The results show that scenario five, which consists of primary, secondary and collective wastewater treatment is chosen for all industries by considering economic and environmental aspects. There was some improvement of water quality for the Cijolang middle-stream segment with DO 7.35 mg/L and BOD 3.68 mg/L; Citanduy middle-stream segment with DO 6.24 mg/L and BOD 2.37 mg/L, and also for Citanduy down-stream segment with DO 6.11 mg/L and BOD 5.52 mg/L. The fulfillment of BOD pollutant load limits obtained with achieving BOD concentration of 6.32 to 27.89 mg/L of each industry with total cost incurred is IDR 62,689 per day. Fuzzy goal programming approach provides a solution in achievement and as useful information for decision-makers to improve the quality of the environment, especially in the district of Ciamis

Ecological Life Cycle Assessment Modified Novolaks Waste Used in Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Ecological Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) applied in the assessment of the impact of products on the environment is a technique that allows for the evaluation of the environmental impact of polymeric flocculants used in industrial wastewater treatment. The possibility of conducting a full life cycle and thus manufacturing process analysis allows for reliable and accurate identification of the sources of environmental hazards and the impact of new products on the environment. Newly synthesized waste-based polymers are water soluble and possess the properties of flocculants, while reducing the parameters in industrial wastewater. In the paper, there are presented the results of the analysis conducted using LCA technique for the assessment of the impact of modified waste phenol formaldehyde resin (Novolak) on the environment. LCA technique was used to assess the impact of the new flocculant applied in the process of metallurgical wastewater treatment taking into account the environmental impact of the fl occulant manufacturing process

Life cycle assessment of biosolids land application and evaluation of the factors impacting human toxicity through plants uptake

Due to the increasing environmental concerns in the wastewater treatment sector, the environmental impacts of organic waste disposal procedures require careful evaluation. However, the impacts related to the return of organic matter to agricultural soils are difficult to assess. The aim of this study is to assess the environmental impacts of land application of two types of biosolids (dried and composted, respectively) from the same wastewater treatment plant in France, and to improve the quantification of human toxicity. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was carried out on a case study based on validated data from an actual wastewater treatment plant. Numerous impacts were included in this analysis, but a particular emphasis was laid on human toxicity via plant ingestion. For six out of the height impact categories included in the analysis, the dried biosolids system was more harmful to the environment than the composting route, especially regarding the consumption of primary energy. Only human toxicity via water, soil and air compartments and ozone depletion impacts were higher with the composted biosolids

Do contaminants originating from state-of-the-art treated wastewater impact the ecological quality of surface waters?

Since the 1980s, advances in wastewater treatment technology have led to considerably improved surface water quality in the urban areas of many high income countries. However, trace concentrations of organic wastewater-associated contaminants may still pose a key environmental hazard impairing the ecological quality of surface waters. To identify key impact factors, we analyzed the effects of a wide range of anthropogenic and environmental variables on the aquatic macroinvertebrate community. We assessed ecological water quality at 26 sampling sites in four urban German lowland river systems with a 0–100% load of state-of-the-art biological activated sludge treated wastewater. The chemical analysis suite comprised 12 organic contaminants (five phosphor organic flame retardants, two musk fragrances, bisphenol A, nonylphenol, octylphenol, diethyltoluamide, terbutryn), 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 12 heavy metals. Non-metric multidimensional scaling identified organic contaminants that are mainly wastewater-associated (i.e., phosphor organic flame retardants, musk fragrances, and diethyltoluamide) as a major impact variable on macroinvertebrate species composition. The structural degradation of streams was also identified as a significant factor. Multiple linear regression models revealed a significant impact of organic contaminants on invertebrate populations, in particular on Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera species. Spearman rank correlation analyses confirmed wastewater-associated organic contaminants as the most significant variable negatively impacting the biodiversity of sensitive macroinvertebrate species. In addition to increased aquatic pollution with organic contaminants, a greater wastewater fraction was accompanied by a slight decrease in oxygen concentration and an increase in salinity. This study highlights the importance of reducing the wastewater-associated impact on surface waters. For aquatic ecosystems in urban areas this would lead to: (i) improvement of the ecological integrity, (ii) reduction of biodiversity loss, and (iii) faster achievement of objectives of legislative requirements, e.g., the European Water Framework Directive

Monitoring genetic population biomarkers for wastewater-based epidemiology

We report a rapid “sample-to-answer” platform that can be used for the quantitative monitoring of genetic biomarkers within communities through the analysis of wastewater. The assay is based on the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) of nucleic acid biomarkers and shows for the first time the ability to rapidly quantify human-specific mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from raw untreated wastewater samples. mtDNA provides a model population biomarker associated with carcinogenesis including breast, renal and gastric cancers. To enable a sample-to-answer, field-based technology, we integrated a filter to remove solid impurities and perform DNA extraction and enrichment into a low cost lateral flow-based test. We demonstrated mtDNA detection over seven consecutive days, achieving a limit of detection of 40 copies of human genomic DNA per reaction volume. The assay can be performed at the site of sample collection, with minimal user intervention, yielding results within 45 min and providing a method to monitor public health from wastewater

Analysis of Nitrogen Loading Reductions for Wastewater Treatment Facilities and Non-Point Sources in the Great Bay Estuary Watershed

In 2009, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) published a proposal for numeric nutrient criteria for the Great Bay Estuary. The report found that total nitrogen concentrations in most of the estuary needed to be less than 0.3 mg N/L to prevent loss of eelgrass habitat and less than 0.45 mg N/L to prevent occurrences of low dissolved oxygen. Based on these criteria and an analysis of a compilation of data from at least seven different sources, DES concluded that 11 of the 18 subestuaries in the Great Bay Estuary were impaired for nitrogen. Under the Clean Water Act, if a water body is determined to be impaired, a study must be completed to determine the existing loads of the pollutant and the load reductions that would be needed to meet the water quality standard. Therefore, DES developed models to determine existing nitrogen loads and nitrogen loading thresholds for the subestuaries to comply with the numeric nutrient criteria. DES also evaluated the effects of different permitting scenarios for wastewater treatment facilities on nitrogen loads and the costs for wastewater treatment facility upgrades. This modeling exercise showed that: Nitrogen loads to the Great Bay, Little Bay, and the Upper Piscataqua River need to be reduced by 30 to 45 percent to attain the numeric nutrient criteria. Both wastewater treatment facilities and non-point sources will need to reduce nitrogen loads to attain the numeric nutrient criteria. The percent reduction targets for nitrogen loads only change minimally between wet and dry years. Wastewater treatment facility upgrades to remove nitrogen will be costly; however, the average cost per pound of nitrogen removed from the estuary due to wastewater facility upgrades is lower than for non-point source controls. The permitting options for some wastewater treatment facilities will be limited by requirements to not increase pollutant loads to impaired waterbodies. The numeric nutrient criteria and models used by DES are sufficiently accurate for calculating nitrogen loading thresholds for the Great Bay watershed. Additional monitoring and modeling is needed to better characterize conditions and nitrogen loading thresholds for the Lower Piscataqua River. This nitrogen loading analysis for Great Bay may provide a framework for setting nitrogen permit limits for wastewater treatment facilities and developing watershed implementation plans to reduce nitrogen loads