A Risk-Based Approach for Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Drinking Water Production and Distribution Chain

Provision of safe drinking water (DW) is one of the major requisites for human health, related to four Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nation 2030 Agenda: SDGs 3 (Good health), 6 (Clean water and sanitation), 11 (Sustainable cities) and 12 (Responsible production and consumption). However, this is hindered by the presence, especially in highly-anthropized contexts, of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in DW, that may pose a risk for human health. The present study aims at developing a holistic framework to support both (i) decision-makers for CECs prioritization in DW regulation and (ii) water utilities for the selection of appropriate monitoring and treatment interventions for the optimization of DW supply system. In detail, a quantitative chemical risk assessment (QCRA), including uncertainties related to both exposure and hazard assessments, was developed. Then, it was combined with testing and modeling of CECs fate in treatment processes and in distribution network, obtaining a robust tool to achieve the above-mentioned SDGs

Destination Online Communication: Why Less is Sometimes More. A Study of Online Communications of English Destinations

This research investigates the relationship between Web site design and the Web site end-user experience of a vast number of English tourism destinations, both local and regional ones. Following recent research in the field, this paper evaluates destinations' online communication based on the implemented Web site features and on the effectiveness of the communication itself, borrowing its research methodology from different domains. After content and functionality analysis, a user-experience, scenario-based investigation has been carried out, which demonstrated that complex Web sites do not always serve end-users' needs properly; in other words, Web site complexity is not directly related with good user experience. This research may help destination managers to foster their online communication if they have fewer content and functionalities but are better focused and clearly user-oriented. © 2014 Taylor & Francis

Reclaimed wastewater reuse impacts: from literature data gaps to integrated risk modelling

The complexity and the inherent interconnection of the reclaimed wastewater reuse (RWW) system requires the proper quantification of its advantages and drawbacks. In this context, water utilities and decision makers would benefit from a comprehensive risk-based framework of models aimed at the assessment of its associated impacts. In this work, a critical literature review on the models available for the assessment of RWW reuse impacts is performed to highlight which gaps need to be filled and indicate the future research directions. A simplified approach for evaluating and integrating different type of risks was proposed to address the prioritization of critical endpoints and contaminants within regulations

Domain wall displacement in Py square ring for single nanometric magnetic bead detection

A new approach based on the domain wall displacement in confined ferromagnetic nanostructures for attracting and sensing a single nanometric magnetic particles is presented. We modeled and experimentally demonstrated the viability of the approach using an anisotropic magnetoresistance device made by a micron-size square ring of Permalloy designed for application in magnetic storage. This detection concept can be suitable to biomolecular recognition, and in particular to single molecule detection.Comment: 8pages, 3figure

Does ozonation enhance activated carbon adsorption of PFAS in textile wastewater?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in numerous industrial applications, such as in textile manufacturing, because of their special chemical properties. To avoid PFAS spread in the environment, removal strategies need to be implemented at the wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) to reduce their environmental risk on receiving water bodies. The fate of 14 PFAS in a full-scale WWTP treating textile and civil wastewater (WW) was investigated. The addition of an adsorption step before or after the ozonation process was studied through adsorption isotherms tested on the WW collected before and after the full-scale ozonation step. Ozonation is not aimed at PFAS removing, but it lowers organic matter competition towards long-chain PFAS in the following adsorption step. The removal of UVA254 seems to be a good proxy variable for PFAS adsorption, with relationships not dependent on the presence of ozonation step

Drinking water recontamination in distribution networks: the case of bisphenol A release from epoxy resins

Monitoring and management of drinking water distribution networks (DWDNs), including possible release from materials in contact with drinking water (DW), have been stressed as crucial to avoid DW re-contamination leading to a potential increase of human health risk. Recent scientific studies and regulations clearly highlighted the release of bisphenol A (BPA) from plastic materials used to renovate DWDNs pipelines as one the major hazardous events. Lab tests on three epoxy resins were designed with the Design of Experiments (DoE) method to calibrate a migration model. In order to predict water quality variation in DWDNs, the migration model was combined with a hydraulic model, through EPANET-MSX, and validated in relevant environmental conditions, in collaboration with an Italian water utility. The model allowed to simulate BPA propagation in the DWDN identifying the most vulnerable areas and permitting to customize a site-specific monitoring and intervention plan to minimize the risk

Emerging contaminants in drinking water treatment plants: how ozonation affects activated carbon adsorption

Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in drinking water are a growing concern for potential negative effects on human health. This study combines full-scale monitoring campaigns in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) and lab-scale experiments using real water matrices without CECs spike. Monitoring campaigns were performed over one year and over 116 monitored CECs, a maximum of 22 compounds have been detected at the DWTP inlet. The analyses show that ozonation and adsorption on activated carbon (AC) have the main impact in reducing a wide variety of CECs, with performances influenced by their characteristics. At lab-scale adsorption isotherms were performed on 4 different water matrices, before and after ozonation, the evaluate the effect of ozonation on the adsorption process. Ozonation is less effective than AC adsorption in CECs removal, but the combination of the two processes allows to reduce the variability of the removal efficiencies, providing a highest performance for the removal of all the investigated CECs