An integrated modelling framework to assess cascade water reuse in urban areas

In the recent years water scarcity has been an increasing problem for many countries worldwide. For this reason, there is currently a strong focus on increasing reclaimed wastewater reuse, especially for agriculture purposes (Fernandes and Cunha Marques, 2023). Besides, the cost of energy from conventional resources is increasing, thus the energy sector is moving towards more distributed and efficient use of heat sources across urban areas. Typical applications are heat pumps using local groundwater reservoirs and subsequently discharging in the nearby surface water bodies/artificial channels (recipients). Furthermore, for a better quality of these recipients and for a better performance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), stormwater can be collected in separated sewers discharging only the urban runoff to the recipient. In this context, water is subjected to multiple uses, with potential cross-contaminations across different compartments, posing a risk for the environment. Hence, there is a strong need for tools capable of supporting stakeholders towards a wiser and safer use of water resources, to ensure long-term resilience, stability, sustainability and security of the society with regard to water use. An integrated model was developed to simulate the fate and associated risk of hazardous contaminants in a cascade water reuse system

Disinfection by peracetic acid: influence of inorganic and organic compounds

The disinfection effectiveness of peracetic acid (PAA) for wastewater applications has been extensively documented; however, PAA decays rapidly in water solution, depending on the water matrix characteristics. Guarantying a proper disinfectant dose is fundamental for the design of a disinfection process, therefore modeling PAA decay as a function of wastewater characteristics is crucial. The aim of this study was to assess PAA consumption in multi-component solutions reflecting realistic situations of a final effluent of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) under controlled conditions. Two experimental plans, one for inorganics and another one for organics, were defined using the statistical method of Design of Experiments (DoE), which allowed evaluating the effect of each compound or their interaction on PAA decay. Experiments were performed at laboratory-scale for PAA concentrations between 2-10 mgPAA/L and linear least-square regressions were used to interpolate two models based on the compounds that displayed an effect on PAA decay

A statistical assessment of micropollutants occurrence, time trend, fate and human health risk using left-censored water quality data

In recent years, the presence of micropollutants in drinking water has become an issue of growing global concern. Due to their low concentrations, monitoring databases are usually rich in censored data (e.g. samples with concentrations reported below the limit of quantification, LOQ) which are typically eliminated or replaced with a value arbitrarily chosen between 0 and LOQ. These conventional methods have some limitations and can lead to erroneous conclusions on: presence of micropollutants in the source water, treatment efficiencies, produced water quality and associated human health risk. In this work, an advanced approach, based on Maximum Likelihood Estimation method for left-censored data (MLELC), was applied on monitoring data of 19 contaminants (metals, volatile organic compounds, pesticides and perfluorinated compounds) in 5362 groundwater (GW) and 12,344 drinking water (DW) samples, collected from 2012 to 2017 in 28 drinking water treatment plants in an urbanized area. This study demonstrates the benefits of MLELC method, especially for high percentages of censored data. Data are used to build statistical distributions which can be effectively used for several applications, such as the time trend evaluation of GW micropollutant concentrations and the estimation of treatment removal efficiency, highlighting the adequacy or the need for an upgrade. Moreover, the MLELC method has been applied to assess the human health risk associated with micropollutants, indicating the high discrepancy in the estimations obtained with conventional methods, whose results do not follow precautionary or sustainability criteria

Predicting long-term pharmaceutical concentrations during sewer overflows using a census data driven model

A new modelling framework, which combines census and georeferenced data with a mechanistic storm water model, was developed to predict concentration dynamics of pharmaceuticals (PhACs) during overflow events. The model was verified with measurements and used to perform a long-term (1 year) risk assessment in a small urban catchment in Switzerland. Results show that census and georeferenced data are useful information that can be used as new type of model inputs to correctly predict PhACs concentration during combined sewer overflow (CSO) events

A statistical assessment of persistent micropollutants occurrence, fate and health risk using censored water quality data

In the recent years, the presence of micropollutants in drinking water has become an issue of growing global concern. Great attention is paid to persistent toxic micropollutants that belong to several families (e.g. pesticides, perfluorinated compounds, pharmaceuticals, endocrine disrupting compounds) and are present at trace concentrations (ranging from ng/l to μg/l) in aquatic environments [1]. Due to their low concentration, monitoring databases are usually rich in censored data (e.g. samples with concentrations reported below the limit of quantification (LOQ)) that are typically eliminated or replaced with a value between 0 and LOQ [2]. These traditional methods present some limitations and can lead to erroneous conclusions on the presence of persistent micropollutants in the source water, treatment efficiencies, quality of the produced water and associated human health risk. Alternative methods, based on the principles of survival analysis, allow to estimate the statistical distribution of the whole dataset, combining the values above the LOQ with the information contained in the proportion of censored data [3]. The methods applied in this work are Maximum Likelihood Estimation or non-parametric techniques (e.g. Kaplan-Meier). Monitoring data of 5,362 groundwater (GW) and 12,344 drinking water samples collected from 2012 to 2017 in the city of Milan, Italy were analysed. Several persistent micropollutants, including pesticides and perfluorinated compounds, were selected for this study. This study demonstrated the benefits of the innovative methods in the assessment of data statistical distribution, highlighting the more accurate estimation of the distribution median, 95° and 98° quantiles, especially for high percentages of censored data. The resulting statistical distributions were used for several applications: time trend evaluation in GW micropollutant concentrations, optimization of well management, treatment efficiency evaluation. Moreover, they have been applied to assess the residual health risk associated with low concentration micropollutants and the risk reduction resulting by treatment and/or management intervention in the drinking water treatment plants. This study highlighted high discrepancy in the results obtained with traditional and innovative techniques related to the evaluation of the presence, fate and health risk associated to persistent and toxic micropollutants

Modelling the fate of micropollutants in the water cycle at urban and peri-urban scale – An integrated perspective towards the impacts of water reuse

An integrated model was developed, calibrated and validated to predict the fate of micropollutants (MPs) and the human health risks that these substances pose when wastewater is reused for agricultural purposes. Results showed that pharmaceuticals (e.g., the anti-inflammatory drug paracetamol) can form during in-sewer transit from other metabolites and posing a potential risk (Hazard Quotient for infants = 10-2) if wastewater is not treated before irrigation. The model can represent a relevant decision-support tool to plan barriers for reducing the risk associated to MP

An integrated modelling framework to assess cascade water reuse in urban areas

Water scarcity is an increasing problem for many countries worldwide, and the need for sustainable management of water resources is an urgent concern to face rising environmental challenges (Fernandes and Cunha Marques, 2023). This has prompted a rethink of water resources management and the reuse of water has gain growing interest. There is currently a strong focus on increasing reclaimed wastewater reuse, especially for agriculture (Delli Compagni et al., 2020). Besides, the ever-increasing costs associated with conventional energy sources have impelled the energy sector to transition towards more distributed and efficient energy production for heating/cooling purposes by exploiting local sources, especially across urban areas (Valancius et al., 2019). Typical applications are heat pumps using local groundwater reservoirs, and subsequently discharging the withdrawn water into the nearby surface water recipients, being natural or artificial water channels. Moreover, to enhance the water quality of these recipients and optimize the capacity of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), stormwater can be collected in separated sewers, discharging only the urban runoff to the recipient (Pálfy et al., 2017). In this context of rethinking the water management of urban areas, potential cross-contaminations across different compartments can occur, posing a risk for the environment, especially if water is subjected to multiple (re)uses (e.g. water from the recipient used for crop irrigation). Hence, there is a strong need for tools capable of supporting stakeholders towards a wiser and safer use of water resources, to ensure long-term resilience, stability, sustainability and security of the society with regard to water (re)use.In this work, an integrated model was developed to simulate the fate and associated risk of hazardous contaminants in a cascade water reuse system, located in the city of Milan. The model allows the evaluation of the feasibility of future water management strategies based on the risk assessment

Evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of the triage emergency department nursing protocol for the management of pain

Loris Butti,1 Olga Bierti,1 Raffaela Lanfrit,1 Romina Bertolini,1 Sara Chittaro,1 Stefania Delli Compagni,1 Davide Del Russo,1 Rossella Letizia Mancusi,2 Franco Pertoldi1 1S.O.C. Emergency Medicine, AAS3 Ospedale Sant’Antonio di San Daniele del Friuli, 2C.R.E.A. Sanità, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy Introduction: Pain is a common symptom presented in the emergency department (ED) although it is often underestimated, poorly evaluated and treated. The application of a protocol for timely pain management ensured by the nurse can avoid the delays in the analgesic treatment and improve the patient’s quality of waiting.Aims: To check the effectiveness and efficiency of the protocol aimed at early pain management in triage, active in our ED. In particular, the response to analgesic treatment was evaluated 60 minutes after the administration and at discharge. Patient satisfaction was also evaluated using two anonymous questionnaires both at discharge and 48 hours later via telephone.Methods: A single-center, observational study was conducted on a prospective cohort of patients (aged ≥4 years) with a pain symptom at admission in ED with no surgical picture.Results: In the observation period (June 2015–May 2016), 382 patients were enrolled, and of these, 312 (84.8%) accepted pain therapy during triage stage in the ED. In 97.4% of the cases, orosoluble paracetamol 1000 mg was administered. In the re-evaluation done 60 minutes later, 65.9% of the patients showed a reduction of at least 2 points on Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), equal to a mean reduction of 2.24 points (95% CI: 2.03–2.45). The mean time of analgesia intake was equal to 5.9 minutes (95% CI: 3.8–8.1). In the re-evaluation done at discharge, 33.2% of the patients showed a reduction of NRS score >50%, leading to a mean reduction of 39% (95% CI: 35.3%−41.9%). The level of patient satisfaction was high with a mean value >9 points (maximum satisfaction =10).Conclusion: This protocol shows that optimal pain management was achieved by patients rapidly receiving an effective painkiller therapy at triage, leading to substantial patient satisfaction. In moderate pain, orosoluble paracetamol 1000 mg provided a reduction of NRS score by 2 points in 67.6% of the patients, confirming to be the analgesic of choice in ED. Keywords: pain management, protocol, triage, analgesic, orosoluble paracetamo

Modelling the fate of micropollutants in integrated urban wastewater systems: Extending the applicability to pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) are a category of micropollutants frequently detected across integrated urban wastewater systems. Existing modelling tools supporting the evaluation of micropollutant fate in such complex systems, such as the IUWS_MP model library (which acronym IUWS stands for Integrated Urban Wastewater System), do not consider fate processes and fractions that are typical for PhACs. This limitation was overcome by extending the existing IUWS_MP model library with new fractions (conjugated metabolites, sequestrated fraction) and processes (consumption-excretion, deconjugation). The performance of the extended library was evaluated for five PhACs (carbamazepine, ibuprofen, diclofenac, paracetamol, furosemide) in two different integrated urban wastewater systems where measurements were available. Despite data uncertainty and the simplicity of the modelling approach, chosen to minimize data requirements, model prediction uncertainty overlapped with the measurements ranges across both systems, stressing the robustness of the proposed modelling approach. Possible applications of the extended IUWS_MP model library are presented, illustrating how this tool can support urban water managers in reducing environmental impacts from PhACs discharges