Steroid estrogens, such as estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), are natural and synthetic hormones released into the environment through incomplete sewage discharge. This review focuses on the sources of steroid estrogens in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The mechanisms and fate of steroid estrogens throughout the entire wastewater treatment system are also discussed, and relevant information on regulatory aspects is given. Municipal, pharmaceutical industry, and hospitals are the main sources of steroid estrogens that enter WWTPs. A typical WWTP comprises primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment units. Sorption and biodegradation are the main mechanisms for removal of steroid estrogens from WWTPs. The fate of steroid estrogens in WWTPs depends on the types of wastewater treatment systems. Steroid estrogens in the primary treatment unit are removed by sorption onto primary sludge, followed by sorption onto micro-flocs and biodegradation by microbes in the secondary treatment unit. Tertiary treatment employs nitrification, chlorination, or UV disinfection to improve the quality of the secondary effluent. Activated sludge treatment systems for steroid estrogens exhibit a removal efficiency of up to 100%, which is higher than that of the trickling filter treatment system (up to 75%). Moreover, the removal efficiency of advance treatment systems exceeds 90%. Regulatory aspects related to steroid estrogens are established, especially in the European Union. Japan is the only Asian country that implements a screening program and is actively involved in endocrine disruptor testing and assessment. This review improves our understanding of steroid estrogens in WWTPs, proposes main areas to be improved, and provides current knowledge on steroid estrogens in WWTPs for sustainable development.
The conventional treatment process of palm oil mill effluent (POME) produces a highly colored effluent. Colored compounds in POME cause reduction in photosynthetic activities, produce carcinogenic by-products in drinking water, chelate with metal ions, and are toxic to aquatic biota. Thus, failure of conventional treatment methods to decolorize POME has become an important problem to be addressed as color has emerged as a critical water quality parameter for many countries such as Malaysia. Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from POME sludge was successfully grown in POME supplemented with glucose. Statistical optimization studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of the types and concentrations of carbon and nitrogen sources, pH, temperature, and size of the inoculum. Characterization of the fungus was performed using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Brunauer, Emmet, and Teller surface area analysis. Optimum conditions using response surface methods at pH 5.7, 35 °C, and 0.57 % w/v glucose with 2.5 % v/v inoculum size resulted in a successful removal of 71 % of the color (initial ADMI of 3,260); chemical oxygen demand, 71 %; ammoniacal nitrogen, 35 %; total polyphenolic compounds, 50 %; and lignin, 54 % after 5 days of treatment. The decolorization process was contributed mainly by biosorption involving pseudo-first-order kinetics. FTIR analysis revealed that the presence of hydroxyl, C-H alkane, amide carbonyl, nitro, and amine groups could combine intensively with the colored compounds in POME. This is the first reported work on the application of A. fumigatus for the decolorization of POME. The present investigation suggested that growing cultures of A. fumigatus has potential applications for the decolorization of POME through the biosorption and biodegradation processes.
A recently reported stable and efficient EBPR system at high temperatures around 30 °C has led to characterization of kinetic and stoichiometric parameters of the Activated Sludge Model no. 2d (ASM2d). Firstly, suitable model parameters were selected by identifiability analysis. Next, the model was calibrated and validated. ASM2d was found to represent the processes well at 28 and 32 °C except in polyhyroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulation of the latter. The values of the kinetic parameters for PHA storage (q PHA), polyphosphate storage (q PP) and growth (μ PAO) of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) at 28 and 32 °C were found to be much higher than those reported by previous studies. Besides, the value of the stoichiometric parameter for the requirement of polyphosphate for PHA storage (Y PO4) was found to decrease as temperature rose from 28 to 32 °C. Values of two other stoichiometric parameters, i.e. the growth yield of heterotrophic organisms (Y H) and PAOs (Y PAO), were high at both temperatures. These calibrated parameters imply that the extremely active PAOs of the study were able to store PHA, store polyphosphate and even utilize PHA for cell growth. Besides, the parameters do not follow the Arrhenius correlation due to the previously reported unique microbial clade at 28 and 32 °C, which actively performs EBPR at high temperatures.
Simulation of fluidized bed reactor (FBR) was accomplished for treating wastewater using Fenton reaction, which is an advanced oxidation process (AOP). The simulation was performed to determine characteristics of FBR performance, concentration profile of the contaminants, and various prominent hydrodynamic properties (e.g., Reynolds number, velocity, and pressure) in the reactor. Simulation was implemented for 2.8 L working volume using hydrodynamic correlations, continuous equation, and simplified kinetic information for phenols degradation as a model. The simulation shows that, by using Fe(3+) and Fe(2+) mixtures as catalyst, TOC degradation up to 45% was achieved for contaminant range of 40-90 mg/L within 60 min. The concentration profiles and hydrodynamic characteristics were also generated. A subsequent scale-up study was also conducted using similitude method. The analysis shows that up to 10 L working volume, the models developed are applicable. The study proves that, using appropriate modeling and simulation, data can be predicted for designing and operating FBR for wastewater treatment.
This paper describes the sorption of Pb(ll) from aqueous solution. Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber was first grafted with poly(methylacrylate) and then treated with hydroxylammonium chloride in alkaline medium to produce hydroxamic acid (PHA) grafted OPEFB. Sorption of Pb(ll) by PHA-OPEFB was maximum at pH 5. The sorption followed the Langmuir model with maximum capacityof 125.0 mg g-1 at 25 degrees C. The sorption process was exothermic, as shown by the negative value of enthalpy change, Delta H0. The free energy change (DeltaG0) for the sorption was negative, showing that the sorption process was spontaneous. A kinetic study showed that the Pb(ll) sorption followed a second order kinetic model.
The performances of HZSM-5 and transition metal-loaded HZSM-5 (Mn, Cu, Fe, Ti) catalysts during catalytic ozonation of phenol have been investigated. It was observed the performance order for removal of phenol and COD was Mn/HZSM-5 > Fe/HZSM-5 > Cu/HZSM-5 > Ti/HZSM-5 > HZSM-5. The presence of metals on HZSM-5 enhanced the phenol removal capability of HZSM-5. Mn loading on HZSM-5 was optimized due to its high phenol removal capability amongst metal-loaded HZSM-5 catalysts. Experimental results suggested that low amount of Mn loading on HZSM-5 was sufficient for HZSM-5 to act as catalyst and adsorbent. A maximum of 95.8 wt% phenols and 70.2 wt% COD were removed over 2 wt% Mn/HZSM-5 in 120 min. It was supposed that transition metals mainly acted as ozone decomposers due to their multiple oxidation states that enhanced the ozonation of phenol.
The capabilities of chitosan and chitosan-EGDE (ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether) beads for removing Acid Red 37 (AR 37) and Acid Blue 25 (AB 25) from aqueous solution were examined. Chitosan beads were cross-linked with EGDE to enhance its chemical resistance and mechanical strength. Experiments were performed as a function of pH, agitation period and concentration of AR 37 and AB 25. It was shown that the adsorption capacities of chitosan for both acid dyes were comparatively higher than those of chitosan-EGDE. This is mainly because cross-linking using EGDE reduces the major adsorption sites -NH3+ on chitosan. Langmuir isotherm model showed the best conformity compared to Freundlich and BET. The kinetic experimental data agreed very well to the pseudo second-order kinetic model. The desorption study revealed that after three cycles of adsorption and desorption by NaOH and HCl, both adsorbents retained their promising adsorption abilities. FT-IR analysis proved that the adsorption of acid dyes onto chitosan-based adsorbents was a physical adsorption. Results also showed that chitosan and chitosan-EGDE beads were favourable adsorbers and could be employed as low-cost alternatives for the removal of acid dyes in wastewater treatment.
Tungsten-loaded TiO(2) photocatalyst has been successfully prepared and characterized. TEM analysis showed that the photocatalysts were nanosize with the tungsten species forming layers of coverage on the surface of TiO(2), but not in clustered form. This was confirmed by XRD and FT-Raman analyses where tungsten species were well dispersed at lower loading (<6.5 mol%), but were in crystalline WO(3) at higher loadings (>12 mol%). In addition, loading with tungsten could stabilize the anatase phase from transforming into inactive rutile phase and did not shift the optical absorption to the visible region as shown by DRUV-vis analysis. PZC value of TiO(2) was found at 6.4, but the presence of tungsten at 6.5 mol% WO(3), decreased the PZC value to 3. Tungsten-loaded TiO(2) was superior to unmodified TiO(2) with 2-fold increase in degradation rate of methylene blue, and equally effective for the degradation of different class of dyes such as methyl violet and methyl orange at 1 mol% WO(3) loading.
Concern about environmental protection has increased over the years from a global viewpoint. To date, the percolation of pesticide waste into the groundwater tables and aquifer systems remains an aesthetic issue towards the public health and food chain interference. With the renaissance of activated carbon, there has been a consistent growing interest in this research field. Confirming the assertion, this paper presents a state of art review of pesticide agrochemical practice, its fundamental characteristics, background studies and environmental implications. Moreover, the key advance of activated carbon adsorption, its major challenges together with the future expectation are summarized and discussed. Conclusively, the expanding of activated carbon adsorption represents a plausible and powerful circumstance, leading to the superior improvement of environmental preservation.
Microbial flocs formed from raw textile wastewater in a prototype Aerobic Biofilm Reactor (ABR) system were characterised and studied for their potential use in the treatment of textile wastewater. After 90-100 days of operation, microbial flocs of loose irregular structures were obtained from the reactor with good settling velocity of 33 m/h and sludge volume index (SVI) of 48.2 mL/g. Molecular analysis of the flocs using PCR-amplified 16S rDNA sequence showed 98% homology to those of Bacillus sp, Paenibacillus sp and Acromobacter sp. Detection of Ca(2+)(131 mg/g) and Fe(2+)(131 mg/g) using atomic absorption spectrometer might be implicated with the flocs formation. In addition, presence of Co(2+) and Ni(2+) were indicative of the flocs ability to accumulate at least a fraction of the metals' present in the wastewater. When the flocs were used for the treatment of raw textile wastewater, they showed good removal of COD and colour about 55% and 70% respectively, indicating their potential application.
Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have been used for many years, and are distributed all over the world. This study focused on occurrences of PFCs, especially perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctonoic acid (PFOA) in Thai rivers and industrial estate discharges, while comparing results with rivers of other Asian countries (Japan, China, and Malaysia). Surveys were conducted in Chao Phraya River, Bangpakong River and three industrial estates. A solid phase extraction (SPE) and HPLC-ESI-MS/MS were used for the analysis of these chemicals. The average concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were 1.9 and 4.7 ng/L, respectively in Chao Phraya River, while lower concentrations were detected in Bangpakong River with the averages of 0.7 ng/L for both PFOS and PFOA. Higher concentrations were detected in all industrial estate discharges with the averages of 64.3 ng/L for PFOA and 17.9 ng/L for PFOS., Total loadings from three industrial estates were 1.93 g/d for PFOS and 11.81 g/d for PFOA. The concentration levels in Thai rivers were less than rivers in Japan, China, and Malaysia. However, PFCs loading rate of Chao Phraya River was much higher than Yodo River (Japan), due to the higher flow rate. The other six PFCs were found above the Limit of Quantification (LOQ) in most samples. PFHxS and PFNA were also highly detected in some river samples.
The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBRs) and sequencing batch reactor (SBR) in the simultaneous removal of p-nitrophenol (PNP) and ammoniacal nitrogen. SBBRs involved the use of polyurethane sponge cubes and polyethylene rings, respectively, as carrier materials. The results demonstrate that complete removal of PNP was achievable for the SBR and SBBRs up to the PNP concentration of 350 mg/l (loading rate of 0.368 kg/m3 d). At this loading rate, the average ammoniacal nitrogen removal efficiency for the SBR and SBBR (with polyethylene rings) was reduced to 86% and 96%, respectively. However, the SBBR (with polyurethane sponge cubes) still managed to achieve an almost 100% ammoniacal nitrogen removal. Based on the results, the performance of the SBBRs was better than that of SBR in PNP and ammoniacal nitrogen removal. The results of the gas chromatography mass spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet-visible analyses indicate that complete mineralization of PNP was achieved in all of the reactors.
The application of low-cost adsorbents obtained from plant wastes as a replacement for costly conventional methods of removing heavy metal ions from wastewater has been reviewed. It is well known that cellulosic waste materials can be obtained and employed as cheap adsorbents and their performance to remove heavy metal ions can be affected upon chemical treatment. In general, chemically modified plant wastes exhibit higher adsorption capacities than unmodified forms. Numerous chemicals have been used for modifications which include mineral and organic acids, bases, oxidizing agent, organic compounds, etc. In this review, an extensive list of plant wastes as adsorbents including rice husks, spent grain, sawdust, sugarcane bagasse, fruit wastes, weeds and others has been compiled. Some of the treated adsorbents show good adsorption capacities for Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and Ni.
The processing of amang, or tin tailings, for valuable minerals has been shown to technologically enhance NORM and this has stirred significant radiological safety and health concerns among Malaysia's regulatory authority. A growing radiological concern is now focused on the amang effluent containing NORM in recycling ponds, since these ponds may be reclaimed for future residential developments. A study was carried out to assess the radiological risk associated with amang processing and the accumulated effluent in the recycling ponds. Twenty-six sediment samples from the recycling ponds of two amang plants in the states of Selangor and Perak, Malaysia, were collected and analyzed. The maximum activity concentrations of (238)U, (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K recorded in sediments from these ponds were higher than Malaysia's and the world's natural highest. Correspondingly, the mean radium equivalent activity concentration indices, Ra(eq), and gamma radiation representative level index, I(gammar), were higher than the world's average. The enhancement of NORM in effluent sediments as a consequence of amang processing, and the use of a closed water management recycling system created Effective Dose Rates, E (nSv h(-1)), that signal potential environmental radiological risks in these ponds, should they be reclaimed for future land use.
An analytical HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of eight sulfonamides in swine wastewater was developed. The samples were collected from three states in Malaysia. Sample clean up was carried out by employing solid-phase extraction using a 60 mg Oasis HLB (Waters) cartridge with 3 ml reservoir. The HPLC column used was Supelcosil C18 (250 mm x 4.6mm I.D.) and elution was carried out using gradient mode. The mobile phases used were acetonitrile and 0.5% acetic acid in purified water. Antibiotics were detected using UV absorbance at 272 nm. Recoveries obtained for sulphanilamide ranged from 31.9+/-5.1% to 36.2+/-1.0%, while recoveries for other sulfa drugs studied were from 91.9+/-5.0% to 106.0+/-1.1%. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) for sulfamerazine, sulfamethazine and sulfamethoxypyridazine was 7.5 ng/L, while the LOQ for the other studied antibiotics was 5.0 ng/L. The method was used to analyse sulfonamides in wastewater collected from selected Malaysian swine facilities.
The process for the production of biodegradable plastic material (polyhydroxyalkanoates, PHAs) from microbial cells by mixed-bacterial cultivation using readily available waste (renewable resources) is the main consideration nowadays. These observations have shown impressive results typically under high carbon fraction, COD/N and COD/P (usually described as nutrient-limiting conditions) and warmest temperature (moderate condition). Therefore, the aim of this work is predominantly to select mixed cultures under high storage responded by cultivation on a substrate - non limited in a single batch reactor with shortest period for feeding and to characterize their storage response by using specific and kinetics determination. In that case, the selected-fixed temperature is 30 degrees C to establish tropical conditions. During the accumulated steady-state period, the cell growth was inhibited by high PHA content within the cells because of the carbon reserve consumption. From the experiments, there is no doubt about the PHA accumulation even at high carbon fraction ratio. Apparently, the best accumulation occurred at carbon fraction, 160 +/- 7.97 g COD/g N (PHAmean, = 44.54% of dried cells). Unfortunately, the highest PHA productivity was achieved at the high carbon fraction, 560 +/- 1.62 g COD/g N (0.152 +/- 0.17 g/l. min). Overall results showed that with high carbon fraction induced to the cultivation, the PO4 and NO3 can remove up to 20% in single cultivation.
Water pollution during festival periods is a major problem in all festival cities across the world. Reliable prediction of water pollution is essential in festival cities for sewer and wastewater management in order to ensure public health and a clean environment. This article aims to model the biological oxygen demand (BOD(5)), and total suspended solids (TSS) parameters in wastewater in the sewer networks of Karbala city center during festival and rainy days using structural equation modeling and multiple linear regression analysis methods. For this purpose, 34 years (1980-2014) of rainfall, temperature and sewer flow data during festival periods in the study area were collected, processed, and employed. The results show that the TSS concentration increases by 26-46 mg/l while BOD(5) concentration rises by 9-19 mg/l for an increase of rainfall by 1 mm during festival periods. It was also found that BOD(5) concentration rises by 4-17 mg/l for each increase of 10,000 population.
Polyelectrolyte-complex bilayer membrane (PCBM) was fabricated using biodegradable chitosan and alginate polymers for subsequent application in the treatment of bathroom greywater. In this study, the properties of PCBMs were studied and it was found that the formation of polyelectrolyte network reduced the molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) from 242kDa in chitosan membrane to 2.71kDa in PCBM. The decrease in MWCO of PCBM results in better greywater treatment efficiency, subsequently demonstrated in a greywater filtration study where treated greywater effluent met the household reclaimed water standard of <2 NTU turbidity and <30ppm total suspended solids (TSS). In addition, a further 20% improvement in chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was achieved as compared to a single layer chitosan membrane. Results from this study show that the biodegradable PCBM is a potential membrane material in producing clean treated greywater for non-potable applications.
The objective of this study is to investigate the respective effects of Zn, Pb and Cd as well as the combined effect of Zn, Pb, Cd and Cu on the removal of nitrogen and oxygen demand in constructed wetlands. Four laboratory-scale gravel-filled subsurface-flow constructed wetland units planted with cattails (Typha latifolia) were operated outdoors and fed with primary-treated domestic wastewater at a constant flow rate of 25 ml/min. After 6 months, three of the wetland units were fed with the same type of wastewater spiked with Zn(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II), respectively, at 20, 5 and 1 mg/l for a further 9 months. The remaining unit was fed with the same type of wastewater spiked with a combination of Zn(II), Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) at concentrations of 10, 2.5, 0.5 and 5 mg/l, respectively, over the same period. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammoniacal nitrogen (AN) concentrations were monitored at the inlet, outlet and three additional locations along the length of the wetland units to assess the performance of the wetland units at various metal loadings. At the end of the study, all cattail plants were harvested for the determination of total Kjeldahl nitrogen and metal concentrations. The results showed that the COD removal efficiency was practically independent of increasing metal loading or a combination of metal loadings during the duration of the study. In contrast, the AN removal efficiency deteriorated progressively with increasing metal loading. The relative effect of the heavy metals was found to increase in the order: Zn
This study deals with the preparation of activated carbon (CDSP) from date seed powder (DSP) by chemical activation to eliminate polyaromatic hydrocarbon-PAHs (naphthalene-C10H8) from synthetic wastewater. The chemical activation process was carried out using a weak Lewis acid of zinc acetate dihydrate salt (Zn(CH3CO2)2·2H2O). The equilibrium isotherm and kinetics analysis was carried out using DSP and CDSP samples, and their performances were compared for the removal of a volatile organic compound-naphthalene (C10H8)-from synthetic aqueous effluents or wastewater. The equilibrium isotherm data was analyzed using the linear regression model of the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin equations. The R2 values for the Langmuir isotherm were 0.93 and 0.99 for naphthalene (C10H8) adsorption using DSP and CDSP, respectively. CDSP showed a higher equilibrium sorption capacity (qe) of 379.64 µg/g. DSP had an equilibrium sorption capacity of 369.06 µg/g for C10H8. The rate of reaction was estimated for C10H8 adsorption using a pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order and Elovich kinetic equation. The reaction mechanism for both the sorbents (CDSP and DSP) was studied using the intraparticle diffusion model. The equilibrium data was well-fitted with the pseudo-second order kinetics model showing the chemisorption nature of the equilibrium system. CDSP showed a higher sorption performance than DSP due to its higher BET surface area and carbon content. Physiochemical characterizations of the DSP and CDSP samples were carried out using the BET surface area analysis, Fourier-scanning microscopic analysis (FSEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and Fourier-transform spectroscopic analysis (FTIR). A thermogravimetric and ultimate analysis was also carried out to determine the carbon content in both the sorbents (DSP and CDSP) here. This study confirms the potential of DSP and CDSP to remove C10H8 from lab-scale synthetic wastewater.