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Stankiewicz K, Boroń P, Prajsnar J, Żelazny M, Heliasz M, Hunter W, Lenart-Boroń A. Second life of water and wastewater in the context of circular economy - Do the membrane bioreactor technology and storage reservoirs make the recycled water safe for further use? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 921:170995. [PMID: 38378066 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
In recent years water demand drastically increased which is particularly evident in tourism-burdened mountain regions. In these areas, climate neutral circular economy strategies to minimize human impact on the environment can be successfully applied. Among these strategies, treated wastewater reuse and retaining water in storage reservoirs deserve particular attention. This study aimed to determine if recycled water produced with two circular economy systems, namely membrane bioreactor treatment plant (MBR) with UV-light effluent disinfection and a storage reservoir, is safe enough for further use in green areas irrigation in summer and artificial snow production in winter. The assessment was based on the presence and concentration of antimicrobial agents, antibiotic resistant bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes, bacterial community composition and diversity. The treated water and wastewater was compared with natural water in their vicinity. Both systems fulfill the criteria set by the European Union in terms of reclaimed water suitable for reuse. Although the MBR/UV light wastewater treatment substantially reduced the numbers of E. coli and E. faecalis (from e.g. 32,000 CFU/100 ml to 20 CFU/100 ml and 15,000 CFU/100 ml to nearly 0 CFU/ml), bacteria resistant to ampicillin, aztreonam, cefepime, ceftazidime, ertapenem and tigecycline, as well as ESBL-positive and multidrug resistant E. coli were highly prevalent in MBR-treated wastewater (88.9 %, 55.6 %, 33.3 %, 22.2 % and 11.1 % and 44.4 and 55.6 %, respectively). Applying additional tertiary treatment technology is recommended. Retaining water in storage reservoirs nearly eliminated bacterial contaminants (e.g. E. coli dropped from 350 CFU/100 ml to 10 CFU/100 ml), antibiotic resistant bacteria, resistance genes (none detected in the storage reservoir) and antibiotics (only enrofloxacin detected once in the concentration of 3.20 ng/l). Findings of this study point to the limitations of solely culture-based assessment of reclaimed water and wastewater while they may prove useful in risk management and prevention in wastewater reuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia Stankiewicz
- Department of Microbiology and Biomonitoring, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Kraków, Adam Mickiewicz Ave. 24/28, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Boroń
- Department of Forest Ecosystems Protection, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 29 Listopada Ave. 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Justyna Prajsnar
- Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek Str. 8, 30-239 Kraków, Poland
| | - Mirosław Żelazny
- Department of Hydrology, Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gronostajowa Str. 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Miłosz Heliasz
- Scientific Circle of Biotechnologists, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 29 Listpada Ave. 54, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Walter Hunter
- Scientific Circle of Biotechnologists, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 29 Listpada Ave. 54, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Lenart-Boroń
- Department of Microbiology and Biomonitoring, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Kraków, Adam Mickiewicz Ave. 24/28, 30-059 Kraków, Poland.
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Jucyte-Cicine A, Lorre E, Petkuviene J, Gasiunaite ZR, Politi T, Vybernaite-Lubiene I, Zilius M. Coastal wastewater treatment plants as a source of endocrine disrupting micropollutants: a case study of Lithuania in the Baltic Sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 200:116084. [PMID: 38309175 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
In temperate coastal areas, the resident population often increases during holidays. As a result, this can lead to higher wastewater production and release of pollutants. The connection between micropollutants such as plasticizers and hormones with the changing resident population along the Baltic Sea coast has yet to be thoroughly studied. Therefore, we have monitored the wastewater quality and specific micropollutants before and after treatment at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) at small and large seaside resorts. The findings indicate a strong link between tourism indicators and wastewater production during the summer months. The rise in different micropollutants, specifically plasticizers, during the summer demonstrates a link with tourism activity. Furthermore, we have identified a non-linear association between the tourism indicators and the total estrogenic equivalent (EEQ). Overall, this research particularly emphasizes the growing importance of wastewater quality in terms of conventional nutrient pollution and various micropollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elise Lorre
- Marine Research Institute, Klaipeda University, Klaipeda, Lithuania
| | | | | | - Tobia Politi
- Marine Research Institute, Klaipeda University, Klaipeda, Lithuania
| | | | - Mindaugas Zilius
- Marine Research Institute, Klaipeda University, Klaipeda, Lithuania
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Sherman J, Tzortziou M, Turner KJ, Greenfield DI, Menendez A. Deciphering the water quality impacts of COVID-19 human mobility shifts in estuaries surrounding New York City. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:164953. [PMID: 37385510 PMCID: PMC10299840 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic altered human mobility, particularly in large metropolitan areas. In New York City (NYC), stay-at-home orders and social distancing led to significant decreases in commuting, tourism, and a surge of outward migration. Such changes could result in decreased anthropogenic pressure on local environments. Several studies have linked COVID-19 shutdowns with improvements in water quality. However, the bulk of these studies primarily focused on short-term impacts during shutdown periods, without assessing longer-term impacts as restrictions eased. Here, we examine both concurrent lockdown and societal reopening impacts on water quality, using pre-pandemic baseline conditions, in two highly urbanized estuaries surrounding NYC, the New-York Harbor estuary and Long Island Sound (LIS). We compiled datasets from 2017 to 2021 of mass-transit ridership, work-from-home trends, and municipal wastewater effluent to assess changes in human mobility and anthropogenic pressure during multiple waves of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. These were linked to changes in water quality assessed using high spatiotemporal ocean color remote sensing, which provides near-daily observations across the estuary study regions. To distinguish anthropogenic impacts from natural environmental variability, we examined meteorological/hydrological conditions, primarily precipitation and wind. Our results show that nitrogen loading into the New York Harbor declined significantly in the spring of 2020 and remained below pre-pandemic values through 2021. In contrast, nitrogen loading into LIS remained closer to the pre-pandemic average. In response, water clarity in New-York Harbor significantly improved, with less of a change in LIS. We further show that changes in nitrogen loading had higher impact on water quality than meteorological conditions. Our study demonstrates the value of remote sensing observations in assessing water quality changes when field-based monitoring is hindered and highlights the complex nature of urban estuaries and their heterogeneous response to changes in extreme events and human behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Sherman
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The City College of New York, The City University of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Maria Tzortziou
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The City College of New York, The City University of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA..
| | - Kyle J Turner
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The City College of New York, The City University of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Dianne I Greenfield
- Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA; School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College, The City University of New York, Flushing, NY 11367, USA
| | - Alana Menendez
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The City College of New York, The City University of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA
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Napiórkowska-Krzebietke A, Dunalska JA, Bogacka-Kapusta E. Ecological Implications in a Human-Impacted Lake-A Case Study of Cyanobacterial Blooms in a Recreationally Used Water Body. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:5063. [PMID: 36981972 PMCID: PMC10049155 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20065063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This study was aimed primarily at describing the planktonic assemblages with special attention to invasive and toxin-producing cyanobacterial species in the context of ecological and health threats. The second aim was to analyze the aspect of recreational pressure, which may enhance the cyanobacterial blooms, and, as a consequence, the negative changes and loss of planktonic biodiversity. This study was carried out in recreationally used Lake Sztynorckie throughout the whole growing season of 2020 and included an assessment of the abundance and biomass of phytoplankton (cyanobacteria and algae) in relation to environmental variables. The total biomass was in the range of 28-70 mg L-1, which is typical for strong blooms. The dominant filamentous cyanobacteria were Pseudanabaena limnetica, Limnothrix redekei, Planktolyngbya limnetica, and Planktothrix agarhii, and three invasive nostocalean species Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides, Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi, and Raphidiopsis raciborskii. They can pose a serious threat not only to the ecosystem but also to humans because of the possibility of cyanobacteria producing cyanotoxins, such as microcystins, saxitoxins, anatoxin-a, and cylindrospermopsins, having hepatotoxic, cytotoxic, neurotoxic, and dermatoxic effects. The water quality was assessed as water bodies had bad ecological status (based on phytoplankton), were highly meso-eutrophic (based on zooplankton), and had very low trophic efficiency and low biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Napiórkowska-Krzebietke
- Department of Ichthyology, Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecology, National Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Oczapowskiego 10, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Julita Anna Dunalska
- Institute of Geography, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Jana Bażyńskiego 8, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Bogacka-Kapusta
- Department of Lake Fisheries, National Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Rajska 2, 11-500 Giżycko, Poland
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Lenart-Boroń A, Boroń P, Kulik K, Prajsnar J, Żelazny M, Chmiel MJ. Anthropogenic pollution gradient along a mountain river affects bacterial community composition and genera with potential pathogenic species. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18140. [PMID: 36307524 PMCID: PMC9614195 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22642-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Mountain regions in Poland are among the most frequently visited tourist destinations, causing a significant anthropogenic pressure put on the local rivers. In this study, based on numbers of 9 microorganisms, content of 17 antibiotics and 17 physicochemical parameters, we determined a pollution gradient in six sites along Białka, a typical mountain river in southern Poland. The E.coli/Staphylococcus ratio varied evidently between polluted and non-polluted sites, indicating that the possible utility of this parameter in assessing the anthropogenic impact on river ecosystems is worth further investigation. Then, using next generation sequencing, we assessed the changes in bacterial community structure and diversity as a response to the pollution gradient. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the most abundant phyla in the majority of samples. Actinobacteria were the most abundant in the most pristine (groundwater) sample, while Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobia were more prevalent in polluted sites. Bacterial diversity at various levels increased with water pollution. Eleven bacterial genera potentially containing pathogenic species were detected in the examined samples, among which Acinetobacter, Rhodococcus, and Mycobacterium were the most frequent. At the species level, Acinetobacter johnsonii was most prevalent potential pathogen, detected in all surface water samples, including the pristine ones. Two bacterial taxa-genus Flectobacillus and order Clostridiales showed very distinct variation in the relative abundance between the polluted and non-polluted sites, indicating their possible potential as biomarkers of anthropogenic impact on mountain river waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lenart-Boroń
- grid.410701.30000 0001 2150 7124Department of Microbiology and Biomonitoring, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Kraków, Adam Mickiewicz Ave. 24/28, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Boroń
- grid.410701.30000 0001 2150 7124Department of Forest Ecosystems Protection, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 29 Listopada Ave. 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Klaudia Kulik
- grid.410701.30000 0001 2150 7124Department of Microbiology and Biomonitoring, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Kraków, Adam Mickiewicz Ave. 24/28, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
| | - Justyna Prajsnar
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek Str. 8, 30-239 Kraków, Poland
| | - Mirosław Żelazny
- grid.5522.00000 0001 2162 9631Department of Hydrology, Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gronostajowa Str. 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Maria J. Chmiel
- grid.410701.30000 0001 2150 7124Department of Microbiology and Biomonitoring, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Kraków, Adam Mickiewicz Ave. 24/28, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
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Tracing the Impact Pathways of COVID-19 on Tourism and Developing Strategies for Resilience and Adaptation in Iran. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14095508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 epidemic has caused unprecedented impacts on the travel and tourism industry. The current study traced the impacts of COVID-19 on tourism in Iran using an “Impact Pathway (IP)” approach to identify impacts and possible mitigation strategies. The results illustrate two main impact pathways: negative impacts along the economic-institutional and socio-cultural dimensions, and positive impacts along the physical-environmental dimension. Using SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) and ANP (analytic network process) models, we identified defensive and review strategies as optimal for increasing resilience against the impacts of COVID-19. These strategies control the threats and weaknesses of negative impacts and enhance the opportunities and strengths emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic for tourism. We use this information to identify optimal strategies for dealing with the impacts of this crisis on tourism. Most prominently among them is the development of an integrated management system that improves the coordination of the response of local government to crisis and that better orchestrates the combined efforts and integration of non-governmental organizations.
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Economic Development and Mountain Tourism Research from 2010 to 2020: Bibliometric Analysis and Science Mapping Approach. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14010562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Due to hectic city lives and the growing health concerns in light of the global pandemic, mountain tourism has become increasingly popular worldwide, which has increased the related research. Based on traditional bibliometric laws, such as those authored by Price, Bradford, Lotka, and Zipf, this study acquired 1413 mountain tourism journal articles via bibliometric analysis and identified the most influential journal articles, researchers, and countries in mountain tourism research as indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database during 2010–2020. The keyword analysis revealed mountain tourism’s emerging research topics, including climate change, sustainable development, sustainability, sustainable tourism, protected areas, rural tourism, and conservation. The most influential journal was Sustainability in the mountain tourism. The research results showed that China, the U.S., and Romania produced the most significant mountain tourism articles indexed in the WoS. Most developed countries in Europe had the highest average and average normalized citations, which indicated that they may have more influence in this field as compared to other countries. Some developing countries, such as India, Nepal, and China, had higher citations, average citations, and/or average normalized citations than other countries. The main research trend was the sustainable development aspect of mountain-based tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified the research gap in WoS; although there is some research shedding light on tourism via bibliometrics, mountain tourism bibliometric analysis and science mapping via VOSViewer is scarce. The paper summarizes the critical aspects of the current discussion of sustainable mountain tourism, such as transport and coopetition (i.e., combing with cooperation and competition) in mountain tourism areas. The results indicated that government agencies and destination managers need to strike a balance between sustainable mountain tourism development and environment and natural landscape conservation after COVID-19.
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