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Fekete-Kertész I, Márton R, Molnár M, Berkl Z, Hedwig S, Feigl V. Industrial ecotoxicology in focus: The unexplored environmental impacts of pilot-scale advanced filtration in Sc recovery. Heliyon 2024; 10:e33799. [PMID: 39027489 PMCID: PMC11255500 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The demand within the European Union (EU) for the crucial raw material Scandium (Sc), coupled with the lack of sufficient recovery strategies, has gravitated research into exploiting alternative secondary sources. Utilizing residues from ore-production processes has proven to be a successful attempt for advanced Sc recovery. Despite the emergence of new technologies for Sc recovery from such residues, the potential environmental impacts of byproducts and technology wastes are often disregarded. Our study aimed to assess the environmental efficiency of a pilot-scale Sc recovery technology that relies solely on filtration. We employed a problem-specific ecotoxicity toolkit based on the approach of Direct Toxicity Assessment (DTA). The results of DTA provide an indication of the scale of the adverse effect of (contaminated) samples without the necessity of translating the results into chemical concentration. Standardized test methods (Aliivibrio fischeri bioluminescence inhibition, Daphnia magna lethality and Sinapis al b a root and shoot elongation inhibition) were applied, supplemented by a bioconcentration assessment with the D. magna bioaccumulation test method to gain insight on the bioaccumulation potential of different metals in the case of all samples from the filtration technology. Comprehensive genotoxicity evaluations were also implemented using three distinct test methods (Ames test, Ames MPF test, SOS Chromotest). We conducted a comparative direct toxicity assessment to anticipate the potential environmental impacts of residues generated at each filtration step on the aquatic ecosystem. Our findings indicate that the environmental impact of the generated intermediate and final residues was alleviated by the consecutive filtration steps employed. The pilot-scale application of the Sc recovery technology achieved a high and statistically significant reduction in toxicity according to each test organism during the filtration processes. Specifically, toxicity decreased by 73 %, 86 % and 87 % according to the Aliivibrio fischeri bioluminescence inhibition assay, the Sinapis alba shoot elongation inhibition test, and the Daphnia magna lethality test, respectively. The toolbox of industrial ecotoxicology is recommended to predict the environmental performance of metal recovery technologies related to potential ecosystem effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ildikó Fekete-Kertész
- Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, H-1111, Budapest, Műegyetem rkp. 3., Hungary
| | - Rita Márton
- Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, H-1111, Budapest, Műegyetem rkp. 3., Hungary
| | - Mónika Molnár
- Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, H-1111, Budapest, Műegyetem rkp. 3., Hungary
| | - Zsófia Berkl
- Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, H-1111, Budapest, Műegyetem rkp. 3., Hungary
| | - Sebastian Hedwig
- Institute for Ecopreneurship, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, 4132, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Viktória Feigl
- Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, H-1111, Budapest, Műegyetem rkp. 3., Hungary
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Yeung K, Moore N, Sun J, Taylor-Edmonds L, Andrews S, Hofmann R, Peng H. Thiol Reactome: A Nontargeted Strategy to Precisely Identify Thiol Reactive Drinking Water Disinfection Byproducts. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:18722-18734. [PMID: 37022973 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The precise identification of predominant toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) from disinfected water is a longstanding challenge. We propose a new acellular analytical strategy, the 'Thiol Reactome', to identify thiol-reactive DBPs by employing a thiol probe and nontargeted mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. Disinfected/oxidized water samples had reduced cellular oxidative stress responses of 46 ± 23% in Nrf2 reporter cells when preincubated with glutathione (GSH). This supports thiol-reactive DBPs as the predominant drivers of oxidative stress. This method was benchmarked using seven classes of DBPs including haloacetonitriles, which preferentially reacted with GSH via substitution or addition depending on the number of halogens present. The method was then applied to chemically disinfected/oxidized waters, and 181 tentative DBP-GSH reaction products were detected. The formulas of 24 high abundance DBP-GSH adducts were predicted, among which nitrogenous-DBPs (11) and unsaturated carbonyls (4) were the predominant compound classes. Two major unsaturated carbonyl-GSH adducts, GSH-acrolein and GSH-acrylic acid, were confirmed by their authentic standards. These two adducts were unexpectedly formed from larger native DBPs when reacting with GSH. This study demonstrated the "Thiol Reactome" as an effective acellular assay to precisely identify and broadly capture toxic DBPs from water mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Yeung
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
- School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Nathan Moore
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Jianxian Sun
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Lizbeth Taylor-Edmonds
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Susan Andrews
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Ronald Hofmann
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Hui Peng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
- School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
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Yusuf A, O'Flynn D, White B, Holland L, Parle-McDermott A, Lawler J, McCloughlin T, Harold D, Huerta B, Regan F. Monitoring of emerging contaminants of concern in the aquatic environment: a review of studies showing the application of effect-based measures. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2021; 13:5120-5143. [PMID: 34726207 DOI: 10.1039/d1ay01184g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Water scarcity is increasingly a global cause of concern mainly due to widespread changes in climate conditions and increased consumptive water use driven by the exponential increase in population growth. In addition, increased pollution of fresh water sources due to rising production and consumption of pharmaceuticals and organic chemicals will further exacerbate this concern. Although surface water contamination by individual chemicals is often at very low concentration, pharmaceuticals for instance are designed to be efficacious at low concentrations, creating genuine concern for their presence in freshwater sources. Furthermore, the additive impact of multiple compounds may result in toxic or other biological effects that otherwise will not be induced by individual chemicals. Globally, different legislative frameworks have led to pre-emptive efforts which aim to ensure good water ecological status. Reports detailing the use and types of effect-based measures covering specific bioassay batteries that can identify specific mode of actions of chemical pollutants in the aquatic ecosystem to evaluate the real threat of pollutants to aquatic lives and ultimately human lives have recently emerged from monitoring networks such as the NORMAN network. In this review, we critically evaluate some studies within the last decade that have implemented effect-based monitoring of pharmaceuticals and organic chemicals in aquatic fauna, evaluating the occurrence of different chemical pollutants and the impact of these pollutants on aquatic fauna with special focus on pollutants that are contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in urban wastewater. A critical discussion on studies that have used effect-based measures to assess biological impact of pharmaceutical/organic compound in the aquatic ecosystem and the endpoints measurements employed is presented. The application of effect-based monitoring of chemicals other than assessment of water quality status is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azeez Yusuf
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Dublin, Ireland.
- Water Institute, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Dylan O'Flynn
- School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Dublin, Ireland
- Water Institute, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Blanaid White
- School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Dublin, Ireland
- Water Institute, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Linda Holland
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Dublin, Ireland.
- Water Institute, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Anne Parle-McDermott
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Dublin, Ireland.
- Water Institute, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jenny Lawler
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Dublin, Ireland.
- Water Institute, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
- Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Thomas McCloughlin
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Dublin, Ireland.
- Water Institute, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Denise Harold
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Belinda Huerta
- School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Dublin, Ireland
- Water Institute, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Fiona Regan
- School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Dublin, Ireland
- Water Institute, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
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Khorasani H, Xu J, Nguyen T, Kralles Z, Westerhoff P, Dai N, Zhu Z. Contribution of wastewater- versus non-wastewater-derived sources to haloacetonitriles formation potential in a wastewater-impacted river. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 792:148355. [PMID: 34147808 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Population growth and urbanization have led to the increasing presence of treated wastewater effluents in downstream drinking water sources. Drinking water sources influenced by organic matter from upstream wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are thought prone to the formation of haloacetonitriles (HANs), a group of nitrogenous disinfection by-products (DBPs) that can exhibit higher toxicity than currently regulated carbonaceous DBPs. We develop a framework for studying the HAN formation potential (HAN-FP) considering the WWTP and non-WWTP related sources of HAN precursors, and apply this framework to a representative WWTP-impacted river, the Illinois River, USA. A spatiotemporally-resolved river hydrodynamic and water quality model is developed using HEC-RAS to quantify the contribution of WWTP versus non-WWTP sources of HAN-FP precursors. Results show that non-WWTP sources of HAN-FP are considerable, accounting for up to 78% of HAN-FP concentration. Moreover, the contribution of the two sources varies due to streamflow discharge variability. During lower flows, the contribution of WWTPs drives the high concentration of HAN-FP and during higher flows, the contribution of non-WWTP sources becomes dominant. As a result, a high risk of HAN-FP may exist persistently (HAN-FP concentration is always larger than 9.7 μg/L in this study), not only during low flows but also during high flows due to both wastewater- and non-wastewater-derived HAN-FP sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Khorasani
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Jiale Xu
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA; Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Thuy Nguyen
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-3005, USA
| | - Zachary Kralles
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Paul Westerhoff
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-3005, USA
| | - Ning Dai
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Zhenduo Zhu
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
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Lau SS, Forster AL, Richardson SD, Mitch WA. Disinfection Byproduct Recovery during Extraction and Concentration in Preparation for Chemical Analyses or Toxicity Assays. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:14136-14145. [PMID: 34618438 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Over 700 disinfection byproducts (DBPs) have been identified, but they account for only ∼30% of total organic halogen (TOX). Extracting disinfected water is necessary to assess the overall toxicity of both known and unknown DBPs. Commonly used DBP extraction methods include liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE), which may use either XAD resins or other polymeric sorbents. With few exceptions, DBP recoveries have not been quantified. We compared recoveries by LLE, XAD resins, and a mixture of Phenomenex Sepra SPE sorbents (hereafter SPE) for (semi-)volatile DBPs and nonvolatile model compounds at the 1-L scale. We scaled up the three methods to extract DBPs in 10 L of chlorinated creek waters. For (semi-)volatile DBPs, XAD resulted in lower recoveries than LLE and SPE at both 1- and 10-L scales. At the 10-L scale, recovery of certain trihalomethanes and trihalogenated haloacetic acids by XAD was negligible, while recovery of other (semi-)volatile DBPs extracted by XAD (<30%) was lower than by SPE or LLE (30-60%). TOX recovery at the 10-L scale was generally similar by the three extraction methods. The low TOX recovery (<30%) indicates that the toxicity assessed by bioassays predominantly reflects the contribution of the nonvolatile, hydrophobic fraction of DBPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie S Lau
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Alexandria L Forster
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Susan D Richardson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - William A Mitch
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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Zhang T, Xu Q, Shi YL, Chen Z, Lu Y, Yang HW, Xie YF, Hou L. Study on the influence of operational and management processes of a water reclamation plant since COVID-19 situation. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 285:117257. [PMID: 33957510 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Reusing treated wastewater can effectively alleviate water shortages and water contamination problems but depends on ensuring the safety of the reclaimed water that is produced. The operating and management conditions for water reclamation plants in China have been changed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in China at the end of 2019 to prevent emerging viruses being spread through wastewater treatment processes and the reclaimed water that is produced. Removal of pathogens and trace organic compounds (e.g., pharmaceuticals and personal care products and endocrine disrupting chemicals) in a real water reclamation plant after the start of COVID-19 epidemic was studied. Disinfection byproduct formation caused by chlorine being added to meet disinfection requirements was also assessed. The pathogenic microorganism concentrations in effluent were <2 (most probable number)/L, and the removal rates for most trace organic compounds were >80% when advanced treatments were performed using ozone, ultraviolet light, and chlorine doses of 2 mg/L, 20.5 mJ/cm2, and 2-3 mg/L, respectively. The main disinfection byproduct produced at a chlorine dose of 2 mg/L and a residence time of 1 h was chloroform (at concentrations <15 μg/L). The results indicated that the water reclamation processes with modified conditions gave high pathogen and trace organic compound removal rates and reasonably well-controlled disinfection byproduct concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China; State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), Beijing Laboratory for Environmental Frontier Technologies, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Qi Xu
- Research Center, Beijing Drainage Group Company Limited, Beijing, 100022, China
| | - Yu-Long Shi
- Research Center, Beijing Drainage Group Company Limited, Beijing, 100022, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), Beijing Laboratory for Environmental Frontier Technologies, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Yun Lu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), Beijing Laboratory for Environmental Frontier Technologies, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hong-Wei Yang
- Research Institute for Environmental Innovation (Suzhou), Tsinghua University, Suzhou, 215163, China
| | - Yuefeng F Xie
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Microorganism Application and Risk Control (SMARC), Beijing Laboratory for Environmental Frontier Technologies, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Environmental Engineering Programs, Pennsylvania State University, Middletown, PA, 17057, USA
| | - Li'an Hou
- Xi'an High-Tech Institute, Shaanxi, Xi'an, 710025, China
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Krakkó D, Illés Á, Licul-Kucera V, Dávid B, Dobosy P, Pogonyi A, Demeter A, Mihucz VG, Dóbé S, Záray G. Application of (V)UV/O 3 technology for post-treatment of biologically treated wastewater: A pilot-scale study. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 275:130080. [PMID: 33667764 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
For the first time, high energy VUV photons and generation of O3 by (V)UV lamps were applied together for removal of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from biologically treated wastewater (BTWW) in pilot-scale. The core of the pilot container unit was a photoreactor assembly consisting of six photoreactors, each containing a low-pressure Hg lamp (UV dose of 1.2 J/cm2 and 6.6 J/cm2 at 185 nm and 254 nm, respectively). BTWW was irradiated (4.75 min residence time) by (V)UV light in presence of in situ photochemically generated O3 from coolant air of the lamps. Experiments were conducted at the site of two wastewater treatment plants. Out of seven target APIs (namely carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, diclofenac, metoprolol, sitagliptin, and sulfamethoxazole), 80-100% removal was accomplished for five and 40-80% for two compounds. Two degradation products of carbamazepine were detected. Degradation products of other target compounds were not found. The applied O3 dose was 30-45 μg O3/mg dissolved organic carbon. Inactivation of up to log-4.8, log-4.5 and log-3.8 could be achieved for total coliform, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis, respectively. SOS Chromotest indicated no genotoxicity nor acute toxicity. Generation of neither NH4+, NO2- nor NO3- was observed during post-treatment. Electric energy per order values were calculated for the first time for (V)UV/O3 treatment in BTWW with a median value of 1.5 kWh/m3. This technology can be proposed for post-treatment of BTWWs of small settlements or livestock farms to degrade micropollutants before water discharge or for production of irrigation water. Further studies are essential in pilot-scale for other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dániel Krakkó
- Laboratory for Environmental Chemistry and Bioanalytics, Institute of Chemistry, ELTE - Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117, Budapest, Pázmány Péter Sétány 1/A, Hungary; Cooperative Research Center for Environmental Sciences, ELTE - Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117, Budapest, Pázmány Péter Sétány 1/A, Hungary
| | - Ádám Illés
- Green Chemistry Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, H-1117, Budapest, Magyar Tudósok körútja 2, Hungary
| | - Viktória Licul-Kucera
- Laboratory for Environmental Chemistry and Bioanalytics, Institute of Chemistry, ELTE - Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117, Budapest, Pázmány Péter Sétány 1/A, Hungary; Cooperative Research Center for Environmental Sciences, ELTE - Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117, Budapest, Pázmány Péter Sétány 1/A, Hungary
| | - Bence Dávid
- Inwatech Environmental Ltd., H-1124, Budapest, Németvölgyi út 114, Hungary
| | - Péter Dobosy
- Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, H-1113, Budapest, Karolina út 29-31, Hungary
| | - Andrea Pogonyi
- LightTech Lamp Technology Ltd, H-2120, Dunakeszi, Hegyrejáró utca 1, Hungary
| | - Attila Demeter
- Green Chemistry Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, H-1117, Budapest, Magyar Tudósok körútja 2, Hungary
| | - Victor G Mihucz
- Laboratory for Environmental Chemistry and Bioanalytics, Institute of Chemistry, ELTE - Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117, Budapest, Pázmány Péter Sétány 1/A, Hungary; Cooperative Research Center for Environmental Sciences, ELTE - Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117, Budapest, Pázmány Péter Sétány 1/A, Hungary
| | - Sándor Dóbé
- Green Chemistry Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, H-1117, Budapest, Magyar Tudósok körútja 2, Hungary
| | - Gyula Záray
- Laboratory for Environmental Chemistry and Bioanalytics, Institute of Chemistry, ELTE - Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117, Budapest, Pázmány Péter Sétány 1/A, Hungary; Cooperative Research Center for Environmental Sciences, ELTE - Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117, Budapest, Pázmány Péter Sétány 1/A, Hungary; Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, H-1113, Budapest, Karolina út 29-31, Hungary.
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Liu M, Li X, He Y, Li H. Aquatic toxicity of heavy metal-containing wastewater effluent treated using vertical flow constructed wetlands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 727:138616. [PMID: 32325314 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The effluent from municipal wastewater can be discharged into the surface water once the chemical parameters meet the standard requirements. However, little attention has been paid to assess the toxicity of the effluent in the receiving water. In this study, vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) were used to treat the heavy metal-containing wastewater. In addition, the toxicity of the effluent towards Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Daphnia magna was evaluated. The results showed that the VFCWs removed nearly 80% of the total nitrogen, nitrate, and Cd2+ from the wastewater during a 60 day operation. Acute toxicity assessments demonstrated that incubating the plankton in 10% (v/v) effluent enhanced their growth, but a further increase in the effluent proportion (50% and 100%) exhibited detrimental effects towards the aquatic organisms. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities in C. pyrenoidosa and D. magna peaked but then decreased with the increasing effluent proportion, indicating that incubation in a higher proportion of the effluent could damage the anti-oxidative capabilities of the organisms, which aligned with the enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents. After 96 h of incubation, the assimilation of Cd2+ was most obvious in all the studied effluent gradients in comparison to Cu2+ and Pb2+. Additionally, the correlation analysis between the plankton growth and heavy metal removal revealed that Cd2+ removal clearly benefited the growth of C. pyrenoidosa and D. magna. These results suggest that additional endeavor should be made on the heavy metal removal, to reduce the potential ecological risk of the final discharge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment of Three Gorges Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Xiaoting Li
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment of Three Gorges Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Yixin He
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment of Three Gorges Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Hong Li
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment of Three Gorges Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
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