scholarly journals Chemometric Assessment of Bulgarian Wastewater Treatment Plants’ Effluents

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (19) ◽  
pp. 4408
Author(s):  
Galina Yotova ◽  
Tony Venelinov ◽  
Stefan Tsakovski

Surface water quality strongly depends on anthropogenic activity. Among the main anthropogenic sources of this activity are the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. The discharged loads of nutrients and suspended solids could provoke serious problems for receiving water bodies and significantly alter the surface water quality. This study presents inventory analysis and chemometric assessment of WWTP effluents based on the mandatory monitoring data. The comparison between the Bulgarian WWTPs and previously reported data from other countries reveals that discharged loads from investigated WWTPs are lower. This is particularly valid for total suspended solids (TSS). The low TSS loads are the reason for the deviations of the typical calculated WWTP effluent ratios of Bulgarian WWTPs compared to the WWTPs worldwide. The performed multivariate analysis reveals the hidden factors that determine the content of WWTP effluents. The source apportioning based on multivariate curve resolution analysis provides detailed information for source contribution profiles of the investigated WWTP effluent loads and elucidate the difference between WWTPs included in this study.

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Dipitseng Manamela ◽  
Omotayo Awofolu

This article investigates the impact of anthropogenic activities on an important surface water from physico-chemical, chemical and microbial perspectives. The surface water, referred to as Blesbokspruit is in the West Rand District of South Africa. Potential impactors include wastewater treatment plant, mines, farmlands and informal settlements. Water samples were collected from nine purposively selected sampling points and analysed in 2014. The mean values of analysed variables across sampling sites and periods ranged from pH: 7.4-8.4; EC: 93.0 - 146.6 mS/m; TSS: 11.3 – 39.0 mg/L; TDS: 590.3 - 1020.3 mg/L; COD: 15.6- 34.8 mg/L. Those for anions varied from NO3-: 0.2- 2.1 (mg/L) N; PO43- : 0.4-0.9 mg/L and SO42-: 118.6 - 379.5 mg/L. The metallic variables ranged from As: 0.01-0.06 mg/L; Cd: 0.02-0.06 mg/L; Fe: 0.04-0.73 mg/L; Cu: 0.02 – 0.05 mg/L and Zn: 0.05 – 0.15 mg/L. The Faecal coliform varied from 15.9-16878.5 cfu/100 ml; Total coliform: 92.9-430294 cfu/100 ml and HPC from 4322.5-39776 cfu/1ml. Detection of toxic metals and pathogenic organisms above target safety limits indicate unsuitability of the water for domestic use with impact on the health of aquatic ecosystem. The study generally revealed the impact of anthropogenic activities on the surface water quality.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 487-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Yu ◽  
Joachim Rozemeijer ◽  
Boris M. van Breukelen ◽  
Maarten Ouboter ◽  
Corné van der Vlugt ◽  
...  

Abstract. The Amsterdam area, a highly manipulated delta area formed by polders and reclaimed lakes, struggles with high nutrient levels in its surface water system. The polders receive spatially and temporally variable amounts of water and nutrients via surface runoff, groundwater seepage, sewer leakage, and via water inlets from upstream polders. Diffuse anthropogenic sources, such as manure and fertiliser use and atmospheric deposition, add to the water quality problems in the polders. The major nutrient sources and pathways have not yet been clarified due to the complex hydrological system in lowland catchments with both urban and agricultural areas. In this study, the spatial variability of the groundwater seepage impact was identified by exploiting the dense groundwater and surface water monitoring networks in Amsterdam and its surrounding polders. A total of 25 variables (concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), NH4, NO3, HCO3, SO4, Ca, and Cl in surface water and groundwater, N and P agricultural inputs, seepage rate, elevation, land-use, and soil type) for 144 polders were analysed statistically and interpreted in relation to sources, transport mechanisms, and pathways. The results imply that groundwater is a large source of nutrients in the greater Amsterdam mixed urban–agricultural catchments. The groundwater nutrient concentrations exceeded the surface water environmental quality standards (EQSs) in 93 % of the polders for TP and in 91 % for TN. Groundwater outflow into the polders thus adds to nutrient levels in the surface water. High correlations (R2 up to 0.88) between solutes in groundwater and surface water, together with the close similarities in their spatial patterns, confirmed the large impact of groundwater on surface water chemistry, especially in the polders that have high seepage rates. Our analysis indicates that the elevated nutrient and bicarbonate concentrations in the groundwater seepage originate from the decomposition of organic matter in subsurface sediments coupled to sulfate reduction and possibly methanogenesis. The large loads of nutrient-rich groundwater seepage into the deepest polders indirectly affect surface water quality in the surrounding area, because excess water from the deep polders is pumped out and used to supply water to the surrounding infiltrating polders in dry periods. The study shows the importance of the connection between groundwater and surface water nutrient chemistry in the greater Amsterdam area. We expect that taking account of groundwater–surface water interaction is also important in other subsiding and urbanising deltas around the world, where water is managed intensively in order to enable agricultural productivity and achieve water-sustainable cities.


2010 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 380-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Benedetti ◽  
Webbey De Keyser ◽  
Ingmar Nopens ◽  
Peter A. Vanrolleghem

Process choice and dimensioning of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is difficult while ensuring regulatory standards are met and cost-efficiency is maintained. This step only accounts for a small fraction of the upfront costs, but can lead to substantial savings. This paper illustrates the results of a systematic methodology to evaluate system upgrade options by means of dynamic modelling. In contrast to conventional practice, the presented approach allows the most appropriate trade-off between cost of measures and effluent quality to be chosen and the reliability of a process layout to be assessed by means of uncertainty analysis. In a hypothetical case study, thirteen WWTP upgrade options are compared in terms of their effluent quality and economic performance. A further comparison of two options with regard to the resulting receiving water quality reveals the paramount importance of this aspect, and highlights the inadequacy of evaluation frameworks limited to the performance relative to a sub-system (WWTP effluent) when a wider perspective (as induced by the EU Water Framework Directive) has to be adopted.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (42) ◽  
pp. 78-85
Author(s):  
Giao Thanh Nguyen

Water quality is critical for a healthy ecosystem, this study was conducted to evaluate the surface water quality in lakes in An Giang Province from 2017 to 2019. Water quality was assessed using variables of temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), nitrate (NO3- - N), phosphate (PO3 4- - P ), ammonia (NH+ 4 - N), and coliforms at nine locationsbelonging to seven reservoirs including O Tuk Sa, Thuy Liem, Soai So, Soai Chek, O Thum, O Ta Soc, and Bung Binh Thien. Water quality criteria were assessed according to the National Technical Regulation on Surface Water Quality (QCVN 08-MT: 2015/BTNMT). Cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA)were applied to group water quality to identify the main parameters affecting water quality in the reservoirs. The findings indicated that the water quality in the reservoirs were polluted by TSS, organic matters (DO was low, while COD and BOD were high), and microorganisms (coliforms). The PCA analysis showed that the watervariables including temperature, pH, DO, TSS, COD, BOD, NO3- - N, PO3 4- - P , NO3- - N, and coliforms significantly influenced the surface of the water in the reservoirs. It is necessary to investigate pollution sources to propose appropriate solutions to treat and maintain the water quality in the reservoirs of An Giang Province .


Water ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
Roxana Zait ◽  
Brindusa Sluser ◽  
Daniela Fighir ◽  
Oana Plavan ◽  
Carmen Teodosiu

The Integrated Water Resources Management regulations aim to ensure a good status of surface water quality and its sustainable use. Water quality monitoring of various water users supports the identification of pollution sources and their environmental impacts. The priority pollutants generated by wastewater discharges from municipal, industrial wastewater treatment plants or agricultural areas are of great interest due to their eco-toxicological effects and bio-accumulative properties. The aim of this study was to monitor the priority organic and inorganic pollutants from the Siret River basin, in Romania, with the purpose of assessing the surface water quality status and evaluating it by the Water Quality Index (WAWQI) method. The monitoring of inorganic priority pollutants (e.g., As, Cd, Hg, Ni, Pb) and organic priority pollutants (e.g., Naphthalene, Anthracene, Phenanthrene, Fluoranthene, Benzo(a)anthracene, Benzo(b)fluoranthene, Benzo(k)fluoranthene, Benzo(a)pyrene, Benzo(ghi)perylene, Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, α, β, and γ-Hexachlorocyclohexane, and Di-2-ethyl-hexyl-phthalate) was conducted within the Siret River basin, during the period 2015–2020. With this purpose, 21 sampling points (18 river sections and 3 lakes) were considered to assess the water quality. The results of this study proved that the water quality within the Siret River basin is generally classified in the 2nd or 3rd class. The spatial distribution of the water quality index values, using ARCGIS, also highlighted the fact that the water quality is mostly unsuitable for drinking water supplies, being influenced by the quality of its main tributaries, as well as by the effluent of wastewater treatment plants.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALEXANDRE DE OLIVEIRA LIMA ◽  
◽  
FRANCISCO PINHEIRO LIMA-FILHO ◽  
NILDO DA SILVA DIAS ◽  
PRISCILA REGINA DO ARAGÃO REGO ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Stream water quality is dependent on many factors, including the source and quantity of the streamflow and the types of geology and soil along the path of the stream. This study aims to evaluate the origin and the mechanisms controlling the input of ions that effect surface water quality in the sub -basin of the Rio das Cobras, Rio Grande do Norte state, Northeastern Brazil. Thirteen ponds were identified for study: three in the main river and ten in the tributaries between, thus covering the whole area and lithology of the sub -basin. The samples were collected at two different times (late dry and rainy periods) in the hydrological years 2009 and 2010, equating to total of four collection times. We analyzed the spatial and seasonal behavior of water quality in the sub-basin, using Piper diagrams, and analyzed the source of the ions using Guibbs diagram and molar ratios. With respect to ions, we found that water predominate in 82% sodium and 76% bicarbonate water (cations and anions, respectively). The main salinity control mechanism was related to the interaction of the colloidal particles (minerals and organic sediment) with the ions dissolved in water. Based on the analysis of nitrates and nitrites there was no evidence of contamination from anthropogenic sources.


1990 ◽  
Vol 22 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 123-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg Londong ◽  
Stefan Zander

Sewage from 700,000 PE, roughly half of which is discharged by industry, is treated at the Buchenhofen plant operated by the WWMA, using a conventional, activated-sludge process without specific nutrient elimination. A draft management plan has been prepared for the receiving stream of the treatment plant, the Lower Wupper. The chief forms of use for the waters are fixed in binding agreements. The use entailing the strictest limiting values is recreational fishing, which demands surface water quality class II. Very substantial demands, which must be regarded as at least equivalent to state-of-the-art technology, are imposed on the Buchenhofen facility. The Institut für Siedlungswasserbau, Wassergütewirtschaft und Abfalltechnik at the University of Stuttgart was commissioned to formulate realistic purification objectives for the treatment plant and to prepare expansion concepts. At Buchenhofen, the single-stage activated sludge process with nitrification and preliminary de-nitrification has proved to be the most effective method for eliminating nitrogen while simultaneous precipitation followed by flocculation-filtration is the best process for eliminating phosphorus. For purely scientific reasons, however, the extreme demands in terms of ammonium and nitrite rule out expansion of a treatment plant of this size. The proposed designs therefore require validation through commercial-scale testing. Only after a 6- to 12-month test series has been evaluated will a draft design be prepared for approval, ultimately enabling the plant to be expanded and to fulfil the management planning objective of achieving surface water quality class II in the Wupper.


Author(s):  
Kriti Acharya ◽  
Krishna Raj Tiwari ◽  
Subodh Sharma ◽  
Chiranjibi Prasad Upadhyaya ◽  
Yajna Prasad Timilsina ◽  
...  

The study explored the lake as mesotrophic. Inflow streams to Phewa lake, lake itself and its outflow stream were sampled in monsoon and post-monsoon. Nine different sampling sites were chosen and physico-chemical parameters like pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, electric conductivity were recorded at the spot and rest of the parameters (total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total suspended solids) were analyzed in the laboratory. The observed concentrations were compared with Standard of Surface water quality for sustaining aquatic life. There was no significant difference in DO level, pH, TSS whereas EC, TN and water temperature showed significant difference with respective seasons. The electric conductivity of Phirke khola (inflow stream to lake) was found high that means it was putting nutrient load to the lake. The total suspended solids were much higher (176 mg/l) at Harpan khola (inflow stream) in monsoon and maximum at the middle point of lake (11 mg/l) in post-monsoon. This showed that the TSS carried by Harpan khola are maximally deposited at middle point of lake and shortening the life of the lake. The study finally recommends controlling the discharge of pollution load and periodic surface water quality monitoring and vertical (depth wise) monitoring is necessary. Keywords - Aquatic Ecology, Wetlands, Point sources, mesotrophic, quality indicators, suspended solids, nutrient input, Phewa Lake, Pokhara, Nepal


Water SA ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (1 January) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Lourenco ◽  
Chris Curtis

The Eastern Basin chemical acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment plant is one of the world’s largest high-density sludge (HDS) plants, and came into operation in August 2016. The plant is situated near the inoperative Grootvlei Mine in Springs, South Africa, and upstream of the Blesbokspruit Wetland, a former Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, now on the Montreux Record. Since being in operation it has had a major influence on surface water quality along the wetland area. The plant was constructed to mitigate the anticipated decant of AMD water from the abandoned Grootvlei Mine into the Blesbokspruit Wetland. Making use of the BACI (Before-After-Control-Impact) design, this study compares surface water quality of the Blesbokspruit upstream (control site) and downstream (impact site) of the treatment plant for 3-year periods before and after it came into operation. Quarterly water quality data (aluminium, ammonia, chloride, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, fluoride, iron, magnesium, manganese, nitrate, pH, phosphate, sodium and sulphate) from 2013–2019 were used for 5 historical Rand Water monitoring sites along the Blesbokspruit. The current HDS treatment process has negatively influenced conductivity, chloride, magnesium, sodium and sulphate levels downstream. Since the commissioning of the treatment plant, the levels of these parameters have increased significantly.  Notably, conductivity and sulphate have reached the management range defined as ‘unacceptable’ within the framework set out by the Blesbokspruit Forum (which is less stringent than the national guidelines for aquatic ecosystems), with potential impacts on salinization of the Vaal Barrage downstream. However, the significant reduction of iron, ammonia and phosphate concentrations downstream of the plant may be a combined beneficial effect of dilution by increased discharge from the plant and the wetland removing these contaminants. These results highlight the need for further research into possible secondary treatment and desalinisation mechanisms and the potential ecological and downstream water supply implications of increasing salinity within the area.


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