Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(2), 203 - 9 Technical and sanitary aspects of wastewater disinfection by UV irradiation for landscape irrigation; Lazarova V et al.; Water reuse for landscape irrigation requires the production of high quality virus-free effluents to minimize risk for human health . In order to establish the relevance of MS2 phages as an appropriate biodosimeter for UV design, a pilot plant study has been carried out with different types of wastewater effluents . The two pilot systems tested (low-pressure high output and medium-pressure UV units) were able to achieve 4 and 5 log MS2 reduction in tertiary filtered effluent at high calculated UV doses of 170 _ 10 and 300 mJ/cm2, respectively . UV disinfection was extremely efficient for MS2 inactivation in high quality effluents after reverse osmosis: detention times as low as one second and UV dose of 40 mJ/cm2 were sufficient to reach 5 log inactivation of MS2 . UV irradiation also produced rapid inactivation of human pathogens such as poliovirus type 1 and indigenous enteroviruses at UV doses up to 3 times lower that those for MS2 disinfection . It was concluded that accurate UV unit design for a given type of wastewater could be ensured by pilot tests using laboratory-propagated MS2 as biodosimeter and collimated-beam tests as the calibration-check. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(2), 121 - 30 Alternative treatment strategy for tannery water reuse and material recovery; Nacheva MP et al.; Most tanneries use conventional systems for treatment of the mixture of all production effluents . Such an approach makes it possible to meet environmental regulations, but because of the high cost of the treatment facilities, its implementation has been scarce, especially in developing countries . With the waste reduction-elimination concept in view, an alternative strategy for water management is proposed based on individual treatment of the effluents from different processing steps to obtain multiquality recycled water for various reuse purposes, materials recovery and complete reuse of treated water . The methodology includes a database generation of tanneries in Mexico, a mass balance and pollution index determination, formulation of water management scenarios and technical-economical evaluation . To replace the traditionally used sulfde oxidation, a sulfide recovering was proposed . Chromium, grease and protein recovery were considered too . The proposed alternative allows a 90% fresh water reduction, the recovery of more than 95% of chromium and sulfide, 90% of grease, 65% of protein and zero discharge of wastewater . Simultaneous implementation of various water saving methods using in-house wastewater treatment techniques for recovering of chemicals and sub-products reduces substantially the cost of water management. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(2), 107 - 12 Treatment techniques for the recycling of bottle washing water in the soft drinks industry; Ramirez Camperos E et al.; The soft drink production is an important sector in the manufacturing industry of Mexico . Water is the main source in the production of soft drinks . Wastewater from bottle washing is almost 50% of the total wastewater generated by this industry . In order to reduce the consumption of water, the water of the last bottle rinse can be reused in to the bottle pre-rinse and pre-washing cycles . This work presents the characterization of the final bottle washing rinse discharge and the treatability study for the most appropriate treatment system for recycling . Average characteristics of the final bottle wash rinse were as follows: Turbidity 40.46 NTU, COD 47.7 mg/L, TSS 56 mg/L, TS 693.6 mg/L, electrical conductivity 1,194 microS/cm . The results of the treatability tests showed that the final rinse water can be used in the pre-rinse and pre-washing after removing the totality of the suspended solids, 80% of the COD and 75% of the dissolved solids . This can be done using the following treatment systems: filtration-adsorption-reverse osmosis, or filtration-adsorption-ion exchange . The installation of these treatment techniques in the soft drink industry would decrease bottle washing water consumption by 50%. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(2), 91 - 8 Removal of detergents by activated petroleum coke from a clarified wastewater treated for reuse; Ramirez Zamora RM et al.; The removal of detergents from clarified wastewaters by activated petroleum coke (CAPA) was assessed . These substances, owing to their foamy properties, constitute a problem for ammonia removal by the air stripping process that could be installed in a wastewater treatment train to produce reclaimed water . CAPA was evaluated as a more economical alternative than a commercial activated carbon . Experimental work was divided in three stages: 1) production and characterisation of materials; 2) pretreatment of raw wastewater through the Fenton's reagent or coagulation-flocculation process with Al2(SO4)3; and 3) adsorption and bio-adsorption tests of clarified effluents . These tests were carried out in the laboratory in discontinuous and continuous reactors, the former by the "point-by-point" technique, with and without a previous fixing of bacteria, and the latter by the Rapid Small Scale Column Test . Detergents content, color, COD and UV254nm were measured in raw and treated wastewaters . Results show that the best pretreatment for the adsorption process was coagulation-flocculation rather than Fenton's method . Oxidation by this process decreased the adsorptive properties of detergents . Biomass fixed on the CAPA particles significantly increased the UV254nm and COD removal efficiencies (20% and 170% respectively) . The breakthrough curves showed that CAPA could attain the expected detergents removal efficiency (66%) for the alum effluent. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(2), 69 - 75 Reclaimed municipal wastewater as source of water and nutrients for plant nurseries; Gori R et al.; A three year experimental activity was carried out to evaluate the possibility of reusing Reclaimed Wastewater (RWW) in Pistoia's nursery area (Central Italy) . The research was aimed at: 1 . identifying the best tertiary treatment facilities in order to make the effluent in compliance with the current Italian legislation for RWW reuse, 2 . evaluating the effects of RWW irrigation on some ornamental, 3 . quantifying fertilizing value and environmental impacts of RWW irrigation . In this paper the results of the last year experimental activity are presented . Experimental results indicated that filtration and disinfection with peracetic acid plus UV were very effective in indicator bacteria removal; as a matter of fact, neither Escherichia coli nor Total Coliforms were detected in any samples of pilot plant effluent . Results of an agronomical experiment indicated the suitability of the tertiary effluent for the irrigation: at the end of the growing season a higher (or equal) total dry mass was detected in RWW irrigated plants than well-water (WW) irrigated ones . Finally, the tertiary effluent can be considered as an important source of fertilizer for container-grown plants . As a matter of fact RWW irrigation showed to be able to replace at least one of the traditional fertilization treatments. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(2), 61 - 8 Role of irrigation and wastewater reuse: comparison of subsurface irrigation and furrow irrigation; Choi C et al.; Two different irrigation systems, subsurface drip irrigation and furrow irrigation, are tested to investigate the level of viral contamination and survival when tertiary effluent is used in arid and semi-arid regions . The effluent was injected with bacteriophages of PRD1 and MS2 . A greater number of PRD1 and MS2 were recovered from the lettuce in the subsurface drip-irrigated plots as compared to those in the furrow-irrigated plots . Shallow drip tape installation and preferential water paths through cracks on the soil surface appeared to be the main causes of high viral contamination in subsurface drip irrigation plots, which led to the direct contact of the lettuce stems with the irrigation water which penetrated the soil surface . The water use efficiency of the subsurface drip irrigation system was higher than that of the furrow irrigation system . Thus, subsurface drip irrigation is an efficient irrigation method for vegetable crops in arid and semi-arid regions if viral contamination can be reduced . Deeper installation of drip tapes, frequent irrigations, and timely harvests based on cumulative heat units may further reduce health risks by ensuring viral die-off under various field conditions. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(2), 39 - 46 Setting up microbiological water reuse guidelines for the Mediterranean; Bahri A et al.; Water reuse is a widespread practice in most Mediterranean countries . Some countries have no wastewater treatment facilities and direct reuse of raw wastewater is occurring while others have a well-established national reuse policy . Water reuse microbiological standards, when existing, significantly differ from one country to another . Some countries have adopted regulations close to the California's Water Recycling Criteria whereas other countries have chosen criteria based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines . California standards are technologically based requirements aimed at eliminating the presence of pathogens . The WHO guidelines relied on epidemiological evidences though few were available . Their revision on the basis of new epidemiological investigations and quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) provided by Blumenthal et al., together with added QMRA data, helped proposing Mediterranean guidelines . Acceptable annual risks related to bathing and potable water drinking were taken as benchmarks . This proposal is designed to protect individuals against realistic maximum exposures and to provide minimum and affordable requirements which should constitute the basis of water reuse regulations in every country of the region . Inadequacies of the actual knowledge do not allow a definitive position regarding the guideline limits; other scientific and technical basis are still required. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(2), 31 - 8 Guidelines for the safe use of wastewater in agriculture: revisiting WHO guidelines; Carr RM et al.; The use of wastewater in agriculture is occurring more frequently because of water scarcity and population growth . Often the poorest households rely on this resource for their livelihood and food security needs . However, there are negative health implications of this practice that need to be addressed . WHO developed Guidelines for the Safe Use of Wastewater in Agriculture in 1989 . The Guidelines are currently being revised based on new data from epidemiological studies, quantitative microbial risk assessments and other relevant information . WHO guidelines must be practical and offer feasible risk management solutions that will minimize health threats and allow for the beneficial use of scarce resources . To achieve the greatest impact on health, guidelines should be implemented with other health measures such as: health education, hygiene promotion, provision of adequate drinking water and sanitation, and other health care measures. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(2), 9 - 15 Strategic options for sustainable water management at new developments: the application of a simulation model to explore potential water savings; Alegre N et al.; Research on appropriate technologies and infrastructures to support water reuse has progressed rapidly over recent decades and there are now a wide range of source--treatment--reuse options for planners to choose from . Although the economics of water reuse schemes favours application to new developments rather than retrofit projects, there are few studies which have sought to address strategic option selection issues for large developments . The potential advantages of using treatment and reuse systems in new developments require an understanding of the relationships between a wide variety of social, environmental, technological, and operational factors . The operational effectiveness and economic efficiency of specific technology choices will vary as a function of network configuration, wastewater characteristics, how different technologies respond to dynamic loading (variability of feed strength and flow) and potential spiking, as well as equipment reliability, climate and household behaviour . Using a commercially available software package, the study reports the design and implementation of a low resolution simulation tool to explore sustainable water management options for a live case study site in the south of England (a peri-urban development of 4,500 new homes) with particular reference to opportunities for rainwater harvesting, and water reuse. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(2), 1 - 8 Towards sustainability in water recycling; Sala L et al.; Those like us who believe in and spread the gospel of planned wastewater reclamation and reuse usually emphasize that this is a step towards sustainability in water resource management, but this is something that is very seldom analyzed . This paper discusses, from a critical point of view, issues such as goals in water reuse and influence on water demands, ecological analysis of the cycle of the main pollutants, health aspects and treatment requirements, energy consumption and measurable environmental benefits, in order to provide a set of criteria to assess sustainability in water recycling projects and to decrease the impact of the cultural water cycle on the environment. Water Environ Res, 2004 May-Jun, 76(3), 197 - 204 Effects of nitrosation on the formation of cyanide in publicly owned treatment works secondary effluent; Zheng A et al.; Cyanide has been detected in the effluents of some publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) at levels exceeding the influent concentration . The presence of nitrite ion (NO2-) as a common constituent in domestic wastewater effluents may play an important role in the formation of cyanide through reaction with certain kinds of organic compounds, especially aromatic compounds . Laboratory studies with seven organic compounds (aniline . p-toluidine, phenol, 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene, L-serine, glycine, and benzoic acid) revealed that cyanide can be formed by reaction of nitrite with some of these compounds . The most substantial free cyanide (HCN . CN-) production observed at 25 degrees C was 0.15 mg/L from reaction of 0.01 mM 1.2.4-trihydroxybenze with 5 mg/L nitrite for 72 hours . Substantial free cyanide formation was also observed at pH 2-4 in experiments with POTW effluents when reactive organics and nitrite were both added to wastewater . Formation of cyanide through nitrosation was strongly pH dependent, being most significant at low pH (2 to 4) and negligible at neutral-to-high pH . This result points to nitrous acid (HNO2) as being more reactive than the dissociated NO2- ion . The reaction of these nitrite species with organics also occurs in conventional analyses for total cyanide which involve distillation under strongly acidic conditions . Sufficient sample pretreatment with sulfamic acid at the time of sampling, not at the time of analysis . is highly recommended to prevent biasing analytical measurement of total cyanide in POTW effluents. Anal Bioanal Chem, 2004 Oct, 380(3), 551 - 5 Epub 2004 Aug 27. Rapid determination of mono and dinitrophenols by DPP, in the presence of lead and cadmium and using concentrated CaCl2 electrolyte; Lubbad I et al.; The contamination of drinking water and industrial wastewaters is a critical environmental problem . The nitrophenol, dinitrophenol, cadmium, and lead contaminants are classified as hazardous compounds . Their rapid determination may be obtained using differential pulse polarography with concentrated electrolyte . CaCl2, which is very soluble to levels exceeding 5 mol l(-1), allows separation of coalescent peaks at 0.1 mol l(-1) . A systematic study undertaken from 0.1 to 5 mol l(-1) shows good separation of lead and cadmium from the organic compounds, and optimization of the electrolyte concentration according to the objective is described . Preconcentration of real samples is necessary because pollution levels are usually very low. Environ Int, 2004 Oct, 30(8), 995 - 1007 Evaluation of the pollution of the surface waters of Greece from the priority compounds of list II, 76/464/EEC directive, and other toxic compounds; Lekkas T et al.; The pollution of the surface waters of Greece from the priority compounds of 76/464/EEC Directive was evaluated . The occurrence of 92 toxic compounds, 64 of which belong to priority compounds of List II, candidates for List I, of 76/464/EEC Directive, was studied in surface waters and wastewater through the developed network of 62 sampling stations, which covers the whole Greek territory . The analytical determination was performed by Purge and Trap-Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry for volatile and semivolatile organic compounds (VOCs), Gas Chromatography-Electron Capture Detection for organochlorine insecticides, Gas Chromatography-Nitrogen Phosphorous Detection for organophosphorous insecticides, High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Photodiode Array Detection for herbicides, and Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) for metals and the toluene extractable organotin compounds . The concentrations of VOCs and insecticides detected in the surface waters of Greece were very low, whereas the concentrations of herbicides and metals ranged generally at moderate levels . VOCs were detected almost exclusively in the rivers and very rarely in the lakes, while the frequency of occurrence of insecticides, herbicides and metals was similar for rivers and lakes . Water quality objectives (WQO) and emission limit values (ELV) have been laid down in national legal framework for a number of compounds detected in the samples, in order to safeguard the quality of surface waters from any future deterioration. East Mediterr Health J, 2001 Nov, 7(6), 1056 - 60 Overview of the water and wastewater reuse crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean Region; Al-Salem SS; Many countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region have very limited water resources . The situation will worsen in the future as populations grow and demands rise, and water/wastewater reuse will become imperative . This paper reviews the current situation in the Region as regards water use/reuse and management, and gives suggestions for how to ensure sufficient water resources for the future Huan Jing Ke Xue, 2004 Jan, 25(1), 107 - 10 {Survey sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface water of Hangzhou by K(OC)* values}; Chen BL et al.; Ten polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were simultaneously measured in 9 surface water samples of Qiantang River and Hangzhou Canal in Hangzhou, China, in December of 2002 . It was observed that the sum of PAHs concentrations ranged from 1.104 to 9.663 microg x L(-1) in surface water, from 132.7 to 7343 microg x kg(-1) dry sediments, and from 59.71 to 219.5 microg x kg(-1) dry soils . The accumulative coefficients of PAHs in sediments and soils (K) and apparent partition coefficients normalized by solid organic carbon contents (K(OC)*) were calculated . In Hangzhou Canal, K and K(OC)* values in sediments increased with downstream, and ratio of K(OC)* on sediment to K(OC)* on soil were much larger than 1 . Those indicated that Hangzhou Canal was heavily polluted by PAHs released from factory wastewater and PAHs in sediment were mainly sources of PAHs in surface water . In Qiantang River, K and K(OC)* values in sediments decreased with the downstream, and the ratio of K(OC)* on sediment to K(OC)* on soil near 1, and ratio fOC of sediment to fOC of soil approximate to 1, which showed that PAHs in Qiantang River were attributed to soil runoff. Huan Jing Ke Xue, 2004 Jan, 25(1), 40 - 4 {Construction of plasmid with green fluorescent protein gene for analysis of yeasts in yeast wastewater treatment}; Han Y et al.; Green fluorescent protein (GFP) can be utilized in analysis of the characteristics and distribution of a targeted strain in microbial communities . This study is the first step to establish a dynamic yeast monitoring technique in a wastewater treatment system using yeast by constructing a fluorescent yeast containing gfp gene . The gfp gene was inserted into pACT1-URA3, a powerful plasmid for introducing a foreign gene into Candida boidinii, and then transformed into E . coli JM109 . The gfp gene was expressed, though not very highly . The results of the electrophoresis and polymerase chain reaction suggested that the newly constructed plasmid containing gfp gene might not exist in free form in the cells, but in some special way such as interaction with the chromosome. J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng, 2002 Aug, 37(7), 1361 - 77 Coagulation for treatment of paint industry wastewater; Dovletoglou O et al.; In the present study, the coagulation of paint industry wastewater was examined . Ferrous and aluminum sulphate and polyaluminum chloride (PACl) were used as coagulation agents and the influence of the coagulant dose and effective pH on the quality of treated wastewater was investigated . Optimum pH for FeSO4 addition was near 9.7, the required coagulant dose was about 2 g/L and average process efficiency varied between 30 and 80% in COD and between 70 and 99% in turbidity terms, for a wide spectrum of wastewater batches . In the case of Al2(SO4)3, no pH adjustment was needed and process efficiency varied between 70 and 95% in COD and between 90 and 99% in turbidity terms, for an effective dose of 2.5 g/L . Further improvement of process efficiency was possible by raising the pH of the supernatant liquid after alum-sludge sedimentation to 10 . In the case of PACl optimum pH was around 7 and process efficiency was about 98% based on both quality parameters, for an effective dose of 4 g/L . Cationic polyelectrolytes were proved to have a higher potential vs . coagulation than anionic ones when acting as primary coagulants . Combination of Al2(SO4)3 or PACl with polyelectrolytes resulted in high process efficiencies, while maintaining liquid pH values at acceptable limits. J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng, 2002 Aug, 37(7), 1327 - 35 Plant species in a two-year-old free water surface constructed wetland treating domestic wastewater in the island of Crete; Manios T et al.; A free water surface wetland treating domestic wastewater for the village of Pompia in Southern Crete was constructed in early 1999 and became operational on September 1st of the same year . The total surface area of the wetland was 5700m2, designed for 1200 people equivalent . Arundo donax (giant reed) was used for the vegetation of the bed . Approximately 4-6 plants were introduced per square meter . Two years later the wetland was well covered with plants . The Arundo donax was developed as the dominant specie covering more than 95% of the wetland's surface, reaching its maximum developing potential in both density (70-90 plants per m2) and size (5-7 m) . More than 30 other plants were identified most of them in the banks of the wetland. J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng, 2002 Aug, 37(7), 1307 - 25 The use of ozone, ozone plus UV radiation, and aerobic microorganisms in the purification of some agro-industrial wastewaters; Benitez FJ et al.; The oxidation of the pollutant organic matter present in wastewaters generated during different stages in the black table-olive industry was investigated by using ozone alone or combined with UV radiation; by using aerobic microorganisms; and finally, by aerobic degradation of the previously ozonated wastewaters . In the ozonation processes, the removal of substrate (COD) and aromatic compounds, the decreases in BOD5 and pH, and the ozone consumed in the reaction were evaluated . A kinetic study was conducted that led to the evaluation of the stoichiometric ratio for the chemical reaction, as well as the rate constants for the substrate reduction and ozone disappearance . In the single aerobic degradation treatment, the evolution of substrate and biomass was monitored during the process, and a kinetic study was performed by applying the Contois model to the experimental data, giving the specific biokinetic constant, the cell yield coefficient, and the rate constant for the microorganism death phase . Finally, a combined process was performed, consisting in the aerobic degradation of pre-ozonated wastewaters, and the effect of such chemical pretreatment on the substrate removal and kinetic parameters of the later biological stage is discussed. J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng, 2002 Aug, 37(7), 1263 - 75 Electrocatalytic degradation of phenol in acidic and saline wastewater; Zhou M et al.; The electrocatalytic degradation of low concentration of phenol (100 800mgL(-1)) as a model contaminant for wastewater treatment was studied on modified beta-PbO2 anode . Various affected factors such as current density (7.5-30 mAcm(-2)), reaction temperature (5-60 degrees C), pH (2-6), salinity of the electrolyte (0.5-10 g L(-1) K2SO4), and circulation rate (100-2400 mLmin(-1)) were investigated . Phenol at a concentration level of 100 mg L(-1) could be completely degraded within 30 min under the current density of 7.5 mA cm(-2) with the addition of K2SO4 (1.0 g L(-1)) at pH 5.6 and temperature 60 degrees C . The method showed promising application for treating phenolic wastewater of high salinity and acidity . Analysis of the intermediates of the phenol degradation products indicated good catalytic characteristics of the anode for breaking down the aromatic compounds to organic acids . The overall degradation of phenol was considered a controlled process of mass-transfer . According to the proposed model and Arrhenius's Law, the activation energy was calculated 23.8 kJ mol(-1). Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2004 Oct, 59(2), 263 - 72 Evaluation of wastewater effluents by small-scale biotests and a fractionation procedure; Pessala P et al.; Municipal and industrial effluents were screened with a battery of biotests and with a modified toxicity identification evaluation Phase I procedure . The acute toxicities of the effluent samples were low and the submitochondrial reverse electron-transport (RET) test was the most sensitive toxicity test . Estrogenic effects were found in almost all effluent samples, and genotoxicity was detected in one concentrated effluent sample . The fractionation methods we used proved to be especially effective at tracking toxicity caused by metals and organic contaminants, with the RET test being particularly suited to evaluating pH-dependent toxicity . The used solid-phase extraction columns with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic binding properties turned out to be suitable for removing or reducing organic toxicity-causing substances from the effluent samples . The results of this study show that the use of only conventional acute toxicity tests for effluent assessment will not be sufficient-the genotoxic, hormonal, and even bioaccumulative potential of the effluents and effluent fractions should be evaluated as well. Huan Jing Ke Xue, 2004 May, 25(3), 164 - 7 {Adsorption of cation-nonionic mixed surfactants onto sediment and their effects on adsorption of nitrobenzene from water}; Zhu LZ et al.; Adsorption behaviors of nitrobenzene, a nonionic surfactant (Triton X-100), a cation surfactant (CPC) and their mixture onto a sediment were investigated . The adsorption of Triton X-100 onto the sediment is enhanced with increasing of co-existed CPC at relatively low concentrations but decreased at relatively high concentrations . The adsorption of CPC onto the sediment decreased a little with increasing of co-existed Triton X-100 . In natural waters, cation surfactants and nonionic surfactants will be largely adsorbed by soils or sediments . The adsorption of nitrobenzene onto sediment is linear and enhanced by the co-existed Triton X-100 or CPC, and will be significantly enhanced by the mixture of CPC-Triton X-100 . Therefore, cation-nonionic mixed surfactants are potentially used to enhance adsorption of organic contaminants onto soils or sediments and to prepare organobentonite for improving their performance in wastewater treatment. Huan Jing Ke Xue, 2004 May, 25(3), 73 - 7 {On-line control of external carbon addition to predenitrification process}; Wang ZH et al.; With domestic wastewater of low ratio of carbon and nitrogen (C/N), the control of external carbon dosage was studied for the predenitrification process with continuous flow . The objective is to keep the external carbon usage as low as possible while nitrate plus nitrite concentrations (NOx(-)-N) of outflow under demand . The experimental results show that nitrogen removal efficiency couldn't be improved by increasing total recirculating rate with total recirculating rate more than 2 for lack of carbon source and removal efficiency of TN couldn't be largely improved by double dosage of carbon source with constant recirculating rate when NOx(-)-N concentration reaches about 2 mg/L . Based on the analysis of the relationship between the external carbon addition and total recirculating rate, a control method was proposed . The external carbon dosage is controlled by keeping NOx(-)-N concentration of anoxic zone at the level of 2 mg/L, and the total recirculating rate is determined by stated effluent NOx(-)-N concentration . The control method not only can determine the reference point of carbon dosage, but also can optimize the usage of carbon addition . It is easy to be carried out in wastewater treatment plants. Water Res, 2004 Sep, 38(16), 3596 - 604 Investigation of isolation and immobilization of a microbial consortium for decoloring of azo dye 4BS; Fang H et al.; Eight high-effective decolorization strains were isolated by enrichment using Direct Fast Scarlet 4BS as sole source of carbon and energy . The optimal microbial consortium consisting of fungus 8-4(*) and bacterium 1-10 was selected by optimizing combination decolorization experiments with these eight freely suspended strains, whose decolorization activity was higher than individual strains due to synergistic reaction with each other . The optimal microbial consortium was also immobilized using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the carrier . This paper optimized the immobilization and operational conditions, investigated the effect of the environmental factors (temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen (DO)) and initial dye concentration on the rate of decolorization by immobilized microbial consortium . The results showed that the optimal decolorization activity was observed in pH range (5-8), temperature range (25-40 degrees C) under shaking culture of high DO level . Decolorization with the optimal microbial consortium gave a relatively high maximum decolorization activity (ca . 81.25 mgl(-1)h(-1)), which occurred at a dye concentration of 1000 mgl(-1), suggesting the applicability of the strains in remediation of wastewater containing high azo dye concentrations . The immobilized beads could be reused for more than 30 cycles, without losing any degradation capacity . The changes of UV-visible spectra and the change curve of COD of 4BS solution before and after decolorization cultivation and the proliferation and distribution of microbial consortium in gel beads were also microscopically observed, which could be used for conferring the decolorization mechanisms of dye 4BS. Water Res, 2004 Sep, 38(16), 3587 - 95 Post-treatment of banknote printing works wastewater ultrafiltration concentrate; Zhang G et al.; A novel process of vortex settling and stage-2 ultrafiltration (UF) with alternating feed direction was used to further concentrate the concentrate produced by a stage-1 UF employed for treatment of banknote printing works wastewater . In this post-treatment process, the final concentrate volume for incineration was reduced by 4-5 times while the permeate of the stage-2 UF could be further reused in the banknote printing operation . It was noted vortex settling facilitated settling of the printing ink and the strategy of regularly alternating feed direction in the UF resulted in a higher permeate flux compared to the corresponding flux for operation without alternating feed direction . The hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the vortex settling tank (VST) used in the pilot-scale experiment was 14 min while feed direction to the stage-2 UF was alternated once every hour . Based on the pilot-scale experimental results, a full-scale system was set up . An economic analysis showed that the novel system was a cost-effective option for post-treatment of stage-1 UF concentrate . The treatment system has been successfully implemented at several Chinese banknote printing companies. Water Res, 2004 Sep, 38(16), 3558 - 68 Distributions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface waters, sediments and soils of Hangzhou City, China; Chen B et al.; Ten polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were simultaneously measured in 17 surface water samples and 11 sediments of four water bodies, and 3 soils near the water-body bank in Hangzhou, China in December 2002 . It was observed that the sum of PAHs concentrations ranged from 0.989 to 9.663 microg/L in surface waters, from 132.7 to 7343 ng/g dry weight in sediments, and from 59.71 to 615.8 ng/g dry weight in soils . The composition pattern of PAHs by ring size in water, sediment and soil were surveyed . Three-ring PAHs were dominated in surface waters and soils, meanwhile sediments were mostly dominated by four-ring PAHs . Furthermore, PAHs apparent distribution coefficients (K(d)) and solid f(oc)-normalized K(d) (e.g . K(oc)= K(d) / f(oc)) were calculated . The relationship between logK(oc) and logK(ow) of PAHs for field data on sediments and predicted values were compared . The sources of PAHs in different water bodies were evaluated by comparison of K (oc) values in sediments of the river downstream with that in soils . Hangzhou section of the Great Canal was heavily polluted by PAHs released from industrial wastewater in the past and now PAHs in sediment may serve as sources of PAHs in surface water . PAHs in Qiantang River were contributed from soil runoff . Municipal road runoff was mostly contributed to West Lake PAHs. Water Res, 2004 Sep, 38(16), 3503 - 10 Toxicity potential of disinfection agent in tannery wastewater; Tisler T et al.; Wastewater from a tannery was investigated using chemical-specific analyses and assessment of the acute toxicity of the whole effluent over a 2-year period . The wastewater samples were overloaded with organic and inorganic compounds, and measured concentrations of the chemical parameters as well as dilution factors estimating acute toxicity, frequently exceeded the permissible limits for the discharge of wastewater from a tannery into the receiving stream . In the later part of the monitoring programme, the toxicity of the samples was significantly increased in comparison to the previous samples . The agent for hide disinfection was assumed to be the reason for the increased toxicity of the wastewater samples, and the extremely high acute and chronic toxicity of the agent to bacteria, algae, daphnids, and fish confirmed this suspicion . The most sensitive species was Daphnia magna; the 48 h EC50 was 0.70 x 10(-5)v/v% and the 21d IC25 was 0.40 x 10(-6)v/v% of the agent . After withdrawal of this highly toxic agent for hide disinfection from the technological process in the tannery, the toxicity of the wastewater declined to the previous level. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(1), 263 - 70 Evaluating real-time PCR for the quantification of distinct pathogens and indicator organisms in environmental samples; Lebuhn M et al.; We evaluated quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and RTqPCR (for RNA species) for their ability to quantify microorganisms and viruses in problematic environmental samples such as cattle manure, digester material, wastewater and soil . Important developments included a standard spiking approach which compensated for methodological bias and allowed sample-to-sample comparison and reliable quantification . Programme CeTe was developed to calculate endogenous concentrations of target organisms (nucleic acid copies) for each sample separately from the generated standard curves . The approach also permitted assessment of the detection limit of the complete method, including extraction . It varied from sample to sample, due to different extraction efficiencies and variable co-extraction of PCR inhibitors . False negative results were thereby avoided . By using this approach we were able to optimise a DNA extraction protocol from the different tested sample types . Protocols for the extraction of RNA species from environmental samples were also optimised . DNA was (almost) not degraded after lethal shock (autoclaving) in the sterile environment . In contrast, the parallel selective cultivation and qPCR results for various microbial parameters from an anaerobic digester chain suggested that DNA from decaying organisms was readily recycled in metabolically active environments . It may, therefore, be used to determine viable organisms in samples exhibiting substantial metabolic turnover . It is proposed that our standard spiking approach, including data evaluation by the program CeTe, should be considered in future standardisation and norms for the quantification of nucleic acid containing organisms in environmental and product samples. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(1), 259 - 62 Series of surveys for enteric viruses and indicator organisms in Tokyo Bay after an event of combined sewer overflow; Katayama H et al.; Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) have been recognised as one of the serious sources of pollution to the water environment during rain events, although field surveys to investigate the effect of their magnitude and duration on receiving waters have been very limited . The fates of enteric viruses (norovirus G1, G2, enteroviruses) and coliforms were determined in the wastewater treatment plant on a fine day and on a rainy day . Not all microorganisms were reduced in the primary treatment, but were reduced in the secondary treatment . Occurrences of enteric viruses and levels of coliforms were surveyed in the receiving coastal area after a CSO event, with the profiles of the enteric viruses in the coastal seawater being almost at the same positive ratio for 4 d after the CSO event. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(1), 247 - 51 Detection of infectious pathogenic viruses in water and wastewater samples from urbanised areas; Sano D et al.; Regardless of the remarkable improvement in sanitary conditions in urbanised areas, infectious diseases caused by pathogenic viruses in water have been reported year after year . The actual situation for the behaviour of pathogenic viruses in urbanised society should be understood . In this study, infectious enteroviruses and adenoviruses in water and wastewater samples from urbanised areas were investigated . Infectious enteroviruses were continuously detected from sewage and sewage sludge during the summer season . The detection of infectious viruses in sewage and sewage sludge was facilitated by the enzymatic virus elution (EVE) method . The concentration of infectious enteroviruses in positive samples of sewage and sewage sludge was >400 virions/L . Infectious viruses were also detected from water samples at levels >4 virions/L. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom, 2004, 18(18), 2131 - 45 Quantitative determination of trace concentrations of tetracycline and sulfonamide antibiotics in surface water using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography/ion trap tandem mass spectrometry; Yang S et al.; The occurrence of human and veterinary pharmaceutical compounds in surface waters (e.g . streams, lakes and reservoirs) is an important emerging environmental issue . There is a need for robust, sensitive and reliable analytical methods for measuring these compounds in a variety of natural water and wastewater matrices . This paper describes a method for the determination of seven tetracycline (TC) and six sulfonamide (SA) compounds in pristine and wastewater-influenced surface water using solid-phase extraction, and LCQ Duo ion trap liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) with positive electrospray ionization (ESI(+)) and selected reaction monitoring (SRM) . The seven TCs and six SAs analyzed using this method include oxytetracycline (OTC), chlortetracycline (CTC), tetracycline (TC), democlocycline (DMC), doxycycline (DXC), meclocycline (MCC), minocycline (MNC), sulfathiazole (STZ), sulfamerazine (SMR), sulfamethazine (SMT), sulfachloropyridazine (SCP), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and sulfadimethoxane (SDM) . This study discusses the effects of flow rate, LC column diameter and LC column temperature on UV and/or mass peak quality of the different analytes . Several product ions for MS/MS detection have been identified and compared for ion trap and triple quadrupole LC/MS/MS instruments . Statistical analysis for determination of the method detection limit (MDL), accuracy and precision of the method is described . Matrix effects are evaluated in deionized, pristine and wastewater-influenced river water . The method is applied to evaluate the occurrence of these compounds in a small watershed in northern Colorado . Indian J Environ Health, 2003 Jul, 45(3), 221 - 6 Wastewater quality status of the Tally nulla in Calcutta; Saha T et al.; The study of the Tally nulla wastewater system showed that the entire canal system is completely anoxic and unsuitable for sustaining aquatic life . Color and odor have exceeded the threshold limit . Tidal exchange is seemed to take place only up to six km . from the confluence zone of the river hooghly . Beyond this, comparatively higher ionic load in the water mass is encountered in both seasons . The fresh water during rainy season decreases the chemical load by dilution along with an increase in bacterial populations in the system indicating significant contamination with disease causing bacteria and pollution with excreta . This may become environmental hazards of the public health in course of any type of interaction with the waste water. Indian J Environ Health, 2003 Jul, 45(3), 203 - 8 Poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) and malachite green: a new reagent system for the microdetermination of phosphate in water and wastewater; Singh K et al.; A selective and sensitive method is described for the microdetermination of phosphate in water and wastewater employing a new reagent system . The method is based on the reaction between ammonium molybdate, PVA (stabilizer) and malachite green (lambdamax 600nm) . Beer's law is obeyed up to 10ppm . The use of PVA as a substitute for Tween 20 makes more soluble the malachite green-phosphomolybdic acid complex; it becomes more sensitive and less of reagents are needed to obtain the same sensitivity as when Tween 20 is used as a stabilizer . It offers advantages like reliability, non-interference by silicates and reproducible in addition to its simplicity, instant colour development and allows economy in reagents such as ammonium molybdate and malachite green . It's cost is less than half of the Tween 20 method . This method is more suited for the measurements for the range of 0.01 to 10 mg p/L. Res Microbiol, 2004 Sep, 155(7), 596 - 603 Panus tigrinus efficiently removes phenols, color and organic load from olive-mill wastewater; D'Annibale A et al.; This study was aimed at assessing the potential of the white-rot fungus Panus tigrinus CBS 577.79 in removing organic load, color and toxic phenols from agro-industrial effluent olive-mill wastewater (OMW) . The influence of wastewater composition on P . tigrinus degradative capability was investigated in shaken cultures using two different OMWs . The initial soluble COD of 85,000 mg l(-1) led to a delay in removal of color, organic load and phenol by the fungus . This was associated with delayed onset of laccase and Mn-dependent peroxidase . On the other hand, P . tigrinus, when grown on OMW with an initial soluble COD content of 43,000 mg l(-1), promptly and efficiently removed the aforementioned components . Chromatographic analyses showed that 4-hydroxy-substituted simple phenols were predominantly removed . The polymeric aromatic fraction underwent simultaneous polymerization and depolymerization . This study is a contribution to the understanding of the degradative specificity of P . tigrinus on OMW aromatic components and provides good indications for possible future applications of the fungus. Environ Pollut, 2004 Nov, 132(2), 231 - 43 In situ and laboratory bioassays to evaluate the impact of effluent discharges on receiving aquatic ecosystems; Smolders R et al.; Effluents are a main source of direct and often continuous input of pollutants into aquatic ecosystems with long-term implications on ecosystem functioning . Therefore, the study of the effects of effluent exposure on organisms, populations or communities within the framework of impact assessment has a high ecological relevance . The aim of this study was to assess the toxicological impact of two effluents, one household wastewater treatment effluent (Effluent 1) and one industrial effluent (Effluent 2), on the receiving aquatic ecosystem using two test species under both in situ and laboratory conditions . Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were exposed under laboratory conditions in an online monitoring flow-through system (receiving different concentrations of Effluent 2) and under in situ conditions along the pollution gradient established by these two effluent discharges . Bioassays focussed on growth and condition related endpoints (i.e . condition, growth, lipid budget), since these are key functional processes within organisms and populations . Under laboratory conditions, increasing concentrations of the industrial effluent (Effluent 2) had a negative effect on both zebra mussel and carp energy reserves and condition . Under in situ conditions, the same negative impact of Effluent 2 was observed for zebra mussels, while Effluent 1 had no apparent effect on exposed zebra mussels . Carp growth and condition, on the other hand, were significantly increased at the discharge sites of both effluents when compared to the reference site, probably due to differences in food availability . The results indicate that a combination of in situ and laboratory exposures can illustrate how ecological processes influence bioassay studies . The incorporation of indirect, ecological effects, like changes in food availability, provides considerable benefit in understanding and predicting effects of effluents on selected species under realistic exposure conditions . Chemosphere, 2004 Oct, 57(3), 233 - 9 Electrochemical decolourisation of structurally different dyes; Sanroman MA et al.; The electrochemical decolourisation of structurally different dyes (bromophenol blue, indigo, poly R-478, phenol red, methyl orange, fuchsin, methyl green and crystal violet) by means of the application of DC electric current was assessed . It was found that the electrochemical process allowed a colour removal of all dyes studied, although the decolourisation rate largely depended on the chemical structure of the different dyes . Nearly complete decolourisation was achieved for bromophenol blue followed by methyl orange and methyl green, whereas phenol red was hardly decolourised (30% in 60 min) . In mixtures of two dyes, the decolourisation rate became similar for both dyes . However, the addition of a redox mediator, (Co(2+/3+)) clearly enhanced the degradation rate of all tested dyes, but the simplest dye molecules were attacked firstly, followed by dyes with more complex chemical structures . The results revealed the suitability of the process to effectively decolourise wastewaters from dyeing process. Chemosphere, 2004 Oct, 57(3), 215 - 24 Contrasting effects of manure and compost on soil pH, heavy metal availability and growth of Chenopodium album L . in a soil contaminated by pyritic mine waste; Walker DJ et al.; Chenopodium album L . was found to be one of the initial plant species colonising a heavy metal-contaminated site, polluted by pyritic (sulphide-rich) waste from the Aznalcollar mine spill (South-western Spain) . This indicates its importance in the re-vegetation of this soil . In a pot experiment, C . album was sown in soil collected from the contaminated site, either non-amended or amended with cow manure or compost produced from olive leaves and olive mill wastewater, in order to study the effect on heavy metal bioavailability and soil pH . In non-amended and compost-amended soils, soil acidification, probably resulting from oxidation and hydrolysis of sulphide, led to increases in the concentrations of soluble sulphate and plant-available Cu, Zn and Mn in the soil (extractable with 0.1 M CaCl(2)) . Under these conditions, shoot growth of C . album was negligible and shoot concentrations of Zn (2,420-5,585 microg g(-1)) and Mn (5,513-8,994 microg g(-1)) were phytotoxic . Manure application greatly increased shoot growth and reduced the shoot concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Mn, and their plant-available concentrations in the soil . These effects appeared to be related to an increase of soil pH, due to an inhibition of sulphide oxidation/hydrolysis, relative to the non-amended soil . For metal sulphides-contaminated soil, liable to acidification, manure application appears to be able to enhance the initial stages of re-vegetation, by species such as C . album. Biosens Bioelectron, 2004 Sep 15, 20(2), 315 - 21 A high sensitivity amperometric biosensor using a monomolecular layer of laccase as biorecognition element; Vianello F et al.; Laccases from various sources were tested, and laccase from Rigidoporus lignosus was found to be the most active towards syringaldazine and ABTS, which are typical substrates of this class of enzymes, and towards the phenols found in olive oil mill wastewaters . This laccase was covalently immobilised by carbodiimide chemistry, on a self-assembled monolayer of 3-mercaptopropionic acid deposited on a gold surface . A flow biosensor, using the monolayer of laccase as bioelement and a glassy carbon electrode as amperometric transduction system, was developed . Although the amount of the immobilised enzyme (about 140 ng/cm2 effective surface area) was tiny, the biosensor showed a sensitivity of 3 nA/microM when 1,4-hydroquinone was used as substrate, and a half-life of 35 days . The proposed device permits detection of phenols in aqueous solutions at concentrations in the low micromolar range, i.e . below European Community limits . The biosensor was successfully used to detect phenols in wastewaters from an olive oil mill after minimal sample preparation (incubation of the aqueous sample with sodium borohydride for a few minutes) to suppress the current due to oxidised compounds present in the wastewaters. Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2004 Jun, 117(3), 165 - 74 Enzymatic degradation of trichloroethylene using enzyme extracts isolated from a bacterial consortium; El-Zahab B et al.; Degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) using crude enzyme extracts from a bacterial consortium was examined for wastewater treatment . The effects of pH, chemical induction, and cofactor were investigated . Enzyme extracts showed an optimal activity (3.03 +/- 0.03 mg of TCE/{mg of protein x d}) at neutral pH (6.5-7.5) . In an attempt to increase the production of effective enzymes for TCE degradation, chemical induction using both toluene and TCE in the growth of the bacterium consortium was conducted . Although the induction increased the overall production of protein by about fourfold, the activity of the extracts was only slightly improved (up to 3.40 mg of TCE/{mg of protein x d}), indicating that the induction did not specifically enhance the production of TCE-degrading enzymes . Interestingly, the addition of a cofactor (up to 0.02 mg/mL), NADH, led to an initial reaction rate of 5.30 +/- 0.05 mg of TCE/(mg of protein x d) . This observation demonstrated that the availability of the cofactor played an important role in determining the overall degradation reaction rates . The observations with NADH were in agreement with the assumption that toluene monooxygenases (which are NADH dependent) are the key enzymes for the degradation reactions . Copryright 2004 Humana Press Inc. Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2004 Jul-Sep, 118(1-3), 371 - 81 Decolorization of Ranocid Fast Blue dye by bacterial consortium SV5; Mathew S et al.; Synthetic dyes are not uniformly susceptible to degradation in conventional wastewater treatment processes . A number of biotechnological processes have been suggested as of potential interest in combating these pollutants in an ecofriendly manner . We determined the optimal parameters necessary for the bacterial consortium SV5 to decolorize Ranocid Fast Blue dye . The best results were obtained with a 0.1% (w/v) concentration of both starch and yeast extract supplemented in Bushnell Hass Medium under static conditions at a temperature of 37 degrees C in less than 24 h with an initial dye concentration of 100 ppm. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 49(11-12), 311 - 8 Stirred anaerobic sequencing batch reactor containing immobilized biomass: a behavior study when submitted to different fill times; Borges AC et al.; The effect of the filling stage on the behavior of a mechanically stirred anaerobic sequencing batch reactor containing biomass immobilized on 1 cm polyurethane foam cubes was investigated . The reactor was made of acrylic with a capacity of 6.3 L, treating per cycle 2.5 L synthetic low-strength wastewater with a concentration of 500 mgCOD/L, at 30+/-1 degrees C . Eight-hour cycles (tC) and agitation of 500 rpm were utilized . At the beginning of each cycle 60% of the wastewater volume was treated, sufficient to completely cover the bed . The remaining volume was added at different fill times (tF) of 10, 120, 240, 260 and 480 min . The results obtained showed that ratios of tF/tC < or = 0.5 enabled organic matter removal higher than 75% and 70% for filtered and non-filtered samples, respectively . Ratios of tF/tC > 0.5, despite operation stability, resulted in loss of efficiency and formation of viscous material, similar to extra-cellular polymeric substances. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 49(11-12), 303 - 10 Effects of feeding strategies on the performance of an anaerobic discontinuous reactor containing immobilized biomass with circulation system for liquid-phase mixing; Orra AA et al.; Data on the influence of feeding strategy on the performance of a fed-batch anaerobic sequencing reactor containing biomass immobilized on polyurethane foam and subjected to liquid phase circulation are presented and discussed . Six-hour cycles, temperature of 30 degrees C and circulation flow rate of 6 L/h were used . During each cycle 890 mL of synthetic domestic wastewater, with organic matter concentration of 500 mgCOD/L were fed to the reactor . The feeding strategies were implemented using fill times of 6 min (batch mode), 60, 120, 240 (fed-batch/batch mode) and 360 min (fed-batch mode) . The system attained high efficiency and stability for all the operating conditions, and the substrate removal efficiency based on filtered samples presented a slight decrease from 85% to 81% when fill time was increased from 6 min to 360 min . A model considering a first-order kinetic equation was fitted to the experimental data . The apparent kinetic parameters for both batch and fed-batch phases were estimated, thus permitting evaluation of the influence of the feeding strategy on the reactor performance . The current system may be considered flexible in terms of the operating conditions it is subjected to. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 49(11-12), 295 - 301 UASB reactor for domestic wastewater treatment at low temperatures: a comparison between a classical UASB and hybrid UASB-filter reactor; Lew B et al.; The performance of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and a hybrid UASB-filter reactor was investigated and compared for the treatment of domestic wastewater at different operational temperatures (28, 20, 14 and 10 degrees C) and loading rates . For each temperature studied a constant CODt removal was observed as long as the upflow velocity was lower than 0.35 m/h . At these upflow velocities similar removals were observed for both reactor types at 28 and 20 degrees C, 82 and 72% respectively . However, at 14 and 10 degrees C the UASB reactor showed a better COD removal (70% and 48%, respectively) than the hybrid reactor (60% and 38%) . COD removal resulted from biological degradation and solids accumulation in the reactors . At 28 degrees C, a constant 200 g sludge mass was observed in both reactors and COD removal was attributed to biological degradation only . At lower temperatures, solids accumulation was observed in addition to biological degradation with an increase in reactor sludge as the temperature decreased . The decrease in biological degradation at lower temperatures was offset by solids accumulation and explains the similar overall COD removal efficiency observed at 28 degrees C, 20 degrees C and 14 degrees C . The decrease in temperature was also followed by an increase in the effluent TSS concentration in both reactors . At 14 and 10 degrees C a lower effluent TSS concentration and better performance was observed in the UASB reactor. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 49(11-12), 77 - 82 Anaerobic ammonium oxidation of ammonium-rich waste streams in fixed-bed reactors; Fux C et al.; The feasibility of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) in fixed-bed reactors was evaluated on laboratory and pilot scales . Using synthetic wastewater, the specific nitrogen removal rate was increased from 0.05-0.1 kgNm(-3)(reactor)d(-1) to 0.35-0.38 kgNm(-3)(reactor)d(-1) within a year (T= 22-27 degrees C) in all applications . However, the anammox activity was seriously and repeatedly inhibited at prolonged high nitrite concentrations (e.g . six days at 30-50 gNO2-Nm(-3)) and recovery was always a lengthy process . But even at a moderate nitrite concentration (11+/-10 gNO2-Nm(-3)), the observed specific growth rate was only 0.018 d(-1) at 26.4+/-0.8 degrees C, which corresponds to approximately 0.025 d(-1) at 30 degrees C (doubling time: 28 days) . In a second experimental period for another 250 days, one of the laboratory reactors was fed with partially nitrified sludge liquors from a domestic wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) . In this case, the specific elimination rate was as high as 3.5 kgNm(-3)(reactor)d(-1) at 26-27 degrees C . Independently of the feed, the average nitrogen elimination rate lay between 80-85% in all applications . An appropriate hydraulic design is essential to prevent clogging and local nitrite inhibition in fixed-bed reactors. Water Sci Technol, 2004, 49(11-12), 41 - 6 Aerobic granular sludge in an SBR-system treating wastewater rich in particulate matter; Schwarzenbeck N et al.; Aerobic granular sludge was successfully cultivated in a lab-scale SBR-system treating malting wastewater with a high content of particulate organic matter (0.9 gTSS/L) . At an organic loading rate (CODtotal) of 3.4 kg/(m3 x d) an average removal efficiency of 50% in CODtotal and 80% in CODdissolved was achieved . Fractionation of the COD by means of particle size showed that particles with a diameter less than 25-50 microm could be removed at 80% efficiency, whereas particles bigger than 50 microm were only removed at 40% efficiency . Tracer experiments revealed a dense sessile protozoa population covering the granules . The protozoa appeared to be responsible for primary particle uptake from the wastewater. J Hazard Mater, 2004 Aug 30, 112(3), 269 - 78 Photocatalytic degradation of model textile dyes in wastewater using ZnO as semiconductor catalyst; Chakrabarti S et al.; Semiconductor photocatalysis often leads to partial or complete mineralization of organic pollutants . Upon irradiation with UV/visible light, semiconductors catalyze redox reactions in presence of air/O2 and water . Here, the potential of a common semiconductor, ZnO, has been explored as an effective catalyst for the photodegradation of two model dyes: Methylene Blue and Eosin Y . A 16 W lamp was the source of UV-radiation in a batch reactor . The effects of process parameters like, catalyst loading, initial dye concentration, airflow rate, UV-radiation intensity, and pH on the extent of photo degradation have been investigated . Substantial reduction of COD, besides removal of colour, was also achieved . A rate equation for the degradation based on Langmuir-Hinshelwood model has been proposed. J Hazard Mater, 2004 Aug 30, 112(3), 207 - 13 Treatment of electroplating wastewater containing Cu2+, Zn2+ and Cr(VI) by electrocoagulation; Adhoum N et al.; The performance of electrocoagulation, with aluminium sacrificial anode, in the treatment of metal ions (Cu2+, Zn2+ and Cr(VI)) containing wastewater, has been investigated . Several working parameters, such as pH, current density and metal ion concentrations were studied in an attempt to achieve a higher removal capacity . Results obtained with synthetic wastewater revealed that the most effective removal capacities of studied metals could be achieved when the pH was kept between 4 and 8 . In addition, the increase of current density, in the range 0.8-4.8 A dm(-2), enhanced the treatment rate without affecting the charge loading, required to reduce metal ion concentrations under the admissible legal levels . The removal rates of copper and zinc were found to be five times quicker than chromium because of a difference in the removal mechanisms . The process was successfully applied to the treatment of an electroplating wastewater where an effective reduction of (Cu2+, Zn2+ and Cr(VI)) concentrations under legal limits was obtained, just after 20 min . The electrode and electricity consumptions were found to be 1 g l(-1) and 32 A h l(-1), respectively . The method was found to be highly efficient and relatively fast compared to conventional existing techniques. J Hazard Mater, 2004 Aug 30, 112(3), 183 - 90 Removal of heavy metal ions from water by using calcined phosphate as a new adsorbent; Aklil A et al.; Calcined phosphate (CP) has been employed in our laboratories as a heterogeneous catalyst in a variety of reactions . In this study, CP was evaluated as a new product for removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution . Removal of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ on the CP was investigated in batch experiments . The kinetic of lead on CP adsorption efficiency and adsorption process were evaluated and analysed using the theories of Langmuir and Freundlich . The influence of pH was studied . The adsorption capacity obtained at pH 5 were 85.6, 29.8, and 20.6 mg g(-1) for Pb2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+, respectively . We hypothesize at pH 2 and 3, the dissolution of CP and precipitation of a fluoropyromorphite for lead and the formation of solid-solution type fluorapatite for copper . The results obtained show that CP is a good adsorbent for these toxic heavy metals . The abundance of natural phosphate, its low price and non-aggressive nature towards the environment are advantage for its utilisation in point of view of wastewater and wastes clean up. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 2005 Jan, 66(4), 377 - 83 Epub 2004 Aug 05. A screen-printed biosensor using pyruvate oxidase for rapid determination of phosphate in synthetic wastewater; Kwan RC et al.; A screen-printed phosphate biosensor based on immobilized pyruvate oxidase (PyOD, E.C . 1.2.3.3) has been developed for monitoring phosphate concentrations in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system . The enzyme was immobilized by a nafion matrix and covered a poly(carbamoyl) sulfonate (PCS) hydrogel on a screen-printed electrode . PyOD consumes phosphate in the presence of pyruvate and oxygen and generates hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), carbon dioxide and acetylphosphate . The electroactive H(2)O(2), monitored at +420 mV vs Ag/AgCl, is generated in proportion to the concentration of phosphate . The sensor has a fast response time (2 s) and a short recovery period (2 min) . The time required for one measurement using this phosphate biosensor was 4 min, which was faster than the time required using a commercial phosphate testing kit (10 min) . The sensor has a linear range from 7.5 muM to 625 muM phosphate with a detection limit of 3.6 muM . There was good agreement (R(2)=0.9848) between the commercial phosphate testing kit and the phosphate sensor in measurements of synthetic wastewater in a SBR system . This sensor maintained a high working stability (>85%) after 12 h of operation and involved a simple operation procedure . It therefore serves as a useful tool for rapid and accurate phosphate measurements in the SBR system and probably for process control. Environ Sci Technol, 2004 Jul 15, 38(14), 4040 - 6 Electricity generation using an air-cathode single chamber microbial fuel cell in the presence and absence of a proton exchange membrane; Liu H et al.; Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are typically designed as a two-chamber system with the bacteria in the anode chamber separated from the cathode chamber by a polymeric proton exchange membrane (PEM) . Most MFCs use aqueous cathodes where water is bubbled with air to provide dissolved oxygen to electrode . To increase energy output and reduce the cost of MFCs, we examined power generation in an air-cathode MFC containing carbon electrodes in the presence and absence of a polymeric proton exchange membrane (PEM) . Bacteria present in domestic wastewater were used as the biocatalyst, and glucose and wastewater were tested as substrates . Power density was found to be much greater than typically reported for aqueous-cathode MFCs, reaching a maximum of 262 +/- 10 mW/m2 (6.6 +/- 0.3 mW/L; liquid volume) using glucose . Removing the PEM increased the maximum power density to 494 +/- 21 mW/m2 (12.5 +/- 0.5 mW/L) . Coulombic efficiency was 40-55% with the PEM and 9-12% with the PEM removed, indicating substantial oxygen diffusion into the anode chamber in the absence of the PEM . Power output increased with glucose concentration according to saturation-type kinetics, with a half saturation constant of 79 mg/L with the PEM-MFC and 103 mg/L in the MFC without a PEM (1000 omega resistor) . Similar results on the effect of the PEM on power density were found using wastewater, where 28 +/- 3 mW/m2 (0.7 +/- 0.1 mW/L) (28% Coulombic efficiency) was produced with the PEM, and 146 +/- 8 mW/m2 (3.7 +/- 0.2 mW/L) (20% Coulombic efficiency) was produced when the PEM was removed . The increase in power output when a PEM was removed was attributed to a higher cathode potential as shown by an increase in the open circuit potential . An analysis based on available anode surface area and maximum bacterial growth rates suggests that mediatorless MFCs may have an upper order-of-magnitude limit in power density of 10(3) mW/m2 . A cost-effective approach to achieving power densities in this range will likely require systems that do not contain a polymeric PEM in the MFC and systems based on direct oxygen transfer to a carbon cathode. Environ Sci Technol, 2004 Jul 15, 38(14), 4019 - 25 Transformation of aromatic ether- and amine-containing pharmaceuticals during chlorine disinfection; Pinkston KE et al.; Many of the human pharmaceuticals detected in municipal wastewater effluent, surface water, and groundwater contain functional groups that could undergo transformation reactions during chlorine disinfection . To assess the potential importance of these reactions to the environmental fate of pharmaceuticals, the rate of transformation of a group of compounds was measured over a pH range of 5-10 . Several of the pharmaceuticals reacted rapidly with free chlorine (i.e., HOCl/OCl-) and would be expected to undergo transformation under the conditions typically encountered in many chlorine disinfection systems . For compounds containing aromatic ether functional groups, the rate of transformation was strongly affected bythe other substituents on the ring . The amine-containing pharmaceuticals underwent a rapid reaction with hypochlorous acid to form chlorinated amines, which could be converted back into the parent compound by reaction with thiosulfate . In the absence of thiosulfate, the chlorinated amines slowly decomposed to form species that could not be converted back into the parent compound . The reaction rates of the pharmaceuticals with combined chlorine (i.e., chloramines) were significantly slower, and transformation of the compounds would not be expected under the conditions encountered during chloramination. Environ Sci Technol, 2004 Jul 15, 38(14), 4012 - 8 Removal of chlorophenols from wastewater using red mud: an aluminum industry waste; Gupta VK et al.; Removal of toxic substances from wastewaters using low-cost alternatives to activated carbon is an important area in environmental sciences . Efforts have been made to convert red mud, an aluminum industry waste, into a low-cost potential adsorbent, and the final material has been used for the removal of phenol, 2-chlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenol from wastewater . It is pertinent to mention that phenol and chlorophenols are highly carcinogenic and an priority class of pollutants which needs to be removed from effluents before discharge into water bodies . 2,4-Dichlorophenol and 4-chlorophenol are sorbed by the developed adsorbent up to 94-97%, while the removal of 2-chlorophenol and phenol was up to 50-81% . The removal of phenols and its derivatives was achieved up to 98% by column experiments at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min . The order of removal was 2,4-dichlorophenol > 4-chlorophenol > 2-chlorophenol > phenol, and the removal takes place through a particle diffusion mechanism . The adsorption was found to be endothermic in nature and follows both Langmuir and Freundlich models . Estimation of the phenols was carried out by capillary electrophoresis, and the adsorbent has been successfully tried for the removal of chlorophenols from a wastewater . The developed process is very useful, economic, rapid, and reproducible for the removal of phenols. J Chromatogr A, 2004 Jul 9, 1042(1-2), 155 - 62 Determination of perfluorocarboxylic acids in aqueous matrices by ion-pair solid-phase microextraction-in-port derivatization-gas chromatography-negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry; Alzaga R et al.; A rapid, selective and simple analytical procedure using tetrabutylammonium as ion pair in conjunction with solid-phase microextraction followed by in-port derivatization-GC-negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry was developed . The procedure allows an accurate determination of perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids in aqueous samples at ng L(-1) levels (i.e . method detection limit 20 ng L(-1) forperfluorodecanoic acid) improving previous GC methods in terms of analysis time and sensitivity . Ammonia as reagent gas in the negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry increased the sensitivity at least 3-fold compared to methane for perfluorocarboxylic acid butyl esters . The developed procedure was successfully applied to effluents from wastewater treatment plants (i.e . 0.05-8.2 microg L(-1)) and harbor seawaters. J Chromatogr A, 2004 Jul 9, 1042(1-2), 113 - 21 Simultaneous determination of fluoroquinolone, sulfonamide, and trimethoprim antibiotics in wastewater using tandem solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry; Renew JE et al.; A robust and sensitive method for the detection of fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides and trimethoprim has been developed . Wastewater samples were acidified and extracted through an anion-exchange cartridge in tandem with a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) cartridge, a procedure that reduced interferences from wastewater organic matter . The extracted antibiotics were analyzed using liquid chromatography electrospray mass spectrometry and selected ion monitoring . Quantification of antibiotics was assessed both by internal standard and standard addition methods . Average recoveries for a range of wastewater matrices were 37 to 129% for a 1 microg/L spiking concentration . The method detection limits (MDLs) of antibiotics in deionized water, final and secondary effluent ranged from 2 to 7 ng/L, from 20 to 50 ng/L, and from 30 to 90 ng/L, respectively . Assessment of matrix interference shows that signal suppression and MDL increases with higher amounts of organic matter in the sample . Analyses of samples from two municipal wastewater treatment plants indicate that ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim are present in the secondary effluents at median concentrations of 100-160, 205-305, 395-575, and 40-705 ng/L, respectively. Environ Sci Technol, 2004 Jul 1, 38(13), 3723 - 30 Reduction of nitroglycerin with elemental iron: pathway, kinetics, and mechanisms; Oh SY et al.; Nitroglycerin (NG) is a nitrate ester used in dynamites, propellants, and medicines and is therefore a common constituent in propellant-manufacturing and pharmaceutical wastewaters . In this study we investigated the reduction of NG with cast iron as a potential treatment method . NG was reduced stepwise to glycerol via 1,2- and 1,3-dinitroglycerins (DNGs) and 1- and 2-mononitroglycerins (MNGs) . Nitrite was released in each reduction step and was further reduced to NH4+ . Adsorption of NG and its reduction products to cast iron was minimal . A reaction pathway and a kinetic model for NG reduction with cast iron were proposed . The estimated surface area-normalized reaction rate constants for NG and NO2- were (1.65 +/- 0.30) x 10(-2) (L x m(-2) x h(-1)) and (0.78 +/- 0.09) x 10(-2) (L x m(-2) x h(-1)), respectively . Experiments using dialysis cell with iron and a graphite sheet showed that reduction of NG to glycerol can be mediated by graphite . However, reduction of NO2- mediated by graphite was very slow . NG and NO2- were also found to reduce to glycerol and NH4+ by Fe2+ in the presence of magnetite but not by aqueous Fe2+ or magnetite alone . These results indicate that in a cast iron-water system NG may be reduced via multiple mechanisms involving different reaction sites, whereas nitrite is reduced mainly by iron and/ or adsorbed Fe2+ . The study demonstrates that iron can rapidly reduce NG to innocuous and biodegradable end products and represents a new approach to treat NG-containing wastewaters. Anal Sci, 2004 Jul, 20(7), 1013 - 7 Direct fluorescence quantification of chromium(VI) in wastewater with organic nanoparticles sensor; Wang L et al.; Under ultrasonic irradiation, organic fluorescence nanoparticles have been prepared by a reprecipitation method . Compared with single organic fluorophores, these nanoparticles are brighter, more stable against photobleaching and more water-soluble . They also have high room-temperature fluorescence quantum yields (approximately 20%) and a long fluorescence lifetime (approximately 0.2 micros) . Based on the fluorescence quenching of nanoparticles by chromium(VI), a method for the selective determination of chromium(VI) without the separation of chromium(III) in water was developed . Under the optimal conditions, the linear range of the calibration curve was 7.0 x 10(-6) - 1.0 x 10(-4) mol L(-1) . The detection limit was 2.8 x 10(-6) mol L(-1) . The method is characterized by a short reaction time, stable fluorescence signals, simplicity and high selectivity . The present assay has been applied to the selective quantification of Cr(VI) in wastewater with satisfactory results. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol . 2004 Jul 29; {Epub ahead of print} beta-Glucan synthase induction in mushrooms grown on olive mill wastewaters; Reverberi M et al.; beta-1-3-Glucan synthase activity and its induction by olive mill wastewaters (OMW) was studied in ten fungal strains ( Auricularia auricula-judae, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus eryngii, Stropharia aeruginosa, Agrocybe aegerita, P . pulmonarius, Armillaria mellea, P . ferulae, P . ostreatus, P . nebrodensis) . A microtiter-based enzymatic assay on beta-1-3-glucan synthase activity was carried out on all mycelia growth both on the control medium and on OMW . Among the fungi assayed, L . edodes beta-1-3-glucan synthase was highly enhanced in OMW . The main components of OMW, i.show $132#e . phenols and lipids, were added separately to the control medium, to highlight the mechanism of L . edodes beta-1-3-glucan synthase induction . A Southern blot analysis and PCR with degenerated primers were carried out to detect the presence of fks1-like genes in these Basidiomycetes . The sequences obtained from the ten Basidiomycota were remarkably similar to fks1 from Filobasidiella neoformans . Spectrofluorimetric and RT-PCR analyses of beta-1-3-glucan synthase were performed on the mycelia of L . edodes . In this fungus, a strong stimulation of beta-1-3-glucan synthase mRNA and protein was recorded in the presence of OMW and phenols. Bioresour Technol, 2004 Dec, 95(3), 301 - 7 Analysis of the performance of an anaerobic digestion system at the Regina Wastewater Treatment Plant; Zhao HW et al.; From the performance analysis of the anaerobic digestion system at the Regina Wastewater Treatment Plant, it was found that the anaerobic digestion system at the Regina plant was generally operated in a stable condition as indicated by pH, volatile acids and alkalinity levels . The operation of the anaerobic digestion system was not optimal because of the low volatile solids concentration and low volatile solids loading rate, especially because of high HRT . Two options, thickening the primary sludge and increasing the volatile solids loading rate, were recommended for the optimal operation of the digestion system . After examining a number of kinetic models, it was found that the Chen-Hashimoto model could be used to predict the volumetric methane production rate and the first-order model could be used to predict the efficiency of volatile solids reduction . The study showed that utilization of digester gas for power production was the best alternative for the excess digester gas . 13.3% of the electrical demand and 35.5% of the plant's total energy could be met based on digester gas wasted, assuming 25% as the conversion efficiency. Bioresour Technol, 2004 Dec, 95(3), 259 - 68 Influence of salts and phenolic compounds on olive mill wastewater detoxification using superabsorbent polymers; Davies LC et al.; For a selection of nine commercially available superabsorbent polymers, the absorption capacity was evaluated for the principal absorption-inhibition constituent of OMW, mineral salts and for phytotoxic-components, the phenolic compounds . A double exponential model was established for electrical conductivities ranging 4.2-25,000 microS cm(-1) . For solutions of phenolic compounds ranging 0-0.5 g l(-1), a distribution coefficient near unit was achieved, while for OMW, the phenolic compounds were concentrated inside the gel as the distribution coefficient was 1.4 . Correction of OMW pH towards neutrality was found to increase the absorption capacity by up to 35% . The phytotoxicity was assessed by the germination of Lepidium sativum . Inhibition in plant growth occurred for all OMW dilutions without superabsorbent polymers application . For 5% of OMW (COD 5 gl(-1) and 200 ppm of phenolic compounds) immobilised in PNa2 (1 gl(-1)), plant growth was promoted being observed a 120% growth germination, thus indicating that olive mill wastewater detoxification occurred. Ann Chim, 2004 May-Jun, 94(5-6), 447 - 56 Octadecyl silica membrane disks modified with a new Schiff's base for the preconcentration of lead and copper before their determination in water samples; Ganjali MR et al.; A simple and fast method for the extraction and determination of ppt level of Pb2+ and Cu2+ ions using octadecyl-bonded silica membrane disks modified by a new tetradentates Schiffs base {Bis(2,4-dimethoxy benzaldehyde) ethylen diimine}(TDSB) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry is described . Extraction efficiency, and influence of flow rate, pH, type and the least amount of acid for stripping of Cu2+ and Pb2+ from the modified disks and break through volume were evaluated . The maximum capacity of the membrane disks modified by 5 mg of TDSB used was found to be 347 +/- 7 and 470 +/- 6 microg of copper and lead, respectively . The concentration factor is 500 (for 2500 mL water sample and flow rate of 20 mL min(-1)) and detection limit of the proposed method is 12.5 and 150.5 pg/ml for Cu2+ and Pb2+, respectively . The method was applied to the determination of Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions from various water, wastewater, black tea, and hot pepper samples. Ann Chim, 2004 May-Jun, 94(5-6), 399 - 408 Improving primary treatment of urban wastewater with lime-induced coagulation; Marani D et al.; The enhancement of primary treatment efficiency through the coagulation process may yield several advantages, including lower aeration energy in the subsequent biological unit and higher recovery of biogas from sludge digestion . In this work sewage coagulation with lime was studied at pilot plant level, using degritted sewage from the city of Rome . The work aimed at optimising the operating conditions (coagulant dosage or treatment pH, and mixing conditions in the coagulation and flocculation tanks), in order to maximise the efficiency of suspended Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal and to minimise sludge production . Lime dosage optimisation resulted in an optimal treatment pH of 9 . Lime addition up to pH 9 may increase COD removal rate in the primary treatment from typical 30-35% of plain sedimentation up to 55-70% . Within the velocity gradients experimented in this work (314-795 s(-1) for the coagulation tank and 13-46 s(-1) for the flocculation tank), mixing conditions did not significantly affect the lime-enhanced process, which seems to be controlled by slow lime dissolution . Sludge produced in the lime-enhanced process settled and compacted easily, inducing an average 36% decrease in sludge volume with respect to plain settling . However excess sludge was produced, which was not accounted for by the amount of suspended solids removed . This is probably due to incomplete dissolution of lime, which may be partially incorporated in the sludge. Water Res, 2004 Aug-Sep, 38(14-15), 3389 - 99 Aerobic granulation with industrial wastewater in sequencing batch reactors; Arrojo B et al.; Granular sludge formation was promoted in two laboratory scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs), R1 and R2 fed with industrial wastewater produced in a laboratory for analysis of dairy products . Both reactors were operated under similar conditions during most of the experimental period . However, an anoxic phase between 10 and 30 min was included at the beginning of every cycle of operation of R1, but not in R2 . Organic and nitrogen loading rates applied to both systems were high, up to 7 g COD/(L d) and 0.7 g N/(L d) . Nitrogen removal efficiency was 70% in both units even considering that R2 was operated always under aerobic conditions . Granules with similar morphology were developed in both systems . Size distribution was comprehended between 0.25 and 4.0 mm for both systems . The presence of TSS in the effluent of the SBRs was strongly affected by either the length of the withdrawal period or by the particulated COD to biomass ratio (CODp/VSS) applied to the systems . The lower concentrations of TSS in the effluent were attained when the systems were operated with a CODp/VSS ratio lower than 0.12 g COD/g VSS . There was a strong reduction of the average TSS content in the effluent from 450 to 200 and 150 mg TSS/L when the length of the withdrawal period was diminished sequentially from 3 to 1 and 0.5 min, respectively . This was caused by a more intensive washout of small suspended biomass aggregates that took place when the length of this period was shortened. Water Res, 2004 Aug-Sep, 38(14-15), 3373 - 81 The role of zeolites in wastewater treatment of printing inks; Metes A et al.; The adsorption of residual organic pollutants from flocculated printing ink wastewater onto several synthetic zeolites was investigated as a finishing method for additional reduction of TOC . The nonselective removal of total organic content was studied . The amount of adsorbed organics was largest for ZSM-5 and NH4-Beta while the other zeolites studied showed lower efficiency, suggesting that adsorption is independent of pore structure . The adsorption rates of organic pollutants were fast . Although the TOC removal increases with increasing amount of zeolite, because of the necessity of additional filtration to lower turbidity to required levels, 5.0 g/L of zeolite was found to be optimum . The 88% reduction of TOC obtained with a single flocculation treatment was improved with the combination of flocculation and adsorption with ZSM-5 which resulted in the overall TOC efficiency of 95% . The addition of zeolites in decantated supernatant water, obtained after flocculation, was also studied in order to assess the effect of floc on zeolite capacity . A decrease in adsorption capacity occurred only if a coagulant concentration less than optimal was applied . Removal efficiency then decreased by around 10% . It was concluded that flocculation followed by adsorption with zeolites is an effective treatment method for this kind of wastewater. Water Res, 2004 Aug-Sep, 38(14-15), 3287 - 96 Application of multi-wavelength fluorometry for on-line monitoring of an anaerobic digestion process; Morel E et al.; This work examined the use of multi-wavelength fluorometry for on-line monitoring of an anaerobic digestion process . Experiments were carried out in a laboratory-scale anaerobic digestor fed with either synthetic or agricultural (cheese factory) wastewater . An in-line fiber optic probe installed in the external recirculation loop of the reactor was used to acquire fluorescence spectra with an interval of 5-10 min . The spectra were compared with analytical measurements taken at the same time to develop regression models, which were then used to predict concentrations of chemical oxygen demand, volatile fatty acids, and other key process parameters . A comparison of partial least squares (PLS), nonlinear principal components regression, and step-wise regression models on an independent set of data showed that the PLS model gave the best prediction accuracy. Water Res, 2004 Aug-Sep, 38(14-15), 3155 - 66 Routine monitoring of antibiotics in water and wastewater with a radioimmunoassay technique; Yang S et al.; Antibiotics are one of a group of pharmaceutical compounds that have been found in lakes and streams throughout the world and the occurrence of these compounds in the environment has raised concerns regarding the toxicity to aquatic organisms and the emergence of strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria . The objective of this study was to assess the use of a relatively simple coupled solid-phase extraction (SPE)/radioimmunoassay (RIA) method for screening and/or monitoring tetracycline (TC) and sulfonamide (SA) compounds in water . Cross-reactivity of TCs and SAs was used to determine the specificity of the assays . The results indicate that TC, oxytetracycline (OTC), chlortetracycline (CTC) of the investigated 5 TCs, and sulfamethazine (SMT), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), sulfadimethoxane (SDM) and sulfathiazole (STZ) of the investigated 6 SAs in water matrix cross-react to a similar degree within each family in RIA and SPE/RIA . Water samples were collected across a watershed in northern Colorado in addition to the influent and effluent of a wastewater treatment plant . SPE/RIA analysis of these samples was compared with SPE/liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry (MS) quantification of 5 TC and 6 SA compounds . Results of the study indicate that SPE/RIA can be an effective technique for monitoring antibiotic compounds in waters suspected to be contaminated with these compounds . The coupled method provides a sufficiently low detection limit (0.05 microg/L) to screen large sample sets at environmentally relevant concentrations . The method provides a semi-quantitative composite measurement of similar compounds in an antibiotic family without complex and expensive analytical equipment. Environ Pollut, 2004 Nov, 132(1), 61 - 71 Microbial acidification and pH effects on trace element release from sewage sludge; Qureshi S et al.; Leaching of sludge-borne trace elements has been observed in experimental and field studies . The role of microbial processes in the mobilization of trace elements from wastewater sludge is poorly defined . Our objectives were to determine trace element mobilization from sludge subjected to treatments representing microbial acidification, direct chemical acidification and no acidification, and to determine the readsorption potential of mobilized elements using calcareous sand . Triplicate columns (10-cm diameter) for incubation and leaching of sludge had a top layer of digested dewatered sludge (either untreated, acidified with H2SO4, or limed with CaCO3; all mixed with glass beads to prevent ponding) and a lower glass bead support bed . Glass beads in the sludge layer, support layer or both were replaced by calcareous sand in four treatments used for testing the readsorption potential of mobilized elements . Eight sequential 8-day incubation and leaching cycles were operated, each consisting of 7.6 d of incubation at 28 degrees C followed by 8 h of leaching with synthetic acid rain applied at 0.25 cm/h . Leachates were analyzed for trace elements, nitrate and pH, and sludge layer microbial respiration was measured . The largest trace element, nitrate and S losses occurred in treatments with the greatest pH depression and greatest microbial respiration rates . Cumulative leaching losses from both microbial acidification and direct acidification treatments were > 90% of Zn and 64-80% of Cu and Ni . Preventing acidification with sludge layer lime or sand restricted leaching for all trace elements except Mo . Results suggested that the primary microbial role in the rapid leaching of trace elements was acidification, with results from direct acidification being nearly identical to microbial acidification . Microbial activity in the presence of materials that prevented acidification mobilized far lower concentrations of trace elements, with the exception of Mo . Trace elements mobilized by acidification were readsorbed by calcareous sand when present. J Environ Sci (China), 2004, 16(3), 476 - 81 Performance of a subsurface-flow constructed wetland in southern China; Shi L et al.; The operational performance of a full-scale subsurface-flow constructed wetland, which treated the mixed industrial and domestic wastewater with BOD5/COD mean ratio of 0.33 at Shatian, Shenzhen City was studied . The constructed wetland system consists of screens, sump, pumping station, and primary settling basin, facultative pond, first stage wetland and secondary stage wetland . The designed treatment capacity is 5000 m3/d, and the actual influent flow is in the range of < 2000 to > 10000 m3/d . Under normal operational conditions, the final effluent quality well met the National Integrated Wastewater Discharge Standard (GB 8978-1996), with the following parameters(mean values): COD 33.90 mg/L, BOD, 7.65 mg/L, TSS 7.92 mg/L, TN 9.11 mg/L and TP 0.56 mg/L . Seven species of plants were selected to grow in the wetland: Reed, Sweetcane flower Silvergrass, Great Bulrush, Powdery Thalia and Canna of three colours . The growing season is a whole year-round . The seasonal discrepancy could be observed and the plants growing in the wetland are vulnerable to lower temperature in winter . The recycling of the effluent in the first stage of the wetland system is an effective measure to improve the performance of the wetland system . The insufficient DO value in the wetland system not only had significant effect on pollutants removal in the wetland, but also was unfavourable to plant growth . The recycling of effluent to the inlet of wetland system and artificial pond to increase DO value of influent to the wetland is key to operate the subsurface constructed wetland steadily and effectively. J Environ Sci (China), 2004, 16(3), 443 - 6 Flocculation performance of a novel synthesized flocculant with low ecological risk; Zhang KS et al.; Combined flocculants with low ecological risk are urgently required in water supply and wastewater treatment in China . A novel flocculant was thus developed under the condition of low ecological risk (noted as CAS) . The experiments to examine wastewater treatment performance of the new product showed that there was favourable performance in the flocculation process in contrast to commercial flocculants in treating kaolin suspensions, municipal effluent and domestic wastewater . Flocculation performance included the turbidity removal rate, sediment character and a decrease in COD (chemical oxygen demand) . The sediment time of flocculation is short and the removal rate of turbidity treated by CAS is high compared with PAC (polyaluminum-chloride), PAM (polyacrylamide) and the combined addition of PAC and PAM . The optimal concentration required to affect flocculation processes is dependent on kaolin concentration and the character of the wastewater within the range examined . It also showed that CAS is effective to treat wastewater with high turbidity. J Environ Sci (China), 2004, 16(3), 367 - 70 An innovative integrated oxidation ditch with vertical circle (IODVC) for wastewater treatment; Xia SB et al.; The oxidation ditch process is economic and efficient for wastewater treatment, but its application is limited in case where land is costly due to its large land area required . An innovative integrated oxidation ditch with vertical circle (IODVC) system was developed to treat domestic and industrial wastewater aiming to save land area . The new system consists of a single-channel divided into two ditches(the top one and the bottom one by a plate), a brush, and an innovative integral clarifier . Different from the horizontal circle of the conventional oxidation ditch, the flow of IODVC system recycles from the top zone to the bottom zone in the vertical circle as the brush is running, and then the IODVC saved land area required by about 50% compared with a conventional oxidation ditch with an intrachannel clarifier . The innovative integral clarifier is effective for separation of liquid and solids, and is preferably positioned at the opposite end of the brush in the ditch . It does not affect the hydrodynamic characteristics of the mixed liquor in the ditch, and the sludge can automatically return to the down ditch without any pump . In this study, experiments of domestic and dye wastewater treatment were carried out in bench scale and in full scale, respectively . Results clearly showed that the IODVC efficiently removed pollutants in the wastewaters, i.e., the average of COD removals for domestic and dye wastewater treatment were 95% and 90%, respectively, and that the IODVC process may provide a cost effective way for full scale dye wastewater treatment. J Environ Sci (China), 2004, 16(3), 364 - 6 Degradation of nitrobenzene in wastewater by gamma-ray irradiation; Zhang SJ et al.; The degradation of nitrobenzene (NB) by gamma-ray irradiation was studied . The influences of dose rate and initial NB concentration were investigated in details . At a dose rate of 55 Gy/min, the degradation kinetics was pseudo-first-order at NB concentrations from 0.2 mmol/L to 4.0 mmol/L . At an initial NB concentration of 0.8 mmol/L, the degradation of NB at various dose rates also followed pseudo-first-order kinetics . Dissolved oxygen was found to have a positive effect on NB degradation . The degradation products were identified as nitrophenol, nitrosobenzene, and hydroquinone, and so on . Based on the product analysis, possible degradation pathways of nitrobenzene were proposed. Indian J Environ Health, 2003 Apr, 45(2), 133 - 8 Acute toxicity of lake water to fishes; Rani PS et al.; The present study investigates the acute toxicity of Hussainsagar lake water to fishes . In this context, experiments were conducted on three species of fishes (Cyprinus carpio, Tilapia mozambica and Lebistus reticularis), using 5, 10 and 20% volume of Jeedimetla nallah wastewater and were observed for the signs of survival within the specified period of time . The TLm value for 96 hours test period was found to be 17% . Similarly Toxicity studies were carried out on Hussainsagar lake water with dilutions varying from 10-100% . Absence of mortality during 96 hours of test period indicates that there is no acute toxicity of Hussainsagar lake water to fishes. Indian J Environ Health, 2003 Apr, 45(2), 121 - 32 Design of Upelow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket reactor for treatment of organic wastewaters; Ghangrekar MM et al.; The Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) Reactor is widely applied anaerobic wastewater treatment method all over the world . Uniform distribution of wastewater at reactor bottom is necessary to establish proper contact between sludge and wastewater . In addition, proper functioning of Gas-Liquid-Solid (GLS) separator is crucial to ensure maximum sludge retention in the reactor and to achieve maximum COD removal rate in the reactor . Hence, proper design of reactor is necessary for appropriate functioning of various components for a given wastewater flow rate and COD concentration . The design procedure for UASB reactor taking due consideration to the GLS design and design of inlet arrangement is discussed in this paper for various wastewater strength and flow rates . A software is developed to make economical design of UASB reactor for different type of wastewater by adopting maximum loading conditions, based on literature recommendations, and at the same time to satisfy all design recommendation, as far as possible. Indian J Environ Health, 2003 Apr, 45(2), 113 - 20 Treatment of textile dyeing wastewater using UV/solar photofenton oxidation processes; Sarayu G et al.; Colour removal of effluent from textile dyeing and finishing industry is becoming important because of aesthetic as well as environmental concerns . Conventional treatment methods have several limitations . Hence emerging technologies like advanced oxidation processes which were based on generation of hydroxyl free radicals (OH) were investigated . In the present work, photofenton oxidation process was used to treat textile dyeing wastewater and the study was carried out at different Fenton molar ratio's (H2O2/Fe2+) like 25:1, 50:1, 75:1, 100:1 . It was found that maximum decolourisation occurred at a fenton molar ration of 50:1 and pH 3 . A maximum colour removal of 97% was achieved after a contact time of 30 minutes and 70% COD reduction was observed after a contact time of 60 minutes in UV photofenton oxidation process . Whereas 80% colour removal and 50-55% COD reduction was observed after a contact time of 2 hrs in solar photofenton oxidation process. Environ Toxicol, 2004 Aug, 19(4), 351 - 8 Assessment of toxic interactions of heavy metals in a multicomponent mixture using Lepidium sativum and Spirodela polyrrhiza; Montvydiene D et al.; The toxicities of copper, chromium, cadmium, nickel, manganese, zinc, and lead ions and various concentrations of mixtures of them were studied using the aquatic plant Spirodela polyrrhiza and the terrestrial plant Lepidium sativum . The composition of the model mixture was based on average analytical data of the annual amounts of representative heavy metals (HM) in wastewater discharged from the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (Lithuania) during 1996 . The observed and predicted effects of the HM mixture on tested plants were evaluated and compared with the prediction models used in describing the toxic interactions of heavy metals in the mixture . The type of toxic interaction at each tested concentration of the mixture was assessed by a statistical approach that tested the null hypothesis of additive toxicity (Ince et al., 1999) and the mixture toxicity index (MTI; Konemann, 1981) . For both plant organisms the effect of the HM mixture calculated using the MTI was synergistic . However, assessment of the HM interaction type at 50% effect concentrations using the hypothesis of additive toxicity showed a synergistic effect for Spirodela polyrrhiza and an additive effect for Lepidium sativum . Though the results obtained using both prediction models for assessing the HM mixture's toxicity were similar, in our opinion, the additive toxicity model is more suitable than the MTI model because the former allows evaluation of the impact of various mixture concentrations, not only those with a 50% effect . Environ Toxicol, 2004 Aug, 19(4), 336 - 41 The medicinal leech as a convenient tool for water toxicity assessment; Petrauskiene L; Medicinal leeches previously were used in various toxicological and pharmacological studies because they are sensitive and easy to keep under laboratory conditions . Toxicological studies using leeches became restricted when their natural sources decreased dramatically . We breed medicinal leeches under laboratory conditions and have the possibility of using them for various investigations . The aim of the current study was to investigate changes in behavioral and physiological responses of leeches exposed to a heavy metal model mixture (HMMM) . The composition of the HMMM was determined on the basis of the average annual amounts of representative metals (Zn, Mn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Cd, and Pb) in wastewater discharging from the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant . An annual average was considered a concentration of 1% . Animals were exposed to 0.13%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2% concentrations of the HMMM . The avoidance responses, changes in body weight, feeding behavior, and excretion rates of the leeches were recorded . Avoidance response was observed in animals treated with 1% and 2% concentrations of the HMMM during the first 2 h of exposure . A decrease in body weight was recorded after a 4-week exposure to all tested concentrations . Disturbances in feeding behavior were observed after a 4-week exposure to 0.13%-2% concentrations . An increase in the defecation rate was observed during the 5-week exposure to 0.25%-2% concentrations . The excretion rate via nephridia was decreased during postfeeding period after exposure to 0.25%-2% concentrations . The avoidance response of medicinal leeches can be used as an express method for water quality assessment, whereas physiological responses may be used for the assessment of chronic toxicity of polluted environments . Environ Toxicol, 2004 Aug, 19(4), 302 - 9 Toxicity assessment of wastewaters, river waters, and sediments in Austria using cost-effective microbiotests; Latif M et al.; The toxicity and chemical quality of surface water and sediment in the River Traun in Austria were studied because of recurrent fish mortality in some alpine rivers over the last few years . The analyses were carried out on samples collected during winter and summer upstream and downstream of two municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and on effluents taken at the points of discharge of these two plants . Toxicity tests were performed on 20 samples of surface water, effluent, and sediment pore water . The test battery was composed of microbiotests with protozoans (Protoxkit F), microalgae (Algaltoxkit F), crustaceans (Daphtoxkit F magna and Thamnotoxkit F), and a higher plant (seed germination and root elongation assay on cress) . Direct contact tests were performed on whole sediment with crustaceans (Ostracodtoxkit F) . The physical-chemical characteristics of the surface water, effluent, and sediment pore water samples analyzed were conductivity, total hardness, pH, O(2), BOD(5), TOC, DOC, AOX, NH(4), NH(3), NO(2), PO(4)--P, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn . The toxicity data were expressed as percentage mortality or percentage inhibition, depending on the effect criterion of the respective assay . None of the water samples collected upstream and downstream of the WWTPs showed any significant (short-term) toxicity in either winter or in summer, but the effluents of the first municipal wastewater treatment plant were toxic to some of the test biota . All the sediment pore water samples induced serious inhibition of root growth of cress, and several pore waters were toxic to other test biota as well, particularly at the outlets of the WWTPs . The toxic character of some sediments was confirmed by direct contact tests with the ostracod crustacean . The chemical analyses did not reveal particularly high concentrations of any chemical that is very toxic . As a result no direct causal relationship could be established between the detected toxic effects and the chemical composition of the surface waters or sediment pore waters . The outcome of this preliminary study again highlights the need to complement chemical analyses with toxicity tests to determine the toxic hazard to aquatic environments that may be threatened by contamination . Furthermore, the investigations also confirmed the need to apply a battery of tests for an ecologically meaningful evaluation of the hazards of waters, sediments, and wastewaters . Finally, the results of the 360 bioassays performed show that culture-independent microbiotests are practical and reliable tools for low-cost toxicity monitoring of aquatic environments . Biotechnol Lett, 2004 May, 26(10), 819 - 22 Odorous swine wastewater treatment by purple non-sulfur bacteria, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, isolated from eutrophicated ponds; Kim MK et al.; Three strains of phototrophic, purple, non-sulfur bacteria, isolated from eutrophic ponds, were used to treat odorous swine wastewater . One isolate, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, when cultured in swine wastewater without supplementation for 7 d, removed odorous organic acids (170 mg l(-1)), COD (10,000 mg l(-1)) and phosphate (180 mg l(-1)). Chemosphere, 2004 Sep, 56(10), 1011 - 7 Decolorizing of lignin wastewater using the photochemical UV/TiO2 process; Chang CN et al.; Studies on applying the photochemical UV/TiO2 oxidation process to treat the lignin-containing wastewater for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), color and reducing A254 (the absorption at the wavelength of 254 nm) have been carried out . The data obtained in this study demonstrate that the UV/TiO2 process is effective in oxidizing the lignin thus reducing the color and DOC of the wastewater treated . The combined UV/TiO2 treatment can achieve better removal of DOC and color than the UV treatment alone . Color removal, based on American Dye Manufacture Index (ADMI) measurement, is greater than 99% if the pH is maintained at 3.0 with the addition of 1 g l(-1) TiO2 . When 10 g l(-1) TiO2 is applied, the oxidation reduction potential (ORP) value is reached to result in an 88% removal of both DOC and color . A model was developed based on the variation of ORP during the photochemical reaction to simulate the decoloring process . The proposed model can be used to predict the color removal efficiency of the UV/TiO2 process. Chemosphere, 2004 Sep, 56(10), 973 - 80 Feed-forward dose control of wastewater chlorination using on-line pH and ORP titration; Yu RF; In this study, a simple automatic pH-ORP titration device was developed for identifying the various ammonia concentrations and chlorine dose requirements for wastewater chlorination by identifying the peaks in the ORP-slope profiles and knees/valleys in the pH profiles . In addition, breakpoint chlorination experiments have shown that the ORP values at the monochloramine humps and breakpoints are linearly correlated with the ammonia concentrations . Therefore, a feed-forward control strategy, based on the chlorine/ammonia weight ratio (Cl/N), is proposed in this paper, to control the chlorine doses for a continuous wastewater chlorination experiment in a laboratory-scale reactor . The result of this continuous wastewater chlorination experiment has shown that the pH-ORP titration was able to precisely determine the variations of ammonia concentrations in the chlorination influent . Under this control strategy, effective and stable disinfection efficiencies in terms of total coliform count were obtained. Chemosphere, 2004 Sep, 56(10), 889 - 94 Treatment of refectory oily wastewater by electro-coagulation process; Xu X et al.; Electro-coagulation was used to treat refectory wastewater with high oil and grease contents . Different operational conditions were examined, including pH, current density, reaction time, conductivity, electrode distance and inlet concentration . The optimum current density was 10-14 A m(-2) within 30 min depending on the wastewater properties tested . Conductivity had little effect on the treatment efficiency . Although the addition of extra salts (e.g., sodium chloride) to the wastewater did not help increase the pollutant removal efficiency, it could save the power consumption significantly . The COD(Cr) and oil removal efficiency descended with increasing electrode distance . The optimal electrode distance was determined to be 10 mm for this equipment in consideration of the treatment cost and efficiency together . The pH effect on the performance of the electro-coagulation process was not very significant in the range of 3-10 . The removal efficiency of oil and COD(Cr) under normal condition exceeded 95% and 75%, respectively. Rev Biol Trop, 2000 Dec, 48 Suppl 1, 225 - 31 {Cooper, cadmium and lead in the fish Cyprinodon dearborni, in the sediments and in the water of two lagoons in Venezuela}; Toledo J et al.; The concentration of copper, cadmium and lead in superficial sediment, water and the fish Cyprinodon dearborni was determined in two coastal lagoons of Sucre State, Venezuela . Chacopata lagoon is hyper saline while Los Patos lagoon is hypo saline and receives significant wastewater from Cumana city . Water, sediment and fish samples were collected in February 1998 . In the laboratory, samples underwent acid digestion and were analyzed by atomic absorption spectophotometry . The mean values of the metals in C . dearborni from the Chacopata lagoon were: 159.26 +/- 210.68 microg/