Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2003 Jan, 54(1), 74 - 86 Application of toxicity tests into discharges of the pulp-paper industry in Turkey; Sponza DT; The aim of this study was to investigate the acute toxicity of pulp-paper industry wastewater using traditional and enrichment toxicity tests and to emphasize the importance of toxicity tests in wastewater discharge regulations . Enrichment toxicity tests are novel applications and give an idea of whether there is potential toxicity or growth-limiting and -stimulating conditions . Different organisms were used such as bacteria (floc and coliform bacteria), algae (Chlorella sp.), protozoa (Vorticella sp.), and fish (Lepistes sp.) to represent four trophic levels . Furthermore, chemical oxygen demand (COD) fractionation results were compared with these tests to assess the effect of COD subcategories on the determination of possible toxicity . The pulp-paper industry results revealed acute toxicity to at least two organisms in 6 of 20 effluent samples . The toxicity test results were assessed with chemical analyses such as COD, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), color, absorbable organic halogen (AOXs), and phenol . It was observed that the toxicity of the effluents could not be explained by using physicochemical analyses in four cases for the pulp-paper industry . The results clearly indicate that bioassay tests provide additional information on the toxicity potential of industrial discharges and effluents . Environ Sci Technol, 2003 Jan 1, 37(1), 107 - 15 Evaluation and testing of analytical methods for cyanide species in municipal and industrial contaminated waters; Zheng A et al.; Total cyanide analysis by distillation is used most commonly to assess cyanide content of water samples . This manual method is robust but slow and provides no information about cyanide speciation, a significant limitation in that cyanide species have substantially different toxicity characteristics . Seven alternative methods for the analysis of cyanide species or groups of species were evaluated in reagent water and five different contaminated water matrices, including five species-specific methods--weak acid dissociable (WAD) cyanide, free cyanide by microdiffusion, available cyanide, automated WAD cyanide by thin film distillation, metal cyanides by ion chromatography--and two automated techniques for total cyanide--total cyanide bythin film distillation and total cyanide by low-power UV digestion . The species-specific cyanide analytical techniques achieved low, ppb-level detection limits and exhibited satisfactory accuracy and precision for most contaminated waters . Analysis of low concentrations of cyanide species in raw wastewater was problematical for the available cyanide and ion chromatography methods, which experienced significant interference problems and/or low recoveries . There was recovery of significant diffusible cyanide in microdiffusion tests with nickel-cyanide-spiked samples, reflecting dissociation of this weak metal-cyanide complex during the test and demonstrating that the test can recover some fraction of WAD cyanide in addition to free cyanide . The automated total cyanide methods, which involve UV digestion, achieved low detection limits for most waters but exhibited low recoveries for some waters. Am J Ind Med, 2003 Feb, 43(2), 172 - 8 Prevalence of hepatitis A virus infection among sewage workers in Georgia; Venczel L et al.; BACKGROUND: Wastewater (WW) workers could have opportunity for direct contact with raw sewage, which might contain hepatitis A virus (HAV) . METHODS: A serologic survey of WW workers and a comparison population of roads and drainage workers (RD) . Factors potentially associated with anti-HAV positivity were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses . RESULTS: Among the 365 WW workers, overall anti-HAV prevalence was 38%, similar to that (35%) of the 166 RD workers (P = 0.5) . Prevalence varied by wastewater job type from 45% among the 164 field crew workers to 32% among the 201 treatment plant workers . In multivariate modeling, factors associated with anti-HAV positivity included age > or = 40 years (odds ratio {OR} = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.6-3.7), black compared to other races (OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.5-3.8), birth outside the United States (OR = 7.5; 95% CI = 3.0-18.6), a high school education or less (OR 2.1; 95% CI = 1.4-3.2) and work on the field crew compared to RD work (OR 1.6; 95% CI = 1.1-2.4) . CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with no or a small increased risk of hepatitis A among WW workers, and do not provide a clear mandate for hepatitis A vaccination of these workers . Am . J . Ind . Med . 43: 172-178, 2003 . Water Environ Res, 2002 Nov-Dec, 74(6), 569 - 81 Ozonation of municipal wastewater effluents; Paraskeva P et al.; The increasing use of ozone in the treatment of municipal wastewater effluents has been stimulated by the need to achieve higher effluent quality and greater compliance with physicochemical and microbiological quality standards before discharge . These standards are applied when the effluent may pose a risk to the public through direct contact and where the effluent is used for agricultural purposes or water reclamation . Although various alternative technologies exist for upgrading wastewater effluents, ozone treatment may be the most appropriate approach in particular cases . This review summarizes the current status of the use of ozone for treating municipal effluents with respect to disinfection efficiency, its effect on the treatability of the effluent and on aggregate effluent parameters, the potential for the formation of ozonation byproducts, and its effect on the toxicity and mutagenicity of the effluent . The importance of treatment conditions (e.g., contact time) is also reviewed. Water Environ Res, 2002 Nov-Dec, 74(6), 541 - 4 Giardia cysts in tertiary-treated wastewater effluents: are they infective? Garcia A, Yanko W, Batzer G, Widmer G. The infectivity of Giardia lamblia cysts recovered in primary- and tertiary-treated wastewater reclamation plant effluents was assessed in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) . Infections in gerbils inoculated with cysts from primary effluent concentrates demonstrated the presence of infectious G . lamblia cysts . No infectious cysts were detected by this method in concentrates of tertiary-treated effluents . This study found that determination of cyst concentrations without viability or infectivity assessment may significantly overestimate the potential health risks associated with protozoan cysts in tertiary-treated wastewater effluents. Water Environ Res, 2002 Nov-Dec, 74(6), 521 - 5 Electroadsorption of acilan blau dye from textile effluents by using activated carbon-perlite mixtures; Koparal AS et al.; The feasibility of the removal of dye stuffs from textile effluents by electroadsorption has been investigated . An activated carbon-perlite mixture with a ratio of 8:1 for bipolarity has been used as the adsorbent . Conventional adsorption experiments have also been conducted for comparison . A bipolar trickle reactor has been used in the electroadsorption experiments . The model wastewater has been prepared by using acilan blau dye . Initial dye concentration, bed height between the electrodes, applied potential, flowrate, and the supporting electrolyte concentration have been examined as the parameters affecting the removal efficiency . A local textile plant effluent has been treated in the optimum values of these parameters obtained from the experimental studies . Adsorption kinetics and the amount of adsorbent required to reach the maximum removal efficiency have also been investigated and mass-transfer coefficients have been calculated for adsorption and electroadsorption . The results showed that a removal efficiency of up to 100% can be achieved with energy consumption values of 1.58 kWh/m3 of wastewater treated . However, energy consumption decreases to 0.09 kWh/m3 if an exit dye concentration of 4.65 mg/L is accepted . It can be concluded from this work that this method combines all of the advantages of the activated-carbon adsorption and electrolytic methods for the removal of dyes from wastewater. Huan Jing Ke Xue, 2002 Sep, 23(5), 113 - 6 {Extraction of organochlorine pesticides using ASE from wastewater irrigated agricultural soil}; Zhu X et al.; The extraction efficiency of accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) was studied for organochlorine pesticide residuals in soil and compared with that of Soxhlet . The results showed that the efficiency of ASE was generally better than Soxhlet when used for DDT measurement, and equivalent to Soxhlet for BHCs . With ASE, organochlorine pesticide residues were detected in wastewater irrigated and non-wastewater irrigated soils from Tianjin . alpha-BHC, beta-BHC, delta-BHC, gamma-BHC, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDT, o,p'-DDT ranged from 7.5 to 71.1 ng/g in wastewater irrigated vegetable and maize field and from 3.0 to 16.5 ng/g in wastewater irrigated paddy field . The eight pesticide residues from non-wastewater irrigated vegetable and maize field was in a range of 3.1-17.6 ng/g. Chemosphere, 2003 Mar, 50(8), 959 - 66 Reduction of the phenolic components in olive-mill wastewater by an enzymatic treatment and its impact on durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) germinability; Casa R et al.; Olive-mill wastewater (OMW), an effluent of olive oil extraction process, is annually produced in huge amounts in olive growing areas . An interesting option for its disposal is the spreading on agricultural land, provided that phytotoxic effects are neutralized . The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the potential of an enzyme-based treatment in removing OMW phytotoxicity . To this aim, germinability experiments on durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf . cv . Duilio) were conducted in the presence of different dilutions of raw or enzyme-treated OMW . OMW treatment with laccase resulted in a 65% and 86% reduction in total phenols and ortho-diphenols respectively, due their polymerization as revealed by size-exclusion chromatography . Raw OMW exerted a significant concentration-dependent inhibition on the germinability of durum wheat seeds which was evident up to a dilution rate of 1:8 . When the effluent was treated with a fungal laccase, germinability was increased by 57% at a 1:8 dilution and by 94% at a 1:2 dilution, as compared to the same dilutions using untreated OMW . The treatment with laccase also decreased the mean germination time by about 1 day as compared to untreated controls . These results show that germinability inhibition due to OMW can be reduced effectively using fungal laccase, suggesting that phenols are the main determinants of its phytotoxicity . Water Res, 2003 Feb, 37(4), 785 - 92 Crossflow electro-microfiltration of oxide-CMP wastewater; Yang GC et al.; In this work, an electrically enhanced crossflow microfiltration (EECMF) system was used for the treatment of oxide-CMP wastewater under different operating conditions to investigate their effects on filtration rate . Oxide-CMP wastewater was obtained from a wafer fab and characterized by various standard methods . A membrane with a cut size of 0.1microm was used in the EECMF system . Operating parameters studied include crossflow velocity, transmembrane pressure, mode of electric field, electric field strength, and mode of backwashing . The filtration rate was found to increase with increasing crossflow velocity, electric field strength, and transmembrane pressure when operated below the critical electric field strength . Experimental results indicated that intra-filtration-run backwashing outperformed inter-filtration-run backwashing in terms of filtration rate . Experimental results also showed that the filtration rate for pulsed mode operation was greater than that of no electric field application, but worse than that of continuous mode operation . Using the present EECMF system, a fairly good quality of filtrate was obtained . It was found that the filtrate having a turbidity of 0.39 NTU is achievable . Thus, the filtrate could be reused for non-process applications. Water Res, 2003 Feb, 37(4), 735 - 42 Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for the determination of bisphenol A and its chlorinated derivatives in urban wastewater; Zafra A et al.; The simultaneous determination of trace amounts of endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A (BPA) and its monochloro, dichloro, trichloro and tetrachloro derivatives in wastewater has been developed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) . Compounds were previously extracted from the aqueous samples using a liquid-liquid extraction procedure with a mixture of dichloromethane:carbon tetrachloride (25/75) . After extraction, solvent was removed and a silylation step was carried out with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) . The silylated compounds were identified and quantified by GC-MS using an HP1-MS column . The retention times were 6.64 min for BPA silylated, 7.26 min for Cl-BPA silylated, 7.99 min for Cl(2)-BPA silylated, 8.85 min for Cl(3)-BPA silylated and 9.95 min for Cl(4)-BPA silylated . A clean-up is not necessary using SIM mode . Deuterated anthracene (2H(10)-anthracene) was used as an internal standard . The detection limits obtained were 0.3, 0.6, 2.0, 4.5 and 13.0 ng L(-1) for silylated BPA, Cl-BPA, Cl(2)-BPA, Cl(3)-BPA and Cl(4)-BPA, respectively . The proposed method was applied satisfactory to the determination of these chemicals, in different types of wastewater previously spiked with different amounts of these chemicals at concentration levels ranging from 0.01 to 2.50 microg L(-1) for BPA, 0.05-2.50 micro L(-1) for Cl-BPA and 0.05-5.00 microg L(-1) for Cl(2)-BPA, Cl(3)-BPA and Cl(4)-BPA, respectively . The method was validated following standard addition methodology. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(11-12), 451 - 6 Mass balance of a wastewater loaded canal system: case study of Bangkok; Banjongproo P et al.; A dynamic water quality model was applied in order to investigate self-purification processes in highly loaded canals in the centre of Bangkok, capital city of Thailand . Oxygen production by aquatic plants induces a significant diurnal variation of the dissolved oxygen concentration . The corresponding profiles of heterotrophic growth and BOD5 concentration demonstrate the limiting impact of oxygen shortage during night time . Both self-purification mechanisms--biological degradation and settling--are considered and water-sediment interactions are calculated . Simulation results and measurement data are summarized by mass balance schemes which offer a telling characterization of the complex system. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(11-12), 343 - 8 Toxicity assays to determine the start-up strategy for an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (anSBR); Ng WJ et al.; Addition of glucose as the co-substrate and the use of a water-based polymer to enhance granulation were studied with the aim of shortening the start-up period of an anSBR (anerobic sequencing batch reactor) for high-strength industrial wastewater treatment . An initial start-up feed composition consisting of 70% sucrose and 30% industrial wastewater was favorable to reduce the start-up time . Increase in the average particle size and reduction in settled supernatant turbidity was observed with increased water-based polymer addition up to a concentration of 0.1 m/L . Polymer dosages above 0.1 ml/L were undesirable as big and "flaky" flocs were formed which prevented the flocs from settling quickly . Addition of 0.005 ml/L to 0.1 ml/L polymer to the mixed liquor had no observable adverse effects on the anaerobic biomass metabolism . Instead, the addition of the polymer appeared to improve biogas production and had an overall positive effect on anSBR performance treating the industrial wastewater. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(11-12), 183 - 8 Removal of suspended substances by coagulation and foam separation from municipal wastewater; Suzuki Y et al.; A new method for solid-liquid separation for wastewater incorporating simple operation and shortened treatment time is necessary for improvement of sewage systems . In this study, removal of suspended solids from municipal wastewater by coagulation and foam separation using coagulant and milk casein was examined . By adding casein before the foam separation process, the removal of suspended substances was dramatically improved . The optimum condition for treating sewage was 20 mg-Fe/L of FeCl3, 3 mg/L of casein, and pH 5.5, which resulted in a removal rates of over 98% for turbidity and SS . A removal of 96-98% was also possible for phosphate and anionic surfactant . When PAC was used, the floc was also efficiently recovered in foam by the addition of casein . It became clear that coagulation and foam separation using casein as the collector is an effective method for removing suspended solids in municipal wastewater in a short time (within 10 min). Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(11-12), 177 - 82 Treatment of agricultural wastewater and reuse; Reimann W; The use of membrane separation technology, such as ultrafiltration (UF) and subsequent reverse osmosis (RO), for purifying different types of low-contaminated wash water of carrots (COD = 1,314 mg/l) and wash water of different kinds of vegetables (COD = 2,280 mg/l) was investigated on a pilot scale to determine its suitability for reuse in the process . In both membrane processes, UF and RO, the permeate flux first decreased with increasing fouling (deposition of organic and inorganic substances on the membrane surface and in its pores) . After that the membrane permeability (permeate flux) and selectivity (rejection of COD) remained constant on a stable level in spite of a concentration with a volumetric concentration factor of up to 39 . The tests showed that water can be obtained with a quality complying with the German regulations by applying a process combination of UF and RO . It was found that the membranes gave a 5-log reduction for total bacteria, and no coliform bacteria were present in the permeate after RO . Using UF and RO, part of the wastewater can be recovered for reuse in the process if drinking water is used for the last step of vegetable washing. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(11-12), 171 - 6 A preliminary study on electrically enhanced crossflow microfiltration of CMP (chemical-mechanical polishing) wastewater; Yang GC et al.; Chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) is currently one of the main technologies used by wafer plants in the semiconductor industry . Normally, a large amount of de-ionized water should be used to wash out the abrasives adhered to the surface of wafers during the grinding process . Therefore, CMP wastewater not only has a great quantity but also contains very small size of suspended solids . Generally, these suspended solids would not settle . This phenomenon results in a low visibility of CMP wastewater . To solve this problem, a study on electrically enhanced crossflow microfiltration of CMP wastewater was conducted . Normally, the membrane of traditional dead-end filtration is easily blocked by the filter cake resulting in a small flux of filtrate . Therefore, the form of crossflow filtration (CFF) is used to reduce the blocking of the membrane . Furthermore, if CFF is accompanied by an external electric field, the negatively charged suspended solids in wastewater would move toward the positive electrode . Meanwhile, the flux of filtrate would increase . In this investigation, CMP wastewater was obtained from a wafer plant and characterized by various standard methods . Before testing, the CMP wastewater was pre-filtered using a 1.2 microm pore size filter . Then it was operated by a crossflow microfiltration (0.1 microm pore size) system under an appropriate crossflow velocity, filtration pressure, and electric potential . The filtrate was also characterized by various standard methods . Experimental results show that the filtrate has a turbidity of zero value . Thus, the filtrate could be reused for other purposes . However, the suspended solids of the CMP wastewater would be concentrated by this method . Therefore, the recovery of the suspended solids would be worth considering. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(11-12), 147 - 52 Phosphate removal and recovery by a novel electrolytic process; Sakakibara Y et al.; The possibility of removing and recovering phosphate from wastewater by a novel electrolytic process was investigated experimentally . In the process, ion electrodes are immersed in synthetic wastewater and direct current (DC) is applied to coagulate phosphate on the surface of the anode . Experimental results demonstrated that at electric current densities ranged from 0.001 to 0.1 mA/cm2, phosphate was removed and recovered as phosphate-rich aggregates formed on the anode surface . Decreases in phosphate concentration at bulk liquid were in fairly good agreement with the amounts of phosphate in the aggregates . Moreover, the removal rate of phosphate was increased with increasing electric current . In addition, as heavy metal anions such as Cu2+ deposit on the counter electrode (cathode), it was thought that relatively pure phosphate could be obtained by the present process. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(11-12), 85 - 92 The nomographic design approach to recycled water reatment by the nitritation process; Gil K et al.; The side-stream generated recycled water in the wastewater treatment plants is characterized as high in both nitrogen concentration and fluctuation of load . Thus, the design approach for recycle water management became an important part of the biological nutrient removal system design . The application of nitrogen removal from recycled water using the nitritation process has recently been increased due to economical reasons associated with an effective carbon allocation as well as the minimization of aeration cost . The concept of nitritation reactor design related to an inhibition of nitrite oxidizer has not been fully practiced in reality because of the limited field experiences . In this paper, a new approach has been proposed to determine reactor size and oxygen requirement in nitritation process design . The SRT-based design approach has been examined based on a series of laboratory experiments. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(11-12), 77 - 84 Industrial wastewater minimization using water pinch analysis: a case study on an old textile plant; Ujang Z et al.; Industrial wastewater minimization can be conducted using four main strategies: (i) reuse; (ii) regeneration-reuse; (iii) regeneration-recycling; and (iv) process changes . This study is concerned with (i) and (ii) to investigate the most suitable approach to wastewater minimization for an old textile industry plant . A systematic water networks design using water pinch analysis (WPA) was developed to minimize the water usage and wastewater generation for the textile plant . COD was chosen as the main parameter . An integrated design method has been applied, which brings the engineering insight using WPA that can determine the minimum flowrate of the water usage and then minimize the water consumption and wastewater generation as well . The overall result of this study shows that WPA has been effectively applied using both reuse and regeneration-reuse strategies for the old textile industry plant, and reduced the operating cost by 16% and 50% respectively. Environ Technol, 2002 Dec, 23(12), 1325 - 36 Effect of ozonation on the biological treatability of a textile mill effluent; Karahan O et al.; Ozonation applied prior to biological processes, has proved to be a very effective chemical treatment step mostly for colour removal when soluble dyes are used in textile finishing operations . Its impact on biological treatability however has not been fully evaluated yet . This study evaluates the effect of ozonation on the quality of wastewater from a textile mill involving bleaching and reactive dyeing of cotton and synthetic knit fabric . The effect of ozonation on COD fractionation and kinetic coefficients defining major biological processes is emphasised . The results indicate that the extent of ozone applied greatly affects the remaining organic carbon composition in the wastewater . The relative magnitude of different COD fractions varies as a function of the ozone dose . Ozonation does not however exert a measurable impact on the rate of major biological processes. Environ Sci Technol, 2002 Dec 1, 36(23), 5062 - 6 EXAFS and XANES studies of retention of copper and lead by a lignocellulosic biomaterial; Dupont L et al.; Lignocellulosic substrate (LS), which is a low cost biomaterial, has a strong complexing ability and can be used in the treatment of wastewaters as biosorbentto remove heavy metals . The speciation of copper and lead to this biomaterial has been studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy . The copper(II) has a 6-coordinate structure with four oxygen atoms in the equatorial plane at 1.95 A and two in axial position at 2.35 A . In the case of lead a particularly low coordination number of about 3 has been obtained . The combination of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) suggested that Cu and Pb are bound to the surface of LS through carboxylic moieties. Environ Pollut, 2003, 121(2), 199 - 205 Determination of beta-adrenergic receptor blocking pharmaceuticals in United States wastewater effluent; Huggett DB et al.; Beta adrenergic receptor antagonists (beta-Blockers) are frequently prescribed medications in the United States and have been identified in European municipal wastewater effluent, however no studies to date have investigated these compounds in United States wastewater effluent . Municipal wastewater effluent was collected from treatment facilities in Mississippi, Texas, and New York to investigate the occurrence of metoprolol, nadolol, and propranolol . Propranolol was identified in all wastewater samples analyzed (n = 34) at concentrations < or = 1.9 microg/l . Metoprolol and nadolol were identified in > or = 71% of the samples with concentrations of metoprolol < or = 1.2 microg/l and nadolol < or = 0.36 microg/l . Time course studies at both Mississippi plants and the Texas plant indicate that concentrations of propranolol, metoprolol, and nadolol remain relatively constant at each sampling period . This study indicates that beta-Blockers are present in United States wastewater effluent in the ng/l to microg/l range. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol, 2003 Feb, 44(2), 237 - 46 Bioconcentration and toxicity of dodecylbenzene sulfonate (C12LAS) to aquatic organisms exposed in experimental streams; Versteeg DJ et al.; Fish, mollusks, and crustaceans were caged in the tail pool of streams during a C(12)LAS (dodecyl benzene sulfonate) model ecosystem experimental program . Bioconcentration of total C(12)LAS and individual isomers and acute and chronic toxicity were investigated during this study . Toxicity endpoints were based on water and tissue (i.e., body burden) concentrations at which adverse effects were observed . At 32 days, total C(12)LAS bioconcentration factors (BCFs) for the fathead minnow and three invertebrate species ranged from 9 to 116 . In general, bioconcentration was affected by isomer position, exposure concentration, and species . BCF values tended to decrease as isomer position moved from external (e.g., 2-phenyl) to internal (e.g., 5,6-phenyl) . BCFs also decreased as exposure concentration increased . Mean acute 4-d LC(50) values ranged from 1.5 to >3.0 mg/L for the six species tested . Lethal body burdens associated with 50% mortality (LBB(50)) varied from 0.21 to 0.60 mmole/kg (wet weight) . During the 32-day chronic exposures, the EC(20) values were 0.27 (0.204-0.352), 0.95 (0.597-1.29), and approximately 1.0 mg/L for Corbicula (length), Hyalella (survival), and fathead minnow (survival), respectively . At these EC(20) values, C(12)LAS body burdens were 0.035, 0.23, and 0.19 mmoles/kg wet weight in Corbicula, Hyalella, and fathead minnow, respectively . Fish exposed to wastewater treatment plant effluent had total C(12)LAS tissue concentrations ranging from 0.0005 to 0.0039 mmoles/kg wet weight . These concentrations are approximately 45-360 times below the tissue concentration associated with subtle effects in the model ecosystem stream exposures . Total C(12)LAS body burdens in feral and caged Corbicula exposed to WWTP effluents were approximately 0.0013 mmoles/kg; approximately 25-fold below concentrations associated with effects in stream exposures. J Environ Monit, 2002 Dec, 4(6), 967 - 71 Accumulation of metals in the soil of an overland flow wastewater treatment system; Stefanutti R et al.; Accumulation of Co, Cu, Cr, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn was evaluated in a soil profile of an overland flow system used for the post-treatment of urban wastewater . A pilot version of the overland flow system received urban wastewater from five up-flow anaerobic filters filled with bamboo (Bambusa tuldoides) rings . The anaerobic effluent was applied as feed over 18 months at rates varying from 7 to 28 L min(-1), to a vegetated slope length covered with Tifton 85 (Cynodon) sp . grass . Soil and plant samples were collected in triplicate from the top to the bottom of the slope . In addition, the soils were sampled at the depths 0-20 and 20-40 cm . The metal concentrations found in the overall system were compared to those obtained in a control area located at the beginning of the slope onto which nothing was applied . A month of monitoring the urban wastewater of Limeira City (Sao Paulo State, Brazil) showed a drastic change in metals concentration due to the irregular discharge of industrial waste . This irregular discharge introduces Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn into the system used to treat domestic wastewater . The mass balance indicates the accumulation of metals in the soil and the translocation to the plants; also that they could be evapotranspirated, percolated and discharged. Bioresour Technol, 2003 May, 87(3), 269 - 72 Removal of total lipids and fatty acids from sunflower oil factory effluent by UASB reactor; Saatci Y et al.; In this study wastewaters of a sunflower oil factory in Elazig (Turkey) were investigated in a pilot-scale mesophilic upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor by determination of removal of total lipids (TL) and fatty acids (FA) . The removal efficiencies of TL and FA (linoleic, oleic, myristic, palmitic, stearic, arashidic, behenic and other FA) were above 70% at organic loading rates (OLR) between 1.6 and 7.8 kg COD/m(3)d and at optimum hydraulic retention times of 2.0 and 2.8 day . The conversion rate of removed COD to methane was between 0.16 and 0.354 m(3) CH(4)/kg COD. Bioresour Technol, 2003 May, 87(3), 221 - 30 Dye adsorption by sewage sludge-based activated carbons in batch and fixed-bed systems; Rozada F et al.; The present research work deals with the production of activated carbons by chemical activation and pyrolysis of sewage sludges . The adsorbent properties of these sewage sludges based activated carbons were studied by liquid-phase adsorption tests . Dyes removal from colored wastewater being a possible application for sludge based adsorbents, methylene blue and saphranine removing from solution was studied . Pure and binary adsorption assays were performed in batch and fixed bed systems . In all cases studied, the adsorbents produced from sewage sludges were able to adsorb both the compounds considered here . Nevertheless, time required for reaching equilibrium, adsorptive capacity and fixed bed characteristic parameters were different for these two compounds . Methylene blue adsorption occurred faster than that of saphranine, and it was preferably adsorbed when treating binary solutions . It could be concluded that the sewage sludge-based activated carbons may be promising for dyes removal from aqueous streams. Environ Toxicol Chem, 2003 Jan, 22(1), 77 - 83 Reduction of estrogenic activity of municipal wastewater by aerated lagoon treatment facilities; Bringolf RB et al.; The estrogenic activity of municipal wastewater in aerated lagoon treatment facilities was evaluated using plasma concentrations of vitellogenin (Vtg) in male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) . Caged fathead minnows were exposed for 10 to 12 d in three lagoons that are connected in series at each of 10 municipal wastewater treatment facilities in central Iowa, USA, during October and November 2000 . Fathead minnows held in the laboratory served as unexposed controls . Pooled (n = 4-10 fish) plasma Vtg, quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), was 1,702 +/- 670 (mean +/- standard error {SE}) microg/ml in the first lagoons (n = 9), 0.94 +/- 0.36 microg/ml in the second lagoons (n = 10), and 0.04 +/- 0.02 microg/ml in the third lagoons (n = 8) . Differences in mean fish plasma Vtg concentration among lagoons were highly significant (p < 0.001) . The mean concentration of plasma Vtg in fish in the third lagoons was not significantly different (p = 0.990) from that of the control fish (0.04 +/- 0.02 microg/ml) . Plasma Vtg concentrations of fish in the first lagoons were inversely correlated with wastewater retention time in the lagoons (p = 0.002, r = -0.877) . Water temperatures of the final effluents during the study ranged from 9 to 12 degrees C . General treatment efficiency of lagoons has been shown to be dependent on temperature, so the potential exists for decreased removal of estrogenic activity when water temperatures are lower (e.g., winter months) than the present study . In conclusion, wastewater entering aerated lagoon systems was estrogenic to fish, but with serial passage through the lagoons, the estrogenic activity decreased to a level that was not sufficient to induce vitellogenesis in male fathead minnows in a 10- to 12-d exposure. Water Res, 2003 Jan, 37(2), 429 - 35 Forward and backward uncertainty propagation: an oxidation ditch modelling example; Abusam A et al.; In the field of water technology, forward uncertainty propagation is frequently used, whereas backward uncertainty propagation is rarely used . In forward uncertainty analysis, one moves from a given (or assumed) parameter subspace towards the corresponding distribution of the output or objective function . However, in the backward uncertainty propagation, one moves in the reverse direction, from the distribution function towards the parameter subspace . Backward uncertainty propagation, which is a generalisation of parameter estimation error analysis, gives information essential for designing experimental or monitoring programmes, and for tighter bounding of parameter uncertainty intervals . The procedure of carrying out backward uncertainty propagation is illustrated in this technical note by working example for an oxidation ditch wastewater treatment plant . Results obtained have demonstrated that essential information can be achieved by carrying out backward uncertainty propagation analysis. J Gen Appl Microbiol, 1998 Oct, 44(5), 303 - 309 Simultaneous degradation of p-nitrophenol and phenol by a newly isolated Nocardioides sp . Cho YG, Yoon JH, Park YH, Lee ST. A p-nitrophenol (PNP)- and phenol-mineralizing bacterium (strain NSP41) was isolated from an industrial wastewater and identified as a member of the genus Nocardioides . PNP was degraded via a hydroquinone pathway, and phenol was degraded through a catechol pathway in strain NSP41 . Both enzyme systems for the degradation of PNP and phenol were induced simultaneously in the presence of both compounds . Although both enzyme systems were induced at the same time, PNP and phenol were degraded by the hydroquinone and catechol pathway, respectively . However, during the simultaneous degradation in the low phenol concentration, after the exhaustion of phenol, some PNP was transformed by the catechol pathway and 4-nitrocatechol was transiently accumulated . Kinetically, the addition of phenol greatly enhanced the apparent PNP degradation rate, which may be due to the increased cell mass by the assimilation of phenol. Biodegradation, 2002, 13(3), 201 - 9 Inhibition of the anaerobic digestion process by linear alkylbenzene sulfonates; Gavala HN et al.; Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonates (LAS) are the most widely used synthetic anionic surfactants . They are anthropogenic, toxic compounds and are found in the primary sludge generated in municipal wastewater treatment plants . Primary sludge is usually stabilized anaerobically and therefore it is important to investigate the effect of these xenobiotic compounds on an anaerobic environment . The inhibitory effect of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonates (LAS) on the acetogenic and methanogenic step of the anaerobic digestion process was studied . LAS inhibit both acetogenesis from propionate and methanogenesis from acetate and hydrogen and it is shown that the propionateutilising bacteria are more sensitive to the presence of LAS than the acetoclastic methanogens . It has been proven that the inhibition intensity depends on the solids concentration and thus the term "biomass specific LAS concentration" has been introduced in order to describe the phenomenon better . Conclusively, it is believed that the inhibitory effect of LAS is the main reason that anaerobic microbial enrichments on LAS have not been succeeded yet . Also, the inhibition caused by LAS on the acetogenic and methanogenic step of the anaerobic digestion process should be seriously taken into consideration when wastewater from a surfactant producing industry is to be treated biologically or enter a municipal wastewater treatment plant that employs anaerobic technology . The upper allowable biomass specific LAS concentration should be 14 mg LAS (gVSS)(-1). Anal Chem, 2002 Dec 1, 74(23), 6055 - 63 Segmented flow injection, UV digestion, and amperometric detection for the determination of total cyanide in wastewater treatment plant effluents; Weinberg HS et al.; The currently approved method for the analysis of total cyanide (TCN) in wastewaters has remained virtually unchanged in the 25 years since its initial use; this despite its subjection to a number of interferences, many of which provide a positive bias in cyanide measurements, including the formation of TCN during sample processing and some of which remain undocumented to this day . In particular, many municipal wastewater treatment plant chlorinated effluents throughout North America have often been cited for permit violations on the levels of total cyanide in their effluents measured using this methodology . A recently developed procedure for the analysis of TCN in various matrixes that utilizes segmented flow injection for sample transport and reaction, on-line acidic UV digestion for conversion of complexed cyanide to HCN, and amperometric detection achieved within 4 min of sample injection is demonstrated on chlorinated effluents discharged from municipal wastewater treatment plants . Through a systematic evaluation of the chemistry of the processes involved in this method and an understanding of the complexity of the wastewater matrix, an application was developed that showed consistent reproducibility in measuring TCN in a variety of effluents . The method was employed initially on synthetic solutions containing controlled levels of constituents identified in the literature as interfering with the measurement of TCN through the traditional distillation/colorimetric approach . In its application to the analysis of TCN in chlorinated wastewaters, an approach was evolved that ensured that dechlorination carried out during sample processing did not bias the results of analysis. J Hazard Mater, 2003 Jan 31, 96(2-3), 155 - 69 Purification of storage brines from the preservation of table olives; Benitez FJ et al.; The chemical oxidation of the wastewaters generated during storage of table olives in NaCl brines, prior to their manufacturing process, was studied . Ozone alone produced COD removals in the range 14-23%, and a higher average removal of 73% of the aromatic compounds . The additional presence of hydrogen peroxide and UV radiation increased these values to 39% for COD and 86% for aromatics . However, UV radiation alone only gave a removal of 9% for COD and 27% for aromatics, and the additional presence of 0.5M H(2)O(2) led to 13% for COD and 38% for aromatics, respectively . The Fenton's reagent oxidation achieved a COD removal of 24% for the higher concentrations of Fe(2+) and H(2)O(2) . The most effective process was the combination O(3)/UV/H(2)O(2) with total removals of 65 and 92% for the COD and aromatics, respectively . The aerobic treatment of these effluents gave a 66% removal regardless of the initial biomass concentration used, and a rate constant of 0.19 per day was obtained for the process by using the Contois model . Finally, the aerobic treatment of the wastewaters previously ozonated alone, and ozonated with UV radiation, gave increases in the COD removal and a final rate constant of 0.44 per day . The enhancements were due to the chemical oxidations, these procedures being suitable technologies as pre-treatments to subsequent biological processes for the purification of these residues. Sci Total Environ, 2003 Jan 1, 301(1-3), 13 - 21 The effect of heavy metals on nitrogen and oxygen demand removal in constructed wetlands; Lim PE et al.; The objective of this study is to investigate the respective effects of Zn, Pb and Cd as well as the combined effect of Zn, Pb, Cd and Cu on the removal of nitrogen and oxygen demand in constructed wetlands . Four laboratory-scale gravel-filled subsurface-flow constructed wetland units planted with cattails (Typha latifolia) were operated outdoors and fed with primary-treated domestic wastewater at a constant flow rate of 25 ml/min . After 6 months, three of the wetland units were fed with the same type of wastewater spiked with Zn(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II), respectively, at 20, 5 and 1 mg/l for a further 9 months . The remaining unit was fed with the same type of wastewater spiked with a combination of Zn(II), Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) at concentrations of 10, 2.5, 0.5 and 5 mg/l, respectively, over the same period . The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammoniacal nitrogen (AN) concentrations were monitored at the inlet, outlet and three additional locations along the length of the wetland units to assess the performance of the wetland units at various metal loadings . At the end of the study, all cattail plants were harvested for the determination of total Kjeldahl nitrogen and metal concentrations . The results showed that the COD removal efficiency was practically independent of increasing metal loading or a combination of metal loadings during the duration of the study . In contrast, the AN removal efficiency deteriorated progressively with increasing metal loading . The relative effect of the heavy metals was found to increase in the order: Zn<Pb<Cd and the synergistic effect of metals was not observed . The metals seem to exhibit some inhibitory effect on nitrogen uptake by cattail plants as indicated by lower nitrogen uptake rates in comparison to rates recorded in wetland systems treating domestic wastewater only . Ann Chim, 2002 Oct, 92(10), 1025 - 34 Electrocoagulation of textile wastewater bearing disperse dyes; Szpyrkowicz L; The paper describes a study on the removal of colour from textile wastewater bearing a mixture of three disperse dyes . The experiments were carried out in a reactor equipped with an Al sacrificial anode (100 cm2) and a stainless steel cathode of the same dimensions . Decolorisation occurred as a result of destabilisation of colloids due to an effect of an electric field generated between the electrodes (polarisation coagulation) and the reactions with coagulating compounds, formed in situ during anode oxidation (volumetric coagulation), followed by a subsequent flotation of agglomerates of the particles . During the study the following parameters were varied: initial pH of the solution, current density (between 100 and 300 A m-2) and an initial concentration of the dyes . The best results of elimination of colour, equal to 99%, were obtained during 5 minutes of treatment under the conditions of pH of 9 and the G factor equal to 41. Ann Chim, 2002 Oct, 92(10), 1015 - 23 Electrochemical oxidation of p-hydroxybenzoic and protocathecuic acids at a dimensional stable anode (DSA) in the presence of NaCl; Polcaro AM et al.; This work is part of a wider research programme on innovative technologies for industrial wastewater treatment . Results from electrolyses at DSA commercial anodes of synthetic solutions with composition analogous to that of agro-industrial wastes are presented . The results obtained indicate that the rate of degradation of phenolic compounds is high, provided that chloride ions are present in solution . Oxidation of phenolic compounds is faster than that of biodegradable substances, such as sugars or amminoacids . Moreover, investigation on the trend of toxicity during the treatment, seems to exclude that toxic intermediates persist in solution when phenolic compounds are removed . Experiments on olive oil mill wastewater (OMW) samples show that the results obtained from synthetic solutions are extensible to real wastewater . When phenolic compounds are completely removed, the toxicity of the solution is very low; the initial dark colour of the solution, due to the brown pigment which characterises OMW, is nearly completely disappeared. Ann Chim, 2002 Oct, 92(10), 995 - 1006 Electrochemical oxidation of phenol at boron-doped diamond electrode . Application to electro-organic synthesis and wastewater treatment; Panizza M et al.; The electrochemical behaviour of a synthetic boron-doped diamond thin film electrode (BDD) has been studied in acid media containing phenol using cyclic voltammetry and bulk electrolysis . The results have shown that in the potential region of water stability direct electron transfers can occur on BDD surface resulting in electrode fouling due to the formation of a polymeric film on its surface . During electrolysis in the potential region of oxygen evolution, complex oxidation reactions can take place due to electrogenerated hydroxyl radicals . Electrode fouling is inhibited under these conditions . Depending on the experimental conditions, the electrogenerated hydroxyl radicals can lead to the combustion of phenol or to the selective oxidation of phenol to benzoquinone . The experimental results have also been compared to a theoretical model that permits the prediction of the evolution with time of phenol concentration, during its combustion, or during its selective oxidation to benzoquinone. J Med Food, 2002 Summer, 5(2), 69 - 78 Synergistic antioxidative properties of phenolics from natural origin toward low-density lipoproteins depend on the oxidation system; Shafiee M et al.; Using an approach in line with that of a previous report, we assessed the antioxidant activity of several natural, polyphenol- or tocotrienol-rich mixtures: extracts from Elaesis Guineensis oil (A) and Vitis vinifera (B), a Coffea robusta powder (C), and extracts from Olea europea mill wastewaters (D), Solanum melongena (E), and Lycopersicon esculentum (F) . The copper- and 2-2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) hydrochloride (AAPH)-oxidation systems were used in the presence of low-density lipoprotein . For comparison, antioxidant activities of chlorogenic acid and catechin, as archetypes of molecules highly efficient with the copper- and the AAPH-oxidation system, respectively, were assessed . The aim was to establish the occurrence of synergistic antioxidant actions among some of these natural mixtures . On a molar basis, the highest specific antioxidant activities (SAA) were found for B, chlorogenic acid, and C in the copper system, and for A, catechin, and B in the AAPH system . On a mass basis, the highest SAA were found, respectively, for chlorogenic acid, B, and catechin, and for catechin, chlorogenic acid, and B . These results show that large discrepancies take place in the evaluations between the two systems . B and C exhibited a synergistic antioxidant efficiency, in the presence or absence of A, but only with the copper system . This was also true for the two types of A+B+C mixture that were tested . It is thought that this association might provide an ideal combination, incorporating both the radical scavenger and the transition-metal ion chelation properties of B and C. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2002 Nov, 53(3), 370 - 5 Chemical and physical speciation of arsenic in a small pond receiving gold mine waste effluent; Sproal R et al.; The chemical and physical speciation of arsenic in a small pond that receives wastewater from a gold mine operation in western Victoria, Australia was studied using differential pulse polarography . By using different sample pretreatments, distinction between the physical states (dissolved or particulate As), between the oxidation states (As(III) or As(V)), and between the degrees of lability (labile or strongly bound) was achieved . The results are interpreted in terms of the physicochemical properties with reference to the use of the pond as a settlement dam for gold mining effluent . The speciation of arsenic was found to vary markedly with the physicochemical properties of the water . A model for the behavior of arsenic in the pond is proposed. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2002 Sep, 53(1), 154 - 62 Effects of a coastal golf complex on water quality, periphyton, and seagrass; Lewis MA et al.; The objective of this study was to provide baseline information on the effects of a golf course complex on water quality, colonized periphyton, and seagrass meadows in adjacent freshwater, near-coastal, and wetland areas . The chemical and biological impacts of the recreational facility, which uses reclaimed municipal wastewater for irrigation, were limited usually to near-field areas and decreased seaward during the 2-year study . Concentrations of chromium, copper, and organochlorine pesticides were below detection in surface water, whereas mercury, lead, arsenic, and atrazine commonly occurred at all locations . Only mercury and lead exceeded water quality criteria . Concentrations of nutrients and chlorophyll a were greater in fairway ponds and some adjacent coastal areas relative to reference locations and Florida estuaries . Periphyton ash free dry weight and pigment concentrations statistically differed but not between reference and non-reference coastal areas . Biomass of Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass) was approximately 43% less in a meadow located adjacent to the golf complex (P < 0.05) . The results of the study suggest that the effects of coastal golf courses on water quality may be primarily localized and limited to peripheral near-coastal areas . However, this preliminary conclusion needs additional supporting data. Life Support Biosph Sci, 2002, 8(3-4), 149 - 54 Potential integration of wetland wastewater treatment with space life support systems; Nelson M et al.; Subsurface-flow constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and nutrient recycling have a number of advantages in planetary exploration scenarios: they are odorless, relatively low labor and low energy, assist in purification of water and recycling of atmospheric CO2, and can directly grow some food crops . This article presents calculations for integration of wetland wastewater treatment with a prototype ground-based experimental facility ("Mars on Earth") supporting four people showing that an area of 4-6 m2 may be sufficient to accomplish wastewater treatment and recycling . Discharge water from the wetland system can be used as irrigation water for the agricultural crop area, thus ensuring complete reclamation and utilization of nutrients within the bioregenerative life support system . Because the primary requirements for wetland treatment systems are warm temperatures and lighting, such bioregenerative systems can be integrated into space life support systems because heat from the lights may be used for temperature maintenance in the human living environment . Subsurface-flow wetlands can be modified for space habitats to lower space and mass requirements . Many of its construction requirements can eventually be met with use of in situ materials, such as gravel from the Mars surface . Because the technology does not depend on machinery and chemicals, and relies more on natural ecological mechanisms (microbial and plant metabolism), maintenance requirements (e.g., pumps, aerators, and chemicals) are minimized, and systems may have long operating lifetimes . Research needs include suitability of Martian soil and gravel for wetland systems, system sealing and liner options in a Mars base, and determination of wetland water quality efficiency under varying temperature and light regimes. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(10), 305 - 10 Sludge management regulations and their applicability in mountainous regions; Wett B et al.; The Commission of the European Communities (CEC) is just working out a new directive in order to regulate the agricultural reuse of sewage sludge . This new regulation will also effect a "special case"--sludge usage in a mountainous environment--which will be discussed in this paper . Three reuse sites at small wastewater treatment plants of mountain refuges at altitudes more than 2,000 m a.s.l . are investigated . Applied sludge, soil and drainage flow from lysimeters are analysed . Concerning heavy metal concentrations domestic sewage sludge from these sites differs significantly from municipal sludge . A comparison with background concentrations reveals that no relevant accumulative pollution of the soil is possible . An increase of coliform bacteria of maximum two orders of magnitude is preserved during the long winter period and indicates a limited hygienic risk. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(10), 217 - 24 Impact on crops, plants and soils of metal trace elements transfer and flux, after spreading of fertilizers and biosolids; Maisonnave V et al.; In France, the yearly production of sludge from wastewater treatment plants is 900,000 metric tons dry matter and 60% of this is reused for land application . Today, the sustainability of this pathway is open to question . Among the different arguments cited are the levels of metal trace elements and the risks of accumulation in soils . With the ultimate aim of agronomic sludge recycling, the transfer of metal trace elements has been studied using vegetation containers planted with rye-grass under controlled conditions of temperature and humidity . Samples of a domestic sludge, an industrial sludge and a fertilizer have been mixed with the soil . By monitoring the growth of the rye-grass, we have been able to observe that the addition of sludge increases production of plant matter . It appears that the roots absorb higher quantities of metal trace elements and form a barrier to their transfer to the above ground parts of the rye-grass . For the group of metal trace elements studied, no significant differences have been observed between the rye-grass grown on soil alone and that on soils amended with fertilizer or urban sludge . For the majority of the vegetation containers studied, there has been no significant modification in the soil metal distribution over time, as a result of the addition of urban sludge, and no significant difference between fertilizers and sludges. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(10), 195 - 8 Volatile organic compound emissions during the composting of biosolids from a domestic wastewater treatment plant; Ramos CX et al.; VOCs emitted by two composting static piles of biosolids coming from the "El Salitre" wastewater treatment plant (Bogota, Colombia) were analysed during the composting process . Each pile in its sampling time was maintained with a different aeration system . The sampling was made using Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME); separation and identifications were made using Gas Chromatography (GC) coupled to Mass Spectrometry (MS) . Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated compounds, ketones, mercaptans, alcohols and amines were identified in concentrations greater than the norms stipulated by the EPA for inhalation in humans beings . The emission behavior varied according to the aeration system used. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(10), 33 - 41 Different options for metal recovery after sludge decontamination at the Montreal Urban Community wastewater treatment plant; Meunier N et al.; The MUG (Montreal Urban Community) treatment plant produces approximately 270 tons of dry sludge daily (270 tds/day) during the physico-chemical treatment of wastewater . Recently, this treatment plant endowed a system of drying and granulation of sludge for valorization as an agricultural fertilizer having a capacity of 70 tds/day (25% of the daily sludge production) . However, the metal content (mainly Cu and Cd) of the sludge surpasses the norms for biosolids valorization . In order to solve this problem, a demonstration project, from the lab scale to the industrial pilot plant, was carried out to test the Metix-AC technology for the removal of metals . A strongly metal-loaded filtrate was generated during the sludge decontamination . Tests concerned the study of the metal recovery by total precipitation and selective precipitation, as well as the use of alternative products for the metal precipitation . Other works consisted to simulate the acid filtrate recirculation from the decontaminated sludge (25% of the total volume) in the untreated sludge (75% of the total volume) intended for the incineration . The total precipitation with hydrated limeappearedeffectivefortherecoveryof metals (87% Cd, 96% Cr, 97% Cu, 98% Fe, 71% Ni, 100% Pb, 98% Zn) . However, this option entails the production of an important quantity of metallic residue, which should be disposed of expensively as dangerous material . The selective iron precipitation does not appear to bean interesting option because the iron in solution within the leached sludge was principally present in the form of ferrous iron, which cannot be precipitated at pH lower than five . On the other hand, the use of commercial precipitating agents (TMT-15, CP-33Z, CP-NB and CPX) without pH adjustment of filtrate gave good results for the recovery of Cu and, to a lesser degree for the recovery of Pb . However, the efficiency for the other metals' (Cd, Cr, Fe, Ni and Zn) recovery was weaker (< 25%) . Finally, the acid filtrate recirculation containing solubilised metals in untreated sludge destined for incineration appears to be the most interesting option . Metals in solution in the acid filtrate, precipitate or adsorb effectively (97% Cd, 97% Cr, 99% Cu, 82% Ni, 100% Pb and 87% Zn) on the solids of the untreated sludge . Moreover, TCLP tests were done on ashes produced during the incineration of sludge mixed with the acid filtrate produced during sludge decontamination . These tests showed that there were no significant differences, as regards the extractability of metals, between such ashes and those produced during the untreated sludge incineration without addition of filtrate . Therefore, it was predictable that this method can respect the current environmental standards required by the different governmental authorities. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(10), 9 - 16 Characterization of wastewater and solids odors using solid phase microextraction at a large wastewater treatment plant; Kim H et al.; A simple and reliable technique has been developed and used to detect odorous gases, i.e . propionic and butyric acids, carbon disulfide, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and trimethylamine, emitted from various materials generated by the wastewater treatment process . The method detection limits are in the low ppb range and comparable to the odor threshold for human detection . In this study solid phase microextraction (SPME) was employed to characterize and quantify odorous compounds in the headspace over samples collected from various unit processes at the District of Columbia Wastewater Treatment Plant, Washington DC, USA . The patterns of odorous chemicals released from wastewater influent, thickened sludge, dewatered sludge and biosolids were evaluated . Volatile reduced sulfurs were more prevalent in samples collected from downstream processes and corresponded with decreased oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) conditions . Volatile fatty acids were consistently identified in the primary gravity thickeners, while trimethylamine could only be detected from biosolids after the post-liming process. Environ Res, 2002 Nov, 90(3), 201 - 6 Characterizing and comparing risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a Tianjin wastewater-irrigated area; Wang XL et al.; A probability risk assessment was conducted to characterize the ecotoxicity of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including benzo{a}pyrene, fluoranthene, and phenanthrene, to various species in a wastewater-irrigated area of Tianjin, China . The relative risk of these chemicals was investigated using joint risk probability distribution curves, which were generated based on the distributions of exposure and acute toxicity data . Risk at various exposure levels was discussed . The results indicated that among the three PAHs studied, the overall risk of phenanthrene was the highest, with that of benzo{a}pyrene the lowest, due mainly to their exposure concentrations . For lower exposure levels at which the percentage of species affected was less than 20%, the risk associated with benzo{a}pyrene was clearly higher than that of the other two chemicals. Environ Pollut, 2003, 121(1), 23 - 5 Chloride/bromide ratios in leachate derived from farm-animal waste; Hudak PF; Ratios of conservative chemicals have been used to identify sources of groundwater contamination . While chloride/bromide ratios have been reported for several common sources of groundwater contamination, little work has been done on leachate derived from farm-animal waste . In this study, chloride/bromide ratios were measured in leachate derived from longhorn-cattle, quarterhorse, and pygme-goat waste at a farm in Abilene, Texas, USA . (Minimum, median, and maximum) chloride/bromide ratios of (66.5, 85.6, and 167), (119, 146, and 156), and (35.4, 57.8, and 165) were observed for cattle, horses, and goats, respectively . These ratios are below typical values for domestic wastewater and within the range commonly observed for oilfield brine . Results of this study have important implications for identifying sources of contaminated groundwater in settings with significant livestock and/or oil production. Anal Bioanal Chem, 2002 Dec, 374(7-8), 1212 - 7 Epub 2002 Nov 12. A spot test for aqueous phosphate by color band formation; Kiso Y et al.; Phosphate is generally analyzed by color intensity of phosphoantimonylmolybdenum blue (PAMB): especially by a spot test based on spectrophotometric or visual determination . Visual determination is one of the simplest and most inexpensive methods; however, it is believed to be of low precision . In this work, we have developed an alternative phosphate spot test, where phosphate concentration is measured by the color band length of PAMB formed in a detection tube similar to a gas detection tube . The color band is formed by the entrapment of the hydrophobic ion pair of PAMB and quaternary ammonium ions in the column; we demonstrated that this color band length correlates quantitatively with the phosphate concentration . In order to optimize the measurement performance, systematic investigations have been carried out for various experimental parameters such as phosphate concentration, preparation conditions of the column packing material, the type of support material (either silica-gel or PVC), the solution feeding conditions (filtration or penetration), and volume of the sample solution . The effects from some co-existing components were also studied for the measurement of real samples.Determination of phosphate concentrations in actual wastewaters was successfully carried out by this method, indicating that the quantification range achievable was of 3-18 mg PO(4) L(-1) without dilution prior to the analysis . No interference was observed from suspended solid (SS) and organic pollutants (COD, TOC) during the wastewater analysis . Because of the simplicity and rapid processing of the samples (not requiring any special instruments) this newly developed method can be applied to the on-site analysis of wastewater. Biotechnol Prog, 2002 Nov-Dec, 18(6), 1257 - 64 Mature experimental constructed wetlands treating urban water receiving high metal loads; Scholz M et al.; The aim was to assess over 2 years the treatment efficiencies of vertical-flow wetland filters containing macrophytes and granular media of different adsorption capacities . Different concentrations of lead and copper sulfate (constant for 1 year each) were added to urban beck inflow water in order to simulate pretreated (pH adjustment assumed) mine wastewater . After 1 year of operation, the inflow concentrations for lead and copper were increased from 1.30 to 2.98 and from 0.98 to 1.93 mg/L, respectively . However, the metal mass load rates (mg/m(2)/d) were increased by a factor of approximately 4.9 for lead and 4.3 for copper . No breakthrough of metals was recorded . Lead and copper accumulated in the biomass of the litter zone and rhizomes of the macrophytes . Furthermore, microbiological activity decreased during the second year of operation . Bioindicators such as ciliated protozoa and zooplankton decreased sharply in numbers but diatoms increased . In conclusion, the use of macrophytes and adsorption media did not significantly enhance the filtration of lead and copper . Particulate lead is removed by filtration processes including straining . Furthermore, some expensive and time-consuming water quality variables can be predicted with less expensive ones such as temperature in order to reduce sampling costs. Water Res, 2003 Jan, 37(1), 233 - 7 Detection of tannic acid at trace level in industrial wastewaters using a highly sensitive chemiluminescence method; Xie C et al.; A novel flow injection procedure was developed for the determination of tannic acid in industrial wastewaters based on the enhancement by tannic acid of the chemiluminescence from luminol-K3Fe(CN)6-OH- system . The method has the merits of higher sensitivity, higher selectivity, wider linear range, simpler instrumentation . It is applicable for the determination of tannic acid in the range of 3.0 x 10(-10)-1.0 x 10(-7) mol/L with a detection limit of 1.0 x 10(-10) mol/L . The relative standard deviation is 2.7% for the determination of 1.0 x 10(-8) mol/L tannic acid (n = 11) . The method has been successfully used to determine tannic acid at trace level in industrial wastewaters from brewery and tannery. Water Res, 2003 Jan, 37(1), 139 - 49 Preliminary assessment of transport processes influencing the penetration of chlorine into wastewater particles and the subsequent inactivation of particle-associated organisms; Dietrich JP et al.; The diffusion of a chemical disinfectant into wastewater particles may be viewed as a serial two-step process involving transport through a macroporous network of pathways to micropores that lead into dense cellular regions . Previous research reveals that ultraviolet (UV) light penetration into wastewater particles is limited primarily to macropores, resulting in a residual concentration of targeted organisms in post-disinfected effluents that reflects the number of organisms embedded in the dense cellular regions of particles . Conversely, chlorine was demonstrated as part of this research to penetrate into both the macroporous and microporous network of pathways, implying that the application of chlorine may be designed feasibly to achieve a desired level of inactivation of particle-associated organisms . In the short term, a disinfection model previously developed for UV irradiation may be used to assess the inactivation of particle-associated organisms with chlorine . However, in the long-term, a more rigorous and complete understanding of the transport of chemical disinfectants into particles can be explored utilizing existing mathematical expressions commonly used to model mass transport into porous media . The parameters of interest in this modeling approach include the reaction rate of chlorine with particulate material, the diffusion rate of chlorine within a particle, the mass-transfer rate coefficient across the particle's boundary, and the particle porosity. Water Res, 2003 Jan, 37(1), 67 - 77 Analysis of photosynthetic activity in the most polluted stretch of river Ganga; Tare V et al.; As a result of the increasing anthropogenic activities in the gangetic plain, Ganga water quantity as well as quality has declined over the years . A major effort to clean Ganga, named Ganga Action Plan (GAP) was instituted by the Government of India in 1984 . The emphasis in GAP was on the reduction of organic load on the river through interception, diversion and treatment of wastewater reaching the river, thus maintaining the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels of river within the acceptable limits . A major criticism of GAP is that the significance of river ecology has not been addressed adequately during its conception and implementation . One of the important aspects from this perspective is the photosynthetic activity in the river Ganga . It has been postulated that photosynthetic activity plays an important role in maintaining high levels of DO in Ganga, and as a result the river can assimilate high organic loads without appreciable depletion in dissolved oxygen levels . Objective of the present study was to assess the photosynthetic activity and oxygen production rates in the river and correlate these values with various water quality parameters . Most polluted stretch of Ganga, which is known as the Kannauj-Kanpur stretch was chosen for this study . Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that despite implementation of phase I of GAP, and consequent diversion and reduction of organic loading to the river, both BOD and DO levels in the river has increased in the entire Kannauj-Kanpur stretch, except at Jajmau, where anaerobically treated effluent is discharged to the river . The nitrogen levels have also increased in the entire Kannauj-Kanpur stretch . Dissolved oxygen (DO) and alkalinity in the river water vary diurnally at all sites . Chlorophyll-a levels and oxygen production rates due to photosynthesis appear to be positively influenced by phosphate levels in the river water . Chlorophyll-a levels appear to be negatively correlated to the Ammonical and total Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) content in the river water, suggesting the possibility of release of nutrients due to algal death and decomposition under certain circumstances. Water Res, 2003 Jan, 37(1), 55 - 66 Acidogenesis of gelatin-rich wastewater in an upflow anaerobic reactor: influence of pH and temperature; Yu HQ et al.; The influence of temperature and pH on the acidification of a synthetic gelatin based wastewater was investigated using an upflow anaerobic reactor . Gelatin degradation efficiency and rate, degree of acidification, and formation rate of volatile fatty acids and alcohols all slightly increased with temperature . Temperature affected the acidogenesis of gelatin according to the Arrhenius equation with an activation energy of 1.83 kcal/mol . Compared with temperature, pH had a more significant effect on the acidogenesis . Gelatin degradation efficiency substantially increased with pH, from 60.0% at pH 4.0 to 97.5% at pH 7.0 . The degree of acidification increased from 32.0% at pH 4.0 to 71.6% at pH 6.5, but dropped to 66.8% when pH increased to 7.0 . The optimum pH for the overall acidogenic activity was found to be 6.0, close to 5.9, the optimum pH calculated using a semi-empirical model . Operation at pH of 4.0-5.0 favored the production of propionate, hydrogen, whereas the operation at pH 6.0-7.0 encouraged the production of acetate, butyrate, and i-butyrate . The region between pH 5.0 and 6.0 was the transition zone. J Chromatogr A, 2002 Nov 8, 976(1-2), 335 - 43 Determination of nineteen 4-alkylphenol endocrine disrupters in Geneva municipal sewage wastewater; Espejo R et al.; A method for the determination of 18 isomeric 4-nonylphenols and 4-tert.-octylphenol in wastewater using GC-MS and LC-MS has been developed . This procedure has been applied to the determination of the free allylphenols and the analysis of these substances in the form of 4-alkylphenol polyethoxylates, their various hydrosoluble metabolites and other hydrosoluble 4-alkylphenol containing degradation products ("bonded" alkylphenols) after their cleavage with hydroiodic acid . In the environment, the final degradation products of 4-alkylphenol polyethoxylates and their metabolites are the long-chain free 4-alkylphenols, which are responsible of endocrine disruption in various animal species . The average concentration of free alkylphenols in the wastewater of the sewage plant in Aire, Geneva (Switzerland) ranges from 1.0 to 6.8 microg/l (average 2.5 microg/l) . The concentration of "bonded" 4-alkylphenols can reach about 0.66 mg/l . The precision of the method and its accuracy are satisfactory with recovery rates for the free 4-alkylphenols and "bonded" 4-nonylphenols ranging from 74 to 79% and 80 to 87%, respectively . The relative standard deviation is lower than 6% for all analyzed compounds . The detection limits are in the range of 0.4 to 6 ng/l (typically 2 ng/l) and quantification limits are between 2 to 22 ng/l (typically 10 ng/l) for all individual isomeric alkylphenols. Lett Appl Microbiol, 2002, 35(6), 548 - 51 Aerobic granules: a novel zinc biosorbent; Liu Y et al.; AIMS: Aerobic granules are aggregates with a compact and porous microbial structure . In view of the potential use of aerobic granules as biosorbents for Zn(II) removal from industrial wastewater, this study investigated the effects of initial Zn(II) and aerobic granule concentrations on the kinetics of Zn(II) biosorption on the aerobic granule surface . METHODS AND RESULTS: Acetate-fed aerobic granules with a mean diameter of 1.0 mm were used as biosorbents . Results showed that the kinetics of Zn(II) biosorption on the aerobic granule surface were related to both initial Zn(II) and granule concentrations . It was found that the real driving force for Zn(II) biosorption on the aerobic granule surface could be described by the ratio of initial Zn(II) concentration (Co) to initial granule concentration (Xo), rather than individual Co or Xo . The Co/Xo ratio provides a unified basis for interpretation of the biosorption data obtained under different initial conditions . The maximum biosorption capacity of Zn(II) by aerobic granules was 270 mg g(-1) . CONCLUSIONS: It appears that the aerobic granule can be used as an effective biosorbent for efficient removal of Zn(II) or other types of heavy metals from industrial wastewater . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study could lead to the development of a novel granular biosorbent for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater . A simple and compact aerobic granule-based biosorber could be expected. J Chromatogr A, 2002 Oct 18, 974(1-2), 143 - 59 Determination of endocrine-disrupting compounds in environmental samples using gas and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry; Jeannot R et al.; This paper describes certain applications for endocrine-disrupting compounds determination . LC-MS was applied using an electrospray ionization (ESI) technique in positive mode for alcohol polyethoxylates and nonylphenol and octylphenol polyethoxylates (NPEOn and OPEOn), and in negative mode for 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) and 4-octylphenol (4-OP) to determine targeted compounds in wastewater and sludge . GC-MS and GC-MS-MS were used to determine 4-NP, 4-tert.-octylphenol (4-t-OP), bisphenol A, estradiol-17beta, estriol estrone, testosterone, 17alpha-ethynylestradioL cholesterol, coprostan-3-ol, coprostan and coprostan-3-one in both surface water and wastewater after derivatization with N,O-bis(trimethyl-silyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) . Extraction from the water samples was by an SPE technique, using either a copolymeric (Oasis HLB) or C18 silica sorbents, depending on the target contaminants . Extraction from the sludge samples was by a Soxtec system using methanol . Percentage recoveries for most of the selected compounds, using either a copolymeric (Oasis HLB) or C18 silica sorbents, were satisfactory (>60%) . Quantification limits for the target compounds were at ppb levels in both water and sludge samples when using LC-ESI-MS in both positive and negative modes . They reached ppt levels in water when using GC-MS (in large volume injection mode) and GC-MS-MS . The results revealed 4-NP, NPEOn and AEOs in sludge samples at a concentration range of 1.3-8.5 microg/g, and NPEOn, OPEOn and other compounds, such as coprostan and bisphenol A, in surface water and/or wastewater samples at concentrations ranging from the ppt to ppb levels. J Chromatogr A, 2002 Oct 18, 974(1-2), 111 - 21 Mass spectrometric strategies for the analysis of polar industrial chemicals and their by-products in wastewater and surface water; Knepper TP; Various mass spectrometric techniques, such as gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) after derivatization, liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization (LC-ESI) MS and ESI-time of flight (TOF)-MS have been applied to the determination of, in general substituted, polar organic sulfonates . Methods were developed for the rapid quantification of such industrial chemicals in wastewater effluents and surface water, as required following spills leading to unusually high emissions into the river Rhine, Germany . Using these methods, the tonnage of methylsulfamido-antipyrin, an intermediate of the pain reliever metamizole synthesis, and 3-nitro-benzenesulfonate could be directly calculated without time-consuming enrichment or clean-up procedures . Thereby a significant increase in sensitivity was achieved by switching a cation suppressor between LC and MS . But still, the evaluation and identification of more complex chemical structures of formerly unknown substituted and halogenated by-products of 2-chlorotoluene methylsulfon-synthesis in wastewater was only possible through the combined interpretation of the GC- and LC-ESI mass spectra and with the additional information obtained from application of ESI-TOF-MS to the samples. J Chromatogr A, 2002 Oct 25, 975(1), 105 - 12 Polymer-coated synthetic fibers designed for miniaturized sample preparation process; Saito Y et al.; Miniaturized sample preparation technique for complex sample matrices has been developed with a polymer-coated fibrous extraction medium . Several hundreds of fine fibrous materials were packed longitudinally into a fused-silica capillary followed by a polymeric coating on it to prepare the extraction capillary . The extraction capillary was installed in a liquid chromatograph as a sample loop of the injection valve . The on-line coupled sample preparation/separation system demonstrated a good validity for the analysis of phthalates in real river and wastewater samples . The lowest limits of quantification for several phthalates were less than 1 ng/ml . The effect of polymeric coating to the filaments on the extraction power was also investigated. J Chromatogr A, 2002 Oct 25, 975(1), 95 - 104 Role of the retaining precolumn in large-volume on-column injections of volatiles to gas chromatography; Kristenson EM et al.; In the present study the retaining precolumn, which is commonly used in a set-up for large-volume on-column injections, or when solid-phase extraction (SPE) or liquid chromatography is coupled to gas chromatography (CC), was removed after varying its length from the standard length of 3 m down to zero . A dramatic increase of the evaporation rate of the injected organic solvent was obtained from a typical value of 100 microl/min up to 300 microl/min . The increased evaporation rate allowed (i) injection of a larger volume in the same retention gap, (ii) faster injection/transfer of the organic solvent and (iii) reduction of the transfer temperature . As volatile compounds under partially concurrent solvent evaporation conditions are easily lost once the organic solvent has been removed via a solvent-vapour exit (SVE), the parameters for large-volume injection, i.e . the evaporation rate and injection speed, were optimised using accurate measurements of the real flow-rate of the carrier gas into the GC system . All these options have been evaluated over the last 4 years . In order to demonstrate that omitting the retaining precolumn had no effect on the application range of the on-column interface, analytes as volatile as benzene were injected into GC-MS using 50-200 microl of n-pentane solutions . Contaminants were extracted from river water and wastewater into n-pentane using in-vial liquid-liquid extraction . The detection limits for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m-xylene were approximately 10 ng/l . To obtain optimum results the SVE had to be closed 1 s before the end of evaporation . Several brands of n-pentane were analysed to check for the presence of benzene . Most of them contained interfering compounds and benzene at the low microg/l level and therefore had to be cleaned by means of column chromatography . As another example C8-C17 alkylphenones were extracted from wastewater with n-hexane . Detection limits were 10-40 ng/l. Anal Bioanal Chem, 2002 Nov, 374(6), 1132 - 40 Epub 2002 Oct 25. Ultrasound-assisted method for determination of chemical oxygen demand; Canals A et al.; A method for determination chemical oxygen demand (COD) assisted by use of ultrasound has been successfully evaluated for the first time . The method uses instrumentation simpler and cheaper and, in some instances, safer than that used by previous methods for the same purpose . The new device used for sonication is an all-glass cylindrical sonotrode that can be introduced directly into the reaction mixture . Use of this device enables more efficient interaction between sample and ultrasonic energy . The optimized experimental conditions are high ultrasonic power (55% amplitude, 0.9-second pulses each second), high sulfuric acid concentration (>60%), and a sonication time of 2 min . Under these conditions the method has limitations similar to those of the official COD method with regard to the type of organic compound . It works adequately with easily oxidized organic matter (potassium hydrogen phthalate and dextrose) and other organic compounds difficult to oxidize by conventional methods (e.g . phenol and acetic acid) but the COD values obtained with volatile compounds and difficult organic matter are poor . Chloride is tolerated up to a concentration of 7000 mg L(-1) without any masking agent . Gasification of the sample is recommended to improve results; use of air and argon resulted in no significant differences - bubbling with air during sonication resulted in COD values for certified materials and real wastewater samples statistically identical with the certified COD values and those obtained by the classic (open reflux) method . The use of ultrasound energy for COD determination thus seems to be an interesting and promising alternative to conventional oxidation methods used for the same purpose. Sci Total Environ, 2002 Oct 21, 298(1-3), 131 - 45 Sources of heavy metals in urban wastewater in Stockholm; Sorme L et al.; The sources of heavy metals to a wastewater treatment plant was investigated . Sources can be actual goods, e.g . runoff from roofs, wear of tires, food, or activities, e.g . large enterprises, car washes . The sources were identified by knowing the metals content in various goods and the emissions from goods to sewage or stormwater . The sources of sewage water and stormwater were categorized to enable comparison with other research and measurements . The categories were households, drainage water, businesses, pipe sediment (all transported in sewage water), atmospheric deposition, traffic, building materials and pipe sediment (transported in stormwater) . Results show that it was possible to track the sources of heavy metals for some metals such as Cu and Zn (110 and 100% found, respectively) as well as Ni and Hg (70% found) . Other metals sources are still poorly understood or underestimated (Cd 60%, Pb 50%, Cr 20% known) . The largest sources of Cu were tap water and roofs . For Zn the largest sources were galvanized material and car washes . In the case of Ni, the largest sources were chemicals used in the WTP and drinking water itself . And finally, for Hg the most dominant emission source was the amalgam in teeth . For Pb, Cr and Cd, where sources were more poorly understood, the largest contributors for all were car washes . Estimated results of sources from this study were compared with previously done measurements . The comparison shows that measured contribution from households is higher than that estimated (except Hg), leading to the conclusion that the sources of sewage water from households are still poorly understood or that known sources are underestimated . In the case of stormwater, the estimated contributions are rather well in agreement with measured contributions, although uncertainties are large for both estimations and measurements . Existing pipe sediments in the plumbing system, which release Hg and Pb, could be one explanation for the missing amount of these metals . Large enterprises were found to make a very small contribution, 4% or less for all metals studied . Smaller enterprises (with the exception of car washes) have been shown to make a small contribution in another city; the contribution in this case study is still unknown. Water Res, 2002 Nov, 36(19), 4765 - 74 Pilot scale study on the ex situ electrokinetic removal of heavy metals from municipal wastewater sludges; Kim SO et al.; In order to remove toxic heavy metals from municipal wastewater sludges, the ex situ electrokinetic technique was studied at pilot scale . This study focused on the feasibility of the electrokinetic removal of heavy metals from sludge and the effectiveness of this technique on the variations of abiotic (physicochemical) and biotic (intracellular and extracellular) speciations of heavy metals using several analytical methods . Even though the sludge used was taken from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, the sludge contained relatively high concentrations of target metal contaminants (Cd = 6.8 mg/kg, Cr = 115.6 mg/kg, Cu = 338.7 mg/kg, and Pb = 62.8 mg/kg) . The removal efficiencies of heavy metals were significantly dependent on their speciations in the sludge matrices . The electrokinetic removal efficiencies of abiotic heavy metals exceeded 70% for the mobile and weakly bound fractions, such as, the exchangeable and carbonate fractions and were lower than 35% for the strongly bound fractions, such as, the organic/sulfide and residual fractions . In the case of the biotic heavy metals, the removal efficiencies of the extracellular fractions were slightly higher than those of the intracellular fractions. Water Res, 2002 Nov, 36(19), 4735 - 44 Removal of phenolics in olive mill wastewaters using the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus; Fountoulakis MS et al.; Olive mill wastewaters (OMW) present a major environmental problem . The large amounts generated, combined with the high phenols and chemical oxygen demand concentrations, are the main difficulties in finding a solution for the management of these wastewaters, which are dangerous for the environment . The phenols, which are contained in the OMW have a structure similar to lignin, which makes them difficult to biodegrade . Lignin can be degraded only by a few microorganisms, such as "white-rot" basidiomycete, which produce manganese (MnPs) and lignin peroxidases (LiPs) and laccases that are responsible for the oxidisation of lignin compounds . The capability of Pleurotus ostreatus to degrade phenols of OMW in different conditions such as in sterilized and thermally processed (at 100 degrees C) wastewater, with and without dilution, is investigated in this work . According to the experimental results P . ostreatus removed phenols from the culture medium, under all different conditions that were examined . The degradation of phenols reached up to 78.3% for the sterilized and 50% diluted OMW, 66.7% and 64.7% for the thermally processed OMW, with and without dilution, respectively . The effect of pre-treatment of OMW on the performance of anaerobic digestion is also assessed, as methanogenic bacteria are seriously affected by the presence of phenol compounds . The pre-treated wastewater was shown to be more amenable to a subsequent anaerobic digestion. Water Res, 2002 Nov, 36(19), 4725 - 34 A pilot scale evaluation of removal of mercury from pharmaceutical wastewater using granular activated carbon; Cyr PJ et al.; Thimerosal (an organic mercury compound) is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry and hospitals . This study examines the removal of mercury (thimerosal and Hg(II)) from a pharmaceutical wastewater using F-400 granular activated carbon (GAC) at bench and pilot scales . Bench scale dynamic column tests are conducted with 30, 60, 90 and 120 min empty bed contact times (EBCTs) . The pilot scale study is conducted using two GAC columns-in-series each of 30 min EBCT . The capital and operational cost analysis for the treatment system is performed . Simultaneous removal of copper, turbidity, phenol, and color from the wastewater by the pilot scale system is also reported. Water Res, 2002 Nov, 36(19), 4717 - 24 Anion exchange resins for removal of reactive dyes from textile wastewaters; Karcher S et al.; Sorption onto an easily regenerable sorbent in fixed bed filters would be an interesting option for removal of reactive dyes from textile wastewaters . A previous screening with model solutions (Dyes Pigm 51 (2001) 111) had shown two anion exchangers (strong basic S6328a and weak basic MP62, both Bayer) to exhibit good sorption characteristics for reactive dyes . The aim of this study was to evaluate these materials more closely . Thus filter breakthrough, the behavior with original wastewater samples, and the effect of inorganic wastewater parameters as well as regeneration were studied . Breakthrough curves for both materials are relatively unfavorable with a flat gradient, but throughput until breakthrough (100-800 bed volumes) should be sufficient for technical use . With both resins dye uptake is influenced little by competition of inorganic anions (sulfate, carbonate, phosphate) and they perform well in original wastewaters . However, the weak basic type is only efficient up to pH 8 . Alkaline regeneration works well for MP62, for S6328a acid regeneration works for most dyes. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(9), 297 - 302 Removal of phosphate by seafood processing wasted sludge; Lee SM et al.; There is a need for developing low cost, easily and abundantly available, yet efficient, adsorbents for the removal of phosphates during the tertiary treatment of wastewater . The wasted sludge from a cuttlefish processing factory prepared on a laboratory scale has been used to evaluate its performance for phosphate adsorption . The material has been shown to be a good alternative adsorbent . As much as 90% phosphate removal by the prepared sludge is possible in about 20 h under the test conditions . Phosphate removal is seen to increase with decreasing adsorbent particle size, increasing the relative concentration of phosphate to sludge and increasing adsorbent dose . Models for predicting phosphate removal incorporate operational variables such as the ratio of phosphate to wasted material and adsorbent dose . These models also manifest high values of the correlation coefficients . Calcium phosphate precipitation in the present experimental system is not a significant phosphate removal mechanism. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(9), 263 - 70 Pilot-scale study of an anaerobic baffled reactor for the treatment of domestic wastewater; Dama P et al.; Large proportions of South Africans live in areas with inadequate sanitation and a poor infrastructure for waterborne sanitation . Service providers are looking for alternative wastewater treatment options . The anaerobic baffled reactor is being considered as a decentralised sanitation option in these areas . A 3,200 L reactor was built and is currently being evaluated at a wastewater treatment works . The reactor was built based on experiences gained from working with a laboratory reactor (10 L) and predicted flow patterns observed on a computational fluid dynamics model . The design and construction of the reactor will be discussed in this paper . The feed to the reactor consists of screen degritted sewage and the flow to the reactor is maintained by means of a programmable logic controller . The pilot-plant layout is discussed in this paper . Samples are analysed for chemical oxygen demand, pH, alkalinity, ammonia, phosphorus, solids and ash content . Reductions of between 70 and 80% are obtained for COD and the pH values for the effluent samples are within the discharge limits. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(9), 255 - 62 Influence of varying reacting conditions in the degradation of azo dye using immobilized TiO2 photocatalyst; Aris A et al.; In Malaysia, most colored wastewater from dyeing factories is discharged to the environment causing serious problems . In this paper the influence of several reacting conditions, i.e . H2O2, pH, Ultraviolet (UV) intensity and dye concentration, on the performance of the immobilized system is discussed . The pH of the solution was varied from 3 to 11 while H2O2 concentration tested was from 10(-4) M to 5 x 10(-2) M . UV was tested at 365 nm and 254 nm, while dye concentration ranged from 2.5 x 10(-4) M to 10(-3) M . The influence of the reacting conditions was assessed based on absorbance . Using an OG concentration of 10(-3) M, the degradation increases from 17.8% to 49.7% . Optimum concentration of H2O2 was found to be 5 x 10(-3) M for degradation . Increasing the intensity of the UV light via shorter light wavelength also improves the performance of the system . Increasing the concentration of the dye reduces the overall performance of the system . Using the dye concentration of 2.5 x 10(-4) M (H2O2 = 10(-2) M, lambda = 254 nm, pH = 11), gives a degradation of 93.2% . At dye concentration of 10(-3) M, the performance was reduced to 53.1%. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(9), 185 - 92 Half saturation constants for nitrate and nitrite by in-sewer anoxic transformations of wastewater organic matter; Abdul-Talib S et al.; A significant breakthrough and progress have been made in the study of the kinetics of microbial transformation in sewers under aerobic and under changing aerobic/anaerobic conditions . Fundamental knowledge on anoxic kinetics of wastewater is still lacking, so it is not now possible to apply an integrated approach to municipal wastewater treatment incorporating sewer networks as a bio-chemical reactor . This paper presents the results of studies on determining half saturation constants for nitrate, KNO3, and nitrite, KNO2, in raw wastewater . The average values of KNO3 and KNO2, determined from experiments conducted on 7 different wastewater samples were found to be 0.76 gNO3-N/m3 and 0.33 gNO2-N/m3 respectively. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(9), 63 - 9 A model for decentralised grey wastewater treatment system in Singapore public housing; Lim J et al.; Global concerns over the sustainable use of natural resources provided the impetus for research into water reclamation from wastewater within the Singapore context . The objective of the research is to study and develop a water infrastructure system as an integral element of architecture and the urbanscape, thereby reducing the need for the large area requirements associated with centralised treatment plants . The decentralised plants were considered so as to break up the large contiguous plot of land otherwise needed, into smaller integrated fragments, which can be incorporated within the housing scheme . This liberated more usable space on the ground plane of the urban housing master plan, enabling water-edge and waterscape relationships within both the private and public domains of varying scale. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(9), 11 - 20 Integrated design of sewers and wastewater treatment plants; Vollertsen J et al.; Sewer system design must be integrated with wastewater treatment plant design when moving towards a more sustainable urban wastewater management . This integration allows an optimization of the design of both systems to achieve a better and more cost-effective wastewater management . Hitherto integrated process design has not been an option because the tools to predict in-sewer wastewater transformations have been inadequate . In this study the WATS model--being a new and validated tool for in-sewer microbial process simulations--is presented and its application for integrated sewer and treatment plant design is exemplified . A case study on a Malaysian catchment illustrates this integration . The effects of centralization of wastewater treatment and the subsequently longer transport distances are addressed . The layout of the intercepting sewer is optimized to meet the requirements of different treatment scenarios. Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(9), 1 - 9 Water and wastewater in developing countries: present reality and strategy for the future; Ujang Z et al.; This paper summarises the paper presentation sessions at the Conference, as well giving insights on the issues related to developing countries . It also discusses the present status of practice and research on water and wastewater management, and projected future scenario based not only on the papers presented in the Conference, but also on other sources . The strategy is presented to overcome many problems in developing countries such as rapid urbanization, industrialization, population growth, financial and institutional problems and, depleting water resources . The strategy consists of Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM), cleaner industrial production, waste minimisation and financial arrangements. J Environ Manage, 2002 Nov, 66(3), 269 - 80 Modeling the width and placement of riparian vegetated buffer strips: a case study on the Chi-Jia-Wang stream, Taiwan; Lin CY et al.; Improper agricultural activities seriously affect water quality . It is very important to control agricultural nonpoint source pollution along the Chi-Jia-Wang Stream to protect the habitat of land-locked salmon (Oncorhynchus masou formosanus), one of the endangered species in Taiwan . Riparian vegetative buffer strips are used to intercept wastewater, surface runoff and groundwater flow to reduce pesticide, nutrient and other organic pollutants before they enter the stream . This study estimates the suitable width for vegetated buffer strips in the riparian zone along the stream using a geographic information system and an index model . The groundwater in the study area is easily contaminated by pollutants due to the high hydraulic conductivity in the riparian zone of the Chi-Jia-Wang Stream . After comparing simulations on selected 46 kinds of selected pesticides, the maximum safety depth of Fenarimol was estimated . A wider Fenarimol vegetated strip is needed as a buffer zone to ensure pollution control effectiveness . Simulation results can provide a preliminary evaluation for the soil or groundwater pollution caused by pesticides, but the actual influences require onsite data verification. Environ Int, 2002 Nov, 28(5), 393 - 400 Estimation of sources of total phosphorus in a river basin and assessment of alternatives for river pollution reduction; Drolc A et al.; The methodology of material flow analysis is presented and applied to developing a phosphorus balance in a river basin and evaluating different scenarios for pollution reduction . The method is based on the balance principle: inputs and outputs of each phosphorus-related subsystems were balanced . The application of the methodology strategies was illustrated by means of a case study of the Krka River, Slovenia . The results showed that besides effluents from wastewater treatment plants, agriculture contributed significantly to the total annual phosphorus load . After establishing the present levels of phosphorus balance, different scenarios were considered: different stages of wastewater treatment as well as management of agricultural activities . The present emission of phosphorus is estimated to be 81.8 tons/year; after implementation of measures, it would be 48.6 tons/year, a total reduction of 40% . Besides reduction of point sources by means of wastewater collection and implementation of nutrient removal technology, managing agricultural phosphorus to protect water quality should become a major challenge in the Krka river basin. Res Microbiol, 2002 Oct, 153(8), 547 - 54 Characterization of manganese-dependent peroxidase isoenzymes from the ligninolytic fungus Phanerochaete flavido-alba; de la Rubia T et al.; Phanerochaete flavido-alba is able to decolorize and detoxify olive oil wastewater (OMW) in a process in which simple and polymeric phenols are removed . An unusual acidic MnP is accumulated during the degradation course . This microorganism produces two families of MnPs . MnP1 has an apparent molecular weight of 45 kDa and is secreted as a mixture of isoenzymes with pI ranging from 5.6 to 4.75 . MnP2, which is produced as an unique isoenzyme, has an apparent molecular weight of 55.6 Mr and an unusual acidic pI lower than 2.8 . The higher specific peroxidase activity for purified MnP2 was for Mn2+ oxidation . Hydroquinone and methylhydroquinone oxidation by MnP2 was Mn2+ dependent, in reaction mixtures without exogenous H2O2 . Conversely, ABTS oxidation was Mn2+ independent . Two different DNA fragments (mnpA and mnpB), amplified by PCR, using MnP2 N-terminal sequence and oligonucleotides deduced from two conserved sequences of other MnPs, code for MnPs that belong to the P . chrysosporium mnp2 subfamily on the basis of intron position . The structure of mnpA and mnpB seems to be related to known manganese peroxidase genes, but mnpA encodes an Alanine instead of a Serine (Ser168) regarded as invariant within typical MnPs. Environ Monit Assess, 2002 Nov, 80(1), 17 - 31 Comparative studies on accumulation of Cr from metal solution and tannery effluent under repeated metal exposure by aquatic plants: its toxic effects; Sinha S et al.; The present study demonstrates comparison of Cr accumulating potential by the plants of Najas indica Cham . (submerged), Vallisneria spiralis L . (rooted submerged) and Alternanthera sessilis R . Br . (rooted emergent) under repeated metal exposure and its effect on chlorophyll and protein concentrations . These plants were treated with different concentrations of Cr under repeated exposure in controlled laboratory conditions to assess the maximum metal accumulation potential . The plants of V . spiralis accumulated significantly high amount of Cr under laboratory conditions in comparison to N . indica and A . sessilis . The maximum accumulation of 1378, 458 and 201 microg (-1) dw Cr was found in the leaves of V . spiralis . N . indica and A . sessilis, respectively at 8 mg (-1) after 9 day of Cr exposure . These plants have shown a decrease in chlorophyll and protein concentrations with increase in Cr concentrations . In view of high accumulation of Cr in V . spiralis, the plants were treated with different concentrations of tannery effluent collected from Common Effluent Treatment Plant, Unnao (UP) . The plants of V . spiralis treated with 100% tannery wastewater showed the maximum accumulation (57.5 microg g(-1) dw) of Cr in the roots after 10 days of exposure . The plants were found effective in removing Cr from solution and tannery effluent. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol, 2003 Jan, 44(1), 77 - 82 Nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates in fish, sediment, and water from the Kalamazoo River, Michigan; Kannan K et al.; A survey measuring concentrations of nonylphenol (NP) and its ethoxylates (NPEs) in fish was performed in the Kalamazoo River, Michigan, USA, in 1999 . Of 183 fish analyzed, 59% had no detectable NP or NPE . Detected concentrations were reported to range from 3.3 (limit of detection) to 29.1 ng NP/g wet weight . To further explore the means of exposure of NP and NPE in the fish, concentrations of NP and its mono-through tri-ethoxylates (NPE(1-3)) were measured in fish, sediment, and water collected near two wastewater treatment plants on the Kalamazoo River in 2000 . Samples were analyzed using exhaustive steam distillation with concurrent liquid extraction . Nonylphenol ethoxycarboxylates (NPE(1-3)C) were also analyzed in water . Concentrations of NP and NPEs in fish were less than the method detection limits (MDLs) in all the samples except one fish, which contained 3.4 ng NP/g wet weight, just above the detection limit of 3.3 ng/g . Three of 36 sediments and 1 of 24 water samples contained detectable concentrations of NP or NPE(1) . NPE(2), NPE(3), and NPEC were not detected in water samples. Environ Sci Technol, 2002 Nov 1, 36(21), 4533 - 9 Estrogen receptor agonist fate during wastewater and biosolids treatment processes: a mass balance analysis; Holbrook RD et al.; The estrogen receptor agonist fate of hexane extracts from various locations and phases (liquid and solid) within one pilot-scale and two full-scale wastewater treatment facilities were examined by use of the receptor-binding yeast estrogen screen (YES assay) . Estrogenic activity was found in samples that contained a high concentration of biological solids and was particularly high in the suspended solid fraction from biosolids treatment facilities . Mass balances revealed that the estrogenic activity associated with the processed biosolids constituted between 5 and 10% of the influent estrogenic activity, while the treated liquid effluent prior to disinfection contained between 26 and 43% . Overall, this suggests that between 51 and 67% of the estrogenic activity contained in the influent wastewater was either biodegraded during the wastewater or biosolids treatment processes or was unavailable to the extraction/detection procedure . In both aerobic and anaerobic digestion, mass balances revealed an increase in estrogenic activity as treatment progressed and biosolids destruction occurred . The estrogenic activity associated with the solid phase decreased during mesophilic aerobic digestion . A correlation was observed between the estrogenicity of mixed liquor suspended solids and aerobic sludge age and suggests that wastewater treatment facilities can be designed and operated to enhance the sorption and removal of estrogenic compounds from the liquid phase. Chemosphere, 2002 Nov, 49(7), 749 - 54 Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in River Po sediments; Fattore E et al.; The River Po is the main Italian river draining one of the most populated and industrialised regions in Italy . As part of a monitoring project to assess environmental quality in the River Po, we measured the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in bottom sediments collected along the whole course of the river, from the spring to the delta, downstream from the confluence of its main tributaries . The aim was to investigate the level of contamination in the main Italian river and the contribution of contaminant loads from the subbasins . Composite sediment samples were collected in summer and winter surveys in low-flow water conditions and analysed by HRGC-HRMS for PCDD and PCDF homologue groups and for the 2,3,7,8-substituted congeners . The spatial trend observed in the Po River for PCDD and PCDF concentrations varied depending on the load of contaminants received from the tributaries and the processes of sedimentation . The sum of PCDD and PCDF concentrations, and the toxic equivalent content, ranged from 121 to 814 and from 1.3 to 13 ng/kg dry weight sediment, respectively . These levels of contamination seem lower than in the sediments of rivers draining highly industrialised areas . The PCDD and PCDF homologue profiles in all the samples were very similar, suggesting a common source of this contamination in the River Po . Principal component analysis suggested that widespread sources, such as urban runoff and domestic wastewaters, are probably the main cause of these levels of PCDDs and PCDFs. Microbiology, 2002 Nov, 148(Pt 11), 3353 - 64 Glycogen-accumulating organisms in laboratory-scale and full-scale wastewater treatment processes; Crocetti GR et al.; Laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) as models for wastewater treatment processes were used to identify glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAOs), which are thought to be responsible for the deterioration of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) . The SBRs (called Q and T), operated under alternating anaerobic-aerobic conditions typical for EBPR, generated mixed microbial communities (sludges) demonstrating the GAO phenotype . Intracellular glycogen and poly-beta-hydroxyalkanoate (PHA) transformations typical of efficient EBPR occurred but polyphosphate was not bioaccumulated and the sludges contained 1.8% P (sludge Q) and 1.5% P (sludge T) . 16S rDNA clone libraries were prepared