Fate of four Different Classes of Chemicals Under Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions in Biological Wastewater Treatment
The removal mechanisms and extent of degradation of 28 chemicals (triclosan, fifteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, four estrogens, and eight polybrominated diphenyl ether congeners) in different biological treatment systems [activated sludge, up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) and w...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.700245/full |
| _version_ | 1819079556491902976 |
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| author | Oladapo Komolafe Wojciech Mrozik Jan Dolfing Kishor Acharya Lucas Vassalle Cesar R. Mota Russell Davenport |
| author_facet | Oladapo Komolafe Wojciech Mrozik Jan Dolfing Kishor Acharya Lucas Vassalle Cesar R. Mota Russell Davenport |
| author_sort | Oladapo Komolafe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The removal mechanisms and extent of degradation of 28 chemicals (triclosan, fifteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, four estrogens, and eight polybrominated diphenyl ether congeners) in different biological treatment systems [activated sludge, up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) and waste stabilization pond (WSP)] was investigated to provide insights into the limits of engineered biological treatment systems. This was done through degradation experiments with inhibition and abiotic controls in static reactors under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Estrogens showed higher first order degradation rates (0.1129 h−1) under aerobic conditions with activated sludge inocula followed by low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs (0.0171 h−1), triclosan (0.0072 h−1), middle (MMW) (0.0054 h−1) and high molecular weight PAHs (HMW) (0.0033 h−1). The same trend was observed under aerobic conditions with a facultative inoculum from a WSP, although at a much slower rate. Biodegradation was the major removal mechanism for these chemicals in the activated sludge and WSP WWTPs surveyed. Photodegradation of these chemicals was also observed and varied across the group of chemicals (estrogens (light rate = 0.4296 d−1; dark = 0.3900 d−1) degraded faster under light conditions while reverse was the case for triclosan (light rate = 0.0566 d−1; dark = 0.1752 d−1). Additionally, all the chemicals were resistant to anaerobic degradation with UASB sludge, which implies that their removal in the UASB of the surveyed WWTP was most likely via sorption onto solids. Importantly, the first order degradation rate determined in this study was used to estimate predicted effluent concentrations (PECs). The PECs showed good agreement with the measured effluent concentrations from a previous study for these treatment systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T19:30:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5a59251e035f45279ba5b981c4bd7140 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-665X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T19:30:52Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-5a59251e035f45279ba5b981c4bd71402022-12-21T18:52:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2021-06-01910.3389/fenvs.2021.700245700245Fate of four Different Classes of Chemicals Under Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions in Biological Wastewater TreatmentOladapo Komolafe0Wojciech Mrozik1Jan Dolfing2Kishor Acharya3Lucas Vassalle4Cesar R. Mota5Russell Davenport6GFL Environmental Inc., Toronto, ON, CanadaSchool of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United KingdomDepartment of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United KingdomSchool of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United KingdomDepartamento de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, BrazilDepartamento de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, BrazilSchool of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United KingdomThe removal mechanisms and extent of degradation of 28 chemicals (triclosan, fifteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, four estrogens, and eight polybrominated diphenyl ether congeners) in different biological treatment systems [activated sludge, up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) and waste stabilization pond (WSP)] was investigated to provide insights into the limits of engineered biological treatment systems. This was done through degradation experiments with inhibition and abiotic controls in static reactors under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Estrogens showed higher first order degradation rates (0.1129 h−1) under aerobic conditions with activated sludge inocula followed by low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs (0.0171 h−1), triclosan (0.0072 h−1), middle (MMW) (0.0054 h−1) and high molecular weight PAHs (HMW) (0.0033 h−1). The same trend was observed under aerobic conditions with a facultative inoculum from a WSP, although at a much slower rate. Biodegradation was the major removal mechanism for these chemicals in the activated sludge and WSP WWTPs surveyed. Photodegradation of these chemicals was also observed and varied across the group of chemicals (estrogens (light rate = 0.4296 d−1; dark = 0.3900 d−1) degraded faster under light conditions while reverse was the case for triclosan (light rate = 0.0566 d−1; dark = 0.1752 d−1). Additionally, all the chemicals were resistant to anaerobic degradation with UASB sludge, which implies that their removal in the UASB of the surveyed WWTP was most likely via sorption onto solids. Importantly, the first order degradation rate determined in this study was used to estimate predicted effluent concentrations (PECs). The PECs showed good agreement with the measured effluent concentrations from a previous study for these treatment systems.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.700245/fullenvironmental fatebiodegradationmicropollutantswastewater treatmenteffluent quality prediction |
| spellingShingle | Oladapo Komolafe Wojciech Mrozik Jan Dolfing Kishor Acharya Lucas Vassalle Cesar R. Mota Russell Davenport Fate of four Different Classes of Chemicals Under Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions in Biological Wastewater Treatment Frontiers in Environmental Science environmental fate biodegradation micropollutants wastewater treatment effluent quality prediction |
| title | Fate of four Different Classes of Chemicals Under Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions in Biological Wastewater Treatment |
| title_full | Fate of four Different Classes of Chemicals Under Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions in Biological Wastewater Treatment |
| title_fullStr | Fate of four Different Classes of Chemicals Under Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions in Biological Wastewater Treatment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fate of four Different Classes of Chemicals Under Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions in Biological Wastewater Treatment |
| title_short | Fate of four Different Classes of Chemicals Under Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions in Biological Wastewater Treatment |
| title_sort | fate of four different classes of chemicals under aerobic and anaerobic conditions in biological wastewater treatment |
| topic | environmental fate biodegradation micropollutants wastewater treatment effluent quality prediction |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.700245/full |
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