Estimation of Unintended Treated Wastewater Contributions to Streams in the Yangtze River Basin and the Potential Human Health and Ecological Risk Analysis

Abstract

Metrics & MoreArticle Recommendations * sı Supporting Information ABSTRACT: "Clean water and sanitation" is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. One primary objective of wastewater treatment is to remove contaminants such as pathogens, nutrient, and organic matter from wastewater, while not all contaminants could be removed effectively. Wastewater treatment plants would inevitably represent concentrated point sources of residual contaminant loadings into surface waters. This study focuses on the populated Yangtze River Basin where emerging contaminants are frequently detected in the rivers in the recent years. A python-based ArcGIS model is developed to estimate the contributions of effluent discharges in water supply sources and quantify fate and environmental risks of human-derived contaminants in the river network. We find that one-third of the river networks are potentially influenced by the effluents through local or upstream inputs. Average fraction of unintended wastewater reuse in water supply intakes is estimated to be lower than 3% under the average flow scenario with an average traveling time of 0.05 day from the nearest effluent input site to water supply intakes. However, under low flow scenario, the percentage of effluent discharge would increase largely, leading to substantial increases in human health and ecological risks. This study provides a systematic investigation to understand extents of impacts of effluent inputs in river networks as well as identify the opportunities to improve the water management in the densely populated regions.

Wastewater Deterministically Impacts the Composition and Assembly of Planktonic Microorganisms in the River Ecosystem

“…The United Nations proposed a goal to improve water quality by reducing pollution and minimizing the discharge of harmful chemicals . With rapid urbanization, the amount of treated wastewater in China increased by nearly 5-fold from 2001 to 2018, and a large proportion of rivers are under stress because of the discharge of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. , Recent studies suggested that domestic wastewater is a major source of eutrophication and other environmental changes despite receiving some level of treatment. − Residual contaminants, including metals, pathogens, nutrients, and organic chemicals, could be released into environmental waters. Once those pollutants reach the rivers, they flow downstream, which may alter the ecological status of the receiving river. , Therefore, it is crucial to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind the impact of WWTP effluent discharge so as to prevent and control ecological risk caused by pollutant input to receiving rivers.…”

“…2 With rapid urbanization, the amount of treated wastewater in China increased by nearly 5-fold from 2001 to 2018, and a large proportion of rivers are under stress because of the discharge of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. 3,4 Recent studies suggested that domestic wastewater is a major source of eutrophication and other environmental changes despite receiving some level of treatment. 4−6 Residual contaminants, including metals, pathogens, nutrients, and organic chemicals, could be released into environmental waters.…”

Factors Influencing Microbial Contamination of Groundwater: A Systematic Review of Field-Scale Studies

“…Because many urban and arid environments experience water scarcity, local populations have to rely on alternative water resources that are often represented by treated wastewater which may be discharged into the hydrographic network to restore the environmental baseflow of ephemeral rivers [6][7][8][9], enhance groundwater recharge processes [10], or used as irrigation or drinking water sources [11]. Therefore, the release of raw or improperly treated wastewater into the environment could spread pathogens into water supply sources and have effects on human health [12]. Additionally, as the climate changes, we expect that extreme weather events will occur more frequently worldwide, causing accidental wastewater overflows [13,14] and the consequent spread of infectious hazards [15][16][17][18].…”

Collaborative Governance and Environmental Regulation Measures for Pollution Reduction and Carbon Reduction in the Yangtze River Basin under the “Double Carbon” Goal

“…As such, it could respond to the country's "double carbon" goals and achieve the long-term development and sustainable development goals. In the environmental management of the Yangtze River Basin, the government has invested a lot of money [7,8]. Industrial pollution has an impact on the cost of environmental governance, industrial structure and policy adjustment.…”

“…country's "double carbon" goals and achieve the long-term development development goals. In the environmental management of the Yangtze government has invested a lot of money [7,8]. Industrial pollution has a cost of environmental governance, industrial structure and policy adjustm reduce the impact of industrial pollution on the environment, the govern large amount of capital to carry out environmental governance, resultin environmental governance costs.…”