The behaviour of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine insecticides in primary mechanical wastewater treatment

McIntyre, A.E.; Perry, R.; Lester, J.N.

doi:10.1016/0143-148x(81)90020-3

Cited by 37 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The removal efficiency up to the secondary clarification is comparable with previous reported efficiencies for PCB and organochlorine pesticides (75% to >99%) (Bergh and Peoples 1977;Gutierrez et al 1984;Horning et al 1984;Martin and Gosselin 1978;Mcintyre et al 1981;Petrasek et al 1983; van Luin and van Starkenburg 1984). By the time the wastewater had undergone secondary clarification, ∼93% of PBDE had been removed from the aqueous stream by sorption to sludge, with negligible reductions during sand-anthracite filtration and UV disinfection.…”

Section: Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Removal In the Wastewater Treasupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Previous studies have shown typically higher removal efficiencies for PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in primary clarifiers, generally in the range of 33% to 99% (Bergh and Peoples 1977;Gutierrez et al 1984;Hannah et al 1986;Mcintyre et al 1981;Petrasek et al 1983;Pham and Proulx 1997), although removal efficiencies as low as 9% have been observed (Rogers 1996), with no dependence on hydraulic loadings or SS removals. PBDE removal efficiencies for the primary (17.4%) and secondary clarifiers (99.5%) and tertiary sand-anthracite filter (2.3%) varied widely.…”

Section: Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Removal In the Wastewater Treamentioning

confidence: 96%

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Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in an advanced wastewater treatment plant. Part 1: Concentrations, patterns, and influence of treatment processes

Rayne¹,

Ikonomou²

2005

Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science

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Concentrations and patterns of the mono-through deca-substituted polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants were determined in all major unit operations and processes within a tertiary-level wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) having post-filtration ultraviolet light disinfection. The results show that PBDEs do not appear to be degraded substantially or otherwise removed by wastewater treatment processes such as anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic biological treatment, anaerobic digestion, dissolved air flotation, or sand-anthracite filtration. An overall removal efficiency of 93% was observed for PBDEs in the WWTP due to sorption onto wastewater sludges, well below that predicted by equilibrium partitioning models. High levels observed in the resulting WWTP biosolids (∼2.4 mg·kg −1 dry weight) may contaminate a wider environment through their use as a soil amendment. Lower concentrations of PBDEs contained within high volumes of aqueous WWTP effluent (∼26 ng·L −1 ) may result in a large PBDE flux into receiving waters, posing a potential threat to drinking water supplies and fisheries resources.Résumé : Les concentrations et les patrons de produits ignifugeants à base d'éthers diphényliques, polybromés, monosubstitués à décasubstitués, ont été déterminés dans toutes les opérations-procédés unitaires majeurs d'une station d'épuration des eaux usées de niveau tertiaire munie d'un système de désinfection UV post-filtration. Les résultats montrent que les éthers diphényliques polybromés ne semblent pas être substantiellement dégradés ou autrement éliminés par les procédés de traitement des eaux usées tels que le traitement biologique anaérobie, anoxique et aérobie, la digestion anaérobie, la flottation à l'air dissous ou la filtration sur sable -anthracite. Une efficacité globale d'élimination de 93 % a été observée pour les éthers diphényliques polybromés dans la station d'épuration en raison de la sorption dans les boues d'épuration, bien en deçà de ce qui est prédit par les modèles de partage à l'équilibre. Les niveaux élevés observés dans les biosolides de la station d'épuration qui en découlent (∼2,4 mg·kg −1 poids sec) pourraient contaminer un environnement plus vaste par leur utilisation en tant qu'amendement de sol. Des concentrations plus faibles des éthers diphényliques polybromés contenus dans des grands volumes d'effluent de la station d'épuration (∼26 ng·L −1 ) peuvent engendrer un grand débit d'éthers diphényliques polybromés dans les eaux réceptrices, posant ainsi un risque potentiel aux réserves d'eau potable et aux ressources halieutiques. Fig. 1. Map of the study area showing locations of major population centers and hydrologic features.

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Section: Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Removal In the Wastewater Treasupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Removal In the Wastewater Treamentioning

confidence: 96%

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in an advanced wastewater treatment plant. Part 1: Concentrations, patterns, and influence of treatment processes

Rayne¹,

Ikonomou²

2005

Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science

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“…A German study reported that no degradation of PBDE congeners was observed during wastewater treatment and estimated the annual environmental release of PBDEs associated with sewage sludge to be 500 kg year (Knoth et al, 2007). The fate of many other organic pollutants in WWTPs has been studied and includes polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorinate pesticides, phthalates, nonphenyls and linear alkyl sulphonates (Choi et al, 1974, Lawrence et al, 1976, McIntyre et al, 1981, Garcia Gutierrez et al, 1984, Buisson et al, 1986, Buisson et al, 1988, Morris et al, 1994.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers through an Australian wastewater treatment plant

Clarke

Porter

Symons

et al. 2010

Science of The Total Environment

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The aim of this study was to quantify the amount of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) released into the environment (biosolids, effluent) from a conventional Australian activated sludge treatment wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The concentration of PBDE congeners was measured at various treatment stages and included four aqueous samples (raw, primary, secondary and tertiary effluents) and three sludges (primary, secondary and lime stabilized biosolids), collected at three sampling events over the course of the experiment (29 days). Semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were also installed for the duration of the experiment, the first time that SPMDs have been used to measure PBDEs in a WWTP. Over 99% of the PBDEs entering the WWTP were removed through the treatment processes, principally by sedimentation. The main congeners detected were BDE 47, 99 and 209, which are characteristic of the two major commercial formulations viz penta-BDE and deca-BDE. All the PBDE congeners measured were highly correlated with each other, suggesting a similar origin. In this case, the PBDEs are thought to be from domestic sources since domestic wastewater is the main contribution to the in-flow (approximately 95%). The mean concentration of SigmaPBDEs in chemically stabilized sewage sludge (biosolids) was 300microg kg(-1) dry weight. It is calculated that 2.3+/-0.3kg of PBDEs are disposed of each year with biosolids generated from the WWTP. If all Australian sewage sludge is contaminated to at least this concentration then at least 110kg of PBDEs are associated with Australian sewage sludge annually. Less than 10g are released annually into the environment via ocean outfall and field irrigation; this level of contamination is unlikely to pose risk to humans or the environment. The environmental release of treated effluent and biosolids is not considered a large source of PBDE environmental emissions compared to the quantities used annually in Australia.

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“…The effect of primary sedimentation and subsequent activated sludge treatment on PCB and organochlorine insecticides has been studied by several workers and recently reviewed (Meakins et al 1994). Primary sedimentation is known to remove a significant proportion of organochlorine contaminants (McIntyre et al 1981;Garcia-Gutierrez et al 1982); however, such treatment has been used at Beckton and Crossness since 1891 (Stanbridge 1977). The introduction of secondary waste water treatment processes, is however, likely to have had a significant impact on the discharge of organochlorines passing through primary sedimentation tanks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimates of the inputs of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine insecticides to the River Thames derived from the sediment record

Scrimshaw

Lester

1997

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Seri

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The behaviour of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine insecticides in primary mechanical wastewater treatment

Cited by 37 publications

References 13 publications

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in an advanced wastewater treatment plant. Part 1: Concentrations, patterns, and influence of treatment processes

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in an advanced wastewater treatment plant. Part 1: Concentrations, patterns, and influence of treatment processes

Investigating the distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers through an Australian wastewater treatment plant

Estimates of the inputs of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine insecticides to the River Thames derived from the sediment record

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