Pub Date : 2025-01-17DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c0092810.1021/acsestwater.4c00928
Jean Froment*, Mattia Pierpaoli, Hans Gudersen, Kirsten Davanger, Stine Marie Bjørneby, Heidi Eikenes, Grzegorz Skowierzak, Paweł Ślepski, Paweł Jakóbczyk, Robert Bogdanowicz, Tadeusz Ossowski and Pawel Rostkowski*,
This study evaluated galvanostatic three-dimensional electrolysis using ceramic carbon foam anodes for the removal of emerging pollutants from wastewater and assessed transformation product formation. Five pollutants (paracetamol, triclosan, bisphenol A, caffeine, and diclofenac) were selected based on their detection in wastewater treatment plant effluents. Electrochemical oxidation was carried out on artificial wastewater spiked with these compounds under galvanostatic conditions (50, 125, and 250 mA) using a stainless steel tube electrolyzer with three ceramic carbon foam anodes and a stainless steel cathode. Decreasing pollutant concentrations were observed in all of the experiments. Nontarget chemical analysis using liquid chromatography coupled to a high-resolution mass spectrometer detected 338 features with increasing intensity including 12 confirmed transformation products (TPs). Real wastewater effluent spiked with the pollutants was then electrolyzed, again showing pollutant removal, with 9 of the 12 previously identified TPs present and increasing. Two TPs (benzamide and 2,4-dichlorophenol) are known toxicants, indicating the formation of a potential toxic by-product during electrolysis. Furthermore, electrolysis of unspiked real wastewater revealed the removal of five pharmaceuticals and a drug metabolite. While demonstrating electrolysis’ ability to degrade pollutants in wastewater, the study underscores the need to investigate transformation product formation and toxicity implications of the electrolysis process.
Electrolysis of wastewater using ceramic carbon foam anodes showed great potential to break down emerging pollutants, but the creation of hundreds of unknown transformation products is a concern.
{"title":"Transformation Product Formation and Removal Efficiency of Emerging Pollutants by Three-Dimensional Ceramic Carbon Foam-Supported Electrochemical Oxidation","authors":"Jean Froment*, Mattia Pierpaoli, Hans Gudersen, Kirsten Davanger, Stine Marie Bjørneby, Heidi Eikenes, Grzegorz Skowierzak, Paweł Ślepski, Paweł Jakóbczyk, Robert Bogdanowicz, Tadeusz Ossowski and Pawel Rostkowski*, ","doi":"10.1021/acsestwater.4c0092810.1021/acsestwater.4c00928","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00928https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00928","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This study evaluated galvanostatic three-dimensional electrolysis using ceramic carbon foam anodes for the removal of emerging pollutants from wastewater and assessed transformation product formation. Five pollutants (paracetamol, triclosan, bisphenol A, caffeine, and diclofenac) were selected based on their detection in wastewater treatment plant effluents. Electrochemical oxidation was carried out on artificial wastewater spiked with these compounds under galvanostatic conditions (50, 125, and 250 mA) using a stainless steel tube electrolyzer with three ceramic carbon foam anodes and a stainless steel cathode. Decreasing pollutant concentrations were observed in all of the experiments. Nontarget chemical analysis using liquid chromatography coupled to a high-resolution mass spectrometer detected 338 features with increasing intensity including 12 confirmed transformation products (TPs). Real wastewater effluent spiked with the pollutants was then electrolyzed, again showing pollutant removal, with 9 of the 12 previously identified TPs present and increasing. Two TPs (benzamide and 2,4-dichlorophenol) are known toxicants, indicating the formation of a potential toxic by-product during electrolysis. Furthermore, electrolysis of unspiked real wastewater revealed the removal of five pharmaceuticals and a drug metabolite. While demonstrating electrolysis’ ability to degrade pollutants in wastewater, the study underscores the need to investigate transformation product formation and toxicity implications of the electrolysis process.</p><p >Electrolysis of wastewater using ceramic carbon foam anodes showed great potential to break down emerging pollutants, but the creation of hundreds of unknown transformation products is a concern.</p>","PeriodicalId":93847,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T water","volume":"5 2","pages":"902–912 902–912"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00928","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-17DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c0100610.1021/acsestwater.4c01006
Biao Zhang, Zhanjun Zhu, Qian Song, Xiangying Zeng*, Shengjun Yang, Yi Liang and Zhiqiang Yu*,
With the rapid development of shale gas exploitation, large quantities of drilling cuttings (DCs) and flowback waters (FWs) laden with organics are produced. These organics, whose chemical compositions are largely unknown, could be toxic to organisms in the receiving environment. This study collected two time series of DCs and FWs from different shale gas exploitation platforms in the Sichuan Basin, China. We developed a nontarget analytical method to identify organic additives as well as their degradation products in these DCs and FWs and observed variable compositions and levels of organic additives in the DCs and FWs. The variation could be ascribed to the varied geological shale formations and unique drilling techniques. Alcohol ethoxylates (AEOs) and quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) were identified as the main additives in the DCs from water-based drilling cutting with AEOs and alkylbenzenesulfonate in the related FWs. Meanwhile, nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) and QACs were the predominant surfactants in oil-based drilling cutting, with polyethylene glycols (PEGs) and AEOs dominating in related FWs. Carboxylated products of PEGs, polypropylene glycols, NPEOs, and octylphenol ethoxylates were widely identified in DCs and FWs, evincing biotic/abiotic transformation and chain-shortening of these surfactants downhole.
{"title":"Nontarget Screening and Identification of Organic Additives and Transformation Products in Drilling Cutting and Flowback Water Related to Shale Gas Extraction","authors":"Biao Zhang, Zhanjun Zhu, Qian Song, Xiangying Zeng*, Shengjun Yang, Yi Liang and Zhiqiang Yu*, ","doi":"10.1021/acsestwater.4c0100610.1021/acsestwater.4c01006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c01006https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c01006","url":null,"abstract":"<p >With the rapid development of shale gas exploitation, large quantities of drilling cuttings (DCs) and flowback waters (FWs) laden with organics are produced. These organics, whose chemical compositions are largely unknown, could be toxic to organisms in the receiving environment. This study collected two time series of DCs and FWs from different shale gas exploitation platforms in the Sichuan Basin, China. We developed a nontarget analytical method to identify organic additives as well as their degradation products in these DCs and FWs and observed variable compositions and levels of organic additives in the DCs and FWs. The variation could be ascribed to the varied geological shale formations and unique drilling techniques. Alcohol ethoxylates (AEOs) and quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) were identified as the main additives in the DCs from water-based drilling cutting with AEOs and alkylbenzenesulfonate in the related FWs. Meanwhile, nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) and QACs were the predominant surfactants in oil-based drilling cutting, with polyethylene glycols (PEGs) and AEOs dominating in related FWs. Carboxylated products of PEGs, polypropylene glycols, NPEOs, and octylphenol ethoxylates were widely identified in DCs and FWs, evincing biotic/abiotic transformation and chain-shortening of these surfactants downhole.</p>","PeriodicalId":93847,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T water","volume":"5 2","pages":"976–984 976–984"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-16DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c0088010.1021/acsestwater.4c00880
Brian P. DiMento*, Isabel Hillestad, Julie Sommer, Aidan Pavia, Niquelina Smith, Patrick L. Tomco and Zachary C. Redman,
Temperature is often overlooked as an environmental driver of aquatic pollutant photodegradation kinetics; however, it may strongly impact contaminant persistence in polar climates characterized by low summertime temperatures and near-continuous sunlight. The photochemical degradation of fluridone (FLU), an herbicide applied worldwide to waterways for the eradication of invasive freshwater species, was investigated under simulated subarctic conditions typical of high-latitude surface waters. Temperature had a strong effect on the photochemical degradation of FLU, with half-lives for direct photochemical degradation ranging from approximately 32 h at 22 °C to 71 h at 9 °C under constant irradiation. Assessment of indirect processes involving reactive oxygen species indicated that FLU will primarily react with hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and not singlet oxygen (1O2) produced by chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the environment. These results were corroborated by Fenton experiments, resulting in a calculated second order rate constant for the reaction with ·OH of 8.37 × 109 M–1 s–1. Photoproduct identification revealed four main pathways for direct and indirect FLU photodegradation. Taken together, this work shows that direct photochemical degradation, which is dominant, is temperature dependent. Also, the interplay between light screening and ·OH production of environmental CDOM, which is site dependent, will strongly influence FLU persistence.
{"title":"Temperature and Hydroxyl Radical Abundance Limit the Photochemical Degradation Kinetics and Photoproducts of Fluridone in High-Latitude Aquatic Systems","authors":"Brian P. DiMento*, Isabel Hillestad, Julie Sommer, Aidan Pavia, Niquelina Smith, Patrick L. Tomco and Zachary C. Redman, ","doi":"10.1021/acsestwater.4c0088010.1021/acsestwater.4c00880","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00880https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00880","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Temperature is often overlooked as an environmental driver of aquatic pollutant photodegradation kinetics; however, it may strongly impact contaminant persistence in polar climates characterized by low summertime temperatures and near-continuous sunlight. The photochemical degradation of fluridone (FLU), an herbicide applied worldwide to waterways for the eradication of invasive freshwater species, was investigated under simulated subarctic conditions typical of high-latitude surface waters. Temperature had a strong effect on the photochemical degradation of FLU, with half-lives for direct photochemical degradation ranging from approximately 32 h at 22 °C to 71 h at 9 °C under constant irradiation. Assessment of indirect processes involving reactive oxygen species indicated that FLU will primarily react with hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and not singlet oxygen (<sup>1</sup>O<sub>2</sub>) produced by chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the environment. These results were corroborated by Fenton experiments, resulting in a calculated second order rate constant for the reaction with ·OH of 8.37 × 10<sup>9</sup> M<sup>–1</sup> s<sup>–1</sup>. Photoproduct identification revealed four main pathways for direct and indirect FLU photodegradation. Taken together, this work shows that direct photochemical degradation, which is dominant, is temperature dependent. Also, the interplay between light screening and ·OH production of environmental CDOM, which is site dependent, will strongly influence FLU persistence.</p>","PeriodicalId":93847,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T water","volume":"5 2","pages":"816–824 816–824"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-16DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c0090110.1021/acsestwater.4c00901
Mirna Alameddine*, Zhen Liu, Sébastien Sauvé and Benoit Barbeau,
Since the acceptable PFAS levels in drinking water vary among regulatory agencies, drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) are urged to adapt their processes to improve their removal. This study’s objective was to assess the performance of powdered and granular activated carbon (PAC and GAC) for PFAS removal and evaluate their applications in DWTPs. Raw and filtered waters were used to examine different types of PAC and GAC in batch and rapid small-scale column tests, respectively. A conventional PAC dose (10 mg/L) eliminated 40% of the total PFAS76 and 25% of long-chain PFAS after 10 min. It would, however, transfer 24 ppb of PFAS76 daily to the biosolids. A comparable GAC dose (equivalent to 27,000 BV) removed 43% of PFAS76 and 80% of long-chain PFAS. Considering a medium-sized DWTP with a long-chain PFAS removal target of 80%, a pretreatment with PAC would require an elevated AC dose of 29 mg/L. It will incur the total equivalent cost of a post-treatment with six GAC columns, while remarkably increasing the mass of dry sludge by 46%. Hence, the pretreatment with PAC emerges as better suited for an instant intervention to mitigate PFAS contaminations without revoking the need for a long-term solution.
{"title":"Comparative Assessment of Powdered versus Granular Activated Carbon for PFAS Removal in Drinking Water Treatment Plants","authors":"Mirna Alameddine*, Zhen Liu, Sébastien Sauvé and Benoit Barbeau, ","doi":"10.1021/acsestwater.4c0090110.1021/acsestwater.4c00901","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00901https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00901","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Since the acceptable PFAS levels in drinking water vary among regulatory agencies, drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) are urged to adapt their processes to improve their removal. This study’s objective was to assess the performance of powdered and granular activated carbon (PAC and GAC) for PFAS removal and evaluate their applications in DWTPs. Raw and filtered waters were used to examine different types of PAC and GAC in batch and rapid small-scale column tests, respectively. A conventional PAC dose (10 mg/L) eliminated 40% of the total PFAS<sub>76</sub> and 25% of long-chain PFAS after 10 min. It would, however, transfer 24 ppb of PFAS<sub>76</sub> daily to the biosolids. A comparable GAC dose (equivalent to 27,000 BV) removed 43% of PFAS<sub>76</sub> and 80% of long-chain PFAS. Considering a medium-sized DWTP with a long-chain PFAS removal target of 80%, a pretreatment with PAC would require an elevated AC dose of 29 mg/L. It will incur the total equivalent cost of a post-treatment with six GAC columns, while remarkably increasing the mass of dry sludge by 46%. Hence, the pretreatment with PAC emerges as better suited for an instant intervention to mitigate PFAS contaminations without revoking the need for a long-term solution.</p>","PeriodicalId":93847,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T water","volume":"5 2","pages":"851–861 851–861"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-16DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c0075710.1021/acsestwater.4c00757
Jessica A. Serbu*, Jennifer A. Graydon, Jeffrey W. A. Charrois, Craig A. Emmerton and Vincent L. St. Louis,
We quantified, for the first time, how efficiently total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) were removed from different treatment stages in a conventional drinking water treatment plant. For this, the municipal E.L. Smith Drinking Water Treatment Plant in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada drawing its water from the North Saskatchewan River (NSR) was used as a case study. The major treatment stages involved chemical flocculation and clarification, filtration, and ultraviolet disinfection prior to the processed water being stored in reservoirs for distribution. On average, 75% THg and 66% MeHg were removed from river water following chemical flocculation and clarification. A further 9.8% THg and 31.8% MeHg was removed during filtration, while 1.5% THg and 0.8% MeHg was removed during ultraviolet disinfection. We also examined how open water season (1 May to 31 October) yields of THg and filtered THg changed along the NSR as it flowed from its glacial headwaters through a large reservoir, various ecological subregions (foothills, mixedwood, parkland), and agriculturally dominated land to where it was sourced for drinking water production in Edmonton 534 kms downriver, highlighting value in the protection of source watersheds.
{"title":"Near Complete Removal of Total Mercury and Methylmercury from River Water during the Production of Municipal Drinking Water","authors":"Jessica A. Serbu*, Jennifer A. Graydon, Jeffrey W. A. Charrois, Craig A. Emmerton and Vincent L. St. Louis, ","doi":"10.1021/acsestwater.4c0075710.1021/acsestwater.4c00757","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00757https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00757","url":null,"abstract":"<p >We quantified, for the first time, how efficiently total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) were removed from different treatment stages in a conventional drinking water treatment plant. For this, the municipal E.L. Smith Drinking Water Treatment Plant in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada drawing its water from the North Saskatchewan River (NSR) was used as a case study. The major treatment stages involved chemical flocculation and clarification, filtration, and ultraviolet disinfection prior to the processed water being stored in reservoirs for distribution. On average, 75% THg and 66% MeHg were removed from river water following chemical flocculation and clarification. A further 9.8% THg and 31.8% MeHg was removed during filtration, while 1.5% THg and 0.8% MeHg was removed during ultraviolet disinfection. We also examined how open water season (1 May to 31 October) yields of THg and filtered THg changed along the NSR as it flowed from its glacial headwaters through a large reservoir, various ecological subregions (foothills, mixedwood, parkland), and agriculturally dominated land to where it was sourced for drinking water production in Edmonton 534 kms downriver, highlighting value in the protection of source watersheds.</p>","PeriodicalId":93847,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T water","volume":"5 2","pages":"686–695 686–695"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-16DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c0058710.1021/acsestwater.4c00587
Stefano Brighenti*, Francesca Bearzot, Matteo Delpero, Werner Tirler, Monica Tolotti, Samuel Vorhauser, Christian Bachmann, Elisa Romanin, Karin Sparber, Barbara Vidoni, Fiorenza Fogale and Francesco Comiti,
Climate change and cryosphere degradation may enhance the concentrations of heavy metals in high-mountain rivers. However, the downstream export of these contaminants to lower elevations is still overlooked. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved and bioavailable nickel concentrations in the upper Etsch/Adige river basin (1590 km2; 54 sites) during the period of 2005–2023. Furthermore, we investigated the same concentrations seasonally (2022–2023) along a tributary (Schnals/Senales River), from the glacier origin down to the confluence with the Etsch River (13 sites). Concentrations of both nickel forms increased during the past decade by up to 4 times, yet only in river reaches draining the acidic metamorphic Ötztal Unit. Sulfide oxidation, more intense at sites featuring larger glaciers, rock glaciers, and permafrost extent in their catchment, enhanced nickel concentrations. Along the Schnals River, values were elevated in the proglacial waters (dissolved fraction up to 112 μg L–1), gradually decreased moving to lower elevations, and dropped (from 20 to 30 to 2–5 μg L–1) downstream of a large reservoir. Currently, bioavailable nickel concentrations exceed the EU environmental quality standards at 40% of the investigated sites, demonstrating sharp environmental implications that may be extended to other similar geological and cryospheric settings.
Climate change and cryosphere shrinkage enhance dissolved and bioavailable nickel concentrations in a large mountain river network.
{"title":"Increasing Nickel Concentrations in a Large River Network of South Tyrol, Eastern European Alps","authors":"Stefano Brighenti*, Francesca Bearzot, Matteo Delpero, Werner Tirler, Monica Tolotti, Samuel Vorhauser, Christian Bachmann, Elisa Romanin, Karin Sparber, Barbara Vidoni, Fiorenza Fogale and Francesco Comiti, ","doi":"10.1021/acsestwater.4c0058710.1021/acsestwater.4c00587","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00587https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00587","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Climate change and cryosphere degradation may enhance the concentrations of heavy metals in high-mountain rivers. However, the downstream export of these contaminants to lower elevations is still overlooked. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved and bioavailable nickel concentrations in the upper Etsch/Adige river basin (1590 km<sup>2</sup>; 54 sites) during the period of 2005–2023. Furthermore, we investigated the same concentrations seasonally (2022–2023) along a tributary (Schnals/Senales River), from the glacier origin down to the confluence with the Etsch River (13 sites). Concentrations of both nickel forms increased during the past decade by up to 4 times, yet only in river reaches draining the acidic metamorphic Ötztal Unit. Sulfide oxidation, more intense at sites featuring larger glaciers, rock glaciers, and permafrost extent in their catchment, enhanced nickel concentrations. Along the Schnals River, values were elevated in the proglacial waters (dissolved fraction up to 112 μg L<sup>–1</sup>), gradually decreased moving to lower elevations, and dropped (from 20 to 30 to 2–5 μg L<sup>–1</sup>) downstream of a large reservoir. Currently, bioavailable nickel concentrations exceed the EU environmental quality standards at 40% of the investigated sites, demonstrating sharp environmental implications that may be extended to other similar geological and cryospheric settings.</p><p >Climate change and cryosphere shrinkage enhance dissolved and bioavailable nickel concentrations in a large mountain river network.</p>","PeriodicalId":93847,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T water","volume":"5 2","pages":"594–604 594–604"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00587","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-16DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c0059710.1021/acsestwater.4c00597
Emily Clements, Cristian Picioreanu, Caitlin R. Proctor and Robert Nerenberg*,
Premise plumbing systems without disinfectant residuals can develop thick biofilms, increasing health risks from biofilm-associated opportunistic pathogens. Yet existing models do not treat drinking water biofilms as true biofilms, with increasing thicknesses and substrate gradients within the biofilm, or consider the effects of substrates leaching from pipes into the biofilm. We developed a one-dimensional model of a nonchlorinated premise plumbing pipe to study factors affecting biofilm growth rates. Short stagnation times and pipes leaching biodegradable substrates favored biofilm growth over planktonic. Biofilm growth rates were predicted to be 70% higher when the stagnation period decreased from 12 to 6 h and 80% lower when the stagnation period increased from 12 to 48 h. Higher incoming concentrations of planktonic bacteria decreased biofilm growth rates, although only by 3.5% when the concentration of planktonic bacteria increased from 100 to 10,000 cells/mL. Smaller diameter pipes decreased overall planktonic growth due to greater availability of bulk nutrients to the biofilm. However, smaller diameter pipes also decreased biofilm growth due to the reduction in available nutrients. Overall, this research identified key factors promoting biofilm growth in unchlorinated premise plumbing systems, which could help develop more effective biofilm management strategies.
{"title":"Modeling Biofilm Growth Rates in a Premise Plumbing Pipe without Disinfectant Residuals","authors":"Emily Clements, Cristian Picioreanu, Caitlin R. Proctor and Robert Nerenberg*, ","doi":"10.1021/acsestwater.4c0059710.1021/acsestwater.4c00597","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00597https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00597","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Premise plumbing systems without disinfectant residuals can develop thick biofilms, increasing health risks from biofilm-associated opportunistic pathogens. Yet existing models do not treat drinking water biofilms as true biofilms, with increasing thicknesses and substrate gradients within the biofilm, or consider the effects of substrates leaching from pipes into the biofilm. We developed a one-dimensional model of a nonchlorinated premise plumbing pipe to study factors affecting biofilm growth rates. Short stagnation times and pipes leaching biodegradable substrates favored biofilm growth over planktonic. Biofilm growth rates were predicted to be 70% higher when the stagnation period decreased from 12 to 6 h and 80% lower when the stagnation period increased from 12 to 48 h. Higher incoming concentrations of planktonic bacteria decreased biofilm growth rates, although only by 3.5% when the concentration of planktonic bacteria increased from 100 to 10,000 cells/mL. Smaller diameter pipes decreased overall planktonic growth due to greater availability of bulk nutrients to the biofilm. However, smaller diameter pipes also decreased biofilm growth due to the reduction in available nutrients. Overall, this research identified key factors promoting biofilm growth in unchlorinated premise plumbing systems, which could help develop more effective biofilm management strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":93847,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T water","volume":"5 2","pages":"605–617 605–617"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-15DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c0052410.1021/acsestwater.4c00524
Priyanka Ali, Guomin Xu, Russell Carlson-Stadler, Jeseth Delgado Vela, Lu Liu, Andrew Shaw and Lauren B. Stadler*,
Wet weather events, such as hurricanes and tropical storms, are on the rise globally due to climate change. Activated sludge systems are vulnerable to wet weather, as hydraulic overloading can cause a washout of biomass. Biofilm-based treatment technologies, such as moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR), can improve resiliency by preventing biomass washout and protecting slow-growing nitrifiers. In this study, we investigated the resilience of a biofilm system challenged by wet weather events and examined the impact of different disturbances on the system’s microbial community. We performed three simulated wet weather stressor experiments on replicate bench-scale MBBR bench reactors: (1) high flow and high load (representative of flooding and a first flush); (2) high flow, high load, and no dissolved oxygen (DO) (representative of flooding with power outage); and (3) starvation and no DO (temporary plant shut down). The biofilm system’s function, in terms of ammonia-N and soluble organic carbon removal, was resilient to the wet weather disturbances as the function recovered to the baseline performance after disturbance within hours. The biofilm microbial community structure was resistant (not impacted by the disturbance), and the nitrifier community was resilient (the ability to recover to baseline conditions after the disturbance).
{"title":"Resilience in Function, Microbial Community Structure, and Nitrifier Composition of Bench-Scale Biofilm Reactors during Wet Weather Disturbances","authors":"Priyanka Ali, Guomin Xu, Russell Carlson-Stadler, Jeseth Delgado Vela, Lu Liu, Andrew Shaw and Lauren B. Stadler*, ","doi":"10.1021/acsestwater.4c0052410.1021/acsestwater.4c00524","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00524https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00524","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Wet weather events, such as hurricanes and tropical storms, are on the rise globally due to climate change. Activated sludge systems are vulnerable to wet weather, as hydraulic overloading can cause a washout of biomass. Biofilm-based treatment technologies, such as moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR), can improve resiliency by preventing biomass washout and protecting slow-growing nitrifiers. In this study, we investigated the resilience of a biofilm system challenged by wet weather events and examined the impact of different disturbances on the system’s microbial community. We performed three simulated wet weather stressor experiments on replicate bench-scale MBBR bench reactors: (1) high flow and high load (representative of flooding and a first flush); (2) high flow, high load, and no dissolved oxygen (DO) (representative of flooding with power outage); and (3) starvation and no DO (temporary plant shut down). The biofilm system’s function, in terms of ammonia-N and soluble organic carbon removal, was resilient to the wet weather disturbances as the function recovered to the baseline performance after disturbance within hours. The biofilm microbial community structure was resistant (not impacted by the disturbance), and the nitrifier community was resilient (the ability to recover to baseline conditions after the disturbance).</p>","PeriodicalId":93847,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T water","volume":"5 2","pages":"575–582 575–582"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-14DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c0093010.1021/acsestwater.4c00930
Alessia Ore, Rick Helmus, Dominique M. Narain-Ford, Ruud P. Bartholomeus, Nora B. Sutton* and Annemarie van Wezel,
While wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent offers a potential alternative source for irrigation, the fate of organic micropollutants (OMPs), including transformation products (TPs), in effluent-irrigated fields remains largely unknown. Using non-target analysis (NTA), we investigated OMPs in WWTP effluent and their distribution throughout a full-scale subsurface irrigation (SSI) field where effluent was used for irrigation. Our results indicate that TPs accounted for approximately 80% of the detected effluent OMPs. Weather and SSI hydrology seem to influence OMP distribution and transformation. Wetter conditions promoted deeper leaching of OMPs in soil, and drier conditions favored their capillary rise and biotransformation, as shown by the detection of 37% more TPs in the rhizons during a dry year. On average 45 OMPs, at least 50% with a logD <3, were detected at −2.3 m depth, highlighting their potential to reach groundwater and the importance of including TPs in further risk assessment. This approach demonstrates how NTA and subsequent data analysis tools can support the identification of (unknown) OMPs and contribute to understanding OMP fate under field conditions, which is the first step in an exposure-driven environmental risk assessment. Overall, our study emphasizes the importance of carefully considering (unknown) OMPs for more responsible effluent reuse.
Through novel methods, we investigated the presence of micropollutants and unknown transformation products in wastewater treatment plant effluent and a field reusing the effluent via subsurface irrigation.
{"title":"Presence of Micropollutants and Transformation Products During Subsurface Irrigation with Treated Wastewater Assessed by Non-Target Screening Analysis","authors":"Alessia Ore, Rick Helmus, Dominique M. Narain-Ford, Ruud P. Bartholomeus, Nora B. Sutton* and Annemarie van Wezel, ","doi":"10.1021/acsestwater.4c0093010.1021/acsestwater.4c00930","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00930https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00930","url":null,"abstract":"<p >While wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent offers a potential alternative source for irrigation, the fate of organic micropollutants (OMPs), including transformation products (TPs), in effluent-irrigated fields remains largely unknown. Using non-target analysis (NTA), we investigated OMPs in WWTP effluent and their distribution throughout a full-scale subsurface irrigation (SSI) field where effluent was used for irrigation. Our results indicate that TPs accounted for approximately 80% of the detected effluent OMPs. Weather and SSI hydrology seem to influence OMP distribution and transformation. Wetter conditions promoted deeper leaching of OMPs in soil, and drier conditions favored their capillary rise and biotransformation, as shown by the detection of 37% more TPs in the rhizons during a dry year. On average 45 OMPs, at least 50% with a logD <3, were detected at −2.3 m depth, highlighting their potential to reach groundwater and the importance of including TPs in further risk assessment. This approach demonstrates how NTA and subsequent data analysis tools can support the identification of (unknown) OMPs and contribute to understanding OMP fate under field conditions, which is the first step in an exposure-driven environmental risk assessment. Overall, our study emphasizes the importance of carefully considering (unknown) OMPs for more responsible effluent reuse.</p><p >Through novel methods, we investigated the presence of micropollutants and unknown transformation products in wastewater treatment plant effluent and a field reusing the effluent via subsurface irrigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":93847,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T water","volume":"5 2","pages":"891–901 891–901"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00930","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-14DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c0090710.1021/acsestwater.4c00907
Tianyi Chen, Martha J.M. Wells, Erin Mackey, Susan Andrews and Ron Hofmann*,
Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are being used more frequently in drinking water treatment plants for purposes such as removing taste and odor-causing compounds or to control recalcitrant organic contaminants. Water’s hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity (Sc) is an important parameter for AOP design and operation, but due to complexity in its measurement, Sc data are limited and knowledge of its temporal and spatial variation is sparse. Furthermore, the feasibility of estimating Sc through monitoring common water quality parameters is unclear. The variability in Sc of water from five surface water plants and one groundwater plant was measured for 1 year along with total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon, ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm, and fluorescence emission-excitation matrices. The results showed about a 10–25% variation in the Sc, and Sc was not well-correlated with any of the water quality parameters measured. The reduction in Sc across ultrafiltration treatment was similar to that across conventional treatment (15–30%). Due to the scavenging capacity of the added oxidant, the modeled variation in UV/H2O2 or UV/chlorine performance due to Sc variation was small (∼5–10% change in the pollutant removal rate).
{"title":"Temporal and Spatial Variation in Hydroxyl Radical Scavenging Capacity in Drinking Water and Correlation to Water Quality Parameters","authors":"Tianyi Chen, Martha J.M. Wells, Erin Mackey, Susan Andrews and Ron Hofmann*, ","doi":"10.1021/acsestwater.4c0090710.1021/acsestwater.4c00907","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00907https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00907","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are being used more frequently in drinking water treatment plants for purposes such as removing taste and odor-causing compounds or to control recalcitrant organic contaminants. Water’s hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity (<i>S</i><sub>c</sub>) is an important parameter for AOP design and operation, but due to complexity in its measurement, <i>S</i><sub>c</sub> data are limited and knowledge of its temporal and spatial variation is sparse. Furthermore, the feasibility of estimating <i>S</i><sub>c</sub> through monitoring common water quality parameters is unclear. The variability in <i>S</i><sub>c</sub> of water from five surface water plants and one groundwater plant was measured for 1 year along with total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon, ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm, and fluorescence emission-excitation matrices. The results showed about a 10–25% variation in the <i>S</i><sub>c</sub>, and <i>S</i><sub>c</sub> was not well-correlated with any of the water quality parameters measured. The reduction in <i>S</i><sub>c</sub> across ultrafiltration treatment was similar to that across conventional treatment (15–30%). Due to the scavenging capacity of the added oxidant, the modeled variation in UV/H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> or UV/chlorine performance due to <i>S</i><sub>c</sub> variation was small (∼5–10% change in the pollutant removal rate).</p>","PeriodicalId":93847,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T water","volume":"5 2","pages":"862–870 862–870"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}