Catchment area, fate, and environmental risks investigation of micropollutants in Danish wastewater

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of micropollutants in wastewater related to catchment area, and their environmental risks and fate. About 24-h flow proportional effluent (n = 26) wastewater samples were collected from eight WWTPs across Denmark. From five of these WWTPs corresponding influent samples (n = 20) were collected. Samples were enriched by multi-layer solid phase and analysed by liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry detection. We detected and quantified 79 micropollutants from a list of 291 micropollutants in at least one influent or effluent wastewater sample. From this we found that 54 micropollutants decreased in concentrations during wastewater treatment, while O-desmethylvenlafaxine, carbamazepine, amitriptyline, benzothiazole, terbutryn, and citalopram increased in concentrations through the WWTP.The toxicity of effluent wastewater samples was assessed by EC50 using Raphidocelis subcapitata (R. subcapitata) and LC50 using the crustacean Daphnia magna (D. Magna), for which six micropollutants were detected above the predicted no-effect concentration. Our study demonstrates that catchment area influences the micropollutant composition of wastewater. Out of 19 pharmaceuticals, the measured concentration in influent wastewater was predicted within a factor of 10 from sale numbers and human excretion, which demonstrates the strong influence of catchment area on micropollutant composition.

Mass Loading, Removal, and Emission of 1,3-Diphenylguanidine, Benzotriazole, Benzothiazole, N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine, and Their Derivatives in a Wastewater Treatment Plant in New York State, USA

“…Several earlier studies reported negative removal efficiencies of BTHs in WWTPs (Table S6). 32,45,55 These results suggest that some BTHs are formed from precursors in the wastewater treatment process. For instance, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (not analyzed in this study), a widely used vulcanization accelerator, can be degraded by microorganisms to produce BTH, 2-OH-BTH, 2-MeS-BTH, and 2-NH 2 -BTH.…”

Quantitative Nontarget Analysis of CECs in Environmental Samples Can Be Improved by Considering All Mass Adducts

“…For validation, spiked compounds and compounds at the natural concentration occurring in the enriched wastewater effluent were predicted (between 0.2 and 40 μg L –1 ). The natural concentration was estimated based on a target screening workflow . The workflow proposed by Tisler et al was used to correct for matrix effects.…”

“…The natural concentration was estimated based on a target screening workflow. 21 The workflow proposed by Tisler et al 18 was used to correct for matrix effects. Briefly, each value in the TIC of the analyzed sample was divided by the corresponding value in the TIC of the system blank at each recorded data point to obtain a profile that resembles the relative trend of the matrix effect.…”