Evaluation of the detoxication efficiencies for acrylonitrile wastewater treated by a combined anaerobic oxic-aerobic biological fluidized tank (A/O-ABFT) process: Acute toxicity and zebrafish embryo toxicity

Abstract

Acrylonitrile (ACN) wastewater generated during ACN production has been reported to be toxic to many aquatic organisms. However, few studies have evaluated toxicity removal of ACN wastewater during and after the treatment process. In this study, the detoxication ability of an ACN wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was evaluated using Daphnia magna, Danio rerio and zebrafish embryo. This ACN WWTP has a combined anaerobic oxic-aerobic biological fluidized tank (A/O-ABFT) process upgraded from the traditional anaerobic oxic (A/O) process. Moreover, the potential toxicants of the ACN wastewaters were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The raw ACN wastewater showed high acute and embryo toxicity. 3-Cyanopyridine, succinonitrile and a series of nitriles were detected as the toxic contributors of ACN wastewater. The A/O process was effective for the acute and embryo toxicity removal, as well as the organic toxicants. However, the A/O effluent still showed acute and embryo toxicity which was attributed by the undegraded and the newly generated toxicants during the A/O process. The residual acute and embryo toxicity as well as the organic toxicants in the A/O effluent were further reduced after going through the downstream ABFT process system. The final effluent displayed no significant acute and embryo toxicity, and less organic toxicants were detected in the final effluent. The upgrade of this ACN WWTP results in the improved removal efficiencies for acute and embryo toxicity, as well as the organic toxicants.

Performance evaluation of a full-scale ABS resin manufacturing wastewater treatment plant: a case study in Tabriz Petrochemical Complex

“…Consequently, the BOD 5 /COD ratio in the influent was calculated as 0.58 which indicates a good potential for biodegradability of the wastewater (26,27). It should be noted that the presence of some toxic and refractory compounds such as cyanide, ACN, etc., in the influent, may adversely affect the performance of biological system (28,29). The overall COD and BOD 5 removal efficiency in WWTP were 80 and 90%, respectively.…”

Evaluation of Ecotoxicity of Wastewater from the Full-Scale Treatment Plants

“…The results of these tests (e.g., the effect concentration EC50 or the lethal concentration LC50) are often recalculated to toxic units (TU) in order to classify the potential toxicity of wastewater. In 2003, Persoone et al [17] introduced the classification of the water and wastewater toxicity that became the most commonly used system in the last two decades [12,[17][18][19][20][21]. This classification is the result of the international cooperation between the Flemish community in Belgium and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe [17].…”

Trace-Level Determination of Acrylonitrile Generated in the Manufacturing Process of Oligonucleotides by Static Headspace Gas Chromatography with an Electron Impact(+) Mass Detector

“…As acrylonitrile is frequently used in the polymer manufacturing industry, a number of gas chromatography and liquid chromatography methods are available in the literature for the determination of residual acrylonitrile in polymer products as well as the liquid and solid waste stream. − Oligonucleotide manufacturing employs strongly basic conditions in the backbone deprotection and the subsequent ammonolysis reaction that can potentially convert acrylonitrile into 3-amino-propionitrile and bis­(2-cyanoethyl)­amine, which are not genotoxic (Figure B). − Because of the reactivity of acrylonitrile in the sample matrices generated under strongly basic reaction conditions, sample preparation is critical, and the available methods cannot be used directly to determine trace amounts of acrylonitrile in oligonucleotide intermediates.…”