Phosphorus species and fractionation – Why sewage derived phosphorus is a problem

Millier, Helen K.G.R.; Hooda, Peter S.

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.12.012

Cited by 20 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Strong positive relationships were identified between TRP and TP ( in situ ) and SRP and TRP (weekly) (Figure ). The high proportion of TP which is TRP, together with the high proportion of TRP which is SRP, is further evidence that the P being delivered to the system is from effluent discharges, with previous research demonstrating that soluble P fractions dominate effluent discharges (Jarvie et al ., ; Millier and Hooda, ). Under different flow conditions, differences in the TP and TRP relationship can be observed because of changes in the fractional composition of the TP.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

High‐frequency water quality monitoring in an urban catchment: hydrochemical dynamics, primary production and implications for the Water Framework Directive

Halliday

Skeffington

Wade

et al. 2015

Hydrological Processes

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Abstract:This paper describes the hydrochemistry of a lowland, urbanised river-system, The Cut in England, using in situ sub-daily sampling. The Cut receives effluent discharges from four major sewage treatment works serving around 190 000 people. These discharges consist largely of treated water, originally abstracted from the River Thames and returned via the water supply network, substantially increasing the natural flow. The hourly water quality data were supplemented by weekly manual sampling with laboratory analysis to check the hourly data and measure further determinands. Mean phosphorus and nitrate concentrations were very high, breaching standards set by EU legislation. Although 56% of the catchment area is agricultural, the hydrochemical dynamics were significantly impacted by effluent discharges which accounted for approximately 50% of the annual P catchment input loads and, on average, 59% of river flow at the monitoring point. Diurnal dissolved oxygen data demonstrated high in-stream productivity. From a comparison of high frequency and conventional monitoring data, it is inferred that much of the primary production was dominated by benthic algae, largely diatoms. Despite the high productivity and nutrient concentrations, the river water did not become anoxic, and major phytoplankton blooms were not observed. The strong diurnal and annual variation observed showed that assessments of water quality made under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) are sensitive to the time and season of sampling. It is recommended that specific sampling time windows be specified for each determinand, and that WFD targets should be applied in combination to help identify periods of greatest ecological risk.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

High‐frequency water quality monitoring in an urban catchment: hydrochemical dynamics, primary production and implications for the Water Framework Directive

Halliday

Skeffington

Wade

et al. 2015

Hydrological Processes

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“…The only exceptions (where diffuse mitigation measures would be most appropriate) were two of the predominantly rural catchments (River Pang and Lambourn) with STW PE densities of less than 30 PE km -2 , and the River Kennet, which has already had P stripping installed in all of its STW. The introduction of phosphorus stripping at STW would not only reduce P concentration at the ecologically sensitive time of year, but it would also reduce the proportion of the TP load in bioavailable SRP form, which would be less ecologically damaging (Millier and Hooda, 2011). In contrast, reducing the largely rain-related diffuse inputs may reduce annual load, but is unlikely to reduce P concentrations during the growing period.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These high-phosphorus concentration sites had between 73 and 83 % of the TP load in SRP form, which suggests they are receiving high sewage effluent loading (Millier and Hooda, 2011). that either P inputs were regular and consistent along the river continuum (which they clearly are, due to the dense distribution of STW within the catchment), or that P concentrations were being mediated by retention and release processes between the water column and within-channel sediment / biota.…”

Section: Water Quality Datamentioning

confidence: 94%

Identifying priorities for nutrient mitigation using river concentration–flow relationships: The Thames basin, UK

Bowes

Jarvie

Naden

et al. 2014

Journal of Hydrology

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Collins, Adrian L. 2014. Identifying priorities for nutrient mitigation using river concentration-flow relationships: the Thames basin, UK.Contact CEH NORA team at noraceh@ceh.ac.ukThe NERC and CEH trademarks and logos ('the Trademarks') are registered trademarks of NERC in the UK and other countries, and may not be used without the prior written consent of the Trademark owner. 1Identifying priorities for nutrient mitigation using river AbstractThe introduction of tertiary treatment to many of the sewage treatment works (STW) across the Thames basin in southern England has resulted in major reductions in river phosphorus (P)concentrations. Despite this, excessive phytoplankton growth is still a problem in the River Thames and many of its tributaries. There is an urgent need to determine if future resources should focus on P removal from the remaining STW, or on reducing agricultural inputs, to improve ecological status.Nutrient concentration-flow relationships for monitoring sites along the River Thames and 15 of its major tributaries were used to estimate the relative inputs of phosphorus and nitrogen from continuous (sewage point sources) and rain-related (diffuse and within-channel) sources, using the Load Apportionment Model (LAM). The model showed that diffuse sources and remobilisation of within-2 channel phosphorus contributed the majority of the annual P load at all monitoring sites. However, the majority of rivers in the Thames basin are still dominated by STW P inputs during the ecologically-sensitive spring-autumn growing season. Therefore, further STW improvements would be the most effective way of improving water quality and ecological status along the length of the River Thames, and 12 of the 15 tributaries. The LAM outputs were in agreement with other indicators of sewage input, such as sewered population density, phosphorus speciation and boron concentration. The majority of N inputs were from diffuse sources, and LAM suggests that introducing mitigation measures to reduce inputs from agriculture and groundwater would be most appropriate for all but one monitoring site in this study. The utilisation of nutrient concentration-flow data and LAM provide a simple, rapid and effective screening tool for determining nutrient sources and most effective mitigation options.

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“…For the UK for example, assessments under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) [3] have estimated that only 53% of waterbodies are compliant with the new site specific Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) designed to provide conditions suitable to support good ecological status for diatoms and macrophytes [4]. Phosphorus present in many forms in sewage [5] can become bioavailable during wastewater treatment processes to the extent that the majority discharged into receiving waters is measured as SRP and considered bioavailable to aquatic plants [6]. Several EU Directives have set out to decrease concentrations of phosphorus in EU rivers, including the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWwTD, [7], Birds and Habitats Directive [8] and Water Framework Directive WFD, 2000.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Data are available that show WwTW not dosing for phosphorus reduction discharge mostly SRP [6]. There are, however, no readily available data for phosphorus speciation, and in particular SRP concentrations, in WwTW effluents dosing iron or aluminium salts for phosphorus reduction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determination of the forms and stability of phosphorus in wastewater effluent from a variety of treatment processes

Comber

Gardner

Darmovzalova

et al. 2015

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

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A B S T R A C TEutrophication of surface waters is a major issue across the planet, with diffuse (agricultural) and point sources (wastewater treatment works, WwTW) being the main inputs. In the UK WwTW effluent discharges are currently permitted for discharge based on total phosphorus concentration, whereas environmental quality standards (EQS) are set as soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), which better reflects the bioavailable fraction of phosphorus present in water. This study reports for the first time, concentrations and relative proportions of SRP in effluent from a number of different WwTW employing aluminium and iron dosing for phosphorus removal. In the case of aluminium treatment, SRP constituted only 10 AE 4% of the 0.75 mg P/l total phosphorus in the effluent. Where iron was dosed SRP comprised 66% AE 20% of the total phosphorus present where a single dose was applied, which dropped to 26 AE 17% after a second dose and additional tertiary sand filtration. Phosphorus was determined using two established analytical methods after acid digestion, filtration to 0.45 mm (on site and after return to the laboratory and refrigeration for up to 9 days) and settlement. Phosphorus speciation was shown to be stable within all effluents for up to 6 days storage at a temperature of <5 C without the need to filter on site and this was recommended for future effluent monitoring programmes and compliance assessment. Furthermore, because iron and aluminium dosing significantly reduce the SRP proportion in effluents, future monitoring programmes and policy decisions regarding meeting the phosphorus EQS derived as SRP should take this into account.

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Phosphorus species and fractionation – Why sewage derived phosphorus is a problem

Cited by 20 publications

References 20 publications

High‐frequency water quality monitoring in an urban catchment: hydrochemical dynamics, primary production and implications for the Water Framework Directive

High‐frequency water quality monitoring in an urban catchment: hydrochemical dynamics, primary production and implications for the Water Framework Directive

Identifying priorities for nutrient mitigation using river concentration–flow relationships: The Thames basin, UK

Determination of the forms and stability of phosphorus in wastewater effluent from a variety of treatment processes

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