Policies on combined sewer overflows pollution control: A global perspective to inspire China and less developed countries

Wang, Tao; Zhang, Yunhui; Li, Huaizheng; Xu, Zuxin; Jin, Wei

doi:10.1080/10643389.2023.2286956

Cited by 12 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 41 publications

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“…Given that trace amounts of Hg-methylators are still detectable in STP effluents, disinfection or membrane filtration of effluents is expected to be effective in further reducing their presence. Moreover, during unavoidable CSO events 46 , implementing rapid disinfection measures at overflow points may be a prudent strategy to minimize the release of Hg-methylating microorganisms, even if chemical pollutants are not fully eliminated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global metagenomic survey identifies sewage-derived hgcAB+ microorganisms as key contributors to riverine methylmercury production

Jiang,

Xia,

Yuan

2024

Preprint

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Methylmercury (MeHg) in aquatic systems poses a serious threat to public health through the aquatic food web. In recent years, MeHg has been observed to increase to concerning levels globally in rivers near cities; however, the causes of this elevation are not well understood. Here, we reveal the significant impact of sewage contamination by analyzing over 1,300 publicly available metagenomes in urban rivers worldwide, and conducting experiments with water samples across China. We find that sewage contamination significantly increases the abundance of mercury (Hg)-methylating microorganisms in urban rivers globally. This increase is mainly attributed to the high abundance of active Hg-methylating microorganisms in sewage, which migrate to rivers through either direct discharge or combined sewer overflows (CSOs), thereby affecting riverine MeHg production. Our findings suggest that effectively eliminating Hg-methylating microorganisms from sewage is crucial for mitigating public health risks associated with MeHg in urban rivers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%