{"title":"The refinement of the N<sub>2</sub>O emission factor originating from treated sewage water in rivers with different water qualities.","authors":"Hayato Kakishima, Ayaka Kagamu, Yoshitaka Ebie, Hiroshi Yamazaki","doi":"10.2166/wst.2025.055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2025.055","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Treated sewage water flowing into rivers contains nitrogen (N) compounds, producing nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) through nitrification and denitrification reactions. In Japan, environmental reference values have been set for water quality for various locations within waterways, and these are classified into six different categories based on the level of water quality. This study aimed to refine the N<sub>2</sub>O emission factor originating from treated sewage water by conducting year-round research on the production of dissolved N<sub>2</sub>O in rivers with varying concentrations of organic matter, N, and dissolved oxygen. There were differences in the N<sub>2</sub>O emission factor derived from the nitrification reaction of ammonium (NH<sub>4</sub>)-N due to the impact of N pollution load caused by the inflow of treated sewage water into rivers with different water qualities. The calculated N<sub>2</sub>O emission factor for rivers with relatively high water quality concentrations was 0.0028 kgN<sub>2</sub>O-N kgNH<sub>4</sub>-N<sup>-1</sup>, and the calculated average N<sub>2</sub>O emission factor originating from treated sewage water in rivers was 0.0026 kgN<sub>2</sub>O-N kgNH<sub>4</sub>-N<sup>-1</sup>.</p>","PeriodicalId":23653,"journal":{"name":"Water Science and Technology","volume":"91 9","pages":"1022-1031"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144080776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carlos Montes, Sofia Guerrero, Maria Moreno, Laura Henao
{"title":"Tracing antibiotics in sewers: Concentrations, measurement techniques, and mathematical approaches.","authors":"Carlos Montes, Sofia Guerrero, Maria Moreno, Laura Henao","doi":"10.2166/wst.2025.053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2025.053","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antibiotic contamination in sewer networks has significant environmental and health concerns worldwide, primarily due to its role in promoting bacterial resistance. In this literature review, antibiotic concentrations reported in urban sewers and hospital effluents, techniques for antimicrobial compound detection and quantification, and current modeling strategies are analyzed and discussed based on 91 papers published between 2014 and 2024. One-hundred and nine antibiotic compounds were reported across 80 studies, with sulfonamides, fluoroquinolones, and macrolides being the most frequently detected classes, while amphenicols and aminocyclitols were the least monitored. Advanced analytical techniques such as liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry are the most common approaches used for antibiotic quantification. Modeling efforts remain limited, with kinetic models, Risk Quotient (RQ) assessments, and Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) representing the main approaches identified. This review compiles 992 reports into a comprehensive dataset intended to support future research, especially for global monitoring, the development of predictive models, and the formulation of regulatory frameworks for managing antibiotic pollution in sewer systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":23653,"journal":{"name":"Water Science and Technology","volume":"91 9","pages":"993-1009"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144080778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
German Dimitriv Jojoa-Unigarro, Simón González-Martínez, Yovany Cuetero-Martínez, Daniel de-Los-Cobos-Vasconcelos
{"title":"Fermentation of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste under different pH values and composition of microbial communities.","authors":"German Dimitriv Jojoa-Unigarro, Simón González-Martínez, Yovany Cuetero-Martínez, Daniel de-Los-Cobos-Vasconcelos","doi":"10.2166/wst.2025.059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2025.059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) must be stored for hours or days before being fed to the anaerobic digestion reactors. This storage leads to spontaneous lactic acid fermentation, and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and ethanol are produced by naturally occurring microorganisms. This research deals with fermentation and hydrolysis by controlling the OFMSW storage (silage) conditions. Using only naturally occurring microorganisms as inoculum, OFMSW fermentation in a semi-continuous reactor at pH values of 4, 5, and 6 was performed. During 6 days, samples were collected and analyzed daily for VFAs, ethanol, and lactic acid. At pH 4, the main products were ethanol, lactic acid, and acetic acid; at pH 5, lactic acid predominated, decreasing after day 4; at pH 6, acetic acid formed rapidly and after day 1, the concentration remained constant. At pH 6, butyric acid reached the highest concentration of all VFAs. The microbial diversity increased with pH. Metataxonomic analysis supports the possibility that the fungus of the <i>Pichia</i> genus is responsible for ethanol production and that various bacteria are responsible for VFAs, lactic acid production, and acetogenesis. Acetogenesis was the main pathway for the decrease in lactic acid and ethanol over time.</p>","PeriodicalId":23653,"journal":{"name":"Water Science and Technology","volume":"91 9","pages":"1044-1057"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144080770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Quantifying sediment deposition in sewers through hydraulic performance analysis.","authors":"Zhi Yang, Biao Huang, David Z Zhu","doi":"10.2166/wst.2025.057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2025.057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigates the effects of fixed sediment deposition on the hydraulic characteristics of sewer flow to support the diagnosis of sewer blockage. Sediment beds extending over the entire pipe (i.e., continuous deposition) and localized deposits were examined under different flow rates and outlet control conditions. Continuous deposition changes the cross-sectional area of the sewer pipe, while localized deposits act similarly to short bottom obstructions. The energy losses induced by a localized deposit at various locations were found to be nearly identical, particularly in cases with backwater effects. To illustrate the relationships between the flow rate, water level, and deposit characteristics, hydraulic performance curves can be developed. The inverse problem, which involves estimating parameters characterizing sediment deposition using observed flow rates and upstream and downstream water levels, can be solved by matching hydraulic performance curves with numerous scatter points from actual monitoring data to obtain the best fit. As there is a wide range of sediment deposition patterns that result in the same overall energy loss, the concept of equivalent sediment bed height is introduced to be applied in real-world scenarios.</p>","PeriodicalId":23653,"journal":{"name":"Water Science and Technology","volume":"91 9","pages":"1058-1076"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144080772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recovery of coagulants via acid treatment in potabilization sludges and their reuse in raw and urban wastewaters.","authors":"Cristian Danilo Vargas-Velez, Iván Andrés Sánchez Ortiz, Tsunao Masumoto","doi":"10.2166/wst.2025.058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2025.058","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Conventional water treatment plants have used aluminum-based coagulant solutions to remove colloidal substances and other suspended particles from raw water. During this process, a byproduct known as water treatment sludge (WTS) is generated that is typically discharged without prior treatment, causing serious environmental problems for surface waters and nearby ecosystems. Studies have been conducted to evaluate its potential reuse in various processes such as agriculture, construction material manufacturing, pollutant absorption, and its reuse as a coagulant. This study evaluated the recovery of aluminum via acid treatment in WTS from a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) that supplies water for a population of 413,484 inhabitants, using different pH levels and mixing speeds. The efficiency of the recovered coagulants was evaluated for the removal of color and turbidity in raw and wastewater. The main results showed a maximum aluminum recovery at a pH of 1.5 with values up to 810.5 mg Al/L, with pH being the most influential factor in the process. The removal of color and turbidity of 95.84 and 97.06% were achieved in wastewater and 69.78 and 69.73% in raw water, respectively. The recovered coagulant could be used in DWTPs and in chemically enhanced primary treatment for sewage treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":23653,"journal":{"name":"Water Science and Technology","volume":"91 9","pages":"1010-1021"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144080775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhanced biomethane production via hydrodynamic cavitation pretreatment and co-digestion of brown and DAF sludge.","authors":"Md Saiful Islam, Vivek Vinayak Ranade","doi":"10.2166/wst.2025.056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2025.056","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study introduces a co-digestion and vortex-based hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) pretreatment of brown and dissolved air flotation (DAF) sludge derived from dairy processing waste streams to enhance biomethane potential (BMP). Co-digestion experiments were carried out for varying ratios of brown-to-DAF sludge (1:1, 2%; 3:1, 4%). The BMP tests, conducted at 39 °C using a 15-reactor system with a 400 mL reaction volume and overhead stirrers, demonstrated that HC treatment elevated soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) of brown and DAF sludges by over 34% after 80 passes through HC device. Combining DAF with brown sludge improved methane yields and reduced the time to reach peak BMP. Loading 2% volatile solids (VS) with a 1:1 ratio resulted in methane production exceeding 90% of theoretical BMP, surpassing individual brown and DAF sludge BMPs (73 and 84%, respectively). Maximum VS removal surpassed 85%, achieving a peak methane yield of over 717 mL/g-VS. These findings offer insights into addressing effluent treatment challenges and highlight the potential of co-digestion for enhanced waste valorisation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23653,"journal":{"name":"Water Science and Technology","volume":"91 9","pages":"1032-1043"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144080769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jumanne Mayige Shimba, Oscar Ezekiel Njau, Juma Selemani, Karoli Nicholaus Njau
{"title":"Brine recovery from reverse osmosis effluents using an automatic temperature control system: salt crystallization.","authors":"Jumanne Mayige Shimba, Oscar Ezekiel Njau, Juma Selemani, Karoli Nicholaus Njau","doi":"10.2166/wst.2025.047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2025.047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The improper brine effluent disposal from the reverse osmosis (RO) process of the industry and mining sites poses various environmental problems including impaired soil ability to produce crops, difficulties for breeding and migrating birds. Various treatment methods reported to provide a short-term solution in which separation of the mixed salt byproducts remains a great challenge. The present study aimed at assessing the performance of locally available automatic temperature control (ATC) system to recover brine from RO effluents through salt crystallization. Laboratory trials via batch experiment containing individual and mixed samples of NaCl·2H<sub>2</sub>O, Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>·10H<sub>2</sub>O, and Na<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>·10H<sub>2</sub>O were conducted to evaluate the influence of freezing temperature, concentration, and contact time. The maximum recovery efficiencies of 85.3% (NaCl·2H<sub>2</sub>O), 93.3% (Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>·10H<sub>2</sub>O), and 32.0% (Na<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>·10H<sub>2</sub>O) of the individual samples were achieved at 72 h (-26 °C), 96 h (-10 °C), and 2 h (-2 °C), respectively. For mixed samples at -10 °C and 3 h in 50 mL, 29.37 g (65.27%) were recovered with ionic constituents such as Na<sup>+</sup> (34.1%), Cl<sup>-</sup> (1.6%), SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2-</sup> (11.3%), CO<sub>3</sub><sup>2-</sup> (32.4%), and impurities (20.57%). The findings of this study suggested that ATC could be used as an alternative technology for brine recovery from RO process of industry and mining operation sites.</p>","PeriodicalId":23653,"journal":{"name":"Water Science and Technology","volume":"91 8","pages":"946-959"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144048970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sewage treatment plants as a potential source of microplastics in the environment: A preliminary study in Central India.","authors":"Surya Singh, Bablu Alawa, Sankar Chakma, Madhanraj Kalyanasundaram, Vishal Diwan","doi":"10.2166/wst.2025.041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2025.041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The presence of microplastics in various environmental matrices is a reality. Besides, sewage treatment plants (STPs) play a crucial role in further adding to the microplastic pool of the environment, especially in water and soil resources. As conventional STPs are not primarily meant to remove microplastics, treated effluent and sludge contain a significant amount of microplastic items which are ultimately discharged into the surface water/soil. The present study investigated the role of selected STPs of Central India in contributing microplastics to the environment. Inlet, outlet, and sludge samples were collected from seven STPs and analyzed for the presence of microplastics. Microplastics were found in all samples with higher amounts in the inlet samples (3-35.5 items/L) compared to the outlet samples (2-13.5 items/L). Nevertheless, sludge samples showed the highest amount of microplastics (16-389 items/kg) for all the STPs under study. Size, shape, color, and chemical composition of microplastics was varied with considerable presence of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene-terephthalate, polyvinylchloride, polystyrene, polyamide, polyacrylamide, polyester, and polyurethane. Discharge of these microplastic items in the surface water and terrestrial ecosystems may result in serious consequences for ecology and human health. Therefore, advanced technological development for effective microplastics' removal in STPs is inevitable.</p>","PeriodicalId":23653,"journal":{"name":"Water Science and Technology","volume":"91 7","pages":"783-796"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144052428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Salini Pottekkatt, Jennipher George, Riya Zakkariya, Christo P N, Gouri Nair, Madhu Gopal, Renu Pawels
{"title":"Integrated biological and UV-Fenton processes for the treatment of automobile service station wastewater.","authors":"Salini Pottekkatt, Jennipher George, Riya Zakkariya, Christo P N, Gouri Nair, Madhu Gopal, Renu Pawels","doi":"10.2166/wst.2025.054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2025.054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Automobile service stations are a significant contributor to environmental issues due to the release of harmful wastewater containing various pollutants like oils, grease, detergents, and organic and inorganic substances. Our study focused on treating this wastewater through both biological and UV-Fenton methods to target the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, and oil and grease for potential reuse. In the biological approach, we isolated diverse microorganisms from the wastewater, and the predominant microorganism identified through 16S rRNA sequencing was <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. Key parameters, including pH (6.2) and incubation time (45.6 h), were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) to enhance pollutant degradation. The microorganisms were immobilized on biofilm carriers, achieving significant reductions: 83% COD, 93% turbidity, and 67% oil and grease. For the second method, we employed a UV-Fenton-based advanced oxidation process, optimizing Fe<sup>2+</sup> dosage (42.4 mg/L) and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> concentration (412.1 mg/L). This process demonstrated substantial reductions: 89% COD, 95% turbidity, and 72% oil and grease. Combining both biological and UV-Fenton treatments in series yielded even better outcomes with reductions of 89% COD, 96% turbidity, and 78% oil and grease. This integrated approach proved highly effective in meeting wastewater quality standards, demonstrating significant pollutant reduction within acceptable limits.</p>","PeriodicalId":23653,"journal":{"name":"Water Science and Technology","volume":"91 8","pages":"977-992"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144039057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michal Šereš, Tereza Černá, Tereza Hnátková, Miloš Rozkošný, Alena Grasserová, Jaroslav Semerád, Kateřina Němcová, Tomáš Cajthaml
{"title":"Environmental aspects of wastewater recycling from the point of view of emergent pollutant removal.","authors":"Michal Šereš, Tereza Černá, Tereza Hnátková, Miloš Rozkošný, Alena Grasserová, Jaroslav Semerád, Kateřina Němcová, Tomáš Cajthaml","doi":"10.2166/wst.2025.042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2025.042","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluates the removal efficiency of 15 estrogenic endocrine-disrupting compounds in two operational constructed wetlands with different designs: a hybrid system (constructed wetland A) and a horizontal system (constructed wetland B). The assessment involved analyzing composite water samples obtained from passive samplers through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with yeast assays. Additionally, grab samples of sludge and sediment were examined to determine the endocrine-disrupting compound's adsorption efficacy. The application of the full logistic model enabled the discernment and ranking of the chemicals contributing to mixture toxicity. The findings revealed constructed wetland A's superior efficacy in the removal of individual endocrine-disrupting compounds (with an average efficiency of 94%) compared to constructed wetland B (60%). Furthermore, constructed wetland A displayed a higher estimated estrogenic activity removal efficiency (83%) relative to constructed wetland B (52%). Estrogenic activity was adequately accounted for (58-120%) in half of the analyzed samples, highlighting estrone as the primary estrogenic agent. The investigation underscores constructed wetlands' effectiveness in purging endocrine-disrupting compounds, suggesting that their integration as secondary or tertiary treatment systems for such pollutants removal merits further exploration.</p>","PeriodicalId":23653,"journal":{"name":"Water Science and Technology","volume":"91 7","pages":"876-892"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144000126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}