Spatial Distribution and Assessment of the Human Health Risks of Heavy Metals in a Retired Pharmaceutical Industrial Area, Southwest China.

Heavy metals pollution in pharmaceutical industries received increasing attention. A total of 94 soil samples were collected in this study. Results showed the mean contents of Hg, Cd, As, Pb, Ni and Cu were 0.21, 0.26, 9.59, 55.06, 51.52 and 50.81 mg·kg-1, respectively. The spatial distribution of metals in topsoil largely attributed to the pharmaceutical production process. The distribution of Hg and As were related to the production of medical absorbent cotton. While Ni was related to the fuel supply of Ni-rich coal. Cr, Cu and Pb mainly distributed in the process which they were used as catalysts. The vertical migration of metals was complex in soil. To a great extent, it was related to the texture of the soil and the properties of metals in this filed. The total non-cancer and cancer human health risk were within the limits of USEPA (10-6 a-1). This demonstrated the health risks of individual's exposure to heavy metals in this factory was acceptable.

Removal of heavy metals from sewage sludge by chemical leaching with biodegradable chelator methyl glycine diacetic acid.

The heavy metals (HMs) contained in sewage sludge are some of the largest obstacles that hamper the usage of sewage sludge in land application (e.g. fertilizer, soil improver). The conventional chelators, e.g., ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), were effective in the remediation of HMs polluted sewage sludge, but suffered from an evident drawback of low biodegradability. Therefore, the applicability of a new biodegradable chelator, methyl glycine diacetic acid (MGDA), to extract HMs from sewage sludge was carried out and compared with EDTA. The experimental parameters affecting the performance of MGDA were optimized. Leaching results showed that in general, MGDA exhibited higher Zn leaching efficiency and similar Cu, Ni and Cr leaching efficiencies with EDTA at same pH and dosage conditions. The maximum Zn, Cu, Ni and Cr leaching efficiencies of MGDA were 94.1% ± 4.5%, 58.2% ± 3.1%, 78.2% ± 2.3% and 54.6% ± 2.5%, respectively. The leaching efficiency plateaued within a reaction time of 4 h, but that of Cu and Ni showed a slightly decreasing trend during hours 4 to 10. In raw sewage sludge, the Zn and Cu were mainly presented in the organically bound fraction, i.e., 45.3 ± 3.2% of total Zn and 48.3 ± 1.4% of total Cu. The addition of MGDA and EDTA caused obvious distribution transformations in Zn and Cu from the organically bound fraction to soluble fraction. According to the reduced partition index calculation, the mobility of Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr was not significantly lowered after the MGDA treatment. However, the HMs secondary pollution risk of the sludge was reduced due to the drop of the total HMs content after chelator leaching. Findings from this study suggest that MGDA could be a potential environment-friendly alternative for refractory chelators (e.g. EDTA) in the decontamination of HMs from sludge.

Comparison and application of biofilter and suspended bioreactor in removing gaseous o-xylene.

Two bioreactors, suspended-growth bioreactors (SPB) and biofilter (BF), were compared for the performances in removing gaseous o-xylene. Their efficiencies were investigated by varying the o-xylene loadings, gas flow rates, and gas-water ratios. High-throughput techniques were applied for the microbial populations assay. The conversion rate of carbon in o-xylene was calculated, and the relationship between biomass and removal efficiencies was also analyzed. Results indicated that both the SPB and BF could effectively treat gases containing o-xylene. The average removal efficiencies were 91.8% and 93.5%, respectively. The elimination capacity of the BF was much higher than that of the SPB when the intake load was below 150 g m-3 h-1. When the o-xylene loadings were over 150 g m-3 h-1, both the SPB and BF achieved similar o-xylene removal rates. The maximum elimination capacities were 28.36 g m-3 h-1 for the SPB and 30.67 g m-3 h-1 for BF. The SPB was more sensitive to the changes in the gas flow rate. Results of microbial assay indicated that bacteria e.g. Mycobacterium sp. and Rhodanobacter sp. might play important roles in removing o-xylene in the SPB, while the bacteria Pseudomonas sp., Sphingomonas sp., and Defluviicoccus sp., and the fungi Aspergillus sp. and Scedosporium sp., were the o-xylene degraders in the BF. The successful application of the integrated bioreactor in treating gases containing o-xylene exhausted from the electroplating plant indicated that the integration of SPB and BF could be an effective method for removing VOCs with Henry coefficient in the range of 0.01-1.

Occurrence and human health risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in real agricultural systems with long-term reclaimed wastewater irrigation in Beijing, China.

Reclaimed wastewater (RW) is increasingly used to irrigate agricultural land and to alleviate agricultural water shortages worldwide. This usage has resulted in concerns about soil contamination by pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and the human health risks associated with dietary crop intake. In this study, we systematically analysed the occurrence and accumulation of 11 PPCPs and one active metabolite in soils and various crops (cucumber, eggplant, long bean and wheat) from realistic RW irrigation fields with different irrigation histories (20, 30 and 40 years) in Beijing and evaluated the human health risks associated with the consumption of these crops. The 11 PPCPs and one active metabolite were detected at concentrations ranging from 0.67 to 22.92 ng L-1 in RW, 0.029-28.13 µg kg-1 in irrigated soil, and <0.01-28.01 µg kg-1 in crops. The concentrations of N4-acetyl-sulfamethoxazole and triclosan were higher than those of other PPCPs, with respective concentrations of 14.39-31.44 ng L-1 and 15.93-26.23 ng L-1 in RW, 10.92-23.29 µg kg-1 and 20.22-28.13 µg kg-1 in irrigated soil and 17.92-28.01 µg kg-1 and 8.92-14.91 µg kg-1 in crops. However, the estimated threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) and hazard quotient (HQ) values revealed that the concentrations of N4-acetyl-sulfamethoxazole and triclosan in crops irrigated with RW should be considered a de minimis risk to human health. The concentrations of 11 PPCPs and one active metabolite in soils and crops and the calculated fruit bioconcentration factors (BCFs) did not display obvious increases associated with the duration of RW irrigation in real agricultural systems (P > 0.05). The concentrations of the studied PPCPs in the RW used for irrigation followed different patterns from the concentrations detected in the irrigated soils and crops. Although the concentrations of sulfamethoxazole, sulfisoxazole, sulfamethazine and trimethoprim in RW were higher than those of many other studied PPCPs, their respective values in the irrigated soils and crops did not display a similar tendency. The uptake and accumulation of PPCPs varied among the crop species (P < 0.05). Although PPCPs were detected in eggplant, long bean and wheat (BCFs: not applicable-1.67, 0.03-1.35 and 0.01-5.01, respectively), PPCPs accumulated at increased levels in cucumber (BCFs 0.03-18.98). The estimated TTC and HQ values showed that the consumption of crops irrigated long-term with RW presents a de minimis risk to human health. However, further studies with more PPCPs and additional crop species need to be conducted, the synergistic effects of chemical mixtures of multiple PPCPs and the toxic effects of PPCP metabolites should be elucidated to obtain more reliable information on the safety of wastewater reuse for irrigation.

Study on the relationship between manganese concentrations in rural drinking water and incidence and mortality caused by cancer in Huai'an city.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a significant disease burden in the world. Many studies showed that heavy metals or their compounds had connection with cancer. But the data conflicting about the relationship of manganese (Mn) to cancer are not enough. In this paper, the relationship was discussed between Mn concentrations in drinking water for rural residents and incidence and mortality caused by malignant tumors in Huai'an city. METHODS: A total of 158 water samples from 28 villages of 14 towns were, respectively, collected during periods of high flow and low flow in 3 counties of Huai'an city, along Chinese Huai'he River. The samples of deep groundwater, shallow groundwater, and surface water were simultaneously collected in all selected villages. Mn concentrations in all water samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS 7500a). The correlation analysis was used to study the relationship between the Mn concentration and cancer incidence and mortality. RESULTS: Mn concentrations detectable rate was 100% in all water samples. The mean concentration was 452.32 µg/L ± 507.76 µg/L. There was significant difference between the high flow period and low flow period (t = -5.23, P < 0.05) and also among deep groundwater, shallow groundwater, and surface water (F = 5.02, P < 0.05). The ratio of superscale of Mn was 75.32%. There was significant difference of Mn level between samples in the high flow period and low flow period (χ(2) = 45.62, P < 0.05) and also among deep groundwater, shallow groundwater, and surface water (χ(2) = 10.66, P < 0.05). And also we found that, during the low flow period, Mn concentration has positive correlation with cancer incidence and mortality; for a 1 µg/L increase in Mn concentration, there was a corresponding increase of 0.45/100000 new cancer cases and 0.35/100000 cancer deaths (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In Huai'an city, the mean concentration of Mn in drinking water was very high. Mn concentration correlated with cancer incidence and mortality.

[Study on of the current status of volatile organic compounds pollution in typical rural drinking water and the relationship between its concentration and health of the population, in Huai'an, Jiangsu].

OBJECTIVE: This study was to understand the status of pollution on drinking water, by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), among rural residents living in the basin of Huaihe River. Relationship between the morbidity, morbidity of cancers and VOCs were also explored. METHODS: 28 villages were chosen from Xuyi,Jinhu, Chuzhou along the Huaihe River, with water samples collected from ditch pond water, shallow wells, deep wells in November-December 2010. VOCs indicators were evaluated according to the Standard Quality GB 5749-2006 for Drinking Water. RESULTS: Methylene chloride, chloroform, benzene and carbon tetrachloride were all detected in 76 water samples. The rates of chloroform, benzene, carbon tetrachloride which exceeding the quality standards were 3.95% , 21.05% and 22.37% , but no significant differences were found among these three water resources in chloroform, benzene or carbon tetrachloride. Results from the correlation analysis showed that benzene had positive correlation with tumor deaths (r = 0.24, P < 0.05). Results from the risk assessment on health showed that some chloroform, benzene, carbon tetrachloride products which were related to the risks of cancers were exceeding the acceptable ranges of risk, with the rates as 28.95%, 22.37% and 64.47% but with no significant differences among the three water resources (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Drinking waters for rural residents along the Huaihe River were polluted while VOCs might have related to tumor incidence with potential impact and risk to the health of local residents.

[Investigation of bacterial diversity in the biological desulfurization reactor for treating high salinity wastewater by the 16S rDNA cloning method].

The bacterial diversity in the biological desulfurization reactor operated continuously for 1 year was studied by the 16S rDNA cloning and sequencing method. Forty clones were randomly selected and their partial 16S rDNA genes (ca. 1,400 bp) were sequenced and blasted. The results indicated that there were dominant bacterias in the biological desulfurization reactor, where 33 clones belonged to 3 different published phyla, while 1 clone belonged to unknown phylum. The dominant bacterial community in the system was Proteobacteria, which accounted for 85.3%. The bacterial community succession was as follows: the gamma-Proteobacteria(55.9%), beta-Proteobacteria(17.6%), Actinobacteridae (8.8%), delta-Proteobacteria (5.9%) , alpha-Proteobacteria(5.9%), and Sphingobacteria (2.9%). Halothiobacillus sp. ST15 and Thiobacillus sp. UAM-I were the major desulfurization strains.

Effect of operating parameters on sulfide biotransformation to sulfur.

A laboratory-scale bioreactor with polyethylene semi-soft packing was constructed and utilized to determine the efficiency of sulfide biotransformation to sulfur under various operating parameters. Sodium sulfide dissolved in tap water was pumped into the bioreactor as sulfide for biological desulfurization. The sulfide, sulfur and sulfate-S in the effluent and the sulfide purged as gas-phase H2S were determined to investigate the effects of operating parameters, such as pH, DO, hydraulic retention time (HRT), temperature and salinity, on the sulfide oxidation products. The activity of bacteria was highest at pH 7.8-8.2. The maximal sulfide removal load was 7.25 kg/(m3 x day), with a 322.07 mg/L influent sulfide concentration and 4.80 mg/L DO. The increase of DO value corresponds to a decrease in the sulfur yield. The reactor had the highest sulfide removal load and sulfur yield at 2.55 mg/L DO. HRT had little effect on desulfurization efficiency when the sulfide removal load was kept constant. The most effective desulfurization temperature was 33 degrees C. The sulfide removal load decreased from 2.85 to 0.51 kg/(m3 x day) with increasing salinity from 0.5% to 2.5% (m/m).

Filtration by a novel nanofiber membrane and alumina adsorption to remove copper(II) from groundwater.

The elevated level of heavy metals in groundwater poses a substantial risk potentially to local resource users and the natural environment. Micellar-enhanced filtration (MEF) and alumina adsorption are considered from the viewpoint of copper(II) removal in groundwater, by taking copper(II) as an example. In MEF, copper(II) cations are collected electrostatically on micelles of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) and separated from the mother liquor by filtration using a novel nanofiber membrane prepared from chloridized polyvinyl chloride by high-voltage electrospinning process. After MEF with 10-layer filtration and SDBS concentration of 5 mmol/L, the removal of copper(II) in groundwater is above 70%. However, the final solution contains a large amount of surfactant causing serious second contamination in groundwater. This problem is overcome by alumina adsorption, where negatively charged surfactants are adsorbed on positively charged alumina particles and then recovered by conventional filtration. The hybrid process of MEF and alumina adsorption is successfully applied to removing almost 100% of copper(II) from groundwater. Finally, the characterization of the membrane and filtration mechanism are presented here.

Comparative study on the removal technologies of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) in drinking water.

Removal of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) in drinking water by ozone, powdered activated carbon (PAC), potassium permanganate and potassium ferrate was investigated. The adsorption kinetics of MIB by both wood-based and coat-based PACs show that main removal of MIB occurs within contact time of 1 h. Compared with the wood-based PAC, the coat-based PAC evidently improved the removal efficiency of MIB. The removal percentage of trace MIB at any given time for a particular carbon dosage was irrelative to the initial concentration of MIB. A series of experiments were performed to determine the effect of pH on the ozonation of MIB. The results show that pH has a significant effect on the ozonation of MIB. It is conclusive that potassium permanganate and potassium ferrate are ineffective in removing the MIB in drinking water.

[Terramycin wastewater treatment with combination hydrolysis-denitrification-nitrification].

Successive hydrolysis-denitrification-nitrification process is adopted to treat terramycin wastewater in lab scale for 70 days. Two sludge bed reactors are used respectively for hydrolysis and denitrification, and two biofilm reactors are used for nitrification. When the COD and NH4+ -N concentrations in influent were 2 200 - 3 000mg/L and 400 - 460mg/L, more than 80% COD and TN removals were achieved under a total HRT of 56h. The COD of the effluent was reduced to 293mg/L through coagulation under a polyferric sulfate dose of 48mg/L as Fe.

Removal of earthy-musty odorants in drinking water by powdered activated carbon.

The removal of four earthy-musty compounds, 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), 2-isopropyl-3-methoxy-pyrazine (IPMP), and 2-isobutyl-3-methoxy-pyrazine (IBMP), by powdered activated carbon (PAC) were investigated under the simulative condition of Xicun water plant, Guangzhou. The adsorption kinetics of odor compounds by two PACs show that main removal of odor compounds occurs within contact time of 1 h. Compared with the wood-based PAC, the coat-based PAC evidently improves the removal efficiency of poorly adsorbed compounds like MIB. The effects on removal efficiency such as optimum PAC dosage, initial concentration of the organics, chlorine residual, background organics, and changes of water quality were investigated. The percent removal of trace odorants at any given time for a particular carbon dosage is irrelative to the initial concentration of the odor compounds. Adsorptive capacity of PAC for target compounds is reduced by chlorine residual and background organics. Characteristics of raw water have vast influence on the removal of target compounds by PAC.