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Allinson M, Kadokami K, Shiraishi F, Nakajima D, Zhang J, Knight A, Gray SR, Scales PJ, Allinson G. Wastewater recycling in Antarctica: Performance assessment of an advanced water treatment plant in removing trace organic chemicals. J Environ Manage 2018; 224:122-129. [PMID: 30036806 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) operates Australia's Davis Station in the Antarctic. In 2005, Davis Station's wastewater treatment plant failed and since then untreated, macerated effluent has been discharged to the ocean. The objectives of this study were to determine whether an advanced water treatment plant (AWTP) commissioned by the AAD and featuring a multi-barrier process involving ozonation, ceramic microfiltration, biologically activated carbon filtration, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet disinfection and chlorination was capable of producing potable water and a non-toxic brine concentrate that can be discharged with minimal environmental impact. The AWTP was tested using water from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Tasmania, Australia. We used spot water and passive sampling combined with two multi-residue chromatographic-mass spectrometric methods and a range of recombinant receptor-reporter gene bioassays to screen trace organic chemicals (TrOCs), toxicity and receptor activity in the Feed water, in the environmental discharge (reject water), and product water from the AWTP for six months during 2014-15, and then again for three months in 2016. Across the two surveys we unambiguously detected 109 different TrOCs in the feed water, 39 chemicals in the reject water, and 34 chemicals in the product water. Sample toxicity and receptor activity in the feed water samples was almost totally removed in both testing periods, confirming that the vast majority of the receptor active TrOCs were removed by the treatment process. All the NDMA entering the AWTP in the feed and/or produced in the plant (typically < 50 ng/L), was retained into the reject water with no NDMA observed in the product water. In conclusion, the AWTP was working to design, and releases of TrOCs at the concentrations observed in this study would be unlikely cause adverse effects on populations of aquatic organisms in the receiving environment or users of the potable product water.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Allinson
- Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management (CAPIM), School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010 Australia
| | - K Kadokami
- Faculty of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu, 1-1 Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, 808-0135, Japan
| | - F Shiraishi
- Center for Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - D Nakajima
- Center for Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - J Zhang
- Institute for Sustainability and Innovation, Victoria University, Victoria, Australia
| | - A Knight
- Particulate Fluids Processing Centre, Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - S R Gray
- Institute for Sustainability and Innovation, Victoria University, Victoria, Australia
| | - P J Scales
- Particulate Fluids Processing Centre, Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - G Allinson
- Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Remediation (EnSuRe), School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia.
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Allinson G, Allinson M, Bui A, Zhang P, Croatto G, Wightwick A, Rose G, Walters R. Pesticide and trace metals in surface waters and sediments of rivers entering the Corner Inlet Marine National Park, Victoria, Australia. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2016; 23:5881-5891. [PMID: 26593725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Water and sediment samples were collected from up to 17 sites in waterways entering the Corner Inlet Marine National Park monthly between November 2009 and April 2010, with the Chemcatcher passive sampler system deployed at these sites in November 2009 and March 2010. Trace metal concentrations were low, with none occurring at concentrations with the potential for adverse ecological effects. The agrochemical residues data showed the presence of a small number of pesticides at very low concentration (ng/L) in the surface waters of streams entering the Corner Inlet, and as widespread, but still limited contamination of sediments. Concentrations of pesticides detected were relatively low and several orders of magnitude below reported ecotoxicological effect and hazardous concentration values. The low levels of pesticides detected in this study indicate that agricultural industries were responsible agrochemical users. This research project is a rarity in aligning both agrochemical usage data obtained from chemical resellers in the target catchment with residue analysis of environmental samples. Based on frequency of detection and concentrations, prometryn is the priority chemical of concern for both the water and sediments studied, but this chemical was not listed in reseller data. Consequently, the risks may be greater than the field data would suggest, and priorities for monitoring different since some commonly used herbicides (such as glyphosate, phenoxy acid herbicides, and sulfonyl urea herbicides) were not screened. Therefore, researchers, academia, industry, and government need to identify ways to achieve a more coordinated land use approach for obtaining information on the use of chemicals in a catchment, their presence in waterways, and the longer term performance of chemicals, particularly where they are used multiple times in a year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graeme Allinson
- School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia.
- Future Farming Systems Research, Department of Environment and Primary Industries, DEPI Queenscliff Centre, Queenscliff, Victoria, 3225, Australia.
| | - Mayumi Allinson
- Future Farming Systems Research, Department of Environment and Primary Industries, DEPI Queenscliff Centre, Queenscliff, Victoria, 3225, Australia
- Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management (CAPIM), School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - AnhDuyen Bui
- Agriculture Research and Development, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Ernest Jones Drive, Macleod, Victoria, 3085, Australia
| | - Pei Zhang
- Agriculture Research and Development, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Ernest Jones Drive, Macleod, Victoria, 3085, Australia
| | - George Croatto
- Agriculture Research and Development, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Ernest Jones Drive, Macleod, Victoria, 3085, Australia
| | - Adam Wightwick
- Future Farming Systems Research, Department of Environment and Primary Industries, DEPI Queenscliff Centre, Queenscliff, Victoria, 3225, Australia
- Coffey Environments, Level 1, 23 West Fyans Street, Newtown Victoria, 3220, Australia
| | - Gavin Rose
- Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management (CAPIM), School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
- Agriculture Research and Development, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Ernest Jones Drive, Macleod, Victoria, 3085, Australia
| | - Robert Walters
- European Faculty of Law in Nova Gorica, Delpinova 18 b, 5000, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
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Allinson G, Shiraishi F, Kamata R, Allinson M. Combining Passive Sampling with Recombinant Receptor-Reporter Gene Bioassays to Assess the Receptor Activity of Victorian Rivers. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 2015; 95:758-763. [PMID: 26071881 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-015-1577-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This pilot study was initiated to provide new information on the 'hormonal' activity of Victorian rivers. Chemcatcher™ passive sampler systems containing Empore™ C18FF disks were deployed at eight riverine sites near Melbourne. Little estrogenic activity [<0.4-1.8 ng estradiol equivalents (EQ)/disk] and no retinoic acid activity (RAR, all samples <0.8 ng trans-retinoic acid EQ/disk) was observed. Almost all sample extracts showed aryl hydrocarbon receptor activity (from <4 to 29 ng β-naphthoflavone EQ/disk). Overall, the disk extracts were eminently compatible with the bioassay screening technology, enabling the relative levels of 'hormonal activity' to be observed in the surface waters in and around Melbourne. From a practical perspective, the in situ sampling and pre-concentration provided by passive sampling reduces the manual handling risks associated with sample transport, and the number of laboratory operations required to obtain assay-ready solutions for analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graeme Allinson
- School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia.
- Future Farming Systems Research, Department of Primary Industries, DPI Queenscliff Centre, Queenscliff, VIC, 3225, Australia.
| | - Fujio Shiraishi
- Center for Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Ryo Kamata
- Laboratory of Toxicology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, 35-1 Higashi 23-bancho, Towada-Shi, Aomori, 034-8628, Japan
| | - Mayumi Allinson
- Future Farming Systems Research, Department of Primary Industries, DPI Queenscliff Centre, Queenscliff, VIC, 3225, Australia
- Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management (CAPIM), School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
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