1
|
de Guzman I, Elosegi A, von Schiller D, González JM, Paz LE, Gauzens B, Brose U, Antón A, Olarte N, Montoya JM, Larrañaga A. Treated and highly diluted, but wastewater still impacts diversity and energy fluxes of freshwater food webs. J Environ Manage 2023; 345:118510. [PMID: 37390732 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118510] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have greatly improved water quality globally. However, treated effluents still contain a complex cocktail of pollutants whose environmental effects might go unnoticed, masked by additional stressors in the receiving waters or by spatiotemporal variability. We conducted a BACI (Before-After/Control-Impact) ecosystem manipulation experiment, where we diverted part of the effluent of a large tertiary WWTP into a small, unpolluted stream to assess the effects of a well-treated and highly diluted effluent on riverine diversity and food web dynamics. We sampled basal food resources, benthic invertebrates and fish to search for changes on the structure and energy transfer of the food web with the effluent. Although effluent toxicity was low, it reduced diversity, increased primary production and herbivory, and reduced energy fluxes associated to terrestrial inputs. Altogether, the effluent decreased total energy fluxes in stream food webs, showing that treated wastewater can lead to important ecosystem-level changes, affecting the structure and functioning of stream communities even at high dilution rates. The present study shows that current procedures to treat wastewater can still affect freshwater ecosystems and highlights the need for further efforts to treat polluted waters to conserve aquatic food webs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ioar de Guzman
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain.
| | - Arturo Elosegi
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - Daniel von Schiller
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose M González
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, Tulipán S/n, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Laura E Paz
- Instituto Multidisciplinario Sobre Ecosistemas y Desarrollo Sustentable, Universidad Nacional Del Centro de La Provincia de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Campus Universitario, Paraje Arroyo Seco S/n, Tandil, 7000, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata. C.C 712-1900, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Benoit Gauzens
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Biodiversity, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Ulrich Brose
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Biodiversity, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Alvaro Antón
- Department of Mathematics and Experimental Sciences Didactics, Faculty of Education of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - Nuria Olarte
- Department of Mathematics and Experimental Sciences Didactics, Faculty of Education of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - José M Montoya
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, French National Center for Scientific Research, Moulis, France
| | - Aitor Larrañaga
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rodríguez-Liébana JA, Peña A. Adsorption-desorption of dimethenamid and fenarimol onto three agricultural soils as affected by treated wastewater and fresh sewage sludge-derived dissolved organic carbon. J Environ Manage 2018; 217:592-599. [PMID: 29649731 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.03.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The use of treated wastewaters (TWW) in agriculture is widening in areas suffering drought, such as southern Europe, to preserve freshwater supply for human consumption. The composition of TWW, especially concerning their organic carbon (OC) content, has been demonstrated to influence the processes governing the behavior of non-ionic pesticides in soils. Three OC-poor agricultural soils (SV, RM1 and RM3) from the province of Granada (Spain) were chosen for the assessment of the adsorption and desorption of the herbicide dimethenamid (DIM) and the fungicide fenarimol (FEN). TWW and sewage sludge extracts at different dissolved OC (DOC) concentrations (30, 90 and 300 mg L-1) were considered to evaluate their effect on pesticide adsorption-desorption. As expected by their properties, DIM and FEN were weakly and moderately adsorbed to the soils, respectively. Soil OC seemed to be the major factor controlling FEN adsorption, whereas the mineral fraction played a key role in DIM adsorption, especially in RM1 with high clay:OC ratio. Although TWW did not significantly modify the adsorption of pesticides, it enhanced DIM desorption from the three soils. Adsorption of FEN to SV and RM3 was directly related to the concentration of DOC, possibly due to co-sorption phenomena. Hysteretic desorption was found in all cases, indicating partially reversible adsorption. While FEN desorption was not altered by the solutions, the use of sludge extracts at the highest DOC concentration (300 mg L-1) enhanced DIM desorption as occurred with TWW. Interactions with DOC in solution seemed to predominate for this less hydrophobic compound, thus increasing the risk of natural waters contamination if TWW will be used.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Antonio Rodríguez-Liébana
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (IACT), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Granada (CSIC-UGR), Avda. de las Palmeras, 4, 18100-Armilla, Granada, Spain.
| | - Aránzazu Peña
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (IACT), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Granada (CSIC-UGR), Avda. de las Palmeras, 4, 18100-Armilla, Granada, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Javanmard E, Mirjalali H, Niyyati M, Sharifdini M, Jalilzadeh E, Seyed Tabaei SJ, Asadzadeh Aghdaei H, Rostami R, Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad E, Haghighi A, Zali MR. Small-scale risk assessment of transmission of parasites from wastewater treatment plant to downstream vegetable farms. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench 2018; 11:352-358. [PMID: 30425815 PMCID: PMC6204253] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
AIM The aim of the present study was to simultaneously investigate parasitic contamination of treated wastewater and downstream vegetable farms that are irrigated with treated sewage, during a year. BACKGROUND (Oo) Cysts and eggs of parasites are resistant to most of routine wastewater treatment process. Irrigation of vegetables farms with either treated wastewater or illegally use of raw wastewaters enhances the risk of contamination with enteric pathogens. METHODS The treated wastewater samples were taken after chlorination from a wastewater treatment plant located at the south of Tehran. In addition, 60 vegetable samples (5 samples from each farm) were collected from the selected downstream farms that routinely used treated wastewater for irrigation of crops. Parasitological tests were performed using Ziehl-Neelsen, conventional lugol's iodine staining and direct microscopical examination. RESULTS Parasites including free living larvae, eggs of Toxoascaris leonina, egg of Toxocara sp. Trichuris sp, Trichostrongylus sp and amoeboid trophozoite were seen in 5/12 (41.7%) of vegetable samples gathered during a year. There was no statistically significant correlation between the season and parasitic contamination of the vegetables (P= 1). Furthermore, parasitic contamination was observed in 7/12 (53.8%) of treated wastewater samples. The correlation between season and parasitic contamination of treated wastewater was evaluated that the results showed a higher contamination of treated wastewater in spring and autumn (P<0.05). Fisher's exact test also showed that there was no significant correlation between parasitic contaminations of vegetable samples and treated wastewater according to seasonal change. CONCLUSION The results showed parasites in both treated wastewater plant and downstream crops farms that suggests the public health importance of the quality of water resources that routinely used for irrigation of vegetable farms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Javanmard
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Mirjalali
- Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Maryam Niyyati
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Meysam Sharifdini
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Esfandiar Jalilzadeh
- Department of Water and Wastewater Quality Control Laboratory, Water and Wastewater Company, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Javad Seyed Tabaei
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Asadzadeh Aghdaei
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Roghieh Rostami
- Department of Water and Wastewater Quality Control Laboratory, Water and Wastewater Company, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ehsan Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ali Haghighi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Zali
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|