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ABSTRACT: An overview of recent trends in wastewater management is proposed concerning the role of centralisation and decentralisation in wastewater treatment. The main advantages, criticisms and limitations considering social, economic and environmental issues have been summarised. It resulted that none of the approaches could be excluded a priori, but were generally shown to integrate one another on the basis of the specific required situation.
Journal of Environmental Management 09/2011; 94(1):61-8. · 3.24 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Lignin and tannin are widespread natural compounds traditionally used in tannery industries. Their presence is commonly detected in textile wastewater showing potential toxicity effects within various endpoints onto sea water organisms that generally represent the ultimate target of discharged effluents. Most data are available only as nominal concentrations or percentage volume of wastewater having an unknown lignin and tannin content. The aim of this study was to provide the ecotoxicological characterisation of both compounds considering as testing species the marine alga Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Bohlin). Lignin and tannin showed an E(r)C(50) of 113.84(100.90-128.45)mg/L and 26.04(20.10-33.95)mg/L, respectively. NOEC and LOEC values were together <0.1mg/L and 0.1mg/L, in that order. Moreover, it was observed a morphological change of the algae fusiform shape occurring only at tannin concentrations ≥ 75 mg/L and <185 mg/L.
Journal of hazardous materials 08/2011; 194:435-9. · 4.14 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Wastewater management receives a great deal of attention with various methods being proposed for discharge hazard estimation via ecotoxicological results. Policy-makers, stakeholders and the general public do not generally possess an adequate level of understanding on this matter, so it is rather hard to answer the question "How toxic is toxic?". The setting up and development of species-specific toxicity scores and a final wastewater toxicity index could avoid misinterpretations and confusion about toxicity data and different endpoints used and thus help wastewater classification and the management actions to be undertaken. Five-class toxicity scores were developed considering saltwater species. Toxicity scores outputs were then considered for a final index definition. This approach for wastewater assessment could be a suitable way to proceed in order to achieve environmental protection of water bodies, both fresh and saltwater, in accordance with the (near-)zero emission approach and the precautionary principle.
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 10/2010; 73(7):1602-11. · 2.29 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: As a consequence of the Water Framework Directive and Marine Strategy Framework Directive, there is now more focus on discharges from wastewater treatment plants both to transitional and marine-coastal waters. The constraint to encourage sustainable water policy to prevent water deterioration and reduce or stop discharges has entailed new requirements for existing wastewater treatment plants in the form of advanced wastewater treatment technologies as further suggested by the Integrated Pollution and Prevention Control Bureau. A whole toolbox of physico-chemical and ecotoxicological parameters to investigate commercial and mixed domestic and industrial discharges was considered to check the efficiency of an Activated-Sludge Sequencing Batch Reactor (AS-SBR) and two Ultra-Filtration Membrane Biological Reactors (UF-MBRs) on a small scale decentralised basis. All discharges were conveyed into Venice lagoon (Italy), one of the widest impacted Mediterranean transitional environment. The UF-MBRs were able to provide good quality effluents potentially suitable for non-potable reuse, as well as reducing specific inorganic micro-pollutants concentration (e.g. metals). Conversely, the AS-SBR showed unpredictable and discontinuous removal abilities.
Water Research 08/2010; 44(15):4437-50. · 4.86 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The ecotoxicological effect of dredged sediments was estimated by embryo-larval toxicity of the oyster Crassosstrea gigas in sediment elutriates (filtered and unfiltered). The study covers the main ports from the French Mediterranean coast. Composted sediments from a navy harbour (A), a commercial port (B) and two composite specimens (C and D) obtained after mixing various sediments were taken into consideration. Effective concentrations affecting 50% of larvae (EC50) were obtained from different elutriate concentrations (from 0 to 100%). Toxicity results obtained from filtered elutriates decreased according to the following gradient: sample A (5.68%), B (20.50%), C (37.60%) and D (47.17%). Chemical concentrations in whole sediments were in agreement with those in elutriates. Among the measured contaminants in elutriates, Cu and Zn resulted as the main contributors to toxicity. Dissolved organic carbon played an important role by exerting a protective effect against the toxicity of dissolved Cu. Toxicity results were interpreted on the basis of toxicity scores to give indication about sediment quality which provided more severe judgement than risk score based on chemical concentrations in sediments.
Water Research 03/2010; 44(6):1986-94. · 4.86 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This work assesses the ecotoxicological effects of polluted sediment after a decontamination treatment process using a new sediment washing technique. Sediment samples were collected from four sites in Marghera Port industrial channels (Venice, Italy). Ecotoxicological evaluations were performed with Vibrio fischeri and Crassostrea gigas bioassays. Whole sediment and elutriate were deemed as the most suitable environmental matrices for this study. Toxicity scores developed in the Lagoon of Venice for V. fischeri on whole sediment and for C. gigas on elutriate were considered for the final ranking of samples. Ecotoxicological results showed that the treated sediment samples presented both acute and sub-chronic toxicities, which were mainly attributed to the presence of some remaining chemicals such as metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The acute toxicity ranged from low to medium, while the sub-chronic one from absent to very high, suggesting that treated sediments could not be reused in direct contact with seawater.
Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex: 1987) 12/2008; 156(3):644-50. · 3.43 Impact Factor
