Molecular Characterization of Estrogen Receptor Agonists during Sewage Treatment Processes Using Effect-Directed Analysis Combined with High-Resolution Full-Scan Screening.

Endocrine-disrupting potential was evaluated during the sewage treatment process using in vitro bioassays. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-, androgen receptor (AR)-, glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-, and estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated activities were assessed over five steps of the treatment process. Bioassays of organic extracts showed that AhR, AR, and GR potencies tended to decrease through the sewage treatment process, whereas ER potencies did not significantly decrease. Bioassays on reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography fractions showed that F5 (log KOW 2.5-3.0) had great ER potencies. Full-scan screening of these fractions detected two novel ER agonists, arenobufagin and loratadine, which are used pharmaceuticals. These compounds accounted for 3.3-25% of the total ER potencies and 4% of the ER potencies in the final effluent. The well-known ER agonists, estrone and 17ß-estradiol, accounted for 60 and 17% of the ER potencies in F5 of the influent and primary treatment, respectively. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry analysis showed that various molecules were generated during the treatment process, especially CHO and CHOS (C: carbon, H: hydrogen, O: oxygen, and S: sulfur). This study documented that widely used pharmaceuticals are introduced into the aquatic environments without being removed during the sewage treatment process.

Systematic Review: Occupational illness in the waste and recycling sector.

BACKGROUND: The waste and recycling sector is a growing part of industry. Whether health surveillance is indicated and how it should be undertaken is unclear. AIMS: To undertake a review of the literature to identify hazards to health, biological effects and occupational illnesses for workers in the sector. METHODS: A systematic review of the published literature and two UK databases. RESULTS: Rates of fatal, non-fatal injuries and self-reported work-related illness were found to be higher in the waste and recycling sector than in UK industry as a whole. There was an increased prevalence of respiratory, gastro-intestinal and skin complaints in workers exposed to compost relative to controls. They may also be at increased risk of extrinsic allergic alveolitis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, occupational asthma and abnormalities of lung function. Workers involved with the recycling of batteries and cables may be at risk of lead poisoning and exposure to other heavy metals. There were case reports of mercury poisoning from the recycling of fluorescent lights. Cases of occupational asthma have been reported in association with wood and paper recycling. The recycling of e-waste may cause exposure to heavy metals and organic pollutants, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, dioxins and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which have been associated with damage to DNA and adverse neonatal outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Ill-health and adverse biological effects have been described in waste and recycling workers, but their true prevalence has probably not been captured. Targeted health surveillance may be required to assess exposure and to identify occupational illness.

[Impact of waste landfills in the Saratov region on the sanitary condition of the soil].

Monitoring of environment in regions of the location of waste landfills includes the implementation of the control over a sanitary condition of soils. The main origins of the spread ofpollutants into soils are the solid particles from aerosol emissions from the functioning of landfills transmitted to surrounding territories. Within zones of the impact of three largest waste landfills in the Saratov region (Aleksandrovsky, Guselsky in the city of Saratov and Balakovsky in the city of Balakovo) there were taken 152 soil samples. According to results of the estimation in soil concentration of gross and motile forms of heavy metals of the first (Zn, Cd, Ni) and the second danger classes (Cu, Cr, Pb) there was performed the analysis of coefficients of danger- K0 and total coefficients ofpollution - Zc. There was executed the assessment of both a sanitary and hygienic condition of soils and degree of danger ofpollution. The most contrast areal features of the distribution of the danger coefficient - Ko in soils are characteristic for motile forms of heavy metals. For all three studied objects persistently there is stood out the dangerous and areal pollution of soils by association of Ni and Cu . The danger ofpollution of soils by gross forms of heavy metals is minimum. The coefficient of total pollution of Zc exceeds admissible level on motile forms of heavy metals only for the soils surrounding the Balakovo landfill. In zones of the impact of waste landfills there are located the processed lands with an adverse sanitary and hygienic condition of soils. In the region of the Guselsky object soils of the processed agricultural grounds are dangerously polluted by motile forms of Ni and Cu. In vicinities of the Balakovo waste landfill considerable areas of private gardening enterprises are dangerously polluted by the motile forms of Ni, Cu and Zn.

Nuclear Waste Facing the Test of Time: The Case of the French Deep Geological Repository Project.

The purpose of this article is to consider the socio-anthropological issues raised by the deep geological repository project for high-level, long-lived nuclear waste. It is based on fieldwork at a candidate site for a deep storage project in eastern France, where an underground laboratory has been studying the feasibility of the project since 1999. A project of this nature, based on the possibility of very long containment (hundreds of thousands of years, if not longer), involves a singular form of time. By linking project performance to geology's very long timescale, the project attempts "jump" in time, focusing on a far distant future, without understanding it in terms of generations. But these future generations remain measurements of time on the surface, where the issue of remembering or forgetting the repository comes to the fore. The nuclear waste geological storage project raises questions that neither politicians nor scientists, nor civil society, have ever confronted before. This project attempts to address a problem that exists on a very long timescale, which involves our responsibility toward generations in the far future.

[Effect of recultivated wastes of mining factories on children residing in the district of their location].

Wastes and tailing ponds of Tyrnyauz tungsten and molybdenum factory are the main sources of heavy metal incoming into environment in Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. The factory was closed more than 10 years ago and the recultivation of it's tailing ponds, where accumulated hundreds of millions tones of wastes, was completed. The aim of this investigation was an assessment of their possible influence on children residing in the vicinity of these tailing ponds (village Bylym). Village Verhny Baksan located about 30 km upstream of the valley of the Baksan River was chosen as reference (pure) locality. As a results of the performed investigations we revealed that in drinking water of Bylym and Verhny Baksan concentrations of molybdenum were 2.10±0.42 pg/l and 0.31±0.15 pg/l correspondingly, which is remarkably lower than maximum permitted concentrations. The concentrations of Mo, Cu and Pb in children's hair in both villages were practically the same, which indicates to the absence of their accumulation in human organism. But the quantity of cells with cytogenetic disorders in buccal epithelial cells in children from Bylym was 4.1 times higher in comparison with the corresponding index of uncontaminated area. The obtained data demonstrate that genotoxic effect of remedied tailing ponds retains.

Population Growth and Its Impact on the Design Capacity and Performance of the Wastewater Treatment Plants in Sedibeng and Soshanguve, South Africa.

This study investigated the effects of population growth on the performance of the targeted wastewater treatment plants in Sedibeng District and Soshanguve peri-urban area, South Africa. The impact of population growth was assessed in terms of plant design, operational capacity (flow rate) and other treatment process constraints. Between 2001 and 2007, the number of households connected to the public sewerage service increased by 15.5, 17.2 and 37.8% in Emfuleni, Lesedi and Midvaal Local Municipalities, respectively. Soshanguve revealed a 50% increment in the number of households connected to the sewerage system between 1996 and 2001. Except for Sandspruit (-393.8%), the rate of influent flows received by Meyerton increased by 6.8 ML/day (67.8%) and 4.7 ML/day (46.8%) during the dry and wet seasons, respectively. The flow rate appeared to increase during the wet season by 6.8 ML/day (19.1%) in Leeuwkuil and during the dry season by 0.8 ML/day (3.9%) in Rietgat. Underperformance of the existing wastewater treatment plants suggests that the rapid population growth in urban and peri-urban areas (hydraulic overloading of the wastewater treatment plants) and operational constraints (overflow rate, retention time, oxygen supply capacity of the plants and chlorine contact time) resulted in the production of poor quality effluents in both selected areas. This investigation showed that the inefficiency of Meyerton Wastewater Treatment Plant was attributed to the population growth (higher volumes of wastewater generated) and operational constraints, while the cause of underperformance in the other three treatment plants was clearly technical (operational).

Modelling and characterization of primary settlers in view of whole plant and resource recovery modelling.

Characterization and modelling of primary settlers have been neglected pretty much to date. However, whole plant and resource recovery modelling requires primary settler model development, as current models lack detail in describing the dynamics and the diversity of the removal process for different particulate fractions. This paper focuses on the improved modelling and experimental characterization of primary settlers. First, a new modelling concept based on particle settling velocity distribution is proposed which is then applied for the development of an improved primary settler model as well as for its characterization under addition of chemicals (chemically enhanced primary treatment, CEPT). This model is compared to two existing simple primary settler models (Otterpohl and Freund; Lessard and Beck), showing to be better than the first one and statistically comparable to the second one, but with easier calibration thanks to the ease with which wastewater characteristics can be translated into model parameters. Second, the changes in the activated sludge model (ASM)-based chemical oxygen demand fractionation between inlet and outlet induced by primary settling is investigated, showing that typical wastewater fractions are modified by primary treatment. As they clearly impact the downstream processes, both model improvements demonstrate the need for more detailed primary settler models in view of whole plant modelling.

[Pollutants from a plant which burns toxic waste in the Province of Arezzo (Tuscany Region, Central Italy): human biomonitoring pilot study to evaluate the possible type of environmental exposure]. / Inquinanti emessi da un impianto di incenerimento di rifiuti speciali nell'area di Arezzo: studio preliminare di monitoraggio biologico umano per identificare la possibile tipologia di esposizione residenziale.

OBJECTIVES: to identify the biomarkers to use in order to evaluate the level and trend of exposure to environmental pollutants from a plant which retrieves and refines precious metals and burns toxic waste. DESIGN: human biomonitoring cross sectional study on a small sample of population resident in the study area. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: blood and urinary samples, and questionnaires from volunteers resident at least for 10 years in Civitella in Val di Chiana area (Arezzo Province, Tuscany Region, Central Italy), where the plant is located, and in a control area; they had to be 5-year non-smokers or ex-smokers, in good health status and non occupationally exposed to heavy metals and/or combustion products. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: geometric mean and 95th percentile (P95) of mercury (Hg) and cadmium (Cd) blood concentrations, and of the urinary concentrations of antimony (Sb), silver (Ag), arsenic (As), Cd, cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), Hg, nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), 1-hydroxypyrene, and trans, trans-muconic acid in the two populations; quantity and pattern of porphyrins in the 24-hour urines of Civitella volunteers. Student's "t" test calculated on the means of data with logarithmic transformation was used to compare the two groups. In case of significant differences linear regression analyses have been performed using questionnaire information. The distribution of observed data was compared with specific reference values. RESULTS: Sb, Cd, and Ni concentrations were significantly higher in Civitella population (39 subjects), while Cr concentration was higher in the control group (18 subjects). No correlations with the individual characteristics have been observed. The 30.3%of subjects who gave their 24- hour urine had a distorted pattern of porphyrins. CONCLUSION: the results confirmed the need to perform human biomonitoring in the Civitella area, increasing the number of samples, using urine as biological matrix, and monitoring at least Sb, Cd, Ni, Pt, Ag, and porphyrins.

Condition assessment survey of onsite sewage disposal systems (OSDSs) in Hawaii.

Onsite sewage disposal systems (OSDSs) are the third leading cause of groundwater contamination in the USA. The existing condition of OSDSs in the State of Hawaii was investigated to determine whether a mandatory management program should be implemented. Based on observed conditions, OSDSs were differentiated into four categories: 'pass', 'sludge scum', 'potential failure' and 'fail'. Of all OSDSs inspected, approximately 68% appear to be in good working condition while the remaining 32% are failing or are in danger of failing. Homeowner interviews found that 80% of OSDSs were not being serviced in any way. About 70% of effluent samples had values of total-N and total-P greater than typical values and 40% had total suspended solids (TSS) and 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) greater than typical values. The performance of aerobic treatment units (ATUs) was no better than septic tanks and cesspools indicating that the State's approach of requiring but not enforcing maintenance contracts for ATUs is not working. In addition, effluent samples from OSDSs located in drinking water wells estimated 2-year capture zones had higher average concentrations of TSS, BOD5, and total-P than units outside of these zones, indicating the potential for contamination. These findings suggest the need to introduce a proactive, life-cycle OSDS management program in the State of Hawaii.

Development and application of a methodology for a clean development mechanism to avoid methane emissions in closed landfills.

In Brazil, Solid Waste Disposal Sites have operated without consideration of environmental criteria, these areas being characterized by methane (CH4) emissions during the anaerobic degradation of organic matter. The United Nations organization has made efforts to control this situation, through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, where projects that seek to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) can be financially rewarded through Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) if they respect the requirements established by the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), such as the use of methodologies approved by the CDM Executive Board (CDM-EB). Thus, a methodology was developed according to the CDM standards related to the aeration, excavation and composting of closed Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills, which was submitted to CDM-EB for assessment and, after its approval, applied to a real case study in Maringá City (Brazil) with a view to avoiding negative environmental impacts due the production of methane and leachates even after its closure. This paper describes the establishment of this CDM-EB-approved methodology to determine baseline emissions, project emissions and the resultant emission reductions with the application of appropriate aeration, excavation and composting practices at closed MSW landfills. A further result obtained through the application of the methodology in the landfill case study was that it would be possible to achieve an ex-ante emission reduction of 74,013 tCO2 equivalent if the proposed CDM project activity were implemented.

[Evaluation of the content of harmful substances in the air of sewage treatment facilities of Astrakhan gas processing plant].

Despite the fact that the progress in regard to the degree of processing of natural gas and condensate in the Astrakhan gas processing plant is significant, necessary hygienic normalization of working environment on the part of the content of harmful substances in the air of working areas is still unable. Harmful substances were detected in the breathing zone of workers of sewage treatment plant almost constantly. In this connection there is a need in the further joint work hygienists, designers and manufacturers for the development and justification of new, more effective decisions - both on the part of as well technology as hardware design - with the purpose of improvement of working conditions.

[The influence of the oil and gas industry on environmental safety and population health in the Khanty-Mansiiskii Region - Iugra].

Production activities of oil and gas industry plants are related to technogenic impact on the environment, which has a high environmental risk. This is associated with low levels of environmental orientation of sheer technological processes of exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons and also used in this technical means, materials and chemical reagents. The main pollutants that deteriorate the toxic characteristics of drilling waste, are the most likely drilling fluids, mud flush agents and chemicals, which enter into their composition. Existing methods of disposal of drilling wastes are not effective, the technology of their use is often violated. Dumping drilling waste into water bodies and burying toxic waste in water protection areas under the guise of processed waste has been observed. In the region there are significantly exceeded the national average values rate of morbidity of allergic, cardiovascular, pulmonary and cancer diseases, mediated by environmental factors and new monofactorial and multifactorial diseases appear.

Life cycle assessment to tackle the take-make-waste paradigm in the textiles production.

Under the environmental perspective, textiles represent the fourth highest pressure commodity worldwide. In Europe, it is estimated that over 95 Mt of textile waste are generated along the entire supply chain, with still high percentages of textiles addressed to landfill or incineration. The present research, through a systematic literature review on textiles production and consumption, investigates their environmental concerns assessed through the application of the life cycle assessment. Considering the importance of identifying the products' life cycle hotspots on which actions are needed to reduce the overall impact, the manuscript focuses on the environmental performance related to the cradle-to-grave phases of textile products differentiated by type, composition, and intended use. It results that the production and use phases are those responsible for the greatest share of negative impacts, while the end-of-life generally has a small contribution. Distribution and consumption phases are less investigated, and considering the emerging consumption patterns (e.g., sharing and renting platforms), it seems essential to collect data. Circular practices can bring benefits under the environmental perspective, but in-depth studies are still required to estimate the shift of impacts from one phase of the life cycle to another. Overall, there is a paucity of studies comparing the use of different fibers, ownership models, manufacturing and disposal processes for the same functional unit, or data that would be necessary for low-impact design. The topic is still under-researched among academics and practitioners of the textile industry.

Design and Operation of Effective Landfills with Minimal Effects on the Environment and Human Health.

Totaling at 7.4 billion people, the world's population is rapidly growing, bringing along with it an increase in waste generation. The impact of this exponential increase in waste generation has resulted in the increased formation and utilization of landfills. In the present day, landfills are utilized to dispose of chemical, hazardous, municipal, and electronic wastes. However, despite their convenience, most landfills are improperly managed and face constant changes from the surrounding environment that interfere with their internal landfill processes. The objectives of this mixed review are to highlight the negative impacts landfills have on the environment and public health as well as outline the need for proper management practices to mitigate these effects. Inadequate management of landfills leads to issues concerning leachate collection and landfill gas (LFG) generation, which give rise to groundwater contamination and air pollution. This paper recognizes the disadvantages of utilizing landfills as the main disposal method by focusing on these two primary effects that improper management of landfills has on the environment and human health. Many experts have also reported that communities within close proximity to improperly managed landfills have an increased risk of health issues. Apart from implementing proper landfill management practices, it is important to develop solutions to reduce waste generation altogether. This review discusses some of the innovative methods implemented by other countries to reduce landfill waste and the production of greenhouse gases as well as possible steps individuals can take to minimize their ecological footprints.

Use of Routine Environmental Monitoring Data to Establish a Dose-based Compliance System for a Low-level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site.

A dose-based compliance methodology was developed for Waste Control Specialists, LLC, low-level radioactive waste facility in Andrews, Texas, that allows routine environmental measurement data to be evaluated not only at the end of a year to determine regulatory compliance, but also throughout the year as new data become available, providing a continuous assessment of the facility. The first step in the methodology is a screening step to determine the potential presence of site emissions in the environment, and screening levels are established for each environmental media sampled. The screening accounts for spatial variations observed in background for soil and temporal fluctuations observed in background for air. For groundwater, the natural activity concentrations in groundwater wells at the facility are highly variable, and therefore the methodology uses ratios for screening levels. The methodology compares the ratio of gross alpha to U + U to identify potentially abnormal alpha activity and the ratio of U to U to identify the potential presence of depleted uranium. Compliance evaluation is conducted for any samples that fail the screening step. Compliance evaluation uses the radionuclide-specific measurements to first determine (1) if the dose exceeds the background dose and if so, (2) the dose consequences, so that the appropriate investigation or action occurs. The compliance evaluation is applied to all environmental samples throughout the year and on an annual basis to determine regulatory compliance. The methodology is implemented in a cloud-based software application that is also made accessible to the regulator. The benefits of the methodology over the existing system are presented.

Microplastics in the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs): Occurrence and removal.

WWTPs may be one of the important ways for MPs to enter surface water. In the present study, the influent and effluent from eleven WWTPs in Changzhou were collected and analyzed. At the same time, the abundance, size, color, and shape of MPs in influent and effluent were investigated. The average abundance of MPs in the influent and effluent were 196.00 ±â€¯11.89 n/L and 9.04 ±â€¯1.12 n/L respectively, and the MPs removal efficiency of eleven WWTPs was almost over 90% in which it could be up to 97.15%. MPs were divided into four particle size based on abundance changes, and the size of MPs with the highest abundant was mainly concentrated at 0.1-0.5 mm. Among these MPs, fibers were the main shape in wastewater, followed by fragments, flakes, spheres and films. The colors of MPs in wastewater were various and 14 types of plastics were detected from wastewater using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Moreover, Rayon and PET were the dominant polymer types in eleven WWTPs. The research results provided basic data for the research and supervision of MPs pollution in WWTPs.

A comprehensive multi-criteria decision making-based land capability assessment for municipal solid waste landfill sitting.

The municipal waste management has always been one of the most challenging environmental concerns. Today, although different strategies have been developed, sanitary disposal of municipal waste is still considered as one of the most widely used alternatives, especially in developing countries such as Iran. To investigate the land capability of Pishva, for landfill sitting, the important criteria were categorized in two groups of ecological and socioeconomic and then a multi-criteria decision-making model was used with decision-making trial and evaluation decision-making trial and evaluation (DEMATEL)-analytical network process (ANP) approach. First and foremost, the interaction of criteria was determined implementing DEMATEL. It was found that the soil depth criterion not only is the most effective but also is the most influenced one. Moreover, ANP structure was developed to weigh the criteria. In comparison to socioeconomic criteria, ecological ones play a more significant role. Afterwards, factor maps and constraints were standardized using fuzzy and Boolean logic, respectively, and all layers were combined to generate the final capability map of Pishva applying WLC method. The capability map showed that 71% of the area is not capable of landfilling, and only 5% of Pishva has a high capability. The results proved the great effectiveness of the methods proposed in this study.

Improving leachate quality and optimizing CH4 and N2O emissions from a pre-aerated semi-aerobic bioreactor landfill using different pre-aeration strategies.

Landfill aeration efficiently accelerates municipal solid waste (MSW) stabilization. This method also impacts methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions during aeration. In this study, the effects of three pre-aeration strategies on leachate quality variations and CH4 and N2O emissions from three lab-scale pre-aerated semi-aerobic bioreactor landfills, which were filled with MSW, were investigated: low frequency and high frequency intermittent aeration (LIA and HIA) and continuous micro-aeration (CMA). Experimental results showed that these three strategies effectively reduced organic and N-based pollutants concentration in leachate. Compared with intermittent aeration (IA), CMA increased cumulative CH4 emissions (9234.3 mg) and resulted in a longer emission period (95 days). HIA generated the least cumulative CH4 emissions (4297.6 mg) and shortest emission period (65 days) due to organic matter loss during aeration. N2O emissions were present at low levels in early stages for each bioreactor, and then, increased by 1-3 orders of magnitude in the later stages due to low influent carbon-nitrogen ratio. HIA resulted in maximum cumulative N2O emissions (2884.6 mg) and experienced a longer emission period (179 days) compared to CMA (2281.6 mg; 151 days). LIA had the longest N2O emission period (209 days), but had the lowest cumulative N2O emissions (1486.3 mg). CH4 and N2O emissions mainly occurred in the early and later stages of landfill stabilization, respectively. Therefore, the study proposes an optimized pre-aeration strategy for practical landfill aeration management: early CMA may promote rapid organic matter removal and effective CH4 recovery; and late LIA may reduce N2O emissions.

Carbon footprint associated with four disposal scenarios for urban pruning waste.

The inadequate disposal of urban pruning residues can cause significant environmental impacts. The objective of the study presented herein was to quantify the carbon footprint and analyze four disposal scenarios for the urban pruning waste of the city of Joao Pessoa (Northeast Brazil). Software SimaPro was utilized for the quantification of the carbon footprint, with the IPCC 2013 GWP 100y impact evaluation method. The end-of-life treatments considered were sanitary landfilling (with and without collection of methane), simple municipal incineration, and reutilization of wood (transformation into briquettes). The results indicated that simple disposal in sanitary landfill generated 136.34 kg CO2/t urban pruning waste collected (highest carbon footprint), sanitary landfill with methane collection emitted 113.43 kg CO2/t waste, municipal incineration generated 71.31 kg CO2/t waste, and reutilization of woody residues was the scenario with the lowest carbon footprint, with 27.82 kg CO2/t waste. This study demonstrated that reutilization of biomass, besides being environmentally viable, presents the potential to contribute to the city's environmental quality, including the possibility of being used to obtain carbon credits.

Improving the monitoring of a dumping site in a dynamic environment. Example of the Octeville site (Bay of Seine, English Channel).

Dredged sediments have different physical and chemical characteristics compared with the sediments in place, which generates multiple effects on the environment. In this study, we show that the sampling strategy used to monitor the effects of dredge spoil deposition on the surrounding environment can lead to different interpretations. It appears that sediment sample replicates may or may not be necessary, depending on the studied area, the prevailing environmental forcings before sediment sampling and the combination of these two factors. The proposed modus operandi allows us to optimize both the confidence on the obtained results and the cost of the sediment studies (sampling and laboratory analyses). The results are based on the sediment fine fraction, which is considered as a key environmental component due, for example, to its strong association with the structure of benthic faunal communities as well as its role in the build-up of pollutants.