The risk factors and threshold level of subchronic inhalation exposure of reclaimed water

Inhalation of reclaimed water is known to cause lung infammation,and free endotoxins have been shown to be a major risk factor for acute exposure.Subchronic exposure has also been shown to induce infammatory responses with visible tissue damage.However,subchronic risk factors have yet to be identified,and a threshold for the protection of occupational populations during urban reuse is necessary.In this study,potential risk factors in reclaimed water were examined by subchronic exposure with fractionated reclaimed water,and the health risk threshold was tested with a series of diluted reclaimed water.Accordingly,following a 12-week exposure,macromolecules and microorganisms were found to be two major risk factors in reclaimed water that could cause pulmonary infammation,including increased proportion of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in bronchoalveolar fuid,formation of inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue,and elevation of Immunoglobulin A levels.Moreover,infammation persisted after a 4-week recovery period.The calculated threshold of reclaimed water exposure for mice was 31.8 Endotoxin Unit(EU)/(kg·day)under when exposed to 50%additional relative humidity from reclaimed water at 25℃ for 2 hr/day.Meanwhile,the subchronic threshold estimate for humans under the same exposure conditions was found to be 12.2 EU/(kg·day),corresponding to endotoxin levels of 61.7 EU/mL in reclaimed water.The threshold level of endotoxin was lower than that in most non-potable reclaimed water.The findings of this study suggest that occupational exposure of reclaimed water can serve as a potential risk to workers.

A synthetical methodology for identifying pr ior ity pollutants in reclaimed water based on meta-analysis

Wastewater reclamation and reuse is an increasing global project,while the reclamation treatment on wastewater does not completely remove all pollutants in water.The residual pollutants in reclaimed water would cause potential risk on human health and ecosystem safety during the long-term use.It is impossible to analyze and control all pollutants one by one in practice,therefore,identification and control of priority pollutants will be efficient strategy to ensure the safe use of reclaimed water.An integrated three-step methodology for identifying priority pollutants in reclaimed water was proposed in this study.First,a comprehensive literature survey on the occurrence of pollutants in reclaimed water was conducted,and a dataset D PR for pollutants occurrence in reclaimed water was established,containing 1,113 pollutants.Second,611 chemicals that had been recommended as hazardous pollutants for various water bodies in previous literatures were summarized,and a dataset D HP for hazardous pollutants in water was obtained.Third,meta-analysis on these two datasets(D PR and D HP)was performed,a new dataset D HPR for hazardous pollutants in reclaimed water was established,including 265 candidates.Finally,59 substances out of dataset D HPR were identified as priority pollutants for reclaimed water based on their recommendation frequency.It is expected that this synthetical methodology will provide powerful support for scientific evaluating and managing water pollution and ensuring safe use of reclaimed water.

Aerosol exposure assessment during reclaimed water utilization in China and risk evaluation in case of Legionella

Reclaimed water utilization provides an effective way to alleviate water shortage.However,the residual pathogens in the recycled water like Legionella,could be spread into the air as aerosols through water-to-air transmission process.Inhaling the aerosols by the people nearby increases their susceptibility to diseases.For estimating the health risks associated with the potential exposure of airborne Legionella emitted from the urban use of reclaimed water in China,nationwide questionnaire was designed to investigate the exposure habits of Chinese population in different scenarios.Quantitative microbial risk assessment(QMRA)served as the suitable explanatory tool to estimate the risk.The results indicated that annual infection probability of populations exposed to Legionella for three scenarios,0.0764(95%CI:0.0032−0.6880)for road cleaning,1.0000(95%CI:0.1883−1.0000)for greenfield irrigation,0.9981(95%CI:0.0784−1.0000)for landscape fountain,were markedly higher than the threshold recommended by WHO(10^(−4) per person per year(pppy))according to the concentration distribution of Legionella in the reclaimed water.An age-,educational background-,region-and gender-specific data in annual infection probability also showed different tendencies for some subpopulations.This study provides some detailed information on the health risks from the water reuse in China and will be useful to promote the safe application of reclaimed water in water-deficient areas.

Modelling the thresholds of nitrogen/phosphorus concentration and hydraulic retention time for bloom control in reclaimed water landscape

The risks posed by algal blooms caused by nitrogen and phosphorus in reclaimed water used in urban water landscapes need to be carefully controlled.In this study,the combined effects of the nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and the light intensity and temperature on the specific growth rates of algae were determined using Monod,Steele,and Arrhenius models,then an integrated algal growth model was developed.The algae biomass,nitrogen concentration,and phosphorus concentration mass balance equations were used to establish a new control model describing the nitrogen and phosphorus concentration and hydraulic retention time thresholds for algal blooms.The model parameters were determined by fitting the models to data acquired experimentally.Finally,the control model and numerical simulations for six typical algae and mixed algae under standard conditions were used to determine nitrogen/phosphorus concentration and hydraulic retention time thresholds for landscape water to which reclaimed water is supplied(i.e.,for a reclaimed water landscape).

Migration of Heavy Metal Elements in Reclaimed Irrigation Water-Soil-Plant System and Potential Risk to Human Health

[Objectives]To study the impact of heavy metal pollution of soil and plants during the process of reclaimed water for irrigation of green land in arid areas and the potential health risks to humans during use.[Methods]Taking Zhongwei City in Ningxia,a typical arid area,as the research area,the irrigation water,soil and green grass in the reclaimed water irrigation region and the original green water irrigation region were sampled,the heavy elements Hg,As,Zn,Pb,Cd,Cr were detected,and the Nemerow method,biological absorption coefficient,and health risk assessment were employed to evaluate the degree of soil pollution,plant absorption capacity,and human health risks.[Results]Compared with the original green water,the Hg,Cd,and Cr pollution of the reclaimed water irrigated green land was higher,the As,Zn,Pb pollution was lower,and the content of Hg and Cd was higher than the environmental background values of soil in Ningxia;the Cr content exceeded the risk intervention values of the first type of land in the Soil Environmental Quality—Risk Control Standard for Soil Contamination of Development Land(GB 36600-2018).Compared with the original green water irrigation region,it is found that the reclaimed water irrigation reduced the heavy metal pollution of the soil to a certain extent.The heavy metal content of tall fescue grass(Festuca arundinacea)in the reclaimed water irrigation region was Zn,Cr,Pb,As,Cd,and Hg from high to low;the order of the biological absorption coefficient was Cd>As>Zn>Pb>Hg>Cr;irrigation water exerted a certain effect on the content of heavy metals in plants and the biological absorption coefficient through the soil.Using the health risk assessment method recommended by Environmental Protection Agency of the United States of America(USEPA),it was found that the reclaimed water has the highest risk through the inhalation route,and the occupational population has a higher risk of skin contact with soil and plants.[Conclusions]This study is intended to provide data support and theoretical basis for the environmental safety risk research of the application of reclaimed water in arid areas to urban greening.

Hydraulic model for multi-sources reclaimed water pipe network based on EPANET and its applications in Beijing, China

Water shortage is one of the major water related problems for many cities in the world.The planning for utilization of reclaimed water has been or would be drafted in these cities.For using the reclaimed water soundly,Beijing planned to build a large scale reclaimed water pipe networks with multi-sources.In order to support the plan,the integrated hydraulic model of planning pipe network was developed based on EPANET supported by geographic information system(GIS).The complicated pipe network was divided into four weak conjunction subzones according to the distribution of reclaimed water plants and the elevation.It could provide a better solution for the problem of overhigh pressure in several regions of the network.Through the scenarios analy-sis in different subzones,some of the initial diameter of pipes in the network was adjusted.At last the pipe network planning scheme of reclaimed water was proposed.The proposed planning scheme could reach the balances between reclaimed water requirements and reclaimed water supplies,and provided a scientific basis for the reclaimed water utilization in Beijing.Now the scheme had been adopted by Beijing municipal government.

Effect of the ultraviolet/chlorine process on microbial community structure,typical pathogens,and antibiotic resistance genes in reclaimed water

Urban wastewater contains a wide range of pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs),which are a serious concern if reusing treated wastewater.However,few studies have explored the microbial communities in reclaimed water using ultraviolet(UV)/chlorine treatment and assessed the changes of the resistome.This study investigated the occurrence of typical pathogens,ARGs,and bacterial communities in UV/chlorine-treated reclaimed water samples.The numbers of culturable and viable but non-culturable pathogens were effectively reduced to 0 CFU/mL within 1–10 and 10–30 min after UV/chlorine treatment,respectively.Meanwhile,the physicochemical indices of water quality were not affected.UV/chlorine treatment could significantly change the bacterial community structure of reclaimed water,showing a decrease in bacterial abundance and diversity.Chlorine-resistant Acinetobacter and Mycobacterium were the dominant bacterial genera(>50%)after UV/chlorine treatment.Moreover,the number of ARGs and mobile genetic elements(MGEs)decreased with an increase in UV/chlorine exposure.However,eight ARGs and three MGEs were consistently detected in more than three seasons,making these major concerns because of their potential role in the persistence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance.Overall,the results of this study suggest that UV/chlorine treatment can potentially improve the microbiological safety of reclaimed water.And more attention should be paid to the pathogens that are both chlorine-resistant and carry MGEs because of their potential for resistance transmission.

Effect of Rural Sewage Irrigation Regime on Water-Nitrogen Utilization and Crop Growth of Paddy Rice in Southern China

Reclaimed water irrigation has become an effective mean to alleviate the contradiction between water availability and its consumption worldwide.In this study,three types of irrigation water sources(rural sewage’s primary treated water R1 and secondary treated water R2,and river water R3)meeting the requirements of water quality for farmland irrigation were selected,and three types of irrigation water levels(low water levelW1 of 0–80 mm,medium water level W2 of 0–100 mm,and high water level W3 of 0–150 mm)were adopted to carry out research on the influence mechanismS of different irrigation water sources and water levels on water and nitrogen use and crop growth in paddy field.The water quantity indicators(irrigation times and irrigation volume),soil ammonium nitrogen(NH4+-N)and nitrate nitrogen(NO3−-N),rice yield indicators(thousand-grain weight,the number of grains per spike,and the number of effective spikes),and quality indicators(the amount of protein,amylose,vitamin C,nitrate and nitrite content)of rice were measured.The results showed that,the average irrigation volume under W3 was 2.4 and 1.9 times of that under W1 and W2,respectively.Compared with R3,the peak consumption of rice was lagged behind under R1 and R2,and the nitrogen form in 0–40 cm soil layers under rural sewage irrigation was mainly NH4+-N.The changes of NO3−-N and NH4+-N in the 0–40 cm soil layer showed the trend of declining and then increasing.The water level control only had a significant effect on the change of NO3−-N in the 60–80 cm soil layer.Both irrigation water use efficiency and crop water use efficiency were gradually reduced with the increase of field water level control.The nitrogen utilization efficiency under rural sewage irrigation was significantly higher than that under R3.Compared with the R3,rural sewage irrigation could significantly increase the yield of rice,and as the field water level rose,the effect of yield promotion was more obvious.It was noteworthy that the grain of rice under R1 monitored the low nitrate and nitrite content,but no nitrate and nitrite was discovered under R2 and R3.Therefore,reasonable rural sewage irrigation(R2)and medium water level(W2)were beneficial to improve nitrogen utilization efficiency,crop yield and crop quality promotion.

Assessing Quality of Reclaimed Urban Wastewater from Algarrobo Municipality to Be Used for Irrigation

In the European Mediterranean area, the lack of available water resources had led to consider the reclaimed urban waters as an integral part of water resources. Reclaimed urban waters could mitigate water shortage, support agriculture sector and protect rivers and groundwater resources. This work is focused on the evaluation of reclaimed urban water (RW) from Algarrobo municipality, which is located in the Málaga province in the Mediterranean coast at South-East of Spain. Wastewater in the municipal waste water treatment plant, was treated by a membrane bioreactor (MBR) as a tertiary treatment. The main goal of this work was to determine the composition of RW to be compared with fresh local water (LW) from the Algarrobo River, in order to evaluate its suitability for irrigation. Electrical conductivity (EC), pH, sodium absorption ratio (SAR), and mineral content were weekly measured from September 2017 until June 2018. Assessment of RW quality was carried out considering the limit values for each parameter as stated by the current Spanish legislation RD 1620/2007 for reuse of reclaimed water and European Directive for water reuse (EU 91/271/EEC, Annex I). The MBR facility was also focused on preserving essential minerals for plant nutrition to use them for crop fertilization instead of commercial fertilizers. The average content of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium were, respectively, 72%, 65% and 46% of the amount needed for the Hoagland 1/4 strength solution that was used in this study for irrigation of tomato, avocado and mango crops. From this study it appears that it is possible using membrane technology, to treat urban wastewater in order to supply a good quality of water for irrigation. Water analysis has also proved MBR to be efficient for removal of microbiological pollutants, inorganic compounds, some trace elements and heavy metals. The assessment of RW shows that the evaluated parameters of water-quality are within the range of values stated by Spanish legislation and the current European Directive for secure use of reclaimed water for irrigation.

Architecture Water-saving Design and Building Technique of Sponge Yard

The reclaimed water that we can use in daily life accounts for as much as 35 %,but we do not give it enough concern.The authors focus on the design methods and approaches of green buildings,which refer to water saving and environmental protection.In this paper,the authors illustrate the generating channels of reclaimed water in architecture design:rainwater collection integration design,sewage zero discharge of reclaimed water reused by biological technology,and sponge yard,thereby protecting environment.

Effects of rural domestic sewage reclaimed irrigation and regulation on heavy metals,PPCPs,water and nitrogen utilization,and microbial diversity in paddy field

Rural domestic reclaimed water(RDRW)is rural domestic sewage that being safely treated,the irrigation and reuse of RDRW are an effective way to alleviate the contradiction between supply and demand of water resources in South China.In this study,four kinds of irrigation water sources(primary and secondary treated water R1 and R2,purified water R3 and river water CK)and three kinds of water level regulations(low,medium,and high field water level control of W1,W2 and W3)were set to study the impact of RDRW on soil and crop safety,water and nitrogen utilization and biodiversity for establishing the regulation mechanism of RDRW irrigation with field experiment,and monitoring was carried out in RDRW irrigation demonstration area to assess the effectiveness of RDRW.The results showed that,under RDRW irrigation,the contents of Cd and Pb increased slightly,while the contents of Cr,Cu and Zn decreased in paddy soil.The heavy metals content decreased along the direction of stem,leaf and grain in rice plants,but did not increase significantly in rice grains.With the increase of field water level,pharmaceutical and personal care products(PPCPs)content in 60-80 cm soil layer was accumulated,and the PPCPs content in rice husks was higher than that in grains,but it was at a very low level.Compared to CK,RDRW irrigation can effectively increase rice yield,rainwater use efficiency(RUE)and nitrogen use efficiency(NUE)by 5.4%-7.6%,6.7%-9.4%and 21.7%-24.2%,respectively,and the species diversity,community diversity and richness in rice fields were improved.Additionally,water level regulation of W3 with R2 water resource irrigation was conducive to the exertion of comprehensive benefits.The monitoring of demonstration area showed that the consumption of fresh water was reduced by 530 mm,yield was increased by 9.6%,and the soil and crop were both safety.Short-term irrigation of RDRW did not cause soil and crops pollution,however,it is still necessary to track and monitor the effect of the system on soil,crop,and underground water with long-term reclaimed water irrigation.

Ecosystem Health and Comprehensive Ecological Benefit Assessment of an Artificial Wetland in Western Jilin Province

[Objective] This research aimed to assess the state of ecosystem health and comprehensive ecological benefit of an artificial wetland in western Jilin Province. [Method] To investigate the effects of reclaimed water from Yingtai Oil Production Plant on the wetland ecosystem, a comprehensive ecological assessment index of an artificial wetland in the west of Jilin Province was established to measure the ecological economic and social benefits. The quantitative evaluation on the ecosystem health and comprehensive ecological benefit of the artificial wetland were carried out from 2003 to 2010 and were measured by means of the square difference method. [Result] After eight years of irrigation by reclaimed water, the levels of ecosystem health and benefit of the artificial wetland improved from Grade IV to Grade II, and the ecological environment, economic and social development of the wetland tended to improve. [Conclusion] The results indicated that the use of reclaimed water for irrigation of wetland ecosystems was a suitable way to control drought in arid and semi-arid regions.

Effects of Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae inoculation on soil bacterial community and rice yield under combined irrigation with reclaimed and fresh water

In order to save fresh water and reduce soil salt accumulation,reclaimed water-fresh water combined irrigation,i.e,irrigation with reclaimed water for 50 d and then with fresh water till harvest,was used in rice planting.Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were inoculated into the soil at the end of reclaimed water irrigation.The inoculation weight per pot of these microorganisms was as follows:0 g and 0 g(J0),5 g and 0 g(J1),3.75 g and 1.25 g(J2),2.5 g and 2.5 g(J3),1.25 g and 3.75 g(J4),and 0 g and 5 g(J5),respectively.Treatment using reclaimed water in the whole stage was used as the control(CK).The plant height,tiller,physical and chemical properties of the soil,and soil bacterial diversity were measured.It was found that the plant height of rice was increased significantly by J1-J5 treatments.The dry weight of rice root,stem,and panicle and the 1000-grain weight increased significantly,while the leaf dry weight decreased.Microorganism inoculation significantly increased the nutrient absorption capacity of the crops.J1,J2,and J4 treatments significantly increased the amount of nitrate-nitrogen,ammonium nitrogen,available phosphorus,and available potassium,while J3,J4,and J5 treatments increased the soil organic matter,and microbial inoculation significantly decreased the EC of soil.J4 treatment induced the largest reduction in EC,and microorganisms treatments increased soil pH.Bacterial function prediction based on the KEGG(Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes)pathway indicated that soil metabolic function was not significantly disturbed by the treatments.Organic matter and pH are the two main factors affecting the structure of the bacterial community in soil.3.75 g of B.subtilis and 1.25 g of S.cerevisiae per pot is the best inoculation ratio.

Behavior of Antibiotic-Resistant Fecal Coliforms in the Stream of a Sewage Treatment Plant in Tokyo

We are confronting a new threat in the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria followed by epidemic spread in aquatic environments in metropolitan areas because damage from river floods is increasing remarkably in Japan due to global extreme weather. The sewer penetration rate is about 100% in Tokyo and reclaimed water from sewage treatment plants accounts for over 50% of all water in both the down- and mid-stream areas of local rivers. The water quality of these rivers, which contain microflora, seems to be seriously affected by reclaimed water. In this study, we collected water samples on July 17, 2018 and examined the behavior of antibiotic-resistant fecal coliforms in the stream of a sewage treatment plant in Tokyo. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing fecal coliforms with encoding genes were found;the CTX-M-1, CTX-M-9, TEM, and SHV groups were found to have survived in the final effluent to the river after sterilization with sodium hypochlorite.

Multi-endpoint assays reveal more severe toxicity induced by chloraminated effluent organic matter than chloraminated natural organic matter

Disinfection by chloramination produces toxic byproducts and the difference in toxicity of reclaimed and drinking water treated by chloramination remains unclear.This study investigated cytotoxic effects at the same concentrations of dissolved organic matter and showed that chloraminated effluent organic matter(EfOM)induced 1.7 times higher cytotoxicity than chloraminated natural organic matter(NOM)applied to simulate drinking water.Chloraminated EfOM induced more reactive nitrogen species than chloraminated NOM,and chloraminated EfOM and NOM induced similar and higher levels of reactive oxygen species than the negative control,respectively.Consequently,intracellular macromolecule damage indicated by DNA/RNA damage marker 8–hydroxy-(deoxy)guanosine and the intracellular protein carbonyl concentration induced by chloraminated EfOM was higher and slightly more than that induced by chloraminated NOM,respectively.These data were consistent with the effects on cell physiological processes.Cell cycle arrest mainly occurred in G2 phase by chloraminated EfOM and NOM.Early apoptotic cells,which could return to normal,increased upon exposure to high concentrations of chloraminated EfOM and NOM.Moreover,necrotic cells were significantly increased from 0.5%to 2.5%when the concentration increased from 20-to 60-fold chloraminated EfOM,but were not obviously changed by chloraminated NOM.These results indicated that the comprehensive intracellular changes induced by toxic substances in chloraminated EfOM were more irreversible and induced more cell death than chloraminated NOM.