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Survey of priority substances entering thirty English wastewater treatment works
Author(s) -
Rule K.L.,
Comber S.D.W.,
Ross D.,
Thornton A.,
Makropoulos C.K.,
Rautiu R.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
water and environment journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1747-6593
pISSN - 1747-6585
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-6593.2005.00016.x
Subject(s) - environmental chemistry , nonylphenol , effluent , environmental science , linear alkylbenzene , mercury (programming language) , phthalate , sewage treatment , wastewater , chemistry , pesticide , environmental engineering , pulmonary surfactant , biochemistry , organic chemistry , computer science , agronomy , biology , programming language
Crude influent sewages were collected from 30 English wastewater treatment works representing rural, urban and industrial catchments as part of a screening study to assess the significance of the concentrations of substances from the Water Framework Directive priority pollutants list in crude sewage. Composite samples were analysed for a range of determinands including metals and organic compounds. Of the determinands quantified, the pesticides were almost exclusively below the limit of detection. Most trace metals (with the exception of mercury) were detectable in all wastewaters, reflecting their ubiquitous nature. Organic determinands detected in the influent at μg/L levels included surfactants (linear alkylbenzene sulphonates and nonylphenol ethoxylates), phthalates (diethylhexyl phthalate), polynuclear hydrocarbons and solvents. Trace concentrations of trichlorobenzene, tributyltin and polychlorinated biphenyl 153 were detected in a limited number of works. Little correlation was observed between runoff or trade effluent inputs entering the works and determinand concentration (chromium being the only exception).