Sewage treatment plants pollution source

The WFD, so far, has identified 33 priority hazardous pollutants (PHS), for which Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) have been set. To some extent, these EQS can be met through the establishment of emission control measures. These PHS may originate from several different sources and activities. The main sources of toxic substances to water bodies in Europe may be categorised as agriculture, sewage treatment plants, urban runoff, industry, contaminated lake/ river sediment, soils and landfills. Input via atmospheric transport and deposition has also been identified as an important source both far from and close to source areas. Many of the PS are today banned in Europe, but due to their persistence they are still present in the environment [30]. 

Levins P, Adams J, Brenner P, et al. 1979. Sources of toxic pollutants found in influents to sewage treatment plants. VI. Integrated interpresentation. Washington, DC U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Water Quality Analysis Branch, Monitoring and Data Support Division. EPA 440/4-81- 008. NTIS No. PB81-219685. 

Levins P, Adams J, Brenner P, et al. 1979. Sources of toxic pollutants found in influents to sewage treatment plants VI. Integrated interpresentation. NTIS PB81-219685. 

Surface water can be contaminated by point or nonpoint sources. An effluent pipe from an industrial plant or a sewage-treatment plant is an example of a point source a field from which pesticides and fertilizers are carried by rainwater into a river is an example of a nonpoint source. Industrial wastes probably constitute the greatest single pollution problem in soil and water. These contaminants include organic wastes such as solvents, inorganic wastes, such as chromium and many unknown chemicals. Contamination of soil and water results when by-product chemicals are not properly disposed of or conserved. In addition industrial accidents may lead to severe local contamination. For a more in-depth discussion of sources and movements of water pollutants, see Chapter 27. 

In order to get an idea about the input pathways of the detected compounds into the Lippe river, some tributaries and potential sources of organic contaminants were sampled. Random samples were taken from the Alme river and the Quabbe Brook which are located at the less densely populated upper reaches of the Lippe river. Additionally, the Seseke river was investigated, a dirty water course which is heavily polluted with sewage effluents. Analyses of effluents from the municipial sewage treatment plant (STP) in the city of Hamm and a pharmaceutical plant were also carried out. The compound spectra which was identified in the Lippe river (see Table 1) was used as a basis for investigating the source samples. The results are summarised in Table 3. 

As one of the most important pollution sources of riverine systems, municipal effluents have been considered in this study by analyses of linear alkylbenzenes (LABs), limonene, methyltriclosan, synthetic musk fragrances, tributylphosphate and phosphate-based flame retardant. All compounds are known constituents of effluents of sewage treatment plants (Takada and Eganhouse, 1998 and references therein) and were already identified in surface sediments of the Lippe river (Kronimus et al., 2004). Interestingly, some of these compounds occur exclusively since 1970. 

Input pathways of the detected compounds were traced back by sampling various input sources of organic matter like discharge of wastewater and Lippe river tributaries. The major proportion of contaminants were ubiquitous in Lippe river water and also occurred in effluent from a municipial sewage treatment plant and in samples from the tributaries characterizing a dominant contribution of typical sewage derived pollutants. 

Mercury is. of course, a naturally occurring element. However. industrial pollution is a major source of environmental mercury. The pollution comes from many sources, such as coal-burning power plants, rclinertes. runc from factories, and industrial waste. Mercury also enters the environment from such sources as automobile exhausts, sewage treatment plants, medical and dental facilities, and water runoff from mercury and gold-mining operations. The Clean Air Act, first enacted in 1970 in the United Stales, mandated levels of air pollution, including mercury. Likewise, the EPA has set water-quality criteria for levels of mercury in both fresh and saltwater systems, The Clean Water Act requires that individual slates achieve safe concentration levels for pollutants like mercury. 

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