Whole-effluent

Biological sui veys should be used together with whole-effluent and ambient toxicity testing, and chemical-specific analyses to assess the attainment/nonattainment of designated aquatic hfe uses in state water-quahty standards. ... 

Grothe DR, Dickson KL, Reed-Judkins DK (1995) SETAC Pellston workshop on whole effluent toxicity, 16-25 Sep 1995. SETAC Press, p 340... 

Whole effluent toxicity test species are generally not the same as the resident species that the results of WET testing are aimed at protecting, particularly where nontemperate environments (e.g., tropical and Arctic environments) are concerned, or for estuaries [177]. Also, not all resident species have the same sensitivities to individual or combined contaminants in effluents. Further, differences exist between sensitivities and tolerances of WET species. Such differences are not unexpected hence, it is desirable to use more than one toxicity test organism and endpoint to assess effluent toxicity. 

Figure 5 Irish industry specific criteria for whole effluent toxicity.

The biological approach (whole effluent) to toxics control for the protection of aquatic life involves the use of acute and chronic toxicity tests to measure the toxicity of wastewaters. Whole effluent tests (WET) employ the use of standardized, surrogate freshwater or marine (depending on the mixture of effluent and receiving water) plants (algae), invertebrates, and vertebrates. 

Oxygen, N, P, black list, and other Whole Effluent Environmental Risk... 

Chapman, P.M. Whole effluent toxicity testing - usefulness, level of protection, and risk assessment. Envir. Toxicol. Chem. 2000, 19, 3-13. 

EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Regions 9 and 10 Guidance for Implementing Whole Effluent Toxicity Testing Programs, Technical Report Seattle, WA, 1996. 

Grothe, D.R. Johnson, D.E. Bacterial interferences in whole effluent toxicity tests. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 1996, 15, 161-1(A. 

Conventional refinery wastewater treatment technology is mainly concerned with removing oU, organics, and suspended solids before discharge. However, because of new stringent discharge requirements for specific toxic constituents as well as whole-effluent toxicity, specific advanced treatment processes are becoming a necessity for many refineries. This section describes the... 

Many refineries in the United States are being required to control whole-effluent toxicity as well as specific toxic constituents to meet new wastewater discharge limits. There can be a variety of toxic constituents that may need to be controlled, depending on waste characteristics and local water quality objectives. The more common constituents in refinery wastewater include cyanide and heavy metals. The treatment processes for control of whole-effluent toxicity, cyanide, and heavy metals are discussed below. 

Any treatment process that can remove the toxicity-causing constituents can reduce whole-effluent toxicity of a discharge. If the primary cause of effluent toxicity can be identified through the TIE or TRE procedures, specific treatment processes can be incorporated into the existing treatment system to control the toxicity. However, for a complex wastewater such as that from refinery and petrochemical facilities, the cause of toxicity may not be easily identified. The toxicity can be caused by a combination of constituents that exhibit synergistic or antagonistic effects. 

Wong and Maroney [49] reported on a pilot plant comparison of PACT and extended aeration (activated sludge) for treating petroleum rehnery wastewater. Results indicated that although both processes performed similarly in COD removal, only the PACT system yielded an effluent meeting the discharge requirements for whole effluent toxicity reduction. Similar results in toxicity reduction have been reported for wastewaters from other industries [50]. 

Whole-Effluent Toxicity Testing An Evaluation of Methods and Prediction of Receiving System Impacts. Pellston, Michigan, 16 to 21 Sep 1995. Published by SETAC, 1996. 

Comprehensive 2D liquid chromatography is emerging as a new powerfnl technique for the separation of complex samples because of increased peak capacity, selectivity, and resolution in comparison to single-dimensional HPLC. 2D LC x LC systems essentially represent programming of stationary phases. Comprehensive LC x LC techniqne represents specific 2D mode, where all sample componnds eluting from the first dimension are snbjected to separation in the second dimension [167]. The whole effluent from the first dimension is transferred into the second-dimension... 

Grothe, D.R., Dickson, K.L. and Reed-Judkins, D.K. (eds.) (1996) Whole effluent toxicity testing an evaluation of methods and prediction of receiving system impacts, Proceedings from a SETAC -sponsored Pellston Workshop, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, 346 pp. 

Species sensitivity approach If the suspected toxicant(s) has been correctly identified, effluent samples with different LC50, IC25 or IC50s for one species should have the same ratio for a second species with different sensitivity. When two or more species exhibit different sensitivities to the suspected toxicant during single chemical testing, and the same pattern is observed in the whole effluent, this provides supporting evidence that the chemical tested is the cause of effluent toxicity. 

Ausley, L.W., Arnold, R.W., Denton, D.L., Goodfellow, W.L., Heber, M., Hockett, R., Klaine, S., Mount, D., Norberg-King, T., Ruffler, R. and Waller, W.T. (1998) Application of TIEs/TREs to whole effluent toxicity principles and guidance. A report by the Whole Effluent Toxicity TIE/TRE Expert Advisory Panel. Pensacola, FL Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). 

Bailey, H.C., Krassoi, R., Elphick, J.R., Mulhall, A., Hunt, P., Tedmanson, L. and Lovell, A. (2000) Whole effluent toxicity of sewage treatment plants in the Hawksbury-Nepean watershed, New South Wales, Australia, to Ceriodaphnia dubia and Selenastrum capricornutum, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 19, 72-81. 

The United States is the leader as regards the integrated assessment of the quality of effluents introduced into aquatic environments. In 1984, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) introduced the notion of Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET). WET assays may involve the following samples 79... 

Point and Diffuse Sources OSPAR Background Document Concerning the Elaboration of Programmes and Measures Relating to Whole Effluent Assessment. OSPAR Commission, London, UK, 2000. 

Tonkes, M., H. Pols, H. Warmer, and V. Bakker. 1998. Whole-effluent Assessment. RIZA Report 98.034. 1-20. Lelystad (Netherlands) Institute for Inland Water Management and Waste Water Treatment (RIZA). 

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