Collaborative Research (RUI): Assessing Load Reduction and Biological Recovery After 500 MGD Treatment Upgrades in an Effluent-Dominated Aquatic Ecosystem

合作研究 (RUI)：评估以污水为主的水生生态系统中 500 MGD 处理升级后的负荷减少和生物恢复

• 批准号: 1336165
• 负责人: Dalma Martinovic-Weigelt
• 金额: $ 13.87万
• 依托单位: University of St. Thomas
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1336165&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; RUI; Assessing; Load

1336062 / 1336165 / 1336604 Schoenfuss/Martinovic-Weigelt/Schultz Urbanization has resulted in many aquatic ecosystems becoming impacted by effluent discharges from wastewater treatment plants. In recent years, treated wastewater effluent has been identified as a pathway for endocrine active compounds, including hormones and pharmaceuticals, to enter aquatic ecosystem with adverse effects for the health of exposed fish populations. Despite these dramatic alterations to pre-industrial conditions, effluent dominated systems sustain many fish species and are used by the human population for recreation. Updates to the wastewater infrastructure supplying these urban aquatic ecosystems cannot accomplish restoration to pristine condition, and instead need to strive for the greatest cost-benefit of the infrastructure investment. This project explores the idea that large-scale wastewater infrastructure improvements will reduce overall endocrine active compound concentrations in an effluent dominated urban aquatic ecosystem and, thus, will enhance the sustainability of fish populations despite continued presence and inputs of these compounds. A case study will examine the efficacy of upgrading two major wastewater treatment plants in the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area to disinfection (Ultraviolet (UV); chlorination/dechlorination). This aquatic ecosystem has been the focus of intense biological and chemical study for several years and provides a unique opportunity to assess (i) how two approaches to effluent disinfection will reduce endocrine active compound loads in the final effluent; (ii) how estrogenicity, a measure of the total biological activity in the system, is affected by the upgrades to two treatment plants contributing roughly 50% of all effluent in the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area; (iii) how the two treatment technologies (UV vs. chlorination/dechlorination) compare in their efficacy of removing endocrine active compounds from the final treated effluent; and (iv) how adverse biological effects in exposed fish will be mitigated. This project will address an understudied area in the environmental sciences that has a direct impact on the majority of our population, which resides in urban areas with effluent dominated ecosystems. The ability to study the effects of two disinfection technologies side-by-side in two size-matched urban wastewater treatment plants will provide efficacy information to wastewater treatment plant engineers and will help guide investment into future infrastructure upgrades. Urban ecosystems will benefit from a better understanding of how technology can help to reduce the environmental loads of endocrine active compounds and provide for sustainable fish populations.

1336062 / 1336165 / 1336604 Schoenfuss/Martinovic-Weigelt/Schultz城市化导致许多水生生态系统受到污水处理厂排放的影响。近年来，经处理的废水已被确定为内分泌活性化合物（包括激素和药物）进入水生生态系统的途径，对暴露的鱼类种群的健康产生不利影响。尽管这些显着的变化，前工业条件下，污水为主的系统维持许多鱼类物种，并用于人口的娱乐。更新为这些城市水生生态系统供水的废水基础设施无法实现恢复到原始状态，而是需要努力实现基础设施投资的最大成本效益。该项目探讨的想法，大规模的废水基础设施的改善将减少整体内分泌活性化合物的浓度在污水为主的城市水生生态系统，因此，将提高鱼类种群的可持续性，尽管这些化合物的持续存在和投入。一项案例研究将检查大芝加哥都市区两个主要污水处理厂升级消毒（紫外线（UV）;氯化/脱氯）的效果。这种水生生态系统多年来一直是密集的生物和化学研究的焦点，并提供了一个独特的机会来评估（i）两种污水消毒方法如何减少最终污水中的内分泌活性化合物负荷;（ii）雌激素活性，系统中总生物活性的量度，受两个处理厂的升级改造影响，这两个处理厂约占大芝加哥都市区所有污水的50%;（iii）两种处理技术如何（紫外线与氯化/脱氯）比较其从最终处理的废水中去除内分泌活性化合物的功效;及（iv）如何减轻受影响鱼类的不良生物影响。该项目将解决环境科学中的一个未充分研究的领域，该领域对我国大多数人口有直接影响，这些人口居住在城市地区，生态系统以污水为主。在两个规模匹配的城市污水处理厂中并排研究两种消毒技术效果的能力将为污水处理厂工程师提供有效信息，并将有助于指导未来基础设施升级的投资。城市生态系统将受益于更好地了解技术如何帮助减少内分泌活性化合物的环境负荷并提供可持续的鱼类种群。