Investigation of the role of organic matter in partitioning of chemicals in the municipal wastewater treatment process

城市污水处理过程中有机物在化学品分配中的作用研究

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-06245
• 负责人: McPhedran, Kerry
• 金额: $ 2.62万
• 依托单位: University of Saskatchewan
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=616183
• 关键词: Investigation; role; organic; matter; partitioning

The widespread uses and applications of historic and newly emerging chemicals of environmental concern (CECs) is of increasing interest to the scientific community, industry, government and the general public in response to the potential health risks of acute and chronic exposures of CECs to organisms in receiving environments. CECs are introduced into aquatic environments through various sources including wastewater streams, agricultural and storm-water runoffs. Of these, municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP) effluents are a continuing issue for Canadians making the improvement of municipal wastewater management a critical element for a sustainable ecological future for lakes and rivers. Partitioning of CECs to organic matter (OM), is important in their fate and transport during the MWTP process, but has been poorly investigated in MWTPs. Partitioning to OM has historically been described via chemical hydrophobicity which has been included in MWTP models via the octanol-water partitioning coefficient. However, CECs include contaminants having widely varying physicochemical properties which may not follow partitioning based on hydrophobicity. Knowledge of CEC partitioning behaviour is essential for determination of bioavailability and degradation, and potential MWTP loadings to the environment for the assessment of new and existing chemical impacts on human and environmental health. The goal of the proposed research program is to conduct comprehensive fundamental and applied research on the fate and transport of CECs including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), and nanomaterials (NMs) in MWTP processes. The program includes three projects with objectives of: (1) Assessment of MWTP models to determine necessary physicochemical parameters and partitioning mechanisms needed to be further understood to inform model improvement and development; (2) Determine the partitioning behaviour of PBDEs to various MWPT OM size fractions to elucidate partitioning mechanisms and correlate to various physicochemical parameters; and (3) Extend knowledge gained for PBDEs to research PPCPs and NMs including validation of passive organic chemical integrative samplers. Knowledge gained from this research program will be a critical component in our ability to assess and delineate the potential implications of CEC remediation, manufacture and disposal, while helping to open new approaches to MWTP processes to help mitigate CEC loading to receiving environments. The potential users of the results included water and wastewater treatment utilities, environmental protection agencies, industry, and governmental decision makers. The model improvements may also be adapted for use in MWTPs, in Canada and worldwide, to help inform relevant decisions on updating of treatment processes to safeguard environmental health.

科学界、工业界、政府和一般公众对具有历史意义和新出现的环境问题化学品（CECs）的广泛使用和应用日益感兴趣，以应对在接收环境中对生物体急性和慢性接触CECs的潜在健康风险。CECs通过各种来源进入水生环境，包括废水流、农业和雨水径流。其中，城市污水处理厂（MWTP）流出物是加拿大人的一个持续问题，使改善城市废水管理成为湖泊和河流可持续生态未来的一个关键因素。