title: The significance of hazardous chemicals in wastewater treatment works effluents.
abstract: The advent of increasingly stringent and wider ranging European Union legislation relating to water and the environment has required regulators to assess compliance risk and to respond by formulating appropriate pollution control measures. To support this process the UK Water Industry has completed a national Chemicals Investigation Programme (CIP), to monitor over 160 wastewater treatment works (WwTWs) for 70 determinands. Final effluent concentrations of zinc, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene), "penta" congeners (BDEs) 47 and 99, tributyltin, triclosan, erythromycin, oxytetracycline, ibuprofen, propranolol, fluoxetine, diclofenac, 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinyl estradiol exceeded existing or proposed Environmental Quality Standards (EQSs) in over 50% of WwTWs. Dilution by receiving water might ensure compliance with EQSs for these chemicals, apart from the BDEs. However, in some cases there will be insufficient dilution to ensure compliance and additional management options may be required.
authors.affiliation: Atkins Limited, 500, Park Avenue, Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol BS32 4RZ, UK. michael.gardner@atkinsglobal.com
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Comber
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Scrimshaw
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cartmell
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lester
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ellor
mesh_terms: D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D012306:Risk; D006113:United Kingdom; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification; D060753:Water Quality / Q000592:standards; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D015032:Zinc