title: Evaluation of acute ecotoxicity removal from industrial wastewater using a battery of rapid bioassays.
abstract: The present study compares conventional wastewater treatment technologies (coagulation-flocculation and activated sludge) and powdered activated carbon (PAC) treatment for the removal of acute ecotoxicity from wastewater generated by tank truck cleaning (TTC) processes. Ecotoxicity was assessed with a battery of four commercially available rapid biological toxicity testing systems, verified by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Chemical coagulation-flocculation of raw TTC wastewater had no impact on the inhibition of the bioluminescence by Vibrio fischeri (BioTox assay). Subsequent biological treatment with activated sludge without PAC resulted in BioTox inhibition-free effluent (<10% inhibition). In contrast, activated sludge treatment without PAC produced an effluent that significantly inhibited (>50%) (i) the bioluminescence by Photobacterium leiognathi (ToxScreen³ test kit), (ii) the photosynthesis by the green algae Chlorella vulgaris (LuminoTox SAPS test kit), and (iii) the particle ingestion by the crustacean Thamnocephalus platyurus (Rapidtoxkit test kit). The lowest inhibition was measured after activated sludge treatment with the highest PAC dose (400 mg/L), demonstrating the effectiveness of PAC treatment for ecotoxicity removal from TTC wastewater. In conclusion, the combination of bioassays applied in the present study represents a promising test battery for rapid ecotoxicty assessment in wastewater treatment.
authors.affiliation: Research group BIT, Biochemical Engineering Technology, Faculty of Applied Engineering, University of Antwerp, Salesianenlaan 90, 2660 Antwerp, Belgium E-mail: jan.dries2@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dries
authors.affiliation: Research group BIT, Biochemical Engineering Technology, Faculty of Applied Engineering, University of Antwerp, Salesianenlaan 90, 2660 Antwerp, Belgium E-mail: jan.dries2@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Daens
authors.affiliation: Research group BIT, Biochemical Engineering Technology, Faculty of Applied Engineering, University of Antwerp, Salesianenlaan 90, 2660 Antwerp, Belgium E-mail: jan.dries2@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Geuens
authors.affiliation: Research group SPHERE, Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ronny
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blust
mesh_terms: D048908:Aliivibrio fischeri; D001681:Biological Assay; D002606:Charcoal; D000460:Chlorophyta; D005427:Flocculation; D012722:Sewage; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D014481:United States; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D002606:Charcoal; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical