title: The assessment of WWTP performance: Towards a jigsaw puzzle evaluation?
abstract: A chemical and bio-analytical protocol is proposed as a holistic monitoring framework for the assessment of WWTPs (Wastewater Treatment Plants) performance. This combination of tests consists of: i) an analysis of emerging contaminants, to be added to the established physico-chemical parameters in order to understand the causes of (new) pollution phenomena and ii) some of the bio-analytical tools most widely applied in the field of wastewater research, which provide information on groups of chemicals with a common mode of toxic action (baseline toxicity, estrogenicity and mutagenicity/genotoxicity, selected as the most representative for human health). The negative effects of the discharge can thus be highlighted directly and used to assess the global environmental impact of WWTPs. As a validation, this multi-tiered approach was applied to a full-scale WWTP (150,000 p.e.), where different measurements were carried out: EDCs (Endocrine Disrupting Compounds) detection; algal growth inhibition, bioluminescence inhibition and acute toxicity test (for baseline toxicity); an E-Screen-like assay (for estrogenic activity); Ames, Allium cepa and Comet tests (for mutagenic/genotoxic activity). As a result, the WWTP showed good performance for all these issues, displaying its ability to enhance effluent quality, except for residual mutagenic behaviour, probably due to the by-products generated by the tertiary ozonation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, Via Branze 43, I-25123, Brescia, Italy. Electronic address: matteo.papa@unibs.it.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ceretti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaia Claudia Viviana
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Viola
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123, Brescia, Italy; Brescia University Research Center "Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health" (MISTRAL), Italy.
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feretti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zerbini
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical & Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123, Brescia, Italy; Brescia University Research Center "Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health" (MISTRAL), Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzoleni
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical & Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Steimberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Brescia, Via Branze 38, I-25123, Brescia, Italy; Brescia University Research Center "Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health" (MISTRAL), Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pedrazzani
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, Via Branze 43, I-25123, Brescia, Italy; Brescia University Research Center "Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health" (MISTRAL), Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertanza
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: EDCs; Ecotoxicity; Estrogenicity; Mutagenicity; Wastewater