title: Ecotoxicity evaluation of a WWTP effluent treated by solar photo-Fenton at neutral pH in a raceway pond reactor.
abstract: Some pollutants can be resistant to wastewater treatment, hence becoming a risk to aquatic and terrestrial biota even at the very low concentrations (ng L-1-μg L-1) they are commonly found at. Tertiary treatments are used for micropollutant removal but little is known about the ecotoxicity of the treated effluent. In this study, a municipal secondary effluent was treated by a solar photo-Fenton reactor at initial neutral pH in a raceway pond reactor, and ecotoxicity was evaluated before and after micropollutant removal. Thirty-nine micropollutants were identified in the secondary effluent, mainly pharmaceuticals, with a total concentration of ≈80 μg L-1. After treatment, 99 % microcontaminant degradation was reached. As for ecotoxicity reduction, the assayed organisms showed the following sensitivity levels: Tetrahymena thermophila > Daphnia magna > Lactuca sativa > Spirodela polyrhiza ≈ Vibrio fischeri. The initial effluent showed an inhibitory effect of 40 % for T. thermophila and 20 % for D. magna. After 20 min of photo-Fenton treatment, no toxic effect was observed for T. thermophila and toxicity dropped to 5 % for D. magna. Graphical abstract Ecotoxicity removal by solar photo-Fenton at neutral pH. ᅟ.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biology, Federal University of Technology-Paraná (UTFPR), Curitiba, Brazil.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Solar Energy Research Centre (CIESOL), University of Almería-CIEMAT, Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rivas
authors.affiliation: Solar Energy Research Centre (CIESOL), University of Almería-CIEMAT, Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Campos-Mañas
authors.affiliation: Solar Energy Research Centre (CIESOL), University of Almería-CIEMAT, Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Casas López
authors.affiliation: Solar Energy Research Centre (CIESOL), University of Almería-CIEMAT, Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agüera
authors.affiliation: Solar Energy Research Centre (CIESOL), University of Almería-CIEMAT, Almería, Spain. jsanchez@ual.es.
authors.forename: J A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-3137
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sánchez Pérez
mesh_terms: D048908:Aliivibrio fischeri / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D003621:Daphnia / Q000187:drug effects; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D061005:Ponds; D013472:Sunlight; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007501:Iron; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Acute toxicity; Chronic toxicity; Micropollutants; Photocatalysis; Phytotoxicity; Tertiary treatment