In this work microbiological air pollution at several commune sewage treatment plants (capacity up to 15,000 PE) was investigated. The bioreactors in all plants had a covered construction. The air samples were taken indoors as well as outdoors (both on the windward and leeward side) during different seasons. The samples were collected using the collision method. The presence of indicator organisms in the samples was determined according to the Polish Standards. Identification of individual indicators was performed on solid selective-differentiating substrates. To verify the presence of bacteria from Salmonella, Shigella, coliforms and enterococci species, the colonies observed on the MacConkey substrate were then sifted onto SS and Endo substrates. At all facilities (with one exception) the average CFU for the total number of bacteria and fungi did not exceed 1000/m3, which is the limit set by the Polish Standards for a pollution-free atmospheric air. Bacteria and fungi concentrations, observed at windward and leeward sides of all plants, were relatively low (<100 CFU/m3 and <1000 CFU/m3, respectively) and comparable. A sewage collection point had only a slight impact on the bioaerosol emission. The concentration of microorganisms in the immediate vicinity of covered reactors (aeration chambers) was rather low and remained below the limits sets by the Polish Standards at three facilities. The CFU of individual indicators, measured in rooms accessible for the personnel, was comparable to the CFU in technological rooms. However some indicators, e.g. a number of Actinomycetes, were significantly higher and reached >100 CFU/m3, which means significant air pollution. Similarly, the CFU of hemolytic bacteria had nonzero values. The only place where higher concentrations of bioaerosol were found was the centrifuge room, where digested sludge was dewatered. The number of fungi stayed below the limits there, but the amount of heterotrophic and hemolytic bacteria exceeded the limits and reached the values of ~10000 CFU/m3 and 800 CFU/m3, respectively; it means that the personnel working in this area is exposed to microbiological agents.
FA discharged from the wastewater treatment plant were extracted from purifi ed effl uents for the quantitative
and qualitative analysis. The treated sewage from municipal treatment plants was acidifi ed to pH <2 and extracted
with ion exchange resins in a laboratory column. After desorption with NH4
OH, the fulvic acids were condensed
under vacuum and tested for mass performance, UV-VIS light spectra, IR absorption spectra, elementary composition
and other elements. Their structure was analysed and compared to FA present in surface waters and in sewage treated
in other sewage treatment plants based on the authors’ own research and the literature data. The concentration of
FA in the treated sewage was 5.2 mg/L. There is a high interdependence between the IR spectrum analysis in the
visible light and the elementary composition of FA extracted from different environments, confi rming the conclusions
pertaining to the structure and properties of the acids being tested. The longer sewage is subjected to a biological
treatment process, the greater the degree of aromatic condensation and humus maturity of the FA contained within it.
FA contained in the sewage treated in the three biological sewage treatment plants have the ratio A2
/A3
(the ratio of the
absorbance of light with the wavelength of 250 and 300 nm) equal to the value 1.7. There is a high interdependence
between the IR spectrum analysis in the visible light and the elementary composition of FA extracted from different
environments, confi rming the conclusions pertaining to the structure and properties of the acids being tested.
Due to insufficient operation efficiency, the studied treatment plant has undergone modernization. The aim of this study was to assess whether this modernization improved quality of the STP effluent and water quality in the receiver. The research period of fifty months covered time before and after the modernization. Samples were collected in four sites – upstream and downstream of the STP and by the sewage discharge. Electrolytic conductivity, water temperature and pH were measured onsite. Chemical analyzes were based on ion chromatography and determined the concentration of NH4+, NO3-, NO2-, PO43-, TDS. Microbiological analysis comprised serial dilutions to assess the number of mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria and membrane filtration to enumerate E. faecalis, total and fecal coliforms as well as total and fecal E. coli. Values of most analyzed parameters did not improve after the modernization, or improved for a very short period of time (NH4+), while some of them even increased, such as PO43-, total and thermotolerant coliforms and E. coli. The maximum value of thermotolerant E. coli reached nearly 7 million CFU/100 ml and was observed after modernization. Also at the sites situated downstream of the STP some of analyzed parameters increased. The conducted modernization did not improve the quality of treated sewage and even a further deterioration was observed. It could have been a result of rapidly growing number of tourists visiting the studied area, thus generating large amounts of sewage causing STP overload coupled with poor water and wastewater management. Significant percentage of unregistered tourists hinders proper assessment of the STP target efficiency.
The aim of the research was to determine the microbiological quality of atmospheric air in the Tuchów Sewage Treatment Plant, based on the presence of mesophilic bacteria, α- and β-hemolytic bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi. Bioaerosol measurements were made at four points (raw sewage inlet, aeration chamber, purifi ed sewage outlet and 150 m from the treatment plant, at the background point) in the period from January to December 2018. Bioaerosol samples were collected using Andersen’s 6-stage cascade impactor. The tested atmospheric air was characterized by a qualitatively and quantitatively diverse microfl ora. The highest amounts of all the studied groups of microorganisms were found at the raw sewage inlet, and in the case of actinomycetes, also twice in the place of biological purification. However, there were analyzes in which a higher concentration of microorganisms was observed outside the treatment plant at the control point constituting the background. This applies to bacteria and fungi. The largest source of emission of microorganisms to the atmosphere was the mechanical part of the sewage treatment plant (raw sewage inlet). The tested treatment plant may therefore contribute to the deterioration of the quality of the atmospheric air.
The aim of the research was the evaluation of wastewater management in terms of stability and efficiency of wastewater treatment, using statistical quality control. For this purpose, the analysis of the operation and operation of the “Kujawy” Sewage Treatment Plant was made, which is one of the most important and largest sewage management facilities in the city of Cracow. This assessment was done using control charts x for 59 observations. The analysed research period covered the multi-year from 2012 to 2016. Five key pollutant indicators were used to evaluate the work of the tested object: BOD5, CODCr, total suspension, total nitrogen and total phosphorus. In the case of the majority of them, based on the analysis of control charts, full stability of their removal was found in the tested sewage management facility. The exception was total nitrogen, for which periods of disturbed stability of its disposal processes were noted. Analysis of the effectiveness of wastewater treatment showed each time that the required efficiency of reduction of the analysed pollution indicators in the “Kujawy” Sewage Treatment Plant was achieved.