Chemical identification and genotoxicity analysis of petrochemical industrial wastewater

Abstract

The actual harmful effects of industrial wastewater can not be reflected by the conventional water quality index. Therefore, the change in dissolved organic matter and the genetic toxicity of petrochemical wastewater were observed in the current study by examining the wastewater treatment plant of a large petrochemical enterprise in Northwest China. Using XAD-8, MSC, and DA-7 resins, the wastewater was separated into six fractions, namely, hydrophobic acid (HOA), hydrophobic neutral (HOB), hydrophobic alkaline, hydrophilic acid, hydrophilic alkaline, and hydrophilic neutral. Umu-test was used to detect the genetic toxicity of the wastewater samples, and fluorescence spectra were also obtained to examine genetic toxic substances. The results show that wastewater treatment facilities can effectively reduce the concentration of organic matter in petrochemical wastewater (p<0.05). However, the mixing of aniline wastewater can increase the amount of organic carbon (p<0.05) and can overload facilities. This finding shows that the mixed collection and joint treatment of different types of petrochemical wastewater can affect the water quality of the effluent. Particularly, hydrophobic substances can be difficult to remove and account for a relatively large proportion of the effluent. The mixture of aniline wastewater can increase the genetic toxicity of the effluent (p<0.05), and biologic treatment can not effectively decrease the toxicity. Most of the genetic toxicology may exist in the HOA and HOB fractions. Fluorescence spectroscopy also confirms this result, and tryptophan-like substances may play an important role in genetic toxicity.

Keywords

dissolved organic matter / resin fraction / genetic toxicity / fluorescence excitation and emission matrix

References

[1] ScholzW , Fuchs W. Treatment of oil contaminated wastewater in a membrane bioreactor. Water Research, 2000, 34(14): 3621-3629

[2] BarriosmartinezA, BarbotE, MarrotB, MoulinP, RocheN. Degradation of synthetic phenol-containing wastewaters by MBR. Journal of Membrane Science, 2006, 281( 1-2): 288-296

[3] Öman C. Comparison between the predicted fate of organic compounds in landfills and the actual emissions. Environmental Science & Technology, 2001, 35(1): 232-239

[4] Schwarzbauer J, Heim S, Brinker S, Littke R. Occurrence and alteration of organic contaminants in seepage and leakage water from a waste deposit landfill. Water Research, 2002, 36(9): 2275-2287

[5] Portolés T, Pitarch E, López F J, Hernández F. Development and validation of a rapid and wide-scope qualitative screening method for detection and identification of organic pollutants in natural water and wastewater by gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography. A, 2011, 1218(2): 303-315

[6] Díaz-Cruz M S, Barceló D. Trace organic chemicals contamination in ground water recharge. Chemosphere, 2008, 72(3): 333-342

[7] Vanleeuwen S P J, de Boer J. Advances in the gas chromatographic determination of persistent organic pollutants in the aquatic environment. Journal of Chromatography. A, 2008, 1186(1-2): 161-182

[8] Botalova O, Schwarzbauer J, Frauenrath T, Dsikowitzky L. Identification and chemical characterization of specific organic constituents of petrochemical effluents. Water Research, 2009, 43(15): 3797-3812

[9] Krasner S W, Westerhoff P, Chen B, Rittmann B E, Nam S N, Amy G. Impact of wastewater treatment processes on organic carbon, organic nitrogen, and DBP precursors in effuent organic matter. Environmental Science & Technology, 2009, 43(8): 2911-2918

[10] DignacM F, DerenneS, GinestetP, BruchetA, KnickerH, LargeauC. Determination of structure and Origin of Refractory Organic Matter in Bio-equated Wastewater via Spectroscopic Methods. Comparison of Conventional and Ozonation Treatments. Environmental Science & Technology, 2000, 34(16): 3389-3394

[11] Gulyas H, Reich M. Organic compounds at different stages of a refinery wastewater treatment plant. Water Science and Technology, 1995, 32(7): 119-126

[12] US Environmental Protection Agency. Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants. US Code of Federal Regulation, Part 136, 40 CFR Subchapter D; Federal Register. Washington D C: US Environmental Protection Agency, 1995

[13] US Environmental Protection Agency. Water Quality-based Toxics Control; Technical Report, EPA 505/ 2–90–001. Washington D C: US Environmental Protection Agency, 1991

[14] European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals. Whole Effluent Assessment; ECETOC Technical Report No. 94.Brussels, Belgium: European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals,2004

[15] Brandelli A, Baldasso M L, Goettems E P. Toxicity identification and reduction evaluation in petrochemical effluents-SITEL case. Water Science &Technology, 1992, 25(3): 73-84

[16] Wang X, Shi W, Wu J, Hao Y, Hu G, Liu H, Han X, Yu H. Reproductive toxicity of organic extracts from petrochemical plant effluents discharged to the Yangtze River, China. Journal of Environmental Sciences (China), 2010, 22(2): 297-303

[17] Vargas V M F, Motta V E P, Henriques J A P. Mutagenic activity detected by the Ames test in river water under the influence of petrochemical industries. Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology, 1993, 319(1): 31-45

[18] Eilersen A M, Arvin E, Henze M. Monitoring toxicity of industrial wastewater and specific chemicals to a green alga, nitrifying bacteria and an aquatic bacterium. Water Science and Technology. 2004, 50(6): 277-283

[19] Ball B R, Brix K V, Brancato M S, Allison M P, Vail S M. Whole effluent toxicity reduction by ozone. Environment and Progress, 1997, 16(2): 121-124

[20] KöhlerA, HellwegS, EscherB I, HungerbühlerK. Organic pollutant removal versus toxicity reduction in industrial wastewater treatment:The example of wastewater from fluorescent whitening agent production.Environmental Science & Technology, 2006, 40(10): 3395-3401

[21] APHA,AWWA, WEF. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. 20th ed. Washington D C: APHA/AWWA/WEF, 1998

[22] Marhaba T F, Pu Y, Bengraine K. Modified dissolved organic matter fractionation technique for natural water. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2003, 101(1): 43-53

[23] Lu F, Chang C H, Lee D J, He P J, Shao L M, Su A. Dissolved organic matter with multi-peak fluorophores in landfill leachate. Chemosphere, 2009, 74(4): 575-582

[24] Oda Y, Nakamura S, OkiL, Kato T, Shinagawa H. Evaluation of the new system (umu-test) for the detection of environmental mutagens and carcinogens. Mutation Research, 1985, 147(5): 219-229

[25] Wang L S, Hu H Y, Ta C H, Tian J, WangC. Changes of Genotoxicity and influences of ammonia nitrogen during the process of disinfection with chlorine dioxide and chlorine. Environmental Sciences, 2007, 28(3): 603-606 (in Chinese)

[26] Internatinal Organization for Standardization. ISO13829, Water Quality-Determination of the Genotoxicity of Water and Waste Water Using the Umu-test. Geneva: Internatinal Organization for Standardization, 2000

[27] Leenheer J A, Huffman E W D. Classification of organic solutes in water by using macroreticular resins. Journal of Research of the U. S. Geological Survey 1976, 4(6): 737-751

[28] Leenheer J A, Huffman E W D. Analytical Method for Dissolved Organic Carbon Fractionation. Denver CO: U.S. Geological Survey, Water-Resources Invest, 1979, 79-84

[29] LeenheerJ A. Comprehensive approach to preparative isolation and fractionation of dissolved organic carbon from natural waters and wastewater. Environmental Science & Technology, 1981, 15( 5): 578-587

[30] Baker A, Curry M. Fluorescence of leachates from three contrasting landfills. Water Research, 2004, 38(10): 2605-2613

[31] Sheng G P, Yu H Q. Characterization of extracellular polymeric substances of aerobic and anaerobic sludge using three-dimensional excitation and emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy. Water Research, 2006, 40(6): 1233-1239

[32] Hunt J F, Ohno T. Characterization of fresh and decomposed dissolved organic matter using excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy and multiway analysis. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2007, 55(6): 2121-2128

[33] Saadi I, Borisover M, Armon R, Laor Y. Monitoring of effluent DOM biodegradation using fluorescence, UV and DOC measurements. Chemosphere, 2006, 63(3): 530-539

[34] Maie N, Scully N M, Pisani O, JafféRudolf R. Composition of a protein-like fluorophore of dissolved organic matter in coastal wetland and estuarine ecosystems. Water Research, 2007, 41(3): 563-570

[35] Hua B, Dolan F, McGhee C, Clevenger T E, Deng B L. Water-source characterization and classification with fluorescence EEM spectroscopy: PARAFAC analysis. International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 2007, 87(2): 135-147

[36] Stedmon C A, Thomas D N, Granskog M, Kaartokallio H, Papadimitriou S, Kuosa H. Characteristics of dissolved organic matter in Baltic coastal sea ice: allochthonous or autochthonous origins? Environmental Science & Technology, 2007, 41(21): 7273-7279

[37] Hall G J, Kenny J E. Estuarine water classification using EEM spectroscopy and PARAFAC-SIMCA. Analytica Chimica Acta, 2007, 581(1): 118-124

[38] ChenW, WesterhoffP, LeenheerJ A, BookshK. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix regional integration to quality spectra for dissolved organic matter. Environmental Science & Technology, 2003, 37(24): 5701-5710

[39] LeenheerJ A, CrouéJ P. Characterizing aquqtic dissolved organic matter. Environmental Science & Technology, 2003, 37( 1): 18A-26A

[40] Du H, Fuh R C A, Li J Z, Corkan L A, Lindsey J S. Photochem CAD: a computer- aided design and research tool in photochemistry. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 1998, 68(2): 141-142

[41] Pitts J D, Sloboda R D, Dragnev K H, Dmitrovsky E, Mycek M A. Autofluorescence characteristics of immortalized and carcinogen-transformed human bronchial epithelial cells. Journal of Biomedical Optics, 2001, 6(1): 31-40

[42] BeltránJ L, FerrerR, GuiterasJ. Multivariate calibration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures from excitation– emission fluorescence spectra. Analytica Chimica Acta, 1998, 373(2-3): 311-319

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of China (No. 50825801). The authors thank Qianyuan WU of Tsinghua University for the advice on the project and Xiaoyan TAN of Guilin University of Technology for the assistance with laboratory work.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg