Health risk assessment of reclaimed wastewater: A case study of a conventional water reclamation plant in Nanjing, China. (March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Deng, Yongfeng; Bonilla, Melvin; Ren, Hongqiang; Zhang, Yan
• Is Part Of: Environment international. Volume 112(2018)
• Page Start: 235
• Page End: 242
• Publication Date: 2018-03
• Subjects: Reclaimed wastewater -- Health risk assessment -- Semi-volatile organic compounds -- N-nitrosamines -- Monte Carlo simulation; Environmental protection -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Environmental monitoring -- Periodicals; Environmental Monitoring -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Protection -- Périodiques; Hygiène du milieu -- Périodiques; Environnement -- Surveillance -- Périodiques; Environmental health; Environmental monitoring; Environmental protection; Periodicals; 333.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.12.034
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-4120

Abstract

Abstract: Contaminated reclaimed wastewater has the potential to induce adverse effects on the health of wastewater workers and residents. However, few studies have focused on these health risks. In this study, we assessed the health risk of samples collected from different treatment processing units used in a typical water reclamation plant in Nanjing, China. Chemical analysis revealed that 40 semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and 6 N-nitrosamines (NAs) persisted after wastewater treatment. A health risk assessment revealed that the SVOCs in effluents pose negligible non-carcinogenic risk to wastewater workers and local residents as both the hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) were all below 1.00. However, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalate esters (PAEs) and NAs may present a carcinogenic risk, since their risk index via dermal exposure exceeded the safety limit (1.00 × 10 6 ), indicating that conventional treatment processes cannot effectively reduce the health risk in reclaimed wastewater. These results strongly suggest the need for the introduction of advanced treatment technologies capable of effectively removing SVOCs and NAs in water reclamation plants. Highlights: SVOCs in the reclaimed wastewater pose negligible non-carcinogenic risk to workers and local residents via dermal contact PAHs, PAEs and NAs in the reclaimed wastewater pose a carcinogenic risk to workers and local residents via dermal contact The conventional treatment processes cannot effectively reduce the health risk in reclaimed wastewater