State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, PR China; National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material & Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, PR China.
State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, PR China.
Environ Pollut. 2019 Jul;250:627-638. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.04.071. Epub 2019 Apr 19.
The study of aerosol dispersion characteristics in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has attracted extensive attention. Oxidation ditch (OD) is a commonly implemented process during biological wastewater treatment. This study assessed the component characteristics, source apportionment, and exposure risks of aerosols generated from a WWTP using the OD process (AWO). The results indicated that the aeration part of oxidation ditch (ODA) exhibited the highest concentrations and proportions of the respiratory fractions (RF) of bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Some pathogenic or opportunistic-pathogenic bacteria and carcinogenic metal(loid)s were detected in the AWO. The source apportionment results indicated that the outdoor wastewater treatment processes and ambient air contributed to the constitution of the AWO. The indoor aerosols were mainly constituted by composition of the wastewater treatment process such as the sludge dewatering room (SDR). The pathogenic or opportunistic-pathogenic bacteria with eight genera (Colinsella, Dermatophilus, Enterobactor, Erycherichia-Shigella, Ledionella, Selenomonas, Xanthobacter, and Veillonella) were largely attributed to wastewater or sludge. The risk assessment suggested that inhalation was the main exposure pathway for aerosols (including bacteria and metal(loid)s). Additionally, As indicated the highest non-carcinogenic risks. Furthermore, As, Cd, and Co were associated with high carcinogenic risks. The ODA and sludge dewatering room (SDR) indicated the highest carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of metal(loid)s, respectively. Thus, the AWO should be sufficiently researched and monitored to mitigate their harmful effects on human health, particularly with regard to the health of the site workers.
污水处理厂（WWTP）中气溶胶分散特性的研究受到了广泛关注。氧化沟（OD）是生物污水处理中常用的工艺。本研究评估了使用 OD 工艺（AWO）的 WWTP 产生的气溶胶的成分特征、源解析和暴露风险。结果表明，氧化沟的曝气部分（ODA）表现出最高的细菌、肠杆菌科、金黄色葡萄球菌和铜绿假单胞菌的呼吸分数（RF）浓度和比例。在 AWO 中检测到一些致病或机会致病细菌和致癌金属（loid）。源解析结果表明，室外污水处理过程和环境空气是 AWO 的组成部分。室内气溶胶主要由污水处理过程的组成部分构成，如污泥脱水室（SDR）。具有八个属（柯林斯菌、表皮菌、肠杆菌、志贺氏菌、雷迪翁菌、希森氏菌、黄杆菌和韦荣球菌）的致病或机会致病细菌主要归因于废水或污泥。风险评估表明，吸入是气溶胶（包括细菌和金属（loid））暴露的主要途径。此外，As 表现出最高的非致癌风险。此外，As、Cd 和 Co 与高致癌风险有关。ODA 和污泥脱水室（SDR）分别表示金属（loid）的最高致癌和非致癌风险。因此，应充分研究和监测 AWO，以减轻其对人类健康的有害影响，特别是对现场工人的健康。
