Environmental Footprint of Wastewater Treatment: A Step Forward in the Use of Toxicological Tools

Giorgio Bertanza, Jennifer Boniotti, Elisabetta Ceretti, Donatella Feretti, Giovanna Mazzoleni, Michele Menghini, Roberta Pedrazzani, Nathalie Steimberg, Chiara Urani, Gaia Claudia Viviana Viola, Ilaria Zerbini and Emanuele Ziliani
Additional contact information
Giorgio Bertanza: DICATAM—Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, Via Branze 43, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
Jennifer Boniotti: DSCS—Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
Elisabetta Ceretti: DSMC—Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
Donatella Feretti: MISTRAAL Interdepartmental University Research Center—MISTRAL—Integrated Study Models for the Protection of Health and Prevention in Life and Work Environments, DSCS, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
Giovanna Mazzoleni: MISTRAAL Interdepartmental University Research Center—MISTRAL—Integrated Study Models for the Protection of Health and Prevention in Life and Work Environments, DSCS, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
Michele Menghini: DICATAM—Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, Via Branze 43, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
Roberta Pedrazzani: MISTRAAL Interdepartmental University Research Center—MISTRAL—Integrated Study Models for the Protection of Health and Prevention in Life and Work Environments, DSCS, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
Nathalie Steimberg: MISTRAAL Interdepartmental University Research Center—MISTRAL—Integrated Study Models for the Protection of Health and Prevention in Life and Work Environments, DSCS, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
Chiara Urani: MISTRAAL Interdepartmental University Research Center—MISTRAL—Integrated Study Models for the Protection of Health and Prevention in Life and Work Environments, DSCS, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
Gaia Claudia Viviana Viola: DSMC—Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
Ilaria Zerbini: DSMC—Department of Medical and Surgical Specialities, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
Emanuele Ziliani: DICAr—Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, I-27100 Pavia, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-22

Abstract: The assessment of the actual impact of discharged wastewater on the whole ecosystem and, in turn, on human health requires the execution of bioassays. In effect, based on the chemical characterization alone, the synergistic/antagonistic effect of mixtures of pollutants is hardly estimable. The aim of this work was to evaluate the applicability of a battery of bioassays and to suggest a smart procedure for results representation. Two real wastewater treatment plants were submitted to analytical campaigns. Several baseline toxicity assays were conducted, together with tests for the determination of endocrine activity, genetic toxicity and carcinogenicity of wastewater. A “traffic light” model was adopted for an easy-to-understand visualization of the results. Although the legal prescriptions of chemical parameters are fully complied with, bioassays show that a certain biological activity still residues in the treated effluents. Moreover, influent and effluent responses are not always appreciably different. Some tests employing human cells were revealed to be only partially adequate for environmental applications. An interesting and helpful development of the present approach would consist in the estimation of biological equivalents of toxicity, as shown for the estrogenic compound 17-?-estradiol.

Keywords: activated sludge; baseline toxicity; carcinogenicity; endocrine disruption; genetic toxicity; mutagenicity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:13:p:6827-:d:582147

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