Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Occurrence and fate of Adsorbable Organic Halogens (AOX) in two WWTPs from Romania

  • Published:
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Absorbable organic halogens (AOX) are a global parameter which refers to a group of chemical compounds that contain one or more chlorine, bromine or iodine atoms in their molecule and can easily adsorb on activated carbon. The global concern related to the occurrence of the AOX compounds in the environment is due to their toxic and mutagenic effects on aquatic organisms and their potential role as inhibitors of microorganism growth, even at AOX low concentrations. The purpose of this study was to analyze the presence, occurrence and composition of absorbable organic halogens in wastewater and sewage sludge. In addition, their genotoxicity effect on the environment was tested on a bacterial biological model. Daily mass loading, mass emission and fate of AOX parameter were investigated in two wastewater treatment plants (wastewater and sewage sludge samples) from Romania, Galati and Iasi. Their AOX daily mass loadings (151 and 55.4 g/day/1000people) and mass emissions into the environment (47.8 and 23.5 g/day/1000 people) for both locations were correlated with the concentration level of volatile organic compounds, chlorophenols, organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls from both wastewater and sewage sludge, respectively. Concentration levels of detected halogenated organic compounds (regulated by current standards) accounted only for a small percentage (3.70–14.5%) from the total AOX amount. An exception was observed in the case of dehydrated sludge samples where the identified compounds accounted for 80% of the AOX content from Iasi WWTP and 53% for Galati. Evaluating the genotoxic activity of AOX in sludge samples showed that genotoxicity was not induced up to 100 µg/mL dehydrated sludge.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adeleye AO, Jin HY, Di YN, Li DH, Chen JF, Ye Y (2016) Distribution and ecological risk of organic pollutants in the sediments and seafood of Yangtze estuary and Hangzhou bay, East China sea. Sci Total Environ 541:1540–1548

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barton DA, Payne TW (1999) Mechanisms of AOX removal during biological treatment. Water Sci Technol 40(11–12):297–303

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Benabdallah El-Hadj T, Dosta J, Torres R, Mata-Alvarez J (2007) PCB and AOX removal in mesophilic and thermophilic sewage sludge digestion. Biochem Eng J 36:281–287

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bhat SA, Singh J, Singh K, Vig AP (2017) Genotoxicity monitoring of industrial wastes using plant bioassays and management through vermithechnology: a review. Agric Nat Resour 51(5):325–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Buck R, Franklin J, Berger U, Conder JM, Cousins IT, de Voogt P, Astrup AJ, Kurunthachalam K, Scott AM, van Leeuwenkk SPF (2011) Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environment: terminology, classification, and origins. Integr Environ Assess Manag 7:513–541

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen W, Wang Y, Li Q, Yang Y, Wei X, Wang S, Lu Q, Sun X (2021) Contrast of sludge toxicity variation during treatment of wastewater containing mixed chlorophenols and single chlorophenol. Environ Eng Res 26(5):200335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Commission Decision (EU) 2019/70 (2019) Establishing the EU Ecolabel criteria for graphic paper and the EU Ecolabel criteria for tissue paper and tissue products

  • Deshmukh NS, Lapsiya KL, Savant DV, Chiplonkar SA, Yeole TY, Dhakephalkar PK, Ranade DR (2009) Up flow anaerobic filter for the degradation of adsorbable organic halides (AOX) from bleach composite wastewater of pulp and paper industry. Chemosphere 75:1179–1185

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ding C, Chen T, Li Z, Yan J (2015) Assessing and monitoring the ecotoxicity of pulp and paper wastewater for irrigating reed fields using the polyurethane foam unit method based on monitoring protozoal communities. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26:1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Erhardt CS, Basegio TM, Capela I, Rodríguez AL, Machado ÊL, Rodríguez DA, Tarelho LL, Bergmann CP (2021) AOX degradation of the pulp and paper industry bleaching wastewater using nZVI in two different agitation processes. Environ. Technol. Innov. 22:101420

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ECHA European Chemical Agency - Guidance on the Biocidal Products Regulation (2016).

  • Garba ZN, Zhou W, Lawan I, Xiao W, Zhang M, Wang L, Chen L, Yuan Z (2019) An overview of chlorophenols as contaminants and their removal from wastewater by adsorption: a review. J Environ Manage 241:59–75

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jolibois B, Guerbet M (2005) Evaluation of industrial, hospital and domestic wastewater genotoxicity with the Salmonella fluctuation test and the SOS chromotest. Mutat Res 565:151–162

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kocak E (2015) Investigation of potential genotoxic activity using the SOS Chromotest for real paracetamol wastewater and the wastewater treated by the Fenton process. J Environ Health Sci Eng v 13:66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kotowska U, Zalikowski M, Isidorov VA (2012) HS-SPME/GC–MS analysis of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds emitted from municipal sewage sludge. Environ Monit Assess 184:2893–2907

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar B, Verma VK, Sharma CS, Akolkar AB (2014) Quick and easy method for determination of priority phenolic compounds in water and wastewater. J Xenobiot 4:46–52

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Lin T, Chen Y, Hu L, Guo Z, Zhang G (2012) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in sediments of the coastal East China Sea: occurrence, distribution and mass inventory. Environ Pollut 171:155–161

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meharg AA, Wright J, Osborn D (2000) Chlorobenzenes in rivers draining industrial catchments. Sci Total Environ 251(252):253–253

    Google Scholar 

  • Muller G (2003) Sense or no-sense of the sum parameter for water soluble “adsorbable organic halogens” (AOX) and “absorbed organic halogens” (AOX-S18) for the assessment of organohalogens in sludges and sediments. Chemosphere 52:371–379

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nita-Lazar M, Gheorghe S, Anghelache A, Banciu A, Stoica C, Lucaciu I (2016a) Modulation of the bacterial defense mechanisms by various chemical structures. Rev Chim 67(8):1454–1457

    Google Scholar 

  • Nita-Lazar M, Galaon T, Banciu A, Paun I, Stoica C, Lucaciu I (2016b) Screening of various harmful compounds in a new bacterial biological model. J Environ Prot Ecol 17:237–247

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ORDER No. 344/708 of August 16, 2004 for the approval of the Technical Norms regarding the protection of the environment and especially of the soils, when using the sewage sludge in agriculture.

  • Quintero N, Stashenko EE, Fuentes JL (2012) The influence of organic solvents on estimates of genotoxicity and antigenotoxicity in the SOS chromotest. Genet Mol Biol 35(2):503–514

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rule KL, Ebbett VR, Vikesland PJ (2005) Formation of chloroform and chlorinated organics by free-chlorine-mediated oxidation of triclosan. Environ Sci Technol 29:3176–3185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shomar B (2007) Sources of adsorbable organic halogens (AOX) in sludge of Gaza. Chemosphere 69:1130–1135

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soares MA, Marques M, Rodrigues MT (2019) Influence of storage time of pulp and paper industry wastewaters in AOX determination. 19th International congress of metrology, 20003.

  • Xie Y, Chen L, Liu R (2016) Oxidation of AOX and organic compounds in pharmaceutical wastewater in RSM-optimized-Fenton system. Chemosphere 155:217–224

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xie Y, Chen L, Liu R (2017) AOX contamination status and genotoxicity of AOX-bearing pharmaceutical wastewater. J Environ Sci 52:170–177

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xie Y, Chena L, Liu R, Tian JP (2018a) Reduction of AOX in pharmaceutical wastewater in the cathode chamber of bio-electrochemical reactor. Bioresour Technol 265:437–442

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xie YW, Chen LJ, Liu R, Tian JP (2018b) AOX contamination in Hangzhou Bay, China: Levels, distribution and point sources. Environ Pollut 235:462–469

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu C, Zheng W, Lin L, Cheng L (2021) Removal of AOX in activated sludge of industrial chemical dyestuff with bimetallic Pd/Fe particles. Water 13:1543

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan R, Ramjaun SN, Wang Z, Liu J (2012) Photocatalytic degradation and chlorination of azo dye in saline wastewater: kinetics and AOX formation. Chem Eng J 192:171–178

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan P, Dong J, Zhao W, Zhuo M, Li S, Huang S, Li J (2019) Qualitative and quantitative assessment of genotoxins using SRRz lysis reporter under the control of a newly designed SOS responsive promoter in Escherichia coli. RCS Adv 9:35662

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Zang T, Yan B, Wei C (2020) Distribution characteristics of volatile organic compounds and contribution to ozone formation in a coking wastewater treatment plant. Int J Environ Res Public Health 17:553

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was financial supported by the Romanian Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research and Development and Innovation (UEFISCDI), research project PN-III-P4-ID-PCCF-2016-0114 (acronym: RADAR).

Funding

The authors have not disclosed any funding.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Florentina Laura Chiriac and Catalina Stoica have contributed equally to his work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research and Development Institute for Industrial Ecology – ECOIND, Drumul Podu Dambovitei 71-73, Sector 6, 060652, Bucharest, Romania

    Florentina Laura Chiriac, Catalina Stoica, Roxana-Elena Scutariu, Florinela Pirvu, Iuliana Paun, Vasile Iancu, Toma Galaon & Mihai Nita-Lazar

  2. Agilrom Scientific SRL, Grigore Cobalcescu 39, Sector 1, 010193, Bucharest, Romania

    Toma Galaon

Authors
  1. Florentina Laura Chiriac
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Catalina Stoica
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Roxana-Elena Scutariu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Florinela Pirvu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Iuliana Paun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Vasile Iancu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Toma Galaon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Mihai Nita-Lazar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Florentina Laura Chiriac designed the experiments, performed VOCs and CPs analysis, and wrote the manuscript. Catalina Stoica carried out genotoxicity experiments and analyzed the data. Roxana-Elena Scutariu conducted OCPs and PCBs analysis. Florinela Pirvu took part in AOX determination. Iuliana Paun was responsible for sample preparation and resources. Vasile Iancu contributed to conceptualization and validation. Toma Galaon participated in supervision, reviewing and editing. Mihai Nita-Lazar was involved in conceptualization, supervision, project administration, and writing, reviewing and editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mihai Nita-Lazar.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 85 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chiriac, F.L., Stoica, C., Scutariu, RE. et al. Occurrence and fate of Adsorbable Organic Halogens (AOX) in two WWTPs from Romania. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 82, 592–601 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-022-00923-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-022-00923-w

Search

Navigation