Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Water quality comparison of secondary effluent and reclaimed water to ambient river water of southern Okinawa Island via biological evaluation

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the biological effect of the secondary effluent (SE) of a wastewater treatment plant and reclaimed water treated via ultrafiltration (UF) followed by either reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filtration or nanofiltration (NF) to be used for environmental use by comparing the results of algal growth inhibition tests of concentrated samples of the SE and permeates of RO and NF with those of six rivers in southern Okinawa Island. Although the SE water had no adverse effects on the growth of the algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, it could lead to water quality degradation of rivers in terms of its toxic unit value, whereas the use of RO and NF permeates would not lead to such degradation. The recharge of rivers, into which domestic wastewater and livestock effluents might be discharged in southern Okinawa Island, with reclaimed water subjected to advanced treatment could dilute the concentrations of chemicals that cause biological effects and improve the water quality of the rivers, based on the results of the bioassay using P. subcapitata. Comparing the results of bioassays of reclaimed water with those of the ambient water at a site might be effective in assessing the water quality of reclaimed water for environmental use at the site.

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

  • Aguayo, S., Munoz, M. J., de la Torre, A., Roset, K., de la Pena, E., & Carballo, M. (2004). Identification of organic compounds and ecotoxicological assessment of sewage treatment plants (STP) effluents. Science of the Total Environment, 328(1–3), 69–81.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boxall, A. B. A., Rudd, M. A., Brooks, B. W., Caldwell, D. J., Choi, K., Hickmann, S., Innes, E., Ostapyk, K., Staveley, J. P., Verslycke, T., Ankley, G. T., Beazley, K. F., Belanger, S. E., Berninger, J. P., Carriquiriborde, P., Coors, A., Deleo, P. C., Dyer, S. D., Ericson, J. F., Gagné, F., Giesy, J. P., Gouin, T., Hallstrom, L., Karlsson, M. V., Larsson, D. G., Lazorchak, J. M., Mastrocco, F., McLaughlin, A., McMaster, M. E., Meyerhoff, R. D., Moore, R., Parrott, J. L., Snape, J. R., Murray-Smith, R., Servos, M. R., Sibley, P. K., Straub, J. O., Szabo, N. D., Topp, E., Tetreault, G. R., Trudeau, V. L., & Van Der Kraak, G. (2012). Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment: what are the big questions? Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(9), 1221–1229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buerge, I. J., Poiger, T., Müller, M. D., & Buser, H. R. (2003). Caffeine, an anthropogenic marker for wastewater contamination of surface waters. Environmental Science and Technology, 37(4), 691–700.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Buerge, I. J., Poiger, T., Müller, M. D., & Buser, H. R. (2006). Combined sewer overflows to surface waters detected by the anthropogenic marker caffeine. Environmental Science and Technology, 40(13), 4096–4102.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cao, N., Yang, M., Zhang, Y., Hu, J., Ike, M., Hirotsuji, J., Matsui, H., Inoue, D., & Sei, K. (2009). Evaluation of wastewater reclamation technologies based on in vitro and in vivo bioassays. Science of the Total Environment, 407(5), 1588–1597.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davies, S. P., & Jackson, S. K. (2006). The biological condition gradient: a descriptive model for interpreting change in aquatic ecosystems. Ecological Applications, 16(4), 1251–1266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dayanthi, W. K. C. N., Shigematsu, T., Tanaka, H., Yamashita, N., Kato, K., & de Silva, V. (2006). Utilization of reclaimed wastewater for irrigation and urban activities in Okinawa Island. Japan Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation. doi:10.2175/193864706783749981.

  • Ginebreda, A., Muñoz, I., de Alda, M. L., Brix, R., López-Doval, J., & Barceló, D. (2010). Environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in rivers: relationship between hazard indexes and aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity indexes in the Llobregat River (NE Spain). Environment International, 36(2), 153–162.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grothe, D. R., Dickson, K. L., & Reed-Judkins, D. K. (1996). Whole effluent toxicity testing: an evaluation of methods and prediction of receiving system impacts. Pensacola: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, S., & Davis, W. (1994). Meeting the goal of biological integrity in water-resource programs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Journal of the North American Benthological Society, 13(4), 592–597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Japan Ministry of the Environment (2006). Water and soil environmental management in Japan. https://www.env.go.jp/en/water/wq/pamph/pdf/full.pdf Accessed 5 Aug 2016.

  • Kawahata, H., Ohta, H., Inoue, M., & Suzuki, A. (2004). Endocrine disrupter nonylphenol and bisphenol A contamination in Okinawa and Ishigaki Islands, Japan—without coral reefs and adjacent river mouths. Chemosphere, 55(11), 1519–1527.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Komori, K., & Suzuki, Y. (2009). Occurrence of pharmaceuticals and their environmental risk assessment of urban streams whose basins have different wastewater treatment. Journal of Japan Society on Water Environment, 32(3), 133–138 (In Japanese with English abstract).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Komori, K., Suzuki, Y., Minamiyama, M., & Harada, A. (2013). Occurrence of selected pharmaceuticals in river water in Japan and assessment of their environmental risk. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 185(6), 4529–4536.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Konishi, C., Howa, I., Nakada, N., Komori, K., Suzuki, Y., & Tanaka, H. (2006). Development of simultaneous analysis of pharmaceuticals in aqueous samples using LC-MS/MS. Environmental Engineering Research, 43, 73–82 (In Japanese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kouchi, R. (1995). Present status and problems of the riverine environment on Okinawajima Island. The Biological Magazine Okinawa, 33, 69–77 (In Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Levine, A. D., & Asano, T. (2004). Recovering sustainable water from wastewater. Environmental Science and Technology, 38(11), 201A–208A.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Magdeburg, A., Stalter, D., & Oehlmann, J. (2012). Whole effluent toxicity assessment at a wastewater treatment plant upgraded with a full-scale post-ozonation using aquatic key species. Chemosphere, 88(8), 1008–1014.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mano, H., Takeda, F., Kitamura, T., Okamoto, S., Kobayashi, K., Takabatake, H., Yamashita, N., & Tanaka, H. (2015). Evaluation of toxicity reduction of treated wastewater by UF and RO membrane technologies based on algal growth inhibition test and short term test on embryo and sac-fry stages of medaka. Journal of Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Ser. G (Environmental Research), 71(7), III_179–III_187 (In Japanese with English abstract).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2011). Annual report on statistics of production by pharmaceutical industry in 2010. http://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/yakuji/2010/nenpo/index.html Accessed 20 May 2012 (In Japanese).

  • Nakada, N., Komori, K., Suzuki, Y., Konishi, C., Houwa, I., & Tanaka, H. (2007). Occurrence of 70 pharmaceutical and personal care products in Tone River basin in Japan. Water Science and Technology, 56(12), 133–140.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Narumiya, M., Nakada, N., Yamashita, N., & Tanaka, H. (2013). Phase distribution and removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products during anaerobic sludge digestion. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 260, 305–312.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Quist-Jensen, C. A., Macedonio, F., & Drioli, E. (2015). Membrane technology for water production in agriculture: desalination and wastewater reuse. Desalination, 364(15), 17–32.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ra, J. S., Kim, H. K., Chang, N. I., & Kim, S. D. (2007). Whole effluent toxicity (WET) tests on wastewater treatment plants with Daphnia magna and Selenastrum capricornutum. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 129(1), 107–113.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ra, J. S., Lee, B. C., Chang, N. I., & Kim, S. D. (2008). Comparative whole effluent toxicity assessment of wastewater treatment plant effluents using Daphnia magna. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 80(3), 196–200.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salgot, M., Huertas, E., Weber, S., Dott, W., & Hollender, J. (2006). Wastewater reuse and risk: definition of key objectives. Desalination, 187(1–3), 29–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Santos, L. H. M. L. M., Araújo, A. N., Fachini, A., Pena, A., Delerue-Matos, C., & Montenegro, M. C. B. S. M. (2010). Ecotoxicological aspects related to the presence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 175(1–3), 45–95.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shigematsu, T., Dayanthi, W. K. C. N., Yamashita, N., Tanaka, H., & Yamashita, T. (2008). The first introduction of reclaimed wastewater to dry-farming field in Okinawa Island, Japan. Water Science and Technology, 57(8), 1161–1167.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silva, A., Figueiredo, S. A., Sales, M. G., & Delerue-Matos, C. (2009). Ecotoxicity tests using the green algae Chlorella vulgaris—a useful tool in hazardous effluents management. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 167(1–3), 179–185.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sokal, R. S., & Rohlf, F. J. (1995). Biometry (3rd ed.). New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Urkiaga, A., De las Fuentes, L., Bis, B., Chiru, E., Bodo, B., Hernández, F., & Wintgens, T. (2006). Methodologies for feasibility studies related to wastewater reclamation and reuse project. Desalination, 187(1–3), 263–269.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency). (1985). Technical support document for water quality-based toxics control. Springfield: National Technical Information Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wintgens, T., Melin, T., Schäfer, A., Khan, S., Muston, M., Bixio, D., & Thoeye, C. (2005). The role of membrane processes in municipal wastewater reclamation and reuse. Desalination, 178(1–3), 1–11.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamamoto, H., Abe, K., Ikebata, K., Yasuda, Y., Tamura, I., Nakamura, Y., & Tatarazako, T. (2010). Whole effluent toxicity test for the effluent of the selected sewage treatment plants in Tokushima, Japan. Environmental Engineering Research, 47, 727–734 (In Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamashita, N., Yasojima, M., Miyajima, K., Komori, K., & Suzuki, Y. (2006). Effects of antibacterial agents, levofloxacin and clarithromycin, on aquatic organisms. Water Science and Technology, 53(11), 65–72.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zha, J., & Wang, Z. (2005). Assessing technological feasibility for wastewater reclamation based on early life stage toxicity of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes). Agriculture, Ecosystem, Environment, 107(2–3), 187–198.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank M. Harada for her kind assistance in conducting the bioassays. This research was supported by the Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), “Innovative Technology and Systems for Sustainable Water Use Research Area” of the Japan Science and Technology (JST) organization.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Water Quality Research Team, Public Works Research Institute, Minamihara 1-6, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8516, Japan

    Hiroyuki Mano, Fumihiko Takeda, Tomokazu Kitamura & Mizuhiko Minamiyama

  2. National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, Asahi 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0804, Japan

    Seiichiro Okamoto

  3. Japan Institute of Wastewater Engineering and Technology, Suido-Cho 3-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-0811, Japan

    Yutaka Suzuki

  4. Environmental Safety Group, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Europe, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany

    Chang-Beom Park

  5. Materials and Resources Research Group, Public Works Research Institute, Minamihara 1-6, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8516, Japan

    Nobuhito Yasui

  6. Global Environment Research Laboratories, Toray Industries, Inc., Sonoyama 3-2-1, Otsu, Shiga, 520-0842, Japan

    Kentarou Kobayashi & Yuji Tanaka

  7. Research Center for Environmental Quality Management, Kyoto University, Yumihama 1-2, Otsu, Shiga, 520-0811, Japan

    Naoyuki Yamashita

Authors
  1. Hiroyuki Mano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fumihiko Takeda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tomokazu Kitamura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Seiichiro Okamoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yutaka Suzuki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Chang-Beom Park
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Nobuhito Yasui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Kentarou Kobayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Yuji Tanaka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Naoyuki Yamashita
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Mizuhiko Minamiyama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hiroyuki Mano.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mano, H., Takeda, F., Kitamura, T. et al. Water quality comparison of secondary effluent and reclaimed water to ambient river water of southern Okinawa Island via biological evaluation. Environ Monit Assess 189, 442 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6160-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6160-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation