Organic Hazardous Substances in Graywater from Swedish Households
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 132, Issue 8
Abstract
The concentrations of several selected organic hazardous substances were investigated in domestic graywater. In total, 41 of 81 organic hazardous substances were found in concentrations above the detection limits (nonylphenol and octylphenol ethoxylates, brominated flame-retardants, organotin compounds, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, phthalates, linear-alkyl benzene sulfonate, and triclosan). Moreover, total solids, biochemical oxygen demand , chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen, total phosphorus, potassium, and sulphur were investigated and presented for graywater. Another objective was to suggest potential household sources for a selected number of organic hazardous substances. The present and past investigations reveal households to be obvious contributors of organic hazardous substances to municipal wastewater, and that graywater is an important media in this transport. The spreading derives from diffuse household sources like everyday activities (laundry, cleaning, etc.), the wearing down of things such as pipe material and interior fittings, and from airborne deposition.
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Acknowledgments
This study was financially supported by the Mistra-programme Urban Water, Stockholm Water Company, and the Swedish Water and Wastewater Association (VA-Forsk); all are gratefully acknowledged. Further, the writers are grateful to Associate Professor Håkan Jönsson, SLU, Uppsala, and to Ms. Åsa Andersson and Ms. Annika Jensen, who did considerable parts of the sampling and data processing as parts of their Master's thesis work. The writers would also like to express their gratitude to Ms. Cajsa Wahlberg and Mr. Klas Öster (Stockholm Water Company), Dr. Niclas Paxéus (GRYAB), and Dr. Magnus Johansson (Umeå University) for their advice and technical assistance. Further, the writers are grateful to the residents at Gebers, who bravely endured the inconvenience that accompanied the of wastewater sampling.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 132 • Issue 8 • August 2006
Pages: 901 - 908
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Jan 6, 2005
Accepted: Dec 5, 2005
Published online: Aug 1, 2006
Published in print: Aug 2006
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