Pandemic disease and the WWTP Wim Wiegant Royal Haskoning

1. the WWTP 2. the pandemic desease 3. pharmaceuticals 4. functioning of the WWTP 5. degradation ín the WWTP 6. conclusions Pandemic disease and WWTP

Today’s Dutch WWTP

Important bacterial groups anammox methanogens acetogens PAOnitrifiers

Important bacterial groups phosphate accumulating bacteria Glycogen NADH 2 ATP Poly-P PO 4 3- HAc PHB ANAEROBIC PHASE Glycogen NADH 2 ATP Poly-P PO 4 3- PHB AEROBIC / ANOXIC PHASE Gly PP PHB Growth O 2 / NO 3 - H 2 O / N 2

Important bacterial groups nitrifying bacteria NH O 2 NO 2 - NO O 2 NO 3 - anammox bacteria NH NO 2 - N 2

Important groups in sludge digestion acetogenic bacteria methane bacteria H C C + H 2 H H O O H C C C H H O O H H H C CCH 4 +CO 2 H H O O propionate acetate acetate methane

Important groups in sludge digestion low growth rates (µ MAX < d -1 ) specialized conversions ≡ low species diversity hence vulnerable conversions relatively low recovery rate (2 wk – 2 mo) if no re-inoculation is possible therefore focus of investigative efforts

Pandemic disease bacterial cholera, encephalitis, et cetera viral influenza, HIV eukaryotic cryptosporidium, giardia prionic BSE, vCJD

Pandemic disease Pharmaceuticals antibiotics antiviral agents

Functioning of the WWTP antibiotics vast array of compounds different mechanisms ≡ different effects broad spectrum antibiotics more likely to have adverse effects

Functioning of the WWTP antibioticdoseeffecton namemg/l ampicillin250 –nitrification benzylpenicillin250 –nitrification novobiocine150 – nitrification oxytetracycline250 –nitrification chloramphenicol 50 – nitrification erythromycin 20 +nitrification tylosindiet +methanogenesis chlortetracyclindiet +methanogenesis 6 antibioticsdiet –methanogenesis tetracyclin 50 ++anammox chloramphenicol 20 ++anammox

Functioning of the WWTP oseltamivir HN O NH 2 O O O Tamiflu ® virtually no effect on nitrification no effect at ‘pandemic conditions’

Degradation ín the WWTP Much focus on degradation ín the WWTP WWTP is the last ‘possibility for removal’ before entering suyrface waters high emissions may promote bacteria or viruses resistant against the pharmaceuticals released

Degradation ín the WWTP removal and degradation of Ibuprofen as example for sulfonamides, cefalexin Theory...

Degradation ín the WWTP adsorption, but no degradation as example for ampilicin, norfloxacin, tetracyclin, roxithromycin

Degradation ín the WWTP oseltamivir HN O NH 2 O O O Tamiflu ® slow degradation (40% in 40d) adaptation can occur

Conclusions No general conclusions for antibiotics some have more effect than others some are degraded, some less or not high inhibition of pollutant removal function of WWTP not very likely to occur possibly only for anammox

Conclusions Antiviral agents low effect on nitrification other effects not known degradation slow but steady inhibition of pollutant removal very unlikely to occur

Conclusions The WWTP resistant against many attacks with re-inoculation, rapid recovery occurs there seems to be little reason for panic

Theory C S C in sludge, C W in water k b transfer rate water-to-sludge k p partitioning coefficient k 1 first order degradation constant

Theory C S C in sludge, C W in water k b transfer rate water-to-sludge k p partitioning coefficient k 1 first order degradation constant Back...