Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyse the macro (Ca, Mg, K, Na, P, S and Si) and micro (Al, B, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Sr, V and Zn) elements in the wastewater effluents of five treatment plants situated in towns located in the eastern Po Valley (Italy). Two of the plants (Imola and Castenaso) discharge wastewater into rivers (Santerno and Idice rivers, respectively in the Reno basin) while the other three (Codigoro, Copparo and Tresigallo) empty into a complex network of artificial canals (Burana–Po di Volano basin). The wastewater pollution hazard on surface water bodies was studied and the wastewater suitability for irrigation was assessed by comparing the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics with the water quality of artificial canals used for irrigation purposes. From November 2006 till July 2007, samples of surface water and wastewater were collected monthly in 21 georeferenced sites. The metal constituents were determined by Inductive Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry. The data were analysed using cluster analysis (CA). The results of CA showed that wastewater characteristics depend on the plants’ potentiality, their efficiency and type of waste. The CA carried out on fresh water showed that the water characteristics of the sampling point of the Reno basins were different with respect to the Burana–Po di Volano basin. CA was also used to differentiate studied sites between the two basins and within the same basin to distinguish the different pollution sources. The geolithological and environmental matrices together with anthropogenic activities lead to a greater variety in the composition of surface water as compared to wastewater, due to the controlled conditions imposed during treatment processes. The results show a good suitability of wastewater for irrigation uses, especially in comparison to the water drawn from the drainage network of the Burana–Po di Volano basin. The levels of Escherichia coli found in the wastewater preclude its use for irrigation purposes. In fact, Italian law (Legislative Decree 152/2006) establishes values of E. coli that are too low for the reclamation and reuse of wastewater in agricultural areas. The levels detected both in wastewater and fresh water exceeded this legal value, even if the E. coli levels found in wastewater are actually lower than those detected in surface water bodies and artificial canals (420–946 CFU/100 mL of E. coli in treatment plants vs. 2246 CFU/100 mL in artificial canals and 15,729 CFU/100 mL in river water). Significantly, the analysis of samples upstream and downstream of the plants showed that wastewater has no impact on the level of metal constituents in the surface water bodies.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Angelakis AN, Marecos do Monte MHF, Bontoux L, Asano T (1998) The status of wastewater reuse practices in the Mediterranean basin: need for guidelines. Water Res 10:2201–2217
APAT and IRSA_CNR (2003) Metodi analitici per le acque
ARPA (2004) La qualità delle acque superficiali del bacino idrografico del Fiume Reno. Biennio 2003–2004
Bhangu I, Whitfield PH (1997) Seasonal and long-term variations in water quality of the Skeena River at Usk, British Columbia. Water Res 31:2187–2194
Bondesan M (2001) L’evoluzione idrografica della pianura ferrarese negli ultimi 3000 anni. In: Territorio e preistoria. Storia di Ferrara, vol I. Corbo, Ferrara
Buzier R, Tusseau-Vuillemin M-H, dir Meriadec CM, Rousselot O, Mouchel J-M (2006) Trace metal speciation and fluxes within a major French wastewater treatment plant: Impact of the successive treatments stages. Chemosphere 65:2419–2426
Chakrapani GJ, Saini RK, Yadav SK (2009) Chemical weathering rates in the Alaknanda-Bhagirathi river basins in Himalayas, India. J Asia Earth Sci 34:347–362
Cidu R, Biddau R (2007) Transport of trace elements under different seasonal conditions: Effects on the quality of river water in a Mediterranean area. Appl Geochem 22:2777–2794
Cirelli GL, Consoli S, Di Grande V (2008) Long-term storage of reclaimed water: The case studies in Sicily. Desalination 218: 62–73
Croce F, Dardanoni L (1991) Significance and current status of wastewater reuse in Sicily. Water Sci Technol 24:45–54
Dalai TK, Krishnaswami S, Sarin MM (2002) Major ion chemistry in the headwaters of the Yamuna river system: Chemical weathering, its temperature dependence and CO2 consumption in the Himalaya. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 66:3397–3416
Gaillardet J, Dupre B, Allegre CJ, Negrel P (1997) Chemical and physical denudation in the Amazon River Basin. Chem Geol 142:141–173
Han L, Zhuang G, Cheng S, Wang Y, J Li (2007) Characteristics of resuspended road dust and its impact on the atmospheric environment in Beijing. Atmos Environ 41:7485–7499
Ingri J, Torsasander P, Andersson PS, Morth C-M, Kusakabe M (1997) Hydro-geochemistry of sulfur isotopes in the Kalix river catchment, northern Sweden. Appl Geochem 12:483–496
Kalavrouziotis IK, Robolas P, Koukoulakis DH, Papadopoulos AH (2008) Effects of municipal reclaimed wastewater on the macro- and micro-elements status of soil and Brassica oleracea Var Italica and B.olereacea Var Gommifera. Agric Water Manag. doi:10.1016/sagwat200711.004
Karvelas SM, Katsoyannis A, Samara C (2003) Occurrence and fate of heavy metals in the wastewater treatment process. Chemosphere 53:1201–1210
Liberti L, Lopez A (1991) Strategy for agriculture wastewater reuse in southern Italy. In: Proceedings of the twelfth international symposium on desalination and water reuse, Malta, vol 3, pp 173–182
Lopez A, Vurro M (2008) Planning agricultural wastewater reuse in southern Italy: The case of Apulia region. Desalination 218:164–169
Lopez A, Pollice A, Lonigro A, Masi S, Palese AM, Girelli GL, Toscano A, Passino R (2006) Agricultural wastewater reuse in Southern Italy. Desalination 187:323–334
Markich SJ, Brown PL (1998) Relative importance of natural and anthropogenic influences on the fresh surface water chemistry of the Hawkesbury–Nepean river, south-eastern Australia. Sci Total Environ 217:201–230
Piano di Tutela delle Acque (PTA) (2003) della Regione Emilia Romagna, Quadro conoscitivo Attività E, Allegato A
Pollice A, Lopez A, Laera G, Rubino P, Lonigro A (2004) Tertiary filtered municipal wastewater as alternative water source in agriculture: a field investigation in southern Italy. Sci Total Environ 324:201–210
Simeonov V, Simeonova P, Samara C, Zachariadis G, Voutsa D, Anthemidis A, Sofonious M, Kouimtzis Th (2003) Assessment of the surface water quality in northern Greece. Water Res 37(17):4119–4124
Singh KP, Malik A, Sinha S (2005) Water quality assessment and apportionment of pollution sources of Gomti river (India) using multivariate statistical techniques—A case study. Anal Chim Acta 538:355–374
Tchobanoglous G, Burton FL, Stensel DH (2003) Wastewater engineering, treatment & reuse, 4th edn. McGraw Hill, New York
Turek M, Dydo P, Trojanowska J (2008) Electrodialytic utilization of boron IE column post-regeneration lyes. Desalination 223:113–118
USEPA (1992) Handbook of RCRA ground-water monitoring copnstituents: chemical and physical properties. 40 CFR Part 264, Appendix IX, EPA/530/R-92/022
Wang X-L, Lu Y-L, Han J-Y, He G-Z, Wang T-Y (2007) Identification of anthropogenic influences on water quality of rivers in Taihu watershed. J Environ Sci 19:475–481
WHO (1989) Health guidelines for the use of watewater in agriculture and aquaculture. Report of a WHO Scientific Group Series 778, Worl Health Organization, Geneva
Wunderlin DA, del Pilar Diaz M, Ame MV, Pesce SF, Hued AC, de los Angeles Bastoni M (2001) Pattern recognition techniques for the evaluation of spatial and temporal variations in water quality. A case study: Suquía river basin (Córdoba-Argentina). Water Res 35:2881–2894
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vittori Antisari, L., Trivisano, C., Gessa, C. et al. Quality of Municipal Wastewater Compared to Surface Waters of the River and Artificial Canal Network in Different Areas of the Eastern Po Valley (Italy). Water Qual Expo Health 2, 1–13 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-009-0020-9
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-009-0020-9