Micropollutants in wastewater in four arctic cities

169 Pages·2017·33.92 MB·English

Micropollutants in wastewater
in four arctic cities –
is the treatment sufficient?

Micropollutants in wastewater in
four arctic cities - is the treatment
sufficient?

Maria Dam, Guðjón A. Auðunsson, Hans H. Poulsen, Ingrid A. Berg, Lone
Kristensen, Jan Stenersen, Fríðbjørg N. Joensen, Vivie K. Davidsen, and
Susanne B. Petersen

TemaNord 2017:550
Micropollutants in wastewater in four arctic cities - is the treatment sufficient?
Maria Dam, Guðjón A. Auðunsson, Hans H. Poulsen, Ingrid A. Berg, Lone Kristensen, Jan Stenersen, Fríðbjørg
N. Joensen, Vivie K. Davidsen, and Susanne B. Petersen
ISBN 978-92-893-5121-8 (PRINT)
ISBN 978-92-893-5123-2 (PDF)
ISBN 978-92-893-5122-5 (EPUB)
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/TN2017-550
TemaNord 2017:550
ISSN 0908-6692
Standard: PDF/UA-1
ISO 14289-1
© Nordic Council of Ministers 2017
Cover photo: Scanpix
Print: Rosendahls
Printed in Denmark
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Contents
Contents .................................................................................................................................. 5
Preface ......................................................................................................................................7
Organisation of the project ................................................................................................. 8
Summary.................................................................................................................................. 9
Part I Contaminants in wastewater streams and recipients in Tromsø, Tórshavn, Reykjavík and
Sisimiut ............................................................................................................................. 13
1. Introduction....................................................................................................................... 15
2. Selecting indicator pollutants ........................................................................................... 19
3. Methods ............................................................................................................................21
3.1 Compounds analysed ............................................................................................. 22
3.2 Presentation and evaluation of data ....................................................................... 25
4. Study areas........................................................................................................................ 27
4.1 Tromsø ................................................................................................................... 27
4.2 Tórshavn ................................................................................................................ 29
4.3 Reykjavík ............................................................................................................... 30
4.4 Sisimiut...................................................................................................................32
4.5 Sampling ............................................................................................................... 34
4.6 Tromsø .................................................................................................................. 38
4.7 Tórshavn .................................................................................................................41
4.8 Reykjavík ............................................................................................................... 42
4.9 Sisimiut.................................................................................................................. 45
5. Results – By contaminants and with focus on wastewater .................................................. 51
5.1 Phosphates ............................................................................................................. 51
5.2 Ammonium, NH + ................................................................................................... 51
4
5.3 Total Organic Carbon- TOC .................................................................................... 52
5.4 LAS ......................................................................................................................... 53
5.5 Alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates ...............................................................55
5.6 Cadmium ............................................................................................................... 56
5.7 Mercury, Hg ............................................................................................................ 57
5.8 PAH ........................................................................................................................ 57
5.9 Phthalates ............................................................................................................. 59
5.10 Quaternary alkyl compounds, QAS ........................................................................ 60
5.11 Per- and polyfluoroalkyl ......................................................................................... 62
5.12 Contaminants flow to and from WWTPs ................................................................. 65
5.13 Contaminants carried by effluents ...........................................................................67
6. Results – Contaminants in recipients for wastewater ......................................................... 69
6.1 QAS in receiving water ........................................................................................... 69
6.2 Tromsø ................................................................................................................... 70
6.3 Tórshavn ................................................................................................................. 75
6.4 Reykjavík ................................................................................................................ 78
6.5 Sisimiut.................................................................................................................. 83
6.6 The wastewater impact ........................................................................................... 87
7. Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 91
7.1 Eutrophication agents- nitrogen and phosphate ..................................................... 91
7.2 Metals and organic contaminants ........................................................................... 92
7.3 High concentrations of contaminants in Sisimiut effluents ...................................... 93
7.4 In some cases concentrations in recipients followed a linear trend........................... 94
7.5 Efficiency of the sewage treatment plant ................................................................ 94
8. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 97
8.1 Co-operation; transfer of knowledge and skills........................................................ 98
9. References ........................................................................................................................ 99
Part II Options for improved wastewater purification in selected areas .................................. 101
10. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 103
10.1 Considerations around the wastewater handling issue with particular reference to
Sisimiut ................................................................................................................ 103
11. Description of test sites ................................................................................................... 107
11.1 Klettagarðar and Hafnafjördur (Iceland) ................................................................ 107
11.2 Ulkebugten, Sisimiut (Greenland) (GL-1) ............................................................... 108
11.3 Breivika, Tromsø (Norway) (NO-1) ........................................................................ 108
11.4 Sersjantvíkin, Tórshavn (Faroe Islands) (FO-1) ....................................................... 109
12. Wastewater treatment and pollutants ..............................................................................111
12.1 WWTP treatment ..................................................................................................111
12.2 Pollutants ..............................................................................................................113
12.3 Micropollutants .....................................................................................................113
13. Purification options for Klettagarðar and Hafnafjördur (Iceland): Microplastics ................ 117
13.1 Microplastics definition.......................................................................................... 117
13.2 Microplastics in the environment .......................................................................... 118
13.3 Microplastics in WWTPs........................................................................................ 118
14. Purification options for Ulkebugten, Sisimiut (Greenland) ............................................... 125
14.1 Redirecting the wastewater to another outlet ....................................................... 125
14.2 Establishing primary treatment ............................................................................ 126
14.3 Redirecting the wastewater and establishing primary treatment ........................... 128
15. Breivika, Tromsø (Norway) ...............................................................................................131
15.1 Activated Sludge (AS) ............................................................................................133
15.2 Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) .......................................................................... 134
15.3 Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) ..................................................................... 134
15.4 Integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) ........................................................ 135
15.5 Further considerations .......................................................................................... 136
16. Sersjantvíkin, Tórshavn (Faroe Islands) ............................................................................ 137
16.1 Optimizing the septic tank solutions ...................................................................... 137
16.2 Upgrading to a secondary treatment step ............................................................. 138
16.3 Upgrading to a tertiary treatment step ................................................................. 140
16.4 Further considerations .......................................................................................... 141
17. References ...................................................................................................................... 143
Sammenfatning .................................................................................................................... 147
Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. 151
Tromsø ........................................................................................................................... 151
Tórshavn ......................................................................................................................... 151
Reykjavík ........................................................................................................................ 151
Sisimiut ........................................................................................................................... 151
Appendices ........................................................................................................................... 153
Method description PFAS analyses .................................................................................. 153
Protocol for water sampling for PFA S analysis ................................................................. 154
Preface
A common goal for the management of sewage and other kinds of surplus or waste
material from a municipality is to keep a clean and healthy environment. In coastal
areas relying heavily on harvest from the seas, like those areas participating in the
present project and which may be described as a part of Nordic arctic areas, it is natural
that the marine environment is in particular focus. Earlier surveys and visual inspection
has indicated that in certain areas of the municipalities in these regions, the
environmental status may not meet the goal. One important source of pollutants to the
sea is the wastewater discharged. In the areas taking part in this project, the
wastewater treatment may be pretty well up-to date or more or less non-existent,
Figure 1. However, as the populations grow and the nature of the wastewater changes-
not least with regard to the high and increasing content of pharmaceuticals and
personal care products- the assumption that the recipient may be regarded as
unaffected may be wrong. The project brings together representatives from bodies
responsible for wastewater treatment and expertise in environmental pollution issues
in cities from the northern part of Norway, Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland. This
group served as a forum for knowhow exchange and steered the project, which aimed
to describe to what extent the present level of wastewater treatment is sufficient to
protect the marine environment in the vicinity of the cities/villages. For this end,
analyses of samples from the recipients at various distances from the discharge points
and at various seasons were carried out. The analytes chosen may be seen as indicator
pollutants typically stemming from households, public services including hospitals and
small-scale industry. The indicators chosen represent man-made and
ecotoxicologically relevant chemicals, e.g. surfactants stemming from for instance
household detergents, phthalates used as plasticisers, and PAHs arising from
transportation and heating. The report comprises as part II an assessments of options
for improved wastewater treatment for selected wastewater treatment sites. In order
to concretise the discussion in terms of which kind of purification step that needs to be
implemented, the assessment was based on a selection of sample pollutant groups. The
selections were partly based of the findings of the first part of the report, and partly on
recent analyses in comparable wastewater treatment plants. The results of the part II
assessment are meant to form the basis for more in-depth discussions of possible
abatements solutions. The aim is that these will be a starting point in connection with
future updates of the wastewater treatment systems.
Figure 1: Somewhere between 14% and 20% of households in Sisimiut, Greenland, discharge grey
wastewater directly to ditches or shore areas. The wastewater lines in place discharge to the seashore
above high tide mark, with no prior wastewater purification

Photo: Hans Holt Poulsen.
Organisation of the project
The project has been supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers via grants from the
Nordic Council of Ministers Arctic Cooperation Programme and the Nordic Chemicals
Group. In addition, the participating municipalities, institutes and agencies have
supported with man work hours, equipment and logistics.
The project has been organised by a steering group consisting of the following
members:

 Norway, Tromsø: Jan Stenersen and Ingrid Berg, Tromsø kommune/Tromsø
Municipality
 Faroe Islands, Tórshavn: Súni Christiansen (2013), Fríðbjørg Næss Joensen (2014,
2015), Vivie K. Davidsen (2016), Tórshavnar kommuna/Tórshavn Municipality and
Maria Dam, Umhvørvisstovan/Environment Agency
 Iceland, Reykjavík: Sigurður Ingi Skarphéðinsson, Orkuveita Reykjavíkur/
Reykjavik Energy (2013) and Guðjón Atli Auðunsson, Nýsköpunarmiðstöð
Íslands/Innovation Center Iceland
 Greenland, Sisimiut: Hans Holt Poulsen and Lone Kristensen, Qeqqata
Kommunia/ Qeqqata Municipality

8 Micropollutants in wastewater in four arctic cities