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. 2020 Nov 30;9(12):1010.
doi: 10.3390/pathogens9121010.

Microbiological and Chemical Assessment of Wastewater Discharged by Infiltration Trenches in Fractured and Karstified Limestone (SCA.Re.S. Project 2019-2020)

Maria Teresa Montagna  1 , Osvalda De Giglio  1 , Carla Calia  1 , Chrysovalentinos Pousis  1 , Francesco Triggiano  1 , Sapia Murgolo  2 , Cristina De Ceglie  2 , Francesco Bagordo  3 , Francesca Apollonio  1 , Giusy Diella  1 , Marcella Narracci  4 , Maria Immacolata Acquaviva  4 , Giusy Bonanno Ferraro  5 , Pamela Mancini  5 , Carolina Veneri  5 , Silvia Brigida  2 , Tiziana Grassi  3 , Antonella De Donno  3 , Claudio Di Iaconi  2 , Maria Clementina Caputo  2 , Rosa Anna Cavallo  4 , Giuseppina La Rosa  5 , Giuseppe Mascolo  2
Affiliations

Microbiological and Chemical Assessment of Wastewater Discharged by Infiltration Trenches in Fractured and Karstified Limestone (SCA.Re.S. Project 2019-2020)

Maria Teresa Montagna et al. Pathogens. .

Abstract

This study investigated the environmental contamination of groundwater as a consequence of the discharge of treated wastewater into the soil. The investigation focused on a wastewater treatment plant located in an area fractured by karst in the Salento peninsula (Apulia, Italy). Water samples were collected at four sites (raw wastewater, treated wastewater, infiltration trench, and monitoring well), monthly from May to December 2019 (with the exception of August), and were tested for (1) panel of bacteria; (2) enteric viruses; and (3) chemical substances. A gradual reduction in the concentration of bacteria, viruses and contaminants of emerging concern was observed across the profile of soil fissured by karst. All monitored bacteria were absent from the monitoring well, except for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pepper mild mottle virus and adenovirus were detected at all sampling sites. Personal care products and X-ray contrast media showed the greatest decrease in concentration from infiltration trench to the monitoring well, while the highest residual concentrations in the monitoring well were found for anticonvulsants (78.5%), antimicrobials (41.3%), and antipsychotic drugs (38.6%). Our results show that parameters provided by current law may not always be sufficient to evaluate the sanitary risk relating to the discharge of treated wastewater to the soil.

Keywords: bacteria; contaminants of emerging concern; groundwater; virus; wastewater.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of the concentration values of the substances in the treated wastewater, infiltration trench, and monitoring well. Far out values, identified by the Tukey test, were eliminated.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Average residual concentration (RC) and standard deviation of substances in the infiltration trench and monitoring well grouped by pharmacological category (* p < 0.05 calculated by Student’s t-test; ^nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Average seasonal concentrations and standard deviation of emerging pollutants, grouped by pharmacological category, in the treated sewage (a), draining trench (b), and monitoring well (c). * p < 0.05 calculated by the Kruskal–Wallis test.
Figure 4
Figure 4
WWTP-K in Salento peninsula, Apulia, Italy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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