Removal of organic wastewater contaminants in septic systems using advanced treatment technologies
Abstract
The detection of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants (OWCs) in ground water and surface-water bodies has raised concerns about the possible ecological impacts of these compounds on nontarget organisms. On-site wastewater treatment systems represent a potentially significant route of entry for organic contaminants to the environment. In this study, effluent samples were collected and analyzed from conventional septic systems and from systems using advanced treatment technologies. Six of 13 target compounds were detected in effluent from at least one septic system. Caffeine, paraxanthine, and acetaminophen were the most frequently detected compounds, and estrogenic activity was detected in 14 of 15 systems. The OWC concentrations were significantly lower in effluent after sand filtration (p < 0.01) or aerobic treatment (p < 0.05) as compared with effluent that had not undergone advanced treatment. In general, concentrations in conventional systems were comparable to those measured in previous studies of municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent, and concentrations in systems after advanced treatment were comparable to previously measured concentrations in WWTP effluent. These data indicate that septic systems using advanced treatment can reduce OWCs in treated effluent to similar concentrations as municipal WWTPs.
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Several organic wastewater compounds detected in the Nebraska wells but not in the Cape Cod wells (acetaminophen, caffeine, paraxanthine) are well-removed in septic system leach fields and typically only persist in anoxic groundwater.
“Several OWCs detected in the Nebraska wells but not in the Cape Cod wells (acetaminophen, caffeine, paraxanthine) are well-removed in septic system leach fields (Wilcox et al., 2009;Katz et al., 2010) and typically only persist in anoxic groundwater (Swartz et al., 2006).”
From Septic systems as sources of organic wastewater compounds in domestic drinking water wells in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer (2016) · cites this paper as Wilcox et al., 2009
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References 40 · Cited by 40
- Authors
- Wilcox, J. D., Bahr, J. M., Hedman, C. J., Hemming, J. D. C., Barman, M. A. E., & Bradbury, K. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Wisconsin State Lab. of Hygiene 2601 Agriculture Dr. Madison WI 53718
- Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (US)
- Corresponding author
- Wilcox, Jeffrey D.
- Venue
- Journal of Environmental Quality
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2009-01
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 149-156
- ISSN
- 0047-2425 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-2537
- OpenAlex
- W1969564923
- Cited by
- 40
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 2.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Environmental Quality (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment
- Keywords
- septic systems, pharmaceuticals, caffeine, paraxanthine, paracetamol, estrogenic activity, sand filtration, aerobic treatment, advanced treatment technologies, groundwater contamination, on-site wastewater treatment
- MeSH terms
- Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Chromatography, Liquid, Organic Chemicals, Theophylline, Time Factors, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Waste Management, Endocrine Disruptors, Tandem Mass Spectrometry
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