Progress 04/15/20 to 04/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:This project targets a broad audience, including local, state, and federal agencies (e.g., Illinois EPA, Illinois DOA, USEPA, USGS, and USDA); rural communities (e.g., residents); scientific communities (e.g., research scientists, extension staff, and students); managers of sanitation and water districts; farmers using sewage effluent for irrigation, and the public of interest. The following efforts have been performed during the entire project period: 1. Annually, we showcased this project to stakeholders, farmers, local communities, and the scientific community on a Field Day, which was organized by the Illinois Farm Bureau and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). 2. Every year, we updated the research to stakeholders in East-Central Illinois via the East Central Illinois stakeholder meeting or through Skype during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Also, we shared our results with local stakeholders in the Mahomet Aquifer region, including farmers and Illinois Farm Bureau members. For example, we updated our study to the Mahomet Aquifer Water Supply Planning Committee in July 2021. 3. From 2021 to 2024, we shared our research results with the scientific community and the public at the annual Emerging Contaminants in the Environmental Conference, hosted by the U of I Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) (i.e., the PI's home department) and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. 4.In 2022, we shared research results with United States Geological Survey (USGS). We discussed provisional results of tile drain modeling using combined UZF and MODFLOW and explored other potential packages for modeling tile drains (such as the soil water balance package). 5.In 2022 and 2023, we provided a hands-on summer internship opportunity to undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to engage in this project. 6.Researchers and extension staff at the University of Illinois were introduced to our research, which led to discussions of how to integrate groundwater flow models with reactive transport models and understand benefits and the potential issues related to sewage effluent as irrigation water. 7.We shared the monitoring results with sewage treatment plant managers and farmers using effluent for irrigation. Changes/Problems:1. While the original plan for this research was to couple the groundwater flow model to a reactive transport model, the research issues evolved to indicate that the most salient problem was simulation of flow through the unsaturated zone. This required intensive investigations into a genetic algorithm and a major reconceptualization of the model, now with a successful simulation and manuscript in the final stages of development. This step was critical to assess the transit time of water through the unsaturated zone. 2. The modeling is a year behind schedule due to the delay in deployment of the soil moisture probe,caused by supply chain issues. Additionally, some laboratory and field studies had been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We greatly appreciate the no-cost extension that allows us to complete all proposed tasks. Currently, we have submitted two manuscripts to the scientific journals (under review) and are preparing two more manuscripts for submission. Once they are published, we hope the REEport systemcan allow us to update them in the section of Products. 3. Please remove the following two publication in the section of Products. We have added their updated versions. Ccanccapa-Cartagena, A., Zheng, W., Katuwal, S. and Scott, J.W. 2022. Influence of biosolids and sewage effluent application on sitagliptin soil adsorption. Journal of Hazardous Materials (Submitted in April). Zheng, W. and Guo, M. 2021. Soil-plant transfer of pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Current Pollution Reports. 2021. (Under Review). What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1. Two post-doc researcher (fully funded on this project) and five undergraduate students as academic hourly have been trained through conducting laboratory and field studies related to PPCP fate and mitigation under the supervision of Dr. Zheng (PI) and Dr. Rajagopalan (Co-PI). 2. In addition to training two undergraduate student supported by this project, Dr. Abrams (Co-PI) combined additional funding to leverage two more graduate students for training and professional development on groundwater flow modeling and reactive transport modeling. 3. The tile drain models from this project served as a starting study for two new hires supervised by Dr. Abrams (co-PI) at the Illinois State Water Survey, providing the new employees experience with groundwater flow modeling, coding, and analyzing soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and other environmental data. 4. As an invited speaker, the PI of the project (Dr. Zheng) presented the emerging contaminant studies associated with this project in a graduate course for students of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science and the Department of Geology at the University of Illinois. 5. The research team participated in hosting the annual Emerging Contaminants in the Environmental Conference to disseminate project-related information and knowledge to the scientific community and regulatory agencies. 6. The project was used to train an early career scientist at the Illinois State Water Survey and provided leadership opportunities to young scientists to advance their professional development by taking a leadership position on a high-level research project How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?1. We have closely collaborated with lagoon-based sewage treatment plants (STPs) and rural communities, especially with farmers using the effluent for irrigation, to share our monitoring data and findings. Also, at their community meetings, we proposed several suggestions based on our findings to improve the STP operation processes and land application system. 2. During the Covid-19 period, Dr. Abrams (Co-PI) disseminated the modeling results with a local Farm Bureau via a virtual discussion. Dr. Zheng (PI) participated in a Fulton County Virtual Focus Group Workshop as well as a special "Field Tour" to present the research to local communities. This virtual field day workshop was hosted by the Illinois Farm Bureau and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC). 3. After the Covid-19, Dr. Abrams (Co-PI) shared the results with East Central Illinois Stakeholder Committee, farmers, and members of the Illinois Farm Bureau, and discussed work at the seminars at the Illinois State Water Survey, the Central Irrigated Growers meeting, and the Imperial Valley Water Authority monthly meetings in person. Since 2022, Dr. Zheng (PI) and his team have actively been involved in a Field Day organized by the Illinois Farm Bureau and MWRDGC to disseminate research results to local communities. 3. A website related to PPCP studies has been developed and hosted by our Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), which is available to the public of interest (https://www.istc.illinois.edu/research/pollutants/PPCPs_in_the_environment). Dr. Abrams (Co-PI) also developed a web page hosted by the Illinois State Water Survey to communicate results to local stakeholders and researchers concerning the modeling works. 4. A video related to PPCP removal by used oil capture has been produced and disseminated to the public. Additionally, a website related to this project study has been updated, which is available to the public:https://www.istc.illinois.edu/research/pollutants/PPCPs_in_the_environment/tile_drained_fields_irrigate_with_sewage_effluents/ 5. We participated in the annual ACS meeting, ASA/SSSA Meeting, Water Science Conference, Naturally Illinois Exposition, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center sustainability seminar, and Prairie Lightning Symposium to disseminate our research results. Through a variety of media such as publications, reports, and newsletters, we shared study results with state and federal agencies, scientists, farmers, extension staff, communities, and any interested public. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In the United States, many rural communities use lagoon-based sewage treatment plants (STPs) for domestic wastewater. Using effluents from rural STPs to irrigate nearby fields could provide valuable nutrients and augment water sources for agriculture, offering a win-win strategy. However, lagoon effluents contain many chemicals of environmental concern (CECs) including PPCPs. Specifically, many agricultural fields in the Midwestern U.S. are tile-drained, which can expedite the transport of CECs from land-applied sewage effluents to nearby watersheds. This project aims to advance the scientific understanding of the fate and transport of effluent-associated PPCPs in tile-drained fields and reduce their loading into the environment, thereby protecting water quality and sustaining healthy U.S. agroecosystems and natural resources. We accomplished all these goals by conducting a series of laboratory, field, and modeling studies. 1. We developed and optimized analytical methods to measure ten PPCPs (i.e., caffeine, carbamazepine To compensate for matrix effects in environmental sample analysis when using high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, we utilized an isotope dilution method for more accurate quantification. These developed methods have been applied in both laboratory research and field monitoring studies for PPCP analysis. 2. We conducted a series of laboratory experiments to explore the fate and transport of PPCPs associated with rural sewage effluent in water-soil systems (Objective 1). We investigated the degradation of targeted PPCPs in rural sewage influent and effluent. For targeted PPCPs that can be readily decomposed in the influent and effluent, we explored their biodegradation kinetics and characterized their transformation mechanisms. We found that estrone readily degraded within one week. Interestingly, the concentrations of this hormone contaminant rebounded in the following incubation experiment, suggesting reversible transformation as a dominant mechanism for estrone degradation. Three PPCPs, naproxen, sulfamethoxazole, and sitagliptin, also decomposed in the incubation solutions. After seven weeks, the concentrations of these PPCPs remaining in the incubation effluent solutions accounted for approximately 52%, 24%, and 39% of the initial amounts of naproxen, sulfamethoxazole, and sitagliptin, respectively. Conversely, no significant degradations were observed for six other PPCPs, indicating these contaminants are recalcitrant to biodegradation and pose a potential risk on the receiving environment. For those PPCPs that are recalcitrant to biodegradation in the sewage influent and effluent, they were preferentially selected as targeted PPCP contaminants for mitigation (Objective 4). 3. We conducted a batch experiment to explore the adsorption kinetics and mechanisms of PPCPs in agricultural soils irrigated with rural effluent or applied with biosolids (Objective 1). We found that the adsorption capacities of PPCPs on different soils are positively related to the contents of soil organic matters (SOM) and clay. For example, the PPCP sitagliptin showed greater adsorption capacities in the clay loam soil with high SOM contents compared to low SOM sandy soils. However, the application of biosolids and effluent into soils decreased the adsorption capacities of sitagliptin, even though biosolids and sewage effluent contain high organic matters. The study indicates that the colloids (e.g., dissolved organic matters) released from organic wastes may bond with the sitagliptin compound, reducing its soil adsorption capacity. Electrostatic adsorption, which involved bonding sitagliptin's carboxyl group to the negatively charged soil surface, was identified as one of the key adsorption mechanisms. Additionally, a competitive adsorption between sitagliptin and metformin was assessed. This result revealed that presence of multiple PPCPs in soils could compete soil sorption sites, thereby decreasing sitagliptin adsorption capacity. 4. We performed a three-year monitoring study in a 160-acre tile-drained field in Lexington IL, which is irrigated with rural sewage effluents. Monthly, we collected samples of influent, lagoon water, effluent, well water, and drainage water, evaluated the removal efficiencies of PPCPs in the targeted lagoon STP, and monitored the spatial and temporal occurrence of PPCP contaminants in the agricultural fields irrigated with the STP effluent (Objective 2). The study showed that ten PPCP compounds were frequently detected in rural sewage influent and effluent, but their concentrations reduced over the lagoon STP. Of the ten PPCPs, only carbamazepine had a low removal rate (~30%); the other compounds had removal rates between 80-100% after the two-stage lagoon STP. This suggests that the lagoon based STP used in rural communities is effective for PPCP removal. With irrigation of the effluent, nine PPCPs with concentrations at ng/L levels were detected in groundwater samples and seven PPCPs were detected at ng/L levels in drainage water samples. Detection frequencies of PPCPs ranged from 3.3% to 70% in groundwater samples collected from six wells. Moreover, PPCP concentrations were usually higher in wells within the fields than those along the field's edges. Drainage water samples contained predominantly ibuprofen, sitagliptin, gemfibrozil, naproxen, and sulfamethoxazole with 31-85% frequency detection. Although human exposure analysis indicated negligible human risk from consuming these PPCP-containing well waters, the long-term risks remain unknown. 5. A field-scale model has been developed to simulate and predict the fate and transport of PPCPs in tile-drained fields irrigated with effluents (Objective 3). The model was developed using MODFLOW-NWT, the drain package, and the unsaturated zone flow package. According to the Lexington tile drains system, the model was further modified to better align with its conceptual operation. This meant refining the model's resolution to accommodate non-tile drain cells between the branches of the tile drain network. This reflects the conceptual operation of a tile drain system, wherein groundwater mounds form between adjacent branches. Data inputs for the model include precipitation data from PRISM, evapotranspiration data from previous Illinois State Water Survey studies, and soils properties. Furthermore, the model has significantly advanced with the addition of observation data from a soil moisture probe installed at the Lexington, Illinois tile drain field site. The model successfully simulated unsaturated zone flow processes at the soil moisture probe location. 6. We have developed a novel, cost-effective technique to remove PPCPs from rural sewage effluents (Objective 4). Through optimizing the production conditions and modification techniques, we have generated an efficient designer biochar for PPCP removal from wastewater. Designer biochar has sorption capacity similar to activated carbon but at a lower cost. Furthermore, we developed an innovative bioreactor and biochar (B2) combined system to comprehensively remove excess nutrients and PPCP residues from rural sewage effluent. The bioreactor, packed with woodchips, converts nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) into inert dinitrogen gas (N2). However, woodchip bioreactors would release some by-products including dissolved carbon and phosphorus (P). The designer biochar could not only capture P, but also remove dissolved carbon and PPCP contaminants. This study suggests that the B2 treatment system could be a cost-effective and efficient method for purifying polluted water. Also, it offers an edge-of-field mitigation technology to capture lost nutrients and remove CEC contaminants from subsurface drainage water.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Ccanccapa-Cartagena A.; Zheng, W.; Circenis, S.; Katuwal, S.; Scott, J. Influence of biosolids and sewage effluent application on sitagliptin soil sorption. Science of the Total Environment 2023, 895:165080. doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165080.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Circenis, S.; Ccanccapa-Cartagena A.; Zheng, W. Rural Effluent Irrigation in Tile-Drained Fields: PPCPs From Sewage to the Aquatic Environment? 2023 ASA, CSSA, SSSA Annual Meeting St. Louis, Missouri. October 29-November 2, 2023.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Zhou, H; Circenis, S.; Bhattarai, R.; Zheng, W. Simultaneous removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products and nutrient using a two-stage denitrifying bioreactor - biochar adsorption system. 2024 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference. Urbana-Champaign. Illinois. April 24-25, 2024
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Ramola S,; Circenis S,; Zheng W. 2024. Use of machine learning to design biochar for pharmaceutical and personal care product removal. UIUC PRI Lightening Talk. Champaign, Illinois. January 24, 2024
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Ramola S, Circenis S, Zheng W. 2024. Development of optimized designer sewage biochar-calcite composite for efficient removal of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs). (Under preparation). Targeted journal: Chemosphere
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Krasowski, M.; Gulsen, E.; Jones A.; Abrams, D. Seasonal Variability in Parameters Defining Volumetric Water Content in a Low Permeable Soil in Central Illinois: An Application of MODFLOW-6 and the Unsaturated Zone Flow Package. Journal of Hydrological Processes. 2024 (Under Review).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Circenis, S.; Ccanccapa-Cartagena A.; Abrams, D.; Zheng, W. Spatial distribution of pharmaceutical and personal care products in waters of tile-drained fields irrigated with rural effluent. Science of the Total Environment (Submitted).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Zhou, H.; Frost, A.; Circenis, S.; Timalsina, H.; Cooke, R.; Bhattarai, R.; Zheng, W. Simultaneous removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products and nutrient using a two-stage denitrifying bioreactor - biochar adsorption system. Preparing to submit to Journal of Hazardous Materials.
|
Progress 04/15/22 to 04/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:This project targets a broad audience, including local, state, and federal agencies (e.g., IEPA, IDOA, USEPA, USGS, and USDA); rural communities (e.g., residents); the scientific community (e.g., research scientists, Extension staff, and students); managers of sanitation and water districts; farmers, and the public of interest. During this reporting period: 1. We were able to share our results with local stakeholders in the Mahomet Aquifer region, including farmers and members of the Illinois Farm Bureau. 2. We provided a field demonstration to stakeholders, local communities, and the scientific community in a field Day, which was organized by the Illinois Farm Bureau and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). 3. We shared research results with United States Geological Survey (USGS). We discussed provisional results of tile drain modeling using combined UZF and MODFLOW, and explored other potential packages for modeling tile drains (such as the soil water balance package). 4. We shared our research results with the scientific community and the public at the 2022 Emerging Contaminants in the EnvironmentConference, which was hosted by our Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. 5. We provided a hands-on summer internship opportunity to undergraduate students from populations underrepresented in graduate study to work on this project. Changes/Problems:The modeling software used, MODFLOW with the Unsaturated Zone Flow (UZF) package, can only be parameterized to simulate potential evaporation; parameters can be adjusted to mimic actual evaporation and transpiration, which is what we have succeeded in doing for this progress report. A similar analysis will simulate springtime actual evaporation observed with our soil moisture probe, and the two models will be chained together for the comprehensive simulation. We were delayed due to discovering some of these limitations and discussing with the developers of the software strategies to overcome them. The modeling is a year behind schedule due to the year delay in deployment of the soil moisture probe (owing to supply chain issues). Additionally, some laboratory and field studies are delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We greatly appreciate the no-cost extension to complete this work and allow us more time to submit peer-reviewed publications and a final report. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During this reporting period, the tile drain models from this project have served as a starting study for two new hires supervised by Dr. Abrams (CO-PI) at the Illinois State Water Survey, giving the new employees experience with groundwater flow modeling and coding, as well as analyzing soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and other environmental data. A full-time post-doc researcher, a research staff, a graduate student, and anundergraduate student were trained through conducting laboratory and field studies concerning PPCP fate studies and mitigation technique development under the supervision of Dr. Zheng (PI). We co-hosted the 2022 Emerging Contaminants in the Environmental Conference to disseminate scientific information related to the project to the scientific community and regulatory agencies. In addition, we presented the emerging contaminant studies associated with this project in a graduate course for students at the University of Illinois. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During this reporting period, we shared the results with local stakeholders in the Mahomet Aquifer, including farmers and members of the Illinois Farm Bureau, by discussing our work at the Central Irrigated Growers meeting and the Imperial Valley Water Authority monthly meetings. We also disseminated the results to scientists at the USGS. We discussed provisional results of tile drain modeling using combined UZF and MODFLOW and explored other potential packages for modeling tile drains (such as the Soil Water Balance (SWB) 2.0 model). We have explored potential limitations and needed advancements with the core modelers at the USGS who have developed the packages deployed in this study, as well as discussed methods to work around these issues for purposes of this project and the in-progress manuscript. We engaged with the Lexington sewage treatment plant, local community, and farmers who are using the effluent to irrigate their fields, to share our monitoring data and findings. We participated in a field day organized by the Illinois Farm Bureau and MWRD to disseminate research results to local communities. A video related to PPCP removal by used oil capture has been produced and disseminated to the public. In addition, a website related to this project study has been updated, which is available to the public of interest at: https://www.istc.illinois.edu/research/pollutants/PPCPs_in_the_environment/tile_drained_fields_irrigate_with_sewage_effluents/. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will complete all research work to accomplish the project goals. We will complete the field monitoring study. We will collect influent, lagoon water, and effluent samples monthly to evaluate the removal efficiency of PPCPs in the target rural STP. We will also sample well water and drainage water samples from the tile-drained fields with rural sewage effluent irrigation. We will monitor the occurrence of PPCP contaminants spatially and temporally and assess the influence of effluent irrigation on water quality in rural areas. We will continue to produce cost-effective and efficient designer biochars and apply them on the B2 treatment system for PPCP removal from agricultural field runoff and drainage water. A series of column experiments will be conducted to optimize the B2 treatment system, including different biomass feedstock, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and biochar particle size. In addition, a life cycle assessment and cost and benefit analysis for the B2 treatment system will be assessed. The groundwater flow model is currently calibrated to summertime conditions. In the next reporting period, we will also calibrate the model to winter/springtime conditions, which requires adjustment of parameters that in the current version of the model are not allowed to change seasonally. Finally, the spring and summertime conditions will be chained together to improve the simulation throughout the year. In addition, a coupled groundwater flow-solute transport model which simulates recharge from irrigated water with known solute concentrations will be calibrated to measured groundwater PPCP concentrations (from the field monitoring study). Three manuscripts will be prepared and submitted to peer-review scientific journals.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1. During this reporting period, we have completed laboratory experiments to explore the fate and transport of PPCPs associated with rural sewage effluent in water-soil systems (Objective 1). We investigated the degradation of targeted PPCPs in rural sewage influent and effluent. For the PPCPs (such as estrone, sitagliptin, and sulfamethoxazole) that can be decomposed in the influent and effluent, we explored their biodegradation and pyrolysis kinetics under different incubation conditions and proposed their transformation mechanisms. For the PPCPs that are recalcitrant to biodegradation in the sewage influent and effluent, we investigated their adsorption kinetics and mechanism in agricultural soils irrigated with the effluent (Objective 1). Also, they were preferentially selected as targeted PPCP contaminants for mitigation using designer biochars (Objective 4). 2. We continued to conduct a monitoring study in a 160-acre tile-drained field, which is being irrigated with rural sewage effluents. We collected influent, lagoon water, effluent, well water, and drainage water samples monthly, evaluated the removal efficiencies of PPCPs in the targeted lagoon sewage treatment plant (STP), and monitored the occurrence of PPCP contaminants in the agricultural fields irrigated with the STP effluent and surrounding watersheds (Objective 2). The study showed that tenPPCP compounds were frequently detected in rural sewage influent and effluent, but their concentrations reduced over the lagoon STP. Out of all tenPPCPs, carbamazepine was the only one with a low removal rate (~30%), all other compounds had a removal rate between 80-100% after the two-stage lagoon STP. It suggests that the lagoon based STP used in rural communities is effective for PPCP removal. With irrigation of the effluent, ninePPCPs with concentrations at ng/L levelswere detected in groundwater samples and sevenPPCPs were detected at ng/L levels in drainage water samples. Detection frequencies of PPCPs ranged from 3.5% to 70% in groundwater samples collected from six wells. Moreover, the concentrations of PPCPs in the wells located in the fields are usually higher than those in the wells located along the field's edges. Detection frequencies of PPCPs ranged from 8% to 85% in drainage water samples. Although the human exposure analysis suggested that there is a negligible human risk for consumption from these PPCP-containing well waters, it is unknown for their long-term exposure as a drinking water supply. 3. We have conducted the process of calibrating the coupled groundwater flow model and solute transport model to observe PPCP derived from rural sewage effluent irrigation (Objective 3). The models have advanced considerably with the addition of observation data from the installation of a soil moisture probe. We continued to work to calibrate the models based on observed soil moisture readings at different depths. Our best calibration occurs during the summer. Spring/winter calibration can be improved by chaining models together with different properties. 4. We have developed an innovative bioreactor and biochar (B2) combined system to comprehensively remove excess nutrients and PPCP residues from rural sewage effluent (Objective 4). The bioreactor was packed with woodchips to convert nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) into inert dinitrogen gas (N2) and decompose some PPCPs through biological processes. Designer biochar pellets were generated to capture phosphorus (P) and PPCP contaminants. This study showed that the B2 treatment system is an efficient and cost-effective mitigation technique to completely remove all targeted PPCPs (i.e., >99%) from rural sewage effluent. In addition, this treatment technique can also be used to mitigate the loading of excess nutrients and PPCP residues from the effluent-irrigated fields to the nearby watersheds through subsurface drainage water.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Ccanccapa-Cartagena, A., S. Katuwal and W. Zheng. 2022. Influence of biosolids and sewage effluent application on sitagliptin soil adsorption. 2022 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference (ECEC22). Champaign, Illinois. April 27-28, 2022.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Abrams, D.B., C. Cullen, D.H. Mannix, A.E. Jones and M. Krasowski. 2022. They will never take our degrees of freedom: Using time-series to honor data complexity in a parsimonious model. 2022 MODFLOW and More. Princeton, New Jersey.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Circenis, S., A., Ccanccapa-Cartagena and W. Zheng. 2023. Occurrence of pharmaceutical and personal care products in groundwater in tile-drained fields irrigated with rural sewage effluent. 2023 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference (ECEC23). Champaign, Illinois. April 18-19, 2023.
|
Progress 04/15/21 to 04/14/22
Outputs
Target Audience:This project targets a broad audience, including local, state, and federal agencies (e.g., IEPA, IDOA, USEPA, and USDA); rural communities (e.g., local residents); the scientific community (e.g., research scientists, Extension staff, and students); managers of sanitation and water districts; farmers who use effluent for irrigation in agricultural fields, and the public of interest. During the second year of this project: We participated in hosting the 2021 Emerging Contaminants in the EnvironmentConference (virtual) to disseminate scientific information concerning the fate of PPCP contaminants associated with rural effluent irrigation. We showcased the research project at the Illinois Farm Bureau's Fulton County Field Day in Cuba, Illinois. The event was hosted by the Illinois Farm Bureau, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC), and University of Illinois Extension. We communicated to stakeholders in the Illinois Mahomet Aquifer region about the ongoing research being conducted at the Illinois Lexington tile drain site. We updated stakeholders in East-Central Illinois at a Mahomet Aquifer Water Supply Planning committee presentation in July of2021. Changes/Problems:The major change in approach to the MODFLOW modeling was the switch to make the model more closely reflect the conceptual operational principles of the tile drain network. The previous iteration of the model made use of drain package (DRN) cells to represent the tile drain network in every cell. This was done because the resolution of the model was relatively coarse and cells were broader than the anticipated spacing of the branches of the tile drain network (thought to be about 25 feet). In the new model, the grid resolution has been increased by reducing the cell size of cells within the fields of interest down to 12 feet x 12 feet. This grid size allows the model to accommodate cells between elements of the tile drain network that do not have tile network DRN cells. This matches the conceptual operation of a tile drain network by allowing groundwater mounding between branches of the tile drain network whereas the previous construction did not. This work required major revisions to the construction of the model including the refinement of the model grid, the incorporation of the recharge package (RCH), the delineation of major topographical flow network paths, and the establishment of methods to site a hypothetical tile drain network with realistic spacing. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related supply chain issues, there were large delays in obtaining the equipment necessary to collect soil moisture and tile drain flow data. Though these delays have prevented calibration of the model to field data, they have caused an increased focus on model construction and have resulted in a more robust suite of modeling solutions that remain flexible to ease the incorporation of data once it is acquired. In addition, we have successfully installed the soil moisture and tile drain flow monitoring equipment into the Lexington fields receiving rural sewage effluent in the end of March 2022. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A post-doc researcher (fully funded on this project) and two undergraduate students (as academic hourly employees) are actively engaged in this project and are conducting laboratory and field studies related to PPCP fate and mitigation under the supervision of Dr. Zheng (PI) and Dr. Rajagopalan (Co-PI). Dr. Zheng, as an invited lecturer, virtually presented the emerging contaminant studies associated with this project in a graduate course for students of the Department of Animal Science and the Department of Geology at the University of Illinois. In addition to training an undergraduate student (fully funded on this project), Dr. Abrams (Co-PI) combined additional funding to leverage two more graduate students for training and professional development on groundwater flow modeling and reactive transport modeling. This project has allowed one recent hire at the Illinois State Water Survey to advance their professional development by taking a leadership position on a high-level research project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dr. Abrams (Co-PI) has disseminated the results concerning modeling works through discussion with a local Farm Bureau and stakeholders in the Mahomet Aquifer. Steps have been made to develop a web page hosted by the Illinois State Water Survey to further communicate results to local stakeholders and researchers, which will go live in the Spring of 2022. Dr. Zheng (PI) has closely worked with the Lexington sewage treatment plant, rural community, and farmers who are using the effluent to irrigate the fields, to share our monitoring data and findings. Dr. Zheng (PI) has been actively involved in a Field Day organized by the Illinois Farm Bureau and MWRDGC to disseminated research results to local communities. A website related to PPCP studies has been updated and located at the PI's Department (Illinois Sustainable Technology Center), which is available to the public (https://www.istc.illinois.edu/research/pollutants/PPCPs_in_the_environment). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will continue to conduct planned research works to accomplish the project goals. For the field study, we will continue to collect well water, drainage water, and lagoon water samples monthly and monitor the occurrence of PPCP contaminants from rural sewage effluent in receiving subsurface tile-drained fields and surrounding watersheds. For the laboratory study, we will complete the PPCP degradation and sorption studies related to fate and transports of rural effluent-associated contaminants in water-soil systems. We will continue to develop two innovative treatment techniques (oil capture and biochar-sorption-channels) to remove PPCP contaminants derived from rural sewage effluents, and then will conduct a demonstration for these two treatment techniques in a Field Day. For the modeling study, we will: (i) Complete data collection in targeted areas based on preliminary model results; (ii) Calibrate the groundwater flow model to flow through tile drains and observe soil moisture; (iii) Conduct the process of calibrating the coupled groundwater flow model and solute transport model to observed chemical concentrations; (iv) Finalize the launch of a website for this project to communicate with stakeholders and researchers; and (v) Prepare two manuscripts focusing on modeling tile drains and coupling MODFLOW (groundwater flow model) and Crunch (reactive transport model).
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this reporting period, we have made progress on all tasks to achieve the goal and objectives through conducting a series of laboratory and field experiments as well as modeling studies: We have conducted a series of laboratory experiments to investigate the degradation of ten PPCP mixtures in aqueous solutions blended with rural sewage effluent which is being used to irrigate the agricultural fields (Objective 1). We found that estrone readily degraded within oneweek. Interestingly, the concentrations of this hormone contaminant raised back in the following incubation experiment, suggesting a reversible transformation would be one of the dominant mechanisms for estrone degradation. Three PPCPs naproxen, sulfamethoxazole, and sitagliptin could decompose in the incubation solutions. After sevenweeks, the concentrations of these PPCPs remaining in the incubation solutions accounted for approximately 52%, 24%, and 39% of the initial amounts of naproxen, sulfamethoxazole, and sitagliptin, respectively. By contrast, no significant degradations were observed for sixPPCPs (caffeine, carbamazepine, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, metformin, and trimethoprim) incubated in the solutions mixed with the lagoon effluent, indicating these contaminants are recalcitrant to biodegradation and pose a potential risk on the receiving environment. We have conducted a batch experiment to explore adsorption kinetics and mechanisms of PPCPs in agricultural soils irrigated with rural effluent or applied with biosolids (Objective 1). We found that the adsorption capacities of PPCPs on different soils are positively related to the contents of soil organic matters (SOM) and clay. For example, the PPCP sitagliptin showed higher adsorption capacities in the clay loam soil with high SOM contents compared to low SOM sandy soils. However, the application of biosolids and effluent into soils decreased the adsorption capacities of sitagliptin, though biosolids and sewage effluent contain high organic matters. The study indicates that the colloids (e.g., dissolved organic matters) released from the organic wastes may bond with the pharmaceutical compound and reduce its soil adsorption capacity. The adsorption mechanisms of sitagliptin on the soil surface were analyzed by Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR)-Infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The electrostatic adsorption through bonding the carboxyl group of sitagliptin onto the negative soil surface was characterized as one of the adsorption mechanisms of the PPCP contaminant on the soil. In addition, a competitive adsorption between sitagliptin and metformin was also assessed. This result revealed that presence of multiple PPCPs in soils could compete soil sorption sites and thereby decrease sitagliptin adsorption capacity. We are conducting a field monitoring study to investigate collected the spatial and temporal occurrence of PPCP contaminants in the bodies of water surrounding agricultural fields irrigated with rural sewage effluent (Objective 2). Monthly, we collected sewage influent, lagoon water, effluent, well water, and drainage water samples to analyze the concentrations of targeted PPCPs. We found that the aerated lagoons could effectively remove most PPCPs. However, the removal efficiency of the targeted PPCPs were not 100%, resulting in the effluent containing PPCP residues at concentrations in the parts-per-trillion (ng/L) to low parts-per-billion (μg/L) range. With irrigation of the effluent, some PPCPs (mainly gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, naproxen, and sitagliptin) were frequently detected in well water and drainage water samples. Moreover, the concentrations of PPCPs in drainage water are usually higher than those in well water samples. Although the concentrations of detected PPCPs in drainage water and well water are at levels as low as ng/L, their potential risk on public health still need to be considered. We have updated the construction of the groundwater flow model to simulate and predict the fate and transport of PPCPs in the tile-drained fields irrigated with sewage effluents (Objective 3). The changes were made to the model to make the construction more closely match the conceptual operation of the Lexington tile drains system. This meant refining the resolution of the model to a point where it could accommodate non-tile drain cells between the branches of the tile drain network. This aligns with the conceptual operation of a tile drain system wherein groundwater mounds in the spaces between adjacent branches of the tile drain network. The updated model continues to make use of MODFLOW-NWT, the drain package (DRN), and the unsaturated zone flow package (UZF) and now additionally makes use of the recharge package (RCH). The increase in the resolution of the model grid (down to 12 feet x 12 feet within the fields of interest) increased the computational load of the model. To ensure the model would run, the computationally intensive UZF pack was only applied within the fields of interest while the recharge package was applied in the rest of the model (where unsaturated zone processes are not of interest). Data inputs for the model include precipitation data from PRISM, evapotranspiration data from previous Illinois State Water Survey studies and soils properties from SSURGO. From this model we will be able to pull four crucial characterizations for accurately assessing the mass balance of the system: (1) Tile drain flow, (2) Soil moisture, (3) Groundwater elevations, and (4) Groundwater flow directions. We have produced a variety of biochars to capture PPCPs from aqueous solutions (Objective 4). We found that some designer biochars can effectively adsorb dissolved phosphorus as well as PPCPs. A biochar-sorption-channel system was demonstrated in a field trial for the removal of excess nutrients and PPCPs. The study suggests that the biochar-sorption-channel system is a feasible and cost-effective mitigation technology to capture lost nutrients and remove CEC contaminants from subsurface drainage water
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Zheng, W. and Guo, M. 2021. Soil-plant transfer of pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Current Pollution Reports. 2021, 7, 510-523. doi:10.1007/s40726-021-00207-2.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Ccanccapa-Cartagena, A., Zheng, W., Katuwal, S. and Scott, J.W. 2022. Influence of biosolids and sewage effluent application on sitagliptin soil adsorption. Journal of Hazardous Materials (Submitted in April).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Abrams, D.B. and A.E. Jones. 2022. Simulating reactive transport in a local scale MODFLOW by coupling to the reactive transport model Crunch Flow. Groundwater.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Katuwal, S.and Zheng, W. 2021. Designer biochar to capture dissolved phosphorus and emerging contaminants from drainage water. 2021 Emerging Contaminants in the Environmental Conference. Champaign, Illinois.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
A news release related to the study result has been posted to the public of interest (https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/7447/778364745).
|
Progress 04/15/20 to 04/14/21
Outputs
Target Audience:This project targets a broad audience, including local, state, and federal agencies (e.g., IEPA, IDOA, USEPA, and USDA),members of the scientific community (e.g., research scientists, Extension staff, and students),rural communities (e.g., farmers and local residents),managers of sanitation and water districts,and the public. During the first year of this project, we have primarily reached three target audiences: Stakeholders in East-Central Illinois were introduced to the research via a Skype meeting with the local Farm Bureau. Researchers and Extension staff at the University of Illinois were introduced to our research, which led to discussions of how to couple groundwater flow models with reactive transport models and understand benefits and the potential issues related to sewage effluent as an irrigation water. This ongoing applied research endeavor is supported by both this study and local aquifer studies in the state. Managers of sewage treatment plants and farmers are using effluent for irrigation in agricultural fields. Changes/Problems:The primary problem encountered was COVID-19, resulting in limitations on field travel enforced by the University of Illinois. Fortunately, we got great support from the local sewage treatment manager and rural community. Monthly, they collected the well water samples from the investigated fields and immediately shipped them to our laboratory. Therefore, this is not anticipated to set the project back too severely. As for the modeling study, we have targeted areas from the preliminary model results for focused data collection efforts, including the preferred location of soil moisture probes, which will serve as a calibration point to the MODFLOW model. Hiring a post-doctoral researcher to full-timely work in this project was delayed due to the COVID-19. Fortunately, a candidate has been identified and will join the research team soon. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?At this stage, two undergraduate students as academic hourlies were trained through their laboratory and modeling works on this project. Two graduate students were involved in research activities supported by the project, which helped to leverage their training and professional development on groundwater flow modeling and reactive transport modeling. These students are actively engaged in coding and model application under the supervision of Dr. Abrams (Co-PI). In addition, this project has allowed one recent hire at the Illinois State Water Survey to advance their professional development by taking a leadership position on a high-level research project. The PI of the project (Dr. Zheng), as an invited speaker, virtually presented the emerging contaminant studies associated with this project in a graduate course for students of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science and the Department of Geology at the University of Illinois. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We have closely worked with the targeted sewage treatment plants and rural community, especially farmers who are using the effluent to irrigate the fields, to share our findings and results. Dr. Abrams (Co-PI) has disseminated the results concerning modeling works to a local Farm Bureau through a virtual discussion. He is developing a web page hosted by the Illinois State Water Survey to further communicate results to local stakeholders and researchers concerning our modeling works. Dr. Zheng (PI) attended a Fulton County Virtual Focus Group Workshop and a special "Field Tour" to present the research works to local communities on July 16, 2020. This virtual field day workshop was hosted by Illinois Farm Bureau and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. A website related to PPCP studies has been developed and hosted by our Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), which is available to the public of interest (https://www.istc.illinois.edu/research/pollutants/PPCPs_in_the_environment). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will continue to conduct research works planned in the project, including: We will further conduct laboratory experiments to complete the studies concerning the fate and transports of rural effluent-associated PPCP contaminants in water-soil systems. We will further conduct field studies to monitor the occurrence of PPCP contaminants from rural sewage effluent in receiving subsurface tile-drained fields and surrounding watersheds. We will continue modeling works to complete data collection in targeted areas and the framework for the coupling of the groundwater flow model to a solute transport model. We will start to develop two innovative treatment techniques (oil capture and biochar-sorption-channels) to remove PPCP contaminants derived from rural sewage effluents, thereby mitigating their loading into the receiving environment.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Water-supply shortages and nutrient pollution are two primary concerns for U.S. agriculture. For many rural communities in the U.S., lagoon-based sewage treatment plants (STPs) are usually used to treat their domestic wastewater. Compared to municipal STPs, these rural STPs are typically less effective at nutrient removal. Using effluents from rural STPs to irrigate nearby fields would be a win-win strategy to apply valuable nutrients and augment available water sources for agricultural use. However, lagoon effluents contain many chemicals of environmental concern (CECs) including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). In particular, many agricultural fields in the Midwestern U.S. are tile-drained, which can expedite the transport of CECs from land-applied sewage effluents to nearby watersheds. This project aims to advance the scientific understanding of the fate and transport of effluent-associated PPCPs in tile-drained fields and reduce their loading into the environment, thereby protecting water quality and sustaining healthy U.S. agroecosystems and natural resources. Successful completion of this project will provide detailed and systematic methodologies for the study of environmental fate and transport of PPCP contaminants to improve the understanding of agricultural irrigation with rural sewage effluent. The research will develop two innovative and cost-effective techniques to mitigate PPCP contamination derived from rural sewage effluent. The results from this project will help federal and state agencies and farmers evaluate their current nontraditional water-use practices, inform science-based regulatory programs, and suggest the best management strategies to minimize risks and promote the safe and beneficial use of nontraditional water in U.S. agriculture. During this reporting period, we have made progress on all four of our original project objectives through conducting a series of laboratory and field experiments as well as modeling studies: We developed and optimized analytical methods for extraction and detection of ten PPCP compounds (caffeine, carbamazepine, estrone, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, metformin, naproxen, stiagliptin, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim) in water, wastewater, soil, and plants. These PPCP contaminants have been frequently detected in the rural sewage effluents. To compensate for matrix effects observed in the analysis of environmental samples when using high performance liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), we utilized an isotope dilution method to provide more accurate analysis for those complex samples. All developed methods were applied in the studies concerning fate and transport of these CECs as well as monitoring their occurrence in various environmental samples. We are conducting laboratory experiments to explore degradation kinetics, identify metabolites, and elucidate transformation mechanisms of effluent-associated PPCPs in water-soil system (Objective 1). Our initial results showed that the targeted PPCPs are relatively recalcitrant to degradation in sewage effluent, suggesting they could persist in the soils irrigated with rural sewage effluent. However, their biological degradation would be enhanced under aerobic condition. A field monitoring study is being conducted to determine the potential occurrence of PPCP contaminants in well water, installed in the experimental fields irrigated with rural sewage effluent (Objective 2). We have monthly collected the water samples from six wells since September 2020. We found that some PPCPs (e.g., carbamazepine, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, naproxen, sitagliptin, and trimethoprim) were frequently detected in well water samples, especially during the effluent irrigation season (September to November). Moreover, some of the PPCPs can persist in the well water for a long time. Although the concentrations of detected PPCPs are at levels as low as parts-per-trillion (ng/L), they may still pose a potential risk on public health. A field-scale model is being developed to simulate and predict the fate and transport of PPCPs in the tile-drained fields irrigated with effluents (Objective 3). At present, a groundwater flow model of the study area has been developed. It is currently in the calibration stage pending the first phase of data collection efforts. The model was developed using MODFLOW-NWT, the drain package, and the unsaturated zone package (using precipitation data from PRISM and evapotranspiration data from our previous Illinois State Water Survey's studies). We are also exploring the sensitivity of the model to different parameters; the most sensitive parameter appears to be resistant to inflow of the tile drain. This sensitivity analysis is currently instructing us on where to target data collection efforts. We are developing a novel and cost-effective technique to remove PPCPs from rural sewage effluents (Objective 4). We have produced several designed biochars and found that some could effectively capture PPCPs from aqueous solutions. We are exploring production conditions and modification techniques to produce a most efficient biochar for field trial.
Publications
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Zheng, W., Guo, M. and Czapar, G. 2020. Environmental fate and transport of veterinary antibiotics derived from animal manure. In Animal Manure. Waldrip, Eds. ASA Special Publication 67: Madison, WI. 2020; pp 409-430.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Zheng, W. and Guo, M. 2021. Soil-plant transfer of pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Current Pollution Reports. 2021. (Under Review).
|