Adverse effects of erythromycin on the structure and chemistry of activated sludge

[en] This study examines the effects of erythromycin on activated sludge from two French urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Wastewater spiked with 10 mg/L erythromycin inhibited the speciﬁc evolution rate of chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 79% (standard deviation 34%) and the speciﬁc N–NH 4 þ evolution rate by 41% (standard deviation 25%). A temporary increase in COD and tryptophan-like ﬂuorescence, as well as a decrease in suspended solids, were observed in reactors with wastewater containing erythromycin. The destruction of activated sludge ﬂocs was monitored by automated image analysis. The effect of erythromycin on nitriﬁcation was variable depending on the sludge origin. Erythromycin inhibited the speciﬁc nitriﬁcation rate in sludge from one WWTP, but increased the nitriﬁcation rate at the other facility.

Research Center/Unit :

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Disciplines :

Chemical engineering

Author, co-author :

Louvet, Jean-Noël ; LSGC Nancy Université INPL

Giammarino, Cinzia; LSGC Nancy Université INPL

Potier, Olivier; LSGC Nancy Université INPL

Pons, Marie-Noëlle

Language :

English

Title :

Adverse effects of erythromycin on the structure and chemistry of activated sludge

Publication date :

2010

Journal title :

Environmental Pollution

ISSN :

0269-7491

eISSN :

1873-6424

Publisher :

Elsevier Science, Oxford, United Kingdom

Volume :

158

Pages :

688-693

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Name of the research project :

Antibi-eau

Funders :

ANR - Agence Nationale de la Recherche

Available on ORBi :

since 17 June 2012

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