Wastewater treatment plant modeling supported toxicity identification and evaluation of a tank truck cleaning effluent

The aim of this work is the Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) of highly toxic tank truck cleaning wastewater effluent. Conventional TIE, using EDTA and activated carbon addition, revealed organic compounds as main source of toxicity. Additional toxicant characteristics could be derived from hydraulic wastewater treatment plant simulation being high intake frequency, low biodegradability and high acute toxicity ratio between Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Daphnia magna. The risk probability of compounds present in the influent wastewater was simulated using USEPA Estimation Program Interface (EPI) software. Compound toxicity, solubility and removal rate in a wastewater treatment plant were incorporated into one risk number indicative for the probability of a compound to cause toxicity in the effluent. The herbicide acetochlor was deducted from these TIE procedures as major toxicant and this was confirmed by chemical measurements, concentrations in the effluent samples ranged from 3.73±0.52 ppm to 7.8±2.1 ppm acetochlor equivalents.