Objetivo. Examinar a pertinência de utilização de abordagem multicritério como ferramenta de planejamento em reúso de água. Metodologia. As etapas são: (1) levantamento bibliográfico; (2) caracterização do Distrito Federal (área de estudo); (3) definir as áreas passíveis de serem irrigadas com água de reúso por sobreposição de mapas temáticos; (4) trabalho com decisores; (5) utilização do Método ELECTRE III; (6) apresentar e discutir resultados; (7) avaliar o trabalho desenvolvido. Resultados: (1) Os esgotos sanitários tratados de todas as estações de tratamento de esgotos (ETEs) não apresentaram qualidade satisfatória para irrigação irrestrita. Sugere-se seu uso na irrigação das grandes culturas do Distrito Federal (DF): milho, soja, café e trigo; (2) identificaram-se seis alternativas relacionadas às ETEs para se realizar reúso no Distrito Federal: Brazlândia, Samambaia/Melchior, Gama, Sul, Planaltina e São Sebastião; (3) as seis alternativas têm capacidade para irrigar todos os canteiros ornamentais, como também 4.268 ha de áreas agrícolas - correspondentes a 38% das áreas irrigadas das grandes culturas do DF; (4) Após a aplicação do Método ELECTRE III, as alternativas mais vantajosas relacionaram-se às ETEs Sul e Samambaia/Melchior. Conclusões: (1) a implementação do reúso de água no DF deve ser considerada no gerenciamento dos recursos hídricos; (2) a abordagem multicritério mostrou-se ferramenta apropriada ao planejamento em reúso de água; (3) o Método ELECTRE III adequou-se ao problema e foi sensível às preferências dos decisores. / Objective. To examine the relevance of adopting the multi-criterion approach as a planning tool when water is reused. Methods. It consisted of the following stages: (1) a bibliographical survey; (2) description of the Federal District (area under study); (3) determining the areas liable to irrigation with reused water by overlaying thematic maps: (4) working with decision makers; (5) applying the ELECTRE III Method; (6) presenting and discussing results; (7) assessing the work undertaken. Results: (1)The quality of the sewage treated in all the wastewater treatment plants (WTPs) was found to be unsuitable for unrestricted irrigation. It was suggested that it be reused in irrigating the Federal District´s major crops: maize, soy bean, coffee and wheat; (2) six alternatives, with regard to wastewater treatment plants, were identified for undertaking water reuse in the Federal District: Brazlândia, Samambaia/Melchior, Gama, Sul, Planaltina and São Sebastião; (3) the six alternatives are capable of irrigating all public flower beds, as well as 4,268 hectares of farmland - representing 38% of the Federal District´s irrigated lands under major crop cultivation; (4) after applying the ELECTRE III Method, the most advantageous alternatives were those related to Sul and Samambaia/Melchior wastewater treatment plants. Conclusions: (1) water reuse should be considered in water resources management in the Federal District; (2) the multi-criterion approach proved to be a suitable tool when planning water reuse; (3) the ELECTRE III Method was a suitable solution to the problem and met the requirements of the decision makers.

<p></p><p></p><p></p><p>In urbanized river basins, sanitary wastewater and urban runoff (non-sanitary water) from urban agglomerations drain to complex engineered networks, are treated at centralized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and discharged to river networks. Discharge from multiple WWTPs distributed in urbanized river basins contributes to impairments of river water-quality and aquatic ecosystem integrity. The size and location of WWTPs are determined by spatial patterns of population in urban agglomerations within a river basin. Economic and engineering constraints determine the combination of wastewater treatment technologies used to meet required environmental regulatory standards for treated wastewater discharged to river networks. Thus, it is necessary to understand the natural-human-engineered networks as coupled systems, to characterize their interrelations, and to understand emergent spatiotemporal patterns and scaling of geochemical and ecological responses. </p><br><p></p><p></p><p>My PhD research involved data-model synthesis, using publicly available data and application of well-established network analysis/modeling synthesis approaches. I present the scope and specific subjects of my PhD project by employing the <i>Drivers-Pressures-Status-Impacts-Responses</i> (<i>DPSIR</i>) framework. The defined research scope is organized as three main themes: (1) River network and urban drainage networks (<i>Foundation</i>-<i>Pathway of Pressures</i>); (2) River network, human population, and WWTPs (<i>Foundation</i>-<i>Drivers</i>-<i>Pathway of Pressures</i>); and (3) Nutrient loads and their impacts at reach- and basin-scales (<i>Pressures</i>-<i>Impacts</i>).</p><br><p></p><p></p><p>Three inter-related research topics are: (1) the similarities and differences in scaling and topology of engineered urban drainage networks (UDNs) in two cities, and UDN evolution over decades; (2) the scaling and spatial organization of three attributes: human population (POP), population equivalents (PE; the aggregated population served by each WWTP), and the number/sizes of WWTPs using geo-referenced data for WWTPs in three large urbanized basins in Germany; and (3) the scaling of nutrient loads (P and N) discharged from ~845 WWTPs (five class-sizes) in urbanized Weser River basin in Germany, and likely water-quality impacts from point- and diffuse- nutrient sources. </p><br><p></p><p></p><p>I investigate the UDN scaling using two power-law scaling characteristics widely employed for river networks: (1) Hack’s law (length-area power-law relationship), and (2) exceedance probability distribution of upstream contributing area. For the smallest UDNs, length-area scales linearly, but power-law scaling emerges as the UDNs grow. While area-exceedance plots for river networks are abruptly truncated, those for UDNs display exponential tempering. The tempering parameter decreases as the UDNs grow, implying that the distribution evolves in time to resemble those for river networks. However, the power-law exponent for mature UDNs tends to be larger than the range reported for river networks. Differences in generative processes and engineering design constraints contribute to observed differences in the evolution of UDNs and river networks, including subnet heterogeneity and non-random branching.</p><br><p></p><p></p><p>In this study, I also examine the spatial patterns of POP, PE, and WWTPs from two perspectives by employing fractal river networks as structural platforms: spatial hierarchy (stream order) and patterns along longitudinal flow paths (width function). I propose three dimensionless scaling indices to quantify: (1) human settlement preferences by stream order, (2) non-sanitary flow contribution to total wastewater treated at WWTPs, and (3) degree of centralization in WWTPs locations. I select as case studies three large urbanized river basins (Weser, Elbe, and Rhine), home to about 70% of the population in Germany. Across the three river basins, the study shows scale-invariant distributions for each of the three attributes with stream order, quantified using extended Horton scaling ratios; a weak downstream clustering of POP in the three basins. Variations in PE clustering among different class-sizes of WWTPs reflect the size, number, and locations of urban agglomerations in these catchments. <b></b></p><br><p></p><p></p><p>WWTP effluents have impacts on hydrologic attributes and water quality of receiving river bodies at the reach- and basin-scales. I analyze the adverse impacts of WWTP discharges for the Weser River basin (Germany), at two steady river discharge conditions (median flow; low-flow). This study shows that significant variability in treated wastewater discharge within and among different five class-sizes WWTPs, and variability of river discharge within the stream order <3, contribute to large variations in capacity to dilute WWTP nutrient loads. For the median flow, reach-scale water quality impairment assessed by nutrient concentration is likely at 136 (~16%) locations for P and 15 locations (~2%) for N. About 90% of the impaired locations are the stream order < 3. At basin-scale analysis, considering in stream uptake resulted 225 (~27%) P-impaired streams, which was ~5% reduction from considering only dilution. This result suggests the dominant role of dilution in the Weser River basin. Under the low flow conditions, water quality impaired locations are likely double than the median flow status for the analyses. This study for the Weser River basin reveals that the role of in-stream uptake diminishes along the flow paths, while dilution in larger streams (4≤ stream order ≤7) minimizes the impact of WWTP loads. </p><br><p></p><p></p><p>Furthermore, I investigate eutrophication risk from spatially heterogeneous diffuse- and point-source P loads in the Weser River basin, using the basin-scale network model with in-stream losses (nutrient uptake).Considering long-term shifts in P loads for three representative periods, my analysis shows that P loads from diffuse-sources, mainly from agricultural areas, played a dominant role in contributing to eutrophication risk since 2000s, because of ~87% reduction of point-source P loads compared to 1980s through the implementation of the EU WFD. Nevertheless, point-sources discharged to smaller streams (stream order < 3) pose amplification effects on water quality impairment, consistent with the reach-scale analyses only for WWTPs effluents. Comparing to the long-term water quality monitoring data, I demonstrate that point-sources loads are the primary contributors for eutrophication in smaller streams, whereas diffuse-source loads mainly from agricultural areas address eutrophication in larger streams. The results are reflective of spatial patterns of WWTPs and land cover in the Weser River basin.</p><br><p></p><p></p><p>Through data-model synthesis, I identify the characteristics of the coupled natural (rivers) – humans – engineered (urban drainage infrastructure) systems (CNHES), inspired by analogy, coexistence, and causality across the coupled networks in urbanized river basins. The quantitative measures and the basin-scale network model presented in my PhD project could extend to other large urbanized basins for better understanding the spatial distribution patterns of the CNHES and the resultant impacts on river water-quality impairment.</p><p><br></p><p></p>

Large and ever-increasing numbers of chemicals, including large quantities of a broad spectrum of organic compounds are used in modern society. More than 30 000 of the more than 100 000 chemical substances registered in the EU are estimated to be daily used, of which many will be discharged into the waste-streams handled by municipal sewage treatment plants (STPs). The main objective of the work underlying this thesis was to improve understanding of the relationships between the characteristics of sewage contaminants and their sewage treatment efficiency. Further objectives were to examine the relationships between socio-economic uses of chemicals and sludge quality, and the effects of regulatory actions on sludge quality. The quality of the sewage sludge and the levels and distribution patterns of the sludge contaminants, both within and between the STPs, seem to remain quite constant over time. The overall findings indicate that the levels of contaminants in sewage sludge seem to be largely independent of the location, size and treatment techniques applied at the STPs, and generally, of the types of human activity connected to them. The total and relative concentrations of the sludge contaminants were found to be fairly constant on a dry weight basis, with some exceptions, indicating that the pollutants originate from broad usage and diffuse dispersion rather than (industrial) point sources. The proportion of cyclic methylsiloxanes recovered in sludge seems to strongly depend on their vapour pressure, which decreases with the number of siloxane units. The higher water solubility and biodegradability of organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers than polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were also reflected in lower percentages (relative to their national use) found in sludge. Significant time-trends in levels of a-third of the sludge contaminants included in the annual national measurement program were detected over a period of seven years. The levels of compounds displaying significant time-trends generally decreased following declines in the quantities used nationally. However, a quarter of these compounds showed increasing trends, of which the linear methylsiloxanes followed the same trend as used quantities. The decaBDE was also found to be increasing in sludge, probably as a result of the phase-out of pentaBDE and octaBDE. The results indicate that the STP removal efficiency of anthropogenic substances, in Sweden, is generally good and that STPs, at least those in cold climates, do not efficiently remove certain polar contaminants. A non-targeted screening (by use of environmetrics and GCxGC-TOFMS) was performed and found to fulfil the objective to assess the STP removal efficiency, with emphasis to systematically analyse which compound classes that are not efficiently removed using the current STP technology. Many polar aromatic compounds were identified to be poorly removed. The acquired data on levels, profiles and variations in sludge contaminants (sludge quality) extend both the available information and understanding of the degree and nature of sludge contamination, which should help attempts to track changes in its contaminants and revisions, if necessary, of guideline values. This thesis also contributes to improve the knowledge base for the development of future STP technologies, and that archived sewage sludge can be used in retrospective analysis of new and emerging pollutants.

Les troubles reliés à la dépression, l’épuisement professionnel et l’anxiété sont de plus en plus répandus dans notre société moderne. La consommation croissante d’antidépresseurs dans les différents pays du monde est responsable de la récente détection de résidus à l’état de traces dans les rejets urbains municipaux. Ainsi, ces substances dites « émergentes » qui possèdent une activité pharmacologique destinée à la régulation de certains neurotransmetteurs dans le cerveau suscitent maintenant de nombreuses inquiétudes de la part de la communauté scientifique. L’objectif principal de ce projet de doctorat a été de mieux comprendre le devenir de plusieurs classes d’antidépresseurs présents dans diverses matrices environnementales (i.e. eaux de surfaces, eaux usées, boues de traitement, tissus biologiques) en développant de nouvelles méthodes analytiques fiables capables de les détecter, quantifier et confirmer par chromatographie liquide à haute performance couplée à la spectrométrie de masse en tandem (LC-QqQMS, LC-QqToFMS). Une première étude complétée à la station d’épuration de la ville de Montréal a permis de confirmer la présence de six antidépresseurs et quatre métabolites N-desmethyl dans les affluents (2 - 330 ng L-1). Pour ce traitement primaire (physico-chimique), de faibles taux d’enlèvement (≤ 15%) ont été obtenus. Des concentrations d’antidépresseurs atteignant près de 100 ng L-1 ont également été détectées dans le fleuve St-Laurent à 0.5 km du point de rejet de la station d’épuration. Une seconde étude menée à la même station a permis l’extraction sélective d’antidépresseurs dans trois tissus (i.e. foie, cerveau et filet) de truites mouchetées juvéniles exposées à différentes concentrations d’effluent dilué traité et non-traité à l’ozone. Un certain potentiel de bioaccumulation dans les tissus (0.08-10 ng g-1) a été observé pour les spécimens exposés à l’effluent non-traité (20% v/v) avec distribution majoritaire dans le foie et le cerveau. Une intéressante corrélation a été établie entre les concentrations de trois antidépresseurs dans le cerveau et l’activité d’un biomarqueur d’exposition (i.e. pompe N/K ATPase impliquée dans la régulation de la sérotonine) mesurée à partir de synaptosomes de truites exposées aux effluents. Une investigation de l’efficacité de plusieurs stations d’épuration canadiennes opérant différents types de traitements a permis de constater que les traitements secondaires (biologiques) étaient plus performants que ceux primaires (physico-chimiques) pour enlever les antidépresseurs (taux moyen d’enlèvement : 30%). Les teneurs les plus élevées dans les boues traitées (biosolides) ont été obtenues avec le citalopram (1033 ng g-1), la venlafaxine (833 ng g-1) et l’amitriptyline (78 ng g-1). Des coefficients de sorption expérimentaux (Kd) calculés pour chacun des antidépresseurs ont permis d’estimer une grande sorption des composés sertraline, desméthylsertraline, paroxetine et fluoxetine sur les solides (log Kd > 4). Finalement, un excellent taux d’enlèvement moyen de 88% a été obtenu après ozonation (5 mg L-1) d’un effluent primaire. Toutefois, la caractérisation de nouveaux sous-produits N-oxyde (venlafaxine, desmethylvenlafaxine) par spectrométrie de masse à haute résolution (LC-QqToFMS) dans l’effluent traité à l’ozone a mis en lumière la possibilité de formation de multiples composés polaires de toxicité inconnue. / Mood disorders such as depression, burn-out and anxiety have increased in our modern society. Increasing amounts of antidepressant prescriptions around the world are now suspected to be the main cause of the recent detection of traces of antidepressant residues within urban wastewaters. These so-called “emerging” substances that possess pharmacological activity towards neurotransmitter regulation in the brain have raised serious concerns from the scientific community. The initial goal of the study was to better understand the fate of various classes of antidepressants present in different environmental matrices (e.g. surface waters, wastewaters, treatment sludge, and biological tissues) by developing novel reliable analytical methods that can detect, quantify and confirm antidepressants using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-QqQMS,LC- QqToFMS). A preliminary study completed at the Montreal sewage treatment plant (STP) confirmed the presence of six antidepressants and four N-desmethyl metabolites in raw sewage (2 – 330 ng L-1). For this primary treatment (physico-chemical), low removal rates (≤ 15%) were obtained. Concentrations of antidepressant close to 100 ng L-1 were also detected directly in the St. Lawrence River at 0.5 km of the effluent outfall. A second study conducted at the same STP allowed the selective extraction of antidepressants in three biological tissues (e.g. liver, brain, and filet) dissected from juvenile brook trouts previously exposed to diluted untreated and treated effluents with ozone. Bioaccumulation of antidepressants was readily observed in fish tissues (0.08-10 ng g-1) for the specimens exposed to untreated effluent (20% v/v), with major distribution in liver and brain. During experiments, a significant correlation was established between the concentrations of three antidepressant detected in brain tissues and the activity of a selected biomarker of exposition (e.g. an N/K ATPase pump involved in the serotonin regulation) measured within dissected synaptosomes from trout exposed to effluents. Investigation of estimated treatment removal efficiencies from various Canadian STPs operating different disinfection modes showed that secondary treatments (biological) were more efficient than primary (physico- chemical) to remove antidepressants (mean removal rates : 30%). The highest amounts detected in treated sludge (biosolids) were obtained respectively with citalopram (1033 ng g-1), venlafaxine (833 ng g-1), and amitriptyline (78 ng g-1). Experimental calculated sorption coefficients (Kd) of each antidepressant predicted fairly good sorption capacities for sertraline, desmethylsertraline, paroxetine, and fluoxetine to solid matters (log Kd > 4). Finally, an excellent mean removal rate of 88% was obtained after ozonation (5 mg L-1) of a primary effluent. However, the characterization of new N-oxide side-products (venlafaxine, desmethylvenlafaxine) in ozonized effluent by high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-QqToFMS) highlighted the possibility of formation of multiple polar compounds with unknown toxicity.

La present tesi proposa una metodologia de disseny conceptual d'estacions depuradores d'aigües residuals (EDAR) mitjançant la combinació del procés de decisió jeràrquic i l'anàlisi de decisions multicriteri. El document s'inicia amb una breu introducció als principals camps abordats pel treball: el disseny dels processos químics en general, el disseny de les estacions depuradores d'aigües residuals en particular, i l'anàlisi de decisions multicriteri aplicada a la gestió ambiental. Seguidament, es fixen els objectius del treball i es descriuen tant la metodologia com el material de suport informàtic utilitzats. Per validar i contrastar la metodologia de disseny presentada, es desenvolupa un cas d'estudi on es porta a terme el disseny conceptual d'una EDAR que presenta els mateixos requeriments que l'EDAR que opera actualment al municipi de Granollers. Inicialment es presenta la informació de partida i tot seguit es defineixen els objectius de disseny, així com el conjunt de criteris que s'utilitzaran per avaluar en quina mesura es compleixen aquests objectius. Els objectius de disseny són de diferents tipus: ambientals, tècnics, socials i econòmics, i el conjunt de criteris utilitzats, concretament 33, també es classifica segons aquestes quatre categories. Cadascun dels criteris presenta un determinat pes d'importància relativa en la presa de decisions. Finalment, es desenvolupa tot el procés de decisió fins a obtenir el disseny complet de l'EDAR. El procés de decisió s'ha dividit en dues parts diferenciades però que alhora s'entrellacen: la línia d'aigua i la línia de fang. El procés de decisió presenta un total de divuit qüestions amb un màxim de quatre alternatives per pregunta (dotze qüestions corresponen a la línia d'aigua, i sis a la línia de fangs). Per solucionar cadascuna d'aquestes qüestions, s'avaluen les alternatives proposades respecte a un conjunt de criteris triats de la llista inicial. Aplicant el procés de decisió multicriteri anomenat SMART (simple multiattribute rating technique), es combinen els resultats de les alternatives respecte a cada criteri, tenint en compte la importància de cada criteri per obtenir un sol valor per alternativa. Per quantificar els criteris referents a l'operació del procés i les de tipus econòmic s'han utilitzat els programes GPS-X i CapdetWorks respectivament. Pel que fa als criteris no quantificats mitjançant aquests programes, s'han resolt de manera qualitativa i mitjançant manuals de disseny i també tenint en compte l'opinió d'experts en aquest camp. L'alternativa que obté un pes més elevat és la recomanada per al procés de decisió. El cas d'estudi finalitza un cop s'obté el disseny complet de l'EDAR. Per integrar tots aquests elements que hem esmentat i donar suport al desenvolupament del procés de decisió s'ha utilitzat el programa DRAMA (Design Rationale Management). A continuació, es fa una anàlisi comparativa entre l'EDAR que hi ha actualment al municipi de Granollers i l'EDAR resultat del cas d'estudi. Es descriu el diagrama de flux que conforma l'EDAR de Granollers i el diagrama de flux de l'EDAR resultat de l'estudi, se'n fa una anàlisi comparativa justificant cadascuna de les decisions preses en el cas d'estudi i, finalment, es fa una discussió de resultats on es reflecteixen els avantatges associats d'aplicar la metodologia de disseny conceptual proposada. Finalment, es presenten les conclusions de la tesi. Els principals resultats de la tesi es van publicar el 2002 a la revista internacional Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research (N. Vidal, R. Bañares-Alcántara, I. Rodríguez-Roda i M. Poch: "Design of wastewater treatment plants using a conceptual design methodology", Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 41 (20), pàg. 4993-5005) i la continuació de la línia de recerca al Laboratori d'Enginyeria Química i Ambiental de la UdG ha comportat la presentació del treball de recerca de Xavi Flores "Procés de decisió jeràrquic combinat amb anàlisi multicriteri per al suport al disseny conceptual de sistemes de fangs actius d'una estació depuradora d'aigües residuals" i la presentació dels resultats parcials al congrés internacional de la 9th IWA Conference on Design, Operation and Economics of Large Wastewater Treatment, que va tenir lloc el setembre passat a Praga ("Combining hierarchical decision process with multi-criteria analysis for conceptual design of WWTP", X. Flores, N. Vidal, A. Bonmatí, J. B. Copp i I. Rodríguez-Roda). / This thesis proposes a methodology for the conceptual design of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) via a combination of a hierarchical decision process and multicriteria decision analysis. We begin with a brief introduction into the main fields of study involved in this work: the design of chemical processes in general; the design of wastewater treatment plants in particular and multicriteria decision analysis as applied to environmental management. We go on to outline the objectives of the study and then describe our methodology as well as the computer-based support tools used. In order to evaluate and contrast our design methodology, we present a study case in which a conceptual design is developed for a WWTP which has the same requirements as the actual WWTP currently in operation in the town of Granollers. First, we present the initial information and then define the design objectives, as well as the set of criteria that will be used in order to evaluate the degree to which the objectives have been met.The design objectives are of different types: environmental, technical, social and economical; the set of criteria, of which there are 33 in all, are also classified into these four categories. Each of the criteria has a specific weighting in terms of their importance in taking decisions. Next, we go through the whole decision process leading to the completion of the design of the WWTP. The decision process has been divided into two parts which are differentiated but at the same time, interconnected: the water line and the sludge line. The decision process involves a total of eighteen questions (twelve for the water line and six for the sludge line) with a maximum of four alternatives per question. In order to answer each question, the proposed alternatives are evaluated in relation to a set of criteria chosen from the initial list. Applying the multicriteria decision process known as SMART (simple multiattribute rating technique), the results for the alternatives with respect to each criteria are combined, bearing in mind the importance of each criteria, in order to get a single value for each alternative. To get the results for those alternatives relating to the operation of the process and those to do with economical factors, we used the GPS-X and CapdetWorks programmes, respectively. The criteria not quantified by means of these programmes were resolved by qualitative means and through the use of design manuals, in addition to taking expert opinion into account. The alternative that obtains the highest weighting is the one which is recommended by the decision process. The study case is completed once a complete design of the WWTP is obtained. In order to integrate all the elements we have mentioned, and to assist the development of the decision process, we employed the programme known as DRAMA (Design Rationale Management). We then go on to give a comparative analysis between the real WWTP in Granollers and the WWTP resulting from our study case. We describe and compare the flow diagrams in both cases, providing justification for each of the decisions taken in the study case and then discuss the results, reflecting on the advantages to be gained from using the methodology of conceptual design we propose. Finally, we present the conclusions of our thesis.The main results of this thesis were published, in 2002, in the international magazine, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research (N. Vidal, R. Bañares-Alcántara, I. Rodríguez-Roda and M. Poch: "Design of wastewater treatment plants using a conceptual design methodology", Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 41 (20), pages 4993-5005). Continuing work in this line of research at the Laboratori d'Enginyeria Química i Ambiental at the University of Girona has led to the research work by Xavi Flores, Procés de decisió jeràrquic combinat amb anàlisi multicriteri per al suport al disseny conceptual de sistemes de fangs actius d'una estació depuradora d'aigües residuals (A hierarchical decision process combined with multicriteria analysis to assist conceptual design of active sludge systems in a wastewater treatment plant) and the presentation of the preliminary results at the 9th IWA Conference on Design, Operation and Economics of Large Wastewater Treatment, which took place in September, 2003, in Prague ("Combining hierarchical decision process with multi-criteria analysis for conceptual design of WWTP", X. Flores, Núria Vidal, August Bonmatí, J. B. Copp and Ignasi Rodríguez-Roda).

Na gestão de recursos hídricos, as questões relacionadas aos impactos ambientais causados pelas Estações de Tratamento de Água não podem ser negligenciadas, devendo ser avaliadas em todos seus aspectos. Neste trabalho foram avaliadas as condições técnicasoperacionais e a gestão de seis Estações de Tratamento de Água de pequeno porte situadas nas regiões leste e dos lagos do estado do Rio de Janeiro. Os resultados apresentam dados de produção de água tratada, perdas de água contabilizadas com lavagem de filtros e descargas de decantadores e as não contabilizadas, gastos de energia e produtos químicos, produção de resíduos e seu destino final, bem como levantamento da capacitação do pessoal de operação, comparados com valores de literatura para ETAs consideradas eficientes. A partir da discussão dos resultados concluiu-se que há necessidade de correções de operação e manutenção das ETAs e monitoramento da qualidade das águas bruta e tratada, recomendando-se que a empresa de saneamento, efetivamente, implante melhorias para uma posterior implantação, em cada unidade, de um sistema de gestão ambiental, baseado nas normas ISO 14.000. / In Water Resources Management the questions related with environmental impact caused by Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) cannot be neglected, and they must be evaluated in every aspect. In this work it was evaluated the technical and operational conditions and the management of six small Water Treatment Plants located on the regions East and the Lakes of the State of Rio de Janeiro. The result presents data on treated water production, entered water losses caused by filter cleaning and decantors discharges, and not-entered losses, energy and chemical products expenses, residual production and its final destination, also the survey of operational staff capacitation compared to the literature values to the considered efficient WTPs. From the discussion of the results we conclude that corrections on the operation and maintenance of the WTPs are necessary, and a management of the raw and treated water quality, also we recommend to the sanitation service company to improve effectively in a future implantation a system of ambient management in each unit, based on ISO 14.000.

Na gestão de recursos hídricos, as questões relacionadas aos impactos ambientais causados pelas Estações de Tratamento de Água não podem ser negligenciadas, devendo ser avaliadas em todos seus aspectos. Neste trabalho foram avaliadas as condições técnicasoperacionais e a gestão de seis Estações de Tratamento de Água de pequeno porte situadas nas regiões leste e dos lagos do estado do Rio de Janeiro. Os resultados apresentam dados de produção de água tratada, perdas de água contabilizadas com lavagem de filtros e descargas de decantadores e as não contabilizadas, gastos de energia e produtos químicos, produção de resíduos e seu destino final, bem como levantamento da capacitação do pessoal de operação, comparados com valores de literatura para ETAs consideradas eficientes. A partir da discussão dos resultados concluiu-se que há necessidade de correções de operação e manutenção das ETAs e monitoramento da qualidade das águas bruta e tratada, recomendando-se que a empresa de saneamento, efetivamente, implante melhorias para uma posterior implantação, em cada unidade, de um sistema de gestão ambiental, baseado nas normas ISO 14.000. / In Water Resources Management the questions related with environmental impact caused by Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) cannot be neglected, and they must be evaluated in every aspect. In this work it was evaluated the technical and operational conditions and the management of six small Water Treatment Plants located on the regions East and the Lakes of the State of Rio de Janeiro. The result presents data on treated water production, entered water losses caused by filter cleaning and decantors discharges, and not-entered losses, energy and chemical products expenses, residual production and its final destination, also the survey of operational staff capacitation compared to the literature values to the considered efficient WTPs. From the discussion of the results we conclude that corrections on the operation and maintenance of the WTPs are necessary, and a management of the raw and treated water quality, also we recommend to the sanitation service company to improve effectively in a future implantation a system of ambient management in each unit, based on ISO 14.000.

The aim of this thesis is to determine the public awareness about the possibilities of financial support from the EU funds on enhancing the quality of environment with the special emphasis on waste water and the WWTPs in the Czech Republic. It was studied, whether the attitudes and the public awareness play a role in the construction of WWTPs. Whereas the weight of public opinion in decision-making also testifies the extent of public decision making power on the outcomes of decision making about environmental management, the goal of this work is also to verify the degree of public involvement into the public decision making processes.

L’urbanisation croissante et la propagation des activités humaines entrainent l’augmentation de l’apport de nombreux micropolluants dans le milieu aquatique. Le compartiment aquatique est alors défini comme le réceptacle ultime de la pollution environnementale apportée par diverses sources : les effluents municipaux et industriels, les lixiviats des sites d’élimination des déchets solides, le ruissellement des eaux urbaines et des eaux des sites agricoles. Parmi les contaminants retrouvés dans l’eau, il y a les psychotropes (benzodiazépines, antidépresseurs,antiépileptiques, etc…) qui appartiennent à la grande famille des médicaments. Ce sont des molécules biologiquement actives, ubiquistes, qui sont principalement d’origine urbaine, qui sont apportées continuellement dans l’environnement aquatique et qui sont fortement consommées au niveau mondial. Depuis quelques années, les scientifiques commencent à s’intéresser à cette famille thérapeutique mais il existe encore un réel manque de connaissance sur l’intégralité du problème de diffusion des psychotropes,de leur passage en station d’épuration à leur présence dans l’environnement et enfin à leur impact sur les organismes aquatiques. Ces travaux de thèse cherchent donc à documenter ce point en se focalisant sur l’étude de la présence, du devenir et de l’impact des psychotropes dans la Garonne estuarienne (France) et le fleuve Saint Laurent (Québec, Canada). Dans un premier temps, une méthode analytique multi-résidus permettant l’analyse de 47 psychotropes dans les eaux usées et les eaux de surface a été développée et validée. Des échantillonneurs passifs de type POCIS (Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler) ont été calibrés et validés afin de permettre le suivi intégratif et continu des psychotropes dans les eaux de surface.Dans un second temps, les effluents d’entrée et de sortie de station d’épuration des agglomérations de Bordeaux en France et de Repentigny et Montréal au Québec ont été caractérisés. Les résultats de cette étude montrent que les traitements épuratoires de chacune des stations d’épurations étudiées ont une efficacité limitée pour éliminer les psychotropes dans les eaux usées. Par la suite, le suivi effectué dans la Garonne estuarienne et dans le fleuve Saint Laurent a mis en évidence la présence de psychotropes dans l’environnement qui sont majoritairement apportés par l’amont des villes de Bordeaux et Montréal.La comparaison des résultats obtenus pour la France et le Québec montre qu’il existe bien des habitudes de prescriptions et de consommations différentes entre les deux pays. Même si les procédés d’épuration sont différents entre les deux pays (traitement secondaire en France et primaire au Québec),l’efficacité d’élimination sur la famille thérapeutique des psychotropes reste insuffisante. Enfin ila été observé que le débit du milieu récepteur jouait un rôle important dans la dilution et le devenir des composés.Dans un troisième et dernier temps, des études in vitro et in vivo ont montré que certains psychotropes pouvaient avoir un impact toxique sur les bivalves d’eau douce étudiés (Elliptio complanata et Corbiculafluminea) lors d’exposition de composés seuls ou en mélange à des concentrations de l’ordre du mg.L-1 (concentrations expérimentales) et même du ng.L-1 (concentrations environnementales). / Increasing urbanization and human activities cause an increase of micropollutant input in the aquatic environment. The water compartment is then defined as the ultimate receptacle of environmental pollution originating from various sources: municipal and industrial wastewaters, leachates from solidwaste disposal sites, waters of urban and agricultural runoff.Among the contaminants found in the water, there are psychotropic drugs (benzodiazepines, antidepressantsor antiepileptics) belonging to the family of pharmaceuticals. These are biologically active molecules, ubiquitous, which are mainly of urban origin, which are continuously introduced into the aquatic environment and are heavily consumed around the world.In recent years, scientists have begun to show interest for this therapeutic family, but there is still areal lack of knowledge about the full psychotropic diffusion problem; from their presence in wastewater treatment plant to their presence in the environment and finally to their impact on aquatic organisms.In this global perspective these thesis works seek to document the presence, fate and impact of psychotropic drugs in the Garonne estuarine (France) and the St. Lawrence River (Quebec, Canada).Firstly, a multi-residue analytical method for the analysis of 47 psychotropic drugs in wastewater and surface waters has been developed and validated. POCIS passive samplers were calibrated and validated for continuous integrative monitoring of psychotropic drugs in surface waters.Secondly, the treatment plant influents and effluents of Bordeaux in France and Repentigny and Montreal in Quebec have been characterized. The results of this study show that treatment processes ofstudied wastewater treatment plants have limited performances to remove psychotropic drugs in wastewaters. There after, the monitoring performed in the Garonne estuarine and in the St. Lawrence River has highlighted that the presence of psychotropic drug in the environment is mainly related toupstream input of Bordeaux and Montréal.Comparison of the results obtained in the two countries surveyed show that there are many different patterns of prescriptions and consumption between the two countries. Although the treatment processes are different between the two countries (secondary treatment in France and primary in Quebec), their removal efficiency is still insufficient for psychotropic drugs. Finally it was observed that theflow rate of the receiving environment plays an important role in the dilution and the fate of the compounds.In a third and final stage, in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that some psychotropic drugs could have a toxic impact on the studied freshwater bivalves (Elliptio complanata and Corbicula fluminea) upon exposure alone or in mixture with concentrations in the order of mg.L-1 (tests concentrations) and even ng.L-1 (environmental concentrations).

M.Tech. (Architectural Technology) / This project is an architectural response to a setting shared by an active open cast platinum mine and the surrounding rural traditional subsistence farming communities located in the Mogalakwena municipality, Limpopo Province. The area is characterised by its mine waste landscape and large open cast pits, all of which are remnants of the process of open cast mining. The Mogalakwena communities’ economic livelihood is largely dependent on agricultural land. This land is reducing, partly due to the establishment and expansion of the mine and partly to the increased growth rate of the surrounding communities. This project argues that the remnants of the mining industry (particularly open cast pits, mine waste rock and infrastructure) need not be redundant and can be reused and rehabilitated to result in productive outcomes by establishing the necessary systemic strategy for transposed use. It contends that the proposed reconfi gured mining infrastructure programs can be responsive to context (history, environment and communities), climate and natural processes of the area. In testing the strength of this argument, diff erent research investigations and theories were used as was appropriate to each area of research in this topic. These included, among others, investigations into the history and context of both the mining industry generally, including its legislative context, and the site specifi cally. Considerations of the embedded memory of the site were taken into account. Theories which assisted in leading to a proposed strategy for the site on a contextual scale included theories relating to contextual productive systems, continuous productive urban landscapes, permaculture and biomimicry, augmented landscapes, entropic architecture, architecture as a machine and the mortality of architecture. Ultimately, a proposed solution as an architectural product was sought. The following questions had to be answered in a eff orts to produce an appropriate architectural response to the site and its challenges: 1. How can the role of architecture reconfigure the redundant, disused mine waste landscape so as to harness a rehabilitative and productive system and how can that system be managed by the design? 2. How can contemporary rural agricultural projects be challenged to form new typologies that empower the communities to provide for their own present and future needs? 3. How can architecture as a system be designed to outlast the temporality of its program to transform a redundant open cast mining landscape into a productive landscape? The architectural intervention is a design of reconfi gured structures aimed at facilitating a productive and sustainable environment for agricultural advancement, in order to rehabilitate the existing “minescape” (industrially altered mining land), and reconcile the use of this land with the history of subsistence farming as practiced by members of the surrounding communities. The proposed architectural product strives to create a site and context responsive architectural program or system by fusing technological strategies into the body of architecture that are essentially environmental. It aims to employ air, water, sun, and earth to augment the productive relationship between architecture and the “minescaped” terrain, thereby creating a Productive Minescape, which yields tangible positive by-products such as agriculture, renewable energy, water treatment and harvesting systems, among others. Other productive by-products of the project are education and research facilities and facilities which aim to provide accessibility and reconciliation of the stakeholders of this area, to the site and to each other. The introduction of these systems and facilities will be phase one of the proposed architectural intervention. However, the intervention is networked, and therefore has a scalable logic which is envisaged to grow and develop at a much larger and more intensive scale, suggested to occur over the next 30 years, which are phases two, three and four (see figures 17 and 18).