Papers by Athanasios Stasinakis
Water
The presence of 220 emerging contaminants belonging to different classes (artificial sweeteners, ... more The presence of 220 emerging contaminants belonging to different classes (artificial sweeteners, personal care products, coffee and tobacco-related compounds, and industrial chemicals) was investigated in hospital wastewater for the first time. Twenty samples were collected within two sampling periods from two points of a Greek General Hospital. Target compounds were analyzed using a solid-phase extraction protocol followed by UHPLC-ESI-QToF-MS analysis. Analytical results showed that 23 micropollutants were detected at least once in hospital wastewater samples in Period 1, while 27 compounds were detected at least once in Period 2. The coffee and tobacco-related compounds were the most frequently detected substances, followed by artificial sweeteners, parabens, and industrial chemicals. The highest mean concentrations were recorded for the artificial sweeteners cyclamic acid (377 μg/L) and saccharine (295 μg/L), followed by caffeine (193 μg/L), nicotine (162 μg/L), and the industri...
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Olive mill wastewater (OMWW) is a major by-product of olive oil production industry. Its chemical... more Olive mill wastewater (OMWW) is a major by-product of olive oil production industry. Its chemical characteristics (high concentrations of COD and TSS, low pH value, existence of total phenols at the range of some ppm) does not allow its efficient treatment using conventional physiochemical or biological wastewater treatment methods. On the other hand, an important number of compounds with bioactive properties have been detected in OMWW increasing the scientific and economical interest for their recovery. In the current study, lab experiments were initially conducted using conventional distillation to study the role of temperature and initial OMWW characteristics to the composition of the distillate. Chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of different bioactive compounds in the distillates as well as the positive role of temperature’s increase on their recovery. A pilot-scale solar still system was afterwards constructed to investigate the simultaneous solar drying of OMWW an...
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
This study examines the biodegradation of 3,3′,4′,5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide (TSCA) by activated... more This study examines the biodegradation of 3,3′,4′,5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide (TSCA) by activated sludge and investigates its effects to different aquatic organisms. According to the experimental results, the fate of the target compound in activated sludge systems is governed by the mechanisms of sorption and biodegradation, while almost 90% of TCSA is expected to be removed in an aerobic activated sludge system operating with hydraulic residence time of 10 h. Ecotoxicity experiments shown that TSCA toxicity decreased from Daphnia > Vibrio > Lemna, while an ecological threat is possible in rivers where treated wastewater is diluted up to 100-fold.
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
A novel laboratory-scale continuous flow wastewater treatment system, consisting of an anaerobic ... more A novel laboratory-scale continuous flow wastewater treatment system, consisting of an anaerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (AnMBBR) and an aerobic MBBR, was used for investigating the removal of hydroxybenzothiazole (OH-BTH) and selected benzotriazoles from municipal wastewater. The system was operated under three different Experimental Phases where different organic loadings were applied: 0.82 kg COD m-3 d-1 (Phase A), 0.2 kg COD m-3 d-1 (Phase B) and 2.1 kg COD m-3 d-1 (Phase C). The system achieved sufficient COD removal, nitrification and biogas production. All target micropollutants were partially removed during the experiments. Total removal efficiencies ranged from 32% for 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole (5TTR) to 97% for OH-BTH. The contribution of the strictly anaerobic bioreactor was important for 5TTR, 5-chlorobenzotriazole (CBTR) and xylytriazole (XTR), while the use of aerobic bioreactors resulted to important increase of target compounds removal and it was exclusively respo...
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
The biodegradability of fourteen (14) food additives, belonging to different groups such as artif... more The biodegradability of fourteen (14) food additives, belonging to different groups such as artificial sweeteners, preservatives and coloring agents, was evaluated using the OECD 301F protocol (manometric respirometry test). According to the results, seven out of fourteen compounds, namely Aspartame, Cyclamate Na, Saccharin, Erythritol, Potassium Sorbate, Benzoic Acid and Sodium Ascorbate are characterized as readily biodegradable with biodegradation rates of 83.6 ± 11.4%, 91.5 ± 5.8%, 81.0 ± 9.6%, 76.3 ± 9.2%, 104.1 ± 8.9%, 100.4 ± 4.0% and 85.9 ± 7.7%, respectively, during the 28-d experiment. On the other hand, Alitame, Xylitol, Curcumin, Ponceau 4R, Allura Red, Sunset Yellow and Azorubine did not meet the strict definition of ready biodegradability. Further biodegradations tests are required for these compounds in order to investigate their biodegradation potential under different experimental conditions.
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
The purposes of this study were to investigate the presence and potential health risks of perfluo... more The purposes of this study were to investigate the presence and potential health risks of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in drinking water. An extended literature review was initially conducted to collect monitoring data of PFCs in drinking water, worldwide. In order to assess the potential risk for human health associated with the presence of PFCs in drinking water, risk assessment was based on Risk Quotient (RQ) methodology, while RQs were calculated for different life stages, applying different scenarios based on the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) values published in the literature. According to the results, there is a considerable number of published articles in scientific journals (31) concerning the presence of PFCs in drinking water. Their mean concentration levels ranged from less than 1 ng L-1 to marginally higher than 100 ng L-1. Amongst all target compounds, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) seemed to pose a probable risk to human healt...
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Isolation of microorganisms that can biodegrade organic compounds which are present in olive mill... more Isolation of microorganisms that can biodegrade organic compounds which are present in olive mill waste and more specifically microorganisms that can survive at high phenol concentrations was studied in the Environmental Engineering Laboratory for three months in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology in the Cyprus University of Technology. Firstly, liquid crops were created, then the samples were cultivated in solid crops (with phenol as the sole carbon source) and at last isolation and purification of the samples were performed and the single colonies were replicated in liquid crops to check their performance. Eight single microbial culture will be sent to Macrogen The Nederlands Research Center for recognition and identification.
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Organic micropollutants are compounds which are normally detected at concentrations up to microgr... more Organic micropollutants are compounds which are normally detected at concentrations up to microgram per liter in the aquatic environment and they are considered to be potential threats to the ecosystem. Some of them have been studied in detail since 1980s and are already included in existing national or international legislative documents, while others are characterized as emerging contaminants (ECs) and no regulations currently require their environmental monitoring. During the last decade, several studies have been focused on the investigation of possible sources of emerging contaminants’ distribution into the environment. According to the literature, sewage treatment plants are considered as major point sources of these compounds into the environment, as they receive domestic and industrial wastewater, as well as urban and -in some cases- agricultural runoff (Ratola et al., 2012; Luo et al., 2014; Arvaniti and Stasinakis, 2015). On the other side, the contribution of landfills, v...
Zbornik radova Fakulteta tehničkih nauka u Novom Sadu
U okviru rada ispitane su inovativne metode za prečišćavanje komunalne otpadne vode. Njihovo pro... more U okviru rada ispitane su inovativne metode za prečišćavanje komunalne otpadne vode. Njihovo proučavanje izvedeno je na osnovu analiza naučnih radova drugih autora i istraživača, kao i na osnovu izvršenog eksperimenta. Opisani su eksperimentalno isptivani sistemi i dobijeni rezultati. Prvi sistem činio je kombinaciju anaerobnog reaktora sa pokretnim biofilmom (AnMBBR) i aerobni membranski bioreaktor (AeMBR), a drugi kombinaciju sekvencijalnog šaržnog reaktora (SBR) i mikroalge Chlorella sorokiniana. Određena je efikasnost prečišćavanja oba sistema, kao i njihovo poređenje sa ciljem predstavljanja prednosti i nedostataka.
The impact of chemical speciation on heavy metals toxicity and behavior during the activated slud... more The impact of chemical speciation on heavy metals toxicity and behavior during the activated sludge process was investigated in this study. For the first purpose, experiments were conducted in the presence of the most significant chemical species of arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), tin (Sn) and in the presence of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). For the second purpose, experiments were conducted in the presence of Cr(III) and Cr(VI). Evaluation of As, Fig and Sn chemical species toxicity on the respiration rate of activated sludge heterotrophic microorganisms showed that As(III) and CH₃Hg were much more toxic to activated sludge than As(V) and Hg(II), respectively. Moreover, TBT (tributyl-Sn), DBT (dibutyl-Sn) and TPhT (triphenyl-Sn) were more toxic than MBT (monobutyl-Sn). An increase of sludge age or the concentration of suspended solids reduces the observed inhibition. Determination of maximum specific growth rate, μm and biomass yield, YH, of heterotrophic biomass showed that Cr(VI) con...
The Science of the total environment, Jan 15, 2017
The fate of five benzotriazoles (1H-benzotriazole, BTR; 4-methyl-1H-benzotriazole, 4TTR; 5-methyl... more The fate of five benzotriazoles (1H-benzotriazole, BTR; 4-methyl-1H-benzotriazole, 4TTR; 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole, 5TTR; xylytriazole, XTR and 5-chlorobenzotriazole, CBTR) was studied in batch and continuous-flow Lemna minor systems and the role of different mechanisms on their removal was evaluated. Single and joint toxicity experiments were initially conducted using the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) protocol 221 and no inhibition on specific growth rate of Lemna minor was observed for concentrations up to 200μgL(-1). All tested substances were significantly removed in batch experiments with Lemna minor. Excepting 4TTR, full elimination of CBTR, XTR, 5TTR and BTR was observed up to the end of these experiments (36d), while the half-life values ranged between 1.6±0.3d (CBTR) and 25±3.6d (4-TTR). Calculation of kinetic constants for hydrolysis, photodegradation, and plant uptake revealed that for all BTRs the kinetic constants of plant uptake were by ...
Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2012
The concentrations of eighteen perfluorinated compounds (PFCs: C5-C14 carboxylates, C4, C6-C8 and... more The concentrations of eighteen perfluorinated compounds (PFCs: C5-C14 carboxylates, C4, C6-C8 and C10 sulfonates and 3 sulfonamides) were determined in wastewater and sludge samples originating from two different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The analytes were extracted by solid phase extraction (dissolved phase) or sonication followed by solid phase extraction (solid phase). Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed by LC-MS/MS. According to the results, perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were dominant in wastewater and sludge samples from both plants. The average concentrations in the raw and treated wastewater ranged up to 75.7 ng L(-1) (perfluorotridecanoic acid, PFTrDA) and 76.0 ng L(-1) (PFPeA), respectively. Concentrations of most PFCs were higher in effluents than in influents, indicating their formation during wastewater treatment processes. In sewage sludge, the average concentrations ranged up to 6.7 ng g(-1) dry weight (PFOS). No significant seasonal variations in PFCs concentrations were observed, while higher concentrations of PFOA, PFOS and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) were determined in the WWTP receiving municipal and industrial wastewater. Significantly different distribution coefficient (Kd) values were determined for different PFCs and different type of sludge, ranging between 169 L kg(-1) (PFHxS) to 12,922 L kg(-1) (PFDA).
Environmental Science & Technology, 2013
The occurrence and fate of 5 cyclic (D3 to D7) and 12 linear (L3 to L14) siloxanes were investiga... more The occurrence and fate of 5 cyclic (D3 to D7) and 12 linear (L3 to L14) siloxanes were investigated in raw and treated wastewater (both particulate and dissolved phases) as well as in sludge from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Athens, Greece. Cyclic and linear siloxanes (except for L3) were detected in all influent wastewater and sludge samples at mean concentrations of (sum of 17 siloxanes) 20 μg L(-1) and 75 mg kg(-1), respectively. The predominant compounds in wastewater were L11 (24% of the total siloxane concentration), L10 (16%), and D5 (13%), and in sludge were D5 (20%) and L10 (15%). The distribution of siloxanes between particulate and dissolved phases in influents differed significantly for linear and cyclic siloxanes. Linear siloxanes showed higher solid-liquid distribution coefficients (log K(d)) than did cyclic compounds. For 10 of the 16 compounds detected in influents, the removal efficiency was higher than 80%. Sorption to sludge and biodegradation and/or volatilization losses are important factors that affect the fate of siloxanes in WWTPs. The mean total mass of siloxanes that enter into the WWTP via influent was 15.1 kg per day(-1), and the mean total mass released into the environment via effluent was 2.67 kg per day(-1).
Anal. Methods, 2014
Integrated simultaneous determination of 18 perfluorinated compounds in wastewater and sewage slu... more Integrated simultaneous determination of 18 perfluorinated compounds in wastewater and sewage sludge.
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
The purpose of this study was to estimate the environmental risk associated with the existence of... more The purpose of this study was to estimate the environmental risk associated with the existence of triclosan (TCS) released from municipal wastewater in the European rivers. A literature review was held to record the concentration levels of TCS in effluents of European Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), while toxicity data was collected for aquatic organisms (algae, Daphnia magna and fish). Risk assessment was based on both Risk Quotient (RQ) methodology and Monte Carlo simulation. According to the results, TCS monitoring data was available for 349 STPs located in 15 out of the 50 European countries. Its mean concentrations ranged between 2.2 ng L-1 and 47,800 ng L-1. The 95th percentile of RQ was higher than 1 (in algae) for rivers with dilution factors (DFs) equal to or lower than 100, when maximum concentration was used, whereas the 95th percentile of RQ exceeded 1 for rivers with DFs up to 10, in cases where the calculations were based on mean concentration values. The probability t...
Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Batch experiments were conducted in order to investigate the use of microalgae Chlorella sorokini... more Batch experiments were conducted in order to investigate the use of microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana for the treatment of different types of municipal wastewater (raw sewage, anaerobically treated wastewater, aerobically treated wastewater) and investigate the role of light and addition of ammonium on its growth. All experiments were conducted in triplicates and lasted for 7 days. Several parameters were monitored during the experiments in order to check the experimental conditions (pH, temperature, DO), the growth of biomass and the removal of major pollutants (COD, NH4-N, PO4-P, NO3-N) from wastewater. According to the results, the target microalgae can be sufficiently developed in raw and anaerobically treated sewage, while it can remove an important part of the major pollutants found in raw sewage, reaching up to 94%, for COD, 99% for PO4-P and 94% for NO3-N. The addition of NH4-N in aerobically treated does not enhance growth of biomass, while the application of mixotrophic con...
Metabolites
The national infrastructure FoodOmicsGR_RI coordinates research efforts from eight Greek Universi... more The national infrastructure FoodOmicsGR_RI coordinates research efforts from eight Greek Universities and Research Centers in a network aiming to support research and development (R&D) in the agri-food sector. The goals of FoodOmicsGR_RI are the comprehensive in-depth characterization of foods using cutting-edge omics technologies and the support of dietary/nutrition studies. The network combines strong omics expertise with expert field/application scientists (food/nutrition sciences, plant protection/plant growth, animal husbandry, apiculture and 10 other fields). Human resources involve more than 60 staff scientists and more than 30 recruits. State-of-the-art technologies and instrumentation is available for the comprehensive mapping of the food composition and available genetic resources, the assessment of the distinct value of foods, and the effect of nutritional intervention on the metabolic profile of biological samples of consumers and animal models. The consortium has the kn...
The fate of five benzotriazoles (1H-benzotriazole, BTR; 4-methyl-1Hbenzotriazole, 4TTR; 5-methyl-... more The fate of five benzotriazoles (1H-benzotriazole, BTR; 4-methyl-1Hbenzotriazole, 4TTR; 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole, 5TTR; xylytriazole, XTR and 5-chlorobenzotriazole, CBTR) was studied in batch and continuous-flow Lemna minor systems and the role of different mechanisms on their removal was evaluated. Single and joint toxicity experiments were initially conducted using OECD protocol 221 and no inhibition on specific growth rate of Lemna minor was observed for concentrations up to 200 μg L-1. All tested substances were significantly removed in batch experiments with Lemna minor. Excepting 4TTR, full elimination of CBTR, XTR, 5TTR and BTR was observed up to the end of these experiments (36 d), while the halflife values ranged between 1.6 ± 0.3 d (CBTR) and 25 ± 3.6 d (4-TTR). Calculation of kinetic constants for hydrolysis, photodegradation, and plant uptake revealed that for all BTRs the kinetic constants of plant uptake were by far higher comparing to those of the other mechanisms, r...
Journal of hazardous materials, Jan 15, 2017
The fate of four antimicrobials (cefadroxil, CFD; metronidazole, METRO; trimethoprim, TRI; sulfam... more The fate of four antimicrobials (cefadroxil, CFD; metronidazole, METRO; trimethoprim, TRI; sulfamethoxazole, SMX) was studied in Lemna minor systems and the role of different mechanisms on their removal was evaluated. All micropollutants were significantly removed in batch experiments with active Lemna minor; the highest removal was observed for CFD (100% in 14 d), followed by METRO (96%), SMX (73%) and TRI (59%) during 24 d of the experiment. Calculation of kinetic constants for hydrolysis, photodegradation, sorption to biomass and plant uptake revealed significant differences depending on the compound and the studied mechanism. For METRO, TRI and SMX the kinetic constants of plant uptake were by far higher comparing to those of the other mechanisms. The transformation products of antimicrobials were identified using UHPLC-QToF-MS. Two were the main degradation pathways for TRI; hydroxylation takes place during both phyto- and photodegradation, while demethylation occurs only in ab...
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Papers by Athanasios Stasinakis