Chemicals and Plymouth University research

Dr Sean Comber

University of Plymouth

Content

• Brief introduction to me

• Key areas of research

• Links to modelling and regulation

– Pharms

– Metals

– Phosphorus

Research background• 16 years a contract research scientist/manager (WRc,

Marlow)• 6 years a principal consultant (Atkins) • 7 years an academic

• Moved from UK wide regulation/standard setting –Metal bioavailability, EQS setting

• To more local catchment based research focus

My research areas • Sources (measurement and modelling – SAGIS/CIP)• Fate (partitioning, kinetics, biodegradation)• Speciation (metals, organics)• Metals, nutrients (P), organics (pharmaceuticals)

Environmental pathways – are complex!

• Partitioning

• Bioavailability

• Persistence

• Risk assessment

Pharmaceuticals

Emerging

concern

• Sources to sewer

• Models

• Risk

• Legislation

Pharm fate in lower/lower middle income countries

7

Municipal wastewater used for irrigation (%) (FAO 2015)

• Growing market• Poorer wastewater treatment• Great wastewater/effluent reuse• Lack of knowledge re: fate

Pharmaceuticals - processes

We know little about the fate of pharms during sewage treatment or fate in receiving waters

Pharms prediction and risk

Impact

• Working with Astra Zeneca on worldwide issues

• Using sound science to inform smart regulation

• Key issues our science will hopefully help to inform:– Environmental risk assessments for industrialising

countries

– Impacts of wastewater reuse or poor/no sewage treatment

– Pharms in soil and receiving waters

Metal speciation in rivers & estuaries

• Using state of the art metal speciation techniques– AGNES

– Competitive Ligand Exchange Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry (CLE-AdCSV)

• Models (Visual Minteq, WHAM 7)

• Biotic ligand Models

• Standard setting

Monitoring/RiskMonitoring/Risk

Source apportionmentSource apportionment

Mitigation Mitigation

Survey of river Lynher(BLM)

Survey of river Lynher(BLM)

A30 highway runoff impact on headwaters

(BLM)

A30 highway runoff impact on headwaters

(BLM)

Research areas for metals

SAGIS development (WatInd/EA) on going

SAGIS development (WatInd/EA) on going

Mine inputs to Teignfrom groundwater

Mine inputs to Teignfrom groundwater

Mine impacts on W Chiverton stream (water,

spoil, sediment)

Mine impacts on W Chiverton stream (water,

spoil, sediment)

Mine impacts on Tavy (water, spoil, sediment – sequential extractions/ecology/BLM)

Mine impacts on Tavy (water, spoil, sediment – sequential extractions/ecology/BLM)

Red Media pellets for metal removal from

AMD (Teign)

Red Media pellets for metal removal from

AMD (Teign)

ConsultancyConsultancy PhDPhD MScMSc

Metal-S speciation in STW effluents & receiving watersMetal-S speciation in STW

effluents & receiving waters

BScBSc

Phytostabilisation using compost and plants

(Teign)

Phytostabilisation using compost and plants

(Teign)

Zn in marinasZn in marinasmarinasmarinas

Cu/Zn speciation in estuaries (HP)

Cu/Zn speciation in estuaries (HP)

ProcessProcess Anode dissolution/impacts (AR)

Anode dissolution/impacts (AR)

Working with

• International Zinc Association

• International Copper Association

• Environment Agency

• Westcountry Rivers Trust

• Consultancies

• Red Media

Impact• Meeting Water Framework Directive

objectives– Mine site remediation (phytostabilisation)– Acid mine drainage remediation (metal

reduction to meet) • Working with EA/Coal Authority/Red Media

– Source apportionment (UKWIR)• Source control vs end-of-pipe treatment

– Effluent quality (UKWIR) • Consenting/regulation UK and EU

• Marine Environmental Quality Standard setting – Cu and Zn biotic ligand models– Standard setting at UK/EU level

Phosphorus• Linked to SAGIS

• Interest in regulation and modelling

• P speciation and bioavailability

• Biogeochemical cycling (West Sedgemoor)

• Effluent impacts on receiving water (Inny)

Speciation and impacts/trends

P speciation – does it matter?