Infectious risk associated with wastewater reuse: an epidemiological approach applied to the case of Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Wastewater reuse raises the question of health risk and the epidemiological surveys needed. An epidemiological and environmental approach was used to check the security for the exposed populations (surrounding and agricultural population in Clermont-Ferrand. Four information systems were set up: two sentinel systems joining general physicians (15) and pharmacists (7) for the surrounding population and two follow-up surveys among field workers and farmers.

From sewage water treatment to wastewater reuse. One century of Paris sewage farms history.

The irrigation fields of Paris have been used for 100 years. Their soils mainly contain heavy metals in the topmost layer. Metals come from raw sewage as well as from digested sludge of biological treatment plants which have been diluted for years in raw water.

Efficiency of wastewater treatment plants at removing Giardia sp. cysts in southern France.

A study was conducted to evaluate the removal efficiency for Giardia sp. cysts of a number of wastewater treatment plants in France. Of these, five were activated sludge systems, three were trickling filters and three were waste stabilisation pond systems.

Screening level dose assessment of aquatic biota downstream of the Marcoule nuclear complex in southern France.

Aquatic biota in the Rhone River downstream of the Marcoule nuclear complex in France are exposed to natural sources of radiation and to radioactivity released from the Marcoule complex. A simple conservative screening level model was used to estimate the range of concentrations in aquatic media (water, sediments, and aquatic organisms) of both artificial and natural radionuclides and the consequent absorbed (whole body) dose rates for aquatic organisms. Five categories of aquatic organisms were studied, namely, submerged aquatic plants (phanerogam), non-bottom-feeding fish, bottom-feeding fish, mollusca, and fish-eating birds.

Laboratory and field-caging studies on hepatic enzymatic activities in European eel and rainbow trout.

Caging field experiments were conducted on young European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and on rainbow trout (Onchorynchus mykiss) for the determination of a biomonitoring protocol of freshwater streams. Hepatic monooxygenase and conjugation enzyme activities were measured as biomarkers of exposure to some organic pollutants. Laboratory studies were performed to compare the responsiveness of these two species concerning their enzymatic activities.