Control of endotoxins and their fate during wastewater reclamation

Potable reuse is one of the alternatives to approach water sustainability and it is gaining widespread acceptance all over the world due to increasing stress on water resources (Rodriguez et al. 2009). As water reclamation and potable reuse is a viable option, constituents that might threaten human health must be considered seriously. Endotoxins, interchangeably named Lipo-polisccharide (LPS), are among the constituents of concern. Unlike other pollutants and being associated to the biological reaction it is impossible to control the LPS endotoxins at the source. In several studies, reclaimed wastewater toxicity has been linked to the existence of the LPS endotoxin in treated water. While toxicity of reclaimed wastewater have been investigated previously, the current knowledge on the endotoxin problem is still limited, particularly regarding the amount of endotoxin in treated wastewater, the removal alternatives of these chemicals from water and their role in water toxicity. Thus the aim of this research was to gain understanding of the control and fate of endotoxin during wastewater reclamation processes. Ohkushi 2007 reports that the increase of endotoxicity in river water was associated with high endotoxicity in the effluent of treatment plants discharged in the river. However, no studies were reported investigating endotoxin in treatment processes.