U.S DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
Research and Development
Robert A. Taft Water Research Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
MAY 1969
AUTOMATED MONITORING (W68-26)
The use of manual sampling and standard lab-
oratory analyses to record changes in water quality
is impractical; therefore, a wide variety of auto-
mated instruments have been developed. Since the
basic purpose is control of water pollution, rather
than measurement, the use of monitoring equip-
ment to sound an alarm or even to automatically
initiate action by control mechanisms should be
an essential part of the monitoring concept.
This discussion is confined to integrated (mul-
tiparameter) instruments for monitoring of water
quality. With current designs, up to eight separate
parameters can be measured simultaneously within
the same instrument package.
Ballinger. D. G.. "Automated Water Quality Monitoring,"
Environmental Science 
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ment and disposal of urban stormwater runoff. Some
bench-scale settling and chlorination experiments
were undertaken to obtain preliminary design in-
formation.
Urban stormwater runoff has been shown to
contain constituents of pollutional character hazar-
dous to public health. Currently masked by gross
pollution from raw or inadequately treated sewage,
the impact of this urban runoff may not be apparent
until the gross sources are eliminated.
Evans. F. L. Ill, Geldreich. E. E„ Weibel. S. R.. and
Robeck, G. G.. "Treatment of Urban Stormwater Runoff."
¦Journal Water Pollution Control Federation, 40, No. 5,
Part 2, R162-R170, 1968.
PHENOLS IN SURFACE WATERS (W69-1)
Thin-layer chromatographic procedures for the
determination of phenol and certain substitute phe-
nols were applied to raw surface waters. Both
water grab and carbon adsorption samples were
analyzed. The concentrated solvent extracts of the
samples were chromatographed on silica gel G thin
layers and developed in benzene/cyclohexane/die-
thylamine (5:4:1) or chloroform. The first system
provides for selective determination of the alkyl-
phenols, since the chloronitro- and amino-phenols
remain at or near the origin. Phenols developed
with this system are detected with p-nitrobenzene-
diazonium fluoroborate. Those developed with
chloroform are detected with Gibbs' reagent.
Smith. D. and Lichtenberg, J. J., "Determination of Phe-
nols in Surface Waters by Thin-Layer Chromatography,"
Micro-organie Matter in Water, ASTM STP 448, Ameri-
can Society for Testing and Materials, 78-95, 1969.
VIRUS DISEASES IN BLUE-GREEN ALGAE (W68-36)
Under favorable conditions viruses provide a
valuable alternative to chemical treatment for pest
control. So successful are some virus pesticides
that chemical controls are no longer necessary. The
introduction of the myxoma virus into the rabbit
population of Australia is a classic example of the
effectiveness of this approach (Fenner, 1959). No
less dramatic has been the use of viruses in the
control of insect pests (Rivers, 1964). This paper
discusses virus diseases in algae.
Safferman, R. S., "Virus Diseases in Blue-Green Algae,"
Algae, Man and the Environment, Syracuse University
Press, Syracuse, N. Y., 429-439, 1968.
PENTAFLUOROBENZYL ESTERS (W68-28)
This paper discusses the microdetermination of
pentafluorobenzyl ester derivatives of organic acids
by means of electron capture gas chromatography.
Traces of organic acids adversely affect the pala-
tability of watef. To aid in monitoring waterways,
sensitive and rapid methods are necessary for meas-
uring these compounds 'which constitute a small
portion of the complex organic residue obtained by
evaporation of the chloroform extract of the carbon
adsorption samples. Sufficient amount of activated
carbon contained in a hollow cylinder effectively
concentrates from metered water the numerous
organic pollutants which are carried to the stream
by runoff in domestic sewage, or in industrial wastes.
The adsorbed organic pollutants may be recov-
ered from the activated carbon by means of extrac-
tion with chloroform. Evaporation of the extract
leaves an organic residue. Details for determining
the carbon chloroform extract of monitored surface
waters are reported.
Kawahara, F. K., "Microdetermination of Pentafluoro-
benzyl Ester Derivatives of Organic Acids by Means of
Electron Capture Gas Chromatography," Analytical Chem-
istry, 40, No. 13, 2073-2075, November 1968.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT (W68-35)
Several physical-chemical and biological waste-
water treatment techniques have been investigated
for technical and economic feasibility during recent
years. The most promising of these are now being |
further developed in pilot-scale and full-scale plants.
New approaches to wastewater treatment are not
limited to new processes and are not necessarily
intended to replace conventional treatment pro-
cesses. In reflecting both the cost of treatment and
the specificity of the process used, treatment by
new approaches will generally be tailored to the
individual waste involved and to the quality of
effluent required.
This paper describes several new treatment sys-
tems now under development including modified
conventional processes. In most cases the processes
described are still experimental even though they
are being proposed for full-scale or pilot-scale devel-
opment. Evaluations are being conducted at plants
treating municipal wastes in order to guarantee
realistic results under actual operating conditions.
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Stenburg, R. L., Convery, J. J., and Swanson, C. L., "New
Approaches to Wastewater Treatment," Journal of the
Sanitary Engineering Division, ASCE, 94, No. SA6, 1121-
1136, December 1968.
BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES (W68-16)
A basket sampler for collecting benthic macro-
invertebrates in large streams is described. It is
easy to install and collections can be made by per-
sons of varying experience and training. The sam-
pler is durable, corrosion resistant, and inexpensive.
Samples obtained during the period of warmer
water contained many more organisms than samples
collected during the period of colder water.
A major advantage of the sampler is that a
uniform, attractive surface is provided for the at-
tachment of bottom fauna. It collects a larger num-
ber and variety of immature aquatic insects than
the Petersen dredge. It particularly is effective in
collecting certain midges, caddisflies, mayflies,
stoneflies, coelenterates, and bryozoans. However,
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relatively few oligochaetes, mollusks, and some of
the sediment inhabiting midges and mayflies are
collected.
The capability of the basket sampler to collect
a more complete representation of benthic macro-
invertebrates is of great value in water pollution
investigations.
Anderson, J. B. and Mason. W. T. Jr., "A Comparison of
Benthic Macroinvertebrates Collected by Dredge and Bas-
ket Sampler," Journal Water Pollution Control Federation,
40, No. 2. Part 1, 252-259, 1968.
C/N RELATIONSHIPS OF CULTURE MEDIA (W68-17)
Four basic nutrient types are described and dis-
cussed in special reference to the ratios between
carbon source materials and nitrogen source ma-
terials. These include habitat, natural nutrients,
semi-synthetic nutrients and synthetic nutrients.
Special emphasis is placed on the use of such nutri-
ents in agar media for the primary isolation of fungi
from various types of habitat materials such as soils
and sewage.
It is suggested that a basic C:N ratio for such
nutrient agars lies at about 9 or 12 to 1, that in-
creasing this ratio tends to over-enrich the culture,
thus encouraging the formation of intracellular or
extracellular carbon-carrying compounds, and that
decreasing the ratio, tends to encourage the forma-
tion of nitrogen-carrying storage products.
Co~ke, W. B., "Carbon/Nitrogen Relationships of Fungus
Culture Media," Mycopathologia et Mycologia Applicata,
34, Nos. 3/4, 305-316, May 13, 1968.
BLUE-GREEN ALGAL VIRUS SM 1 (W69-4)
The purification of a new blue-green algal virus
SM-1, which infects only unicellular forms is de-
scribed. The new virus appears to be a polyhedron
with no obvious tail. Several characteristics indi-
cate that this virus is distinct from the blue-green
algal virus LPP-1.
Two infectious nucleoproteins were usually
found in sucrose-density gradients. The faster com-
ponent aggregated readily, and its instability ap-
peared to account for the variations in the relative
proportion of the two components. The new SM-1
virus, unlike the algal virus, LPP-1, does not appear
to resemble basic morphological phage types.
Safferman, R. S., Schneider, I. R., Steere, R. L., Morris,
M. E., and Diener, T. O., "Phycovirus SM-1: A Virus In-
fecting Unicellular Blue-Green Algae," Virology, 37, No. 3,
386-395, 1969.
ENUMERATION OF BACTERIAL VIRUSES (W68-34)
A relatively simple method that can be used
to demonstrate the activity of a bacterial virus is
discussed. The bacteriophage enumeration proced-
ure described was successfully used by the partici-
pants in a Seminar in Microbiology for High School
Science Teachers. If a teacher can obtain a stock
suspension of the bacteriophage from a nearby col-
lege or research institute, the phage production
step can be omitted, and the test procedure reduced
to a demonstration of the plaque technic for enum-
eration of a bacterial virus.
Berman, D., "The Enumeration of Bacterial Viruses by
Plaque Technique," The American Biology Teacher, 30,
No. 6, 486-487, August 1968.
OPERATIONS RESEARCH ACTIVITIES (W68-46)
Operations research activities at CWRL (now
the Robert A. Taft Water Research Center) are
directed towards first, development of adequate
mathematical models to represent the performance
and cost of all practicable wastewater treatment
processes and second, using this information to
advance the state-of-the-art in the areas of plan-
ning, design, and control of wastewater treatment
systems.
Two principal types of mathematical models are
studied. The first type, sometimes called a quasi
steady-state model, is based on 24-hour composite
measurements and is intended for planning and
design of wastewater treatment systems to accom-
plish a specific treatment task at a minimum cost.
The second type is the time-dependent model which
is of interest primarily as a tool to study the prac-
ticability of various schemes for controlling pro-
cesses which receive highly variable or intermittent
loads.
By means of process control, the variability of
the effluent stream quality and the average per-
formance of the process can be improved. It is
hoped that cost savings in power or chemicals can
also be realized.
Smith, R., "Operations Research Activities at Cincinnati
Water Research Laboratory," Proceedings of the National
Symposium on the Analysis of Water-Resource Systems,
American Water Resources Association, Denver, Colorado,
July 1-3, 1968, 241-262.
ATOMIC RADIATION FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT
(W69-7)
The rationale for considering radiation as a
wastewater treatment technique rests on a number
of documented facts which may be described as
follows:
1.	Radiation has the ability to alter the struc-
ture of organic and inorganic molecules.
2.	Radiation is capable of initiating oxidation of
organic molecules.
3.	Radiation has the ability to kill bacteria and
other microorganisms.
4.	Radiation can produce electrical effects in
colloidal systems.
Thus, radiation may convert refractory pollu-
tants to a form which is more readily degradable,
may lower the chemical and biological oxygen de-
mand of waste streams, may disinfect bacteria and
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viral-contaminated streams, and may produce favor-
able effects on sludges and waste solids.
This paper defines four principal applications of
radiation to water pollution control.
Ballantine. D. S , Miller, L. A., Bishop, D. F., and Rohr-
man, F. A., "The Practicality of Using Atomic Radiation
for Wastewater Treatment," Journal Water Pollution Con-
trol Federation, 41, No. 3, Part 1, 445-458, 1969.
CHLORINATED HYDROCARBON PESTICIDES (W69-6)
The use of pesticides has become a routine
practice in modern agriculture. While these com-
pounds have great advantages in the control of pred-
atory insects, they represent a possible danger to
the aquatic environment when present in even trace
concentrations.
The National Technical Advisory Committee on
Water Quality Criteria has recommended "that en-
vironmental levels . . . not be permitted to rise
above 50 nanograms 1." Many of the states have
incorporated pesticide criteria in their water quality
standards. Therefore, the monitoring of surface
waters for pesticides is an essential part of our
measurement of water quality.
The Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, as-
sisted by FWPCA scientists experienced in the de-
termination of pesticides, has prepared a method
for chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides. In the opin-
ion of the AQC Laboratory and its advisors, this
method is the best available procedure at this time.
FWPCA Method for Chlorinated Hydrocarbon Pesticides in
Water and Wastewater, FWPCA Publication, Analytical
Quality Control Laboratory, Cincinnati, Ohio, April 1969,
29 pp.
CHARACTERIZATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF OIL
AND ASPHALT POLLUTANTS (W69-5)
To determine the chemical nature of the heavy
petroleum products involved in the 1967 Lake Mich-
igan oil spill, a procedure for the characterization
and identification of the oily, tarlike materials was
needed. Samples from beach water were analyzed
by infrared spectrophotometry. The unknown
spectra could not be matched with the known spec-
tra, since autoxidation caused changes in the un-
known specimen. By comparative ratios of infrared
absorbances, the identity of the critical unknown
samples was established. Even though asphalt and
heavy residual oil have similar infrared spectra,
there is a sharp distinction. Samples from seven
petroleum companies were tested, using this new
method for rapid characterization.
Kawahara, F. K., "Identification and Differentiation of
Heavy Residual Oil and Asphalt Pollutants in Surface
Waters by Comparative Ratios of Infrared Absorbances,"
Environmental Science & Technology, 3, No. 2, 150-153,
1969.
OHIO BASIN REGION BROCHURE
The Office of Information, Ohio Basin Region,
FWPCA, has published a two-color 5" x 8" bro-
chure describing regional and national FWPCA pro-
grams and a profile of the 11-state Region. The
brochure also contains a brief guide to the locations
of Regional offices and laboratories. Copies are
available from the Office of Information, Ohio Basin
Region, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio
45226.
WATER RESEARCH is issued by the Office of Information, Ohio Basin Region, Federal Water Pol-
lution Control Administration, Cincinnati, Ohio. Summaries are based on technical research publications
by the Staff of the Robert A. Taft Water Research Center. Reprints of the complete articles may be
obtained by writing Director, Office of Information, Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, 4676
Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226.
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR	U. S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ADMINISTRATION
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CINCINNATI, OHIO 45226
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
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