THE LOADS OF PAHS IN WASTEWATER AND SEWAGE SLUDGE OF MUNICIPAL TREATMENT PLANT

Abstract

Sewage and sewage sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant were analyzed for 16 EPA-PAHs. This plant is a classic mechanical-biological treatment plant, consisting of activated sludge technology with additional chemical treatment for the removal of phosphorus compounds. The process of sewage sludge treatment is carried out in closed as well as open sludge digesters. Primary and mechanically thickened sludge are passed through the fermentation process. Digested sludge is dewatered on filter-press through addition of flocculent. The measurements were obtained to investigate the effect of different treatment stages on PAH content in wastewater and sewage sludge. The following wastewater samples were collected: crude ones and those after sand trap, primary sedimentation, biological treatment and secondary sedimentation. Sewage sludge samples were collected from: primary sludge, digested sludge and dewatered sludge. PAH load in influent, mechanically and biologically treated sewage, as well as in raw digested and dewatered sludge, were calculated. PAHs were extracted from wastewater and sludge samples, with cyclohexane, dichloromethane using an ultrasonic method. Gas chromatograph equipped with mass spectrometry was used for qualitative and quantitative determination of PAHs. Mechanical and biological treatment proved the removal of 83–85% of PAHs from the influent. Despite this its daily PAH load introduced into the environment was high and reached 27–37% of PAH load in influent. In sewage sludge it was 46–70 g/d of PAHs (carcinogenic PAHs content 4–12%). In waste sludge (filter pressed sludge and sand from detrirer) PAH total load reached 42–68 g/d with (10–17% of carcinogenic PAHs).