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Occurrence and distribution of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in industrial and domestic sewage sludge

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Abstract

Sewage sludge samples collected from 43 different domestic and industrial wastewater treatment plants and petrochemical industries that discharge to the Houston Ship Channel (HSC) were analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), which are highly toxic and carcinogenic towards humans and animals. The measured total PCDD/F toxic equivalency (TEQ) ranged between 0.73 and 7348.40 pg/g dry weight. The mean TEQ of PCDD/Fs in industrial sludge was approximately 40 times higher than that in sewage sludge. The PCDD homolog concentrations in the industrial samples were higher than those observed at the wastewater treatment plants by a factor of 10, with total heptachlorodibenzodioxin (HpCDD) exhibiting the maximum concentration in most of the samples. Among the PCDF homologs, total heptadichlorodibenzofuran (HpCDF) dominated the total homolog concentration in sludge from the wastewater treatment plants, whereas total tetradichlorodibenzofuran (TeCDF) dominated the industrial sludge samples. Overall, the total PCDD/F TEQ in sludge samples was much higher than that in effluent samples from the same facility. A linear correlation (R 2 = 0.62, p value < 0.068) was found indicating that sludge sampling can be used as a surrogate for effluent concentrations in wastewater treatment plants but not for industrial discharges.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and Houston Endowment. Their support is gratefully acknowledged.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun, Houston, TX, 77204-4003, USA

    Aparna Balasubramani & Hanadi S. Rifai

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  1. Aparna Balasubramani
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  2. Hanadi S. Rifai
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Correspondence to Hanadi S. Rifai.

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Responsible editor: Ester Heath

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Balasubramani, A., Rifai, H.S. Occurrence and distribution of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in industrial and domestic sewage sludge. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 14801–14808 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4696-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4696-z

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