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Occurrence and distribution of polycyclic aromatic carbons in sludges from wastewater treatment plants in Guangdong, China

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Abstract

In this study, the occurrence and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in six sludge samples collected from Guangdong Province, China. Concentrations of PAHs varying from 2,534.1 to 6,926.6 μg kg − 1 (dry sludge) were observed in three municipal wastewater treatment plants with phenanthrene (Phe), fluoranthene, and pyrene being the main compounds. In addition, 682.6 μg kg − 1 PAHs were detected in one sludge sample from a food processing plant, with fluorene, Phe, and chrysene being the main components. No PAHs were detected in sludge samples obtained from two cosmetic plants. The levels and distributional characteristics of PAHs, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic musks (PMs) from the samples were also compared. The results of this comparison indicated that petrochemical refineries and road traffic played important roles in the PAH loads in sludge, while PMs primarily originated from domestic wastewater and industrial wastewater from cosmetic plants. Finally, the presence of 98.8 μg kg − 1 PCBs in sludge suggested diffusional emission sources from electrical components containing PCBs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China

    Xiangying Zeng, Zheng Lin, Wenlan Shao, Guoying Sheng, Jiamo Fu & Zhiqiang Yu

  2. The Wastewater Treatment Plant of Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development District, Guangzhou, China

    Hongyan Gui

Authors
  1. Xiangying Zeng
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  2. Zheng Lin
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  3. Hongyan Gui
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  4. Wenlan Shao
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  5. Guoying Sheng
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  6. Jiamo Fu
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  7. Zhiqiang Yu
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Correspondence to Zhiqiang Yu.

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Zeng, X., Lin, Z., Gui, H. et al. Occurrence and distribution of polycyclic aromatic carbons in sludges from wastewater treatment plants in Guangdong, China. Environ Monit Assess 169, 89–100 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-1153-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-1153-9

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