Fate of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in sewage sludge during microwave-assisted persulfate oxidation treatment

Abstract The migration, transformation and ecological risk of heavy metals (Cr, As, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in the sewage sludge during the microwave-assisted thermal hydrolysis process were investigated under different temperatures (80 °C, 100 °C, 120 °C, 140 °C, and 160 °C). The potential relationship between the bio-availability of heavy metals and the variables of microwave treatment, including pH, ammonium-nitrogen, soluble chemical oxygen demand, pH, soluble protein, soluble polysaccharide and volatile solid, was also explored. The results showed that the migration of heavy metals between solid-liquid phase mainly depended on the temperature. The percentage of all heavy metals (except Cu) in mobile (acid-soluble/exchangeable and reducible) forms decreased after microwave-assisted thermal hydrolysis treatment. The solubilization of compounds with C = O and O-H accompanied with the generation of organic and inorganic metal halides were also observed in the treated sludge through fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. NH4+-N showed the highest negative correlation to the bio-availability of most heavy metals (except Cu and Cr) with coefficients (absolute value) over 0.87 (P < 0.05). VS showed a positive correlation to the bio-availability of most heavy metals (except Cu). The total potential ecological risk index (RI) decreased by 46.65% after microwave treatment at 160 °C.

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Optimization of a microwave-assisted extraction procedure for the determination of selected alkyl, aryl, and halogenated phenols in sewage sludge and biosolids

Water Quality Research Journal ◽

10.2166/wqrjc.2016.002 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 51 (4) ◽

pp. 344-356 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hing-Biu Lee ◽

M. Lewina Svoboda ◽

Thomas E. Peart ◽

Shirley Anne Smyth

Keyword(s):

Sewage Sludge ◽

Extraction Procedure ◽

Negative Ion ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Microwave Assisted Extraction ◽

Alkyl Aryl ◽

Microwave Assisted ◽

Assisted Extraction ◽

Halogenated Phenols

A microwave-assisted extraction method for the determination of 15 alkyl, aryl, and halogenated phenols in sewage sludge and biosolids samples was developed and optimized. The effects of solvent, temperature, time, moisture content, acid, and number of extractions on the recovery of phenols were evaluated. Results indicated that extraction solvent had the greatest impact on the recovery of all phenols while pH had the largest effect on recovery of hexachlorophene and pentachlorophenol. Wet sludge samples were extracted with acetone-hexane mixture in the presence of glacial acetic acid. The extract was evaporated, acetylated by acetic anhydride and cleaned up by silica gel. For dry sludge samples, an optional procedure for the simultaneous extraction and acetylation of phenols was also proposed. Triclosan (TCS) and the alkyl and aryl phenols in sludge extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in electron-impact mode while polyhalogenated phenols were analyzed by GC-MS in negative ion chemical ionization mode. Method detection limits were ca. 200 ng/g for nonylphenol, <25 ng/g for TCS and other alkyl and aryl phenols, and <5 ng/g for other halogenated phenols. This method has been applied to the determination of phenolic compounds in over 150 sludge and biosolids samples since 2009.

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