Occurrence, Removal, and Mass Balance of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Their Derivatives in Wastewater Treatment Plants in Northeast China

Abstract

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 33 Methylated PAHs (Me-PAHs), and 14 nitrated PAHs (NPAHs) were measured in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to study the removal efficiency of these compounds through the WWTPs, as well as their source appointment and potential risk in the effluent. The concentrations of ∑PAHs, ∑Me-PAHs, and ∑NPAHs were 2.01–8.91, 23.0–102, and 6.21–171 µg/L in the influent, and 0.17–1.37, 0.06–0.41 and 0.01–2.41 µg/L in the effluent, respectively. Simple Treat 4.0 and meta-regression methods were applied to calculate the removal efficiencies (REs) for the 63 PAHs and their derivatives in 10 WWTPs and the results were compared with the monitoring data. Overall, the ranges of REs were 55.3–95.4% predicated by the Simple Treat and 47.5–97.7% by the meta-regression. The results by diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis PCA showed that “mixed source” biomass, coal composition, and petroleum could be recognized to either petrogenic or pyrogenic sources. The risk assessment of the effluent was also evaluated, indicating that seven carcinogenic PAHs, Benzo[a]pyrene, Dibenz[a,h]anthracene, and Benzo(a)anthracene were major contributors to the toxic carcinogenic equivalents (TEQs) in the effluent of WWTPs, to which attention should be paid.

Characteristics and Risk Assessment of PAH Pollution in Soil of a Retired Coking Wastewater Treatment Plant in Taiyuan, Northern China

“…Additionally, the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index provides a method for comprehensively assessing the average pollution level of an individual pollutant in soil and has been widely used in ecological risk assessments of PAH-contaminated sites [ 27 , 28 ]. In this study, the ecological risk of the site was likewise evaluated based on the calculation of the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index.…”

Fate and Occurrence of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Their Derivatives in Water and Sediment from Songhua River, Northeast China

“…Therefore, Me-PAHs and NPAHs have been of great of interest due to their higher toxicity [12]. Methylbenzaanthracene and Benzo[a]pyrene have strong carcinogenic action, whilst there were moderate and poorly active methyl-benzo[c]phenanthrens substituted in positions (3, 4, and 5) [13]. Besides that, PAHs derivatives had been recognized as direct carcinogens causing inflicting and greater harm [14].…”