Contribution of Oxides, Salt, and Carbonate to the Sonication of Some Hydrophobic Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons and Toxicity in Petrochemical Industry Wastewater in İzmir, Turkey

Abstract

The effects of increasing sonication time (60–150 min), calcium chloride (CaCl2; 1–10 g/L), ferrous oxide (FeO; 2–10 mg/L), aluminium oxide (Al2O3; 2–10 mg/L), and Na2CO3 (2–12 mg/L) on the destruction of six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and acute toxicity in a petrochemical industry wastewater in Izmir (Turkey) were investigated at a sonication intensity and a frequency of 51.48 W/cm2 and 35 kHz, respectively. The contribution of 4–6 mg/L CaCl2 to the yields in more hydrophobic PAHs [(benz[a]pyrene (BaP) and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IcdP)] was low (6–8%), whereas it was high (21–26%) in less hydrophobic PAHs [acenaphthene (ACT), fluoranthene (FL), benz[a]anthracene (BaA), benz[k]fluoranthene (BkF)] at 30°C after 150 min sonication. 8 g/L Na2CO3 suppressed the removal of less hydrophobic PAHs (90–96%) although it did not contribute to the yields of more hydrophobic PAHs at 30°C after 150 min sonication. 6 g/L Al2O3 and 8 g/L FeO increased both less (E=93–95%) and more (E=90–94%) hydroph...