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 toxics equivalency concentrations (TEQs) in the effluent of WWTPs, to which attention should be paid.
Highlights
IntroductionPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a type of contaminant with teratogenicity and carcinogenicity, which are discovered in various places, such as wastewater treatment [1]
To examine the regular variation with an influent and effluent concentration of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Me-PAHs), and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs), 24 h influent wastewater samples were collected from the 10 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)
The 16 PAHs, 33 Me-PAHs, and 14 NPAHs were detected in the influent and effluent of the 10 WWTPs
Summary
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a type of contaminant with teratogenicity and carcinogenicity, which are discovered in various places, such as wastewater treatment [1]. Some typical alternative aromatic hydrocarbons, methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Me-PAHs) and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs), have been of great interest due to their higher toxicity than polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [3]. NPAHs have a higher molecular weight (MW), octanol-air partition coefficients (KOA ), less water solubility (S), vapor pressure (VP ), sorption partition (KOC ), an octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow ), than their related PAHs [4]. The derivatives can be produced through the transformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons equivalent to different rings by chemical and biological processes [6]. NPAHs present in the aquatic environment could be obtained from atmospheric deposition and urban drainage [7]
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