An Assessment of Mass Flows, Removal and Environmental Emissions of Bisphenols in a Sequencing Batch Reactor Wastewater Treatment Plant

Abstract

This study analyzed 16 bisphenols (BPs) in wastewater and sludge samples collected from different stages at a municipal wastewater treatment plant based on sequencing batch reactor technology. It also describes developing an analytical method for determining BPs in the solid phase of activated sludge based on solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Obtained concentrations are converted into mass flows, and the biodegradation of BPs and adsorption to primary and secondary sludge are determined. Ten of the sixteen BPs were present in the influent with concentrations up to 434 ng L−1 (BPS). Only five BPs with concentrations up to 79 ng L−1 (BPA) were determined in the plant effluent, accounting for 8 % of the total BPs determined in the influent. Eleven per cent of the total BPs were adsorbed on primary and secondary sludge. Overall, BPs biodegradation efficiency was 81%. The highest daily emissions via effluent release (1.48 g day−1) and sludge disposal (4.63 g day−1) were for BPA, while total emissions reached 2 g day−1 via effluent and 6 g day−1 via sludge disposal. The data show that the concentrations of BPs in sludge are not negligible, and their environmental emissions should be monitored and further studied.

Keywords

• adsorption
• biodegradation
• contaminants of emerging concern
• GC-MS
• SBR
• sludge