Determination of petroleum hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sludge from wastewater treatment basins

Abstract

Screening by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry has been carried out on sludge extracts of wastewater treatment basins. Soxhlet extraction with trichlorotrifluoroethane was applied. The yields for petroleum hydrocarbons and PAH recovery were high, usually in excess of 90%. The proposed investigations permit a quick assessment of petroleum pollutants in the environment.

Spatial trends of petroleum hydrocarbons in water and sediments

“…PAH such as carbazole and phenanthrene have been shown to be mutagenic and carcinogenic in laboratory studies [3,11]. PAHs may be very devastating to the Ondo coastal environment and benthic populations, as sediment TPH concentrations are comparable to other severely impacted sites [10,11]. Hydrocarbon adsorption was positively correlated with the sediment organic carbon (OC) in both seasons (Fig 4A and B), suggesting that that the oil residues consist mainly of heavier fractions which tend to sink and become sedimented.…”

“…Aromatics are common at petroleum release sites with some, especially monoaromatics, having significant water solubility and environmental mobility. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can be persistent potential carcinogens [10], particularly in sediment and solid matrices [9]. Weathering further complicates the problems associated with profiling hydrocarbons at contaminated sites.…”

Analytical Methods for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and their Global Trend of Distribution in Water and Sediment: A Review

“…The methods are basically grouped into three: immunoassay, spectrometric and chromatographic methods [57,84].…”

“…However, UV methods (absorption and luorescence) which are considered being sensitive and selective to aromatic compounds like PAHs are more often afected by interference due to the presence of some other compounds like lipids in the sample matrix. Similarly, the IR spectrometric method which although is fast and cheap, requires the sample to undergo a mandatory cleanup step after extraction before analytical determination and is also poorly selective [57]. [94][95][96].…”

“…The damage can include suppressed immune systems, or red blood cell damage leading to anaemia. Long-term exposure is believed to lead to potential developmental and reproductive efects and some forms of cancer [57]. Occupational exposures to high levels of mixtures containing PAHs have resulted in symptoms such as eye irritation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and confusion.…”