Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in an aerated biological oxidation wastewater treatment system

Polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments of the tidal Hudson River, New York

“…Raw and primary treated sewage supplies ~40 m3/s of flow to New York Harbor north of the Narrows (mp -6) (22). Secondary treated sewage accounts for an additional 20 m3/s, but, since secondary treatment concentrates most of the PCBs in the sludge (23), its contribution has been disregarded. Yonkers effluent contained 0.029 µg/L of peaks 13 and 14 and 0.019 µg/L of peak 15.…”

Kinetics of the chlorination of biphenyl under conditions of waste treatment processes

“…In such processes chlorine doses of 2000 mg L-1 are routine. If a sludge contains biorefractory organics such as biphenyl either dissolved in the aqueous suspension or physically or chemically adsorbed to the sludge particles (36), extensive chlorination of the organics may occur. If, as is the usual case, the liquid effluent from the subsequent dewatering process undergoes biological treatment, further chlorination, and discharge, release of significant concentrations of such chlorinated organics as chlorobiphenyls may result.…”