PCDDs and PCDFs in sewage sludges from two wastewater treatment plants in Beijing, China

The levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were analyzed by an isotope-dilution high-resolution mass spectrometric in 16 sewage sludges, sampled from 2004 to 2009, from two municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Beijing. Total toxicity equivalent (TEQ) values were evaluated using the toxicity equivalent factors proposed by International for PCDD/Fs. The I-TEQs for these sewage sludges were from 0.97 to 15.0 pg g−1 dry weight (dw) with a mean value 4.43 pg g−1 dw, indicating that all I-TEQs were below Chinese legislation limit value regulated for agricultural use in soils.The results from limited samples (16 samples) showed that the levels of PCDD/Fs might be correlated with the sludge age. Meanwhile, the temporal trends of PCD/Fs suggested that the I-TEQs may correlate with rainfall in the present study.

Research highlights
► Provided profile data about PCDDs and PCDFs in sewage sludges.
► Provided PCDDs and PCDFs data of sewage sludges in consequent several years, showing pollution variation in the past years.
► Analyzed the possible pollution sources for PCDDs and PCDFs in Beijing, China.
► Analyzed the possible factors impacting the accumulation of PCDDs and PCDFs among sewage sludges in Beijing, China.