Investigation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) formed in three-phase products from the pyrolysis of various wastewater sewage sludge

This study investigated the presence and concentration of 16 U.S. EPA priority controlled PAHs in gas, bio-oil and residues from the pyrolysis of different sewage sludges. We studied the temperature as a key influential factor for the formation of 16 targets PAHs and the effect of sludge source on the distribution of different molecules’ PAHs were analyzed. Results showed that most of the 16 PAHs were formed during sludge pyrolysis and mainly ended up in bio-oil and gas. The distribution of PAHs in bio-oil was mostly dependent on pyrolysis temperature. With the increase of pyrolysis temperature from 450℃ to 850℃, it has been observed an increase of PAHs concentration in the bio-oils as follows: 16 % (ISS), 1.3 % (food manufacture wastewater sludge, FSS), 194 % (printing and dyeing wastewater sludge, PDSS), 334 % (DSS). 2, 3 and 4-ring PAHs dominate, and their total mass proportion is over 70 %. In gas, the types and concentrations of PAHs were less than in bio-oil. PAHs yield in solid was very low, and a trace content of PAHs of 0.0161 mg kg⁻¹ was detected from the solid after the pyrolysis of DSS, while PAHs in solid for ISS and FSS are even non-existent and would cause fewer environmental problems.