Wang Ming-Huang, Chen Chih-Feng, Albarico Frank Paolo Jay B, Chen Chiu-Wen, Dong Cheng-Di
Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 81157, Taiwan.
Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 81157, Taiwan; Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, 81157, Taiwan; College of Fisheries and Allied Sciences, Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology, Sagay City, 6122, Philippines.
Chemosphere. 2022 Nov;307(Pt 2):135857. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135857. Epub 2022 Aug 5.
Phthalate esters (PAEs) are fat soluble synthetic chemicals, usually regarded as plasticizers for being added in numerous plastic products. Thus, environmental and health hazards of PAEs are associated with increasing plastic pollution. In this study, PAEs from sludge samples collected from water, sewage, and industrial treatment plants (N = 17) were analyzed using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Microplastics (MPs) were also quantified and correlated with PAEs. Results showed the highest average PAE concentrations in sewage treatment plants. The greatest ΣPAEs concentration were found in sewage treatment plant (STP4) with 32,414 μg/kg dw, while the lowest found in water treatment plant (WTP3) with 2062 μg/kg dw. Among different PAEs, di-(2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate (DEHP) contributes the highest. Similarly, DEHP, di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) and diisononyl phthalate (DiNP) significantly correlated with the total PAEs indicating their large contribution to sludge contamination. The abundance of microplastics in sludge ranged between 1 and 7 MP/g, highest at ITP6, but not detected in some stations. While microplastics may potentially increase PAEs, there was no significant relationship between ΣPAEs and MP abundance. The estimated human daily intake of DEHP and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) when contaminated sludge be used showed low toxicological risks to exposed adults. This research presents the sludge characteristics, PAEs, and microplastic concentrations in different wastewater treatment plants in Taiwan. PAE contamination was highly contributed by domestic and industrial wastes shown by their significant amounts in STP and ITP. Results further provide evidence for potential sludge recycling (WTP sludge) and application to soil.
邻苯二甲酸酯（PAEs）是脂溶性合成化学品，通常被视为增塑剂，用于添加到众多塑料制品中。因此，PAEs对环境和健康的危害与日益严重的塑料污染相关。在本研究中，使用气相色谱/质谱法分析了从水、污水和工业处理厂采集的污泥样品（N = 17）中的PAEs。还对微塑料（MPs）进行了定量分析，并将其与PAEs进行关联。结果显示污水处理厂中PAE的平均浓度最高。污水处理厂（STP4）中PAEs的总浓度最高，为32414 μg/kg干重，而水处理厂（WTP3）中最低，为2062 μg/kg干重。在不同的PAEs中，邻苯二甲酸二（2-乙基己基）酯（DEHP）的贡献最大。同样，DEHP、邻苯二甲酸二正辛酯（DnOP）和邻苯二甲酸二异壬酯（DiNP）与总PAEs显著相关，表明它们对污泥污染的贡献很大。污泥中微塑料的丰度在1至7个MP/g之间，在ITP6处最高，但在某些站点未检测到。虽然微塑料可能会增加PAEs，但总PAEs与MP丰度之间没有显著关系。当使用受污染的污泥时，估计成年人每日摄入DEHP和邻苯二甲酸二正丁酯（DnBP）的毒理学风险较低。本研究展示了台湾不同污水处理厂的污泥特性、PAEs和微塑料浓度。STP和ITP中PAE污染主要由生活和工业废物造成，其含量很高。研究结果进一步为潜在的污泥回收利用（WTP污泥）及其在土壤中的应用提供了证据。
