Emissions of Volatile and Potentially Toxic Organic Compounds from Sewage Treatment Plants and Collection Systems

摘要

Publicly-owned treatment works (POTWs) are a source of potentially toxic organic compound (PTOC) emissions for which limited data are available. The study assesses the potential for PTOC emissions from municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWTPs) and collection systems throughout California. The fates of 16 PTOCs are reviewed in terms of volatilization, biodegradation, and adsorption to solids and biomass as the primary removal mechanisms from wastewater. For the compounds that were studied, it was concluded that volatilization is the dominant removal mechanism in MWTPs. A methodology is developed to predict PTOC emissions from 589 MWTPs. A limited but growing data base was used along with extrapolation methods to estimate speciated PTOC emissions from MWTPs on statewide, county-by-county, and plant-by-plant bases. The results indicate that approximately 800 tons per year (tpy) of total PTOCs are emitted from MWTPs throughout California.