PRIORITY POLLUTANT REMOVAL
BY ACTIVATED SLUDGE TREATMENT:
MONITORING PHENOLS FROM DYE AND PIGMENT WASTE
Janet Rickabaugh, Research Associate
Martha Lambert, Research Assistant
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio 45221
The removal of pollutants from industrial waste streams is of major concern to industry
and regulatory agencies alike. To monitor such removals in this study, the U.S. EPA Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory has contracted the University of Cincinnati Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to provide analytical services for an activated
carbon-activated sludge system used to treat a dye and pigment waste. The activated sludge
units are located at the EPA test and evaluation facility at the Gest Street Treatment Plant
in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University of Cincinnati (UC) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering provided the analytical support for traditional monitoring parameters as
well as specific organic analyses. Only GC/MS analyses were contracted to outside laboratories.
The part of the study reported at this time was an 11-week period of segment 1, broken
into three- and four-week periods of phases 1, 2 and 3. Only the phenols methodology and
data evaluation will be discussed. The overall project is reported by Shaul et al. [ 1).
The experimental analysis plan for specific organics in this study was to identify by GC/MS
compounds of significantly high level of concentration to monitor by flame ionization
detection/gas chromatography analysis through the biological treatment process from influent to secondary effluent.
Initial GC/MS scans showed only phenol in relatively high levels, and it was chosen for
monitoring during the study. Two other phenols were considered for spiking and thus were
included in the preliminary method work up. However, just prior to the start of the study,
the number of phenols was expanded to include all 1 1 priority phenols, even though only
phenol was known to be present in the wastewater. Still of prime concern were the highest
concentration species which could be followed through the activated sludge system by GC
analysis.
GC/MS ANALYSES
Samples for GC/MS analysis of phenols were grab samples taken in 1-liter amber glass
bottles with Teflon®-lined caps. These were placed in sample packs provided by the GC/MS
contractors. Eight frozen blue-ice packets were placed along with the samples in styrofoam-
lined packing boxes and sent by United Parcel Service to the GC/MS contractor. The blue-ice
packets kept the samples at or below 4°C for three days. However, samples always arrived
at the contractors within two days. The GC/MS analyses were performed according to
Method 625 of the Federal Register [21. Table I lists the 11 priority phenols along with the
Federal Register detectable limit for each.
The initial GC/MS scans for this study were performed on six samples over a period of
eight days in May 1981. The purpose was to determine which pollutants might be of sufficiently high concentration to monitor through the biological treatment system. The waste
was secured downstream of the industrial waste discharge point, an "end of the pipe"
sample. Table II shows the results of all the GC/MS analyses as they related to the phenol
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