<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The aim of this research was to determine the effect of thermal conversion temperature and plant material addition to sewage sludge on the PAHs content and the activity of selected γ-radionuclides in biochars, and to conduct an ecotoxicological assessment. The pyrolysis of the mixtures of sewage sludge and plant materials at 300°C and such temperature caused an increase in the contents of 2- and 3-ring hydrocarbons. During the pyrolysis of organic materials at 600°C, the amount of the following compounds was reduced in biochars: benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, indeno[1,2,3c,d]pyrene, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, and benzo[g,h,i]perylene. Among γ-radioisotopes of the elements, natural radiogenic isotopes were dominant. 137Cs was the only artificial radioactive isotope. The pyrolysis of the mixtures of municipal sewage sludge and plant materials revealed that isotope 40K had the highest radioactive activity. In the case of other analysed nuclides, activities of 212Pb, 214Pb, 214Bi, and 137Cs were determined after the sample pyrolysis. The extracts from the mixtures of sewage sludge and plant materials were non-toxic to <italic>Vibrio fischeri</italic>.</abstract>

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of thermal conversion temperature and plant material addition to sewage sludge on the PAHs content and the activity of selected γ-radionuclides in biochars, and to conduct an ecotoxicological assessment. The pyrolysis of the mixtures of sewage sludge and plant materials at 300°C and such temperature caused an increase in the contents of 2- and 3-ring hydrocarbons. During the pyrolysis of organic materials at 600°C, the amount of the following compounds was reduced in biochars: benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, indeno[1,2,3c,d]pyrene, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, and benzo[g,h,i]perylene. Among γ-radioisotopes of the elements, natural radiogenic isotopes were dominant. 137Cs was the only artificial radioactive isotope. The pyrolysis of the mixtures of municipal sewage sludge and plant materials revealed that isotope 40K had the highest radioactive activity. In the case of other analysed nuclides, activities of 212Pb, 214Pb, 214Bi, and 137Cs were determined after the sample pyrolysis. The extracts from the mixtures of sewage sludge and plant materials were non-toxic to Vibrio fischeri.

Content of PAHs, activities of γ-radionuclides and ecotoxicological assessment in biochars

University of Agriculture in Krakow, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow,

Department of Soil Science Erosion and Land Conservation, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation-State Research Institute, Czartoryskich 8, 24-100 Puławy,

The Pedagogical University of Cracow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Krakow,

University of Science and Technology, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow,

Henryk Niewodniczański Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Radzikowskiego 152, 31-142 Krakow,

AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, Department of Mineralogy, Petrography and Geochemistry; al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow,

Polish Journal of Chemical Technology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of thermal conversion temperature and plant material addition to sewage sludge on the PAHs content and the...

Content of PAHs, activities of γ-radionuclides and ecotoxicological assessment in biochars

Published Online: Dec 30, 2016

Page range: 27 - 35

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/pjct-2016-0067

Keywords
biochar, sewage sludge, PAHs, γ-radionuclides,

© 2016 Krzysztof Gondek et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Content of PAHs, activities of γ-radionuclides and ecotoxicological assessment in biochars

Published Online: Dec 30, 2016

Page range: 27 - 35

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/pjct-2016-0067

Keywordsbiochar, sewage sludge, PAHs, γ-radionuclides,

© 2016 Krzysztof Gondek et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
biochar, sewage sludge, PAHs, γ-radionuclides,