Priority organic pollutant assessment of sludges for agricultural purposes

A comprehensive characterization of five of the seven priority organic pollutants listed in the draft of the “Working document on sludge” [EU, 2000. Working Document on Sludge 3rd Draft. Unpublished, 19 p] has been carried out during 2001–2003 in sludge samples from Catalonia (NE Spain). One hundred and thirty-nine samples belonging to 20 Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs), seven sludge treatment (thermal drying) and three composting sludge plants were taken in order to determine the concentration of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and -furans (PCDD/Fs), di-2-(ethyl-hexyl)-phthalate (DEHP), nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates with one or two ethoxy groups (NPE), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCDD/F concentrations were in general lower than the 100 ng I-TEQ/kg limit suggested in the above-mentioned document. In the same way, 98.5% for PCBs, 97% for PAH and 92.8% for DEHP of the samples presented concentrations lower than 0.8 mg/kg dm, 6 mg/kg dm and 100 mg/kg dm, respectively. In contrast, the vast majority of samples contained NPE concentrations much higher than 50 mg/kg dm limit. The values ranged from 14.3 to 3150 mg/kg dm (median value = 286.6 mg/kg) being composted sludge samples the less contaminated ones (17.9–363.4 mg/kg dm; median value = 89.3 mg/kg). Special attention should be paid to the Catalan sludge NPE contamination owing to the high levels detected.