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Organic Priority Pollutants in New York City Municipal Wastewaters: 1989–1993
Author(s) -
Stubin Alan I.,
Brosnan Thomas M.,
Porter Kim D.,
Jimenez Luis,
Lochan Hayman
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.2175/106143096x128108
Subject(s) - effluent , environmental chemistry , pollutant , pesticide , pollution , wastewater , water pollution , chemistry , environmental science , environmental engineering , ecology , organic chemistry , biology
Analyses of New York City municipal wastewaters were performed to determine the frequency of detection of organic priority pollutants (OPPs) and to identify which compounds commonly occur. Six sampling events, from 1989 to 1993, representing 168 samples and ∼19 000 analytical determinations, detected very few OPPs regularly in either influent or effluent. Identified OPPs included 41 of 112 possible OPPs, or 37 different compounds (14 volatiles, 13 semivolatiles, and 10 pesticides) detected at least once in influent waters and 32 compounds (12 volatiles, 11 semivolatiles, and 9 pesticides) detected at least once in effluent waters. The frequency of occurrence for the three analyte categories never exceeded 19% for influents or 15% for effluents. More commonly identified OPPs included five volatile compounds, one semivolatile compound, and one pesticide. With few exceptions, volatile and semivolatile concentrations were <100 μg/L, and pesticide concentrations were <0.2 μ g/L. Comparisons of effluent concentrations to most stringent standards (MSS) for receiving water showed five compounds to occasionally exceed MSS, with only a single volatile compound, tetrachloroethene, exceeding them with any regularity. This study adds to the limited literature on OPPs in the municipal waste stream, confirming the occurrence of most OPPs to be infrequent in water pollution control plants (WPCPs), and when present, to typically be at low concentrations.