Effects of chlorination of some volatile organics in primary municipal sewage effluent

Abstract

The effects of chlorination on volatile organic components of primary municipal sewage effluent were investigated. Gas chromatographic‐electron capture (GC‐EC) analysis indicated that 19–21 new peaks consistently resulted from chlorination at treatment plant dosages. Seventeen to 19 of these peaks were neutral or basic compounds. Gas chromatography with a microelectrolytic conductivity detector demonstrated that 0.01 percent of the chlorine applied to primary effluent at treatment plant levels ends up in stable, volatile chlorinated organic compounds. Furthermore 40 percent of the volatile organically bound chlorine in chlorinated/dechlorinated primary effluent resulted from the chlorination process. Three of the compounds resulted from chlorination, namely chlorobenzene, 1,3‐ dichlorobenzene and α‐chlorotoluene were positively identified by gas chromatography ‐ mass spectrometry. The concentrations of these compounds were in the ug/1 range. Sixty‐one other compounds were also identified with varying degrees of certainty. None of these latter compounds appeared to be formed by the chlorination/dechlorination process.