Bioanalytical characterization of dioxin-like activity in sewage sludge from Beijing, China

In this preliminary study, the bioanalytical characterization of dioxin-like activity in the sludge of all the nine municipal sewage treatment plants from Beijing city was studied using chemically activated luciferase gene expression (CALUX) assay. The influence of heating period in winter, sewage and sludge treatment processes on the occurrence of dioxin-like activity was also discussed. For the use of clean coal and natural gas, heating did not have significant influence on the occurrence level of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like-PCBs in this study. Anaerobic-aerobic-anoxic sewage treatment process did not show a good performance in the reduction of dioxin-like activity which is useful in the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nitrogen. Anaerobic digestion of sludge increased the concentration of PCDD/Fs from 30.1 to 68.3pgCALUX-TEQg(-1)d.w., and total dioxin-like activity from 32.2 to 69.3pgCALUX-TEQg(-1)d.w. This cost-effective and quick test is useful for large developing countries like China in monitoring programs to obtain baseline data about the scale of contamination caused by dioxin-like activity. It is also a useful component in the monitoring capacity building of dioxins.