Organic micropollutants in Swiss sewage sludge

Sludges from sixteen municipal and eleven industrial Swiss sewage treatment plants were analysed for adsorbable organic compounds (AOX), chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Except for the AOX values, which were significantly higher ( p < 0.05) in industrial sludges, there was no significant difference between industrial and municipal sludges. The AOX values did not correlate with any of the measured pollutants. The methods employed (capillary GC-MS and GC-electron- capture detection) proved to be suitable for monitoring organic micropollutants in industrial and municipal sewage sludges.