TY - JOUR A1 - Dittmann, Daniel A1 - Braun, Ulrike A1 - Jekel, M. A1 - Ruhl, A. S. T1 - Quantification and characterisation of activated carbon in activated sludge by thermogravimetric and evolved gas analyses JF - Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering N2 - Advanced wastewater treatment with powdered activated carbon (PAC) leads to a spread of PAC into different purification stages of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) due to recirculation and filter back-wash. Currently, no methods for quantification of PAC in activated sludge are available. In this study, PAC containing activated sludge from four WWTP were examined by two-step thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with heating up to 600°C in N2 and subsequently in synthetic air. Direct quantification of PAC according to temperature specific weight losses was possible for one WWTP. Quantification by combining specific mass losses was found to be an alternative direct method, with a detection limit of 1.2% PAC in dry sample mass. Additionally, evolved gas analysis (EGA) by infrared-spectroscopy (FTIR) during TGA revealed interaction mechanisms between PAC and activated sludge. Aliphatic compounds from activated sludge were identified as major substances influenced by PAC. In derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), a typical double peak at approximately 300°C was found to be related to carbonylic species with increased evolution of acetic acid in aged activated sludge. TGA and EGA are promising tools to understand, control and optimise the application of PAC in advanced wastewater treatment. KW - Advanced wastewater treatment KW - Powdered activated carbon KW - Sewage treatment plant KW - Thermoanalysis KW - Thermogravimetry KW - Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy PY - 2018 UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213343718301313 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2018.03.010 SN - 2213-3437 VL - 6 IS - 2 SP - 2222 EP - 2231 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-44978 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schmidt, Stephan A1 - Hoffmann, Holger A1 - Garbe, L.-A. A1 - Schneider, Rudolf T1 - Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry detection of diclofenac and related compounds in water samples JF - Journal of Chromatography A N2 - A frequently studied environmental contaminant is the active substance diclofenac, which is removed insufficiently in sewage treatment plants. Since its inclusion in the watch list of the EU Water Framework Directive, the concentrations in surface waters will be determined throughout Europe. For this, still, more precise analytical methods are needed. As a reference, HPLC-MS is frequently employed. One of the major metabolites is 4’-hydroxydiclofenac (4’-OH-DCF). Also, diclofenac lactam is important for assessing degradation and transformation. Aceclofenac (ACF), the glycolic acid ester of diclofenac is used as a drug, too, and could potentially be cleaved to yield diclofenac again. In various sewage treatment plant influent samples, diclofenac, 4’-OH-DCF, DCF lactam and ACF could be determined with detection limits of 3 µg/L, 0.2 µg/L, 0.17 µg/L and 10 ng/L, respectively. KW - Diclofenac KW - Festphasenextraktion KW - HPLC-MS KW - Probenvorbereitung KW - Kläranlage KW - Abwasser KW - Zyklisierung KW - Diclofenac KW - Solid-phase extraction KW - Sewage treatment plant KW - Cyclization KW - Sample treatment KW - HPLC–MS PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2018.01.037 SN - 0021-9673 SN - 1873-3778 VL - 1538 SP - 112 EP - 116 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam, NL AN - OPUS4-44183 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -