Patterns and levels of PCDD/F in a Chinese graphite electrode sludge

The graphite electrode sludge was sampled from a huge chloralkali plant in central China. The total level of PCDD/F was found as high as 378.85 μg/kg sludge (dry weight). The patterns of PCDD/F in each homologue indicated the predominance of tetra-to octa-chlorinated PCDFs. Furthermore, the toxic 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDFs constituted over 80% of the total PCDFs in the sludge and the corresponding PCDDs were only at 15 μg/kg level. The calculated value of the international toxic equivalence (I-TEQ) in sludge was 21.65 μg/kg sludge (dry weight). This typical “dioxin chloralkali pattern” was apparently identified in the sediments near the effluent outlet of the chloralkali plant.