Cadmium and lead toxicity and bioaccumulation in Microcystis aeruginosa

The growth of human population leads to intensification of agriculture and promotes, through eutrophication, development of cyanobacteria. One of the most widespread and bloom-forming species in freshwater is toxic Microcystis aeruginosa （M. aeruginosa）. Combustion of fossil fuels and metallurgical processes are the main sources of heavy metals contamination in surface water including cadmium （Cd） and lead （Pb）. The following study was conducted in order to determine the effect of 1- 20 mg. L-1 of Cd and Pb on photochemistry （using flow cytometry） and growth （based on chlorophyll concentra- tion） ofM. aeruginosa as well as to estimate levels of metal bioaccumulation. We have found that 1-10mg.L-1 of Cd and 1-5 rag. L1 of Pb induced continuous enhancement of chlorophyll fluorescence during 24 h of incubation. No significant degradation of chlorophyll was observed in these samples. At higher concentrations of 20 mg. L-1 of Cd and 10-20 mg.L-1 of Pb chlorophyll level significantly decreased and its fluorescence was quenched. M. aeruginosa demonstrated high capability of Cd and Pb bioaccumulation, proportionally to initial metal concentration. In samples with initial concentration of 20 mg. L-1 of Cd and Pb bioaccumulation of 87.3% and 90.1% was observed, respectively. Our study demonstrates that M. aeruginosa can potentially survive in highly metals polluted environments, be a primary source of toxic metals in the food chain and consequently contribute to enhanced toxicity of heavy metals to living organisms including human.     

Occurrence of odor problems in drinking water of major cities across China

A comprehensive investigation into the occur-rence of odor problem at 111 drinking water treatment plants （DWTPs） in major cities across China was undertaken using both flavor profile analysis （FPA） and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）. Eighty percent of source water samples exhibited odor problems, characterized by earthy/musty （41%） and swampy/septic （36%） odors, while the occurrence rate was lower （45%） in the finished water. Source water from rivers exhibited more pollution-origin odors, such as the swampy/septic odor, while that from lakes and reservoirs exhibited more algae- origin odors, such as earthy/musty odors. The occurrence rate of 2-methylisoborneol （2-MIB） in the surface source water samples was 75%, with 7% of samples containing 2- MIB concentrations of over 10 ng.L-1. The earthy/musty odor in the lake/reservoir water samples was mainly caused by 2-MIB （linear regression coefficient, R2= 0.69）, while the correlation between 2-MIB concentration and the earthy/musty odor intensity samples was weak （R2= 0.35） in the river-source water These results will be useful for the management of odor-quality problems in drinking water of China.     

Application of probabilistic risk assessment at a coking plant site contaminated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Application of Probabilistic Risk Assessment （PRA） and Deterministic Risk Assessment （DRA） at a coking plant site was compared. By DRA, Hazard Quotient （HQ） following exposure to Naphthalene （Nap） and Incremental Life Cancer Risk （ILCR） following exposure to Benzo（a）pyrene （Bap） were 1.87 and 2.12 × 104. PRA revealed valuable information regarding the possible distribution of risk, and risk estimates of DRA located at the 99.59th and 99.76th percentiles in the risk outputs of PRA, which indicated that DRA overestimated the risk. Cleanup levels corresponding acceptable HQ level of 1 and ILCR level of 104 were also calculated for both DRA and PRA. Nap and Bap cleanup levels were 192.85 and 0.14mg.kg-1 by DRA, which would result in only 0.25% and 0.06% of the exposed population to have a risk higher than the acceptable risk, according to the outputs of PRA. The application of PRA on cleanup levels derivation would lift the cleanup levels 1.9 times for Nap and 2.4 times for Bap than which derived by DRA. For this coking plant site, the remediation scale and cost will be reduced in a large portion once the method of PRA is used. Sensitivity analysis was done by calculating the contribution to variance for each exposure parameter and it was found that contaminant concentration in the soil （Cs）, exposure duration （ED）, total hours spent outdoor per day （ETout）, soil ingestion rate （IRs）, the air breathing rate （IRa） and bodyweight （BW） were the most important parameters for risk and cleanup levels calculations.     

空气整段间隔流动注射-催化动力学光度法测定天然水中痕量钒

应用空气整段间隔流动注射法与改进的钒-溴酸钾-没食子酸催化动力学反应体系相结合,建立了测定天然水体中痕量钒的催化动力学光度FIA法。通过使用一个自制的进样阀,使样品带在反应管道中的留存时间得到延长,加热允许温度得到提高。在温度80℃,反应留存时间4.75min条件下,可测定0—10ppb的钒,检出限达0.1ppb。测定2ppb钒样品时,RSD为2.7％(n=10),测定频率达90次/h,方法的平均回收率在80—109％之间。     

Adsorption of benzene and toluene from waste gas using activated carbon activated by ZnCl2

A series of activated carbons with high surface area were prepared from walnut shell using chemical activation with ZnCl2. In this research the carbonization stage was carried out at 500℃. The performance of the synthesized carbons evaluated in adsorption of benzene and toluene from waste gas. The influence of impregnation ratio on the characteristics of synthesized activated carbons as well as their adsorption capacity was investigated. The ratio of activation agent to walnut shell was selected in the range of 0.5-2.0 wt/wt. The synthesized activated carbons were characterized using XRD, SEM, BET and FTIR techniques. The highest activated carbon production yield was obtained at impregnation ratio of 1.5 wt/wt. The XRD analysis illustrated that peaks intensity decreased with increasing impregnation ratio showing that amorphous property of samples was increased. The SEM analysis revealed successful pore development in synthesized activated carbons obtained at high impregnation ratios. The surface area of the activated carbons increased with increasing impregnation ratio and its maximum value reached 2643 m2.g 1 at impregnation ratio of 2/1. FTIR analysis indicated that the relative amount of different acidic surface groups on synthesized carbons was a function of impregnation ratio. Experimental results for benzene and toluene adsorption showed a high potential of employing synthesized impregnated activated carbon for treatment of waste gas. Generally, the amount of VOC adsorbed on the surface was affected by physicochemical properties of synthesized activated carbons.     

攀枝花尾矿库溪流中钒的分布及化学形态

采用ICP-AES方法测定攀枝花尾矿库溪流水、悬浮物、沉积物中钒的含量,以及沉积物中钒的化学形态,结果表明:不同介质中钒的含量均高于全球钒的平均值;钒主要存在于沉积物及悬浮物中;水相中钒的含量主要与沉积物中钒的含量及存在形态有关;沉积物中的钒以残留态为主,各形态钒的比例主要受上覆水体理化性质的影响.     

Microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus as renewable biomass feedstock for electricity generation in microbial fuel cells （MFCs）

Renewable algae biomass, Scenedesmus obliquus, was used as substrate for generating electricity in two chamber microbial fuel cells （MFCs）. From polarization test, maximum power density with pretreated algal biomass was 102mW·m^2 （951mW·m^3） at current generation of 276mA·m^-2. The individual electrode potential as a function of current generation suggested that anodic oxidation process of algae substrate had limitation for high current generation in MFC. Total chemical oxygen demand （TCOD） reduction of 74% was obtained when initial TCOD concentration was 534mg · L^-1 for 150 h of operation. The main organic compounds of algae oriented biomass were lactate and acetate, which were mainly used for electricity generation. Other byproducts such as propionate and butyrate were formed at a negligible amount. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy （EIS） analysis pinpointed the charge transfer resistance （112Ω ） of anode electrode, and the exchange current density of anode electrode was 1214 nA·cm^-2.     

Characterization of phosphorus species and modeling for its organic forms in eutrophic shallow lake sediments,North China

Variations of phosphorus （P） and its species in surface sediment of Baiyangdian Lake, a eutrophic shallow lake located in North China, were investigated through combination of field survey and numerical calculation based on cluster analysis. P fractionation was performed by a sequential extraction scheme, categorized as loosely bound P （NH4Cl-P）, reductant soluble P （BD-P）, metallic oxide bound P （NaOH-P）, calcium bound P （HCl-P） and organic P （Org-P）. P concentrations exhibited regional similarities and a total of four sub-areas were identified in which the same rank was HCl-P 〉 Org-P 〉 BD-P ,=NaOH-P 〉NH4Cl-E NH4Cl-P, BD-P and Org-P were found to contribute to P enrichment in overlying water column. Specifically, labile Org-P acted as a potential pool with a greater contribution in aerobic layer compared to anaerobic layer. A hysteresis （lag = 4 months） existed when labile Org-P concentration was negatively correlated with aerobic layer thickness. In view of magnitude of identified P contributors in sub-areas, higher potential of P release was present in Fuhe River and Tang River estuary areas. On the basis of calibration and verification, the mathematical model with parameter settings applied in this study was improved to serve as a tool for limnology management and eutrophic control.     

Simultaneous quantification of several classes of antibiotics in water,sediments, and fish muscles by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Precise and sensitive methods for the simultaneous determination of different classes of antibiotics, including sulphonamides, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, tetracyclines, and trimethoprim in surface water, sediments, and fish muscles were developed. In water samples, drugs were extracted with solid-phase extraction （SPE） by passing 1000 mL of water through hydrophilic lipophilic balanced （HLB） SPE cartridges. Sediment samples were solvent-extracted, followed by tandem SPE （strong anion exchange （SAX） ＋ HLB） clean-ups. Fish muscles were extracted by a mixture of acetonitrile and citric buffer （80：20, v/v） solution, and cleaned by SPE. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （LC-MS/ MS） with multiple reaction monitoring （MRM） detection was employed to quantify all compounds. The recoveries for the antibiotics in the spiked water, sediment, and fish samples were 60.2%-95.8%, 48.1%-105.3%, and 59.8%- 103.4%, respectively. The methods were applied to samples taken from Dianchi Lake, China. It showed that concentrations of the detected antibiotics ranged from limits of quantification （LOQ） to 713.6 ng- L1 （ofloxacin） in surface water and from less than LOQ to 344.8 μg·kg-1 （sulphamethoxazole） in sediments. The number of detected antibiotics and the overall antibiotic concentrations were higher in the urban area than the rural area, indicating the probable role of livestock and human activities as important sources of antibiotic contamination. In fish muscles, the concentration of norfioxacin was the highest （up to 38.5 μg·kg-1）, but tetracyclines and macrolides were relatively low. Results showed that the methods were rapid and sensitive, and capable of determining several classes of antibiotics from each of the water, sediment, and fish matrices in a single run.     

A red water occurrence in drinking water distribution systems caused by changes in water source in Beijing,China: mechanism analysis and control measures

A red water phenomenon occurred in several communities few days after the change of water source in Beijing, China in 2008. In this study, the origin of this problem, the mechanism of iron release and various control measures were investigated. The results indicated that a significant increase in sulphate concentration as a result of the new water source was the cause of the red water phenomenon. The mechanism of iron release was found that the high-concentration sulphate in the new water source disrupted the stable shell of scale on the inner pipe and led to the release of iron compounds. Experiments showed that the iron release rate in the new source water within pipe section was over 11-fold higher than that occurring within the local source water. The recovery of tap water quality lasted several months despite ameliora- tive measures being implemented, including adding phosphate, reducing the overall proportion of the new water source, elevating the pH and alkalinity, and utilizing free chlorine as a disinfectant instead of chloramine. Adding phosphate was more effective and more practical than the other measures. The iron release rate was decreased after the addition of 1.5 mg. L-1 orthophosphate- P, tripolyphosphate-P and hexametaphosphate-P by 68%, 83% and 87%, respectively. Elevating the pH and alkalinity also reduced the iron release rate by 50%. However, the iron release rate did not decreased after replacing chloramine by 0.5-0.8 mg. L-1 of free chlorine as disinfectant.     

Benzene removal by nano magnetic particles under continuous condition from aqueous solutions

Benzene removal evaluated using Fe304 nano continuous condition. A 44 initial benzene concentration, from aqueous solutions was magnetic particles （NM） in factorial design including NM dose, contact time and pH was investigated in 16 experiments （Taguchi OA design）. The results indicated that all factors were significant and the optimum condition was： pH 8, NM dose of 2000 mg.L-1, benzene concentrations of 100 mg.L-1 and contact time of 14min. The maximum benzene uptake and distribution ratio in the optimum situation were 49.4mg.g-1 and 38.4L.g-1, respectively. The nano particles were shown to capture 98.7% of the benzene in optimum batch condition and 94.5% in continuous condition. The isotherm data proved that the Bmnauer-Emmett-Teller model fit more closely and produced an isotherm constant （b） less than one, indicating favorable adsorption. Regeneration studies verified that the benzene adsorbed by the NM could be easily desorbed by temperature, and thereby, NM can be employed repeatedly in water and wastewater management.     

Current status and developing trends of the contents of heavy metals in sewage sludges in China

It is essential to determine the heavy metal concentrations in sewage sludge to select appropriate disposal methods. We conducted a national survey of heavy metal concentrations of sewage sludge samples from 107 municipal sewage treatment plants located in 48 cities covering the 31 provinces and autonomous regions, as well as Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan by Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in 2006, and identified the temporal trends of heavy metal contents in sewage sludge by comparison with surveys conducted in 1994-2001. In 2006, the average concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn in sewage sludge were 20.2, 1.97, 93.1, 218.8, 2.13, 48.7, 72.3, and 1058mg.kg-1, respectively. Because of the decreased discharge of heavy metals into industrial wastewater in China and the increasingly stringent regulations governing the content of industrial wastes entering sewers, the average concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn have decreased by 32.3%, 49.7%, 54.9%, 25.0%, 37.2%, 44.8%, and 27.0%, respectively, during the past 12 years. The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn in the samples exceeded the heavy metal limits of the Discharge Standard of Pollutants for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant in China （GB 18918-2002） by 6.5%, 3.7%, 6.5%, 6.5%, and 11.2%, respectively. From these results, 85 of the 107 municipal sludges analyzed would be considered suitable for land application.     

Effects of phosphorus concentration on Cr（VI） sorption onto phosphorus-rich sludge biochar

To investigate effects of phosphorus content on Cr（VI） sorption onto phosphorus-rich biochar, sewage sludge of different phosphorus concentrations from 4 to 60 mg.g-1 by dry weight were prepared and carbonized to make biochar for batch sorption experiments. Test results revealed that different phosphorous concentration of raw sludge had respective impacts on surface area, pore surface area, average pore diameter and pH value of derived biochar. The adsorption kinetics of phosphorus-rich biochar could be described by the pseudo-second-order model. The sorption isotherm data followed Langmiur model better than Freundlich model. Biochar produced from sludge with phosphorus concentration of 20 mg. gl gave the largest chromium sorption capacity, which could be attributed to its largest surface area and pores surface area comparing with those of＇biochars from sludge with other phosphorus concentrations. The chromium loaded biochar was analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction measurement. The results indicated that chemical functional groups hydroxyl and methyl on surface of biochar were involved in Cr（VI） binding and its reducing to Cr（III）. Then, a portion of Cr （III） in form of various phosphate precipitates was bound onto biochar surface and the rest was released into the solution. The experimental results suggested that phos- phorus played an important role in pore and surface area development of sludge biochar during pyrolytic process. It also could react with Cr（III） on the biochar surface that impacted on capacity of Cr（VI） removal from solution by sludge biochar. Therefore, phosphorus concentration in sludge should be considered when sludge pyrolytic residue would be reused for heavy metals sorbing.     

Nitrogen pollution and source identification of urban ecosystem surface water in Beijing

Nitrogen contamination of surface water is a worldwide environmental problem with intensive agricul- ture and high population densities. We assessed the spatial and seasonal variation in concentrations of total nitrogen and different nitrogen species present in surface-water in Beijing, China. Also, chemical （NO3-N/C1-） and isotopic （615Nnitrate） indicators were used to identify nitrate sources. The results showed that, during 2009 and 2010, nitrate nitrogen concentrations ranged from 0.7 to 7.6 mg· L^-1, ammonium nitrogen from 0. I to 3.4 mg· L^-1, and total nitrogen from 2.4 to 17.0mg· L^-1. Inorganic nitrogen accounted for between 60 and 100% of total nitrogen at the ten monitoring sites. Nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, and total nitrogen concentrations at the 2 downstream monitoring sites in south-eastern Beijing were significantly higher than those at the other eight upstream monitoring sites （P 〈 0.01）. Examination of seasonal variation showed that there was a significant inverse relationship between nitrate nitrogen concentrations and precipitation, and that nitrate nitrogen concentrations peaked in the dry seasons. The information given by the 15Nnitrate values and nitrate nitrogen concentrations, combined with the NO3-N/C1- ratio distribution, showed that domestic sewage was the major source of nitrate in Beijing. Methods to control and reduce sewage pollution are urgently needed to help manage surface water quality in Beijing.     

Reuse of heavy metal-accumulating Cynondon dactylon in remediation of water contaminated by heavy metals

Phytoremediation technology is regarded as a simple and efficient way to remove heavy metals from contaminated soil. A reasonable disposal of metal hyperaccumulators is always and resource-saving. The a major issue in waste reuse heavy metal-accumulating Cynondon dactylon （L.） was investigated where heavy metals were desorbed by a facile acid-treatment. The result indicated that more than 90% of heavy metals （Zn, Pb and Cu） was extracted from Cynondon daetylon with 0.2 mmol· L^-1 HCl. The plant residue was used to adsorb heavy metals ions. The adsorption fitted the Langmuir isotherm model with the saturation adsorption capacity of 9.5 mg·g^-1 Zn^2＋, 36.2 mg·g^-1 Pb2＋ and 12.9 mg·g^-1 Cu^2＋, and the surface eomplexation and the backfilling of heavy metal imprinting cavities existed simultaneously during the adsorption. The treatment of wastewaters indicated that the plant residue exhibited a high removal rate of 97% for Cu. Also, the material could be recycled. The method offers a new disposal approach for heavy metal hyperaccumulator.     

Recovery of NH 4 + by corn cob produced biochars and its potential application as soil conditioner

NH4^＋ ion, a main pollutant in aquatic systems, not only causes eutrophication in rivers and lakes but also contributes to fish toxicity. In this study, an eco-friendly biosorbent was prepared from the pyrolysis of corn cob, a low-cost agricultural residue. The biochars produced by pyrolysis of corn cob at 400℃ and 600℃ were characterized and investigated as adsorbents for NH4＋ -N from an aqueous solution. The biochars were characterized through elemental analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller-N2 surface area analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the NH4＋ adsorption process of the corn cob biochars. The Freundlich isotherm model fitted the adsorption process better than the Langmuir and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models. Moreover, the adsorption process was well described by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Results of thermodynamic analysis suggested that adsorption was a nonspontaneous exothermic process. Biochars produced at 400℃ had higher adsorption capacity than those produced at 600℃ because of the presence of polar functional groups with higher acidity. The exhausted biochar can be potentially used as soil conditioner, which can provide 6.37 kg NH4＋-N-t^-1 （N fertilizer per ton of biochar）.     

Neighborhood form and CO2 emission: evidence from 23 neighborhoods in Jinan, China

To understand the household C02 emission level in China, as well as how much the neighborhoods＇ socio-economic or design factors could influence the CO2 emission, 23 neighborhoods in Jinan were investigated in 2009 and 2010. These neighborhoods fall into four different types： superblock, enclave, grid and traditional. The household CO2 emission includes sources of both in- home energy use and passenger transportation. The average CO2 emission per household is 7.66 t.a^-1, including 6.87 t in-home operational emission and 792 kg transportation emission. The household CO2 emission by neighborhood categories is 10.97, 5.65, 6.49, 5.40 t-household-1. a-1 for superblock, enclave, grid and tradi- tional respectively. Superblock has the highest average emission and also the highest percent （more than 25%） of transportation emission among four different types of neighborhoods. The residential CO2 emission of superb- lock neighborhoods in Jinan has already reached the level in developed countries nearly ten years ago. It is predictable that more superblock neighborhoods would be built in China with the fast urbanization. How to avoid the rapid household CO2 emission growth in the future would be a systematic issue. The study also found that in addition to income and apartment area, household density, land use mix and accessibility to public transportation are three primary factors which have significant impacts on CO2 emission. High density, mixed land use and convenient accessibility to public transportation tend to reduce household CO2 emission.     

Laboratory study on high-temperature adsorption of HCI by dry-injection of Ca（OH）2 in a dual-layer granular bed filter

Combustion-generated hydrogen chloride （HCl） is considered to be a very hazardous acid gaseous pollutant. This paper presents a laboratory study on the dry adsorption of HCl. The experiments were conducted in a dual-layer granular bed filter, at gas temperatures of 500℃-700℃ and n（Ca）/n（Cl）molar ratios of 1.0-5.0 using the silver nitrate titration method by dry adsorbent powders Ca（OH）2. Mainly, the adsorption efficiency of HCI and utilization efficiency of Calcium were studied, by varying relevant factors including n（Ca）/n（Cl）, tempera- ture, feeding method, water vapor and CO2. With a relatively higher HCl concentration of 1000ppm, the experimental results revealed that 600℃ may be the optimum temperature for HCl adsorption when optimum n （Ca）/n（Cl） was 2.5 in our tests. The results also demonstrated that the feeding at a constant pressure was more effective, and the HCl adsorption efficiency could rapidly reach over 90% with n（Ca）/n（Cl） = 2.5 at 600℃. Furthermore, the HCl adsorption efficiency was found to be slightly promoted by water vapor, while could be impeded by CO2, and the utilization efficiency of calcium could be up to 74.4% without CO2, while was only 36.8% with CO2 when n（Ca）/n（Cl） was 2.5 at 600℃.     

Biosorption of Cr（VI） by carbonized Eupatorium adenophorum and Buckwheat straw： thermodynamics and mechanism

High quality and low cost carbon can be prepared from Eupatorium adenophorum （E. adenophorum） and Buckwheat straw. The biosorbent was used for Cr（VI） removal. The effect of experimental parameters, such as pH, sorbent dosage and temperature were examined and the optimal experimental condition was determned. Solution pH is found influencing the adsorp- tion. Cr（VI） removal efficiency is found to be maximum （98%） at pH= 1. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were applicable to the adsorption process and their constants were evaluated. The adsorption data obtained agreed well with the Langmuir sorption isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacities for Cr（VI） ranged from 46.23 to 55.19mg.g^-1 for temperature between 298 K and 308 K under the condition of pH = 1.0. Thermodynamic parameters such as free energy change （AG）, enthalpy （AH） and entropy （AS） indicate a spontaneous, endothermic and increased randomness nature of Cr（VI） adsorption. Studies found that the raw E. adenophorum and buckwheat straw mixed materials with simple treatment had a high efficiency for the removal of Cr（VI） and would be a promising adsorbent.     

Evaluation of endocrine disruption and dioxin-like effects of organic extracts from sewage sludge in autumn in Beijing,China

Study on effective disposal and utilization of sewage sludge has recently been the target of growing interest in China. However, potential risks are associated with the use of sludge due to its contamination with toxic organics, heavy metals and pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, a screening assessment was conducted on sewage sludge samples collected from 17 different sewage treatment plants in Beijing, based on a batch of in vitro bioassays, including a set of recombinant gene yeast assays for endocrine disruption, and an ethoxy resorufin-O- deethylase （EROD） assay using H4IIE cells for aryl hydrocarbon receptor （Ah-R） agonistic activities. Our results suggested that moderate levels of estrogen receptor agonistic activities （0.9 ng E2. g-1 to 6.8 ng E2. gl, dw）, but relative higher androgen receptor antagonistic activ- ities （nd to 45%）, progestin receptor antagonistic activities （nd to 80%） and Ah-R agonistic activities （1390 to 6740 pg 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin （TCDD）·g-1, dw） were found in sewage sludge samples. However, there were no significant correlations between the toxic effects of sewage sludge and the sewage treatment processes. In addition, the 17β-estradiol （E2） equivalent quantity （EEQ） level of the sewage sludge was increased after the composting treatment, whereas the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodi- benzo-p-dioxin toxic equivalent quantity （TEQ） level of sewagesludge composted was much lower than that of sewage sludge.