A New Method for Identifying Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Organic Pollutants in Coking Wastewater

Abstract Coking wastewater contains various priority organic pollutants of critical environmental and public health concern owing to their persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) properties. Considering the large amount of coking wastewater that is produced, it is crucial to establish a PBT list that can offer priority targets for monitoring and management. In this study, we developed a new ranking method and applied it to the situation of China. One hundred and thirty-one PBT organic pollutants were identified from 779 candidates found in coking wastewater. Among them, approximately two-thirds (67%) of the PBT organic pollutants were polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their alkyl substitutes. Furthermore, 80% of the candidate PAHs were identified as the priority PBTs, indicating that PAHs from coking wastewater should be more concerned for environmental management and scientific research. The results of this new method were compared with conventional screening methods and related studies, indicating that the newly developed screening method presented here is more flexible.