Pilot study on feasibility of application of gas chromatography for the assessment of acrylamide concentration in sewage sludge

The aim of this study was to determine the possibility of using gas chromatography to measurement of the acrylamide concentration in sewage sludge. Acrylamide, as a toxic substance, is not indifferent to human health, but it is used in the production of plastics, dyes, adhesives, cosmetics, mortar, as well as a coagulant for water treatment, wastewater or sewage sludge conditioning. Determination of acrylamide by gas chromatography was based on standard: EPA Method 8032A "Acrylamid by gas chromatography." It consists of a bromination reaction of the compound in the presence of dibromopropendial derivative, a triple extraction with the ethyl acetate, a concentration of the eluate sample up to the 1 ml volume, and an analysis by the gas chromatography using an electron capture detector (ECD). The acrylamide concentration of was calculated according to the formula presented in the mentioned standard. All samples were performed twice (the difference between the results was not greater than 10%), and the average value of the four samples was 17.64 µg/L−1. The presence of acrylamide in sewage sludge has been confirmed.