Analysis by GC-MS of monocyclic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in thermolysed waste products

Abstract

Thermolysis is a new thermal decomposition process of waste products involving partial vacuum and oxygen free environment. The GC-MS study covered 5 monocyclic and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons produced by the thermolysis of four samples (three samples from domestic wastes and one sample from pneumatic wastes). Qualitative results were similar for all of the four samples: benzene, toluene, xylenes, styrene, naphtalene, biphenyl, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene were found. None of the most toxic such as benzo[a]pyrene and 1,2 benzanthracene were found. Quantitative results were relatively homogeneous for the first three samples (< 10 ng g-1 for all of the compounds) but concentrations of hydrocarbons were higher (4 to 9 times) for pneumatic wastes samples. Naphtalene remained the most abundant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in any case.