Chlorobenzenes (CBs) present in synthetic dyes are discharged into natural waters during the treatment of textile dyeing wastewater, which may have adverse effects on human and environment. In this study, the existence and removal of 12 CBs in different units of five treatment plants were examined. The ecological risk of CBs in textile dyeing wastewater was assessed by ambient severity (AS) and risk quotients (RQs). The results showed that trichlorobenzene, tetrachlorobenzene, pentachlorobenzene and hexachlorobenzene were ubiquitous in textile dyeing wastewater, and their distribution was similar. In one of the plants, the content of hexachlorobenzene was found to be as high as 9.277 μg/L in the raw water, which was an oil-water mixture. In other plants, there was no significant difference in the content and composition of CBs among influent and effluent suggesting that the conventional wastewater treatment plants cannot improve the existence of them. Monochlorobenzene and dichlorobenzene were not detected, which may have been related to strong volatility, biochemical properties, and weak instrument sensitivity. In the treatment process and effluent, trichlorobenzene is the main pollutant and accounted for 39.51% of all CB. CB removal was found only in the anaerobic system, while the aerobic system did not have the corresponding removal effect on CB and total organic carbon. According to ecological risk assessment, CBs in effluent has not been found the significant potential harm to human health (AS < 1), but posed moderate ecological risk to aquatic ecosystem (RQs > 0.1).
Keywords: Chlorobenzene; Ecological risk assessment; Textile dyeing wastewater; Wastewater treatment.
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