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Development of simulated sludge and testing for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Stumpf, Kennedy Freedman, Abegel Gautam, Bibaran
Stumpf, Kennedy
Freedman, Abegel
Gautam, Bibaran
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2026
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Abstract
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Stumpf, K., Freedman, A., Gautam, B., & Pugh, C. Development of simulated sludge and testing for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. -- FYRE in STEM Showcase, 2026.
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of organic pollutants commonly found in wastewater environments due to industrial activities, combustion processes, and urban runoff. Their toxicity, carcinogenicity, and hydrophobicity, which causes them to adsorb to particulate matter such as sewage sludge, make them particularly difficult to remove through conventional wastewater treatment processes, leading to their accumulation in sludge byproducts. This project aimed to create a reproducible synthetic sludge recipe and establish methodology for detecting and analyzing PAHs, with a focus on Nile red, a hydrophobic dye, as a model compound.
The simulated sludge was formulated using components representative of real wastewater sludge: kaolin (15.0 % w/v), sand (5.0 %), cellulose (1.5 %), oleic acid (1.7 %), humic acid (0.2 %), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) (1.3 %), combined in 10 mL of deionized water and stirred continuously for one hour. Following preparation, the mixture was centrifuged at 4500 rpm for 30 minutes to separate the solid and liquid phases. The sediment was dried in a vacuum oven, subjected to Soxhlet extraction, and analyzed by UV-vis spectroscopy. A Nile red calibration curve in ethanol was constructed to quantify dye absorbance and validate the analytical method across varying concentrations.
The results demonstrated that a reproducible simulated sludge mixture could be successfully developed. The experimental procedure effectively separated solid and liquid phases, enabling UV-vis spectroscopy analysis of Nile red absorbance. The calibration curve confirmed the ability to detect and quantify the dye. These findings highlight the difficulty of removing PAHs from sludge and underscore the utility of synthetic matrices in studying contaminant behavior. Limitations include reliance on a simulated rather than real sludge matrix and a focus on a single PAH compound. Future work will explore improved liquid-liquid extraction on the supernatant, sludge testing with naphthalene, and the use of polymer-based adsorption strategies.
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Description
Poster and abstract presented at the FYRE in STEM Showcase, 2026.
Research project completed at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University.
Research project completed at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University.
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Wichita State University
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FYRE in STEM 2026