Adsorption of Trace Estrogens in Ultrapure and Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent by Magnetic Graphene Oxide

Abstract

In the current study, graphene oxide, Fe3+, and Fe2+ were used for the synthesis of magnetic graphene oxide (MGO) by an in situ chemical coprecipitation method. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the well-prepared MGO. The prepared MGO was used as an adsorbent to remove five typical estrogens (estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethinylestradiol (17α-E2), estriol (E3), and synthetic estrogen (EE2)) at the ppb level from spiked ultrapure water and wastewater treatment plant effluent. The results indicated that the MGO can efficiently remove estrogens from both spiked ultrapure water and wastewater treatment plant effluent in 30 min at wide pH ranges from 3 to 11. The temperature could significantly affect removal performance. A removal efficiency of more than 90% was obtained at 35 °C in just 5 min, but at least 60 min was needed to get the same removal efficiency at 5 °C. In addition, an average of almost 80% of the estrogens can still be removed after 5 cycles of MGO regeneration but less than 40% can be reached after 10 cycles. These results indicate that MGO has potential for practical applications to remove lower levels of estrogens from real water matrixes and merits further evaluation.

Study on the Release Potential of BPA and Steroid Estrogens in the Sediments of Erhai Lake, a Typical Plateau Lake of China

“…Through drinking or touching the surface water in which EDCs are above the disruption threshold concentration, they may interfere with the normal functioning of human endocrine systems, thus affecting reproduction and development. Estrone (E1), 17α-estradiol (E2α), 17β-estradiol (E2β), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and estriol (E3) are currently the important feminine substances, showing strong endocrine-disrupting activity (Desbrow et al 1998;Routledge et al 1998;Wang et al 2018). Bisphenol A (BPA) has been predominantly used in many consumer products, including plastics (as polymers, polycarbonate plastics), PVC, food packaging, dental sealants, and thermal receipts.…”

Adsorption of estrone, 17β-estradiol, and 17α-ethinylestradiol from water onto modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes, carbon cryogel, and carbonized hydrothermal carbon

“…Different methods for removing estrogens from water have been used so far, such as adsorption (Wang et al 2018;Tagliavini et al 2017), membrane ltration (Akanyeti, et al 2017;Tagliavini and Schäfer 2018) biodegradation (Fernández et al 2017), advanced oxidation process (Fonseca et al 2011), and photodegradation (Sornalingam et al 2016;Zhang et al 2007). Adsorption is considered one of the most e cient and economical processes, and the choice of appropriate adsorbent is the key element in the application of this method (Tang et al 2018;Wang et al 2018).…”

“…Different methods for removing estrogens from water have been used so far, such as adsorption (Wang et al 2018;Tagliavini et al 2017), membrane ltration (Akanyeti, et al 2017;Tagliavini and Schäfer 2018) biodegradation (Fernández et al 2017), advanced oxidation process (Fonseca et al 2011), and photodegradation (Sornalingam et al 2016;Zhang et al 2007). Adsorption is considered one of the most e cient and economical processes, and the choice of appropriate adsorbent is the key element in the application of this method (Tang et al 2018;Wang et al 2018). Different materials were used so far as adsorbents for the removal of steroid estrogens from water such as chitin, chitosan, activated carbon (Zhang and Zhou 2005;Tagliavini et al 2017), hybrid clay materials (Thanhmingliana et al 2016), magnetic graphene oxide (Wang et al 2018), cyclodextrin polymers (Tang et al 2018), and iron nanoparticles (Ali et al 2017).…”

“…Adsorption is considered one of the most e cient and economical processes, and the choice of appropriate adsorbent is the key element in the application of this method (Tang et al 2018;Wang et al 2018). Different materials were used so far as adsorbents for the removal of steroid estrogens from water such as chitin, chitosan, activated carbon (Zhang and Zhou 2005;Tagliavini et al 2017), hybrid clay materials (Thanhmingliana et al 2016), magnetic graphene oxide (Wang et al 2018), cyclodextrin polymers (Tang et al 2018), and iron nanoparticles (Ali et al 2017).…”

Production, removal and fate of steroid estrogens under the background of total sewage interception in the Erhai Lake Basin, China

“…SEs above the disruption threshold concentration are the main cause of feminization of some aquatic organisms in natural waterbodies, such as rivers, streams and lakes. Estrone (E1), 17α-estradiol (E2α), 17β-estradiol (E2β), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and estriol (E3) are the main substances that interfere with endocrine in sewage or wastewater, mainly from human and mammalian excreta, of which E1, E2α, E2β and EE2 are currently the important feminine substances, showing strong endocrine-disrupting activity [3][4][5].…”