Analysis and occurrence of typical endocrine-disrupting chemicals in three sewage treatment plants

Abstract

Seven typical endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including bisphenol A (BPA), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP), estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), 17α-estradiol (17α-E2), estriol (E3) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in wastewater, were simultaneously determined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Samples, including influents, effluents and wastewater of different unit processes, were taken seasonally from three different sewage treatment plants. The result showed that BPA and EE2 were the two main types of EDCs in all the samples. The average concentration of BPA were in the range of 268.1-2,588.5 ng l⁻¹ in influents and 34.0-3,099.6 ng l⁻¹ in effluents, while EE2 ranging from 133.1 to 403.2 ng l⁻¹ and from 35.3 to 269.1 ng l⁻¹, respectively. Seasonal change of EDCs levels in effluents was obvious between wet season and dry season. Besides, BPA and E3 could be effectively removed by the biological treatment processes (oxidation ditch and A²/O) with the unit removal of 64-91% and 63-100% for each compound, while other five EDCs had moderate or low removal rates. The study also proved that physical treatment processes, including screening, primary sedimentation and pure aeration, had no or little effect on EDCs removal.

Feminization and altered gonadal gene expression profile by ethinylestradiol exposure to pejerrey, Odontesthes bonariensis, a South American teleost fish

“…This is also true for other natural estrogens such as 17b-estradiol (E 2 ) and estrone (E 1 ) [8][9][10]. This is also true for other natural estrogens such as 17b-estradiol (E 2 ) and estrone (E 1 ) [8][9][10].…”

“…The main estrogenic component of oral contraceptives, 17a-ethinylestradiol (EE 2 ), is a synthetic steroid whose presence in sewage treatment works (STW) effluents and receiving waters has been documented widely. This is also true for other natural estrogens such as 17b-estradiol (E 2 ) and estrone (E 1 ) [8][9][10]. Considering that the estrogenic potency of EE 2 is 10 to 50 times higher than that of other natural estrogens [11,12], the fact that EE 2 is able to bioconcentrate to a certain degree in fish [13], and that the half-life and toxicological action of this xenoestrogen is magnified because of enterohepatic recirculation [14], the ecotoxicological risks of EE 2 are high for these aquatic vertebrates.…”

Modeling Bioaugmentation Potential for Enhanced Bisphenol A Removal During Wastewater Treatment

“…As part of the model, VSS was assumed as 2000 mg/L, hydraulic retention time as 24 hours, and solids retention time as 24 days, which are typical values for this type of system (Tchobanoglous et al, 2003). Influent BPA was modeled as 3 µg/L based on previously reported primary effluent concentrations (Wang et al 2010). The effluent concentration was calculated to constitute both the liquid-phase BPA and the BPA sorbed to residual VSS in the effluent.…”

Potential estrogenic effects of wastewaters on gene expression in Pimephales promelas and fish assemblages in streams of southeastern New York

“…Our understanding of endocrine‐disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and the effects that they have on aquatic biota has improved over the past 2 decades with increased precision of analytical methods and innovative assays designed to detect and quantify estrogenic responses. Effluents from industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) frequently contain trace amounts of human and veterinary drugs, natural and synthetic hormones, detergents, disinfectants, plasticizers, fire retardants, insecticides, and antioxidants, some of which can behave as endocrine disruptors . The total estrogen activity (estrogenicity) of WWTP effluents can be relatively high because many of these EDCs can pass largely unaltered through treatment processes and be discharged into receiving streams .…”