Removal of dissolved estrogen in sewage effluents by β-cyclodextrin polymer

Abstract

Substances with estrogenic activity are found in effluents of municipal sewage plants and dairy farms. These effluents have the potential to induce feminization in male fish. In this study, cyclodextrin polymers (CDPs) that are insoluble in both polar and non-polar solvents were selected for the removal of dissolved estrogens in the effluent of a municipal sewage plant. The removal capacity of CDPs was high in the order of β-CDP≥γ-CDP≫α-CDP. The mechanism for adsorption of estrogens to β-CDP was not only due to a host-guest interaction as molecular recognition by β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), but also due to adsorption by the polymer matrix. β-CDP of 0.2% (w/v) removed 17β-estradiol (E2) of about 70% from 10(-11)mol/L, and more than 90% from ≥10(-10)mol/L. The removal ratios of E2 in the presence of cholesterols, which are contained at higher concentrations than estrogens in sewage effluents and are adsorptive competitor for β-CDP, were about 85% at a cholesterol/E2 molar ratio of 100 and >90% at molar ratios of 0.1, 1, and 10. The effluent from a municipal sewage plant had estrogenic activity corresponding to 5.5×10(-11)molE2/L by yeast two-hybrid assay. The estrogens in the effluent were also removed >90% by the β-CDP treatment. Therefore, β-CDP is able to remove dissolved estrogens over a wide range of concentrations in the presence of various contaminants such as wastewaters.

Removal of emerging contaminants from wastewater using advanced treatments. A review

“…The epichlorohydrin-cross-linked cyclodextrin polymers successfully removed hormones and other endocrine disrupting chemicals at nanomolar concentrations (Oishi and Moriuchi 2010). High removal rate (70-> 90%) was achieved for 17-β-estradiol, a contraceptive of emerging concern, in the range of 1 × 10 -11 to 1 × 10 -8 mol/L concentration by using β-cyclodextrin polymer.…”

Remediation of Emerging Contaminants

“…The epichlorohydrin-cross-linked cyclodextrin polymers successfully removed hormones and other endocrine disrupting chemicals at nanomolar concentrations (Oishi and Moriuchi 2010). High removal rate (70% to >90%) was achieved for 17-β-estradiol, a contraceptive of emerging concern, in the range of 1 × 10 −11 to 1 × 10 −8 mol/L concentration by using β-cyclodextrin polymer.…”

Oxytetracycline removal from water by novel microbial embedding gel beads

“…common, due to low cost and appropriate inner diameter. For example, β-CD polymer was used to remove dissolved estrogens over a wide range of concentrations in the presence of various contaminants such as wastewaters [4]. In this paper, β-CD is introduced to PVA and SA embedding agents to prepare a novel microorganisms embedding material.…”