Fate and analysis of endocrine disrupting chemicals in some sewage treatment plants in Australia

2008 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 2187-2194 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. Coleman ◽  
S. J. Khan ◽  
G. Watkins ◽  
R. M. Stuetz

There are limited studies on the fate and levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals in sewage treatment plants in Australia. Research undertaken in Europe and North America has shown biologically significant levels of both oestrogenic and androgenic chemicals in sewage effluent. The aim of this work was to determine the oestrogenic and androgenic activities of raw and treated sewage from sewage treatment plants run by MidCoast Water, New South Wales, Australia. Oestrogenic and androgenic activities were measured using a yeast screen bioassay. Results showed that the raw effluent contained biologically significant levels of both oestrogenic (0.58–2.91 ng/l) and androgenic (216–480 ng/l) activities. Androgenic activity was significantly higher than oestrogenic activity, which was consistent with other Australian studies and was attributed to the higher levels of androgens in domestic waste from human excretion compared to oestrogens. Secondary treatment (using activated sludge) removed the majority of the oestrogenic and androgenic activity (up to 99%). Tertiary treatment by UV removed varying levels of oestrogenic (19–69%) and androgenic (5–55%) activities. A Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) at one of the STPs, which consists of an MBR followed by electrochlorination removed over 87% of the oestrogenic activity and over 98% of androgenic activity from raw sewage samples. However, levels which could be biologically significant still remained after secondary and tertiary treatment (>0.1 ng/l oestrogenic activity and >1 ng/l androgenic activity).

2010 ◽  
Vol 62 (11) ◽  
pp. 2501-2509 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Y. Wang ◽  
X. H. Zhang ◽  
N. F. Y. Tam

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.


2004 ◽  
Vol 501 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aldo Laganà ◽  
Alessandro Bacaloni ◽  
Ilaria De Leva ◽  
Angelo Faberi ◽  
Giovanna Fago ◽  
...  

2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 123-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heqing Zhang ◽  
Harumi Yamada ◽  
Sung-Eun Kim ◽  
Hyo-sang Kim ◽  
Hiroshi Tsuno

Treatment experiments by two laboratory scale semi-batch reactors and a demonstration scale process were both carried out to evaluate endocrine disrupting chemical removal characteristics by ozonation in sewage treatment. In the semi-batch mode experiments, secondary effluent and primary effluent of sewage treatment plants were ozonated respectively. Behaviour of brominated by-products was also evaluated. The results based on these studies indicated that estrogenicity in wastewater can be removed by ozonation effectively. The condition of ozonation until dissolved ozone concentration increased to 0.1 mg/L, which corresponded to 1 mgO3/mgC and 0.4 mgO3/mgC of ozone consumption per initial DOC for secondary effluent and primary effluent, respectively, is proposed as an appropriate operational condition for efficient removal of EDCs as well as UV254 and SUVA without production of brominated by-products.


2009 ◽  
Vol 161 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 107-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haidong Zhou ◽  
Xia Huang ◽  
Xiaolin Wang ◽  
Xiahui Zhi ◽  
Chengdui Yang ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maciej Walczak

Changes of microbial indices of water quality in the Vistula and Brda rivers as a result of sewage treatment plant operationThis paper reports the results of studies of microbiological changes in the water quality of the Vistula and Brda rivers after the opening of sewage treatment plants in Bydgoszcz. The study involved determining the microbiological parameters of water quality. Based on the results obtained, it was found that the quality of the water in both rivers had improved decidedly after the opening of the plants, although an increased number of individual groups of microorganisms was found at the treated sewage outlet from one of the plants.


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