17alpha-Ethinylestradiol sorption to activated sludge biomass: thermodynamic properties and reaction mechanisms

The effects of co-existing acridine on adsorption-desorption behavior of carbazole in soils: Co-sorption and mechanism insight

Carbazole (CBZ) and acridine (ACR) are polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles (PANHs) widely found in combined contaminated soils, while investigations on organic-organic interactions have been very limited. In this study, batch experiments were carried out on five soils with different properties, taking CBZ as a representative of PANHs and ACR as a co-existing contaminant. The adsorption isotherms of CBZ (50-1000 μg/L) were nonlinear. Soil organic matter (SOM) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) showed positive correlations with CBZ adsorption-desorption coefficients. The adsorption mechanisms of CBZ involved hydrogen bonding, π-π interaction, and cation-π bonding. Different concentrations of ACR had varying effects on CBZ. The adsorption of CBZ was inhibited with 250 μg/L ACR. The cooperative adsorption was observed on three soils with increasing ACR concentration (1000 μg/L) and led to more pronounced nonlinear isotherms. The S-shaped isotherms of ACR indicated that ACR was adsorbed to the soil surface in a perpendicular configuration. New adsorption sites were created allowing for increased CBZ adsorption through π-π interaction with ACR. Therefore, variations in soil properties and potential impacts of co-existing contaminants should be well considered when assessing the combined pollution of site soil. This will contribute to a more accurate estimation of environmental and health risks.

COVID-19 related antiviral drugs are less adsorbable on sediment under alkaline and high cation conditions

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unprecedented usage and elevated environmental concentrations of antiviral drugs. However, very limited studies have reported their sorption characteristics on environmental matrices. This study investigated the sorption of six COVID-19 related antivirals on Taihu Lake sediment with varied aqueous chemistry. Results showed that the sorption isotherms for arbidol (ABD), oseltamivir (OTV), and ritonavir (RTV) were linear, while the Freundlich model was the best-fit for ribavirin (RBV) and the Langmuir model for favipiravir (FPV) and remdesivir (RDV). Their distribution coefficient, K_d, varied between 5.051 L/kg to 248.6 L/kg with the sorption capacities ranked as FPV > RDV > ABD > RTV > OTV > RBV. Alkaline conditions (pH 9) and elevated cation strength (0.05 M to 0.1 M) decreased the sorption capacities of the sediment for these drugs. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the spontaneous sorption of RDV, ABD, and RTV was between physisorption and chemisorption while FPV, RBV, and OTV were mainly physisorption. Functional groups related to hydrogen bonds, π - π interaction, and surface complexation were implicated in the sorption processes. These findings enhance our understanding about the environmental fate of COVID-19 related antivirals and provide basic data for predicting their distribution and risk in the environment.

Sorption and desorption of epiandrosterone and cortisol on sewage sludge: Comparison to aquatic sediment

Steroids have aroused global concern due to their potent endocrine-disrupting effects. Androgens and glucocorticoids are the most abundant species in sewage; however, our understanding of their fate and risks from the source to environmental sinks remains elusive. This study compared the sorption-desorption characteristics of epiandrosterone (EADR) and cortisol (CRL) in sewage sludge and aquatic sediment, and the surface and molecular interactions were tentatively investigated through infrared spectroscopy and the fluorescence excitation-emission matrix. The results showed that the sorption capacities of EADR and CRL in the sludge were 4015 L/kg and 81.17 L/kg, respectively, which are much larger than those in the sediment (EADR: 78.77 L/kg, CRL: 6.39 L/kg); 0.02%-1.2% of EADR and 0.2%-14.5% of CRL could be desorbed from sludge, while the desorption ratios were even lower in the sediment. The high organic content in the sludge might contribute to the larger sorption capacities, while the weak interaction between steroids and organic matter could lead to larger desorption potential. The sediment contained more mineral content and featured a larger specific surface area, which could be responsible for the greater desorption hysteresis for EADR and CRL. These results will help to better understand the potential risk of sewage sludge-associated steroids and their distribution in sediment-water systems.

Modelling and prediction of the effect of operational parameters on the fate of contaminants of emerging concern in WWTPs

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) provide a barrier against the discharge of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) into the environment. The removal of CECs is highly WWTP-specific and the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood, hampering the optimization of biological treatment steps for their removal. To fill this knowledge gap, we assessed the influence of four operational parameters of activated sludge biological treatment, namely total suspended solids, temperature, pH and redox conditions, on the sorption and biodegradation of four CECs under controlled laboratory conditions. Design of Experiments was used to better address the factors influencing CECs removal and interactions among operational parameters. The derived statistical models showed results in concordance with previous studies and indicated how sorption and biodegradation of the investigated CECs depend on most tested parameters and few of their interactions. The predictions of the developed models have been compared with literature values, indicating how the tested parameters are responsible for most of the variability of sorption, while they could not reliably generalize biodegradation rates. The developed models were also implemented as an extension of a mechanistic biological treatment model, successfully describing the dynamic behaviour of a large-scale WWTP, which was observed during a three-day continuous monitoring campaign. Compared to a traditional modelling approach, the one including the developed models showed on average almost a three-fold uncertainty reduction, favouring its use to aid WWTP managers and regulators for improved assessment of CEC fate and removal. Finally, the models highlighted that, while higher temperatures and solids concentrations generically favoured CECs removal, removal efficiency vary significantly due to operational parameters and no globally optimum conditions for CECs removal exist. The use of these models opens the door to the combined dynamic management of both traditional contaminants and CECs in WWTPs.

Membrane biorreactor, reverse osmosis and UV/H2O2 process integration for ethinylestradiol removal: A cost-benefit analysis

The presence of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in water bodies and its potential risks to human health and the environment have been frequently described in the literature, in addition to its limited removal in conventional wastewater treatment plants. Many studies have evaluated this removal by advanced processes, including photodegradation and membrane separation. A significant number of studies also assess the economic analysis of these technologies. However, few works articulate both perspectives: the specificity involved in estrogen removal and economic analysis. Given this gap, this work evaluates the synergies involved in the integration of reverse osmosis (RO) and advanced oxidative processes by UV/H₂O₂ (AOP) in the post-treatment of membrane bioreactor (MBR) effluents. To this end, the integrated plant possibilities were represented through a superstructure that integrated EE2 removal and cost models of each process. The use of a Hook and Jeeves optimizer considering these processes standard operating conditions made it possible to determine the percentage of stream division for each equipment and even the absence of any of these in an integrated plant with lower cost and EE2 concentration output below the recommended limit by the European Union (0.035 ng.L^-1). For EE2 feed content up to 3 ng.L^-1, the lowest cost configuration is to route 20% of the MBR effluent to the AOP, 30% to the RO, and the remainder to a final mixer. For concentrations above 15 ng.L^-1, the sufficient and lowest cost configuration is the MBR-RO-AOP series. Intermediate values have a more advantageous integrated process configuration with the parallel and series configurations combined, with a stream distribution dependent on the feed concentration. Moreover, a parameter sensitivity analysis was performed, clarifying paths for design improvements and acting as a systematic guide for future work in this area. This analysis highlights that EE2 removal is more sensitive to temperature (1.04%), feed substrate concentration (-1.18%), solid retention time in the MBR (0.32%), and irradiance in AOP (-0.46%). Investment costs also proved to be decisive in the composition of the total cost, enhancing the relevance of the maturation process of these technologies in light of simple changes in operating parameters.

Natural attenuation characteristics and comprehensive toxicity changes of C9 aromatics under simulated marine conditions

Microcosmic experiments were performed under a simulated marine environment to investigate the natural attenuation of C9 aromatics using nine components (propylbenzene, isopropylbenzene, 2-ethyltoluene, 3-ethyltoluene, 4-ethyltoluene, 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, and indene). This research aims to assess the contribution of biodegradation and abiotic activity to total attenuation of C9 aromatics and ascertain the changes in the comprehensive toxicity of seawater in the natural environment. The process of natural attenuation indicates the agreement with pseudo-first-order kinetics for all nine components in microcosmic experiments. The half-lives of the nine main compounds in C9 aromatics ranged between 0.34 day and 0.44 day under optimal conditions. The experiments showed that the natural attenuation of nine aromatic hydrocarbons mainly occurred via abiotic processes. Seawater samples significantly inhibited the luminescence of P. phosphoreum (the luminescence inhibition ratio reached 100%) at the beginning of the experiment. In addition, the toxicity declined slowly and continued for 25 days. The attenuation kinetics and changes in toxicity could be applied to explore the natural attenuation of C9 aromatics in the marine environment.

Occurrence and removal of 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) in municipal wastewater treatment plants: Current status and challenges

As a synthetic estrogen, 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) has been known to show the strong estrogenic potency. This work critically reviewed the occurrence and removal of EE2 in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Based on the on-site investigations from 282 municipal WWTPs across 29 countries, the concentrations of EE2 in influent and effluent ranged from n.d-7890 and n.d-549 ng/L, with respective average concentrations of 78.4 and 12.3 ng/L. The average effluent concentration of EE2 was more than 61 times higher than the reported lowest-observed-effect concentration, indicating an urgent need for removing EE2 in WWTPs. The calculated removal efficiencies of EE2 in different wastewater treatment processes varied from -100%-100%. Averagely, 47.5% of EE2 was removed in the primary treatment process, 55.3% by biological filter treatment, 59.4% by lagoon and 71.5% by activated sludge process. The observed removal of EE2 in municipal WWTP could be mainly attributed to adsorption and biodegradation, which could be predicted according to its solid-water distribution coefficients and biodegradation rate constants. However, it should be noted that the predicted removal of EE2 was found to deviate from the in-plant observation, likely attributing to the existence of EE2 conjugates in raw municipal wastewater. Therefore, the effect of EE2 conjugates on the EE2 removal in WWTPs should be taken into account in future.

Insights into pharmaceuticals removal in an anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria sludge system

In this study, we examined eight typical and widely detected pharmaceuticals (PhAs) removal in an anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) sludge system (five antibiotics: sulfadiazine (SD), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), trimethoprim (TMP), ciprofloxacin (CIP) and enoxacin (ENO), and three nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): ibuprofen (IBU), ketoprofen (KET) and diclofenac (DIC)). The results showed that the SRB sludge had the higher removal efficacy (20 to 90%) for antibiotics (SD, SMX, TMP, CIP and ENO) than NSAIDs (<20%) via adsorption and biodegradation under different operating conditions. Based on a series of batch studies, fluoroquinolone antibiotics (CIP and ENO) were instantly (<15 min) removed (∼98%) via adsorption on SRB sludge with adsorption coefficient (K_d) as high as 25.3 ± 1.8 L/g-suspended solids (SS). And thermodynamics results indicated that the adsorption of CIP and ENO on SRB sludge was spontaneous (Gibbs free energy change (ΔG°) <0 kJ/mol), exothermic (enthalpy change (ΔH°) <0 kJ/mol), and the adsorption process involved both physisorption and chemisorption (absolute value of ΔH° = 20 to 80 kJ/mol). Three widely prescribed antibiotics (SMX, TMP and CIP) were further investigated for their possible biodegradation pathways along with functional enzymes involved through a series of batch experiments. The biotransformation intermediates indicated that biotransformations of SMX and CIP in SRB sludge system could be initiated from the cleavage of isoxazole and piperazinyl rings catalyzed by sulfite reductase (SR) and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes, respectively. TMP was likely biotransformed via O-demethylation and N-acetylation coupled with hydroxylation reactions with CYP450 enzymes as the main functional enzymes. This study provided new insight into PhAs removal in SRB sludge system, and has significant potential of implementing sulfur-mediated biological process for the treatment of PhAs containing wastewater.

Sorption Mechanism, Kinetics, and Isotherms of Di- n-butyl Phthalate to Different Soil Particle-Size Fractions

Di- n-butyl phthalate (DBP) is a prevalent pollutant in agricultural soils due to use of plastic film. This study focused on sorption mechanism, kinetics, and isotherms of DBP to six paddy soil particle-size fractions (i.e., coarse sand, fine sand, coarse silt, fine silt, clay, and humic acid fractions). DBP sorption involved in both boundary layer diffusion and intraparticle diffusion, following pseudo-second-order kinetics. DBP sorption was a spontaneous physical process, which fit the Freundlich model. Hydrophobic and ionic interaction relevant to the organic matter content, cation exchange capacity, surface area, and pore volume of soil fractions played key roles in DBP sorption. DBP was strongly adsorbed to humic acid and the sorption was reversely associated with soil particle sizes. DBP may exhibit higher mobility and bioavailability in a soil-crop system at lower temperature (15 °C), due to the lower log K_oc values.

Hydrothermal synthesis of montmorillonite/hydrochar nanocomposites and application for 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethynylestradiol removal

Montmorillonite/hydrochar (MMT/HC) with or without modification by KOH via hydrothermal carbonization process (HTC) were applied to remove 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2).

Emerging contaminant degradation and removal in algal wastewater treatment ponds: Identifying the research gaps

Whereas the fate of emerging contaminants (ECs) during 'conventional' and 'advanced' wastewater treatment (WWT) has been intensively studied, little research has been conducted on the algal WWT ponds commonly used in provincial areas. The long retention times and large surface areas exposed to light potentially allow more opportunities for EC removal to occur, but experimental evidence is lacking to enable definite predictions about EC fate across different algal WWT systems. This study reviews the mechanisms of EC hydrolysis, sorption, biodegradation, and photodegradation, applying available knowledge to the case of algal WWT. From this basis the review identifies three main areas that need more research due to the unique environmental and ecological conditions occurring in algal WWT ponds: i) the effect of diurnally fluctuating pH and dissolved oxygen upon removal mechanisms; ii) the influence of algae and algal biomass on biodegradation and sorption under relevant conditions; and iii) the significance of EC photodegradation in the presence of dissolved and suspended materials. Because of the high concentration of dissolved organics typically found in algal WWT ponds, most EC photodegradation likely occurs via indirect mechanisms rather than direct photolysis in these systems.

Biosorption of nonylphenol by pure algae, field-collected planktons and their fractions

Algal samples were fractionated into lipid (LP), lipid free (LF), alkaline nonhydrolyzable carbon (ANHC), and acid nonhydrolyzable carbon (NHC) fractions, and were characterized by the quantitative (13)C multiCP NMR technique. The biosorption isotherms for nonylphenol (NP) were established and compared with previously published data for phenanthrene (Phen). The log KOC values are significantly higher for the field-collected plankton samples than for the commercial algae and cultured algae samples, correlating with their lipid contents and aliphatic carbon structure. As the NHC fraction contains more poly(methylene) carbon, it exhibits a higher biosorption capacity. The sorption capacities are negatively related to the polarity index, COO/N-C=O, polar C and O-alkyl C concentrations, but are positively related to the H/O atomic ratios and poly(methylene) carbon. The higher sorption capacities observed for NP than for Phen on the investigated samples are explained by specific interactions such as hydrogen bonding and π-π interaction.

Testosterone sorption and desorption: effects of soil particle size

Soils contain a wide range of particles of different diameters with different mobility during rainfall events. Effects of soil particles on sorption and desorption behaviors of steroid hormones have not been investigated. In this study, wet sieve washing and repeated sedimentation methods were used to fractionate the soils into five ranges. The sorption and desorption properties and related mechanisms of testosterone in batch reactors filled with fractionated soil particles were evaluated. Results of sorption and desorption kinetics indicate that small soil particles have higher sorption and lower desorption rates than that of big ones. Thermodynamic results show the sorption processes are spontaneous and exothermal. The sorption capacity ranks as clay>silt>sand, depending mainly on specific surface area and surface functional groups. The urea control test shows that hydrogen bonding contributes to testosterone sorption onto clay and silt but not on sand. Desorption tests indicate sorption is 36-65% irreversible from clay to sand. Clays have highest desorption hysteresis among these five soil fractions, indicating small particles like clays have less potential for desorption. The results provide indirect evidence on the colloid (clay)-facilitated transport of hormones (micro-pollutants) in soil environments.

Sorption-desorption and biosorption of bisphenol A, triclosan, and 17α-ethinylestradiol to sewage sludge

To better understand the fate of microconstituents (MCs) in an activated sludge (AS) system, sorption, biosorption, and desorption studies were investigated at μg/L range for 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), bisphenol A (BPA), and triclosan (TCS). Batch experiments with activated and deactivated sludge originating from continuous flow porous pot reactors operating at solid retention times (SRTs) of 5, 10, and 15 days were conducted in order to investigate the sorption kinetics and distinguish physicochemical sorption and biosorption. The effect of SRT and the biomass concentration on sorption kinetics were also studied. Selected MCs showed high sorption affinity to the non-viable biomass during the first 30 min of the experiment, which was gradually reduced until equilibrium was reached. Desorption results showed two distinct stages, a very rapid desorption within 20 min followed by a slow desorption stage. Biosorption study indicated that the soluble concentrations of target compounds decreased rapidly for selected MCs similar to the sorption study; however, the soluble and solid phase concentrations continued to decrease slowly during the length of the experiment which indicates the possible biodegradation of these compounds in both phases. Finally, mathematical models were applied to describe the sorption mechanism and Freundlich sorption isotherms with values of 1/n close to 1 were found to best fit the results which demonstrate that all tested concentrations result on the linear part of the Freundlich isotherm. Calculation of the Freundlich constant, KF and distribution coefficient, Kd exhibited the greater tendency of EE2 and TCS for sorption, compared to BPA. The results of this study indicated that the SRT had a clear effect on the sorption kinetics where the highest sorption rate constant was achieved for a SRT of 10 days for all three target substances. This could be due to change of the morphology of the biomass from reactors operating at different SRTs.

Cometabolic degradation of organic wastewater micropollutants by activated sludge and sludge-inherent microorganisms

Municipal wastewaters contain a multitude of organic trace pollutants. Often, their biodegradability by activated sludge microorganisms is decisive for their elimination during wastewater treatment. Since the amounts of micropollutants seem too low to serve as growth substrate, cometabolism is supposed to be the dominating biodegradation process. Nevertheless, as many biodegradation studies were performed without the intention to discriminate between metabolic and cometabolic processes, the specific contribution of the latter to substance transformations is often not clarified. This minireview summarizes current knowledge about the cometabolic degradation of organic trace pollutants by activated sludge and sludge-inherent microorganisms. Due to their relevance for communal wastewater contamination, the focus is laid on pharmaceuticals, personal care products, antibiotics, estrogens, and nonylphenols. Wherever possible, reference is made to the molecular process level, i.e., cometabolic pathways, involved enzymes, and formed transformation products. Particular cometabolic capabilities of different activated sludge consortia and various microbial species are highlighted. Process conditions favoring cometabolic activities are emphasized. Finally, knowledge gaps are identified, and research perspectives are outlined.

Influences of solid retention time, nitrification and microbial activity on the attenuation of pharmaceuticals and estrogens in membrane bioreactors

This study investigated the influences of solid retention time (SRT), nitrification, and microbial activity on the attenuation of pharmaceuticals and estrogens and the total estrogenic activity, using identical bench-scale membrane bioreactors. Phenacetine, acetaminophen, pentoxifylline, caffeine, bezafibrate, ibuprofen, fenoprofen, 17β-estradiol, and estrone were effectively attenuated even at short SRT (8 d). However, the attenuation efficiencies of gemfibrozil, ketoprofen, clofibric acid, and 17α-ethinylestradiol were dependent upon SRTs (20 and 80 d). Some acidic pharmaceuticals (gemfibrozil, diclofenac, bezafibrate, and ketoprofen) and 17α-ethinylestradiol were partially degraded by nitrification. Relatively high removal efficiencies were observed for 17β-estradiol and estrone (natural estrogens) compared to 17α-ethinylestradiol (synthetic estrogen) when nitrification was inhibited. Most of selected pharmaceuticals were not significantly attenuated under presumably abiotic conditions by adding sodium azide except phenacetine, acetaminophen, and caffeine. In this study, carbamazepine was found to be recalcitrant to biological wastewater treatment using membrane bioreactors regardless of the change of SRTs and microbial activity.

Spatial and seasonal variations of occurrences and concentrations of endocrine disrupting chemicals in unconfined and confined aquifers recharged by reclaimed water: a field study along the Chaobai River, Beijing

A field study on the spatial and seasonal variations of occurrences and concentrations of five selected endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), namely, estrone, 17β-estradiol, 17α-ethinyl estradiol, estriol, and bisphenol A, was conducted in Beijing, where reclaimed water is used to recharge groundwater through the permeable bed of the Chaobai River. This study collected 64 surface water samples from the Wenyu and the Chaobai Rivers and 51 groundwater samples from the unconfined aquifer (UA) and two underlying confined aquifers (CA I and CA II) at depths of 30, 50 and 80 m, respectively. EDCs were detected in 100.0%, 94.4% and 40.0% of groundwater samples from the UA, CA I and CA II, respectively, at concentrations which decreased by 1-2 orders of magnitude with depth. The occurrences and concentrations of EDCs in groundwater also decreased with the increasing distance to the river bank. In one monitoring section with seasonal wetting and drying, the occurrences and concentrations of EDCs dropped significantly during the dry season (December to March) without recharging. These results indicate that improving the removal of EDCs in reclaimed water and optimizing the management of the recharging operation could reduce the risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Sludge Retention Time as a Suitable Operational Parameter to Remove Both Estrogen and Nutrients in an Anaerobic-Anoxic-Aerobic Activated Sludge System

Estrogen in wastewater are responsible for a significant part of the endocrine-disrupting effects observed in the aquatic environment. The effect of sludge retention time (SRT) on the removal and fate of 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in an anaerobic-anoxic-oxic activated sludge system designed for nutrient removal was investigated by laboratory-scale experiments using synthetic wastewater. With a hydraulic retention time of 8 h, when SRT ranged 10-25 days, E2 was almost completely removed from water, and EE2 removal efficiency was 65%-81%. Both estrogens were easily sorbed onto activated sludge. Distribution coefficients (K_d) of estrogens on anaerobic sludge were greater than those on anoxic and aerobic sludges. Mass balance calculation indicated that 99% of influent E2 was degraded by the activated sludge process, and 1% remained in excess sludge; of influent EE2, 62.0%-80.1% was biodegraded; 18.9%-34.7% was released in effluent; and 0.88%-3.31% remained in excess sludge. Optimal SRT was 20 days for both estrogen and nutrient removal. E2 was almost completely degraded, and EE2 was only partly degraded in the activated sludge process. Residual estrogen on excess sludge must be considered in the sludge treatment and disposal processes. The originality of the work is that removal of nutrients and estrogens were linked, and optimal SRT for both estrogen and nutrient removal in an enhanced biological phosphorus removal system was determined. This has an important implication for the design and operation of full-scale wastewater treatment plants.

Influence of operational parameters (sludge retention time and hydraulic residence time) on the removal of estrogens by membrane bioreactor

INTRODUCTION

This paper deals with the removal of two natural estrogens, estrone (E1) and 17β-estradiol (E2) and a synthetic one 17α ethinylestradiol (EE2) from wastewater in a laboratory-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The effects of both solid retention time (SRT) and hydraulic residence time (HRT) were studied using synthetic wastewater in the MBR. At 35, 45, 60, 75, and 95 days, SRT was studied. The HRT was varied in the range of 7-12 h.

RESULTS

The results showed that the increases in HRT and SRT enhanced the biodegradation process after adaptation to microorganisms. At HRT of 12 h, the estrogen removals were close to 100% in the MBR. The highest estrogen removals were obtained at SRT of 60 days. Continuous tests showed a linear relationship between nitrification and estrogen removal rates.

CONCLUSIONS

The most biodegradable compound was the E2. The membrane fouling rates increased with the decreased of SRT and HRT. Optimal process conditions in this work was obtained at the SRT and HRT of 60 days and 12 h, respectively, with high efficient of estrogen removal, nitrification efficiencies, as well as a minimum membrane fouling rate.

Assessing granular media filtration for the removal of chemical contaminants from wastewater

Granular media filtration was evaluated for the removal of a suite of chemical contaminants that can be found in wastewater. Laboratory- and pilot-scale sand and granular activated carbon (GAC) filters were trialled for their ability to remove atrazine, estrone (E1), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR) and N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA). In general, sand filtration was ineffective in removing the contaminants from a tertiary treated wastewater, with the exception of E1 and EE2, where efficient removals were observed after approximately 150 d. Batch degradation experiments confirmed that the removal of E1 was through biological activity, with a pseudo-first-order degradation rate constant of 7.4 × 10(-3) h(-1). GAC filtration was initially able to effectively remove all contaminants; although removals decreased over time due to competition with other organics present in the water. The only exception was atrazine where removal remained consistently high throughout the experiment. Previously unreported differences were observed in the adsorption of the three nitrosamines, with the ease of removal following the trend, NDEA > NMOR > NDMA, consistent with their hydrophobic character. In most instances the removals from the pilot-scale filters were generally in agreement with the laboratory-scale filter, suggesting that there is potential in using laboratory-scale filters as monitoring tools to evaluate the performance of pilot- and possibly full-scale sand and GAC filters at wastewater treatment plants.

Sorption of carbamazepine, 17α-ethinylestradiol, iopromide and trimethoprim to biomass involves interactions with exocellular polymeric substances

The sorption of carbamazepine (CBZ), iopromide (IOP), trimethoprim (TMP) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) was evaluated using four biomass types (pure ammonia oxidizing bacterial culture, two heterotrophic enrichment cultures with varying levels of oxygenase activity, and a full-scale nitrifying activated sludge (NAS) culture). CBZ and IOP did not sorb to the four biomass types. EE2 did not sorb to the pure culture but sorbed significantly to the heterotrophic cultures and NAS. TMP sorbed to the heterotrophic cultures and NAS, and was not evaluated for the pure culture. Three floc characteristics (hydrophobicity, median particle size, organic matter content) correlated moderately well with the EE2 organic matter sorption coefficient (KOM,EE2). Zeta potential did not correlate well with KOM,EE2 but did with KOM,TMP, indicating that TMP sorption is more influenced by electrostatic factors than EE2. Once divalent cation-linked exocellular polymeric substances (EPS) were removed from flocs, EE2 and TMP sorption to the non-EPS (cellular) fraction decreased by approximately 50%. The correlation between KOM,EE2 for the non-EPS cellular fraction deteriorated while the correlation between KOM,TMP improved. EE2 seemed to sorb more strongly to EPS protein whereas TMP sorbed equally to polysaccharide and protein EPS. Attempts to develop predictive models were not successful. Pharmaceuticals that sorbed to biomass samples underwent biodegradation whereas those that did not sorb were not biodegraded, suggesting a relationship between sorption and pharmaceutical biotransformation.

Exploring 17α-ethinylestradiol removal, mineralization, and bioincorporation in engineered bioreactors

This research investigated removal, mineralization, and bioincorporation of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE(2)) in membrane bioreactors and conventional bioreactors. When the influent EE(2) concentration was >50 μg/L, the membrane bioreactor (MBR) biomass removed more EE(2) than conventional bioreactor (CBR) biomass in continuous tests, likely because the sorption partitioning coefficients are higher for MBR biomass. Microautoradiography was carried out to investigate the distribution of EE(2) within the aggregates retrieved from the bioreactors, and the results revealed concentration gradients present within the floc. Experiments using radiolabeled (14)C-EE(2) experiments (done with 24.5 μg/L EE(2)) showed that EE(2) removal rates and the amount of EE(2) mineralized were similar in MBRs and CBRs. Direct measurements and bioenergetic estimates suggest that EE(2)-related carbon is probably incorporated into active biomass, despite the fact that EE(2) was added at a concentration that was much lower than that of the primary growth substrates.

Adsorption behavior of EE2 (17 alpha-ethinylestradiol) onto the inactivated sewage sludge: kinetics, thermodynamics and influence factors

The adsorption behavior of 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE(2)) onto inactivated sludge was investigated to assess the function of adsorption on EE(2) removal in activated sludge system. The adsorption equilibrium of EE(2) can be achieved in 5.0 h at the research temperature and the adsorption process could be well described by pseudo-second-order model. The equilibrium data at different temperatures were fitted by a linear regression. The thermodynamics analysis revealed that EE(2) adsorption onto inactivated sludge was spontaneous (Delta G=-15.18 to -16.35 kJ/mol), enthalpy-driven (Delta H=-27.2 kJ/mol), entropy-retarded (DeltaS=-39.18 J/(mol K)), and mainly physical adsorption. Effects of pH, ionic strength and coexisting organic matters (methanol and bisphenol A) on EE(2) adsorption onto inactivated sludge were also examined. The amounts of EE(2) equilibrium adsorption ability were unchanged as the pH values increasing from 2.0 to 6.0, but decreased from 2.14 to 1.43 mg/g MLSS when the initial EE(2) concentration was 5.0mg/L as pH above 6.0. The adsorption capacities were first increased from 2.19 to 2.50mg/g MLSS, then sharply decreased and stabilized at 1.12 mg/g MLSS during the ionic strength was adjusted from 0 to 1 mol/L. Methanol (0.4-5%, v/v) and bisphenol A (0-200mg/L) in the mixed liquor can decrease the adsorption capacity of EE(2) from 2.19 to 1.39 and 0.75 mg/g MLSS, respectively.

Adsorption behaviors of Hg(II) on chitosan functionalized by amino-terminated hyperbranched polyamidoamine polymers

The adsorption behaviors of Hg(II) on adsorbents, chitosan functionalized by generation 1.0-3.0 of amino-terminated hyperbranched polyamidoamine polymers (denoted as CTS-1.0, CTS-2.0 and CTS-3.0, respectively), were studied. The optimum pH corresponding to the maximum adsorption capacities was found to be 5.0 for the three adsorbents. The experimental equilibrium data of Hg(II) on the three adsorbents were fitted to the Freundlich and the Langmuir models, and it is found that the Langmuir isotherm was the best fitting model to describe the equilibrium adsorption. The kinetics data indicated that the adsorption process of Hg(II) ions on CTS-1.0, CTS-2.0 and CTS-3.0 were governed by the film diffusion and followed pseudo-second-order rate model. Thermodynamic analysis and FTIR analysis revealed that the adsorption behaviors of Hg(II) ions on the three adsorbents could be considered as spontaneous, endothermic and chemical sorption process, resulting in their higher adsorption capacities at higher temperature.

Microbial transformation of synthetic estrogen 17alpha-ethinylestradiol

Natural estrogens such as estrone, 17beta-estradiol, estriol, and the particularly recalcitrant synthetic estrogen 17alpha-ethinylestradiol used as oral contraceptive, accumulate in the environment and may give rise to health problems. The processes participating in their removal from soil, wastewater, water-sediments, groundwater-aquifer material, and wastewater or sewage treatment plant effluents may involve the action of bacterial and microbial consortia, and in some cases fungi and algae. This review discusses the different efficiencies of bacterial degradation of 17alpha-ethinylestradiol under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, the role of sulfate-, nitrate-, and iron-reducing conditions in anaerobic degradation, and the role of sorption. The participation of autotrophic ammonia oxidizing bacteria and heterotrophic bacteria in cometabolic degradation of estrogens, the estrogen-degrading action of ligninolytic fungi and their extracellular enzymes (lignin peroxidase, manganese-dependent peroxidase, versatile peroxidase, laccase), and of algae are discussed in detail.