Influence of alkalinity and salinity on the sonochemical degradation of estrogen hormones in aqueous solution

The impact of inorganic salts on the ultrasonic degradation of contaminants: A review

This comprehensive review explores the interplay between inorganic salts and ultrasound-assisted degradation of various contaminants. The addition of salt to aqueous matrices has been attributed to increasing contaminant degradation via the salting-out effect. However, research investigating the impact of salt on degradation has yielded inconsistent results. This review incorporated degradation information from 44 studies organizing data according to compound class and ionic strength to analyze the impact of inorganic salts on cavitation bubble dynamics, contaminant behavior, radical species generation, and contaminant degradation. Frequency and salt type were assessed for potential roles in contaminant degradation. The analysis showed that high intensity ultrasound was most beneficial to degradation in salt solutions. Unexpectedly, hydrophilic compounds showed marked enhancement with increasing ionic strength while many hydrophobic compounds did not benefit as greatly. Based on the collected data and analysis, enhanced degradation in the presence of salt appears to be primarily radical-mediated rather than due to the salting-out effect. Finally, the analysis provides guidance for designing sonolytic reactors for contaminant degradation.

A critical and comprehensive review of the current status of 17β-estradiol hormone remediation through adsorption technology

Even at low concentrations, steroid hormones pose a significant threat to ecosystem health and are classified as micropollutants. Among these, 17β-estradiol (molecular formula: C18H24O2; pKa = 10.46; Log Kow = 4.01; solubility in water = 3.90 mg L-1 at 27 °C; molecular weight: 272.4 g mol-1) is extensively studied as an endocrine disruptor due to its release through natural pathways and widespread use in conventional medicine. 17β-estradiol (E2) is emitted by various sources, such as animal and human excretions, hospital and veterinary clinic effluents, and treatment plants. In aquatic biota, it can cause issues ranging from the feminization of males to inhibiting plant growth. This review aims to identify technologies for remediating E2 in water, revealing that materials like graphene oxides, nanocomposites, and carbonaceous materials are commonly used for adsorption. The pH of the medium, especially in acidic to neutral conditions, affects efficiency, and ambient temperature (298 K) supports the process. The Langmuir and Freundlich models aptly describe isothermal studies, with interactions being of a low-energy, physical nature. Adsorption faces limitations when other ions coexist in the solution. Hybrid treatments exhibit high removal efficiency. To mitigate global E2 pollution, establishing national and international standards with detailed guidelines for advanced treatment systems is crucial. Despite significant advancements in optimizing technologies by the scientific community, there remains a considerable gap in their societal application, primarily due to economic and sustainable factors. Therefore, further studies are necessary, including conducting batch experiments with these adsorbents for large-scale treatment along with economic analyses of the production process.

Influence of salinity on the degradation of xenobiotic compounds in rhizospheric mangrove soil

Mangroves are highly productive tropical ecosystems influenced by seasonal and daily salinity changes, often exposed to sewage contamination, oil spills and heavy metals, among others. There is limited knowledge of the influence of salinity on the ability of microorganisms to degrade xenobiotic compounds. The aim of this study were to determine the salinity influence on the degradation of xenobiotic compounds in a semi-arid mangrove in La Guajira-Colombia and establish the more abundant genes and degradation pathways. In this study, rhizospheric soil of Avicennia germinans was collected in three points with contrasting salinity (4H, 2 M and 3 L). Total DNA extraction was performed and shotgun sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq technology. We annotated 507,343 reads associated with 21 pathways and detected 193 genes associated with the degradation of xenobiotics using orthologous genes from the KEGG Orthology (KO) database, of which 16 pathways and 113 genes were influenced by salinity. The highest abundances were found in high salinity. The degradation of benzoate showed the highest abundance, followed by the metabolism of the drugs and the degradation of chloroalkane and chloroalkene. The majority of genes were associated with phase I degradation of xenobiotics. The most abundant genes were acetyl-CoA C-acetyltransferase (atoB), catalase-peroxidase (katG) and GMP synthase (glutamine-hydrolysing) (guaA). In conclusion, the metagenomic analysis detected all the degradation pathways of xenobiotics of KEGG and 59% of the genes associated with these pathways were influenced by salinity.

Treatment of petroleum oil spill sludge using the combined ultrasound and Fenton oxidation process

In this paper, advanced oxidation process (AOP) combining ultrasound (US) and Fenton's process was proposed for the treatment of total petroleum hydrocarbons present in oil spill sludge. The effect of several parameters like pH, ultrasonic power, weight ratio of hydrogen peroxide to iron [H₂O₂/Fe²⁺], Fenton reagent dosage, addition of salts and contact time were analyzed for the reduction of Petroleum Hydrocarbons (PHCs) in terms of hydrocarbon fractions (nC7-C10, nC11-C20). Chemical characterization of oil spill sludge was analysed by gas chromatography- mass spectrum (GC-MS) Elemental analyser, Fourier Transform Infra Red (FT-IR) Analyser and particle size analyser. Experiments were conducted for identifying the wide range of hydrocarbons fractions (nC7-C10, nC11-C20 and nC21-C30). Results shown that maximum solubilisation and PHC removal rate of up to 84.25% could be achieved at a pH of 3.0, sludge/water ratio of 1:100, ultrasonic power of 100 W with 40-50% ultrasonic amplitude, a H₂O₂/Fe²⁺ weight ratio of 10:1, and an ultrasonic treatment time of 10 min. The lower and medium fractions (nC7-C10, nC11-C20) were amenable to degradation due to ultrasound treatment compared to the heavier carbon fraction (nC21-C30). The study concludes that the combined sono-Fenton (SF) process significantly enhanced the degradation of oil spill sludge as compared to ultrasound treatment and Fenton oxidation alone. The enhanced solubilisation achieved by US alone is highly beneficial when we couple this with biodegradation which will be greatly facilitated by the enhanced solubility.

17α-Ethinylestradiol and 17β-estradiol removal from a secondary urban wastewater using an RBC treatment system

The presence of micropollutants that include endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDC) in aquatic environments is currently one of the most relevant aspects of water quality due to their adverse effects on aquatic organisms and human health. From the several categories of EDC, 17β-estradiol (E2) is a natural hormone, which is prevalent in vertebrates, associated with the female reproductive system and maintenance of the sexual characters. 17α-Ethinylestradiol (EE2) is a synthetic hormone produced from the natural hormone E2 and is an essential component of oral contraceptives. These compounds are susceptible to bioconcentration and have high potential to bioaccumulation. Wastewater treatment plants are the main point source of E2 and EE2 into aquatic environments, but conventional wastewater treatment systems are not specifically designed for steroid removal. To overcome this problem, biological tertiary treatment may be a solution for the removal of emergent pollutants such as E2 and EE2. The main purpose of the present study is to provide a solution based on the optimization of a rotating biological contactor system to remove estrogens, specifically E2 and EE2, and to quantify their removal efficiency on different matrices, namely real wastewater and different synthetic wastewaters. All assays presented viable removal efficiencies for compound E2 with values always above 50%; real wastewater yielded the highest removal efficiencies. EE2 removal had better removal efficiencies with synthetic wastewater as feed solution, with removals above 15%, whereas the removal efficiency with real wastewater was inexistent.

Permanganate oxidation of diclofenac: The pH-dependent reaction kinetics and a ring-opening mechanism

In this work, the fate of diclofenac (DCF) during permanganate (Mn(VII)) oxidation was investigated at environmentally relevant pH conditions (from 5 to 9). The batch experiments showed that the kinetics of the Mn(VII)/DCF reaction follows a second-order rate law with an apparent rate constant of 1.57±0.02 M(-1) s(-1) at pH 7 and 20 °C. The half-value of DCF was calculated to be 37.5 min, when the concentration of Mn(VII) (0.4 mM) was 20-fold excess of DCF. The pH-dependence of the reaction kinetics was investigated, and the DCF reactivity with Mn(VII) was found to decrease with increasing pH. The second-order rate constants were then quantitatively described by incorporating the species distribution of DCF. A lower reactivity of the anionic DCF (DCF(-)) in comparison with its neutral counterpart (DCF(0)) was most likely attributable to the interaction between the ionized carboxylate group and amine nitrogen position, which can reduce the nucleophilicity of amine nitrogen by inductive and resonance effects. Moreover, a range of degradation products and the corresponding structures were proposed on the basis of the LC-Q-TOF-MS analysis. A detailed ring-opening reaction mechanism was proposed as follows: Mn(VII) acts as an electrophile to attack the amine moiety, leading to the formation of the primary intermediate products 2,6-dichloroaniline and 5-hydroxy-diclofenac, which can be further transformed. The further degradation proceeded through a multistep process including ring-opening, decarboxylation, hydroxylation, and cyclation reactions.

Surface catalyzed oxidative oligomerization of 17β-estradiol by Fe(3+)-saturated montmorillonite

With widespread detection of endocrine disrupting compounds including hormones in wastewater, there is a need to develop cost-effective remediation technologies for their removal from wastewater. Previous research has shown that Fe(3+)-saturated montmorillonite is effective in quickly transforming phenolic organic compounds such as pentachlorophenol, phenolic acids, and triclosan via surface-catalyzed oligomerization. However, little is known about its effectiveness and reaction mechanisms when reacting with hormones. In this study, the reaction kinetics of Fe(3+)-saturated montmorillonite catalyzed 17β-estradiol (βE2) transformation was investigated. The transformation products were identified using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, and their structures were further confirmed using computational approach. Rapid βE2 transformation in the presence of Fe(3+)-saturated montmorillonite in an aqueous system was detected. The disappearance of βE2 follows first-order kinetics, while the overall catalytic reaction follows the second-order kinetics with an estimated reaction rate constant of 200 ± 24 (mmol βE2/g mineral)(−1) h(–1). The half-life of βE2 in this system was estimated to be 0.50 ± 0.06 h. βE2 oligomers were found to be the major products of βE2 transformation when exposed to Fe(3+)-saturated montmorillonite. About 98% of βE2 were transformed into βE2 oligomers which are >10(7) times less water-soluble than βE2 and, therefore, are much less bioavailable and mobile then βE2. The formed oligomers quickly settled from the aqueous phase and were not accumulated on the reaction sites of the interlayer surfaces of Fe(3+)-saturated montmorillonite, the major reason for the observed >84% βE2 removal efficiency even after five consecutive usages of the same of Fe(3+)-saturated montmorillonite. The results from this study clearly demonstrated that Fe(3+)-saturated montmorillonite has a great potential to be used as a cost-effective material for efficient removal of phenolic organic compounds from wastewater.

Ozonation of a mixture of estrogens and progestins in aqueous solution: interpretation of experimental results by computational methods

The degradation of the mixture of steroid hormones including seven estrogens (17α-estradiol, 17β-estradiol, 17α-dihydroequilin, 17α-ethinyl estradiol, estriol, estrone and equilin) and five progestins (levonorgestrel, gestodene, trimegestrone, medrogestone and progesterone) by ozonation in aqueous solution is investigated. The ozonation process provides high removal (up to 100%) of hormones and estrogenicity in the treated water. Computational methods such as quantum chemistry calculations (QCCs) are applied to interpret the observed results. Quantum chemistry descriptors computed for steroid hormones explain the nature of the reactions and differences in reactivities between estrogen and progestin hormones within the framework of the Density Functional Theory (DFT). Computed molecular descriptors were combined with physical properties to develop qualitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) models (using multiple linear regression algorithm). The developed models have correlation coefficients (R(2)) of 0.994 for estrogens and 0.997 for progestins, and could be used to predict the removal efficiencies for similar compounds. The frontier molecular orbitals (the HOMO and the LUMO) have a major impact on the reactivity of steroid hormones. The susceptibility of certain functional groups to ozone and possible reactive sites for all steroids was discussed by Frontier Molecular Orbital approach.

Evaluation of relative importance of ultrasound reactor parameters for the removal of estrogen hormones in water

The growing interest in sonochemistry as a tool for environmental remediation leads to the need for process optimization. Sonochemistry is a complex process, which depends on physical parameters and also on the process conditions. Physical parameters are interrelated and therefore a systematic approach has to be taken to optimize the process. The effect of physical parameters on the destruction of seven estrogen hormones (17α-estradiol, 17β-estradiol, estriol, 17α-ethinylestradiol, 17α-dihydroequilin, estrone and equilin) is reported in this study. Artificial neural networks (ANN) was used as a tool to identify the correlations between these process parameters. ANN enabled the establishment of relationship between sonication parameters such as power density, power intensity, ultrasound amplitude, as well as the reactor design parameters. The major significance was attributed to the area-specific power density and the volume-specific power intensity. The results of this work provide a sound basis to design pilot and full-scale ultrasound treatment systems. Process optimization lead to a 5-fold decrease in energy consumption as compared to the commercially available reactors, thereby making the process attractive for field applications.

Processes for the elimination of estrogenic steroid hormones from water: a review

Natural estrogens such as estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and the synthetic one, 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), are excreted by humans and animals and enter into environment through discharge of domestic sewage effluents and disposal of animal waste. The occurrence of these substances in aquatic ecosystems may affect the endocrine system of humans and wildlife so it has emerged as a major concern for water quality. Extensive research has being carried out during the last decades on the efficiency of the degradation and/or removal of these hormones in sewage treatment plants (STPs). Conventional and advanced treatments have been investigated by different authors for the elimination of estrogens from water. This paper aims to review the different processes and treatments that have been applied for the elimination of E1, E2, E3 and EE2 from water. With this purpose, physical, biological and advanced oxidation processes (AOP) have been addressed.

Effect of process conditions on the analysis of free and conjugated estrogen hormones by solid-phase extraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPE-GC/MS)

Simultaneous analysis of 11 free estrogen hormones and five conjugated estrogens in water and municipal wastewater was studied. The analytical method was developed and tested for different types of solid-phase extraction adsorbents, eluents, sample containers and storage conditions, derivatization, and matrix effects. Varian Bond Elut C-18 solid-phase extraction adsorbent cartridge was selected based on its high recoveries for both free and conjugated estrogens. Sample storage conditions, as well as selection and pretreatment of sample container materials, can affect the trace level analysis of estrogens. Silanization of glassware is observed to provide low relative standard deviation (RSD) in the analysis and less percentage loss due to contacting with sample container materials. Light exposure during the test can significantly impact the results. The derivatized samples stored at -20°C for at least 6 days showed less than 10.5% average RSD in the analysis. The recovery efficiency in clean water varies from 72% to 101% for free estrogens and 78% to 82% for conjugated estrogens. The method detection limits (MDL) for most of the compounds range from 30 to 870 ng/L using a sample volume of 200 mL. With a sample volume of 3 L, the most sensitive compound produces a MDL of 0.03 ng/L. Dilute methanol is used to wash the loaded cartridge as a cleanup step in order to remove interfering species during analysis of wastewater samples. Using the optimized analytical methods, the concentration level of free estrogens in the influent and effluent municipal wastewaters is tested.

Application of density functional theory (DFT) to study the properties and degradation of natural estrogen hormones with chemical oxidizers

Estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), equilin (EQ) and 17α-estradiol (17α) estrogen hormones are released by humans and animals and have been detected in the environment and municipal wastewater treatment plants. The structural and electronic properties of natural hormone molecules are investigated by performing density functional theory calculations and used to predict their properties and chemical behavior. Quantitative structure property relationship (QSPR) approach is applied to correlate the estrogenicity associated with the natural estrogen hormones according to their molecular properties. The obtained relationship reveals the importance of the frontier molecular orbital energy in the interpretation of estrogenic activity of hormones, which is consistent with the previous research. Moreover, the obtained molecular descriptors also aid determination of the degradability of hormones, and to rationalize degradation pathways, with chemical oxidizers such as ozone and hydroxyl radical. Both types of interactions belong to the orbital-controlled reactions. The active sites determined by Fukui functions for the estrogen hormone molecules confirm the reaction pattern that initiates the attack of the aromatic ring for both ozone and hydroxyl radical. The reactive sites of the molecules are mapped with subsequent reaction intermediates and compared with experimental data obtained from the literature.

Oil recovery from refinery oily sludge via ultrasound and freeze/thaw

The effective disposal of oily sludge generated from the petroleum industry has received increasing concerns, and oil recovery from such waste was considered as one feasible option. In this study, three different approaches for oil recovery were investigated, including ultrasonic treatment alone, freeze/thaw alone and combined ultrasonic and freeze/thaw treatment. The results revealed that the combined process could achieve satisfactory performance by considering the oil recovery rate and the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations in the recovered oil and wastewater. The individual impacts of five different factors on the combined process were further examined, including ultrasonic power, ultrasonic treatment duration, sludge/water ratio in the slurry, as well as bio-surfactant (rhamnolipids) and salt (NaCl) concentrations. An oil recovery rate of up to 80.0% was observed with an ultrasonic power of 66 W and an ultrasonic treatment duration of 10 min when the sludge/water ratio was 1:2 without the addition of bio-surfactant and salt. The examination of individual factors revealed that the addition of low concentration of rhamnolipids (<100mg/L) and salt (<1%) to the sludge could help improve the oil recovery from the combined treatment process. The experimental results also indicated that ultrasound and freeze/thaw could promote the efficiency of each other, and the main mechanism of oil recovery enhancement using ultrasound was through enhanced desorption of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) from solid particles.

Sonodegradation of 17α-ethynylestradiol in environmentally relevant matrices: laboratory-scale kinetic studies

The sonochemical degradation of 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) in secondary treated effluents was investigated. Ultrasound irradiation was provided by a horn-type sonicator operating at 80 kHz. The effect of various operating conditions such as estrogen concentration (25-160 μg/L), power density (18-46 W/L), liquid bulk temperature (15-60 °C), gas sparging (air, oxygen, and helium), solution pH (3 and 7.8), as well as the addition of radical promoters (hydrogen peroxide) or catalysts (TiO2 and Fe2+) on degradation kinetics was evaluated. Changes in estrogen concentration were followed by high performance liquid chromatography and the yeast estrogen screening (YES) assay. EE2 degradation in the range 25-110 μg/L follows first order kinetics in regard to its concentration, while lower order kinetics occur at higher concentrations. The reaction rate increases linearly with applied power and decreases exponentially with temperature at the conditions in question. Continuous sparging of air or oxygen has little effect on the kinetics relative to air-equilibrated conditions, while helium has a marginally positive effect. The inorganic and organic contents of the wastewater matrix appear to promote degradation at inherent conditions in comparison to experiments in ultrapure water. Nevertheless, the addition of H2O2 (8.6 and 86 mg/L), Fe2+ (2.5-25 mg/L) or TiO2 (50-2000 mg/L) has no or, in some cases, adverse effect on kinetics.

Occurrence of estrogen hormones in biosolids, animal manure and mushroom compost

The presence of natural estrogen hormones as trace concentrations in the environment has been reported by many researchers and is of growing concern due to its possible adverse effects on the ecosystem. In this study, municipal biosolids, poultry manure (PM) and cow manure (CM), and spent mushroom compost (SMC) were analyzed for the presence of seven estrogen hormones. 17α-estradiol, 17β-estradiol, 17α-dihydroequilin, and estrone were detected in the sampled biosolids and manures at concentrations ranging from 6 to 462 ng/g of dry solids. 17α-estradiol, 17β-estradiol, and estrone were also detected in SMC at concentrations ranging from 4 to 28 ng/g of dry solids. Desorption experiments were simulated in the laboratory using deionized water (milli-Q), and the aqueous phase was examined for the presence of estrogen hormones to determine their desorption potential. Very low desorption of 0.4% and 0.2% estrogen hormones was observed from municipal biosolids and SMC, respectively. An estimate of total estrogen contribution from different solid waste sources is reported. Animal manures (PM and CM) contribute to a significant load of estrogen hormones in the natural environment.

Improved method for analyzing the degradation of estrogens in water by solid-phase extraction coupled with ultra performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection

We established an improved method for the determination of four estrogens including estriol (E3), 17beta-estradiol (E2), 17alpha-ethynylestrodiol (EE2) and estrone (El) in water. The method consisted of solid-phase extraction (0.5 L water) and subsequent analysis of analytes by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with an ultraviolet detector (UVD). Base-line separation was achieved for all studied estrogens using a column (50 mm x 2.1 mm) packed with 1.7 microm particle size stationary phase. Recovery was higher than 88% and detection limits ranged between 12.5-23.7 ng/L for the four estrogens, with the RSD ranging from 7% to 11%. The method was successfully applied to determine E2 and EE2 in simulated natural water, which found that about 70% of E2 was degraded (with a half-life of about 30 hr) within 48 hr and about 55% of EE2 was degraded (with a half-life of about 36 hr). Low levels of E1 were found, however E3 was undetectable during the process.