Input/output balance of estrogenic active compounds in a major municipal sewage plant in Germany.
24 h samples of untreated and treated wastewater were taken in parallel from a modern municipal sewage plant in southern Germany in March and June 1998. After solid phase extraction, total estrogenic activity was quantitatively measured with a miniaturized E-screen assay and the levels of nine estrogenic phenolic chemicals analyzed by HRGC/LRMS. 17Beta-estradiol equivalent concentrations (EEQ) were 58 and 70 ng/l in the influent and 6 ng/l in the effluent, indicating that the load of estrogenic activity of the wastewater was reduced by about 90% in the sewage plant. Less than 3% of the estrogenic activity was found in the sludge. 4-t-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol, bisphenol A, 2-hydroxybiphenyl, and 4-chloro-3-methylphenol were detected in the untreated wastewater at levels from 0.13 to 3.6 microg/l. 4-t-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol, and bisphenol A were present in the effluent at concentrations from 0.16 to 0.36 microg/l, 2-hydroxybiphenyl and 4-chloro-3-methylphenol were not detectable. The contribution of the quantified levels of phenolic xenoestrogens to total estrogenic activity in the sewage was 0.7-4.3%.
Körner
W
W
Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Germany. wolfgang.koerner@uni-tuebingen.de
Bolz
U
U
Süssmuth
W
W
Hiller
G
G
Schuller
W
W
Hanf
V
V
Hagenmaier
H
H
D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D004958:Estradiol; D004967:Estrogens; D010636:Phenols; D012722:Sewage; C080417:4-octylphenol; C004369:2-phenylphenol; C041594:4-nonylphenol; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds