title: Predicting influent estradiol and estrone concentrations for wastewater treatment facilities.
abstract: An externally validated model was developed to predict influent concentrations of natural estrogens at municipal wastewater plants. The model kinetic constant for the first-order biotransformation of estradiol into estrone, k(E2), was calculated as 0.030 hour(-1) (ranging from -0.080 to 0.49 hour(-1), with a standard deviation of 0.23) and the model value for the biodegradation k of estrone, k(E1), was -0.18 hour(-1) (ranging from -0.44 to 0.38 hour(-1), with a standard deviation of 0.3). The k values were not found to be temperature-sensitive within the range 12 to 24.5 degrees C and displayed a weak trend of increasing with total suspended solids within the range 0.103 to 0.450 g/L. The new model improved on the predictions of a previous model for influent estrone concentrations, but gave comparable results for estradiol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA. mejarvie@cleveland-cliffs.com
authors.forename: Michelle E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Jarvie
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Hand