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.
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 120-750, South Korea.
Taewoo
T
Yi
Susan
S
Mackintosh
Diana S
DS
Aga
Willie F
WF
Harper
D001345:Autoradiography; D019149:Bioreactors; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol