title: Effect of biological and chemical oxidation on the removal of estrogenic compounds (NP and BPA) from wastewater: an integrated assessment procedure.
abstract: A major source of the wide presence of EDCs (Endocrine Disrupting Compounds) in water bodies is represented by direct/indirect discharge of sewage. Recent scientific literature reports data about their trace concentration in water, sediments and aquatic organisms, as well as removal efficiencies of different wastewater treatment schemes. Despite the availability of a huge amount of data, some doubts still persist due to the difficulty in evaluating synergistic effects of trace pollutants in complex matrices. In this paper, an integrated assessment procedure was used, based on chemical and biological analyses, in order to compare the performance of two full scale biological wastewater treatment plants (either equipped with conventional settling tanks or with an ultrafiltration membrane unit) and tertiary ozonation (pilot scale). Nonylphenol and bisphenol A were chosen as model EDCs, together with the parent compounds mono- and di-ethoxylated nonylphenol (quantified by means of GC-MS). Water estrogenic activity was evaluated by applying the human breast cancer MCF-7 based reporter gene assay. Process parameters (e.g., sludge age, temperature) and conventional pollutants (e.g., COD, suspended solids) were also measured during monitoring campaigns. Conventional activated sludge achieved satisfactory removal of both analytes and estrogenicity. A further reduction of biological activity was exerted by MBR (Membrane Biological Reactor) as well as ozonation; the latter contributed also to decrease EDC concentrations.
authors.affiliation: DICATA Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture, Land and Environment, University of Brescia, via Branze 43, I-25123 Brescia, Italy. giorgio.bertanza@ing.unibs.it
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertanza
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pedrazzani
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dal Grande
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zambarda
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montani
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Steimberg
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzoleni
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Lorenzo
mesh_terms: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D019149:Bioreactors; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010126:Ozone / Q000737:chemistry; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D010126:Ozone; D010636:Phenols; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C025256:nonylphenol; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds