title: [Fate analysis of NPEOs and their metabolites in municipal wastewater plants].
abstract: Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs), as an important group of non-ionic surfactants, have raised the society's serious concern because they can be transformed into their metabolites such as nonylphenol (NP) after biodegradation, which could cause potential disrupting effects on the endocrine system of wild animals. In this paper, NPEOs and their metabolites were taken as the research objects, and the occurrence and output pathways of NPEOs and their metabolites during the municipal wastewater treatment process were investigated, as well as the affecting factors of their removal efficiency. The results showed that NPEOs and their metabolites were ubiquitous in the influents of municipal wastewater plants, and the concentrations were related to seasons, geographic locations, living habits and so on. NPEOs and their metabolites entering WWTPs were output mainly through three pathways: biodegradation, adsorption onto sludge and release via effluents. Endocrine disrupting chemicals such as NP and NPECs were produced during the wastewater treatment process and entered the environment via effluents and sludge. The results of this paper could provide a scientific basis for the construction of safety control techniques in the municipal wastewater treatment plant.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China. jinglian@rcees.ac.cn
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.forename: Jun-Xin
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D002947:Cities; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D017137:Nonoxynol / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D017137:Nonoxynol; D010636:Phenols; D012722:Sewage; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D062065:Wastewater; C025256:nonylphenol