title: Evaluation of the removal of antiestrogens and antiandrogens via ozone and granular activated carbon using bioassay and fluorescent spectroscopy.
abstract: Antiestrogens and antiandrogens are relatively rarely studied endocrine disrupting chemicals which can be found in un/treated wastewaters. Antiestrogens and antiandrogens in the wastewater treatment effluents could contribute to sexual disruption of organisms. In this study, to assess the removal of non-specific antiestrogens and antiandrogens by advanced treatment processes, ozonation and adsorption to granular activated carbon (GAC), the biological activities and excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy of wastewater were evaluated. As the applied ozone dose increased to 12 mg/L, the antiestrogenic activity dramatically decreased to 3.2 μg 4-hydroxytamoxifen equivalent (4HEQ)/L, with a removal efficiency of 84.8%, while the antiandrogenic activity was 23.1 μg flutamide equivalent (FEQ)/L, with a removal efficiency of 75.5%. The removal of antiestrogenic/antiandrogenic activity has high correlation with the removal of fulvic acid-like materials and humic acid-like organics, suggesting that they can be used as surrogates for antiestrogenic/antiandrogenic activity during ozonation. The adsorption kinetics of antiestrogenic activity and antiandrogenic activity were well described by pseudo-second-order kinetics models. The estimated equilibrium concentration of antiestrogenic activity is 7.9 μg 4HEQ/L with an effective removal efficiency of 70.5%, while the equilibrium concentration of antiandrogenic activity is 33.7 μg FEQ/L with a removal efficiency of 67.0%. Biological activity evaluation of wastewater effluents is an attractive way to assess the removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals by different treatment processes. Fluorescence spectroscopy can be used as a surrogate measure of bioassays during ozonation.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China.
authors.forename: Dehua
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Key Laboratory of Water Science and Technology of Zhejiang Province, Jiaxing 314050, China. Electronic address: chenlj@tsinghua.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Lujun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Yuchao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Water Science and Technology of Zhejiang Province, Jiaxing 314050, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D001681:Biological Assay; D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000032:analysis*; D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D005485:Flutamide / Q000737:chemistry; D010126:Ozone / Q000737:chemistry*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D002606:Charcoal; D004396:Coloring Agents; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D005485:Flutamide; D010126:Ozone; D013629:Tamoxifen; D062065:Wastewater; C016601:afimoxifene
keywords: Activated carbon; Antiandrogenic activity; Antiestrogenic activity; Endocrine disrupting chemicals; Fluorescent spectroscopy; Ozone