title: Estrogenic compounds in Tunisian urban sewage treatment plant: occurrence, removal and ecotoxicological impact of sewage discharge and sludge disposal.
abstract: The occurrence, fate and ecotoxicological assessment of selected estrogenic compounds were investigated at Tunisian urban sewage treatment plant. The influents, effluents, as well as primary, secondary and dehydrated sludge, were sampled and analyzed for the target estrogens to evaluate their fate. All target compounds were detected in both sewage and sludge with mean concentrations from 0.062 to 0.993 μg L-1and from 11.8 to 792.9 μg kg-1dry weight, respectively. A wide range of removal efficiencies during the treatment processes were observed, from 6.3 % for estrone to 76.8 % for estriol. Ecotoxicological risk assessment revealed that the highest ecotoxicological risk in sewage effluent and dehydrated sludge was due to 17β-estradiol with a risk quotient (RQ) of 4.6 and 181.9, respectively, and 17α-ethinylestradiol with RQ of 9.8 and 14.85, respectively. Ecotoxicological risk after sewage discharge and sludge disposal was limited to the presence of 17β-estradiol in dehydrated-sludge amended soil with RQ of 1.38. Further control of estrogenic hormones in sewage effluent and sludge is essential before their discharge and application in order to prevent their introduction into the natural environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Laboratory of Biodiversity and Aquatic Ecosystems, Ecology and Planktonology, University of Sfax-Tunisia, FSS, Street Soukra Km 3.5, BP 1171, Sfax, CP 3000, Tunisia. dalel_belhaj@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Dalel
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6955-4093
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Belhaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Laboratory of Biodiversity and Aquatic Ecosystems, Ecology and Planktonology, University of Sfax-Tunisia, FSS, Street Soukra Km 3.5, BP 1171, Sfax, CP 3000, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Athmouni
authors.affiliation: ENIS. Engineering laboratory of Environment and Ecotechnology. LR16ES19, University of Sfax-Tunisia, Street Soukra Km 3.5. BP 1173, Sfax, CP 3038, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Bouthaina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jerbi
authors.affiliation: ENIS. Engineering laboratory of Environment and Ecotechnology. LR16ES19, University of Sfax-Tunisia, Street Soukra Km 3.5. BP 1173, Sfax, CP 3038, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Monem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kallel
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Laboratory of Biodiversity and Aquatic Ecosystems, Ecology and Planktonology, University of Sfax-Tunisia, FSS, Street Soukra Km 3.5, BP 1171, Sfax, CP 3000, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Habib
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ayadi
authors.affiliation: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia.
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D054750:Ecotoxicology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004958:Estradiol / Q000032:analysis; D004964:Estriol / Q000032:analysis; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis*; D004970:Estrone / Q000032:analysis; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil; D014416:Tunisia; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol; D004964:Estriol; D004967:Estrogens; D004970:Estrone; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D012722:Sewage; D012987:Soil; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Ecotoxicological assessment; Estrogens; Sewage discharge; Sludge disposal