Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia,
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2015 Aug;22(15):11340-8. doi: 10.1007/s11356-015-4238-8. Epub 2015 Mar 26.
The remediation of four estrogenic endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), ethinylestradiol (EE2) and estriol (E3), was measured in saturated and unsaturated carbonate sand-filled columns dosed with wastewater from a sewage treatment plant. The estrogen equivalency (EEQ) of inlet wastewater was 1.2 ng L(-1) and was remediated to an EEQ of 0.5 ng L(-1) through the unsaturated carbonate sand-filled columns. The high surface area of carbonate sand and associated high microbial activity may have assisted the degradation of these estrogens. The fully saturated sand columns showed an increase in total estrogenic potency with an EEQ of 2.4 ng L(-1), which was double that of the inlet wastewater. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in total estrogenic potency between aerobic and anaerobic columns. The breakdown of conjugated estrogens to estrogenic EDCs formed under long residence time and reducing conditions may have been responsible for the increase in the fully saturated columns. This may also be explained by the desorption of previously sorbed estrogenic EDCs. The effect of additional filter materials, such as basalt sediment and coconut fibre, on estrogenic EDC reduction was also tested. None of these amendments provided improvements in estrogen remediation relative to the unamended unsaturated carbonate sand columns. Aerobic carbonate sand filters have good potential to be used as on-site wastewater treatment systems for the reduction of estrogenic EDCs. However, the use of fully saturated sand filters, which are used to promote denitrification, and the loss of nitrogen as N2 were shown to cause an increase in EEQ. The potential for the accumulation of estrogenic EDCs under anaerobic conditions needs to be considered when designing on-site sand filtration systems required to reduce nitrogen. Furthermore, the accumulation of estrogens under anaerobic conditions such as under soil absorption systems or leachate fields has the potential to contaminate groundwater especially when the water table levels fluctuate.
四种雌激素内分泌干扰化合物（EDCs），雌酮（E1）、雌二醇（E2）、乙炔雌二醇（EE2）和雌三醇（E3）的修复情况在饱和和不饱和碳酸盐砂填充柱中进行了测量，这些填充柱中加入了来自污水处理厂的废水。进水废水中的雌激素等效值（EEQ）为 1.2ng/L，并通过不饱和碳酸盐砂填充柱将其修复至 0.5ng/L 的 EEQ。碳酸盐砂的高表面积和相关的高微生物活性可能有助于这些雌激素的降解。完全饱和的砂柱的总雌激素效力增加，EEQ 为 2.4ng/L，是进水的两倍。有氧和厌氧柱之间的总雌激素效力存在显著差异（P<0.05）。在长停留时间和还原条件下，共轭雌激素分解为雌激素 EDCs，可能是完全饱和柱中雌激素增加的原因。这也可以解释为先前吸附的雌激素 EDC 的解吸。还测试了玄武岩沉积物和椰子纤维等附加过滤材料对雌激素 EDC 减少的影响。与未处理的不饱和碳酸盐砂柱相比，这些改良剂都没有改善雌激素修复效果。有氧碳酸盐砂过滤器具有作为原位废水处理系统用于减少雌激素 EDC 的良好潜力。然而，使用完全饱和的砂滤器以促进反硝化和氮作为 N2 的损失会导致 EEQ 增加。在设计需要减少氮的原位砂过滤系统时，需要考虑在厌氧条件下雌激素的积累。此外，在土壤吸收系统或渗滤液场等厌氧条件下，雌激素的积累有可能污染地下水，特别是当地下水位波动时。
