Removal of 17α-ethinylestradiol and total phosphorus in a sequencing batch reactor under two different sludge retention-time conditions

Abstract

Sewage treatment systems can prevent the direct discharge of endocrine disruptors, such as 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), into the environment. Treatment systems capable of promoting total phosphorus (TP) removal, such as sequencing batch reactors (SBRs), are promising in this regard. Two lab-scale SBRs with different sludge retention times (SRTs) were assessed for their EE2 and TP removal rates. Anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic phases with cycles of 6 h were used to treat sewage containing EE2 at a concentration of 5 μg L-1. The removal rates of chemical oxygen demand and TP were approximately 80% for both the SBRs. Partial nitrification was observed in the SBRs. Initially, concentrations of EE2 above 1.0 μg L-1 in the treated sewage were measured. These concentrations were smaller in SBR 1, which used lower SRTs; EE2 was removed by sludge sorption. After the 56th cycle, the concentrations of EE2 in the treated sewage were below 0.1 μg L-1 in both the SBRs, indicating that its removal may have occurred by biodegradation due to acclimation to the process. Therefore, both TP removal and nitrification seem to play an important role in EE2 removal by SBRs.
 Keywords: A2O SBR, EE2 and TP removal, sewage treatments.

Eficiência na remoção do hormônio 17--etinilestradiol de um efluente sanitário a partir da utilização de solo vegetado com bambu Barriga de Buda (Bambusa tuldoides cv. ventricosa)

“…A atenção neste estudo está voltada para o Etinilestradiol -EE2 ou 17α-etinilestradiol -um dos principais estrogênios sintéticos utilizados em formulações de contraceptivos orais e um dos medicamentos mais consumidos do mundo (Paula et al, 2023). Além disso, ele é apontado como um dos desreguladores endócrinos de maior relevância no ambiente aquático, devido as alterações que ele é capaz de provocar por ser resistente à biodegradação e possuir alta atividade estrogênica (Cabral, 2019).…”