Removal of endocrine-disrupting chemical mixtures in water using chlorination and photolysis
Taiza dos Santos Azevedo,
Juliana Palermo Evangelista dos Santos,
João Monteiro Neto,
Fernanda Bento Rosa Gomes,
Sue Ellen Costa Bottrel,
Ann Honor Mounteer,
Renata de Oliveira Pereira
Affiliations
Taiza dos Santos Azevedo
Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, R. Cruzeiro, 01, Jardim Sao Paulo, Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, 39803-371, Brazil
Juliana Palermo Evangelista dos Santos
Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Jose Lourenço Kelmer s/n, Campus UFJF, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, 36036-900, Brazil
João Monteiro Neto
Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Jose Lourenço Kelmer s/n, Campus UFJF, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, 36036-900, Brazil
Fernanda Bento Rosa Gomes
Civil Engineering Graduate Program, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Jose Lourenço Kelmer s/n, Campus UFJF, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais 36036-900, Brazil
Sue Ellen Costa Bottrel
Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Jose Lourenço Kelmer s/n, Campus UFJF, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, 36036-900, Brazil
Ann Honor Mounteer
Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Av. P.H Rolfs, s/n, Campus UFV, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil
Renata de Oliveira Pereira
Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Jose Lourenço Kelmer s/n, Campus UFJF, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, 36036-900, Brazil
Micropollutants have been continuously detected in freshwater. In parallel, the potential adverse effects of human exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) through drinking water have been gaining the attention of researchers and health authorities. Given this fact, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of chlorination and photolysis to remove the estrogenic activity caused by mixtures of EDCs in water: estrone (E1: 100 ng L−1), 17β-estradiol (E2: 100 ng L−1), ethinylestradiol (EE2: 50 ng L−1), and nonylphenol (NP: 1,000 ng L−1) under operating conditions applicable for water treatment plants. The tests were performed using freshwater spiked with the following mixtures: E1 + E2, E1 + E2 + EE2, E1 + E2 + NP, and E1 + E2 + EE2 + NP). Removal efficiencies of up to 99.7% were achieved at a chlorine dose of 2.75 mg L–1 and 30 min of contact time. In photolysis, estrogenic activity removal was higher than 99.9% at a UV dose of 186 mJ cm–2. Results indicated that both chlorination and photolysis can be efficient to remove the estrogenic activity caused by the tested EDC mixtures in water. Furthermore, experiments suggested that EDC mixtures can be efficiently removed at feasible water disinfection operating conditions. HIGHLIGHTS Removal of E1, E2, EE2, and nonylphenol from water was investigated.; Tests were carried out at conditions applicable for water disinfection.; Chlorination removed up to 99.7% of the estrogenic activity.; Efficiencies of up to 99.9% were achieved using photolysis.;
