摘要
Steroid hormones, alkylphenol ethoxylates（APEOs） and phthalic acid esters（PAEs） are emerging endocrine disrupting chemicals（EDCs） that can interfere with the endocrine function in organisms at low concentrations. The occurrence, distribution behavior, removal rate and the fate of 31 target EDCs in sewage treatment plants, which consist of various treatment facilities and receiving water in Hong Kong, were investigated. Estrone,nonylphenol-di-ethoxylate and diethyl phthalate were found to be dominant in each group of influent samples with concentrations ranging from 11–33, 747–3945 and 445–4635 ng/L,respectively. Conversely, progesterone, nonylphenol-mono-ethoxylate and bis（2-ethylhexyl）phthalate were the most abundant in dewatered sludge, with concentrations ranging from 0.9–237, 75–19,743 and 4310–37,016 ng/g（dry weight）. The removal rates of primary sedimentation and disinfection approaches were lower than 30% for most of the chemicals,while those of activated sludge and reverse osmosis were greater than 80% for more than two-thirds of the compounds, noticeably decreasing the estrogenic risk of sewage discharged into the environment. Steroid hormones were removed via biological degradation, while some APEOs and PAEs adsorbed to the sludge. Victoria Harbor poses a low to medium estrogenic risk mainly contributed by estrone and estradiol and deserves attention.
Steroid hormones, alkylphenol ethoxylates（APEOs） and phthalic acid esters（PAEs） are emerging endocrine disrupting chemicals（EDCs） that can interfere with the endocrine function in organisms at low concentrations. The occurrence, distribution behavior, removal rate and the fate of 31 target EDCs in sewage treatment plants, which consist of various treatment facilities and receiving water in Hong Kong, were investigated. Estrone,nonylphenol-di-ethoxylate and diethyl phthalate were found to be dominant in each group of influent samples with concentrations ranging from 11–33, 747–3945 and 445–4635 ng/L,respectively. Conversely, progesterone, nonylphenol-mono-ethoxylate and bis（2-ethylhexyl）phthalate were the most abundant in dewatered sludge, with concentrations ranging from 0.9–237, 75–19,743 and 4310–37,016 ng/g（dry weight）. The removal rates of primary sedimentation and disinfection approaches were lower than 30% for most of the chemicals,while those of activated sludge and reverse osmosis were greater than 80% for more than two-thirds of the compounds, noticeably decreasing the estrogenic risk of sewage discharged into the environment. Steroid hormones were removed via biological degradation, while some APEOs and PAEs adsorbed to the sludge. Victoria Harbor poses a low to medium estrogenic risk mainly contributed by estrone and estradiol and deserves attention.
基金
supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NFSC)-Research Grants Committee Joint Research Scheme (N_City U127/12)
the National Natural Science Foundation (41276111)
the General Research Fund (CityU 11338216, 11100614)
Science Technology and Innovation Committee of Shenzhen Municipality (JCYJ20130401145617289)
State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution (SKLMP) Director Discretionary Fund
