Abstract
Environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals have become a global environmental problem, and the distribution, transport, and fate of estrogens in soil and water environments closely relate to human and ecological health as well as to the remediation scheme design. A new micro-extraction technique termed dispersive liquid–liquid micro-extraction (DLLME) combined with high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD) was developed for the determination of the concentration of steroid estrogens in water samples. The detection limits of HPLC-FLD and DLLME-HPLC/FLD were 0.68–1.73 μg L−1 and 7.16–69.22 ng L−1, respectively. Based on this method, the isothermal adsorption of 17β-E2 on sand and a breakthrough experiment of 17β-E2 and Cu2+ in a soil aquifer treatment (SAT) system were studied. The 17β-E2 adsorption capacity of sand in 17β-E2 solution was detected to be larger than that in a mixed solution of 17β-E2 and Cu(NO3)2 solution, and the breakthrough curves of 17β-E2 and Cu2+ in the mixed solution shifted forward in sand column experiments. Both suggested that the competitive adsorption of 17β-E2 and Cu2+ in the mixed solution might occur on the surface of the sand. In the process of the removal of 17β-E2 in wastewater by SAT, the existence of Cu2+ slightly inhibited the adsorption of 17β-E2 and accelerated the breakthrough of 17β-E2. These results ought to be a warning for SAT application for 17β-E2 removal in water where heavy metals coexist.
Highlights
IntroductionSimilar to ozone depletion and global warming, endocrine disruptors have become another major global issue
Similar to ozone depletion and global warming, endocrine disruptors have become another major global issue. Natural steroid estrogens, such as estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3), are kinds of endocrine-disrupting compounds with strong estrogenic activity
Different methanol volumes containing the same volume of [BMIM]PF6 were used to investigate the effect of disperser solvent volume on the enrichment factor (EF)
Summary
Similar to ozone depletion and global warming, endocrine disruptors have become another major global issue. Natural steroid estrogens, such as estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3), are kinds of endocrine-disrupting compounds with strong estrogenic activity. Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and sewage treatment plants for effluent outfall are known as the two major pollution sources of steroid estrogen into the environment [1]. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are harmful to wildlife, even at very low concentrations [6], which brings some difficulties to the remediation of EDCs. Studies show that estrogens can be removed by physical methods [7], chemical methods [8], photochemical methods [9], and biodegradation [10]
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