M. Ak

The fate and removal of six selected endocrine disrupting compounds in a lab-scale anaerobic/aerobic (A/O) sequencing batch reactor (SBR), operating at 5 days, solids retention time (SRT) were investigated. A carbamazepine (CBZ), acetaminophen (ATP), diltiazem (DTZ), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), estrone and progesterone mix was spiked as model endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) into domestic wastewater obtained from a nearby sewage treatment plant. The influent, effluent and sludge samples from the SBR unit were analysed by using an LC/MS/MS instrument equipped with electrospray ionization. More than 80% removal was observed for all the EDCs tested. It was found that biodegradation is the most important mechanism for BBP, ATP and progesterone. Biodegradation constants were calculated according to the simplified Monod model for these compounds. The DTZ seemed to have lower rate of biodegradation. The CBZ appeared totally resistant to biodegradation. However, it presented a high rate of sorption onto the sludge and was thereby treated. This contradicts with the literature studies.

ABSTRACT A novel aerobic sludge digestion process to stabilize and decrease the amount of excess sludge produced during biological treatment and removal of EDCs sorbed onto sludge during this process is discussed here. Waste activated sludge samples from two different wastewater treatment plants were ozonated for different periods in Erlenmeyer flasks once a day on each of four consecutive days. Flasks were continuously aerated between ozone applications by shaking on an orbital shaker. The residual EDC concentrations in sludge samples were analyzed at the end of digestion periods. An MLVSS reduction of up to 95% was achieved with an ozone dose of only 1.05 g O3/kg MLSS in this process on the fourth day. During this process destruction of some selected endocrine disrupting compounds, namely diltiazem, carbamazepine, butyl benzyl phthalate, acetaminophen and two natural hormones, estrone and progesterone, which tend to accumulates in sludge, are studied. Over 99% removal of these contaminants were achieved at the end of the fourth day. The analyses were conducted by using LC (ESI) MS/MS after solid phase extraction (SPE). By this process it became possible to save on contact time as well as achieving a bio-solids digestion far exceeding the standard aerobic process and concomitant removal of micropollutants at the expense of minimum ozone dose. The developed process is deemed superior over side-stream ozonation of activated sludge, in that it does not cause reduction in active biomass in the aeration tank.

ABSTRACT Simultaneous determination of endocrine disrupter compounds (EDCs), namely diltiazem, progesterone, benzylbutylphthalate (BBP), estrone, and carbamazepine (Cbz) were performed by using high performance LC–electrospray tandem MS. The ultrasound-aided sequential extraction of sludge samples was optimized to increase extraction efficiencies of the analytes; ranging between 93.0–98.3% recovery. The limit of detection values for diltiazem, progesterone, BBP, estrone, and Cbz were found as 0.78, 0.72, 0.24, 0.75, and 0.72 µg/kg, respectively. Sludge samples taken from Ankara Tatlar; Hurma, Lara and Kemer of Antalya, and Middle East Technical University-vacuum rotating membrane wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) aeration tanks were analyzed for their EDCs contents under optimized conditions. Diltiazem was found in all the samples in the range between 116.4–180.8 ng/g while progesterone and estrone were not detected in any of the samples analyzed with the exception of Tatlar WWTP. The BBP concentration was between beyond detection and 9195.5 ng/g. In addition, Cbz was found in all the samples ranging from 25.6 to 118.8 ng/g. Keywords: Extraction efficiency; Health risk; Ultrasound-aided sequential extraction; Wastewater treatment; Xenobiotic pollutant