Fate of natural estrogens in batch mixing experiments using municipal sewage and activated sludge

Since natural estrogens such as 17β-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) are excreted daily by humans, E2 and E1, which are classified as inevitable endocrine-disrupting chemicals, are always present in sewage wastewater. For several years, the monitoring and removal of natural estrogens at sewage treatment plants have been examined by many investigators. However, little is known regarding the exact behavior of estrogens in actual sewage when in contact with activated sludge. In this study, the fate of E2 and E1 as a result of adsorption and decomposition in batch mixing experiments using municipal wastewater and activated sludge collected from an actual municipal sewage treatment plant was investigated. Estrogen concentrations were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. E2 and E1 in sewage were removed from the liquid phase in contact with activated sludge, and E2 and E1 adsorbed on the sludge were decomposed in 4 h. Significant changes in the adsorption and decomposition of E2 and E1 on the sludge were not observed at low temperatures or when different sludge samples were used such as those acclimatized to low-loading and high-loading conditions. In contrast, the processes leading to the removal of estrogens, such as the adsorption and decomposition of estrogens in contact with activated sludge, were inactivated by sterilizing the sludge. Natural estrogens adsorb onto the activated sludge, and are therefore easy to be biodegraded. In a biological reaction process, therefore, the estrogens will be rapidly removed at the initial stage, when the sewage is satisfactorily mixed with the sludge.