Destruction of estrogenic activity in water using UV advanced oxidation

The transformation of the steroidal Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs), 17-β-estradiol (E2) and 17-α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2) by direct UV photolysis and UV/H2O2 advanced oxidation was studied from the perspective of the removal of estrogenic activity associated with the compounds. First, experiments were performed to link the oxidation of E2 and EE2 with subsequent reduction in estrogenic activity. No statistically significant difference between removal rates was observed, implying that the oxidation products of E2 and EE2 are not as estrogenic (measured by the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES)) as the parent compounds. Utilizing the YES, 90% removal of estrogenic activity of E2 and EE2 at environmentally relevant concentrations (∼3 μg L−1) was achieved using a combination of 5 mg L−1 H2O2 and a UV fluence of less than 350 mJ cm−2. Thus, these compounds, when considered at environmentally relevant levels, are significantly degraded at much lower UV fluences than previously thought. A steady state OH radical model was used to predict oxidation of EE2 in laboratory and natural waters.