Occurrence and Degradation of Estrogenic Nonylphenol and its Precursors in Northeast Kansas Wastewater Treatment Plants
Publication: Practice Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Management
Volume 7, Issue 4
Abstract
Estrogenic nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPnEOs) constitute an important class of nonionic surfactants that find wide use in industrial and domestic cleaning products. These chemicals can undergo partial biotransformation to yield the estrogen mimicking nonylphenol (NP). Our investigations at three Northeast Kansas wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) found NPnEOs and NP in influent wastewater at levels from nondetectable to more than 200 μg/L. Conventional unit processes at these WWTPs were not completely effective in removal of these organic wastewater contaminants. Low levels (up to 23 μg/L) of NPnEOs and NP were detected in the WWTP effluents that are discharged into the Kansas River. A large portion of NPnEOs and NP appeared to adsorb to the biosolids, a phenomenon that likely prevented their degradation in the bioreactors. As much as 898 mg/kg NP was measured in biosolids from one WWTP. Onsite composting appeared to reduce NP, nonylphenol mono-ethoxylate (NP1EO), and nonylphenol di-ethoxylates (NP2EOs) in the biosolids.
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Published In
Practice Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Management
Volume 7 • Issue 4 • October 2003
Pages: 203 - 213
Copyright
Copyright © 2003 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 27, 2002
Accepted: Jun 9, 2003
Published online: Sep 15, 2003
Published in print: Oct 2003
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