Co-occurrence of estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities in wastewater: quantitative evaluation of balance by in vitro ERα reporter gene assay and chemical analysis.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are exogenous substances that alter the function of the endocrine system, with adverse health effects on organisms or their progeny. In vitro estrogen receptor (ER) reporter gene assays have long been used to measure estrogenic activity in wastewater. Nevertheless, there is still uncertainty about their usefulness in environmental monitoring on account of a discrepancy between the estrogenic response of the in vitro assay and concentrations of estrogenic compounds determined by chemical analysis. Here, we measured estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities in wastewater by ERα reporter gene assay. All samples were simultaneously analyzed for estrone, 17ß-estradiol, estriol, and 17α-ethynylestradiol, and the concentrations were used to predict estrogenic activity. All samples in which measured estrogenic activity was significantly lower than predicted showed strong antiestrogenic activity. In addition, we confirmed that the fraction that did not have antiestrogenic activity showed stronger estrogenic activity than the unfractionated wastewater extract. These results indicate that antiestrogenic compounds in wastewater suppress the activity of natural estrogens, and the reporter gene assay represents the net activity.

Phase distribution and removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products during anaerobic sludge digestion.

The fate and removal of 48 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) during anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge were investigated in four full-scale sewage treatment plants (STPs). We measured concentrations in both the liquid and solid phases of the sludge to compare the distribution ratios (Kd) between phases before and after digestion. The results showed changes in Kd values of PPCPs with carboxyl or amino functional groups, probably due to a shift of dissociation equilibrium with the increase in pH. Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim were almost completely degraded (>90%); triclosan, triclocarban, and ofloxacin were moderately degraded (around 30-50%); but carbamazepine was not eliminated. To our knowledge, this is the first report that shows (i) the occurrence and removal of several tens of PPCPs by anaerobic sludge digestion in full-scale municipal STPs and (ii) the change of distribution between the liquid and solid phases during digestion.