Removal of endocrine disrupting compounds with membrane processes in wastewater treatment and reuse

• Published in: Water science and technology Vol. 50; no. 5; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Wintgens, T., Gallenkemper, M., Melin, T.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: England IWA Publishing 01.01.2004
• Subjects: Advanced wastewater treatment; Benzhydryl Compounds; Biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Bioreactors; Bisphenol A; Contact angle; Disruption; Endocrine disruptors; Endocrine System - drug effects; Endocrine System - metabolism; Estrogens - isolation & purification; Estrogens - pharmacology; Filtration; Humans; Hydrophobicity; Landfills; Leachates; Membrane processes; Membranes; Membranes, Artificial; Nanofiltration; Nanotechnology; Osmosis; Phenols - isolation & purification; Retention; Reverse osmosis; Soil Pollutants - isolation & purification; Waste disposal sites; Wastewater treatment; Wastewater treatment plants; Water Pollutants - isolation & purification; Water Pollutants - toxicity; Water pollution treatment; Water Purification - instrumentation; Water Purification - methods; Water treatment plants
• ISBN: 1843394804; 9781843394808
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2004.0301

Endocrine disrupting compounds can affect the hormone system in organisms and are the subject of environmental and human health concerns. The effluents of wastewater treatment plants contribute to the emission of estrogenically active substances into the environment. Membrane technology, which is an advanced wastewater treatment option, is the subject of this research. The removal techniques under investigation are membrane bioreactors, reverse osmosis, and nanofiltration. Eleven different nanofiltration membranes were tested in the laboratory set-up. The observed retention of NP and BPA ranged between 70% and 100%. The contact angle is an indicator for the hydrophobicity of a membrane, whose influence on the permeability and retention of NP was evident. Regarding the retention of BPA no dependency on the contact angle was observed. Results of the investigation of a full-scale landfill leachate treatment plant indicate a bisphenol A (BPA) removal of more than 98% with membrane bioreactors and reverse osmosis. The mass balance indicates that biological degradation is the most important removal process in the membrane bioreactor configuration.