Behaviors of Glucocorticoids, Androgens and Progestogens in a Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant: Comparison to Estrogens

• DOI: 10.1021/es103429c
• Publication Date: 2011-03-08T19:20:39Z
• Authors: Zhanlan Fan; Shimin Wu; Hong Chang; Jianying Hu
• Keywords: Sewage; 13. Climate action; Androgens; Endocrine Disruptors; Progestins; Glucocorticoids; 01 natural sciences; Water Pollutants, Chemical; 6. Clean water; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences; 3. Good health

This work investigated the behaviors of seven glucocorticoids, eight androgens, and nine progestogens compared to six estrogens in a municipal sewage treatment plant (STP) Beijing, China. Among all hormones considered, androgens were dominant steroids detected samples (total concentrations up 10 216 ± 912 ng/L for influents, 171 effluents, 647 52 ng/g dehydrated sludge samples), followed by (102 8 ng/L, 14 2 1 ng/g), (57 6 13 3 glucocorticoids (42 0.7 0.1 1.2 0.3 ng/g). With exception 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-diol (NAD, 67%), removal rates relatively high (98−99%), while those estrogens, except 6α-methylhydroxyprogesterone (MHPT) 85−99%, 78−99%, 73−96%, respectively. Glucocorticoids, mainly removed degradation as with different observed aerated grit chamber, anaerobic tank, anoxic aerobic tank units. Many eliminated but largely degraded one. Significant increases mass 21α-hydroxyprogesterone (21-HPT) MHPT respectively, due deconjugation.