PT04 Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Wastewater Treatment Effluents
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Tuesday
(PT045) Forensic Analysis, Mass Balance and Fate Modeling of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Wastewater Treatment Plants.
Kassim, T1, 1 Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
ABSTRACT- Some chemical compounds released into the environment through wastewater effluents and/or biosolids applied as soil amendments can mimic or modulate endogenous hormones, and have been termed endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs have been defined as exogenous agents that interfere with the "synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones in the body that are responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis, reproduction, development, and/or behavior". Such compounds may elicit a variety of adverse effects in humans, aquatic organisms and wildlife, including promotion of hormone-dependent cancers, reproductive tract disorders, and reduction in reproductive fitness. The generation and disposal of biosolids and wastewater effluents produced at municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a major environmental issue. Biosolids applied as soil amendments can contain significant quantities of EDCs derived from the municipal wastewater or organic metabolites produced during wastewater treatment. These organics have the potential to adversely impact soil receiving the biosolids, surface and groundwater in the vicinity of application, on crops grown on sludge-amended soils, and on animals and humans that may consume the crops grown on the soils. In addition, wastewater effluents are considered to be the main contributors of EDCs to the aquatic environment. The Willamette River is the 10th largest river in the USA and the heart of Oregon. The discovery of the deformed fish in the river has been of concern to local residents, and state and federal agencies since 1992. This has sparked an interest about the potential adverse effects of EDCs due to WWTPs located along the river. Therefore, the goals of the present research are to: (a) conduct a forensic analysis protocol to characterize the actual chemical composition of various WWTPs influents, effluents and biosolids, (b) perform a complete mass balance study to the WWTPs, and (c) ultimately study fate modeling of selected EDCs.
Key words: wastewater, EDCs, forensic analysis, mass balance