Chemical and biological analysis of endocrine‐disrupting hormones and estrogenic activity in an advanced sewage treatment plant

The steroid hormones estrone (E₁), 17β‐estradiol (E₂), estriol (E₃), 17α‐ethinylestradiol (EE₂), and their conjugated forms were surveyed throughout an advanced sewage treatment plant (STP). The estrogen concentrations in water and sludge samples, collected in October 2004 and April 2005, were determined by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry. Simultaneously, the estrogenic activity was quantified using estrogen‐responsive reporter cell lines (MELN) to investigate the behavior of overall estrogenic compounds. The estrogen concentrations in the inlet ranged from 200 to 500 ng/L, with the contribution of conjugated forms being higher than 50%. The major estrogens in influent were E₁ and E₃. The estrogenic activity was between 25 and 130 ng/L of E₂ equivalents (EEQs). Estrogen concentrations and estrogenicity measured in the inlet and in primary treated sewage were similar, showing a weak impact of primary treatment on hormone removal. In contrast, both estrogen concentration and estrogenicity decreased during biological treatment, with high removal efficiencies (>90%). Estrone, E₂, and EE₂ persisted in the treated water below 10 ng/L, whereas the estrogenicity was lower than 5 ng/L of EEQs. Estrogen mass flux in the effluent and sludge represented less than 2 and 4%, respectively, of the inlet. Consequently, the fraction of estrogens sorbed into the sludge was very small, and biodegradation was the main vehicle for estrogen elimination. This dual approach, comparing chemical and biological analysis, allowed us to confirm that most of the estrogenic activity occurring in this STP, which receives mainly domestic sewage, resulted from sex hormones.