Environment International,
Journal Year:
2019,
Volume and Issue:
127, P. 103 - 113
Published: March 23, 2019
Discharge
of
partially
treated
effluent
from
sewage
treatment
plants
(STPs)
is
a
significant
source
chemical
contaminants,
such
as
retinoids
and
oestrogenic
endocrine
disrupting
chemicals
(EDCs),
which
are
continuously
input
into
the
marine
environments
densely
populated
urbanized
coastal
cities.
In
this
study,
we
successfully
developed
three
analytical
methods
to
detect
qualify
retinoic
acids
(at-RA,
13c-RA
&
9c-RA),
their
metabolites
(at-4-oxo-RA,
13c-4-oxo-RA
9c-4-oxo-RA),
EDCs
using
high
pressure
liquid
chromatography-tandem
mass
spectrometry
(HPLC-MS/MS).
Using
these
methods,
found
that
total
concentrations
in
influents
effluents
saline
STPs
Hong
Kong
were
7.1-29
ng/L
3.7-9.1
ng/L,
respectively,
those
3107-5829
1225-2638
respectively.
Retinoids
dominated
by
at-4-oxo-RA
or
wastewater,
whereas
at-RA
most
abundant
sludge.
Alkylphenols
bisphenol
A
dominant
whilst
alkylphenols,
triclosan,
triclocarban
Overall,
processes
not
highly
efficient
removal
wastewater
influents,
with
efficiencies
aqueous
phase
41-82%
31-79%,
The
removals
attributed
mainly
sorption
degradation.
Due
limited
removal,
adjacent
seawaters
(i.e.,
receiving
water
bodies)
still
exhibited
relatively
(2.0-4.3
seawaters)
(71-260
seawaters),
posed
medium
ecological
risks
ecosystem
hazard
quotients:
0.1-1).
