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Mechanistic evaluation of the sorption properties of endocrine disrupting chemicals in sewage sludge biomass

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Abstract

This study investigated the sorption behaviour of two endocrine disrupting chemicals; 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17β-ethinylestradiol and their thermodynamic properties in an activated sludge biomass. The partition coefficient values measured for E2 and EE2 at varying temperatures range from 245–604 L/kg ( log Kd 2.39–2.78) and 267–631 L/kg (Log Kd 2.43–2.80), respectively. The Kd values were inversely related to temperature. The average percentages of E2 and EE2 adsorbed to the solid phase at 4.3 % dry solid were 87.2 % and 92.5 %, respectively. Sorption of E2 and EE2 to the activated sludge biomass was found to be spontaneous and entropy retarded with ΔG values in the range of −13 to −16 KJ/mol and ΔS value of−105.2J/mol/K and 96.7 J/mol/k for E2 and EE2, respectively. The enthalpy changes for E2 and EE2 were −45.7KJ/mol and −43.4KJ/mol respectively, demonstrating that the sorption process is exothermic. The values of the enthalpy changes also show that the mechanism of sorption is physisorption with some element of chemisorption.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Environment and Disaster Management, Coventry University, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK

    A. O. Ifelebuegu M.Sc., M.Eng., S. C. Theophilus M.Sc. & M. J. Bateman Ph.D.

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  1. A. O. Ifelebuegu M.Sc., M.Eng.
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  2. S. C. Theophilus M.Sc.
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  3. M. J. Bateman Ph.D.
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Correspondence to A. O. Ifelebuegu M.Sc., M.Eng..

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Ifelebuegu, A.O., Theophilus, S.C. & Bateman, M.J. Mechanistic evaluation of the sorption properties of endocrine disrupting chemicals in sewage sludge biomass. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 7, 617–622 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03326171

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