ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING ACTIVITY CHANGES IN WATER RECLAMATION SYSTEMS

The objective of this study was to assess endocrine disrupting activity in water reclamation systems with bioassays and chemical measurements. A total of twelve full-scale water reclamation facilities employing different unit operations and three pilot-scale membrane bioreactors were examined. Findings of this study imply that advanced treatment processes such as reverse osmosis and powdered activated carbon treatment would be very efficient in removing endocrine disrupting activity. While low pressure UV disinfection is ineffective in removing EDCs, medium pressure UV achieved a 50 percent reduction of phenolic EDCs (nonylphenol, tert-octylphenol). MBR systems studied in this investigation were not found to remove EDCs and endocrine disrupting activity to a level statistically greater than conventional secondary treatment.