Techniques for Eliminating Hormones from Wastewater

B. Bharathiraja^*
*Correspondence: B. Bharathiraja, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA, Email:

Introduction

Hormones are an emerging contaminant that wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are unable to eliminate and that enter the aquatic environment through wastewater effluents. The purpose of this article was to determine which of rotating biological discs, organic adsorbents, activated carbon, and algae and microalgae was the most effective method for reducing hormones. Over the past eight years, a critical review of the behaviour of the mitigation methods was carried out in the bibliographical scientific databases that are currently in use. The Modified Saaty method was then used to determine the relationship between each technique's removal efficiency, removal time, maintenance costs, stage of development, and environmental impact. A panel of experts weighed the selected variables on a scale of 1 to 9 based on the importance of the variable. The findings demonstrated that the most effective method for reducing hormone levels is one that makes use of organic adsorbents and achieves a final comparative value of 0.58/1, indicating that the approach is suitable for combining the five comparison variables.

Description

The rotating biological disc method also reached a value of 0.17/1 at the same time, indicating that it lacked a balance between the variables being analyzed. Water pollution has become a global problem in recent years, with rising levels affecting aquatic species' survival and human health as well as a variety of ecosystems. As a type of emerging pollutant (EC), hormones are regarded as substances that persist in the environment. They have probably been in environmental matrices since humans started using them. These contaminants are endocrine disruptors (EDC), which means that they alter the endocrine system of living things and mimic the actions of endogenous hormones. Since traditional treatments in waste waters (WW) do not appear to be sufficient, the contamination of aqueous media with hormones has become a growing concern in various parts of the world. This has sparked an interest in novel approaches for their mitigation and elimination. The negative effects that humans and animals have on their endocrine systems are evidence of this contamination [1].

There are three types of hormones: gestational (progestogens), male (androgens), and female (estrogens). However, estrogens, which can be natural (estrone:) hormones, make up the majority of the hormones found in wastewater (WW). 17-estradiol and E1: E2) or synthetic (17-ethyl estradiol, also known as EE2) The structure of phenanthrene, which is produced in the ovaries of female vertebrate and invertebrate animals, serves as the basis for the estrogen molecule. The bioconcentration and biotransformation of EC in WW have caused scientific communities to be extremely concerned. High estrogen concentrations in hormone replacement medications, contraceptive methods, and menstrual cycle regulators are the primary sources of human exposure to these substances. Both animals and humans produce these hormones in their bodies.They are made by the testes, placenta, and ovaries in the sexual organs [2].

In WW, 30,000 kilograms of estrogens are released annually. These include synthetics that humans consume, particularly in contraceptive pills; however, cattle contribute significantly more. Because purification plants or wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are not made to remove or control these compounds, they lack the efficiency necessary to do so consequently, the substances enter the environment untreated through WW. This is due to the fact that, despite having concentrations in the range of ng/L and causing biological effects, the WWTP's removal of this contaminant is incomplete, and its effluent becomes a source of chemical contamination. According to recent research, these substances cannot be treated in WWTPs due to the toxicity rejection and the metabolites' increasing strength over time. As an advanced oxidation process, for instance, employing conventional WW treatment methods may result in the formation of even more harmful byproducts than the original compounds. EDCs are continuously introduced to the aquatic environment as a result of these procedures, where they disrupt normal reproduction, disrupt metabolism, and disrupt homeostatic control in some animals. Because WW is discharged into drinking water sources in multiple locations (de facto reuse), this poses a threat to human health [3].

With physical, biological, and advanced oxidation techniques, hormones can be reduced by WWTP. Biodegradation is thought to be the primary method for removing steroid hormones. It is very effective, with absorption rates of between 91 and 100 percent for hormones like androgens and progestogens. The efficiency of estrogens is lower (67–80%). According to recent research, WW is how this kind of contaminant enters the environment. However, many wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) lack the efficiency required to eliminate these substances. As a result, highly efficient methods for eliminating hormones in WW must be used. Other methods, such as oxidation, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration, are difficult to implement, require complex processes and upkeep, and have high investment costs, making them neither technically nor economically viable. Ozonation, Fenton, photo-Fenton, and other processes that rely on the production of OH are all included in the advanced oxidation process (AOP). Other processes include radiation and ultrasound. When compared to other conventional biological treatment methods, this technology is thought to be one of the most promising for hormone removal in WW. The main problem is that the membrane separation process uses a lot of energy and produces toxic byproducts [4,5].

Conclusion

With a score of 0.58/1, the current study concluded that the use of organic adsorbents is the most effective method for hormone abatement. This indicates that the analysis criteria maintain an average equilibrium in relation to the best of each criterion. In a similar vein, the RBC method, which has a value of 0.17/1 and is the method for the depletion of hormones that exhibits a low interrelationship between the optimal of the analyzed criteria, must be carefully implemented prior to any particular application. For the Modified Saaty (FAHP) methodology to be used, a panel of experts who understand the techniques and can advise on the qualitative–quantitative values that are assigned to the study variables so that consistency closest to 1 can be achieved is highly recommended.

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