Investigation of the environmental distribution of endocrine disrupting materials in sewage sludge

Abstract

Today, as a result of the fast-growing industrialization, a high number of wastewater treatment plants, and the exceptional quantities of sewage sludge, disposal methods make environment even a more important topic. In Turkey, 600millionm(3) of wastewater in a year is treated by municipalities and 500,000 tonnes of dry matter originate from sludge. However, the methods used for the disposal of sewage sludge are usually land spreading and incineration. Although the methods of agricultural use of land and laying the sludge are limited by the European Union, there are empty quarries being used to fill the land. 17-estradiol and estrone that are subject to the studyare known as endocrine disrupters and being significant amounts at municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent and they remain in sewage sludge without any degradation. Hormones that are accumulated in the sludge, transfer into the soil with the rain and join the food chain. Experimental studies in the laboratory were carried out by simulating normal land conditions through advanced biological treatment plant sludge and with natural rainwater. In this study, three different rainfall amounts were selected for Istanbul province in April, May and October. The experimental set-up was dimensioned at the depth of 3cm and 50cmx50cm square filtrate rained by spray method. In addition, the amount of sludge being assigned to treatment laid hormones, endocrine disrupters have been identified in groundwater and soil mixing rates. This study was conducted to detect the amount of the hormone that can be mixed up with underground water, and it was detected that in the rains of April, May and October, a total of 69.02, 36.2, and 111.7g/m(2) for 17-estradiol and 27.13, 10.1, and 45.8g/m(2) for estrone, respectively, dissolved from the sludge and transferred into underground water.