TY - JOUR
T1 - Occurrence, temporal variation, and estrogenic burden of five parabens in sewage sludge collected across the United States
AU - Chen, Jing
AU - Pycke, Benny F G
AU - Brownawell, Bruce J.
AU - Kinney, Chad A.
AU - Furlong, Edward T.
AU - Kolpin, Dana W.
AU - Halden, Rolf
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was supported in part by Award Number R01ES020889 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and by award LTR 05/01/12 of the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust in addition to support from the U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIEHS or the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. We would like to thank the participating treatment facility operators for providing samples for this study. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the authors or the United States Government.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2017/9/1
Y1 - 2017/9/1
N2 - Five parabens used as preservatives in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were measured in sewage sludges collected at 14 U.S. wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in nine states. Detected concentration ranges (ng/g, dry weight) and frequencies were as follows: methyl paraben (15.9 to 203.0; 100%), propyl paraben (0.5 to 7.7; 100%), ethyl paraben (< 0.6 to 2.6; 63%), butyl paraben (< 0.4 to 4.3; 42%) and benzyl paraben (< 0.4 to 3.3; 26%). The estrogenicity inherent to the sum of parabens detected in sewage sludge (ranging from 10.1 to 500.1 pg/kg 17β-estradiol equivalents) was insignificant when compared to the 106-times higher value calculated for natural estrogens reported in the literature to occur in sewage sludge. Temporal monitoring at one WWTP provided insights into temporal and seasonal variations in paraben concentrations. This is the first report on the occurrence of five parabens in sewage sludges from across the U.S., and internationally, the first on temporal variations of paraben levels in sewage sludge. Study results will help to inform the risk assessment of sewage sludge destined for land application (biosolids).
AB - Five parabens used as preservatives in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were measured in sewage sludges collected at 14 U.S. wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in nine states. Detected concentration ranges (ng/g, dry weight) and frequencies were as follows: methyl paraben (15.9 to 203.0; 100%), propyl paraben (0.5 to 7.7; 100%), ethyl paraben (< 0.6 to 2.6; 63%), butyl paraben (< 0.4 to 4.3; 42%) and benzyl paraben (< 0.4 to 3.3; 26%). The estrogenicity inherent to the sum of parabens detected in sewage sludge (ranging from 10.1 to 500.1 pg/kg 17β-estradiol equivalents) was insignificant when compared to the 106-times higher value calculated for natural estrogens reported in the literature to occur in sewage sludge. Temporal monitoring at one WWTP provided insights into temporal and seasonal variations in paraben concentrations. This is the first report on the occurrence of five parabens in sewage sludges from across the U.S., and internationally, the first on temporal variations of paraben levels in sewage sludge. Study results will help to inform the risk assessment of sewage sludge destined for land application (biosolids).
KW - Estrogenic potential
KW - Paraben
KW - Sludge
KW - Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)
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U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.162
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.162
M3 - Article
C2 - 28346910
AN - SCOPUS:85015997542
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 593-594
SP - 368
EP - 374
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
ER -