TY - JOUR

T1 - Nonylphenol polyethoxylate in hospital wastewater

T2 - A study of the subproducts of electrocoagulation

AU - Henriques, Danielle M

AU - Kümmerer, Klaus

AU - Mayer, Francieli M

AU - Vasconcelos, Tibiriça G.

AU - Martins, Ayrton F

PY - 2012/2/1

Y1 - 2012/2/1

N2 - Chromatographic procedures such as solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a fluorescence detector (SPE-HPLC-FLD), were carried out to determine the concentrations of the surfactant nonylphenol ethoxylate (9 ethylene oxide units, NP9EO) and its biodegradation product, 4-nonylphenol (NP), in samples collected from the wastewater treatment system at the University Hospital (HUSM) of the Federal University of Santa Maria. The results showed a high concentration of NP9EO in all the collected samples (0.075 - 4.12 mg L 1) and an almost complete absence of NP. In addition, electrocoagulation (EC) of NP9EO was carried out in aqueous solution and in the HUSM effluent. A NP9EO removal rate of 95 % was achieved from the aqueous solution, following a pseudo-first-order kinetics. Through LC-MS measurements in aqueous solutions, it was possible to determine the formation of short-chain nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPEO), such as nonyl-phenoxy acetic acid (NP1EC), after 30 min of EC. In the case of the HUSM wastewater, the NP9EO removal was 89 %, and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) abatement was 26 %. A respirometric test was conducted to measure the increase of biodegradability during the EC and the aqueous samples were found to be less readily biodegradable before the 30-min period of electrocoagulation than after it had been completed.

AB - Chromatographic procedures such as solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a fluorescence detector (SPE-HPLC-FLD), were carried out to determine the concentrations of the surfactant nonylphenol ethoxylate (9 ethylene oxide units, NP9EO) and its biodegradation product, 4-nonylphenol (NP), in samples collected from the wastewater treatment system at the University Hospital (HUSM) of the Federal University of Santa Maria. The results showed a high concentration of NP9EO in all the collected samples (0.075 - 4.12 mg L 1) and an almost complete absence of NP. In addition, electrocoagulation (EC) of NP9EO was carried out in aqueous solution and in the HUSM effluent. A NP9EO removal rate of 95 % was achieved from the aqueous solution, following a pseudo-first-order kinetics. Through LC-MS measurements in aqueous solutions, it was possible to determine the formation of short-chain nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPEO), such as nonyl-phenoxy acetic acid (NP1EC), after 30 min of EC. In the case of the HUSM wastewater, the NP9EO removal was 89 %, and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) abatement was 26 %. A respirometric test was conducted to measure the increase of biodegradability during the EC and the aqueous samples were found to be less readily biodegradable before the 30-min period of electrocoagulation than after it had been completed.

KW - Chemistry

KW - respirometry

KW - Nonylphenol ethoxylate

KW - nonylpheno

KW - LC-MS

KW - hospital wastewater

KW - Electrocoagulation

KW - Sustainability Science

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84857152959&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/10934529.2012.640249

DO - 10.1080/10934529.2012.640249

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 22320702

VL - 47

SP - 497

EP - 505

JO - Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A. Toxic/Hazardous Substances and Environmental Engineering

JF - Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A. Toxic/Hazardous Substances and Environmental Engineering

SN - 1532-4117

IS - 3

ER -