A comprehensive review on current technologies for removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals from wastewaters

• Published in: Environmental research 2022-05, Vol.207, p.112196-112196, Article 112196
• Main Authors: Azizi, Dariush, Arif, Ayman, Blair, David, Dionne, Justine, Filion, Yves, Ouarda, Yassine, Pazmino, Ana Gisell, Pulicharla, Rama, Rilstone, Victoria, Tiwari, Bhagyashree, Vignale, Leah, Brar, Satinder Kaur, Champagne, Pascale, Drogui, Patrick, Langlois, Valerie S., Blais, Jean-François
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: antibiotic resistance genes; EDCs; electrochemistry; Endocrine disruptors; Endocrine Disruptors - analysis; freshwater; gene transfer; groundwater; Humans; landfills; pollutants; Pollutants removal; runoff; Technology; toxicity; Treatment technologies; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Waste Water; Wastewater; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; wildlife
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112196

In the recent years, endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) has received increasing attention due to their significant toxic effects on human beings and wildlife by affecting their endocrine systems. As an important group of emerging pollutant, EDCs have been detected in various aquatic environments, including surface waters, groundwater, wastewater, runoff, and landfill leachates. Their removal from water resources has also been an emerging concern considering growing population as well as reducing access to fresh water resources. EDC removal from wastewaters is highly dependent on physicochemical properties of the given EDCs present in each wastewater types as well as various aquatic environments. Due to chemical, physical and physicochemical diversities in these parameters, variety of technologies consisting of physical, biological, electrochemical, and chemical processes have been developed for their removal. This review highlights that the effectiveness of EDC removal is highly dependent of selecting the appropriate technology; which decision is made upon a full wastewater chemical characterization. This review aims to provide a comprehensive perspective about all the current technologies used for EDCs removal from various aquatic matrices along with rising challenges such as the antimicrobial resistance gene transfer during EDC treatment. [Display omitted] •EDC removal methods include physical, chemical, electrochemical, and/or biological treatments.•Effectiveness of EDC removal is highly dependent of selecting the appropriate technology.•Full wastewater chemical characterization is key prior selecting the removal method to be used.