Potassium Ferrate Degradation Of Estradiol Experimental Research

Environmental Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals（EDCs, also known as endocrinehormone, can enrich in human and animal bodies at higher concentration along the foodchains even the initial concentration is extremely low (ng/L),and finally these substanceswill elicit negative effects on the endocrine systems、nervous systems and immune systemsespecially on the reproductive processes of humans and wildlife. The serious part is, due totheir long toxic latency period, the affection on environment they caused is hardly toreverse. In the past few decades, research efforts on EDCs are mainly focus on the steroidhormone which showed stronger endocrine disrupting effects. Estrone (E1),17β-estradiol(E2) and estriol (E3) are natural estrogen composed of follicular. Estradiol levels in waterhave caused extensive attention of researchers, and the removal estradiol from water hasbecome the water environmental health engineering research topic.Because of the extremely low concentration of steroid hormone in environment (μg/Lor ng/L), the highly sensitive measurement is necessary, which include chromatographytechnology and biological technology. The removal technology on estradiol from water ismainly divided into physical technology, biotechnology and chemical advanced oxidationtechnology. In this study, chemical advanced oxidation technology was used and potassiumferrate was selected to remove estradiol.In the present study, the degradation of (E2) by potassium ferrate in batchexperiments was investigated, and the method for determination of estradiol was developedusing HPLC/MS, then made a preliminary discussion about the factors which mayinfluence the removal of estradiol. Preliminary conclusions from the experimental resultsand data obtained can be drawed:1. The results suggested that E2could be degraded with potassium ferrate, when thetemperature is27℃, pH=7, initial estradiol concentration is4mg/L, potassium ferrate andestradiol in the molar ratio of5:1, final estradiol removal rate is84.7%.factors affecting theresult including initial concentration of E2, potassium ferrate dosage, pH, temperature, theconcentrations of humic acid and the presence of inorganic alkali metal ions.With thereduction of the initial concentration of E2and the increasing of the potassium ferratedosage, the removal efficiency of E2improved. And higher removal efficiency of E2canbe detected in alkaline environment; the mechanism of humic acid on the removalefficiency is related to concentration of humic acid and more complex.2. The presence of calcium ions can increase the degradation of E2with potassiumferrate. And the calcium ion concentration (calcium and estradiol in a molar ratio of10:1 and50:1) has almost no effect on removal rate.A possible cause is that the removalmechanism may include two effects: oxidation which is dominated and coagulation. Thepresence of calcium promotes the flocculation process.Regarding the degradation mechanism of estradiol, degradation products and theirestrogen activity needs further study. What’s more, Natural water body is a complexsystem, there is a Inconvenient difference between laboratory conditions and natural waterbodies, the practical application of potassium ferrate should be combined with furtherresearch work in water treatment process.