Removal of Emerging Contaminants (Endocrine Disruptors) Using a Photocatalyst and Detection by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

Mayra Soares Santos, Amanda Oliveira Mourão, Thuanny Souza Xavier Santos, Mariandry del Valle Rodriguez Rodriguez, Márcia Cristina da Silva Faria, Elton Santos Franco, Núbia Aparecida de Aguilar and Jairo Lisboa Rodrigues ()
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Mayra Soares Santos: Instituto de Ciência, Engenharia e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Teófilo Otoni 39803-371, MG, Brazil
Amanda Oliveira Mourão: Instituto de Ciência, Engenharia e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Teófilo Otoni 39803-371, MG, Brazil
Thuanny Souza Xavier Santos: Instituto de Ciência, Engenharia e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Teófilo Otoni 39803-371, MG, Brazil
Mariandry del Valle Rodriguez Rodriguez: Instituto de Ciência, Engenharia e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Teófilo Otoni 39803-371, MG, Brazil
Márcia Cristina da Silva Faria: Instituto de Ciência, Engenharia e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Teófilo Otoni 39803-371, MG, Brazil
Elton Santos Franco: Instituto de Ciência, Engenharia e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Teófilo Otoni 39803-371, MG, Brazil
Núbia Aparecida de Aguilar: Instituto de Ciência, Engenharia e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Teófilo Otoni 39803-371, MG, Brazil
Jairo Lisboa Rodrigues: Instituto de Ciência, Engenharia e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Teófilo Otoni 39803-371, MG, Brazil

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: Among several types of emerging contaminants, the endocrine disruptors 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) are particularly notable. These compounds are discharged into sewage systems and subsequently into water bodies, as conventional wastewater treatment processes are unable to effectively eliminate such pollutants. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the possibility of removing the endocrine disruptors 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) from water using the photocatalytic activity of the compound Ag 3 AsO 4 . Silver arsenate was synthesized and characterized, the quantification of the hormones E2 and EE2 was achieved by high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector, and a validation process and some preliminary tests were performed on the photodegradation of the hormones using the Ag 3 AsO 4 catalyst. Validation was performed, and satisfactory results were achieved: r = 0.9987 (E2), r = 0.9984 (EE2), a detection limit of 5.01 (E2) and 0.51 (EE2), a quantification limit of 15.19 (E2) and 1.54 (EE2), coefficients of variation for precision intraday and interday lower than 10.9725% and 11.3393%, respectively, and a recovery of 100.15% (E2) and 100.31% (EE2). In photodegradation studies, Ag 3 AsO 4 showed different behavior in the presence of light for each hormone. In solution with E2, it reached a removal rate of 35% of the hormone under LED light, acting as a photocatalyst, while with EE2, it reached a removal rate of 96%; both results were obtained after 30 min of exposure to visible light. When this study is compared with other processes and materials, the high efficiency of the Ag 3 AsO 4 photocatalyst in removing E2 and EE2, persistent emerging contaminants, becomes evident. This advancement has significant implications for wastewater treatment, offering a promising solution that can mitigate environmental impacts caused by endocrine disruptors.

Keywords: 17?-estradiol; 17?-ethinyl estradiol; silver arsenate; photodegradation; hormone; nanomaterial (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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