Abstract
The fate of triclosan in diverse stages of two sewage treatment processes has been determined. The elimination process differed considerably depending on the technology applied in the respective sewage treatment plant (STP). The plant operating with a two-stage biologic (activated sludge) process removed triclosan more efficiently than the STP with a combination of physical and activated sludge process. The treatment in the aeration basin was the dominant elimination mechanism, whereas the final biologic filter was not very effective. The elimination rates for triclosan were 87% and 95%, respectively. These data were compared with emissions of a multitude of STPs in the river Ruhr catchment area as well as triclosan and its known transformation product, triclosan-methyl, in the river. The concentrations of both compounds were between <3 and 10 ng/L in true surface-water samples for triclosan and between 0.3 and 10 ng/L for triclosan-methyl. The STP effluents held higher concentrations (10 to 600 ng/L triclosan). The ratio of triclosan to triclosan-methyl did not change significantly within the longitudinal profile of the river, but diverse STPs discharging to the river exhibited individual triclosan–to–triclosan-methyl ratios. From the riverine concentration data, in-river elimination rates and half-life were estimated.
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Acknowledgments
The author gratefully acknowledges the help of the personnel at the respective STPs during the sampling campaign. J. Andresen helped during the sampling campaign of the surface water, and J. Andresen and J. Hardes provided excellent help during sample preparation. This work was supported by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry for Environment and Conservation, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection of the state of North Rhine Westphalia with the study “Bestimmung von Abbaubilanzen von Substanzen aus personal-care Produkten und Hormonen in Kläranlagen” (Balances of Compounds from Personal Care Products and Hormones in Sewage Treatment Plants [BASPiK]). The study, ‘Einträge und Quellen von Tris (2-chlorpropyl)-phosphat und Tris (2-chlorethyl)-phosphat in Oberflächen- und Abwässern’ (Inputs and Origin of Tris [2-chloropropyl]-phosphate and Tris [2-chloroethyl]-phosphate in surface and wastewaters) (EQUA) added to the possibilities of the currents study.
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Bester, K. Fate of Triclosan and Triclosan-Methyl in Sewage TreatmentPlants and Surface Waters. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 49, 9–17 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-004-0155-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-004-0155-4