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The occurrence of nonylphenol and several phthalates in water environments is highly undesired because of their negative effects on aquatic organisms. The objectives of this study were to identify emission sources of phthalates, nonylphenol and its ethoxylates (NP/EOs) in urban stormwater, and to quantify the substance fluxes from the source to the stormwater system, using the methodology of substance flow analysis (SFA). The SFA, applied on an urban motorway area, showed that phthalates are mainly emitted from vehicles and coated roofing material, whereas the major NP/EOs sources are vehicles and concrete. It was estimated that approximately 4.1 kg of four selected phthalates and more than 400 g of NP/EOs are emitted annually to stormwater in the studied area. The SFA approach presented in this study, using factors that express the emission rate of a specific substance from a specific source, could be applied in urban catchments of various character to estimate fluxes of water contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of adsorption/recovery of nonylphenol 9 mole ethoxylate (NP9EO) on a crosslinked β-cyclodextrin-carboxymethylcellulose (β-CD-CMC) polymer was carried out by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies. The adsorption was performed in mixtures containing 500mg of the β-CD-CMC polymer and aqueous NP9EO solutions at concentrations 12-82 mg/L, whereas the recovery of NP9EO was effectuated by shaking the β-CD-CMC polymer loaded with methanol. The assays were made at 25°C and atmospheric pressure under agitation. The results have shown that the adsorption is a rapid process and the β-CD-CMC polymer exhibits a high NP9EO adsorption capacity of 83-92w% (1.1-6.8mgNP9EO/g β-CD-CMC polymer) dependent of the initial NP9EO concentration in liquid phase. This adsorption may involve the formation of an inclusion complex β-CD-NP9EO and a physical adsorption in the polymer network. The adsorption equilibrium measurements, which were analyzed using the Langmuir isotherm, have indicated a monolayer coverage and the homogeneous distribution of active sites at the surface of the β-CD-CMC polymer. Moreover, the negative value obtained for the free energy change (213.2 kJ/mol) has indicated that the adsorption process is spontaneous. In parallel, the β-CD-CMC polymer exhibited a high NP9EO recovery efficiency of 97w% that may occur through a decrease of binding strength between β-CD-CMC polymer and NP9EO. Together, these results suggest that the β-CD-CMC polymer could constitute a good adsorbent for removing nonylphenol ethoxylates from wastewater due to its high adsorption capacity and non-toxic character of β-CD and CMC to environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many environmental problems caused by endocrine disruptors (EDs) have been reported. It is reported that EDs flow into sewage treatment plants, and it has been pointed out that these may be shifted from the wastewater treatment process to the sludge treatment process. Little is known about the fate of EDs accumulated in sewage sludge, so we carried out a study to clarify the fate of EDs in sewage sludge treatment processes, especially in an anaerobic digestion process. In this study, nonylphenol (NP) was selected as a target ED. Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPnEO) or nonylphenoxy acetic acids (NPnEC), which were the precursor of NP, were added to an anaerobic digestion process, and mass balance was investigated. The following results were obtained from the anaerobic digestion experiments. (1) NP1EO was injected to an anaerobic digestion testing apparatus that was operated at a retention time of approximately 28 d and a temperature of 35 °C with thickened sludge sampled from an actual wastewater treatment plant. Approximately 40% of the injected NP1EO was converted to NP. (2) NP1EC was injected to an anaerobic digestion testing apparatus with thickened sludge. As a result, almost all injected NP1EC was converted to NP. When NP2EC was injected, NP2EC was not converted to NP until the 20th day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonylphenol (NP) is known to be a byproduct of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPnEO) which are used as detergents in industry. It is important that not only NP but also NPnEO and their related substances are analysed when behaviour of NP in the wastewater treatment process is surveyed. NPnEO are biodegraded to shorter ethoxylate (EO) chain NPnEO or nonylphenol carboxylates (NPnEC) under aerobic conditions, and then biodegraded to NP under anaerobic conditions. NP is one of the suspected endocrine disruptors (ED). Moreover, shorter EO chain NPnEO has greater toxicity than longer EO chain NPnEO. We conducted a field survey of NP and its related substances in 20 wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The concentrations (median) of NP and its related substances in the WWTPs' influent ranged from 0.1 to 8.3 μg/L, showing NP concentration as the same level as those previously reported. The reduction of the long EO chain NPnEO in the WWTPs was almost complete, while the removal efficiency for the short EO chain NPnEO was less significant than the long EO chain NPnEO, suggesting that the degradation rate of the short EO chain NPnEO was lower than that of the long EO chain NPnEO in the wastewater treatment processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear alkylbenzene sulphonates (LAS) and nonylphenolethoxylates (NPE) may be detrimental to the environment if spread in inappropriately large concentrations. Mineralisation of LAS and NPE in mesophilic digested sludge was observed during a 9-month monitoring programme where three separate treatment methods were investigated. Sludge was treated in a sludge reed bed under aerobic conditions, by storage in a container under anaerobic conditions, and by storage in a sludge pile turned over mechanically at intervals to improve the oxygen influx. Treatment in a sludge reed bed was shown to be effective. Mineralisation of 98% of LAS and 93% of NPE was observed. Only limited mineralisation occurred on the surface of the sludge stored in a container. A reduction of LAS and NPE of 90% and 43%, respectively, was observed in the sludge which was stored in a pile and frequently turned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A commercial blend of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) was chosen as representative for nonionic polyethoxylated surfactants to study the oxidative degradation of this class of surfactants in water using ozonation as well as electron beam irradiation with and without the addition of ozone as treatment processes. The electron beam irradiation processes applied represent so-called Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs); the combined ozone/electron beam irradiation is, moreover, the most powerful AOP which can be applied in aqueous systems. It was found that both ozonation and the two AOPs applied were able to decompose not only the NPEOs but also the polyethyleneglycoles (PEGs) formed as by-products from NPEO degradation to residual concentrations below the limit of detection. Moreover, the treatment processes were also used to study the oxidative degradation of nonylphenoxy acetic acid (NPEC) and of nonylphenol (NP) which are formed as by-products from biodegradation of NPEOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the development of a method for the quantitative analysis of nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPnEOs) and their biodegradation products (NPE-BDP) in sludge from wastewater treatment plants in Japan. Average concentrations of NPnEOs and NPE-BDP in sewage sludge; Spike and recovery test; Conditions of pretreatment for Soxhlet extraction.

Examines the behaviour of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NpnEO) in sewage treatment plants (STP) in Japan. Metabolites and halogenated analogs of NpnEO in STP; Ecotoxicity assays; By-products during the disinfection processes using chlorination.