Spatio-temporal Distribution and Transformation of 17α- and 17β-Estradiol in Sterilized Soil: A Column Experiment

In this study, laboratory soil column experiments were conducted to investigate and explore the migration and abiotic transformation of 17α-estradiol (17α-E2) and 17β-estradiol (17β-E2) over spatial and time scales. Results indicated that the migration tendency of 17α-E2 and 17β-E2 was similar. Discrepancies in transport for different SEs groups might be due to the competitive sorption and isomeric transformation in the binary-solute system. 17α-E2 and 17β-E2 can also undergo the abiotic transformation during soil column transport. The soil with naturally abundant mineral substances (e.g., iron and manganese oxides) indicated that E2 isomers tended to mineral-promoted racemization, oxidation, reduction, and radical coupling reactions. Some possible transformation products (e.g., SE239, E2378, and SE dimer476) were identified and proposed in soil samples. Compared to the single compound tests, the estimated 17β-estradiol equivalency (EEQ) values of E2 mixture were higher during SEs migration process.Graphical abstract
Source: Journal of Hazardous Materials - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research