A comparative adsorption study: 17β-estradiol onto aerobic granular sludge and activated sludge

Adsorption plays a significant role in removing hydrophobic 17β-estradiol (E2) from wastewater. Batch experiments were conducted to compare the adsorption of E2 onto activated aerobic granular sludge (AGS) and activated sludge (AS), and features evaluated included the adsorption kinetics, thermodynamics, and influence of other environmental factors. By using a non-chemical wet-heat technique, both AGS and AS were treated to inactivated status. Then, after loading E2, the adsorption equilibrium capacity of the AGS was found to be greater than that of the AS at the same initial concentration of E2. Moreover, both the adsorption processes corresponded to a pseudo-second-order kinetic model; the adsorption rate constant of AGS was found to be higher and the half-adsorption time was shorter than that of AS. Next, evaluations of adsorption isotherms and thermodynamics indicated that the adsorption process was mainly a physical process. Lower temperatures facilitated a higher equilibrium adsorption capacity. However, the adsorption binding sites of AGS were distributed more uniformly at higher temperature, in contrast to the distribution found for AS. Finally, acidic conditions and an appropriate ionic strength (0.4 mol/L) were found to be particularly conducive to the adsorption process. Overall, the results showed that AGS has the potential to adsorb E2 with significant efficiency, thereby offering a new and more efficient means of treating E2 and trace oestrogens in wastewater.