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Fate of endocrine‐disrupting chemicals in percolating domestic wastewater effluent
Author(s) -
Súlleabháin C. Ó,
Gill L. W.,
Misstear B. D. R.,
Johnston P. M.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
water and environment journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1747-6593
pISSN - 1747-6585
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-6593.2008.00116.x
Subject(s) - effluent , wastewater , environmental science , pollutant , environmental chemistry , groundwater , subsoil , environmental engineering , chemistry , soil water , geology , soil science , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry
Septic tanks and other on‐site systems are a common means of disposing domestic wastewater effluent in Ireland. In assessing site suitability, subsoils below the percolation trench have an important role in attenuating pollutants and hence in protecting groundwater. As part of an investigation into the hydraulic performance of treatment systems at four sites in Ireland with different subsoil characteristics, a series of samples were analysed for endocrine‐disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including oestrogens, surfactants and organic oxygen compounds. EDCs were found at all four sites, but only at low concentrations (often below those at which their presence could be confirmed) and generally only in samples known to be percolating effluent. Further research should target oestrogen compounds, as these appear to be present in higher concentrations than the other EDCs and also have greater potency.