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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/N16358/01
Title: THE FATE OF ESTROGENS DURING WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROCESS
Principal Investigator: Lester, Professor J
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Environmental Science and Technology
Organisation: Imperial College London
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 October 2000 Ends: 31 May 2004 Value (£): 209,919
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Water Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Environment Water
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
We will investigate the fate of naturally occurring steroids (17p-oestradiol and oestrone) and the synthetic steroid (17oc-ethynylestradiol) during wastewater treatment processes. These compounds, which have been identified as being present in the UK river waters, have been implicated in causing disruption to endocrine systems of aquatic fauna. They are excreted from the body in both active and conjugated forms which are thought to undergo bio-transformation during water treatment processes. However, this hypothesis is unproven in real treatment processes and this work will study the fate of the conjugated and free steroids through a sewage treatment works after assessing suitable analytical methodology. An initial literature survey of analytical methods for the determination of the conjugated and free steroids will be undertaken and subsequently methods will be applied to enable their determination in raw sewage influent, primary and secondary sludges and the wastewater stream at all stages to final effluent discharge. The second phase of the project will focus on the fate and behaviour of the compounds within a sewage treatment works. It is anticipated that a suitable works will be identified and that the assistance and co-operation of either Anglian or Seven Trent Water will be available on site.
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Organisation Website: http://www.imperial.ac.uk