Though a good deal of research has been conducted on the presence and fate of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in municipal wastewater streams, almost no work has been performed on these compounds in industrial wastewaters. Researcher Paige Novak, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota, is attempting to determine which, if any, plant- and animal-processing industries contain detectable levels of a sub-set of EDCs that the body mistakes for estrogen in their wastewater effluent, and then determine the fate of these compounds under various treatment scenarios. As the United States works to expand its biofuel industry, Novak’s work could be of great benefit in the design and regulation of new bioethanol and biodiesel plants.

Estrogen mimics are compounds that the body mistakes for natural estrogen. Because of this, they can have serious biological effects, especially in reproductive function and development. These compounds have been found in high concentrations in bleached pulp mill effluent and are present naturally in many vegetables, including corn and soybeans. This suggests that these plant-derived hormones, called phytoestrogens, are likely to be present in effluents from plant processing industries. Hormones have also been found in liquid hog manure and may also be present in animal-processing wastes.

Phytoestrogens have been shown to cause behavioral changes in fish and reproductive problems in mice and fish and could thus have important environmental impacts. Phytoestrogens in wastewater effluents may not be present at a sufficient concentration to cause such ecological problems but could still be detected in estrogen-screening tests resulting in potential public perception and regulatory problems.

Novak’s proposed course of research will combine controlled laboratory studies with field work aimed at identifying and characterizing the problem in a variety of actual plant- and animal-processing industries. Expected results are the identification of industrial waste streams that have the potential to produce estrogenic wastewater and the compounds within these streams that are problematic. The degradation of these compounds across existing wastewater treatment plants will be assessed, as will the degradation of particularly problematic and abundant compounds, such as the phytoestrogen genistein, under a variety of conditions in laboratory-scale reactors. This will help to define the conditions that best remove these compounds from plant- and animal-processing industries’ wastewater.

Once the industries that have the potential to produce estrogenic wastes have been identified and the best ways to treat these wastes have been determined, discharges can be monitored and treatment plants can be upgraded if necessary. Novak’s research will be a first step in understanding how best to treat the waste from these facilities.