Removal of endocrine active compounds using layered double hydroxide material

A granular form of a layered double hydroxide (LDH) material was used as an anionic adsorbent in packed column and slurry experiments to remove endocrine active compounds (EACs) from river water downstream from wastewater treatment plants and from laboratory water spiked with 17β-estradiol (E2). The estrogenic activity of the samples was estimated using the biological yeast estrogen screen (YES) assay and the E2 concentrations were analyzed using radioimmunoassay techniques. The LDH in a packed column significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the estrogenic activity of the river water from 519 to 387 ng E2 equiv./L after one pass through the column. The LDH packed column reduced the E2 concentration in a different river water sample from 12 ng/L to below detection limit (1.8 ng/L) with minimal retention time. Finally, LDH in a slurry treatment reduced the E2 concentration in water from 317 ng/L to below detection limit. The results of these experiments suggests that LDH may be used to treat waste or drinking water for estrogenic endocrine disrupting components (EDCs) such as E2 and possibly other anionic compounds that affect the endocrine system.