Treatment of wastewater having estrogen activity by ionizing radiation

Decomposition of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in wastewater was investigated by use of 60Co γ-ray. Estrogen activities of wastewaters were estimated by the yeast two-hybrid assay based on human or medaka estrogen receptors. The dose required for the elimination of estrogen activity of wastewater below 1 ng dm−3 was about 200 Gy (J kg−1). The elimination dose of the estrogen activity depended on the amounts of total organic carbons in wastewater. The economic cost of the treatment process of EDCs using electron beam was estimated at 17 yen m−3.