Simultaneous Removal of Estrogens and Antibiotics from Livestock Manure Using Fenton Oxidation Technique

Abstract

The presence of estrogens and antibiotics in animal manure has raised considerable attention regarding their potential risks in both the soil system and human health. This study investigated the removal of estrogens (estriol (E3), bisphenol A (BPA), estradiol (17β-E2), ethinyl estradiol (EE2)), and antibiotic (sulfadimethoxine (SDM)) in livestock manure using the Fenton oxidation process. Based on the removal efficiency of estrogens and antibiotics, the optimal conditions of the Fenton oxidation process were as follows: an H2O2 dosage of 10.5 mmol/g slurry, an Fe2+/H2O2 molar ratio of 0.067 mol/mol, a stirring rate of 100 rpm, the feeding of an identical amount of H2O2 in two steps (at 0 and 15 min), a manure/reactor ratio of 1:25, and a reaction time of 100 min. Under these conditions, the removal efficiencies of E3, BPA, 17β-E2, EE2, and SDM in cow manure were 72.1%, 88.2%, 89.4%, 73.3%, and 99.7%, respectively. In the above-mentioned optimal conditions, the simultaneous removal of estrogens and antibiotic in different manure conditions led to the removal of above 70% of targeted contaminants, except for E3 in swine and chicken manure in all the manure. The findings demonstrate the useful application of the Fenton oxidation process in the concomitant removal of antibiotics and estrogens from animal manure, which reduces the associated risks to human health and environmental safety.