Transformation of oxidation products and reduction of estrogenic activity of 17β-estradiol by a heterogeneous photo-Fenton reaction

A novel photo-Fenton catalyst, α-FeOOH loaded resin (α-FeOOHR), was synthesized and evaluated through transformation of a steroidal endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC), 17β-estradiol (E2), under weak UV irradiation in the presence of H₂O₂. E2 photodegradation intermediates elucidated in detail by GC/MS and LC/MS/MS analyses and detailed reaction pathways are proposed. A yeast-based estrogen screen for E2 and its photodegradation intermediates was performed to measure the reduction of estrogenic activity in different water matrices during the heterogeneous photo-Fenton process. The results showed that α-FeOOHR not only degraded E2 but also removed the estrogenic activity originating from E2, its degradation intermediates, and its products. However, the water matrix present in drinking water may impact estrogenic activity reduction. The results are important to evaluate the ability of photo-Fenton advanced oxidation processes in reducing EDCs and their associated estrogenicity from drinking water.