Análise de desempenho de três estações de tratamento de esgoto municipais com diferentes tecnologias, quanto aos parâmetros físico-químicos, microbiológicos e o Bisferol A

Abstract

Among many micropollutants, the plasticizing agent bisphenol A (BPA), widely used in the food and beverage industry, in the manufacture of polymeric materials and utensils, is considered a xenoestrogen and endocrine disruptor, which justifies continuous research in the area. The present work carried out a performance analysis of three municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), comprising the association of several technologies available on the market: Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket, added to an aerobic biological filter with natural aeration, activated sludge and anoxic reactor, Morada dos Eucaliptos WWTP (ME WWTP); Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor, added to a physical-chemical treatment, high-rate decanter and ultraviolet disinfection, Vila Palmeira WWTP (VP WWTP); and activated sludge of the Sequential Batch Reactor type, Mundo Novo WWTP (MN WWTP). The results observed allowed us to conclude that the best overall efficiency for the treatment of the BOD, COD, Nam, TSS and SSed set was observed in the MN WWTP (95.3%, 89.8%, 94.9%, 92.8% and 88.4%). For the PT parameter, the best results were in the ME WWTP (61.5%) and VP WWTP (61.2%). All the WWTPs studied presented removal greater than 92% for the CT and E. coli set, with the best result observed in the VP WWTP (98.7% and 98.2%). Regarding the micropollutant BPA, a calibration curve was created in the raw sewage environmental matrix, where the linearity results indicated a working range of 10ng.L-1 to 900ng.L-1. The lowest known concentration point of the calibration curve, 10ng.L-1, was adopted as the Limit of Quantification (LQ). Thus, it was possible to analyze and quantify the presence of BPA in raw and treated sewage for the three WWTPs. Quantified BPA concentrations were observed within the linearity range of the curve. BPA presented complex and adverse behavior, being present in raw and treated sewage in the three WWTPs. This behavior corroborates previous research, which identified that BPA is present in all environmental matrices, characterizing it as a ubiquitous micropollutant. This alone justifies monitoring WWTPs for the possibility of micropollutants (in this case, BPA) occurring, considering the sewage treatment processes adopted, as well as the advancement of methodologies and analytical techniques for identification and quantification, to verify their presence and removal from environmental matrices for future and adequate legal regulation.