Determination of estrone and 17α-ethinylestradiol in digested sludge by ultrasonic liquid extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

Estrone, 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol are increasingly recognised as important micropollutants to be monitored in wastewater treatment plants. These estrogens are retained onto sludge due to their high adsorption and since they are largely used in land applications, the monitoring of these chemicals in sludge samples is of great importance. This study describes a method for the determination of estrone and 17α-ethinylestradiol in fresh sludge samples.