Wolfgang Hemmer

An Extraction Method for 17α-Ethinylestradiol from Water Using a New Kind of Monolithic Stir-Bar

Ethinyl steroids are important biological active substances, extensively prescribed as oral contraceptives, to control menstrual disorders and to suppress menopausal symptoms [1, 2]. Various ethinyl steroids are currently available as oral contraceptives. 17α-Ethinylestradiol (EE2) is mostly used. As EE2 is taken by women, it is excreted in the urine and ends up unaltered in water treatment plant effluents where it can act as an estrogen disruptor in fish and other marine creatures [1]. It was reported that EE2 remained unchanged after 120 h in activated sludge treatment [3].