As more than 90 % of the installed Gappei-shori Johkasous, a kind of domestic wastewater treatment plant, are made of fiber-glass reinforced plastics (FRP) or dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), there is an environmental risk resulting from the elution of bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalic acid ester from such johkasous. A study on elution of the endocrine disrupting chemicals from FRP/DCPD-made johkasous was carried out using test-piece of the johkasous and a johkasou in operation.
The results showed that di- (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) was detected in the elution experiment, implying that those endocrine disrupting chemicals eluted into the water from the test-piece and the johkasou in operation. However, DEHP and DBP in water seem to be adsorbed by activated sludge, and then DEHP and DBP were biodegradated in the activated sludge. The residual rates of DEHP and DBP after 30 days was found to be 28%, 33% respectively.