Lay, Mark C.Chen, Yixin2025-12-052025-12-052025https://hdl.handle.net/10289/17806Estrone (E1) is an environmental estrogen that threatens both man's health and the ecosystem due to its endocrine-disrupting action. This research compared and evaluated three treatment methods - ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, natural sunlight exposure, and algal treatment with Spirogyra, based on the removal efficiency of E1 under controlled laboratory conditions. Because LC–MS identification of the first-round samples is still pending, a second round of experiments was conducted using UV–Vis spectrophotometry to track E1 degradation at higher concentrations (0–10 mg/L). The results demonstrated that natural sunlight achieved the highest E1 removal efficiency, with the 10 mg/L samples showing an 84.86% decline in absorbance by the second day. The UV group showed consistent but less degradation in E1 removal, while the algal group showed the least removal in E1. Further analyses, including light-field mapping, short-term reproducibility tests, pH condition experiments, and concentration-time curves, also provided mechanistic explanations and reinforced the robustness of these findings. This study gives proof that the non-catalytic photodegradation of E1 in natural provides experimental support for the development of energy-saving and green water treatment processes.enAll items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.estrone (E1)E1 removalphotodegradationUV irradiationnatural sunlightspirogyraalgaeThesis