Occurrence and seasonal variations of 25 pharmaceutical residues in wastewater and drinking water treatment plants

Abstract

Thousands of tons of pharmaceuticals are introduced into the aqueous environment due to their incomplete elimination during treatment process in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and water treatment plants (WTPs). The presence of pharmacologically active compounds in the environment is of a great interest because of their potential to cause negative effects. Furthermore, drugs can undergo different processes leading to the formation of new transformation products, which may be more toxic than the parent compound. In light of these concerns, within the research a new, rapid and sensitive analytical procedure for the determination of a wide range of pharmaceuticals from different classes using solid phase extraction (SPE) and high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) technique in different water samples was developed. This methodology was applied to investigate the occurrence, removal efficiency of 25 pharmaceuticals during wastewater and drinking water treatment, and seasonal variability in the amount of selected pharmaceuticals in WWTP and WTP over a year. The most often detected analytes in water samples were carbamazepine (100 % of samples) and ibuprofen (98 % of samples), concluding that they may be considered as pollution indicators of the aqueous environment in tested area. Highly polar compound, metformin, was determined at very high concentration level of up to 8100 ng/L in analyzed water samples. Drugs concentrations were much higher in winter season, especially for non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and caffeine, probably due to the inhibited degradation related to lower temperatures and limited sunlight. Carbamazepine was found to be the most resistant drug to environmental degradation and its concentrations were at similar levels during four seasons.

The Lancet Commission on pollution and health

“…In some locations, concentrations of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac have been reported to exceed predicted no-effect levels. 234,235 Concern is increasing that these compounds could damage freshwater and salt water marine species through a range of toxicological mechanisms, including endocrine disruption.…”

A combined experimental and density functional theory study of metformin oxy-cracking for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment

“…While some parties believe that such concentrations are below toxic levels, many studies argue that the combined effects of pharmaceutical mixtures are unknown and must not be ignored. 2,3,[6][7][8] Numerous studies showed that the presence of pharmaceutical compounds in the environment has negative effects on both terrestrial and aquatic life. These effects include bacterial resistance to antibiotics, potential toxicity of chemical combinations, allergic complications, behavior and migratory patterns fertility in sh.…”

“…2,7,9 In addition, there is increasing concerns on the endocrine disruption caused by these pollutants. 2,6,8,10,11 That is the perturbation of endogenous hormone function by external chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals. Based on this, there is a need to seek new technologies to treat pharmaceutical compounds and personal care products in WWTPs.…”

Pharmaceutical pollution of aquatic environment: an emerging and enormous challenge

“…For example, the greatest concentration of the immunosuppressive agent, mycophenolic acid, in the River Vistula was found during spring whereas veterinary drugs from the group of benzimidazoles, designed to treat intestinal parasites, only occurred in river samples (River Gościnna in northern Poland) collected during autumn (Wagil et al 2015c). Considering that treated wastewater is a significant route through which APIs reach the environment, their concentrations in surface waters are likely to reflect the popularity and seasonal use of certain medications (Kot-Wasik et al 2016). This strongly advocates monitoring studies to be conducted continuously during the year rather than during a specific season.…”