Presence and Removal of Illicit Drugs in Conventional Drinking Water Treatment Plants

Transformation of pharmaceuticals during oxidation/disinfection processes in drinking water treatment

“…3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, also known as Ecstasy) and related amphetamine drugs, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA), form chlorinated ring products, including 3-chlorocatechol (for MDMA) and 3-chlorobenzo-1,3-dioxole (for MDA and MDEA) [9,49]. 3-Chlorocatechol is particularly stable and was also found in real finished drinking waters treated with prechlorination, coagulation, sand filtration, ozonation, granular activated carbon filtration, and postchlorination, at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 5.8 ng/L [49].…”

“…Increasingly, pharmaceuticals are being measured in drinking water, and recent studies are following their occurrence and fate "full circle", from wastewaters to river water to source water to finished drinking water. Examples include the measurement of antidepressants in Canada [2] and the United States [3], antibiotics in Australia [4], iodinated X-ray contrast media (ICM) in Germany [5], and a variety of other pharmaceuticals in the United States [6], Canada [7], Spain [8,9], and France [10]. Most of the time, pharmaceuticals are partially removed during wastewater treatment, after which their concentrations are reduced further in rivers as they are transported downstream of the wastewater treatment plant, due to continued dilution and biological degradation before entering drinking water sources.…”