Occurrence of organic microcontaminants in the wastewater treatment process. A mini review

Ratola, Nuno; Cincinelli, Alessandra; Alves, Arminda; Katsoyiannis, Athanasios

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.05.040

Cited by 268 publications

(124 citation statements)

References 169 publications

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“…Four PPCPs commonly detected in the environment were selected for the determination (Table 1). Their concentrations were typically observed in the nanograms per liter range in surface water and were found up to few micrograms per liter in wastewater (Fair et al 2009;Ratola et al 2012;Sánchez Rodríguez et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sorption of pharmaceuticals and personal care products to polyethylene debris

Zhang

Huang

et al. 2016

Environ Sci Pollut Res

333

106

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Presence of plastic debris in marine and freshwater ecosystems is increasingly reported. Previous research suggested plastic debris had a strong affiliation for many pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals. In this study, the sorption behavior of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), including carbamazepine (CBZ), 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4MBC), triclosan (TCS), and 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2), to polyethylene (PE) debris (250 to 280 μm) was investigated. The estimated linear sorption coefficients (K d ) are 191.4, 311.5, 5140, and 53,225 L/kg for CBZ, EE2, TCS, and 4MBC, and are related to their hydrophobicities. Increase of salinity from 0.05 to 3.5 % did not affect the sorption of 4MBC, CBZ, and EE2 but enhanced the sorption of TCS, likely due to the salting-out effect. Increase of dissolved organic matter (DOM) content using Aldrich humic acid (HA) as a proxy reduced the sorption of 4MBC, EE2, and TCS, all of which show a relatively strong affiliation to HA. Results from this work suggest that microplastics may play an important role in the fate and transport of PPCPs, especially for those hydrophobic ones.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sorption of pharmaceuticals and personal care products to polyethylene debris

Zhang

Huang

et al. 2016

Environ Sci Pollut Res

333

106

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“…Examples of these compounds are oestrogens such as oestradiol and 17a-ethinylestradiol or plasticizers such as bisphenol A, which can mimic or block the action of endogenous hormones (Snyder et al 2003) and pharmaceutical compounds such as ibuprofen, diclofenac, and carbamazepine that have been detected in surface waters and WWTP effluents at concentrations from the ng L -1 range to up to several lg L -1 (Ratola et al 2012). In vitro and in vivo studies have found that active pharmaceutical compounds, whether individually or in combination, may have a negative ecotoxicological impact at the concentrations detected in the environment (Zuccato et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conventional WWTPs are designed to remove organic matter and nutrients and cannot efficiently eliminate micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals and EDCs (Murray et al 2010;Ratola et al 2012). These limitations have led to the development of advanced oxidation processes such as TiO 2 -mediated heterogeneous photocatalysis, electrochemical oxidation, and sub-critical wet air oxidation to eliminate up to 99 % of recalcitrant pharmaceutical compounds such as carbamazepine and clofibric acid (Deegan et al 2011;Karthikeyan et al 2012;Klavarioti et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of Lemna sp. and Spirogyra sp. on the removal of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors in treated wastewaters

Garcia-Rodríguez

Matamoros

Fontàs

et al. 2014

Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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The presence of pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in wastewater treatment plant effluents is an issue of great concern due to the negative effects that these compounds may have on human health and ecosystems. The present study aims to assess the capacity of two aquatic plants (Lemna sp. and Spirogyra sp.), commonly found in polishing ponds, for removing six pharmaceutical compounds (diclofenac, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, carbamazepine, clofibric acid, and propranolol), two EDCs (17a-ethinylestradiol and bisphenol A), and one stimulant (caffeine) under laboratory-scale conditions. Planted and unplanted reactors fed with secondary-treated wastewater or ultrapure water in both covered and uncovered conditions were studied. The highest removal efficiencies, which ranged from 31 to 100 %, were achieved in uncovered planted systems containing secondary-treated wastewater after 20 days of incubation. The results demonstrated that non-charged compounds with a log Kow between 2 and 4 were affected by the presence of vegetation, probably due to their plant uptake, whereas negatively charged compounds were not. This highlights that the presence of plants in polishing ponds plays an important role in the removal of pharmaceuticals and EDCs.

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“…[57,71] The fate (including the removal mechanisms) of drugs in wastewater treatment plants depends on the substances' physiochemical properties and biodegradability. [72,73] These treatment plants were originally designed to reduce conventional pollution parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand. They incorporate a secondary treatment step, the biological treatment, with the aim to degrade pollutants through contact with 'activated sludge'.…”

Section: Chemicalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They incorporate a secondary treatment step, the biological treatment, with the aim to degrade pollutants through contact with 'activated sludge'. [73] Activated sludge is a process for treating wastewaters using air and cultivated microorganisms; chemicals not biodegraded, desorbed or volatilised through this process are eventually discharged through effluents A. G. Asimakopoulos and K. Kannan into the surface waters. [73] Contamination of soil and surface water can still occur through the disposal of sludge for agricultural purposes.…”

Section: Chemicalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuropsychiatric pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in wastewater treatment plants: a review

Asimakopoulos

Kannan

2016

Environ. Chem.

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Environmental context. Neuropsychiatric pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in wastewaters are of increasing environmental concern. We compile the recent literature and evaluate the concentrations and profiles of various drugs and their removal efficiencies in wastewater treatment plants. The sewage epidemiology approach, used in the estimation of drug usage in communities, is discussed, and we make recommendations for future research in this area.Abstract. Neuropsychiatric pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs encompass a broad range of compounds including opioids, amphetamine-type stimulants, cannabinoids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, antipsychotics, anaesthetics, anti-epileptics and mood stabilisers, lysergic compounds, sympathomimetic amines and cocaine derivatives. In this article, we review studies on the occurrence and fate of these drugs in wastewater treatment plants. In general, among various drugs studied, the concentrations and detection frequencies of opioids and cocaine derivatives were the highest in wastewaters. The forensic analysis of wastewaters suggests that cocaine and opioids usage has increased. Given the fact that data on drug usage can be used for making regulatory decisions and policies, this review focuses on understanding the sources and environmental dynamics of neuropsychiatric and illicit drugs. There is a pressing need for more research on the magnitude and extent of illicit drug consumption. The 'sewage epidemiology' approach, currently applied in the estimation of illicit drug consumption in communities, is reviewed. The field of wastewater research has been advancing in multipronged paths, incorporating concepts in analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, environmental chemistry, biochemistry, sewage engineering, drug epidemiology and statistics. Future prospects with regard to the occurrence and environmental fate of illicit and psychoactive drugs are recommended.

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Occurrence of organic microcontaminants in the wastewater treatment process. A mini review

Cited by 268 publications

References 169 publications

Sorption of pharmaceuticals and personal care products to polyethylene debris

Sorption of pharmaceuticals and personal care products to polyethylene debris

The influence of Lemna sp. and Spirogyra sp. on the removal of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors in treated wastewaters

Neuropsychiatric pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in wastewater treatment plants: a review

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