Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Municipal Wastewater and the Marine Receiving Environment Near Victoria Canada

Abstract

Concerns over the fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP) within the environment have been growing with the advent of more precise analytical methods. The discharge of municipal wastewater has been identified as a significant source of these contaminants, particularly where wastewater treatment is minimal. Here we present results from a comprehensive monitoring regime located around Victoria, BC, Canada. Samples were collected between 2009 and 2016 from a variety of sources including marine water, sediment and biota adjacent to two major untreated sewage outfalls, as well as the sewage itself. PPCP concentrations within the untreated sewage were high, and the sediment surrounding the outfalls showed corresponding contamination. However, this contamination dropped quickly with distance from the outfall such that by 800 m distance most PPCPs were below detection limits. Tissue samples of resident Northern Horse mussels (Modiolus modiolus) collected adjacent to one of the major sewage outfalls showed high single sample concentrations of the antimicrobial triclosan (317 ng g −1 dry weight), the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (176 ng g −1 dry weight), as well as the antidepressant sertraline (84.1 ng g −1 dry weight). Reference stations from around the region showed very low concentrations of contamination with almost all PPCP concentrations being below detection limits. Within the sewage, concentrations were largely stable overtime, with the exception of triclosan and triclocarban which both showed declines over the study period.

Per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances in commercially available biosolid‐based products: The effect of treatment processes

“…Implementation of control measures can rapidly reduce loads coming in our wastewater treatment plants. For example, Krogh, Lyons, and Lowe () and Brose et al () (Brose et al, ; Krogh et al, ) found statistically significant decreases in triclosan and/or triclocarban concentrations in wastewater influent in 2014 compared to previous years, which could be attributed to a policy change by the U.S. FDA affecting the source of these compounds in consumer products. Likewise, Andrade et al () (Andrade et al, ) showed a decrease in brominated diphenyl ether (BDE)‐47 and BDE‐49 concentrations in wastewater influent that could be attributed to the phase‐out of these compounds in manufacturing.…”

Effect of PHRs and PCPs on Microalgal Growth, Metabolism and Microalgae-Based Bioremediation Processes: A Review

“…Municipal wastewaters from domestic and industrial sources can contain a range of different pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Such municipal effluents can be contaminated by the presence of acetaminophen [28]; diclofenac and carbamazepine [29]; ibuprofen, naproxen and triclosan [30]; and hormones [31]. Moreover, wastewater streams were reported to contain not only antibiotics from different classes (β-lactams, sulfonamides, quinolones, tetracyclines, macrolides, etc.…”

A reduction in triclosan and triclocarban in water resource recovery facilities’ influent, effluent, and biosolids following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 2013 proposed rulemaking on antibacterial products

“…The authors did not, however, observe any trends in triclosan over the same period. Krogh, Lyons, and Lowe () found statistically significant decreases in triclosan concentrations from 2014 to 2016 at two WRRFs in Canada and a decrease in triclocarban concentrations of one of those two facilities. The concentrations of 10 other detected PPCPs at these facilities were stable over the same time period.…”