Quantification of Active Ingredient Losses from Formulating Pharmaceutical Industries and Contribution to Wastewater Treatment Plant Emissions

Abstract

In this work, emissions of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from formulating pharmaceutical industries (FPIs) were investigated for the first time based on detailed production information and compared to overall API emissions in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. At two municipal WWTPs, both receiving wastewater from several FPIs, two months' daily effluent samples were collected and measured using liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Thirty-three APIs formulated during the sampling period as well as >120 organic contaminants commonly present in WWTP effluents were quantified. On the basis of their time patterns and manufacturing data, industrial contributions were found for 22 of 26 APIs (85%) detected in the samples and processed by the FPIs. API emissions from FPIs led to daily concentration increases of up to 300-fold, despite pretreatment of the industrial wastewater. However, emissions from FPIs seemed to depend on the type of formulating activity, with granulation and mixing being most prone to API losses. Losses from FPIs were responsible for the highest concentrations and for up to 60% of the daily total API emissions measured. Furthermore, screening for suspects in LC-HRMS data resulted in the detection of unexpected emissions from FPIs, demonstrating the value of these data to comprehensively assess industrial API losses. Overall, this study showed that FPIs were relevant contributors of APIs emitted in the WWTP effluents, although only a minor fraction (<1%) of the total processed API quantity was lost to the wastewater, and despite the small percentage (<5%) of FPI wastewater compared to the total wastewater flow.

Metabolomics study on southern hard clams (Mercenaria campechiensis) response to diclofenac exposure

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Enhanced purification efficiency for pharmaceutical wastewater through a pollutant-mediated H2O2 activation pathway over CuZnS nano-aggregated particles

“…10,11 Novel physical, biological and chemical methods have been continuously developed for application in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in an effort to reduce the discharge of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for the purpose of preventing the negative impact of pharmaceutical waste on aquatic ecosystems and protecting drinking water resources. 12 Due to the bio-inhibition and refractory nature of APIs, existing biological methods are poorly effective; physical and chemical methods require significant energy and resource consumption. Therefore, it is increasingly necessary to develop viable, environmentally friendly, sustainable and cost-effective technologies.…”

Metabolomic Profiling and Toxicokinetics Modeling to Assess the Effects of the Pharmaceutical Diclofenac in the Aquatic Invertebrate Hyalella azteca

“…Pharmaceutical pollution has raised global concerns for human health and the environment. Pharmaceutical production and consumption is expected to increase over the coming years driven by a number of factors such as population growth and growing demand for drugs that treat age-related and chronic illness. − The main classes of pharmaceuticals being produced and used globally are antibiotics, beta-blockers, antidepressants, antiepileptic, contraceptives, lipid regulators, analgesics, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). , These chemicals are continuously being released to the aquatic environment mainly from disposal and excretion of wastewater from household, hospital, and industrial effluent and incomplete removal in the wastewater treatment plants. − Once in the aquatic environment, these chemicals may be taken up by the aquatic organisms. Not surprisingly, studies have shown that many pharmaceuticals have been detected in rivers (ng/L−μg/L), , aquatic vertebrates (e.g., fish), and invertebrates (e.g., gammarids) (ng/g−μg/g). − Diclofenac as a widely used NSAID in both humans and livestock, has been widely found in various environmental media, including in the ng/L to μg/L range in surface waters and ng/g to μg/g range in aquatic organisms. ,, Even though the detected concentrations are low, pharmaceuticals may pose a risk to the nontarget organisms in the aquatic ecosystems because they are designed to be biologically active at low doses for targeted organisms (e.g., humans) and often have a specific mechanism of action (MoA).…”