Quantitative assessment of pharmaceutical drugs in a municipal wastewater and overview of associated risks

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals compounds are the emerging contaminants known for their refractory and environmental persistence, which pose threat to flora and fauna. In the present study, the occurrence and possible contamination sources of four drugs, namely paracetamol, diclofenac, salbutamol and ceftriaxone in wastewater of Mysuru, India, were investigated. The said pharma compounds were analyzed in the effluent of select health care establishments and municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWWTP). The results revealed that diclofenac was omnipresent in all the samples with the peak concentration of 4.2 µg/mL, whereas salbutamol and ceftriaxone were in the range of 0.7–18.7 µg/mL and 1.25–29.15 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, paracetamol was detected only at the inlet of MWWTP with a concentration of 4.6 µg/mL. Surprisingly, the presence of relative amounts of these drugs in the treated water released from MWWTP was observed. Further, the ‘risk quotient method’ for ecological risk assessment was adopted to assess the magnitude of risk toward aquatic species. Next, the study employed the concept of citizen science to gather information on disposal and management methods of unused and expired medications at household and health care centers. This survey revealed that hospital discharges and community disposal of unused medicines contributed to incidence of pharmaceutical compounds in the local environment. Finally, a precise perspective and future challenge for the safe management of drugs are presented.

Predicted Environmental Risk Assessment of Antimicrobials with Increased Consumption in Portugal during the COVID-19 Pandemic; The Groundwork for the Forthcoming Water Quality Survey

“…Even though ceftriaxone is one of the most prescribed antibiotics in health facilities, there is little information regarding its occurrence in the environment [ 43 ]. A recent study in India found high levels of ceftriaxone (from 1.25 to 29.15 µg/mL) in hospital effluent [ 44 ].…”

A Review of Methods for Removal of Ceftriaxone from Wastewater

“…For instance, research was conducted in India to examine the effluent of selected health care establishments and municipal wastewater treatment plants. The study findings indicated that the results for ceftriaxone ranged from 1.25–29.15 µg/mL [ 32 ]. The antibiotics have been proven in several publications as emergent contaminants in the aquatic environments around the world.…”