Technological Potential of Microalgae for Removal of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Product’s from Waste Water

Chapter 9 - Ionic liquids for the removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products

Anthropogenic disturbances on distribution and sources of pharmaceuticals and personal care products throughout the Jinsha River Basin, China

The pollution of water bodies by pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) has attracted widespread concern due to their widespread use and pseudo-persistence, but their effects on sediments are less known. In this study, solid-phase extraction-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-LC/MSMS) was used to investigate the occurrence and ecological risks of five typical pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in thirteen key reservoirs, sluices, dams, and estuaries in the Haihe River Basin. At the same time, the PPCP exchanges of surface water, groundwater, and sediments in three typical sections were studied. Finally, the PPCP’s environmental risk is evaluated through the environmental risk quotient. The results showed that the five PPCPs were tri-methoprazine (TMP), sinolamine (SMX), ibuprofen (IBU), triclosan (TCS), and caffeine (CAF). The average concentration of these PPCPs ranged from 0 to 481.19 μg/kg, with relatively high concentrations of TCS and CAF. The relationship between PPCPs in the surface sediments was analyzed to reveal correlations between SMX and TMP, CAF and IBU, CAF and TCS. The risk quotients (RQ) method was used to evaluate the ecological risk of the five detected PPCPs. The major contributors of potential environmental risks were IBU, TCS and CAF, among which all the potential environmental risks at the TCS samples were high risk. This study supplemented the research on the ecological risk of PPCPs in sediments of important reaches of the North Canal to reveal the importance of PPCP control in the North Canal and provided a scientific basis for pollution control and risk prevention of PPCPs.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are widely detected in aquatic environments. However, recent studies on the environmental occurrence of currently used PPCPs in Japan are limited. In this study, a nationwide monitoring initiative focusing on PPCPs was undertaken to investigate the occurrence and fate of PPCPs in aquatic environments in Japan. A total of 700 samples were collected and analyzed from 2018 to 2022. Ninety-one PPCPs were detected in the analyzed samples. Three PPCPs (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide [DEET], salicylic acid, and crotamiton) were detected at particularly high frequencies, with a prevalence exceeding 99% of analyzed samples. Seasonal variations were observed for several PPCPs across multiple rivers, with concentrations generally increasing during fall/winter and decreasing during spring/summer (except DEET) throughout the sampling period. The detection frequencies and concentrations were higher in PPCPs with higher domestic prescription amounts. Some PPCPs, such as acetylsalicylic acid, exhibited low frequencies and concentrations despite high domestic prescription amounts, suggesting transformation into metabolites or degradates in the aquatic environment. The contribution of sewage treatment plant effluent to the PPCP concentrations in the environment was estimated by examining the correlation between each PPCP and sucralose concentration. Sewage effluents appeared to be a significant contributor to the majority of target PPCPs; however, DEET and certain other PPCPs may originate from alternate sources. This study is the first to provide a comprehensive assessment of the occurrence and fate of PPCPs in Japan's aquatic environment. Future research should assess the environmental and human health risks of these PPCPs and identify the occurrence of their metabolites or degradates in the aquatic environment.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) include over-the-counter and prescription drugs, veterinary drugs, fragrances, and cosmetics. PPCPs have been detected in aquatic environments at low concentrations and are emerging as contaminants of concern. PPCPs are primarily released into aquatic environments via untreated sewage, wastewater treatment plants, landfill leachate and can affect aquatic life through persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. However, there are limited reviews of lethal and sublethal effects of PPCP exposures on aquatic organisms. To understand PPCP toxicity on aquatic organisms, a literature review was conducted that identified aquatic organisms known to be affected by PPCPs; concentrations of PPCPs reported as producing sublethal and lethal effects in aquatic organisms; and research gaps on PPCP aquatic toxicity. Twelve PPCPs were selected from three seminal studies for review, including bisphenol A, carbamazepine, erythromycin, fluoxetine, linear alkylbenzene sulfonate, metoprolol, naproxen, nonylphenol, ofloxacin, sertraline, sulfamethoxazole, and triclosan. Many aquatic species were affected by PPCPs at sublethal and lethal exposures, including sublethal effects at environmentally relevant concentrations. Because lethal effects were seldom observed at environmentally relevant concentrations, many studies considered PPCPs non-toxic. Few studies have compared effects of PPCPs on the same organisms for identical exposure parameters (time and concentration), resulting in wide variation in reported toxicity levels with limited consensus in the academic literature. Consensus in lethal concentrations was reported for Daphnia magna with 48 h exposure for bisphenol A and triclosan and Vibrio fischeri with 15 min exposure to carbamazepine. Environmentally relevant sublethal concentrations were higher than water quality guidelines developed for Canada and predicted no-effect concentrations derived globally. Species sensitivity distributions for some PPCPs show that aquatic species are affected lethally at environmentally relevant concentrations. More studies on indirect and long-term ecological effects along with testing chronic toxicity of PPCPs at environmentally relevant concentrations are recommended. These will help guide future research to determine extent and magnitude of PPCP concentrations in aquatic environments and help inform management decisions to reduce sources of PPCPs into the environment. Future management requires effective monitoring strategies regarding use, disposal, occurrence, and impacts at different life cycle stages of PPCPs in the environment.

Biomass energy recovery from sewage sludge through anaerobic treatment is vital for environmental sustainability and a circular economy. However, large amounts of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) remain in sludge, and their interactions with microbes and enzymes would affect resource recovery. This article reviews the effects and mechanisms of PPCPs on anaerobic sludge treatment. Most PPCPs posed adverse impacts on methane production, while certain low-toxicity PPCPs could stimulate volatile fatty acids and biohydrogen accumulation. Changes in the microbial community structure and functional enzyme bioactivities were also summarized with PPCPs exposure. Notably, PPCPs such as carbamazepine could bind with the active sites of the enzyme and induce microbial stress responses. The fate of various PPCPs during anaerobic sludge treatment indicated that PPCPs featuring electron-donating groups (e.g., ·-NH2 and ·-OH), hydrophilicity, and low molecular weight were more susceptible to microbial utilization. Key biodegrading enzymes (e.g., cytochrome P450 and amidase) were crucial for PPCP degradation, although several PPCPs remain refractory to biotransformation. Therefore, remediation technologies including physical pretreatment, chemicals, bioaugmentation, and their combinations for enhancing PPCPs degradation were outlined. Among these strategies, advanced oxidation processes and combined strategies effectively removed complex and refractory PPCPs mainly by generating free radicals, providing recommendations for improving sludge detoxification.

Seasonal variation and dissolved organic matter influence on the distribution, transformation, and environmental risk of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in coastal zone: a case study of Tianjin, China

Many pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been shown to be biotransformed in water treatment systems. However, little research exists on the effect of initial PPCP concentration on PPCP biotransformation or on the microbial communities treating impacted water. In this study, biological PPCP removal at various concentrations was assessed using laboratory columns inoculated with wastewater treatment plant effluent. Pyrosequencing was used to examine microbial communities in the columns and in soil from a soil aquifer treatment (SAT; a method of water treatment prior to reuse) site. Laboratory columns were supplied with different concentrations (0.25, 10, 100, or 1,000 μg liter(-1)) of each of 15 PPCPs. Five PPCPs (4-isopropyl-3-methylphenol [biosol], p-chloro-m-xylenol, gemfibrozil, ketoprofen, and phenytoin) were not removed at any tested concentrations. Two PPCPs (naproxen and triclosan) exhibited removals independent of PPCP concentration. PPCP removal efficiencies were dependent on initial concentrations for biphenylol, p-chloro-m-cresol, chlorophene, diclofenac, 5-fluorouracil, ibuprofen, and valproic acid, showing that PPCP concentration can affect biotransformation. Biofilms from sand samples collected from the 0.25- and 10-μg liter(-1) PPCP columns were pyrosequenced along with SAT soil samples collected on three consecutive days of a wetting and drying cycle to enable comparison of these two communities exposed to PPCPs. SAT communities were similar to column communities in taxonomy and phylotype composition, and both were found to contain close relatives of known PPCP degraders. The efficiency of biological removal of PPCPs was found to be dependent on the concentration at which the contamination occurs for some, but not all, PPCPs.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) represent pollutants of emerging concern, originating in surface and drinking waters largely from their persistence in wastewater effluent. Accordingly, a wealth of recent investigations has examined PPCP fate during wastewater treatment, focusing on their removal during conventional (e.g., activated sludge) and advanced (e.g., ozonation and membrane filtration) treatment processes. Here, we compile nearly 1500 data points from over 40 published sources pertaining to influent and effluent PPCP concentrations measured at pilot- and full-scale wastewater treatment facilities to identify the most effective series of technologies for minimizing effluent PPCP levels. Available data suggest that at best a 1-log(10) concentration unit (90%) of PPCP removal can be achieved at plants employing only primary and secondary treatment, a performance trend that is maintained over the range of reported PPCP influent concentrations (ca. 0.1-10(5) ng L(-1)). Relatively few compounds (15 of 140 PPCPs considered) are consistently removed beyond this threshold at facilities using solids removal and conventional activated sludge (CAS), and most PPCPs are removed to a far lesser extent. Further, increases in CAS hydraulic retention time or sludge retention time do not appreciably increase removal beyond this limit. In contrast, plants employing advanced treatment methodologies, particularly ozonation and/or membranes, remove the vast majority of PPCPs beyond 1-log(10) concentration unit and oftentimes to levels below analytical detection limits in effluent. Data also indicate that passive approaches for tertiary treatment (e.g., wetlands and lagoons) represent promising options for PPCP removal. We conclude by addressing future challenges and frontiers in wastewater management posed by PPCPs including analytical needs for their real-time measurement, energy demands associated with advanced treatment technologies, and byproducts arising from transformation of PPCPs during treatment.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are categorized as contaminants of concerns. It mainly includes regularly used personal care and cosmetic products and medicines. PPCPs have been widely detected in different water matrices. PPCPs being adversely affecting the ecological system and human health and therefore are of great concerns. Presence of PPCPs in effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plants, behaviour and biological impact have become a topical concern and important issues of water quality. PPCPs are considered as potent endocrine disruptors (EDCs). Their bioactive metabolites find its way into the aquatic environment in the form of complex combinations through a number of ways but mostly by both untreated and treated sewage.The work was done to understand the fate of PPCPs during the conventional treatment. Four class of PPCPs, viz.; phenols, anti-microbial, oestrogen, and stimulants were targeted. One compound from each class, i.e. 4-n-Nonylphenol, Triclosan, 17β-estradiol, and Caffeine was selected for method standardization in GC-MS. The samples from inlet and outlet of STP were analysed for the selected compounds. Sufficient concentration of three compounds, viz.; 4-n-Nonylphenol, Triclosan, and 17β-estradiol were detected in inlet samples. Also considerable concentration of these compounds was found in outlet samples. Although much work have been done to find out different treatment methods for the deletion of PPCPs from wastewater and receiving waters. However in Indian scenario, the treatment system is designed for the conventional process which is not effective in the removal of these PPCPs. This is clearly revealed in the results of study that PPCPs are highly concentrated in the inlets of STPs and their removal needs to be look-in during treatment process.KeywordsPharmaceuticalsPersonal care productsToxicityTreatment process

Anthropogenic impacts on the contamination of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the coastal environments of the Yellow and Bohai seas

Occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a wastewater treatment plant with Bacillus bio-reactor treatment

Enhanced degradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) by three-dimensional electrocatalysis coupled biological aerated filter

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are a class of emerging contaminants widely distributed in the wastewater treatment system. The simultaneous analysis of multiple PPCPs in the sludge, which is a complex matrix, is still not fully studied. In this study, a procedure based on matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) for the extraction of PPCPs from the sludge with determination by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was investigated. Forty-five PPCPs, including antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, β-blockers, antidepressants, antimicrobial agents, preservatives, UV filters, and so on, were studied. MSPD parameters, including the sorbent materials, the ratio of sample to sorbent, the eluent composition, and the elution volumes, were sequentially optimized. Best results were achieved by 0.1g of sludge homogenized with 0.4g of C18-bonded silica sorbent and elution by 6mL methanol and 10mL acetonitrile/5% oxalic acid (8/2, v/v). The method quantification limits for the 45 PPCPs ranged 0.117-5.55μg/kg. The PPCP recoveries ranged from 50.3 to 107% with relative standard deviation lower than 15%. The proposed method was applied to analyze PPCPs in the sludge collected from a domestic wastewater treatment plant over 1year. Thirteen PPCPs were detected, with the concentrations of ofloxacin and triclocarban more than 1000μg/kg. Temporal variations of the PPCP levels were observed. Thus, MSPD-LC-MS/MS method could achieve good sensitivity and recovery for the target PPCP analysis in the sludge samples, while MSPD provided one-step sample preparation which was easier and faster to perform compared to the commonly used methods. Graphical abstract Workflow of MSPD and LC-MS/MS chromatograms for PPCP analysis.

Combined effects of microplastics and pharmaceutical and personal care products on algae: A critical review