Fate Of Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products Research Articles

Screening of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) along wastewater treatment system equipped with root zone treatment: A potential model for domestic waste leachate management

We present the use of root zone treatment (RZT) based system for the removal of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) from domestic wastewater. The occurrence of more than a dozen PPCPs were detected in an academic institution wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at three specific locations, i.e., influent, root treatment zone, and effluents. The comparisons of observed compounds detected at various stages of WWTP suggest that the presence of PPCPs, like homatropine, cytisine, carbenoxolone, 4,2′,4′,6′-tetrahydroxychalcone, norpromazine, norethynodrel, fexofenadine, indinavir, dextroamphetamine, 3-hydroxymorphinan, phytosphingosine, octadecanedioic acid, meradimate, 1-hexadecanoyl-sn-glycerol, and 1-hexadecylamine, are unusual than the usual reported PPCPs in the WWTPs. In general, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, caffeine, triclocarban, and triclosan are often reported in wastewater systems. The normalized abundances of PPCPs range between 0.037–0.012, 0.108–0.009, and 0.208–0.005 in main influent, root zone effluent, and main effluents, respectively, of the WWTP. In addition, the removal rates of PPCPs were observed from −200.75% to ∼100% at RZT phase in the plant. Interestingly, we observed several PPCPs at later stages of treatment which were not detected in the influent of the WWTP. This is probably owing to the presence of conjugated metabolites of various PPCPs present in the influent, which subsequently got deconjugated to reform the parent compounds during the biological wastewater treatment. In addition, we suspect the potential release of earlier absorbed PPCPs in the system, which were absent on that particular day of sampling but have been part of earlier influents. In essence, RZT-based WWTP was found to be effective in removing the PPCPs and other organic contaminants in the study but results in stress the need for further comprehensive research on RZT system to conclude the exact removal efficacy and fate of PPCPs during treatment in the system. As a current research gap, the study also recommended RZT to be appraised for PPCPs in-situ remediation from landfill leachates, an underestimated source of PPCPs intrusion in the environment.

Occurrence of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Water Environment of Poland: A Review

The issue of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the water environment has gained increasing interest worldwide. To determine the nature and extent of this problem for Poland, this paper presents a review of research on the presence of PPCPs in Poland, looking at results for different water samples, including wastewater (before and after treatment), landfill leachate, surface water (standing water bodies and rivers), seawater, groundwater and drinking water. The review is based on over 50 scientific articles and dissertations referring to studies of PPCPs. It also briefly outlines possible sources and the fate of PPCPs in the aquatic environment. The review of Polish research has revealed that studies have previously covered at least 39 PPCP groups (270 compounds in total). These studies focused mainly on wastewater and rivers, and only a few concerned landfill leachate and seawater. They most often reported on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics. The highest concentrations of the analysed PPCPs were found mainly in raw wastewater (e.g., naproxen, up to 551,960 ng/L), but they were also occasionally found in surface water (e.g., azithromycin, erythromycin, irbesartan and metoprolol) and in groundwater (e.g., N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, known as DEET, up to 17,280 ng/L). Extremely high concentrations of bisphenol A (up to 2,202,000 ng/L) and diclofenac (up to 108,340 ng/L) were found in landfill leachate. Although numerous substances have been detected, PPCPs are still not monitored regularly, which makes it difficult to obtain a clear understanding of their incidence in the water environment.

Occurrence and fate of PPCPs in typical drinking water treatment plants in China.

In this study, the occurrence and removal of twenty-nine pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in two water treatment plants (WTPs) in China were investigated. WTP1 employed ozonation and granular active carbon (GAC) filtration after coagulation and sedimentation, while WTP2 applied anthracite and GAC filtration instead. In the influent, six and four selected PPCPs with total concentrations of 554.97 and 12.94ng/L were detected in WTP1 and WTP2, respectively (in October), among which, sulfamethoxazole and erythromycin were detected with highest concentrations due to their widely used as both human and veterinary medicines. PPCPs removal varied significantly among compounds and treatment units. In general, coagulation, filtration and single GAC units worked inefficiently and removed the detected PPCPs by less than 50%, as they were not hydrophobic. Ozonation was capable to eliminate a majority of PPCPs by more than 90%, which, however, presented limited mineralization and generated a certain amount of degradation by-products. To seek the improvement of PPCPs removal by coagulation and flocculation, the feasibility of adding hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into the coagulation process (Fe2+ or Fe3+) to trigger the Fenton reaction was investigated. Results indicated that only under acidic condition, Fe2+ combined H2O2 efficiently removed PPCPs, while Fe3+/H2O2 also showed some removal capacity compared to coagulation process only. It will be impractical to employ this process under neutral pH. But when acidic wastewater is involved, this process may have its potential application.

Translocation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) into plant tissues: A review

Abstract Occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment and the potential consequences for human health is of serious concern. In the current review, we have tried to provide a summary on recent research and an overview of PPCPs in the soil-plant systems, in the environment and analytical methods used for determination of PPCPs in plant tissues. Further review also include highlights on the fate of PPCPs in agricultural soils receiving treated wastewater irrigation or biosolids amendment, and plant uptake of PPCPs under laboratory and field conditions. PPCPs have shown to be released to the environment and may cause significant impacts on different environmental aspects. Plant roots showed their abilities to uptake and transfer of PPCPs into plant tissues. The uptake of PPCPs varies depending on crop type and physiochemical properties of the chemical compound that were exposed. Consumption of contaminated crops with PPCPs residues may cause serious health problems. Liquid chromatography in combination with mass chromatography was found to be the most popular analytical instrument used for PPCPs determination in different samples. Finally, the information gaps and few suggestions for future research have been proposed in this review.

Enhancement of total nitrogen removal through effluent recirculation and fate of PPCPs in a hybrid constructed wetland system treating urban wastewater.

The effect of effluent recirculation on the removal of total nitrogen (TN) and eight pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) was evaluated during 9months in an experimental hybrid constructed wetland (CW) system applied in the treatment of urban wastewater. An Imhoff tank was followed by three stages of CWs (two 1.5-m2 vertical subsurface flow (VF) beds alternating feed-rest cycles, a 2-m2 horizontal (HF) and a 2-m2 free water surface (FWS) wetland in series). A fraction of the final effluent was recycled back to the Imhoff tank with a recirculation rate of 50% (hydraulic loading rate=0.37md-1). The system's performance varied throughout the study. In Period I (summer) consistently high load removal efficiencies of TN (89±5%) and a removal rate of 6.6±1.4gTNm-2d-1 were exhibited. In Period II (fall), the poor performance of the FWS during the senescence of macrophytes caused a large increase in organic matter, solids and nutrient concentrations, drastically deteriorating water quality. The determination of PPCPs was conducted during this period. Recalcitrant compounds, namely sulfamethoxazole, carbamazapine, TCEP and sucralose were negligibly removed in all CWs. However, noteworthy was the ≈30% removal of sucralose in the VF wetland. Caffeine (80%) and fluoxetine (27%) showed similar elimination rates in both VF and HF units, whereas trimethoprim and DEET were significantly better removed in the VF than in the HF. The concentration of the four latter compounds showed a severe increase in the FWS, indicating possible desorption from the sediment/biomass during adverse conditions. Harvesting of the aboveground biomass in this unit returned the system's performance back to normality (Period III), achieving 77±7% TN removal despite the winter season, proving effluent recirculation as an effective strategy for TN removal in hybrid CW systems when stringent restrictions are in place.

Pharmaceuticals and Personal-Care Products in Plants.

Pharmaceuticals and personal-care products (PPCPs) derived from agricultural, urban, and industrial areas accumulate in plants at concentrations (ng to μg kg-1) that can be toxic to the plants. Importantly, the dietary intake of these PPCP-contaminated plants may also pose a risk to human health, but currently little is known about the fate of PPCPs in plants and their effect on or risk to the ecosystem. In this Opinion article we propose that in-depth research on the use of plants as a monitoring device for assessing the use and environmental presence of PPCPs is warranted. The toxicity of PPCPs to plants and their microbiota needs to be established, as well as any toxic effects on herbivores including humans.

FATE OF METRONIDAZOLE UNDER SOLAR IRRADIATION

Photodegradation caused by sun irradiation may be of major significance in the natural elimination process of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). The fate of metronidazole (MET) in surface water under solar irradiation was investigated. Several parameters affecting the photochemical degradation rate of MET were investigated, including the initial pharmaceutical concentration, continuous input and the presence of other pharmaceuticals like tinidazole (TNZ) with similar structure to MET as the analogue or amoxicillin (AMX) as non-analogue. The focus of the study was to evaluate the effect of the coexisting pharmaceuticals and continuous input on the photodegradation of PPCPs. The results showed that the photodegradation rate of MET became lower in the presence of TNZ. At the same time, the presence of AMX showed no effect on the photodegradation rate of MET. Besides, to elucidate the effects of continuous input on the photodegradation, a high concentration solution of MET with calculated volume of MET was added repetitively to the reaction solution under solar irradiation for 60 minutes. After 5 times of recovering concentration, the removal of MET decreased from 32.9% to 9.6%. The fact shows that the coexisting pharmaceuticals and continuous input effect on the photodegradation of MET obviously. Therefore, these factors must be taken into account in assessing the fate of PPCPs in the environment. In addition, the kinetic parameters such as quantum yields and rate constants were also determined.

Occurrence, sources and fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the groundwater: A review

Abstract The presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the aquatic environment may pose potential threat to the ecosystem and human health, hence PPCPs have aroused much concern over the world. The contamination of PPCPs in the groundwater, the main source of drinking water supply in many countries and regions, has been extensively studied in the last decade. This paper reviews the occurrence of frequently detected PPCPs, including antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, lipid-regulators, carbamazepine, caffeine, and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide in groundwater, with special concern to the progress made over the past three years. Possible emission sources for PPCPs in groundwater, such as wastewater and contaminated surface water, landfills, septic systems, livestock breeding and sewer leakage, are summarized. Besides, adsorption, migration and degradation, the dominant mechanisms in the subsurface transport and fate of PPCPs, are discussed, and the insights into the future study of PPCPs in the groundwater are provided.

Evaluating the degradation, sorption, and negative mass balances of pharmaceuticals and personal care products during wastewater treatment

Conventional activated sludge (CAS) wastewater treatment processes are insufficient at removing many pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) from wastewater. In addition, negative mass balances, where the effluent concentration is greater than the influent concentration, have been observed in wastewater treatment studies and a further understanding of these results is needed. In this study, the fate and occurrence of 57 PPCPs and hormones were evaluated in an activated sludge process and the mass balances were determined. The goal of the project was to understand the PPCPs biological degradation and the extent of sorption to solids. The samples containing in situ PPCPs (i.e. samples were not spiked with additional PPCPs) were evaluated. Forty-eight of the PPCPs were detected in the soluble form and 29 were detected sorbed to solids. Two notable results were found. First, the results of this study indicate a subset of the highly biodegradable PPCPs stop being degraded at low, yet notable, concentrations. Second, the results revealed that negative mass balances were present for a subset of the PPCPs when evaluating both the soluble and sorbed concentration, for example carbamazepine and ofloxacin. Desorption from solids was not found to attribute to negative mass balances. Overall, the results from this study provide new insights into the fate of PPCPs during CAS wastewater treatment by evaluating the degradation kinetics and sorption and the results may explain the consistent levels of highly degradable PPCPs being emitted from WWTPs worldwide.

Removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a membrane bioreactor wastewater treatment plant.

Ninety-nine pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were analyzed in influent, final effluent, and biosolids samples from a wastewater treatment plant employing a membrane bioreactor (MBR). High concentrations in influent were found for acetaminophen, caffeine, metformin, 2-hydroxy-ibuprofen, paraxanthine, ibuprofen, and naproxen (10(4)-10(5) ng/L). Final effluents contained clarithromycin, metformin, atenolol, carbamazepine, and trimethoprim (>500 ng/L) at the highest concentrations, while triclosan, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, triclocarban, metformin, caffeine, ofloxacin, and paraxanthine were found at high concentrations in biosolids (>10(3) ng/g dry weight). PPCP removals varied from -34% to >99% and 23 PPCPs had ≥90% removal. Of the studied PPCPs, 26 compounds have been rarely or never studied in previous membrane bioreactor (MBR) investigations. The removal pathway showed that acetaminophen, 2-hydroxy-ibuprofen, naproxen, ibuprofen, codeine, metformin, enalapril, atorvastatin, caffeine, paraxanthine, and cotinine exhibited high degradation/transformation. PPCPs showing strong sorption to solids included triclocarban, triclosan, miconazole, tetracycline, 4-epitetracycline, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, paroxetine, and ofloxacin. Trimethoprim, oxycodone, clarithromycin, thiabendazole, hydrochlorothiazide, erythromycin-H2O, carbamazepine, meprobamate, and propranolol were not removed during treatment, and clarithromycin was even formed during treatment. This investigation extended our understanding of the occurrence and fate of PPCPs in an MBR process through the analysis of the largest number of compounds in an MBR study to date.

Occurrence and fate of antibiotic, analgesic/anti-inflammatory, and antifungal compounds in five wastewater treatment processes

The presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the aquatic environment as a result of wastewater effluent discharge is a concern in many countries. In order to expand our understanding on the occurrence and fate of PPCPs during wastewater treatment processes, 62 antibiotic, analgesic/anti-inflammatory, and antifungal compounds were analyzed in 72 liquid and 24 biosolid samples from six wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) during the summer and winter seasons of 2010–2012. This is the first scientific study to compare five different wastewater treatment processes: facultative and aerated lagoons, chemically-enhanced primary treatment, secondary activated sludge, and advanced biological nutrient removal. PPCPs were detected in all WWTP influents at median concentrations of 1.5 to 92,000ng/L, with no seasonal differences. PPCPs were also found in all final effluents at median levels ranging from 3.6 to 4200ng/L with higher values during winter (p<0.05). Removal efficiencies ranged between −450% and 120%, depending on the compound, WWTP type, and season. Mass balance showed that the fate of analgesic/anti-inflammatory compounds was predominantly biodegradation during biological treatment, while antibiotics and antifungal compounds were more likely to sorb to sludge. However, some PPCPs remained soluble and were detected in effluent samples. Overall, this study highlighted the occurrence and behavior of a large set of PPCPs and determined how their removal is affected by environmental/operational factors in different WWTPs.

Simultaneous determination of PPCPs, EDCs, and artificial sweeteners in environmental water samples using a single-step SPE coupled with HPLC–MS/MS and isotope dilution

A high-throughput method for the simultaneous determination of 24 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and artificial sweeteners (ASs) was developed. The method was based on a single-step solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) and isotope dilution. In this study, a single-step SPE procedure was optimized for simultaneous extraction of all target analytes. Good recoveries (≥70%) were observed for all target analytes when extraction was performed using Chromabond® HR-X (500mg, 6mL) cartridges under acidic condition (pH 2). HPLC–MS/MS parameters were optimized for the simultaneous analysis of 24 PPCPs, EDCs and ASs in a single injection. Quantification was performed by using 13 isotopically labeled internal standards (ILIS), which allows correcting efficiently the loss of the analytes during SPE procedure, matrix effects during HPLC–MS/MS and fluctuation in MS/MS signal intensity due to instrument. Method quantification limit (MQL) for most of the target analytes was below 10ng/L in all water samples. The method was successfully applied for the simultaneous determination of PPCPs, EDCs and ASs in raw wastewater, surface water and groundwater samples collected in a local catchment area in Singapore. In conclusion, the developed method provided a valuable tool for investigating the occurrence, behavior, transport, and the fate of PPCPs, EDCs and ASs in the aquatic environment.

Simulation of Three PPCPs Existed in Major Pearl River with an ASM Model Including a Separate Degrading Microorganism

Hundreds of different pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are usually detected in urban riverine waters, and have long been attracting attention for their potential toxic effect to river ecosystems and even to human beings. Biodegradation and sorption are known as the main mechanisms to remove PPCPs in activated sludge systems, the characteristics of their removal process in rivers, however, are still less known. We developed an ASM-based process model including aerobic growth and decay of a specific PPCPs-degrading microorganism and try to simulate the transformation and conversion process of three main endocrine-disrupting phenols (nonylphenol, bisphenol-A, triclosan) in Major Pearl River Delta, South China. Firstly we aquired the data of river conditions and substances concentrations, then set up a model by WEST software which contains ASM theories, here the form of river system was simplified. Subsequently conducted parameter calibration and operated the simulating process using steady-state background concentrations. Validation results show that when the river is seen as series of aerobic tanks the removal of PPCPs in the system is similar to that traditional organic matters degrading by activated sludge process, and that the transport fate of PPCPs is sensitive to three model parameters of the hypothesized microorganism: concentration in the system, half saturation coefficient and maximum specific growth rate, and that the main effect of PPCPs removal in river is aerobic growth of organisms and that adsorption can be nearly ignored during the process. The proposed model shows considerable success in capturing important characteristics of the observed PPCPs transformation, thus this method could acquainting the knowledge of PPCPs changes in river aquatic environment by adjusting the model parameters according to practical conditions. Further mechanism analysis should be conducted to optimize the model.