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Assessing the removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a full-scale activated sludge plant

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the removal mechanisms of pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) and musks in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Biological removal and adsorption in the activated sludge tank as well as the effect of UV radiation used for disinfection purposes were considered when performing a mass balance on the WWTP throughout a 2-week sampling campaign.

Methods

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was carried out to analyse the PhACs in the influent and effluent samples. Ultrasonic solvent extraction was used before SPE for PhACs analysis in sludge samples. PhAC extracts were analysed by LC-MS. Solid-phase microextraction of liquid and sludge samples was used for the analysis of musks, which were detected by GC-MS. The fluxes of the most abundant compounds (13 PhACs and 5 musks) out of 79 compounds studied were used to perform the mass balance on the WWTP.

Results

Results show that incomplete removal of diclofenac, the compound that was found in the highest abundance, was observed via biodegradation and adsorption, and that UV photolysis was the main removal mechanism for this compound. The effect of adsorption to the secondary sludge was often negligible for the PhACs, with the exceptions of diclofenac, etofenamate, hydroxyzine and indapamide. However, the musks showed a high level of adsorption to the sludge. UV radiation had an important role in reducing the concentration of some of the target compounds (e.g. diclofenac, ibuprofen, clorazepate, indapamide, enalapril and atenolol) not removed in the activated sludge tank.

Conclusions

The main removal mechanism of PhACs and musks studied in the WWTP was most often biological (45%), followed by adsorption (33%) and by UV radiation (22%). In the majority of the cases, the WWTP achieved >75% removal of the most detected PhACs and musks, with the exception of diclofenac.

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Acknowledgements

Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia through the projects PTDC/AMB/65702/2006 and PEst-C/EQB/LA0006/2011, fellowship grants SFRH/PROTEC/49449/2009 and SFRH/BPD/30800/2006. Eng. Cristina Santos, Eng. Nuno Soares and Eng. Cláudia Bárcia (Simarsul) are thankfully acknowledged for assistance with sampling of the WWTP.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. REQUIMTE/CQFB, Chemistry Department, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal

    R. Salgado, R. Marques, J. P. Noronha, G. Carvalho, A. Oehmen & M. A. M. Reis

  2. Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (IBET), Av. da República (EAN), 2784-505, Oeiras, Portugal

    R. Marques & G. Carvalho

  3. ESTS-IPS, Escola Superior de Tecnologia de Setúbal do Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, Rua Vale de Chaves, Campus do IPS, Estefanilha, 2910-761, Setúbal, Portugal

    R. Salgado

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  1. R. Salgado
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  2. R. Marques
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  3. J. P. Noronha
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  4. G. Carvalho
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  5. A. Oehmen
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  6. M. A. M. Reis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Oehmen.

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Responsible editor: Vinod Kumar Gupta

Appendix

Appendix

Table 4 Daily influent, effluents loads before and after UV and secondary sludge loads for the 6 days of the campaign
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Salgado, R., Marques, R., Noronha, J.P. et al. Assessing the removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a full-scale activated sludge plant. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19, 1818–1827 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0693-z

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