Fate and removal of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in conventional and membrane bioreactor wastewater treatment plants and by riverbank filtration.
Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and drugs of abuse (DAs) are two important groups of emerging environmental contaminants that have raised an increasing interest in the scientific community. A number of studies revealed their presence in the environment. This is mainly due to the fact that some compounds are not efficiently removed during wastewater treatment processes, being able to reach surface and groundwater and subsequently, drinking waters. This paper reviews the data regarding the levels of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs detected in wastewaters and gives an overview of their removal by conventional treatment technologies (applying activated sludge) as well as advanced treatments such as membrane bioreactor. The paper also gives an overview of bank filtration practices at managed aquifer recharge sites and discusses the potential of this approach to mitigate the contamination by PhACs and DAs.
Petrovic
Mira
M
Depart ment of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, , c/Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain. mpeqam@cid.csic.es
de Alda
Maria Jose Lopez
MJ
Diaz-Cruz
Silvia
S
Postigo
Cristina
C
Radjenovic
Jelena
J
Gros
Meritxell
M
Barcelo
Damià
D
D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019149:Bioreactors; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005374:Filtration; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007220:Industrial Waste; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045483:Rivers; D012722:Sewage; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*; D014881:Water Supply
D013287:Illicit Drugs; D007220:Industrial Waste; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D012722:Sewage; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical