title: Mass flows and removal of antibiotics in two municipal wastewater treatment plants.
abstract: The mass flows and removal of 20 antibiotics of seven classes in two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) of Hong Kong were investigated in different seasons of a whole year, using bihourly 24h flow proportional composite samples. Antibiotics were detected at concentrations of 3.2-1718, 1.3-1176 and 1.1-233ngL(-1) in influents, secondary and disinfection effluents. Total daily discharges of all the detected antibiotics from effluents of Shatin and Stanley WWTPs were 470-710 and 3.0-5.2gd(-1), respectively. Ampicillin, cefalexin, sulfamethoxazole, sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine, chlortetracycline and vancomycin were effectively (52-100%) eliminated by activated sludge process while ampicillin and cefalexin were effectively (91-99%) eliminated by disinfection. Bihourly variation analysis showed that concentrations of the major antibiotics in influents varied more significantly in Stanley WWTP which served small communities.
authors: Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. libing0925@hku.hk
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Li
authors: Tong
authors: T
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D002947:Cities; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical