title: Stability and removal of atorvastatin, rosuvastatin and simvastatin from wastewater.
abstract: Atorvastatin (ATO), rosuvastatin (RST) and simvastatin (SIM) are commonly used drugs that belong to the statin family (lowering human blood cholesterol levels) and have been detected as contaminants in natural waters. Stability and removal of ATO, RST and SIM from spiked wastewater produced at the Al-Quds University campus were investigated. All three statins were found to undergo degradation in wastewater (activated sludge). The degradation reactions of the three drugs in wastewater at room temperature follow first-order kinetics with rate constants of 2.2 × 10⁻⁷ s⁻¹ (ATO), 1.8 × 10⁻⁷ s⁻¹ (RST) and 1.8 × 10⁻⁶ s⁻¹ (SIM), which are larger than those obtained in pure water under the same conditions, 1.9 × 10⁻⁸ s⁻¹ (ATO), 2.2 × 10⁻⁸ s⁻¹ (RST) and 6.2 × 10⁻⁷ s⁻¹ (SIM). Degradation products were identified by LC-MS and LC/MS/MS. The overall performance of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) installed in the Al-Quds University campus towards the removal of these drugs was assessed showing that more than 90% of spiked ATO, RST and SIM were removed. In order to evaluate the efficiency of alternative removal methods to replace ultra-filtration membranes, adsorption isotherms for the three statins were investigated using both activated carbon and clay-micelle complex as adsorbents. The batch adsorption isotherms for the three statins were found to fit the Langmuir equation, with a larger number of adsorption sites and binding affinity for micelle-clay composite compared with activated carbon and filtration experiments of the three statins and their corresponding metabolites demonstrated a more efficient removal by micelle-clay filters.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Science , University of Basilicata , 85100 Potenza , Italy.|b Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy , Al-Quds University , Jerusalem 20002 , Palestine.
authors.forename: Saleh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sulaiman
authors.affiliation: c Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology , Al-Quds University , Jerusalem 20002 , Palestine.|d Department of Chemistry, Biology and Environmental Sciences , American University of Sharjah , Sharjah , UAE.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khamis
authors.affiliation: e Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment , Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Rehovot 76100 , Israel.
authors.forename: Shlomo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nir
authors.affiliation: a Department of Science , University of Basilicata , 85100 Potenza , Italy.
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lelario
authors.affiliation: f Department of Mediterranean Culture , University of Basilicata , 75100 Matera , Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scrano
authors.affiliation: a Department of Science , University of Basilicata , 85100 Potenza , Italy.
authors.forename: Sabino Aurelio
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bufo
authors.affiliation: g Exo Research Organization , Potenza , Italy.
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mecca
authors.affiliation: a Department of Science , University of Basilicata , 85100 Potenza , Italy.|b Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy , Al-Quds University , Jerusalem 20002 , Palestine.
authors.forename: Rafik
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karaman
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000737:chemistry; D000069059:Atorvastatin / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077215:Clay; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D008823:Micelles; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium / Q000737:chemistry*; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis*; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D000077215:Clay; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008823:Micelles; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D012722:Sewage; D019821:Simvastatin; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: HF-membranes; activated carbon; micelle–clay complex; stability in sludge; statins; wastewater treatment