Determination and characterization of pharmaceuticals in sludge from municipal and livestock wastewater treatment plants.
This study investigated 24 pharmaceuticals compounds belonging to the classes of analgesics, stimulants, anti-seizures, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and antibiotics in the sludge of 12 municipal sewage treatment plants (S-sludge) and 4 livestock wastewater treatment plants (L-sludge) located across Korea. Over 70% of the target compounds were detected in at least one sample of S-sludge and L-sludge. The total concentration of the target pharmaceutical compounds detected in S-sludge was 2.622-422.8 mg kg-1and the most dominant compound was acetylsalicylic acid (ASA: 0.374-367.0 mg kg-1) whereas in L-sludge, the total concentration was 43.87-156.8 mg kg-1and the most abundant compound was oxytetracycline (OTC: 34.54-86.39 mg kg-1). Cluster analysis revealed two distinct groups: group A, which were S-sludge samples including ASA, carbamazepine (CBM), and others, and group B were L-sludge samples, dominated by antibiotics (CTC, OTC, LIN). The total daily load amount of the target pharmaceuticals in S-sludge was 0.010-268.9 kg day-1while the L-sludge was 0.021-0.529 kg day-1. The estimated amounts of the target pharmaceutical discharged from S-sludge and L-sludge into the Korean environment were 150.2 ± 47.94 ton yr-1and 15.05 ± 5.671 ton yr-1respectively, but the discharged amount of antibiotics from S-sludge (6.945 ton yr-1) was lower than that from L-sludge (9.234 ton yr-1).
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.
Kalu Ibe
KI
Ekpeghere
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.
Ji-Woo
JW
Lee
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea.
Hee-Young
HY
Kim
National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon, 404-708, Republic of Korea.
Sun-Kyoung
SK
Shin
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jeoh@pusan.ac.kr.
Jeong-Eun
JE
Oh
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000032:analysis*; D058751:Livestock; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D012722:Sewage; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001241:Aspirin
Livestock wastewater treatment plant; Pharmaceuticals; Sewage treatment plant; Sludge