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Occurrence of neutral and acidic drugs in the effluents of Canadian sewage treatment plants
Abstract
Samples of influent (untreated) and effluent (treated) from 18 sewage treatment plants (STPs) in 14 municipalities in Canada were analyzed for residues of selected prescription and nonprescription drugs. Several neutral and acidic drugs were detected in effluents, including analgesic/anti-inflammatory agents, lipid regulators, and an antiepileptic drug, carbamazepine. Residues were extracted from effluents by solid-phase extraction, followed by either methylation and analysis of acidic drugs by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry or direct analysis of neutral drugs by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Analgesic/anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen, as well as the metabolite of acetylsalicyclic acid, salicylic acid, were often detected in final effluents at μg/L concentrations. The acidic lipid regulator, clofibric acid, and the analgesic/anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac were not detected in any final effluent samples, which is not consistent with data from Europe. The precursor to clofibric acid, clofibrate, is not widely prescribed as a lipid regulator in Canada. However, the lipid regulators bezafibrate and gemfibrozil were detected in some samples of influent and effluent. The chemotherapy drugs ifosfamide and cyclophosphamide and the anti-inflammatory phenazone were not detected in influent or effluent samples, but the vasodilator drug pentoxyfylline was detected at ng/L concentrations in some final effluents. The widespread occurrence of carbamazepine at concentrations as high as 2.3 μg/L may be explained by use of this drug for other therapeutic purposes besides treatment of epilepsy and its resistance to elimination in STPs. The rates of elimination of ibuprofen and naproxen appeared to be elevated in STPs with hydraulic retention times for sewage greater than 12 h.
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Heberer, T. (2002) · Toxicology Letters · doi:10.1016/s0378-4274(02)00041-3 · Cited by 2,995
Kaufman, D. W., Kelly, J. P., Rosenberg, L., Anderson, T. E., & Mitchell, A. A. (2002) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.287.3.337 · Cited by 1,845
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Patel, M., Kumar, R., Kishor, K., Mlsna, T., Pittman, C. U., & Mohan, D. (2019) · Chemical Reviews · doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00299 · Cited by 2,654
Verlicchi, P., Al Aukidy, M., & Zambello, E. (2012) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.04.028 · Cited by 2,183
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the freshwater aquatic environment
Ebele, A. J., Abou-Elwafa Abdallah, M., & Harrad, S. (2017) · Emerging Contaminants · doi:10.1016/j.emcon.2016.12.004 · Cited by 2,023
Removal of Pharmaceuticals in Sewage Treatment Plants in Italy
Castiglioni, S., Bagnati, R., Fanelli, R., Pomati, F., Calamari, D., & Zuccato, E. (2006) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es050991m · Cited by 841
Metadata
- Authors
- Metcalfe, C. D., Koenig, B. G., Bennie, D. T., Servos, M., Ternes, T. A., & Hirsch, R.
- Venue
- Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2003-12-01
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 2872-2880
- ISSN
- 0730-7268 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-8618
- OpenAlex
- W1973814811
- Cited by
- 500
- References
- 2
- FWCI
- 17.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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- Metcalfe, C. D., Koenig, B. G., Bennie, D. T., Servos, M., Ternes, T. A., & Hirsch, R. (2003). Occurrence of neutral and acidic drugs in the effluents of Canadian sewage treatment plants. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1897/02-469
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