Distribution and Removal of Pharmaceuticals in Liquid and Solid Phases in the Unit Processes of Sewage Treatment Plants.

ABSTRACT: In this study, we analyzed 27 pharmaceuticals in liquid and solid phase samples collected from the unit processes of four different sewage treatment plants (STPs) to evaluate their distribution and behavior of the pharmaceuticals. The examination of the relative distributions of various categories of pharmaceuticals in the influent showed that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were the most dominant. While the relative distribution of antibiotics in the influent was not high (i.e., 3%-5%), it increased to 14%-30% in the effluent. In the four STPs, the mass load of the target pharmaceuticals was reduced by 88%-95% mainly in the biological treatment process, whereas the ratio of pharmaceuticals in waste sludge to those in the influent (w/w) was only 2%. In all the STPs, the remo

SUBMITTER: Park J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7036819 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature