In the last few decades, pharmaceuticals, credited with saving millions of lives, have emerged as a new class of environmental contaminant. These compounds can have both chronic and acute harmful effects on natural flora and fauna. The presence of pharmaceutical contaminants in ground waters, surface waters (lakes, rivers, and streams), sea water, wastewater treatment plants (influents and effluents), soils, and sludges has been well doccumented. A range of methods including oxidation, photolysis, UV-degradation, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and adsorption has been used for their remediation from aqueous systems. Many methods have been commercially limited by toxic sludge generation, incomplete removal, high capital and operating costs, and the need for skilled operating and maintenance personnel. Adsorption technologies are a low-cost alternative, easily used in developing countries where there is a dearth of advanced technologies, skilled personnel, and available capital, and adsorption appears to be the most broadly feasible pharmaceutical removal method. Adsorption remediation methods are easily integrated with wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Herein, we have reviewed the literature (1990-2018) illustrating the rising environmental pharmaceutical contamination concerns as well as remediation efforts emphasizing adsorption.

Pharmaceuticals of Emerging Concern in Aquatic Systems: Chemistry, Occurrence, Effects, and Removal Methods.

A review of the effects of emerging contaminants in wastewater and options for their removal

Nonylphenol in the environment: A critical review on occurrence, fate, toxicity and treatment in wastewaters

Environmental fate of alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates--a review

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs): a review on environmental contamination in China.

Distribution of estrogens, 17β-estradiol and estrone, in Canadian municipal wastewater treatment plants

Occurrence of alkylphenols and alkylphenol mono- and diethoxylates in natural waters of the Laurentian Great Lakes basin and the upper St. Lawrence River

Review of the environmental occurrence of alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates

Determination of nonylphenol polyethoxylates and their carboxylic acid metabolites in sewage treatment plant sludge by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction

Alkylphenol polyethoxylate metabolites in canadian sewage treatment plant waste streams

Donald T. Bennie

Papers

Distribution of estrogens, 17β-estradiol and estrone, in Canadian municipal wastewater treatment plants

Occurrence of alkylphenols and alkylphenol mono- and diethoxylates in natural waters of the Laurentian Great Lakes basin and the upper St. Lawrence River

Review of the environmental occurrence of alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates

Determination of nonylphenol polyethoxylates and their carboxylic acid metabolites in sewage treatment plant sludge by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction

Alkylphenol polyethoxylate metabolites in canadian sewage treatment plant waste streams