Degradation and removal methods of antibiotics from aqueous matrices--a review.

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.

Occurrences and removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in drinking water and water/sewage treatment plants: A review

Removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) from wastewater: A review.

Impacts of emerging organic contaminants on freshwater resources: Review of recent occurrences, sources, fate and effects

Occurrence and fate of pharmaceutical products and by-products, from resource to drinking water.

https://hal-mines-paristech.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00647629/document

Assessing the fate of antibiotic contaminants in metal contaminated soils four years after cessation of long-term waste water irrigation

The occurrence of 20 human pharmaceutical compounds and metabolites from 10 representative therapeutic classes was analysed from resource and drinking water in two catchment basins located in north-west France. 98 samples were analysed from 63 stations (surface water and drinking water produced from surface water). Of the 20 human pharmaceutical compounds selected, 16 were quantified in both the surface water and drinking water, with 22% of the values above the limit of quantification for surface water and 14% for drinking water). Psychostimulants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, iodinated contrast media and anxiolytic drugs were the main therapeutic classes of human pharmaceutical compounds detected in the surface water and drinking water. The results for surface water were close to results from previous studies in spite of differences in prescription rates of human pharmaceutical compounds in different countries. The removal rate of human pharmaceutical compounds at 11 water treatment units was also determined. Only caffeine proved to be resistant to drinking water treatment processes (with a minimum rate of 5%). Other human pharmaceutical compounds seemed to be removed more efficiently (average elimination rate of over 50%) by adsorption onto activated carbon and oxidation/disinfection with ozone or chlorine (not taking account of the disinfection by-products). These results add to the increasing evidence of the occurrence of human pharmaceutical compounds in drinking water that may represent a threat to human beings exposed to a cocktail of human pharmaceutical compounds and related metabolites and by-products in drinking water.

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Contamination levels of human pharmaceutical compounds in French surface and drinking water

Even though sediments may represent a reservoir for antimicrobial agents, little is known about the persistence of these molecules over time or their accumulation. In this study, six antimicrobial agents, oxolinic acid, flumequine, nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprim, were investigated in a sediment core from the Seine River. This work aimed to (1) measure antimicrobial agent contamination levels in the sediment and identify their origins, (2) obtain information on the persistence of these compounds in sediment over long periods (>4 years) and (3) show the existence of a historical record in sediment of river contamination by antimicrobial agents. Sedimentary records were collected in a regularly flooded area at the side of the Seine River downstream of urban Paris. Dating was performed using environmental 137Cs and 210Pb radioisotopes. Antimicrobial agents were extracted and purified using Soxhlet extraction and solid phase extraction. Chromatographic separation of the compounds was achieved with Ultra Performance™ liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial agent residues were detected in river sediment deposits to a depth exceeding 80 cm, corresponding to sediment deposits dating from the early 1960s. Five out of six antimicrobial agents were detected: norfloxacin, flumequine, oxolinic acid, nalidixic acid and sulphamethoxazole. Dating of the slices shows evidence of a correspondence between commercialisation of the compounds and their occurrence in the successive sediment deposits. In general, the results from previous studies justify the assumption of relative persistence of these compounds, although no experiments were conducted over periods as long as several decades. Our results show that antimicrobial agents can persist in sediment for up to 30 to 40 years, which raise concerns about the environmental effects of such long-term exposure on aquatic organisms.

S. Mompelat

Papers

Occurrence and fate of pharmaceutical products and by-products, from resource to drinking water.

Assessing the fate of antibiotic contaminants in metal contaminated soils four years after cessation of long-term waste water irrigation

Contamination levels of human pharmaceutical compounds in French surface and drinking water

A 50-year record of quinolone and sulphonamide antimicrobial agents in Seine River sediments

Inter-laboratory exercise on antibiotic drugs analysis in aqueous samples.