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

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, surfac...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemical reviews 2019-03, Vol.119 (6), p.3510-3673
Main Authors: Patel, Manvendra, Kumar, Rahul, Kishor, Kamal, Mlsna, Todd, Pittman, Charles U, Mohan, Dinesh
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adsorption
Aquatic environment
Contaminants
Contamination
Developing countries
Drugs
Flora
Influents
Lakes
LDCs
Nanofiltration
Nanotechnology
Operating costs
Organic chemistry
Oxidation
Personnel
Pharmaceuticals
Photolysis
Remediation
Reverse osmosis
Seawater
Sludge
Soil contamination
Surface water
Wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment plants
Water pollution
Water treatment
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0009-2665
1520-6890
DOI:10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00299