presence of the top prescribed pharmaceuticals in treated sewage effluents and receiving waters in Southwest Nova Scotia, Canada

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2015-01, Vol.22 (1), p.689-700
• Main Authors: Ghoshdastidar, Avik J, Fox, Shannon, Tong, Anthony Z
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acetaminophen; Analgesics; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Caffeine; Canada; cotinine; Cultural heritage; Drugs; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Effluent treatment; Effluents; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Metabolism; Metabolites; Metformin; Municipal wastes; Municipal wastewater; Naproxen; Nova Scotia; Pesticides; Pharmaceutical Preparations - analysis; Pharmaceuticals; Prescription drugs; Receiving; Receiving waters; Research Article; Rivers; Rural areas; Samples; Sewage - chemistry; Sewage treatment; Sewage treatment plants; Statistical analysis; Statistical methods; Studies; Surface water; Waste Water; Waste Water Technology; wastewater; wastewater treatment; Wastewater treatment plants; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution Control; Water Pollution, Chemical - statistics & numerical data; Water treatment; Watersheds
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-3400-z

From a list of the top prescribed drugs in Canada, 11 pharmaceuticals and two metabolites were selected for study in municipal sewage treatment plant effluents and receiving waters. Wastewater samples were collected from 16 wastewater treatment plants across Southwest Nova Scotia including the Annapolis Valley, South Shore, and Metropolitan Halifax. Samples were also collected between 100 and 200 m downstream of effluent outflows. Seven pharmaceuticals were found above μg/L levels with their highest concentrations as follows: metformin (10.6 μg/L), acetaminophen (28.9 μg/L), paraxanthine (18.2 μg/L), cotinine (3.10 μg/L), caffeine (115 μg/L), naproxen (29.1 μg/L), and venlafaxine (2.65 μg/L). Metformin, paraxanthine, caffeine, naproxen, ramipril, and venlafaxine were detected in every wastewater effluent sample. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in pharmaceutical occurrence by treatment methods, weak dependence of pharmaceutical concentrations on populations, and the co-occurrence of some pharmaceuticals. Experimental results might indicate the limitation of primary only treatment methods in breaking down pharmaceuticals.