Global insight into the occurrence, treatment technologies and ecological risk of emerging contaminants in sanitary sewers: Effects of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2024-04, Vol.921, p.171075-171075, Article 171075
• Main Authors: Andrade, Heloisa Nascimento de, Oliveira, Jacineumo Falcão de, Siniscalchi, Luciene Alves Batista, Costa, Joseane Dunga da, Fia, Ronaldo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: absorption; adsorption; analgesics; anticonvulsants; antipsychotics; biodegradation; caffeine; cell membranes; cephalexin; Clarithromycin; Constructed wetland; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 infection; Emerging organic contaminants; environment; estrone; Humans; ibuprofen; Membrane bioreactor; pandemic; Pandemics; risk; Risk assessment; SARS-CoV-2; sewage; Sewage - chemistry; sulfamethoxazole; Wastewater; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; wetlands
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171075

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic caused changes in the consumption of prescribed/non-prescribed drugs and the population's habits, influencing the detection and concentration of emerging contaminants (ECs) in sanitary sewage and harming environmental and health risks. Therefore, the present work sought to discuss current literature data on the effects of the “COVID-19 pandemic factor” on the quality of raw sewage produced over a five-year period (2018–2019: pre-pandemic; 2020–2022: during the pandemic) and biological, physical, chemical and hybrid treatment technologies, influencing factors in the removal of ECs and potential ecological risks (RQs). Seven hundred thirty-one publications correlating sewage and COVID-19 were identified: 184 pre-pandemic and 547 during the pandemic. Eight classes and 37 ECs were detected in sewage between 2018 and 2022, with the “COVID-19 pandemic factor” promoting an increase in estrogens (+31,775 %), antibiotics (+19,544 %), antiepileptics and antipsychotics (+722 %), pesticides (+200 %), analgesics, anti-inflammatories and anticoagulants (+173 %), and stimulant medications (+157 %) in sanitary sewage. Among the treatment systems, aerated reactors integrated into biomembranes removed >90 % of cephalexin, clarithromycin, ibuprofen, estrone, and 17β-estradiol. The absorption, adsorption, and biodegradation mechanisms of planted wetland systems contributed to better cost-benefit in reducing the polluting load of sewage ECs in the COVID-19 pandemic, individually or integrated into the WWTP. The COVID-19 pandemic factor increased the potential ecological risks (RQs) for aquatic organisms by 40 %, with emphasis on clarithromycin and sulfamethoxazole, which changed from negligible risk and low risk to (very) high risk and caffeine with RQ > 2500. Therefore, it is possible to suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic intensified physiological, metabolic, and physical changes to different organisms in aquatic biota by ECs during 2020 and 2022. [Display omitted] •37 emerging contaminants were detected in sewage during the COVID-19 pandemic.•Constructed wetland systems removed >90 % of clarithromycin and paracetamol.•Drug use in hospitals altered the quality of the crude sewage during the pandemic.•Individual RQ values for amoxicillin and 17β-estradiol were >100.•QR values between 2020 and 2022 worsened ecological risks for aquatic species.