The presence of pharmaceuticals, hormones, pesticides, perfluorinated compounds and industrial contaminants in wastewater has been well-documented in the USA, Europe, and many developed regions in the world over the last two decades. However, information on occurrence and fate is still lacking from many parts in India which is the second most populous country in the world. The goal of this study was to detect for the presence and concentration of twenty two emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) at 3 different wastewater treatment plants in Chennai which is one of the most densely populated regions in South India. The treatment plants selected were different in size and treatment capacity to mimic more urban and domestic settings. Three different sampling campaigns at different seasons were conducted at different locations in the wastewater treatment plants including the influent, primary, secondary and final effluent. The wastewater data indicated 11 EOCs were detected in every sample from every location at all sites, while only 5 EOCs were detected consistently in effluent samples. The effluent composition of the 22 EOCs were similar within the three WWTPs but quite different to those seen in the US, indicating the importance of region-specific monitoring. Diurnal trends indicated that variability is compound specific but trended within certain classes of compounds (artificial sweeteners, and pharmaceuticals). We also studied the treatment efficacy of the wastewater treatment plants for these emerging contaminants. Finally, 22 surface water sites upstream and downstream of the WWTPs were evaluated for presence of these EOCs to determine their fate and exposure to the population in the area.

Emerging environmental contaminants in water in Chennai, India: Comprehensive study on fate & occurrence

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.