Hydrophilic chlortetracycline  veterinary antibiotic distribution in conventional municipal wastewater treatment plant in Quebec was investigated. A rapid and sensitive method by laser diode thermal desorption coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer (LDTD-APCI-MS/MS) was developed and validated to determine the concentrations of CTC in both wastewater and sludge phases. Distribution and mass balance analysis was conducted to evaluate the treatment plant removal efficiency of CTC. High concentration of CTC about 61 �g L-1 was detected in the wastewater treatment plant influent. Concentration ranging from 830 to 400 �g kg-1 of CTC  was detected in sludge phases (primary, secondary and mixed). The removal efficiency of plant for CTC was approximately 90%; about 7.2 �g L-1 concentration of CTC was detected in effluent. Even though the drug is hydrophilic, based on the distribution and mass balance analysis high concentrations were detected in sludge. Here the chemical properties of CTC such as metal complexation, sorption to organic matter and speciation depending on pH playing an important role in distribution. Contribution of metal complexation consequent sorption to sludge was predominant process in removal of CTC (80%), whereas biotransformation was relatively insignificant (8%) for this pharmaceutical compound removal in plant.

Veterinary antibiotic chlortetracycline distribution and mass balance in conventional municipal wastewater treatment plant

248th National Meeting (2014)

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