Illicit drugs are an emerging class of micropollutants of concern due to their high global consumption and their inefficient removal in conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). These chemicals are psychoactive compounds; their discharge into receiving water bodies may have potential adverse impacts on the environment and on human health. This presentation discusses the findings of a comparative study of illicit drugs removal in 3 WWTPs (4-350 MGD) in Northeast US. WWTP1 services a rural university town; WWTP2 services a medium-sized city, and WWTP3 services a large metropolitan area. Wastewater samples were collected from different locations within the plants, and target analytes (ecstasy, codeine, cocaine, methamphetamine, and their metabolites) were extracted and analyzed in an LC-MS/MS. Most analytes were detected in the samples, however, there were differences in the relative concentrations of each analyte across the three plants (range:1-10<sup>3</sup> ng/L). Influent concentrations were highest for cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine (10<sup>3</sup> ng/L) and lowest for ecstasy (10 ng/L). Generally, the analytes were still detectable in the effluents. These results provide some perspective on the removal of illicit drugs in conventional wastewater treatment, as well as on consumption patterns for these drugs in the WWTP service areas.

Drug cocktails: What’s in your wastewater mix?

256th National Meeting (2018)

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