The quantification and removal efficiency of various pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) around the world has been studied to some extent. It was concluded that current treatment techniques are unable to remove or deactivate some of these compounds completely and effectively, resulting in the release of these chemicals to the aquatic environment from the effluent. Despite the plethora of drugs and emerging contaminants being released in the environment, only monitoring recommendations have been issued at this time. Focusing on water samples from treatment plants located in Southern California, this project aims to determine the concentrations of 33 recognized pharmaceutical and personal care products, and their potential impacts at the organism and ecological levels. FDA drug approvals have surged in recent years (172 new drugs approved between 2015 and 2018) signifying a likely input into the natural world of these new drugs, many with novel mechanisms and therefore, unknown environmental impacts. Using sales data for these new drugs, a list of targeted compounds with high release potentials will also be evaluated. Additionally, a mass balance will be calculated for the removal efficiency of these compounds throughout the treatment process. Finally, a comparison of population size and demographics will be done to evaluate whether a correlation exists between these criteria and influent concentrations in these Southern California plants.<br/>

Fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in wastewater treatment plants

2019 Fall National Meeting

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