Pharmaceuticals and environmental risk assessment in municipal wastewater treatment plants and rivers from Peru
This is the first study dealing with removal of the pharmaceutical substances in municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs) from Peru and the impact of these compounds in surface waters receiving treated wastewater. To this aim, samples from MWWTP of Lima (Peruvian Coast), MWWTP of Cusco, Puno a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021002993 |
| _version_ | 1818356989829316608 |
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| author | Jessica I. Nieto-Juárez Ricardo A. Torres-Palma A.M. Botero-Coy Félix Hernández |
| author_facet | Jessica I. Nieto-Juárez Ricardo A. Torres-Palma A.M. Botero-Coy Félix Hernández |
| author_sort | Jessica I. Nieto-Juárez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This is the first study dealing with removal of the pharmaceutical substances in municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs) from Peru and the impact of these compounds in surface waters receiving treated wastewater. To this aim, samples from MWWTP of Lima (Peruvian Coast), MWWTP of Cusco, Puno and Juliaca (Peruvian Highlands), as well surface water (confluence of Torococha and Coata rivers in Juliaca) were analyzed. A total of 38 target pharmaceuticals were included in this study and were determined by Liquid Chromatography coupled to tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Around 60% and 75% of the target pharmaceuticals could be quantified in surface water and MWWTPs, respectively. Acetaminophen was the drug found at the highest concentration, and it was present in all the treated wastewater samples reaching average values above 100 μg/L in the department of Puno. The gabapentin anti-epileptic drug (up to 11.85 μg/L in MWWTP Lima) and the antibiotics clarithromycin, trimethoprim, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and azithromycin (1.86 to 4.47 μg/L in MWWTP Lima) were also found at moderate concentrations in the treated wastewater. In surface water, the highest concentration corresponded also to acetaminophen (28.70 μg/L) followed by sulfamethoxazole (4.36 μg/L). As regards the pharmaceuticals removal, data of this work showed that the MWWTP Cusco (aerobic biologic process by synthetic trickling filters as secondary treatment) was more efficient than the MWWTP Lima (a preliminary treatment that combines grilles, sand trap, degreaser-aerated and sieved of 1.0 mm). However, many pharmaceuticals (around 50% of the compounds investigated) presented concentrations in treated wastewater similar or even higher than in influent wastewater. The environmental ecological risk of pharmaceuticals was assessed based on calculated Risk Quotient (RQ) in the treated wastewater and surface water from the concentration data found in the samples. According to our data, three antibiotics (clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin) and the analgesic acetaminophen posed high environmental risk (RQ ≥ 1) on the aquatic environment. In the river, all antibiotics (except norfloxacin) as well as the analgesic-anti-inflammatory compounds acetaminophen, diclofenac posed a high environmental risk (RQ ≥ 1). Based on data reported in this work for the first time in water samples from Peru, it can be deduced that the treatment processes applied in important cities from Peru are not enough efficient to remove pharmaceuticals in wastewater. As a consequence, severe environmental risks associated to the presence of pharmaceuticals in treated wastewater and surface water are expected; so complementary treatment processes should be implemented in the MWWTPs for a more efficient elimination of these compounds. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T20:05:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3d0aa0cf7a57417eb045b1483a20df4c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T20:05:59Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-3d0aa0cf7a57417eb045b1483a20df4c2022-12-21T23:33:01ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202021-10-01155106674Pharmaceuticals and environmental risk assessment in municipal wastewater treatment plants and rivers from PeruJessica I. Nieto-Juárez0Ricardo A. Torres-Palma1A.M. Botero-Coy2Félix Hernández3Research Group in Environmental Quality and Bioprocesses (GICAB), Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Textile, Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería UNI, Av. Túpac Amaru N° 210, Rímac, Lima, Peru; Corresponfing author.Grupo de Investigación en Remediación Ambiental y Biocatálisis (GIRAB), Instituto de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquía UdeA, Calle 70 N° 52-21 Medellín, ColombiaResearch Institute for Pesticides and Water (IUPA), University Jaume I, Castellón, SpainResearch Institute for Pesticides and Water (IUPA), University Jaume I, Castellón, SpainThis is the first study dealing with removal of the pharmaceutical substances in municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs) from Peru and the impact of these compounds in surface waters receiving treated wastewater. To this aim, samples from MWWTP of Lima (Peruvian Coast), MWWTP of Cusco, Puno and Juliaca (Peruvian Highlands), as well surface water (confluence of Torococha and Coata rivers in Juliaca) were analyzed. A total of 38 target pharmaceuticals were included in this study and were determined by Liquid Chromatography coupled to tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Around 60% and 75% of the target pharmaceuticals could be quantified in surface water and MWWTPs, respectively. Acetaminophen was the drug found at the highest concentration, and it was present in all the treated wastewater samples reaching average values above 100 μg/L in the department of Puno. The gabapentin anti-epileptic drug (up to 11.85 μg/L in MWWTP Lima) and the antibiotics clarithromycin, trimethoprim, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and azithromycin (1.86 to 4.47 μg/L in MWWTP Lima) were also found at moderate concentrations in the treated wastewater. In surface water, the highest concentration corresponded also to acetaminophen (28.70 μg/L) followed by sulfamethoxazole (4.36 μg/L). As regards the pharmaceuticals removal, data of this work showed that the MWWTP Cusco (aerobic biologic process by synthetic trickling filters as secondary treatment) was more efficient than the MWWTP Lima (a preliminary treatment that combines grilles, sand trap, degreaser-aerated and sieved of 1.0 mm). However, many pharmaceuticals (around 50% of the compounds investigated) presented concentrations in treated wastewater similar or even higher than in influent wastewater. The environmental ecological risk of pharmaceuticals was assessed based on calculated Risk Quotient (RQ) in the treated wastewater and surface water from the concentration data found in the samples. According to our data, three antibiotics (clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin) and the analgesic acetaminophen posed high environmental risk (RQ ≥ 1) on the aquatic environment. In the river, all antibiotics (except norfloxacin) as well as the analgesic-anti-inflammatory compounds acetaminophen, diclofenac posed a high environmental risk (RQ ≥ 1). Based on data reported in this work for the first time in water samples from Peru, it can be deduced that the treatment processes applied in important cities from Peru are not enough efficient to remove pharmaceuticals in wastewater. As a consequence, severe environmental risks associated to the presence of pharmaceuticals in treated wastewater and surface water are expected; so complementary treatment processes should be implemented in the MWWTPs for a more efficient elimination of these compounds.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021002993PharmaceuticalsWastewaterSurface waterRisk assessmentMWWTP removal efficiency |
| spellingShingle | Jessica I. Nieto-Juárez Ricardo A. Torres-Palma A.M. Botero-Coy Félix Hernández Pharmaceuticals and environmental risk assessment in municipal wastewater treatment plants and rivers from Peru Environment International Pharmaceuticals Wastewater Surface water Risk assessment MWWTP removal efficiency |
| title | Pharmaceuticals and environmental risk assessment in municipal wastewater treatment plants and rivers from Peru |
| title_full | Pharmaceuticals and environmental risk assessment in municipal wastewater treatment plants and rivers from Peru |
| title_fullStr | Pharmaceuticals and environmental risk assessment in municipal wastewater treatment plants and rivers from Peru |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pharmaceuticals and environmental risk assessment in municipal wastewater treatment plants and rivers from Peru |
| title_short | Pharmaceuticals and environmental risk assessment in municipal wastewater treatment plants and rivers from Peru |
| title_sort | pharmaceuticals and environmental risk assessment in municipal wastewater treatment plants and rivers from peru |
| topic | Pharmaceuticals Wastewater Surface water Risk assessment MWWTP removal efficiency |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021002993 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jessicainietojuarez pharmaceuticalsandenvironmentalriskassessmentinmunicipalwastewatertreatmentplantsandriversfromperu AT ricardoatorrespalma pharmaceuticalsandenvironmentalriskassessmentinmunicipalwastewatertreatmentplantsandriversfromperu AT amboterocoy pharmaceuticalsandenvironmentalriskassessmentinmunicipalwastewatertreatmentplantsandriversfromperu AT felixhernandez pharmaceuticalsandenvironmentalriskassessmentinmunicipalwastewatertreatmentplantsandriversfromperu |