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2005 Progress Report: Pharmaceuticals and Antiseptics: Occurrence and Fate in Drinking Water, Sewage Treatment Facilities, and Coastal Waters
EPA Grant Number: R829004Title: Pharmaceuticals and Antiseptics: Occurrence and Fate in Drinking Water, Sewage Treatment Facilities, and Coastal Waters
Investigators: Roberts, A. Lynn , Bouwer, Edward J.
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Project Period: September 1, 2001 through August 31, 2004 (Extended to August 9, 2006)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2004 through August 31, 2005
Project Amount: $524,890
RFA: Drinking Water (2000)
Research Category: Drinking Water , Water Quality
Description:
Objective:Prior to initiating this research, there was a paucity of information concerning the occurrence, (eco)toxic risk, and fate of pharmaceuticals and antiseptics in U.S environmental systems. This research project is designed to redress critical aspects of this deficiency by providing an assessment of the prevalence of important pharmaceuticals and antiseptics in drinking water, sewage treatment plant (STP) influent and effluent, and receiving waters. The specific objectives of this research project are to: (1) compile data on pharmaceutical usage, probable environmental concentrations and associated risk, and selected target compounds based on resulting calculations of potential environmental concentrations and, where possible, environmental risk; (2) refine analytical methods for quantification of pharmaceuticals and antiseptics in sewage and drinking water samples using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) techniques that can be readily adopted by others; (3) analyze concentrations of target pharmaceuticals and antiseptics in raw and finished drinking water samples from public utilities to relate removal efficiency with the treatment process employed; (4) examine the adequacy of current wastewater treatment practices for reducing pharmaceutical and antiseptic emissions by analyzing influent and effluent samples; (5) examine the biodegradability of select pharmaceuticals and antiseptics in simulated wastewater treatment systems and in real wastewater to examine the influence of interactions with co-contaminants on biodegradability at the low levels encountered in the environment; and (6) conduct field studies to determine vertical and longitudinal distributions of target pharmaceuticals and antiseptics in the upper Chesapeake Bay to seek evidence of rapid natural attenuation.
Progress Summary:This report summarizes work conducted during the first year of a 2-year no-cost extension. This year has been devoted to investigations of the occurrence and removal of pharmaceuticals and antiseptics in wastewater treatment systems (Objective 4) and to the study of the biodegradability of selected pharmaceuticals and antiseptics (Objective 5) in the presence of varying electron acceptors. Additional effort has focused on applying the environmental risk assessment methodology (developed in Objective 1) to evaluate current regulatory approaches and refining the analytical methods to incorporate a total of 52 target analytes (Objective 2). Initial studies concerning the application of the analytical method in assessing pharmaceutical and antiseptic contamination and removal in drinking water treatment systems (Objective 3) and in coastal environments (Objective 6) were conducted.
Accomplishments
Probable Environmental Concentrations (PECs) for the “Top 200” pharmaceuticals currently used in the United States have been calculated (Objective 1). Wherever possible, PECs were compared to probable no-effect concentrations (PNECs) calculated from published sources. We also summarized information concerning the ecotoxicity of important pharmaceuticals. The results should prove useful in focusing attention on the existing pharmaceuticals most likely to be found at environmentally significant concentrations and that could pose (eco)toxic risks.
Analytical methods have been developed to quantify 52 pharmaceuticals and antiseptics in natural waters (Objective 2). Selection of target compounds was based in part on calculations of potential environmental concentrations (Objective 1). Persistence and environmental risk associated with these compounds (inferred from existing literature) also was taken into account. The procedures we have developed provide improved detection limits (as much as three orders of magnitude below those reported by others). We have attained the extremely high sensitivity needed for analyzing trace concentrations in drinking water, while relying on bench top GC/MS techniques, which require modest instrument costs. The procedure we have developed can be used by many other researchers with access to GC/MS instruments. This should help catalyze future studies of pharmaceuticals as environmental contaminants by other research groups.
Occurrence and removal studies have been conducted on four STPs (Objective 4). Of 52 target analytes, 38 were detected in the influents; concentration and removal of pharmaceuticals and antiseptics varied from site to site.
Anaerobic biodegradation experiments (nitrate and Fe(III) respiration) were conducted on selected compounds (Objective 5). Overall, iron-reducing conditions seemed to be least favorable for biodegradation of the pharmaceuticals, whereas all the tested antiseptics were biotransformed under the two anaerobic conditions.
A unique approach has been developed for identifying locations for conducting investigations of drinking water contamination by municipal wastewater discharges (Objective 3).
Future Activities:The following future activities are planned for the coming year:
- Concentrations of target analytes will be determined in raw and finished drinking water samples obtained from public utilities across the United States (Objective 3). Removal efficiencies will be related to treatment processes employed.
- A detailed occurrence study and mass balance will be conducted around the major unit processes (e.g., primary sedimentation, biotreatment, final clarification, and disinfection) in a selected STP to gain additional information on the removal mechanisms of STPs.
- To investigate natural attenuation of pharmaceuticals and antiseptics in coastal waters (Objective 6), analyses will be conducted of samples obtained from the upper Chesapeake Bay. Analytes will include constituents that are partially attenuated in STPs as well as those that appear recalcitrant. Effort will be made to include analytes detected in STP effluent at or near PNEC values. The very low detection limits of the analytical methods we have developed should provide the good spatial resolution necessary for interpreting differences in contaminant distributions and assessing dilution from such freshwater sources.
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 22 publications for this project
Supplemental Keywords:environmental engineering, environmental chemistry, pharmaceuticals, drinking water, antiseptics, sewage treatment facilities, coastal water, emissions,
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Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Water, Scientific Discipline, Waste, RFA, Wastewater, Drinking Water, Analytical Chemistry, Ecological Risk Assessment, Environmental Engineering, Fate & Transport, Environmental Chemistry, Groundwater remediation, Monitoring/Modeling, Environmental Monitoring, drinking water contaminants, treatment, exposure and effects, fate and transport, groundwater monitoring, analytical methods, groundwater, monitoring, surface water, personal care products, effluents, other - risk assessment, wastewater treatment plants, anticeptics, exposure, pharmaceuticals, water treatment, chemical contaminants
Progress and Final Reports:
2002 Progress Report
2003 Progress Report
2004 Progress Report
Original Abstract
Final Report