PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOUNDS: OCCURRENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND FATE IN DRINKING WATER TREATMENT

摘要

The limited quantity of unpolluted water as a resource for drinking water production is one of the majorchallenges in the future around the world. Shortly after the concern about endocrine disrupters hasarisen in the water community, pharmaceutical compounds have also recently become a question ofinterest and subject of study. Actually, bioactive ingredients of pharmaceuticals are excreted by theusers (animal or human) as partly metabolized. During wastewater treatment, these metabolites and theunaltered parent compounds will undergo further transformations. However, the literature shows thatmany such compounds are not biodegradable; they are discharged into the environment where theymay survive. In contrast to what happens with pesticides, they will be mostly released in highlypopulated areas, continuously rather than at definite seasons of the year. Therefore they represent apotential pollution in resources used for drinking water production. Because of the complexity andvariety of bioactive substances, existing data are still limited and much remains unknown about theirpotential toxic effect in the environment, their occurrence in resources, and their treatability in drinkingwater production. The widest literature to date deals with antibiotics, which are suspected to induce aresistance of the bacteria which would make them pathogenic for the humans.In order to investigate some of those questions, Ondeo Services has begun a European Project namedPOSEIDON (Assessment of Technologies for the Removal of Pharmaceuticals and Personal CareProducts in Sewage and Drinking Water Facilities to Improve the Indirect Potable Water Reuse), incollaboration with several universities around Europe. It is supported by the European Community,over 2001-2003.The major pharmaceuticals consumed in France have been identified and will be presented. Analyticalcampaigns have confirmed the presence of some of those compounds in wastewater treatment planteffluents and in the Seine River. Among them are iodinated contrast media, betablockers, acidcompounds such as ibuprofen or bezafibrate. Treatability data of some of those compounds will also bepresented.