Removal of Human Pharmaceuticals from Municipal Wastewaters, a Comparison of Conventional Wastewater Treatment (N/P removal) with Aerobic Membrane Bioreactor

摘要

The presence of human Pharmaceuticals in treated wastewaters, natural and even in drinking water has recently been recognized as an emerging issue in Sweden. In order to prevent Pharmaceuticals to enter the aquatic environment a possibility to treat these at sewage treatment plants (STPs) is being under investigation. More than 60 compounds representing and different chemical classes of active components in the most sold medicines in Sweden (at least two from each ATC) were chosen for this study. Additionally several widely used drugs not requiring prescription were included in this study. Analytical methods based on solid phase extraction and HPLC-MS(MS) were developed and adjusted to particular municipal wastewaters in order to follow the low level concentration changes throughout the treatment process(es). Two types of real wastewaters, a purely domestic one and the other one from a large catchment area of combined sewers, were studied at a pilot plant equipped with two lines - L1 (1,2 m3/h, a copy of the conventional treatment used by the full scale STP) and L2 (1,2 m3/h, aerobic membrane bioreactor), run simultaneously.