Occurence and fate of pharmaceutical substances in urban wastewater, a litterature mini-review
For several years, the occurrence of pharmaceutical substances in the aquatic environment, and even in drinking water, has been a source of concern. The main sources of dispersion of these substances are wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). An analysis of the available literature on this topic is proposed. Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol and cytostatic drugs as well as beta-blockers are the substances that can be found in the highest concentrations in plant influents. In spite of elimination yields that can be very high, their concentrations in plant effluents can remain non-negligible. Antibiotics are one of the most important drug classes, due to their large consumption, their prevalence in aquatic systems and their specific action on bacteria, especially on those used in urban wastewater treatment biosystems. Globally, antibiotic concentrations in urban wastewater are normally low but they can be high in hospital wastewater. Elimination yields are very variable, ranging from a low of 0% for nitrothiazole to 95% for tetracycline.