Pharmaceuticals in settleable particulate material in urban and non-urban waters

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are important sources of settleable particulate material (SPM), heading to sediments with natural suspended solids. To date, there is little information about the fate of pharmaceuticals in sediment systems. In this study, the objective was to determine if pharmaceuticals are detected in SPM at locations near WWTPs or even in rural areas, thus being susceptible for sedimentation.SPM samples were collected from 10 sites in Finland, grouped as reference, rural and wastewater effluent sites. SPM collectors were placed about 35 cm above bottom for about 2 months during summer. After extraction, a set of 17 pharmaceuticals was analyzed.Several pharmaceuticals were detected in SPM accumulated at sites next to WWTPs. The concentration of citalopram was notably high (300–1350 ng g−1 dw). Also bisoprolol and ciprofloxacin were detected at high concentrations (6–325 and 9–390 ng g−1 dw, respectively). In contrast, none of the pharmaceuticals were detected from reference sites and only two were found from a single rural site.There is no previous information about the presence of pharmaceuticals in SPM. The results showed that pharmaceuticals are sorbed to particles in WWTP and nearby, eventually ending up in sediments. These results also indicate that pharmaceuticals are not markedly contaminating sediments of rural areas in Finland.

► A novel way to monitor pharmaceuticals by collecting settleable particulate material.
► Several pharmaceuticals were found from sites near wastewater treatment plants.
► Citalopram, bisoprolol and ciprofloxacin were detected at highest concentrations.
► Pharmaceuticals were not contaminating the reference or rural areas.
► Measuring only the dissolved fraction underestimates the load of pharmaceuticals.