Fate of selected pharmaceuticals and synthetic endocrine disrupting compounds during wastewater treatment and sludge anaerobic digestion

The concentrations of nine emerging contaminants, including pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) (ibuprofen, IBF; naproxen, NPX; diclofenac, DCF; ketoprofen, KFN) and endocrine disrupting chemicals (triclosan, TCS; bisphenol, BPA; nonylphenol, NP; nonylphenol monoethoxylate, NP1EO; nonylphenol diethoxylate, NP2EO), were determined in wastewater and sludge samples of two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Greece. Average concentrations in raw and treated wastewater ranged from 0.39 (KFN) to 12.52 μg L−1 (NP) and from 80%) during anaerobic digestion, whereas removal of EDCs was lower, ranging up to 55% for NP1EO.

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► The distribution of target compounds in wastewater samples was investigated.
► Micropollutants’ removal from wastewater ranged between 39% (DCF) and 100% (IBF).
► Sorption on sludge was significant mechanism for NPs and TCS removal from sewage.
► Biodegradation/biotransformation was the major mechanism for the other compounds.
► IBF and NPX were significantly removed (>80%) during sludge anaerobic digestion.