1. University of Novi Sad, Faculty of technical sciences,
Department for environmental engineering and occupational safety
Impact of PPCPs on evolution of
wastewater treatment in developing
countries
Authors:
Maja Sremački, M.Sc.
Jovana Simić, M.Sc.
Milena Stošić, M.Sc.
Srđan Kovačević, M.Sc.
17. May 2012.
YWP Conference, Sofia, Bulgaria

2. Emerging substances of concern - ESOCs
• Micro pollutants
• Organic compounds
– Biocides…Bioterrorism agents
– Flame retardants,
– PPCPs … Drugs,
• Chronic doses
– mg/L (ppb)
– ng/L (ppt)
– Biological metabolites…

3. Characteristics of PPCPs
• PPCPs – large variety of characteristics and chemical forms
– small organic molecules,
– large polymers – high polymorphism potential,
– introduction into the environment after human metabolism,
– complex chemical structure,
– High ionization potential…
• Relevant processes regarding PPCPs in the environment
include
• sorption to soils and sediments,
• complexation with metals and organics,
• chemical oxidation, photolysis, volatilization, biodegradation...

4. Possible exposure routes of PPCPs into environment

5. PPCPs – chemicals used every day
• Dual nature of problem with PPCPs in water
• Ciprofloxacin
– can alter and be altered by the metabolism and effects of other drugs.
– fluoroquinolone class – antibiotics used for treatment of bacterial
infections.
– stops the multiplication of bacteria by inhibiting the reproduction and
repair of their DNA.
• Ibuprofen
– nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
– high global consumption rate
– rapidly excreted in various forms, which not only have high acute
toxicity, but are also suspected of endocrine disrupting activity in
human and wildlife
– CIPRO and IBN in the same body – high possibility of toxic
effect.

6. Metabolite boom!
Better the devil you know…

7. WWT process and potential impact of PPCPs
• Carefully considered and controllable process
– designed to take advantage and maximize a microorganism
ability to decompose OM.
• Low microorganism activity?
• Bacteria responsible for N/P sensitivity to PPCPs.
• The effect of pharmaceuticals on bacterial community
structure in AS process (Kraigher et al. 2008).
– Analyses of the bacterial rRNA genes indicated a minor but
consistent shift in bacterial community structure in a bioreactor
supplied with pharmaceuticals.

8. Elimination techniques
• Low cost
– Dilution
– Temperature
– SRT
– HRT
• High cost
– Viability
– T&E optimum
– O&M
– Development

9. Elimination rates
•
Paths of infiltration
β-blockers diverse results - <10 to 80%
• can be explained with a fact that studies followed only water
samples.
Elimination rate [%] Cipro CBZ
Excreted unchanged [%] 1-3 33
CAS (7days) 86
- 44
*Joss et al. ≤60*
Denitrifying (11 days) 79 - 193
Ditch oxidation (3 days) 96 - 32
• PPCPs could be removed from water due to sorption to
sludge and still remain a treat for environment.

10. Serbia
• 70 to 84% of state are rural municipalities – projected plan for
WWTP is small standard 2-step treatment plant.
Factor WDS SCS WWTP Total
Municipalities ~ 150 ~ 100 ~ 20 168
Households 2.101.767 1.359.385 ~300.000 2.497.187
Population ~ 6.000.000 ~ 4.500.000 ~ 700.000 7.120.666
• Increasing trend of consumption
• Studies (indirectly) have shown that PPCPs in wastewater are:
– detergents and sops,
– caffeine, ibuprofen, diclophenac
– fluoroquinolones,
– β-blockers and cytostatic drugs.

11. Planed activities…
• Activities
– Legislation overview and suggestions for modification.
– Research and development of detailed study for influence of
targeted and present PPCPs in
• Waste water
• Ground water
• Surface water
• Sampling sites
– Municipality of Novi Sad
– Municipality of Subotica

12. …and research
• Methods and parameters
– TSS, VSS, ON, IN, ammo-
niacal itrogen, TC, IC, TOC
– SPE, GC/MS
• Aim of research
– Targeted PPCPs and
metabolites, determina-
tion their possible impact
on WWT processes

13. Summary
• Analyses of predicted sites for WWTP.
• The PPCPs monitoring will be of great
importance in future.
• Removal technology for ESOCs may prove
essential for handling of today’s mixtures WW.
• These substances are unpredictable and it is
necessary to promptly address and
acknowledge their existence in water and WW
in order to maximize the treatment efficiency.

14. Presenter:
Maja Sremački
M.Sc. of environmental engineering and occupational
safety, PhD. student
Faculty of technical sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
E-mail: majasremacki@uns.ac.rs
Let us thinking ahead…
then, who knows?
Thank You for the attention…