FATE OF PHARMACEUTICALS

DURING
GROUND WATER RECHARGE
by Jörg E. Drewes, Thomas Heberer, Tanja Rauch, and
Kirsten Reddersen
Introdution
■ Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have recently
been detected in the aquatic environment. Many studies have
identified domestic waste water discharge as the source for
detectable concentrations of PPCPs in surface water.
Materials and Methods

Pharmaceutical compounds were

selected for this study based on their
production, per capita consumption,
and occurrence in domestic effluents
and surface water in the United
States and Middle Europe. Target
compounds of this study are listed in
Table 2.
Site Characteristics
Treatment at Site 1 consists of activated sludge treatment, including
nitrification/denitrification followed by disinfection and tertiary filtration.
Since 1990, tertiary treated waste water has been applied to four
surface spreading basins for ground water recharge.
At Site 2 waste water is treated by
biofilters (trickling filter with no
nitrification) followed by secondary
clarification and disinfection.
Secondary treated waste water is
fed to eight surface spreading
basins, which are operated in
cycles that consist of wet and dry
periods.
Conclusions
Most of drugs are commonly found in waste and surface water
were also present in the investigated secondary and tertiary
treated effluents of water treatment facilities. Concentrations
of anti-inflammatory drugs were two to three orders of
magnitude higher in the secondary treated effluent (not
nitrified) as compared to the tertiary fully denitrified effluent.
Ground water recharge operation was proven to efficiently
remove caffeine and lipid-regulating drugs. Antiepileptic drugs
persisted in ground water recharged during both anoxic and
aerobic conditions; no clear indication was found pointing to
removal during travel times of more than eight years.