Illicit drugs in wastewater tratment plants: occurrence and behaviour

Gaspare Viviani; Carmelo Massimo Maida; Donatella Piscionieri; Francesca Di Gaudio; Alida Cosenza

doi:10.4408/IJEGE.2018-01.S-17

Illicit drugs in wastewater tratment plants: occurrence and behaviour

Authors

Gaspare Viviani Università degli studi di Palermo, Italy
Carmelo Massimo Maida Università degli studi di Palermo, Italy
Donatella Piscionieri Università degli studi di Palermo, Italy
Francesca Di Gaudio Università degli studi di Palermo, Italy
Alida Cosenza Università degli studi di Palermo, Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4408/IJEGE.2018-01.S-17

Keywords:

Drug behavior, water treatment, contaminants of emerging concern, illicit drugs

Abstract

The occurrence of illicit drugs and related metabolites in two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) (namely, WWTP-1 and WWTP-2) located in Sicily (island in the South of Italy) is here discussed. The following illicit drugs have been investigated: methamphetamine, cocaine (COC), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methadone (METH), 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP), 3,4-methylenedioxy amphetamine (MDA); 3,4-methylenedioxy ethylamphetamine (MDEA), 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) and Benzoylecgonine (BEG). BEG, COC, MOR and THC-COOH have the highest concentration for both WWTPs. Inside WWTP-1 negative removal efficiencies were sometimes obtained. For WWTP-2 found for BEG (77.85%), COC (92.34%), CODEINE (64.75%), MOR (90.16%) and THC-COOH (68.64%).

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Published

2018-11-30

How to Cite

Viviani, G., Maida, C. M., Piscionieri, D., Di Gaudio, F., & Cosenza, A. (2018). Illicit drugs in wastewater tratment plants: occurrence and behaviour. Italian Journal of Engineering Geology and Environment, 189–197. https://doi.org/10.4408/IJEGE.2018-01.S-17