Anti-inflammatory drugs in WWTP influents and effluent and the occurrence in the aquatic environment

IVL has performed a follow-up study on anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs on commission from the Swedish EPA. In the first project was sewage water and sludge investigated. This investigation was focused on the occurrence of these drugs in surface water, sediment and fish in a watercourse influenced by the local WWTP. For this purpose was an analytical method developed capable to concentrate, separate and detect free and conjugated anti-inflammatory drugs. Eight pharmaceutical drugs were analysed: paracetamol, acetyl salicylic acid, salicylic acid, ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, diclofenac and two metabolites of ibuprofen. Conjugated anti-inflammatory drugs were detected at low concentrations (< 1 % of total) in influent and effluent. In the water and sediment samples were all the analysed drugs detected but at somewhat different pattern than in the sewage water. The anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol were not detected in fish collected in the vicinity of the WWTP discharge point.