Pharmaceutical and personal care product residues in indian sewage: A review on its detection, monitoring and treatment strategies

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are diverse groups of compounds, such as antibiotics, antimicrobials, and synthetic musk. They have raised significant concerns due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, toxicity, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and potential for endocrine disruption. In densely populated nations like India, the release of both treated and untreated effluents, combined with the reuse of treated water from sewage treatment plants (STPs), represents a major source of PPCPs entering the environment. This review summarises the current findings from studies monitoring PPCPs in Indian STPs and categorizes their types, their effects, sources, detection methods, existing regulatory framework, and possible treatment technologies that can be employed for the treatment of these types of recalcitrant pollutants. This detailed review further highlights the urgent need for targeted research on the environmental behavior and transformation products of PPCPs, the emergence and spread of AMR, the development of robust regulatory frameworks and standards, and the advancement of control technologies to effectively mitigate the risks posed by these contaminants.