Pharmaceuticals and radiopharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plants: insights from an Arabian Peninsula nation

The growing introduction of pharmaceutical compounds into waterways is a contemporary environmental issue in the Middle East and North Africa. This escalating problem necessitates a careful examination of the risks associated with the presence of pharmaceuticals in water sources. The present study analysed samples from eight wastewater treatment plants in an Arabian Peninsula nation. Sixty-nine percent of pharmaceuticals were partially or fully removed, while 31% showed higher effluent concentrations, indicating potential accumulation post-treatment. The highest detected pharmaceuticals were paracetamol (1300 ± 8 ng/L), metformin (1100 ± 70 ng/L) in effluent, and mefenamic acid (630 ± 3 ng/L), captopril (560 ± 11 ng/L), and amitriptyline (510 ± 1 ng/L) in influents. For radiopharmaceuticals, influent activity exceeded that in effluents, with Ga-67 being the most prominent (influent, 0.28 ± 0.07 Bq/L; effluent, 0.22 ± 0.02 Bq/L). Sludge samples showed higher radioactivity levels than wastewater samples, primarily from I-131 at 5 ± 2 Bq/kg. The data obtained from this study will enable the assessment of potential hazards posed by pharmaceutical mixtures in the receiving environment in a hitherto less studied region.

Graphical abstract