View article

The presence of emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment and their potential effects on living organisms has become an issue of growing concern. Among emerging contaminants, pharmaceuticals may enter the aquatic environment due to their high consumption and their incomplete removal in conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The main goal of this study was the assessment of the removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals found in municipal wastewater of a coastal WWTP (Castell-Platja d’Aro, Spain) using an integrated pilot scale membrane system (MBR–RO). Twenty multiple-class pharmaceuticals (including psychiatric drugs, macrolide antibiotics, β-blockers, sulfonamide and fluoroquinolone antibiotics, histamine H₂ receptor antagonists, anti-inflammatories, nitroimidazole, β-agonist and antiplatelet agent) were measured in real influent with the lowest average concentration …