Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in Canadian municipal wastewater and biosolids: occurrence, fate, and time trends 2010-2013 to 2022.

Summary

Across Canadian WWTPs, 135 PPCPs were profiled in influent, effluent, and biosolids, revealing compound-specific partitioning (hydrophobicity-driven sorption to solids) and higher removal with biological treatment. Temporal comparisons (2010–2013 vs 2022) showed shifts linked to risk management actions, new drug introductions, and the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the need for ongoing monitoring.

Key Findings

• Dominant influent/effluent PPCPs included metformin, analgesics/anti-inflammatories, caffeine-related compounds, DEET, and iopamidol
• Dominant biosolid PPCPs included fluoroquinolones, doxycycline, antidepressants (sertraline, citalopram, amitriptyline), triclosan, diphenhydramine, and clotrimazole
• Biological treatment generally achieved higher PPCP removal than primary physical/chemical processes; time trends reflected policy actions, new drugs, and pandemic-related shifts

Clinical Implications

Data can guide clinicians and pharmacists in product stewardship (e.g., counseling on disposal), and inform public health strategies to reduce community exposure to PPCPs that persist through treatment.

Limitations

• Number and geographic distribution of WWTPs and sampling frequency are not detailed in the abstract
• Human exposure and health outcomes are inferred rather than directly measured

Future Directions

Link environmental levels to human biomonitoring data, evaluate advanced treatment options (e.g., ozonation, activated carbon), and update risk thresholds for high-persistence PPCPs.