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Activated sludge systems removal efficiency of veterinary pharmaceuticals from slaughterhouse wastewater

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Abstract

The knowledge on the efficiency of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) from animal food production industry for the removal of both hormones and antibiotics of veterinary application is still very limited. These compounds have already been reported in different environmental compartments at levels that could have potential impacts on the ecosystems. This work aimed to evaluate the role of activated sludge in the removal of commonly used veterinary drugs, enrofloxacin (ENR), tetracycline (TET), and ceftiofur, from wastewater during a conventional treatment process. For that, a series of laboratory-controlled experiments using activated sludge were carried out in batch reactors. Sludge reactors with 100 μg/L initial drug charge presented removal rates of 68 % for ENR and 77 % for TET from the aqueous phase. Results indicated that sorption to sludge and to the wastewater organic matter was responsible for a significant percentage of drugs removal. Nevertheless, these removal rates still result in considerable concentrations in the aqueous phase that will pass through the WWTP to the receiving environment. Measuring only the dissolved fraction of pharmaceuticals in the WWTP effluents may underestimate the loading and risks to the aquatic environment.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financed by FEDER funds through Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade—COMPETE and by National funds through Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the project equipment (REEQ/304/QUI/2005), CIIMAR (PesT-C/MAR/LA0015/2011), and Pedro Carvalho’s PhD fellowship (SFRH/BD/44934/2008) co-financed by POPH/FSE. Acknowledgments are also due to Prof. Adriano Bordalo e Sá, head of the Hydrobiology Lab of ICBAS, for the microorganisms’ enumeration equipment and to Izabela Reis for the help in microorganisms’ enumeration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIMAR/CIIMAR and Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, R. Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal

    Pedro N. Carvalho & M. Clara P. Basto

  2. Centro de Química, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal

    António Pirra

  3. Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIMAR/CIIMAR), Universidade do Porto, R. dos Bragas 289, 4050-123, Porto, Portugal

    C. Marisa R. Almeida

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  1. Pedro N. Carvalho
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  2. António Pirra
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  3. M. Clara P. Basto
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  4. C. Marisa R. Almeida
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Correspondence to Pedro N. Carvalho.

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Responsible editor: Hongwen Sun

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Carvalho, P.N., Pirra, A., Basto, M.C.P. et al. Activated sludge systems removal efficiency of veterinary pharmaceuticals from slaughterhouse wastewater. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 8790–8800 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1867-7

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