Occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) at a northern wastewater treatment facility

• Main Author: Yacura, Devon J
• Other Authors: Katie Aitken (Renewable Resources), Fiona Schmiegelow (Renewable Resources), Lee Foote (Renewable Resources)
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Alberta. Department of Renewable Resources. 2017
• Subjects: envir; socio; Canada; Livingstone; Yukon; Whitehorse
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10402/era.43739

Specialization: Conservation Biology Degree: Master of Science Abstract: The occurrence of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) is an emerging environmental issue. Among other concerns, aquatic invertebrates sampled from WWTP have measurable concentrations of PPCPs, which have been found to cause adverse effects in the growth and development of birds when consumed. The Livingstone Trail Environmental Control Facility (LTECF) is the municipal wastewater treatment facility for the City of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada (lat. 60o43’N, long. 135o03’W). The LTECF is a constructed wetland that hosts a high diversity and abundance of waterfowl, which may be attracted to the facility due to the abundance of aquatic invertebrates. Risk of PPCP accumulation in waterfowl feeding at the LTECF is a concern because the facility may be acting as an ecological trap. This research was the first of its kind at the LTECF and represents a first step in understanding the potential risk to waterfowl feeding at the LTECF. The main objectives of the study were to 1) quantify the occurrence of PPCPs in water, sludge, aquatic invertebrates, and algae, and 2) quantify the removal efficiency, seasonal variation, and bioaccumulation of PPCPs at the LTECF. Water, sludge, aquatic invertebrates, and algae were sampled from the primary, secondary and tertiary stages of treatment in the spring, summer and fall in 2013 and 2014. The PPCPs with the highest concentrations in water were: acetaminophen (150 µg/L), caffeine (100 µg/L) and ibuprofen (10 µg/L), consistent with other studies of WWTP. The PPCPs with the highest concentrations in sludge, aquatic invertebrates and algae were two antimicrobials, triclosan (93,000 ng/g, 36 ng/g, and 210 ng/g, respectively) and triclocarban (31,000 ng/g; 29 µg/g; 47 ng/g, respectively), also consistent with other WWTP studies. Estrogens and synthetic musks were among the PPCPs with the lowest concentrations in all media. Generally, PPCP removal ...