Source characterization of nervous system active pharmaceutical ingredients in healthcare facility wastewaters

Abstract

Nervous system active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), including anti-depressants and opioids, are important clinically administered pharmaceuticals within healthcare facilities. This study provides source characterization data describing the composition and magnitude of nervous system APIs present in healthcare facility wastewaters. Concentrations and mass loadings of ten nervous system APIs and three nervous system API metabolites are reported for wastewaters from a hospital, nursing, assisted living, and independent living facility within a single municipality. Concentrations of nervous system APIs ranged from non-detectable levels for alprazolam in all four facility wastewaters to a high of 290 ng/L amitriptyline in nursing facility wastewater. The summed mean concentration of all thirteen analytes ranged from 402 ng/L in independent living facility wastewater to 624 ng/L in assisted living facility wastewater. Wastewater flow rates from each facility were combined with concentration data to estimate the daily mass loading of nervous system APIs leaving each facility through wastewater discharge to the municipal sewer system. The total mass loading of all thirteen analytes for the hospital, nursing, assisted living, and independent living facility was 228, 44, 29.5, and 28.1 mg/day, respectively. The total mass loading of nervous system APIs contributed to the municipality's wastewater from all four facilities was 330 mg/day.