Detection and removal of biologically active organic micropollutants from hospital wastewater

Luis Castillo Meza; Paulina Piotrowski; James Farnan; Travis L Tasker; Boya Xiong; Benedikt Weggler; Kyra Murrell; Frank L Dorman; John P Vanden Heuvel; William D Burgos

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134469

Detection and removal of biologically active organic micropollutants from hospital wastewater

Sci Total Environ. 2020 Jan 15:700:134469. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134469. Epub 2019 Oct 8.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 212 Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States. Electronic address: luis.castillo@upb.edu.co.
² Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, 104 Chemistry Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States.
³ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 212 Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States. Electronic address: jld40@psu.edu.
⁴ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 212 Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States. Electronic address: ttasker@francis.edu.
⁵ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 212 Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States. Electronic address: boyax@mit.edu.
⁶ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 107 Althouse Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, United States. Electronic address: buw99@psu.edu.
⁷ Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, 104 Chemistry Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States. Electronic address: kqm5599@psu.edu.
⁸ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 107 Althouse Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, United States. Electronic address: fld3@psu.edu.
⁹ Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, 115 Henning Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States; INDIGO Biosciences, Inc., 1981 Pine Hall Road, State College, PA 16801, United States. Electronic address: jpv2@psu.edu.
¹⁰ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 212 Sackett Building, University Park, PA 16802, United States. Electronic address: wdb3@psu.edu.

PMID: 31693961
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134469

Abstract

The presence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), such as antibiotics, antimicrobial disinfectants, nonprescription drugs, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and steroids, in water resources can impact aquatic and human health. A large portion of the CECs entering regional wastewater treatment plants originate from hospitals. The purposes of this study were to conduct exploratory analytical work to characterize two hospital wastewaters and to evaluate treatment of CECs at hospitals before dilution with domestic wastewater. A 24-h batch reaction with biogenic manganese oxides coated onto coir fiber was used to treat the wastewaters. Organic contaminants in the wastewaters were concentrated by both liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE). LLE extracts were analyzed by Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography/Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS) while SPE extracts were analyzedby UltraHigh Performance Liquid Chromatography/Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-TOFMS). Fifty-two organic micropollutants were detected (26 by GC × GC-TOFMS, 25 by UHPLC-TOFMS, 1 by both) in the wastewaters, while 29 were removed by >90% and six were degraded by <50% after treatment. Control experiments revealed that sorption to coir fiber and oxidation by manganese oxides were the primary contaminant removal mechanisms. Both the LLE and SPE extracts were used to evaluate potential human toxicity of the hospital wastewaters before and after treatment. Twenty-eight human cell-based bioreceptor assays were used to screen the wastewaters, and secondary tests were run to quantify toxicity equivalents to activated receptors. The wastewaters initially contained organic micropollutants that strongly activated the Androgen Receptor, Estrogen Receptor β, and the Mineralocorticoid Receptor but no bioactive compounds were detected after treatment. Point-of-entry treatment of hospital wastewater should reduce bioactive compounds from entering the environment.

Keywords: Contaminants of emerging concern; Hospitals; Manganese oxides; Pharmaceuticals; Toxicity.

MeSH terms

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Chromatography, Liquid
Environmental Monitoring*
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Hospitals
Liquid-Liquid Extraction
Solid Phase Extraction
Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*
Wastewater
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

Waste Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical