Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Pollutant Levels in Wastewater and the Waters of the Zarqa River, Jordan

Assamra wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is the largest treatment facility in Jordan. Treated wastewater is discharged into the Zarqa River (ZR) and used to irrigate fodder and vegetables. ZR also includes surface runoff, stormwater, and raw wastewater illegally discharged into the river. This stud...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Makoto Shigei, Almoayied Assayed, Ayat Hazaymeh, Sahar S. Dalahmeh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/18/8638
id doaj-742658e151da49b9a0538795f546cdca
record_format Article
spelling doaj-742658e151da49b9a0538795f546cdca2021-09-25T23:41:40ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172021-09-01118638863810.3390/app11188638Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Pollutant Levels in Wastewater and the Waters of the Zarqa River, JordanMakoto Shigei0Almoayied Assayed1Ayat Hazaymeh2Sahar S. Dalahmeh3Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, P.O. Box Villavägen 16, SE 753 38 Uppsala, SwedenRoyal Scientific Society, P.O. Box 1438, Amman 11941, JordanRoyal Scientific Society, P.O. Box 1438, Amman 11941, JordanDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, P.O. Box Villavägen 16, SE 753 38 Uppsala, SwedenAssamra wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is the largest treatment facility in Jordan. Treated wastewater is discharged into the Zarqa River (ZR) and used to irrigate fodder and vegetables. ZR also includes surface runoff, stormwater, and raw wastewater illegally discharged into the river. This study examined pharmaceutically active compounds (PhAC) in water resources in the ZR basin. Samples of WWTP influent and effluent and river water from four sites along ZR were collected. Concentrations of 18 target antibiotics, one stimulant, and 15 other PhACs were determined in the samples. Five antibiotics were detected in WWTP influent (510–860 ng L<sup>−1</sup> for ∑Antibiotics) and six in the effluent (2300–2600 ng L<sup>−1</sup> for ∑Antibiotics). Concentrations in the effluent of all antibiotics except clarithromycin increased by 2- to 5-fold compared with those in influent, while clarithromycin concentration decreased by around 4- fold (from 308 to 82 ng L<sup>−1</sup>). WWTP influent and effluent samples contained 14 non-antibiotic PhACs, one simulant, and six antibiotics at detectable concentrations. The dominant PhACs were paracetamol (74% of ∑PhACs) in the influent and carbamazepine (78% of ∑PhACs) in the effluent. At ZR sampling sites, carbamazepine was the dominant PhAC in all cases (800–2700 ng L<sup>−1</sup>). The antibiotics detected in WWTP effluent were also detected at the ZR sites. In summary, water in ZR is contaminated with PhACs, including antibiotics, and wastewater discharge seems to be the main pathway for this contamination. The occurrence of antibiotics and other PhACs in the irrigated soil requires investigation to assess their fate.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/18/8638Assamra WWTPcaffeinecarbamazepineirrigationofloxacinparacetamol
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Makoto Shigei
Almoayied Assayed
Ayat Hazaymeh
Sahar S. Dalahmeh
spellingShingle Makoto Shigei
Almoayied Assayed
Ayat Hazaymeh
Sahar S. Dalahmeh
Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Pollutant Levels in Wastewater and the Waters of the Zarqa River, Jordan
Applied Sciences
Assamra WWTP
caffeine
carbamazepine
irrigation
ofloxacin
paracetamol
author_facet Makoto Shigei
Almoayied Assayed
Ayat Hazaymeh
Sahar S. Dalahmeh
author_sort Makoto Shigei
title Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Pollutant Levels in Wastewater and the Waters of the Zarqa River, Jordan
title_short Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Pollutant Levels in Wastewater and the Waters of the Zarqa River, Jordan
title_full Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Pollutant Levels in Wastewater and the Waters of the Zarqa River, Jordan
title_fullStr Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Pollutant Levels in Wastewater and the Waters of the Zarqa River, Jordan
title_full_unstemmed Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Pollutant Levels in Wastewater and the Waters of the Zarqa River, Jordan
title_sort pharmaceutical and antibiotic pollutant levels in wastewater and the waters of the zarqa river, jordan
publisher MDPI AG
series Applied Sciences
issn 2076-3417
publishDate 2021-09-01
description Assamra wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is the largest treatment facility in Jordan. Treated wastewater is discharged into the Zarqa River (ZR) and used to irrigate fodder and vegetables. ZR also includes surface runoff, stormwater, and raw wastewater illegally discharged into the river. This study examined pharmaceutically active compounds (PhAC) in water resources in the ZR basin. Samples of WWTP influent and effluent and river water from four sites along ZR were collected. Concentrations of 18 target antibiotics, one stimulant, and 15 other PhACs were determined in the samples. Five antibiotics were detected in WWTP influent (510–860 ng L<sup>−1</sup> for ∑Antibiotics) and six in the effluent (2300–2600 ng L<sup>−1</sup> for ∑Antibiotics). Concentrations in the effluent of all antibiotics except clarithromycin increased by 2- to 5-fold compared with those in influent, while clarithromycin concentration decreased by around 4- fold (from 308 to 82 ng L<sup>−1</sup>). WWTP influent and effluent samples contained 14 non-antibiotic PhACs, one simulant, and six antibiotics at detectable concentrations. The dominant PhACs were paracetamol (74% of ∑PhACs) in the influent and carbamazepine (78% of ∑PhACs) in the effluent. At ZR sampling sites, carbamazepine was the dominant PhAC in all cases (800–2700 ng L<sup>−1</sup>). The antibiotics detected in WWTP effluent were also detected at the ZR sites. In summary, water in ZR is contaminated with PhACs, including antibiotics, and wastewater discharge seems to be the main pathway for this contamination. The occurrence of antibiotics and other PhACs in the irrigated soil requires investigation to assess their fate.
topic Assamra WWTP
caffeine
carbamazepine
irrigation
ofloxacin
paracetamol
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/18/8638
work_keys_str_mv AT makotoshigei pharmaceuticalandantibioticpollutantlevelsinwastewaterandthewatersofthezarqariverjordan
AT almoayiedassayed pharmaceuticalandantibioticpollutantlevelsinwastewaterandthewatersofthezarqariverjordan
AT ayathazaymeh pharmaceuticalandantibioticpollutantlevelsinwastewaterandthewatersofthezarqariverjordan
AT saharsdalahmeh pharmaceuticalandantibioticpollutantlevelsinwastewaterandthewatersofthezarqariverjordan
_version_ 1717368264750792704