Urban wastewater treatment plants as a potential source of ketamine and methamphetamine emissions to air
Journal
Water Research
Journal Volume
172
Date Issued
2020
Author(s)
Abstract
Urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can be an emission source of aerosol particles to the air and this process has the potential to spread emerging pollutants into the air, where the particles can be widely transported over long distances to areas where this pollution is unexpected. This study demonstrates aeration tanks in WWTPs as a potential source of ketamine, methamphetamine and other emerging contaminant emissions into the air. Ketamine and methamphetamine are frequently detected in high concentrations (maximum of 151.8–162.8 pg/m3) in gaseous and aerosol samples along with 24 other emerging contaminants. Through correlation analysis, the common occurrence of emerging contaminants in air is attributable to their high aqueous concentrations as well as their physicochemical properties. Two simple regression models are developed to provide a practical and convenient way to estimate the steady-state concentrations in air. The gas-phase emission model illustrates the relationship between the solubility, the pKa and the aqueous concentration of compounds in the aeration basin and their gaseous concentrations in air (statistical strength of 74.1%; p value < 0.05), while the partition model establishes the ratio of a compound in the gas and particulate phases in air (statistical strength of 82.6%; p value < 0.05). The results provide a basis for assessing the risk of the inhalation exposure to airborne emerging contaminants; however, in-depth research addressing the impact of aerosols containing persistent pharmaceuticals on human health is still needed. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Subjects
Aeration basin; Emission model; Ketamine; Methamphetamine; Partition model
Other Subjects
Aerosols; Amines; Contamination; Health risks; Physicochemical properties; Regression analysis; Risk assessment; Sewage pumping plants; Wastewater treatment; Water treatment plants; Aeration basins; Emission model; Ketamine; Methamphetamine; Partition model; Air pollution; ketamine; methamphetamine; aeration; aerosol; pollution; wastewater; wastewater treatment; wastewater treatment plant; aeration; aerosol; air pollution; Article; concentration (parameter); gas; human; physical chemistry; priority journal; solubility; urban area; waste water treatment plant; air pollutant; environmental monitoring; waste water; Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Ketamine; Methamphetamine; Waste Water
Type
journal article