Identification and Quantification of Emerging Contaminants in Pharmaceuticals Wastewater

Abstract

Pharmaceutical wastewater is a major source of emerging contaminants (ECs), which include pharmaceutical residues, personal care products, endocrine-disrupting compounds, and other biologically active substances that are not completely removed by conventional wastewater treatment processes. The continuous discharge of these contaminants into aquatic environments poses significant risks to ecosystems and human health due to their persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and biological activity. This study focused on the identification and quantification of emerging contaminants present in pharmaceutical wastewater collected from a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility. Wastewater samples were collected and subjected to physicochemical characterization prior to contaminant analysis. The identification and quantification of target contaminants were carried out using advanced analytical techniques, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and ICP-OES for Organic and Inorganic emerging contaminants respectively. Common pharmaceutical compounds detected included analgesics, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-malaria drugs and other active pharmaceutical ingredients. The concentrations of these contaminants varied depending on the nature of the manufacturing processes and wastewater characteristics. The physicochemical results revealed a pH of 2.73, turbidity of 11.95 NTU, dissolved oxygen (DO) of 6.80 mg/L, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of 14.24 mg/L, chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 12.41 mg/L, total dissolved solids (TDS) of 1,200 mg/L, chloride (Cl⁻) of 882.28 mg/L, and sulphate (SO 4 2 ⁻) of 37.14 mg/L. The inorganic contaminants detected include arsenic (As) at 0.011 mg/L, cadmium (Cd) at 0.001 mg/L, mercury (Hg) at 0.007 mg/L, and lead (Pb) at 0.007 mg/L. and organic emerging contaminants are paracetamol (4.390), dichlofenac (6.131), tetracycline (0.698), and ampiclux (0.389). While some contaminants exceeded recommended environmental thresholds, highlighting the inadequacy of conventional treatment systems in completely removing these pollutants. The study provides essential baseline data on the occurrence and levels of emerging contaminants in pharmaceutical wastewater and underscores the need for effective treatment technologies to prevent environmental contamination. The results also support the development of sustainable remediation strategies, including the application of nanoparticle-based adsorption systems for the efficient removal of pharmaceutical pollutants from wastewater.