Table 1.
Comparison of removal efficiencies of pharmaceutical compounds in various wastewater treatment processes for hospital wastewater (HWWTP) and municipal wastewater (MWWTP)
| Compound | Treatment plant type | Removal (%) | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paracetamol | HWWTP AS + disinfection (GR) | 75 | Kosma et al. (2010) |
| MWWTP AS + sand filter (GR) | 95.6 | Kosma et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + trickling filter (UK) | 94 | Kasprzyk-Hordern et al. (2009) | |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) AS (UK) | >99 | Kasprzyk-Hordern et al. (2009) | |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (CH) | >99 | Kovalova et al. (2012) | |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (ceramic UF) (DK) | >99 | Nielsen et al. (2013) | |
| Carbamazepine | HWWTP AS + disinfection (GR) | 30 | Kosma et al. (2010) |
| MWWTP AS + sand filter (GR) | NR | Kosma et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) AS (ES) | NR | Radjenović et al. (2009) | |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) MBRc (pilot scale) (ES) | NR | Radjenović et al. (2009) | |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) MBRd (pilot scale) (ES) | NR | Radjenović et al. (2009) | |
| HWWTP MBBR (pilot scale) (DK) | 10 | Escola Casas et al. (2015) | |
| MWWTP AS + trickling filter (UK) | NR | Kasprzyk-Hordern et al. (2009) | |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) AS (UK) | 13 | Kasprzyk-Hordern et al. (2009) | |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (CH) | −6 ± 12 | Kovalova et al. (2012) | |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (ceramic UF) (DK) | 1 | Nielsen et al. (2013) | |
| MWWTP MBR (hollow fiber membrane) | 28 | Kim et al. (2014) | |
| Atenolol | MWWTP (+ industrial) AS (ES) | 61.2 ± 18.6 | Radjenović et al. (2009) |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) MBRc (pilot scale) (ES) | 76.7 ± 12.6 | Radjenović et al. (2009) | |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) MBRd (pilot scale) (ES) | 69.5 ± 12.5 | Radjenović et al. (2009) | |
| HWWTP MBBR (pilot scale) (DK) | 40 | Escola Casas et al. (2015) | |
| MWWTP AS + trickling filter (UK) | 78 | Kasprzyk-Hordern et al. (2009) | |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) AS (UK) | 85 | Kasprzyk-Hordern et al. (2009) | |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (CH) | 99 ± 1 | Kovalova et al. (2012) | |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (ceramic UF) (DK) | 70 | Nielsen et al. (2013) | |
| MWWTP MBR (hollow fiber membrane) (CAN) | 77 | Kim et al. (2014) | |
| Bezafibrate | MWWTP (+ industrial) AS (ES) | 80.8 ± 20.9 | Radjenović et al. (2009) |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) MBRc (pilot scale) (ES) | 90.3 ± 10.1 | Radjenović et al. (2009) | |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) MBRd (pilot scale) (ES) | 88.2 ± 15.3 | Radjenović et al. (2009) | |
| MWWTP AS + trickling filter (UK) | 45 | Kasprzyk-Hordern et al. (2009) | |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) AS (UK) | 71 | Kasprzyk-Hordern et al. (2009) | |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (CH) | >91 | Kovalova et al. (2012) | |
| Lidocaine | HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (CH) | 56 ± 13 | Kovalova et al. (2012) |
| Ciprofloxacin | HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (CH) | 51 ± 13 | Kovalova et al. (2012) |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (ceramic UF) (DK) | 36 | Nielsen et al. (2013) | |
| MWWTP MBR (hollow fiber membrane) (CAN) | 89 | Kim et al. (2014) | |
| Clarithromycin | HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (CH) | 50 ± 12 | Kovalova et al. (2012) |
| MWWTP AS + UV (TW) | NR | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + chlorination (TW) | NR | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + chlorination (TW) | 10 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + sand filer (TW) | NR | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP trickling filter + chlorination (TW) | 99 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + chlorination (TW) | NR | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (ceramic UF) (DK) | 64 | Nielsen et al. (2013) | |
| MWWTP MBR (hollow fiber membrane) (CAN) | NR | Kim et al. (2014) | |
| Sulfamethoxazole | MWWTP (+ industrial) AS (ES) | 73.8 ± 12.7 | Radjenović et al. (2009) |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) MBRc (pilot scale) (ES) | 80.8 ± 12.2 | Radjenović et al. (2009) | |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) MBRd (pilot scale) (ES) | 78.3 ± 13.9 | Radjenović et al. (2009) | |
| HWWTP MBBR (pilot scale) (DK) | NR | Escola Casas et al. (2015) | |
| MWWTP AS + trickling filter (UK) | 66 | Kasprzyk-Hordern et al. (2009) | |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) AS (UK) | 83 | Kasprzyk-Hordern et al. (2009) | |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (CH) | 7 ± 57 | Kovalova et al. (2012) | |
| MWWTP AS + UV (TW) | 42 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + chlorination (TW) | 20 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + chlorination (TW) | 59 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + sand filter (TW) | 88 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP trickling filter + chlorination (TW) | 45 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + chlorination (TW) | 26 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (ceramic UF) (DK) | 97 | Nielsen et al. (2013) | |
| MWWTP MBR (hollow fiber membrane) (CAN) | 66 | Kim et al. (2014) | |
| Erythromycin | MWWTP (+ industrial) AS (ES) | 35.4 ± 50.5 | Radjenović et al. (2009) |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) MBRc (pilot scale) (ES) | 43.0 ± 51.5 | Radjenović et al. (2009) | |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) MBRd (pilot scale) (ES) | 25.2 ± 108.9 | Radjenović et al. (2009) | |
| HWWTP MBBR (pilot scale) (DK) | <20 | Escola Casas et al. (2015) | |
| MWWTP AS + trickling filter (UKa) | 14 | Kasprzyk-Hordern et al. (2009) | |
| MWWTP (+ industrial) AS (UKa) | 72 | Kasprzyk-Hordern et al. (2009) | |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (CHb) | <60 | Kovalova et al. (2012) | |
| MWWTP AS + UV (TWa) | NR | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + chlorination (TWa) | NR | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + chlorination (TWa) | 77 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + sand filter (TWa) | NR | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP trickling filter + chlorination (TWa) | 56 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + chlorination (TWa) | NR | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (ceramic UF) (DK) | 37 | Nielsen et al. (2013) | |
| MWWTP MBR (hollow fiber membrane) (CANa) | 12 | Kim et al. (2014) | |
| Cyclophosphamide | HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (CH) | <20 | Kovalova et al. (2012) |
| HWWTP MBR (pilot scale) (ceramic UF) (DK) | 12 | Nielsen et al. (2013) | |
| Caffeine | HWWTP AS + disinfection (GR) | 75 | Kosma et al. (2010) |
| MWWTP AS + sand filter (GR) | 89 | Kosma et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + UV (TW) | 99 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + chlorination (TW) | >99 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + chlorination (TW) | 97 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + sand filter (TW) | 99 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP trickling filter + chlorination (TW) | 96 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP AS + chlorination (TW) | >99 | Lin et al. (2010) | |
| MWWTP MBR (hollow fiber membrane) (CAN) | 100 | Kim et al. (2014) |
AS activated sludge, MBR membrane bioreactor, MBBR moving bed biofilm reactor, UF ultrafiltration, NR no removal, CAN Canada, CH Switzerland, DK Denmark, ES Spain, GR Greece, TW Taiwan, UK United Kingdom
aErythromycin·H2O
bErythromycin + Eryt·H2O (30–100 %)
cFlat sheet microfiltration
dHollow fiber UF