Table 4.
Concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds in hospital wastewater treatment plants in Saudi Arabia (ng/L)a
| Class | Compound | LOQb | HWWTP1 | HWWTP1 | HWWTP2 | HWWTP2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inf. | Eff. | Inf. | Eff. | |||
| Analgesics | Paracetamol | 0.5 | 12400 ± 340 | 73 ± 11 | 12300 ± 180 | 157 ± 20 |
| Antidepressants | Carbamazepine | 0.25 | 151 ± 13 | 41 ± 1 | 73 ± 14 | n/d |
| β-blockers | Atenolol | 5.0 | 730 ± 82 | 46 ± 2 | 329 ± 28 | 55 ± 4 |
| Lipid regulators | Bezafibrate | 0.1 | n/d | n/d | n/d | n/d |
| Anesthetics | Lidocaine | 1.0 | 158 ± 12 | 114 ± 4 | 129 ± 6 | <LOQ |
| Antibiotics | Ciprofloxacin | 2.5 | 5600 ± 660 | n/d | 2180 ± 250 | n/d |
| Clarithromycin | 0.5 | 83 ± 72 | 22 ± 9 | 38 | n/d | |
| Sulfamethoxazole | 1.0 | 30 ± 7 | n/d | 132 ± 5 | n/d | |
| Erythromycin | 0.5 | n/d | n/d | n/d | n/d | |
| Metabolite of sulfamethoxazole | NACS | 5.0 | 1200 ± 55 | 59 ± 14 | 506 ± 21 | n/d |
| Cytostatic | Cyclophosphamide | 1.0 | n/d | n/d | n/d | n/d |
| Others | Caffeine | 2.5 | 74,800 ± 15,500,502 | n/d | 27,500 ± 2000 | n/d |
n/d not detected
aEach sample was analyzed in triplicate. Results are reported as mean ± standard deviation (n = 3)
bLimit of quantitation (substances detected but not quantifiable); n/d = not detected