The removal of illicit drugs and metabolites during wastewater and drinking water treatment

Abstract

In recent years, the presence of illicit drugs and metabolites in the aquatic environment (wastewater, surface water, and drinking water) in relatively high concentrations (ng/L to μg/L range) was extensively investigated and described. However, only few papers gave attention to the behavior of these compounds during water treatment processes. This is an important aspect, since an inefficient removal of illicit drugs and metabolites could lead to their presence in surface water and drinking water. This eventually could lead to negative effects on different aspects of the aquatic environment. In this chapter, an overview of the current knowledge of the removal of illicit drugs and their metabolites during wastewater and drinking water treatment is given together with a critical discussion regarding future research needs in this field.