ADSORPTION OF PHARMACEUTICALS FROM WATER

A large amount of pharmacologically active substances are used yearly to treat human and animal illnesses, in farming and aquaculture. These substances can be excreted unmetabolized or as active metabolites; they can escape degradation in sewage treatment plants and can be detected in sewage, surface, ground, and drinking waters. Improper disposal of expired medications also contributes to this contamination. Atenolol (β-blocker) and hydrochlorothiazide (diuretic) have been detected in several sampling sites along rivers Po and Lambro: these two drugs are poorly metabolized in humans, and are therefore mainly excreted as parent compounds (90-95%). Many drugs don’t exhibit an acute toxicity but have a significant cumulative effect on the metabolism of non-target organisms and ecosystem as a whole, showing specific pharmacological and physiological functions. Since the knowledge of the mechanisms governing zeolite/pharmaceuticals interaction can be helpful for the potential use of these minerals in wastewater remediation, structural and thermogravimetric measurements are carried out to investigate the role of the zeolite structure on the drug retention. The results demonstrate that FAU and Beta zeolites show fast adsorption kinetics and good removal properties for the studied drugs