Determination of cytotoxicity following oxidative treatment of pharmaceutical residues in wastewater

• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135022
• Publication Date: 2022-05-23T21:51:06Z
• Authors: Martien H.F. Grau...; Hedwig van Hove; Tom Schirris; Wilfred F.L.M. Ho...; Maurice F.P. van ...; Rob B.M. Anzion; Frans G.M. Russel; Paul T.J. Scheepers
• Keywords: UV-C/hydrogen peroxide; Cytotoxicity assay; Cell viability; Plasma Gases; Thermal plasma activation; Wastewater; SDG 3 – Goede gezondheid en welzijn; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Water Purification; 12. Responsible consumption; All institutes and research themes of the Radboud University Medical Center; SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being; 11. Sustainability; Humans; HeLa cells; Sewage; Water; Hydrogen Peroxide; Radboudumc 11: Renal disorders RIMLS: Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences; 6. Clean water; 3. Good health; Oxidative Stress; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Oxidative stress; 13. Climate action; Radboudumc 6: Metabolic Disorders RIMLS: Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences; Pharmaceutical residues; Radboudumc 0: Other Research RIHS: Radboud Institute for Health Sciences; Water Pollutants, Chemical; HeLa Cells

Pharmaceutical residues are released in the aquatic environment due to incomplete removal from wastewater. With presence of multiple chemicals sewage waters, contaminants may adversely affect effectiveness a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In certain cases, discharged metabolites transformed back into their pristine structure and become bioactive again. Other compounds persistent can withstand conventional treatment. When WWTP effluents surface environment. To complement WWTPs circumvent unwanted or pharmaceuticals, on-site contribute removal. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) very powerful techniques for abatement however, under circumstances reactive toxic by-products be produced. We studied application AOPs laboratory setting. It is expected that at contamination source eliminate worst polluters. Thermal plasma UV/H2O2 were applied on simulation matrices, Milli-Q synthetic water spiked with 10 different pharmaceuticals range 0.1 up 2400 μg/L. addition, untreated end-of-pipe hospital effluent was also subjected oxidative The matrices activated 180 min added cultured HeLa cells. cells 24 h 48 exposed 37 °C subsequently markers stress viability measured. During periods no toxicity observed. After thermal activation (150 min) Direct caused elimination substances. low cytotoxicity treated pharmaceutical likely negligible if pre-treated further diluted other streams, before reaching WWTP. Our study suggests promising technologies remove substantial portion components by degradation source. Further studies will have performed verify feasibility upscaling this technology benchtop practice.