Pharmaceuticals in groundwaters: a case study of the psychiatric hospital at Horni Berkovice, Czech Republic
Abstract
The majority of current wastewater treatment plants are unable to effectively eliminate micropollutants like pharmaceuticals. This specific type of pollution, which is currently not regulated in today's legislation, goes to a greater or lesser extent into surface streams and then into groundwaters.
The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in groundwater was addressed by only few studies till now and should be considered by new researches in different localities with different conditions. Monitoring of groundwater quality in the area of the psychiatric hospital at Horni BeA (TM) kovice showed that local groundwater contains a range of pharmaceuticals.
The geological environment is able to effectively eliminate many of them (e.g. estrogens) over a relatively short distance, but in the case of other pharmaceuticals the efficacy of elimination of groundwater pollution is significantly lower (e.g. diclofenac). The results of the project disclosed a series of related, yet unresolved issues and unanswered questions.
Development of ecological thresholds will enable determination of the danger of pharmaceuticals to the environment and human health from prolonged exposure to low doses of these drugs. The results achieved will have a significant economic impact because new limits of permissible concentrations of these compounds in water will lead to new demands for efficient technologies of wastewater treatment.