Occurrence of antimicrobials in the final effluents of wastewater treatment plants in Canada

To investigate the occurrence of antimicrobials in the final effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Canada, analytical methods were developed or modified from previously described methods using solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Thirty-one antimicrobials from the macrolide, quinolone, quinoxaline dioxide, sulfonamide, and tetracycline classes were investigated in the final (treated) effluents from eight WWTPs, located in five Canadian cities. Ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, erythromycin-H2O, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, sulfapyridine, and tetracycline were frequently detected in the effluents. The detection of sulfapyridine in effluents is the first report of this compound in environmental samples. Antimicrobials used exclusively for veterinary applications or treatment of livestock, such as carbadox, olaquindox, and chlortetracycline were not detected in the WWTP final effluents. There appear to be differences in the relative concentrations of antimicrobials detected in WWTP final effluents in Canada relative to concentrations reported previously in northern Europe, particularly for quinolone and sulfonamide compounds. These data may reflect differences in prescription patterns in Canada and northern Europe. The antimicrobials frequently detected in WWTP effluents appear to be those prescribed heavily in Canada for medical applications, and these compounds should be considered priority compounds for monitoring in surface water near WWTP discharges. The concentrations of antimicrobials detected in WWTP final effluents did not exceed 1 mug/L; levels that are unlikely to affect the growth and survival of aquatic organisms.