9 Conclusions and Future Perspectives
The reuse of urban wastewater has opened up new possibilities for the use and
availability of water. Indeed, in order to reduce the human impact on the environment, wastewater can be used to irrigate agricultural fields in areas of the world
affected by drought or where availability is normally limited. Furthermore, the reuse
of wastewater certainly has a positive impact on the soil as a mean for the development of plants and on the farmers themselves because of the economic advantage
they could obtain by using wastewater as a fertilizer and a source of water for crops.
However, it is known that wastewater treatment plants are unable to remove small
organic compounds such as PhACs, which remain in the soil and can subsequently
enter the plant system where they are absorbed by the roots. Once inside these plants,
these compounds can be consumed by grazing animals or even by humans or remain
in the environment. For this reason, the study of these compounds in soil and plants
is at the center of interest of many scientists.
Determining the presence and concentration of contaminants in soil and plant
tissues requires significant effort. Hence, from the research papers reviewed, it is
clear that several successful analytical methods have been developed in the last
decade to extract, detect, and quantify most of the pharmaceutical products commonly used in various matrices such as vegetable and soil. However, in most cases,
these methods are time-consuming, are expensive, and require the use of specialized
reagents and personnel. Various research teams have made significant efforts to
overcome the obstacles associated with these methods, but in some cases further
development is needed. It is therefore necessary to continue the research developing
even simpler and more robust analytical techniques that are at the same time
environmentally friendly.
Acknowledgments This study has been financially supported by the EU through the WaterJPI2015 AWARE project (PCIN-2017-067). This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of
Science and Innovation (Project CEX2018-000794-S). The authors thank the Water Challenges for
a Changing World Joint Programming Initiative.
References
1. Montemurro N, Cucci G, Mastro MA, Lacolla G, Lonigro A (2017) The nitrogen role in
vegetables irrigated with treated municipal wastewater. Agron Res 15(5):2012–2025
2. Miller EL, Nason SL, Karthikeyan K, Pedersen JA (2016) Root uptake of pharmaceuticals and
personal care product ingredients. Environ Sci Technol 50(2):525–541
3. Ferrer I, Thurman EM (2013) Analysis of pharmaceuticals in drinking water, groundwater,
surface water, and wastewater. In: Comprehensive analytical chemistry, vol 62. Elsevier,
Amsterdam, pp 91–128
4. Boix C, Ibánez M, Sancho JV, Rambla J, Aranda JL, Ballester S, Hernández F (2015) Fast
determination of 40 drugs in water using large volume direct injection liquid chromatography–
tandem mass spectrometry. Talanta 131:719–727
Development of Methods for the Determination of PhACs in Soil/Earthworm/Crop. . .
479
The reuse of urban wastewater has opened up new possibilities for the use and
availability of water. Indeed, in order to reduce the human impact on the environment, wastewater can be used to irrigate agricultural fields in areas of the world
affected by drought or where availability is normally limited. Furthermore, the reuse
of wastewater certainly has a positive impact on the soil as a mean for the development of plants and on the farmers themselves because of the economic advantage
they could obtain by using wastewater as a fertilizer and a source of water for crops.
However, it is known that wastewater treatment plants are unable to remove small
organic compounds such as PhACs, which remain in the soil and can subsequently
enter the plant system where they are absorbed by the roots. Once inside these plants,
these compounds can be consumed by grazing animals or even by humans or remain
in the environment. For this reason, the study of these compounds in soil and plants
is at the center of interest of many scientists.
Determining the presence and concentration of contaminants in soil and plant
tissues requires significant effort. Hence, from the research papers reviewed, it is
clear that several successful analytical methods have been developed in the last
decade to extract, detect, and quantify most of the pharmaceutical products commonly used in various matrices such as vegetable and soil. However, in most cases,
these methods are time-consuming, are expensive, and require the use of specialized
reagents and personnel. Various research teams have made significant efforts to
overcome the obstacles associated with these methods, but in some cases further
development is needed. It is therefore necessary to continue the research developing
even simpler and more robust analytical techniques that are at the same time
environmentally friendly.
Acknowledgments This study has been financially supported by the EU through the WaterJPI2015 AWARE project (PCIN-2017-067). This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of
Science and Innovation (Project CEX2018-000794-S). The authors thank the Water Challenges for
a Changing World Joint Programming Initiative.
References
1. Montemurro N, Cucci G, Mastro MA, Lacolla G, Lonigro A (2017) The nitrogen role in
vegetables irrigated with treated municipal wastewater. Agron Res 15(5):2012–2025
2. Miller EL, Nason SL, Karthikeyan K, Pedersen JA (2016) Root uptake of pharmaceuticals and
personal care product ingredients. Environ Sci Technol 50(2):525–541
3. Ferrer I, Thurman EM (2013) Analysis of pharmaceuticals in drinking water, groundwater,
surface water, and wastewater. In: Comprehensive analytical chemistry, vol 62. Elsevier,
Amsterdam, pp 91–128
4. Boix C, Ibánez M, Sancho JV, Rambla J, Aranda JL, Ballester S, Hernández F (2015) Fast
determination of 40 drugs in water using large volume direct injection liquid chromatography–
tandem mass spectrometry. Talanta 131:719–727
Development of Methods for the Determination of PhACs in Soil/Earthworm/Crop. . .
479