Occurrence and risks of PPCPs of a typical mountainous region: Implications for sustainable urban water systems

Urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) play vital roles in the urban water cycle, ensuring access to safe drinking water and maintaining aquatic ecosystems. This study comprehensively assessed the occurrence and risks of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in urban WWTPs and DWTPs. Our findings revealed widespread PPCPs presence, with concentrations ranging from <1 ng/L to several thousand ng/L. Significant regional disparities in occurrence and composition were observed linked to population types and economic structures. Furthermore, strong correlations were observed between DWTPs and WWTPs indicating consistent transport and transformation patterns of PPCPs within the urban water cycle. Approximately two-thirds of PPCPs were degraded post-WWTP treatment, with about one-tenth persisting in drinking water following surface water dilution and purification processes. Thus, we suggested that controlling the total concentration of the five priority PPCPs in the effluent from the WWTP to <1100 ng/L have potential to reduce the environmental and health risk of PPCPs. Additionally, this research identified influential water quality parameters, such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature, through redundancy analysis. This research underscores the importance of establishing emission standards to mitigate PPCP-related risks and supports sustainable urban water system advancement.