(93aq) Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (Ppcp's) in the Environment @ Puerto Rico; Assessment & Treatment Processes Development

On the last two censuses (1990 and 2000)made in Puerto Rico the population median age increased from 28 to 32 years. This trend, which is expected to increase, could have serious implications in the quality of the drinking water. Specifically an ageing population will result in higher concentrations of PPCPs and their respective metabolized byproducts in the environment. One of the main concerns with PPCPs is their potential resilience and/or resistance in wastewater treatment facilities. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and their European Union counterparts have established programs to better understand the implications of ageing populations and their behavior as it relates to the generation fate and environmental impacts of PPCPs. Puerto Rico's demographic are very similar to that observed in these countries. The objective of this project is to better understand the PPCPs potential impact to the quality of the drinking water in Puerto Rico. In addition, treatment processes will be developed that are compatible with exiting wastewater treatment facilities in Puerto Rico. Analytical equipment such as Gas Chromatography (GCMS), High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC) and UV-Spectrophotometer will be used. In the preliminary experiments the focus will be in developing calibration curves with acetaminophen, caffeine and clofibric acid among others. In the future, chemical tests will be performed in drinking water from several municipalities. The third phase of the project includes the development of remediation technologies using ultrasound wave reaction systems.

Keywords: PPCP's, drinking water, ultrasound wave