A review of antiepileptic drugs: Part 1 Occurrence, fate in aquatic environments and removal during different treatment technologies.

Abstract

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are the main treatment for people with epilepsy. However, in recent years, more and more people are using them for other indications such as: migraine, chronic neuropathic pain, and mood disorders. Consequently, the prescriptions and consumption of these drugs are increasing worldwide. In WWTPs, AEDs can re- sist degradation processes, such as photodegradation, chemical degradation and/or biodegradation. Until now, only constructed wetlands and photocatalysis have shown good removal rates of AEDs from wastewater. However, their effectiveness depends on the speci!c conditions used during the treatment. Since the consumption of AEDs has in- creased in the last decade and their degradation in WWTPs is poor, these drugs have been largely introduced into the environment through the discharge of municipal and/or hospital ef"uents. Once in the environment, AEDs are dis- tributed in the water phase, as suspended particles or in the sediments, suggesting that these drugs have a high po- tential for groundwater contamination. In this !rst part of the AEDs review is designed to !ll out the current knowledge gap about the occurrence, fate and removal of these drugs in the aquatic environment. This is a review that emphasizes the characteristics of AEDs as emerging contaminants.