Modern sanitary practices result in large volumes of human waste, as well as domestic and industrial sewage, being collected
and treated at common collection points, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In recognition of the growing use of sewage
sludge as fertilizers and soil amendments, and the scarcity of current data regarding the chemical constituents in sewage
sludge, the US National Research Council (NRC) in 2002 produced a report on sewage sludge. Among the NRC’s recommendations
was the need for investigating the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in sewage sludge. PPCPs
are a diverse array of non-regulated contaminants that had not been studied in previous sewage sludge surveys but which are
likely to be present. The focus of this paper will be to review the current analytical methodologies available for investigating
whether pharmaceuticals are present in WWTP-produced sewage sludge, to summarize current regulatory practices regarding sewage
sludge, and to report on the presence of pharmaceuticals in sewage sludge.
Keywords Biosolids - Sewage sludge - Pharmaceuticals - Analytical chemistry