Monitoring of Amoxicillin and Cephalexin Antibiotics in Municipal WWTPs During Covid-19 Outbreak: A Case Study in Isfahan, Iran

Antibiotics are non-biodegradable drugs that inhibit the expansion and growth of microorganisms. Especially with prevalence Covid-19, consumption antibiotics has increased. Therefore, presence most prescribed from ß-lactams including amoxicillin cephalexin were studied at two municipal WWTPs in Isfahan. The analytical method was to extract aqueous phase then detected them via HPLC/UV. Samples collected 2 for 13 sampling periods over months between February March 2020 during outbreak Covid-19. In WWTP A, average concentration influent, effluent, its removal efficiency 509.64 ± 161.97 µg/L, 352.96 203.88 34.35 31.38%, 189.42 176.06 32.6 49.59µg/L, 78.75 23.81%, respectively. B, 2134.82 3031.53µg/L, 401.09 205.86µg/L, 54.82 33.29%, Also, 183.69 123.48 23.01 40.71 87.65 21.76%, According Mann–Whitney test results, both had significant differences ( p-value < .05), according results Spearman no correlation other principles wastewater parameters observed.