Sewer networks, as one of the most important urban infrastructure systems, play a crucial role in ensuring public health and safety. From discharging points to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), chemicals may undergo a series of reactions which lead to degradation and transformation. The fate and distribution of pharmaceuticals in sewer networks are complicated, which contain many interactive processes. Understanding the stability of chemicals during sewer networks and obtaining more realistic degradation rates are one of premises for better application of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE).
This study relies on lab-scale simulation and hydraulic modelling to explore how the profile of biomarker concentration is influenced by discharging points and frequencies. Accounting for sewer-related factors led to a more comprehensive understanding of biomarker stability in sewer networks.
