articleEnvironmental Science & TechnologyJan 9, 2003Closed access

Caffeine, an Anthropogenic Marker for Wastewater Contamination of Surface Waters

IJIgnaz J. BuergeTPThomas PoigerMDMarkus D. MüllerHBHans-Rudolf Buser
PubMed
Indexed incrossrefpubmed

Abstract

The suitability of caffeine as a chemical marker for surface water pollution by domestic wastewaters was assessed in this study. Caffeine concentrations in influents and effluents of Swiss wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs, 7-73 and 0.03-9.5 microg/L, respectively) indicated an efficient elimination of 81-99.9%. Corresponding loads in untreated wastewater showed small variations when normalized forthe population discharging to the WWTPs (15.8 +/- 3.8 mg person(-1) d(-1)), reflecting a rather constant consumption. WWTP effluent loads were considerably lower (0.06 +/- 0.03 mg person(-1) d(-1)), apart from installations with low sludge age (

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Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Wastewater
  • Effluent
  • Environmental science
  • Sewage treatment
  • Environmental chemistry
  • Contamination
  • Pollution
  • Surface water
UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Clean water and sanitation
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