Methods
This VIP aims at studying the occurrence and remediation of environmental emerging contaminants in
Lebanon. Namely, the occurrence of prioritized pharmaceuticals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons will be assessed in surface waters, wastewater effluents, leachate from sanitary landfills, hospital effluents, and effluents from cattle production farms. In addition, the bioremediation and treatment of these contaminants in impacted environmental matrices will be investigated.
To achieve the aim of this VIP, a nationwide sampling plan covering major rivers and surface waters,
wastewater treatment plants, sanitary landfills, hospitals, and cattle production farms will be implemented.
Pollutants will be extracted from the collected samples using solid phase extraction and liquid-liquid
extraction methods. Extracts will then be analyzed for target pollutants using state of the art
chromatography and spectroscopy methods, namely GC/MS and LC/QTOF. In addition, laboratory scale
biodegradation experiments will be conducted to assess the removal of these pollutants from the
environment.
