The elimination potential of two classes of pharmaceuticals in water treatment was examined. Substances representative for the fluoroquinolones, ofloxacine and levofloxacine, showed no reduction in concentration during passage through a model sewage plant working with sewage sludge from a municipal waste water treatment plant. Formation of metabolites, also produced by humans, was found only to a minor extent. However, adsorption on activated carbon showed convenient isotherms for water treatment. As expected, results were better with powdered activated carbon compared to granulous F300. Only poor adsorption was found for the technical polymer Lewatit EP63 as sorbent.

The cytotoxic substances carboplatinum und cisplatinum had been eliminated considerably by the experimental sewage plant, though in very variable amounts (elimination between 17 und 83% of initial concentration). Flocculation, reduced the initial concentration by only 12%. Similar to the fluoroquinolones, the platinum compounds where sorbed on activated carbon. This seems to be the best way for their elimination, while the technical polymer Lewatit‐EP63 showed no adsorption at all.