Selected Pharmaceuticals in Different Aquatic Compartments: Part I—Source, Fate and Occurrence

Potential risks associated with releases of human pharmaceuticals into the environment have become an increasingly important issue in environmental health. This concern has been driven by the widespread detection of pharmaceuticals in all aquatic compartments. Therefore, 22 pharmaceuticals, 6 metabolites and transformation products, belonging to 7 therapeutic groups, were selected to perform a systematic review on their source, fate and occurrence in different aquatic compartments, important issues to tackle the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The results obtained evidence that concentrations of pharmaceuticals are present, in decreasing order, in wastewater influents (WWIs), wastewater effluents (WWEs) and surface waters, with values up to 14 mg L−1 for ibuprofen in WWIs. The therapeutic groups which presented higher detection frequencies and concentrations were anti-inflammatories, antiepileptics, antibiotics and lipid regulators. These results present a broad and specialized background, enabling a complete overview on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic compartments.

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Selected Pharmaceuticals in Different Aquatic Compartments: Part II—Toxicity and Environmental Risk Assessment

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules25081796 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (8) ◽

pp. 1796 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

André Pereira ◽

Liliana Silva ◽

Célia Laranjeiro ◽

Celeste Lino ◽

Angelina Pena

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Environmental Risk ◽

Environmental Risk Assessment ◽

Transformation Products ◽

Trophic Levels ◽

Contaminated Water ◽

Toxicity Data ◽

Therapeutic Groups ◽

Important Input ◽

Potential Risks

Potential risks associated with releases of human pharmaceuticals into the environment have become an increasingly important issue in environmental health. This concern has been driven by the widespread detection of pharmaceuticals in all aquatic compartments. Therefore, 22 pharmaceuticals, 6 metabolites and transformation products, belonging to 7 therapeutic groups, were selected to perform a review on their toxicity and environmental risk assessment (ERA) in different aquatic compartments, important issues to tackle the water framework directive (WFD). The toxicity data collected reported, with the exception of anxiolytics, at least one toxicity value for concentrations below 1 µg L−1. The results obtained for the ERA revealed risk quotients (RQs) higher than 1 in all the aquatic bodies and for the three trophic levels, algae, invertebrates and fish, posing ecotoxicological pressure in all of these compartments. The therapeutic groups with higher RQs were hormones, antiepileptics, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics. Unsurprisingly, RQs values were highest in wastewaters, however, less contaminated water bodies such as groundwaters still presented maximum values up to 91,150 regarding 17α-ethinylestradiol in fish. Overall, these results present an important input for setting prioritizing measures and sustainable strategies, minimizing their impact in the aquatic environment.

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Occurrence and Distribution of Pharmaceuticals and Their Transformation Products in Luxembourgish Surface Waters

ACS Environmental Au ◽

10.1021/acsenvironau.1c00008 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Randolph R. Singh ◽

Adelene Lai ◽

Jessy Krier ◽

Todor Kondić ◽

Philippe Diderich ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Surface Waters ◽

Transformation Products

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Determination and occurrence of sulfonamide transformation products in surface waters

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146562 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 146562

Author(s):

Hongyang Cui ◽

Hong Chang ◽

Hongjin Zheng ◽

Yi Wan

Keyword(s):

Surface Waters ◽

Transformation Products

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Bank filtration: a suitable process for the removal of iodinated X-ray contrast media?

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2004.0336 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 50 (5) ◽

pp. 261-268 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

S. Schittko ◽

A. Putschew ◽

M. Jekel

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Contrast Media ◽

Surface Waters ◽

Sampling Period ◽

Transformation Products ◽

Bank Filtration ◽

Anoxic Conditions ◽

X Ray ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Media Concentration

After bank filtration, effluent influenced surface waters are often used as raw drinking water. It is known that high concentrations of iodinated X-ray contrast media are detectable in such surface waters and thus, more knowledge about the behaviour of the contrast media during bank filtration is necessary and the subject of investigations in this study. The adsorbable organic iodine (AOI), four widely used iodinated X-ray contrast media and four possible transformation products were quantified in an influenced lake, five groundwater wells and a drinking water well. Under anoxic conditions the AOI as well as the concentration of the contrast media are decreased by bank filtration, whereby the AOI is decreased by 64% and the contrast media concentration can be reduced up to 95%, depending on the compound. In the raw drinking water the following average concentrations were determined: Iopromid <20 ng/L, Diatrizote 166 ng/L, Iopamidol 166 ng/L and Iohexol 34 ng/L. Instationary conditions during the sampling period indicate that, at least under anoxic conditions, a large part of the contrast media and transformation products, which are still iodinated, may be associated to colloids and/or humic material.

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