scholarly journals Assessment of Human Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water Catchments, Tap and Drinking Fountain Waters

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 7062
Author(s):  
André Pereira ◽  
Liliana Silva ◽  
Célia Laranjeiro ◽  
Angelina Pena

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in water catchments and drinking waters raises potential risks to public health. Therefore, after addressing the major aquatic contamination pathway, the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and, subsequently, surface waters, 18 human pharmaceuticals from 6 therapeutic groups (antibiotics, lipid regulators, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and hormones) were analyzed in drinking water catchments, tap and drinking fountain waters. This was performed by solid phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass detection (LC-MS/MS). The 97 samples analyzed were collected from 31 different sites in the center of Portugal. All samples presented concentrations below the method detection limits (MDLs) that ranged between 1.13 to 5.45 ng L−1. The achieved results contributed to a better knowledge on the Portuguese and European context of drinking water, since there is a knowledge gap regarding this matrix. Comparing our data with other studies, published worldwide, we can observe that median concentrations of pharmaceuticals were reported in the low ng L−1 levels, values close to our MDLs. Consequently, it is unlikely that, in light of the current knowledge, the presence of pharmaceuticals in drinking water presents a threat to human health.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 7388
Author(s):  
Sofia Silva ◽  
Vitor Vale Cardoso ◽  
Lúcia Duarte ◽  
Rui Neves Carneiro ◽  
Cristina Maria Martins Almeida

Due to the high consumption and incorrect disposal of pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs), they are recognized as contaminants of emerging concern. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) may be inefficient in removing PhACs, therefore discharging them into surface waters. The removal efficiencies of five WWTPs located in the south of Portugal (Alentejo) were evaluated in 2020. Twenty-six PhACs were analyzed in wastewater influents, effluents, and surface waters, upstream and downstream of the WWTPs by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass detection (UPLC–MS/MS). The most representative PhACs in influents were acetaminophen, caffeine, naproxen, ibuprofen, and diclofenac with minimum-maximum concentrations of 49–225 µg/L, 26–46 µg/L, 5.9–13 µg/L, 5.2–22 µg/L, and 1.3–2.5 µg/L, respectively. For effluents, it was acetaminophen, caffeine, and diclofenac with minimum-maximum concentrations of 0.054–7.8 µg/L, 0.084–4.8 µg/L, and 0.28–3.3 µg/L, respectively. The highest removal efficiencies were observed for acetaminophen, sulfadiazine, cortisone, testosterone, metoprolol, and propranolol (100%). The lowest removal efficiencies were observed for carbamazepine (2.7%) and diclofenac (−13.2%). The risk quotient of sulfamethoxazole and diclofenac were higher than 1 for receiving waters, indicating they probably pose high risks to aquatic organisms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norbaya Hashim ◽  
Ali Yuzir ◽  
Fouad Fadhil Al-Qaim ◽  
Nasehir Khan E.M. Yahaya

Abstract. This review focuses on the occurrence and distribution of 17 targeted human pharmaceutical compounds from the most common therapeutic classes. These include one analgesic (acetaminophen), three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (acetylsalicylic acid, diclofenac, ibuprofen), two antidiabetic drugs (gliclazide, metformin), three antihistamines (cetirizine, chlorphenamine, ranitidine), four antihypertensives (amlodipine, atenolol, metoprolol, prazosin), one lipid regulator (simvastatin), one anti-convulsant (carbamazepine), one bronchodilator agent (salbutamol) and one stimulant (caffeine) which have been detected globally in various aquatic environmental matrices such as surface water, drinking water, ground water, seawater, influent and effluent of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), hospital and industrial treatment plants, among others. The most common analytical method used involved solid phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The concentrations of all drugs investigated in all aqueous matrices varied from 0.5 to 85,000 ng/L for the highest concentration in the aqueous matrices in Southeast Asia. This review provides the first compilation on human pharmaceuticals in Southeast Asia in surface water, domestic wastewater (influent and effluent) and drinking water.   Resumen. Esta revisión se centró en la aparición y distribución de 17 fármacos de uso humano pertenecientes a las clases terapéuticas más comunes y consiste en un analgésico (acetaminofeno), tres medicamentos antiinflamatorios no esteroideos (AINE) (ácido acetilsalicílico, diclofenaco, ibuprofeno), dos antidiabéticos (gliclazida, metformina), tres antihistamínicos (cetirizina, clorfenamina, ranitidina), cuatro antihipertensivos ( atenolol, metoprolol, prazosina), un regulador de lípidos (simvastatina), un anticonvulsivo (carbamazepina), un agente broncodilatador (salbutamol) y un estimulante (cafeína), y que se han detectado globalmente en varios tipos de matrices ambientales acuáticas como el agua superficial, agua potable, agua subterránea, agua de mar, afluente y efluente de plantas de tratamiento de aguas residuales municipales (EDAR), plantas de tratamiento hospitalarias e industriales entre otras. El método analítico más utilizado involucró extracción en fase sólida (SPE) y cromatografía líquida acoplada a espectrometría de masas. Las concentraciones de todos los fármacos investigados en todas las matrices acuosas variaron de 0,5 a 85.000 ng / L, y presentaron la concentración más alta en las matrices acuosas en el país del sudeste asiático. Esta revisión proporciona el primer informe recopilatorio sobre un estudio de productos farmacéuticos humanos que se ha realizado en el sudeste asiático y se centra en aguas superficiales, aguas residuales domésticas (afluentes y efluentes) y agua potable.


1989 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-354
Author(s):  
David L. Putnam

Abstract Public concern over toxic contaminants in drinking water and the environment in general has put increasing pressure on governments to develop and enforce stringent environmental regulations. An overview of developments in Canadian federal and provincial legislation related to the regulation of petroleum refinery effluent quality is provided. Current knowledge of Canadian petroleum refinery effluent quality and level of treatment is summarized.


1993 ◽  
Vol 27 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 127-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Dizer ◽  
J. Dürkop ◽  
A. Grohmann ◽  
H. Kopecka ◽  
J. M. López-Pila

Secondary effluent of wastewater treatment plants contains a high number of viruses and other pathogens, which pose a health risk to the population, (especially when receiv ng waters are used for bathing and swimming, or for growing shellfish. In areas with a high density of population, where drinking water supply is dependent on surface waters and contaminated rivers are the primary source of drinking water, failure of the filtration or of the disinfection step, or of any other “barriers” supposed to warrant safe potable water, will increase the risk of health hazard for the consumer. We have compared the efficiency of viral elimination in secondary effluent by flocculation, uv rradiation and membrane filtration taking naturally occurring, or additionally seeded f2 phages, as indicator for viruses. Flocculation decreased the number of phages present in secondary effluent by more than two logs. If combined with uv irradiation, the elimination reached five additional logs. Membrane filtration eliminated essentially all naturally occurring phages. Improvement of the quality of surface waters calls for a refinement of detection methods for viruses. We have found that the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) might be used for detecting viruses in surface waters.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1393
Author(s):  
Franciane de Almeida Brehm Goulart ◽  
Gabriela Reichert ◽  
Tais Cristina Felippe ◽  
Alinne Mizukawa ◽  
Jhonatas Antonelli ◽  
...  

In urban areas, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) play a major role in the water quality of rivers. The removal efficiency of emerging contaminants by WWTPs is strongly correlated with the type of treatment and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the process, which can vary according to the volumetric influent flow of wastewater and occasional peak flows. This paper aims, for the first time, to assess the daily variation of lipid regulators and personal care products in an urban river impacted by domestic effluents. Samples were collected upstream and downstream of a WWTP. The concentrations downstream of the effluent discharge were higher than upstream, but they varied significantly during the day. Concentration peaks upstream of the WWTP were detected at 07:00, 15:00 and 21:00, while downstream of the effluent discharge, concentration peaks occurred between 13:00 and 19:00 and between 21:00 and 23:00. The highest downstream concentrations of triclosan and methylparaben (420 ng L−1 and 460 ng L−1) were 6.8 and 5.4 times higher than the lowest concentrations detected, respectively. These results show that in WWTP-impacted rivers, the time of the sampling has a great influence on the final results and conclusions of a monitoring study.


Separations ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Przemysław Niziński ◽  
Patrycja Wiśniewska ◽  
Joanna Kończyk ◽  
Rajmund Michalski

Perchlorate ion (ClO4−) is known as a potent endocrine disruptor and exposure to this compound can result in serious health issues. It has been found in drinking water, swimming pools, and surface water in many countries, however, its occurrence in the environment is still poorly understood. The information on perchlorate contamination of Polish waters is very limited. The primary objective of this study was to assess ClO4− content in bottled, tap, river, and swimming pool water samples from different regions of Poland and provide some data on the presence of perchlorate. We have examined samples of bottled, river, municipal, and swimming pool water using the IC–CD (ion chromatography–conductivity detection) method. Limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.43 µg/L and 1.42 µg/L, respectively, and they were both above the current health advisory levels in drinking water. The concentration of perchlorate were found to be 3.12 µg/L in one river water sample and from 6.38 to 8.14 µg/L in swimming pool water samples. Importantly, the level of perchlorate was below the limit of detection (LOD) in all bottled water samples. The results have shown that the determined perchlorate contamination in Polish drinking waters seems to be small, nevertheless, further studies are required on surface and river samples. The inexpensive, fast, and sensitive IC–CD method used in this study allowed for a reliable determination of perchlorate in the analyzed samples. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other studies seeking to assess the perchlorate content in Polish waters.


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