Emerging Contaminants in the Northeast Andean Foothills of Amazonia: The Case of Study of the City of Tena, Napo, Ecuador

Capparelli, Mariana V.; Cipriani-Ávila, Isabel; Jara-Negrete, Eliza; Acosta-López, Sofía; Acosta, Byron; Pérez‐González, Andrés; Molinero, Jon; Pinos-Vélez, Verónica

doi:10.1007/s00128-021-03275-8

Cited by 17 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…We observed a negative correlation between bioavailable hydrocarbons and EC 50 (R 2 > 0.65), indicating that as bioavailability increases, toxicity decreases. However, the current legislative framework in Ecuador, which adopts a “fit-for-purpose” principle, fails to consider contributions from various sectors, such as wastewater treatment plants and the mining industry, resulting in the presence of Emerging Pollutants, metals, and agrochemicals in ecosystems [ 44 , 45 ]. Therefore, a more comprehensive approach is warranted, incorporating multi-sectoral responsibility for remediating polluted sites.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Updating risk remediation-endpoints for petroleum-contaminated soils? A case study in the Ecuadorian Amazon region

Hidalgo-Lasso,

García-Villacís,

Urvina Ulloa

et al. 2024

Heliyon

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Updating risk remediation-endpoints for petroleum-contaminated soils? A case study in the Ecuadorian Amazon region

Hidalgo-Lasso,

García-Villacís,

Urvina Ulloa

et al. 2024

Heliyon

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“…For the massive consumption of drugs and their partial use in medical treatments, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen residuals have been reported in hospital wastewater around the globe [23][24][25]. In Ecuador, EPs are chemical substances with unknown legal constraints for consumption or discharge [26,27]. Due to the lack of sanitation (treatments), concentrations of sulfamethoxazole, venlafaxine, carbamazepine, and benzoylecgonine have been found in rivers of San Pedro, Guayllabamba, and Esmeraldas, which are prevalent even after the water purification process in some cities [28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Physicochemical Parameters, Carbamazepine and Diclofenac as Emerging Pollutants in the Machángara River, Quito, Ecuador

Ibarra,

Bolaños-Guerrón,

Cumbal-Flores

2024

Water

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This study evaluates the pollution of the Machángara River basin in Ecuador. For the assessment, water samples were pumped from the river for 1 to 4 h, with a representative water sample of 4 L collected. In the site and laboratory, the physicochemical parameters, carbamazepine (CBZ), and diclofenac (DIC) concentrations were measured using standardized analytical methods. On average, a temperature of 17.02 °C, pH of 7.06, electrical conductivity of 760.96 µS/cm, and turbidity of 83.43 NTU were found. Furthermore, the average solids content was 72.88, 495.47, and 568.35 mg/L for total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), and total solids (TS) in that order. The highest chloride concentration (Cl− = 87.97 mg/L) was below the maximum permissible limit (MPL) based on the Ecuadorian regulations for surface and underground water for human consumption and domestic use, which only require conventional treatment. In contrast, levels of nitrate (NO3− = 27.75–288.25 mg/L) and nitrite in five points (NO2− = 2.02–5.42 mg/L) were higher than the MPLs. Moreover, sulfate (SO42− = 34.75–110 mg/L) and phosphate (PO4−P = 4.15–16.58 mg/L) contents caused turbidity and eutrophication in the river water., Additionally, concentrations of copper (Cu2+ = 0.002–0.071 mg/L), zinc (Zn2+ = 0.001–0.011 mg/L) and iron (Fe3+ = 0.000–0.287 mg/L) were within the permissible limits. On the other hand, carbamazepine concentrations in the Machángara River basin were below the limit of detection (LOD) up to a value of 0.121 mg/L. At the same time, diclofenac levels ranged from 9.32 to 48.05 mg/L. The concentration discrepancy for both pharmaceuticals is linked with the trend of drug consumption by Quito’s inhabitants. As measured in this investigation, meaningful amounts of CBZ and DIC are released to the Machángara River. Accordingly, the two pharmaceuticals in the river water may be dangerous for aquatic species.

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“…In Ecuador, less than 25% of wastewater receives treatment before being discharged into rivers and seas, leading cities like Guayaquil and Esmeraldas to receive industrial and domestic residual effluents in their drinking water sources (Pinos Velez et al, 2019). Studies have found caffeine, sulfamethoxazole, venlafaxine, o-desmethylvenlafaxine, and some steroidal estrogens throughout the San Pedro, Guayllabamba, and Esmeraldas River basins (Voloshenko-Rossin et al, 2015), as well as caffeine, paracetamol, and trimethoprim in the north of the Ecuadorian Amazon (Capparelli et al, 2021). Since ECs have already been detected in water bodies in Ecuador, and considering that most municipalities directly discharge wastewater into various river basins, it becomes imperative to determine whether these compounds are reaching the drinking water systems of urban areas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pharmaceutical compounds in urban drinking waters of Ecuador

Jara-Negrete,

Cipriani-Avila,

Molinero

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Introduction: Emerging contaminants (ECs) are substances with widely diverse chemical structures that may pose a risk to the environment and human beings. The limited scope of water treatment facilities, particularly in low and middle-income countries, allows ECs to be continuously introduced to the environment and become part of the cycle again for potabilization. In this work, we study for the first time the presence of these compounds in the drinking water of five Ecuadorian cities.Methods: The compounds of interest were mainly pharmaceutical substances commonly present in prescription and over-the-counter medicines, along with caffeine, a known coadjuvant in some of these preparations. Samples were collected from Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Ibarra, and Esmeraldas, considering each city’s distribution systems, and, after solid-phase extraction, analyzed by LC-MS/MS ESI+.Results and discussion: Results showed a high occurrence of caffeine, the only analyte present in all cities, with concentrations ranging from <6.35 to 201 ngL-1 and an occurrence from 11% in Quito to 77% in Cuenca. The highest median was found in Cuenca, followed by Esmeraldas. Our observations regarding concentrations are comparable to other studies around the globe. Although in other cities, some pharmaceuticals appeared at levels below our detection limits. These findings highlight the ubiquitous nature of emerging contaminants while pointing out the need for regulatory frameworks that facilitate the implementation of treatment technologies at the source and wastewater level. These actions will safeguard public and environmental health in the long term.

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Emerging Contaminants in the Northeast Andean Foothills of Amazonia: The Case of Study of the City of Tena, Napo, Ecuador

Cited by 17 publications

References 37 publications

Updating risk remediation-endpoints for petroleum-contaminated soils? A case study in the Ecuadorian Amazon region

Updating risk remediation-endpoints for petroleum-contaminated soils? A case study in the Ecuadorian Amazon region

Evaluation of Physicochemical Parameters, Carbamazepine and Diclofenac as Emerging Pollutants in the Machángara River, Quito, Ecuador

Pharmaceutical compounds in urban drinking waters of Ecuador

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