First report on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and cocaine in the coastal waters of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and its related ecological risk assessment

Abstract

The worldwide occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic ecosystems is reason for concern, since these emerging micro pollutants, includes a large and diverse group of organic compounds, with continuous input, high environmental persistence and potential threat to biota and human health. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the rst time, the occurrence of twenty-seven PPCPs of various therapeutic classes (including cocaine and its primary metabolite, benzoylecgonine), in the coastal waters of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. Water samples were taken in November 2020, during the low tide periods, at eight sampling points located along the coast of Santa Catarina, covering its entire geographical extension. Sampling was carried out in triplicate and at different depths of the water column. Nine compounds were detected through liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS): caffeine (12.58-119.80 ng/L), diclofenac (1.398-7.920 ng/L), losartan (0.432-3.200 ng/L), cocaine (0.0248-0.1686 ng/L) and benzoylecgonine (0.0146-1.094 ng/L) were quanti ed in 100% of the samples; carbamazepine (0.0242-0.2720 ng/L) was quanti ed in 75% of the samples; acetaminophen (0.212-10.040 ng/L) was quanti ed in 60% of the samples; and both atenolol (1.13-2.50 ng/L) and orphenadrine (0.073-0.0886 ng/L) were quanti ed in 25% of the samples. The other PPCPs were below the limit of detection (LOD). The highest occurrence of these compounds was detected in the northern and central coastal region of Santa Catarina, namely in Penha and Palhoça cities. The sources of these compounds may be associated with areas with high population density, awaited by tourism, with consequent production of sanitary sewage and solid waste. The ecological risk assessment of these substances in the aquatic ecosystems showed that 67% and 77% of the compounds respectively presented no ecological risk, acute and chronic, but 44% presented low to moderate risks for acute and chronic effects in the three trophic levels evaluated. The occurrence of these chemical compounds can imply deleterious effects on the environmental health of Santa Catarina coastal zone, and therefore deserve more acute and directed attention.

Challenges and Perspectives in Environmental Monitoring Used in the Study of Illicit Drugs Consumption in Brazil: A Literature Review

“…The study suggests that the highest source of these compounds was determined in areas with high population density and intense tourist activity. The ecological risk assessment indicated that 44% of the compounds show low and moderate risks for acute effects on the three evaluated trophic levels (Pisetta et al 2022). The analysis of illicit drugs in sewage water has been a primary research strategy in Brazil, with the use of wastewater-based epidemiology to estimate concentrations per thousand inhabitants.…”

“…This nding indicates ecological impacts on the aquatic ecosystem due to the levels of contamination (Fontes et al 2021). Roveri et al (2022) examined the waters of ve rivers in the São Paulo region with an estimated population of 2.0 million inhabitants. The aim was to address the scarcity of studies that identify and quantify substances in Brazilian river waters.…”

“…Wastewater has also been utilized for studies in other Brazilian states. Roveri et al (2020Roveri et al ( , 2022 analyzed raw sewage from Guarujá and Ilha de São Vicente in the state of São Paulo. In a sample estimate of over 500 thousand people, they determined the wastewater hydraulic stress and found cocaine and benzoylecgonine in concentrations of up to 30.3 ng L -1 and 278 ng L -1 , respectively, for Guarujá.…”

Removal of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) by Free Radicals in Advanced Oxidation Processes

“…Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) are attracting increasing concern [1][2][3] due to the fact that they have been extensively detected in aqueous environments, solids and sediments [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. PPCPs are defined as widespread chemicals including pharmaceuticals (such as hormones, antibiotics, antidepressants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and lipid regulators) and personal care products (such as preservatives, disinfectants, fragrances, and sunscreens) [2,11].…”