Identifying targets of potential concern by a screening level ecological risk assessment of human use pharmaceuticals in China

Bu, Qingwei; Cao, Yibo; Yu, Gang; He, Xiaowei; Zhang, Handan; Sun, Jinghua; Yun, Mengqi; Cao, Zhiguo

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.125818

Cited by 33 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Most monitoring efforts have been limited to fewer than 10 pharmaceuticals per study (Gros et al, 2006). To circumvent these challenges, researchers have complemented field measurements with estimated concentrations in surface water using pharmaceutical sales and wastewater production rates and have developed ranking schemes to prioritize pharmaceuticals for analysis in a given location (Al-Khazrajy and Boxall, 2016;Berninger et al, 2016;Bu et al, 2020;De Voogt et al, 2009;Fick et al, 2010;Huggett et al, 2003;Kostich and Lazorchak, 2008;Kumar and Xagoraraki, 2010;Sui et al, 2012), the output of such models varies substantially (Roos et al, 2012) limiting their utility for analytical prioritization purposes.…”

Section: A Novel Approach For Selecting Pharmaceuticals To Be Studied In Riversmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial variation in the detection rates of frequently studied pharmaceuticals in Asian, European and North American rivers

Jameel

Valle

Kay

2020

Science of The Total Environment

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Section: A Novel Approach For Selecting Pharmaceuticals To Be Studied In Riversmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial variation in the detection rates of frequently studied pharmaceuticals in Asian, European and North American rivers

Jameel

Valle

Kay

2020

Science of The Total Environment

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“…Similar to other active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), DEXA has contributed to the treatment of millions globally for various medical conditions, as summarized in Table S1. However, DEXA has been identified among APIs of emerging concern (EC) in the aquatic systems [24][25][26], thanks to advances in analytical techniques with very low detection limits (parts per trillion (ppt) levels). This is because, firstly, DEXA is a known endocrine disruptor as it is in the family of glucocorticoids [27][28][29][30][31][32][33].…”

Section: Challenges Of Dexa In Aquatic Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is because, firstly, DEXA is a known endocrine disruptor as it is in the family of glucocorticoids [27][28][29][30][31][32][33]. Secondly, Bu and colleagues [26] have raised the possibility of DEXA as an EC of concern since it is a high production volume (HPV) drug with consequent large emissions into ecosystems.…”

Section: Challenges Of Dexa In Aquatic Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Accordingly, there is the likelihood of eventual entry into portable water treatment plants, though the removal efficiencies in such systems remain unquantified. Thus, besides DEXA being relatively used in low quantities compared to other glucocorticoids (including hydrocortisone and prednisolone; e.g., see reported quantities in China (2253 tons) [26] and the UK (27 kg) [41]), its structural modifications play a Janus-faced role. Therefore, by design, the DEXA drug is stable in patients but, inadvertently, can be resistant to removal using conventional treatment techniques and, in turn, persists in different environmental matrices.…”

Section: Challenges Of Dexa In Aquatic Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Occurrence, Fate, Effects, and Risks of Dexamethasone: Ecological Implications Post-COVID-19

Musee

Kebaabetswe

Tichapondwa

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The recent outbreak of respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has led to the widespread use of therapeutics, including dexamethasone (DEXA). DEXA, a synthetic glucocorticoid, is among the widely administered drugs used to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The global COVID-19 surge in infections, consequent increasing hospitalizations, and other DEXA applications have raised concerns on eminent adverse ecological implications to aquatic ecosystems. Here, we aim to summarize published studies on DEXA occurrence, fate, and effects on organisms in natural and engineered systems as, pre-COVID, the drug has been identified as an emerging environmental contaminant. The results demonstrated a significant reduction of DEXA in wastewater treatment plants, with a small portion, including its transformation products (TPs), being released into downstream waters. Fish and crustaceans are the most susceptible species to DEXA exposure in the parts-per-billion range, suggesting potential deleterious ecological effects. However, there are data deficits on the implications of DEXA to marine and estuarine systems and wildlife. To improve DEXA management, toxicological outcomes of DEXA and formed TPs should entail long-term studies from whole organisms to molecular effects in actual environmental matrices and at realistic exposure concentrations. This can aid in striking a fine balance of saving human lives and protecting ecological integrity.

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“…Furthermore, water molecules in the bulk solution may be oxidised to oxygen at the anode subsequently generating additional hydrogen peroxide (via Equation (5)). By using anode materials with high over potential such as platinum and boron-doped diamond (BDD), hydroxyl radicals may be formed on the anodes surface according to Equation (6) [11]: [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heterogeneous Electro-Fenton as “Green” Technology for Pharmaceutical Removal: A Review

et al. 2021

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The presence of pharmaceutical products in the water cycle may cause harmful effects such as morphological, metabolic and sex alterations in aquatic organisms and the selection/development of organisms resistant to antimicrobial agents. The compounds’ stability and persistent character hinder their elimination by conventional physico-chemical and biological treatments and thus, the development of new water purification technologies has drawn great attention from academic and industrial researchers. Recently, the electro-Fenton process has been demonstrated to be a viable alternative for the removal of these hazardous, recalcitrant compounds. This process occurs under the action of a suitable catalyst, with the majority of current scientific research focused on heterogeneous systems. A significant area of research centres working on the development of an appropriate catalyst able to overcome the operating limitations associated with the homogeneous process is concerned with the short service life and difficulty in the separation/recovery of the catalyst from polluted water. This review highlights a present trend in the use of different materials as electro-Fenton catalysts for pharmaceutical compound removal from aquatic environments. The main challenges facing these technologies revolve around the enhancement of performance, stability for long-term use, life-cycle analysis considerations and cost-effectiveness. Although treatment efficiency has improved significantly, ongoing research efforts need to deliver economic viability at a larger scale due to the high operating costs, primarily related to energy consumption.

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Identifying targets of potential concern by a screening level ecological risk assessment of human use pharmaceuticals in China

Cited by 33 publications

References 52 publications

Spatial variation in the detection rates of frequently studied pharmaceuticals in Asian, European and North American rivers

Spatial variation in the detection rates of frequently studied pharmaceuticals in Asian, European and North American rivers

Occurrence, Fate, Effects, and Risks of Dexamethasone: Ecological Implications Post-COVID-19

Heterogeneous Electro-Fenton as “Green” Technology for Pharmaceutical Removal: A Review

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