Monitoring of opiates, cannabinoids and their metabolites in wastewater, surface water and finished water in Catalonia, Spain

Zheng

et al. 2016

Environ Sci Pollut Res

Illicit drugs and their metabolites have recently been recognized as an emerging group of contaminants due to their potential ecotoxicological impact in aquatic ecosystems. To date, information on the occurrence of these compounds in the aquatic environment of China remains limited. In this study, we collected surface water samples from 36 rivers in north China that discharge into the Bohai Sea and north Yellow Sea and measured the concentrations of amphetamine-like compounds, ketamines, cocainics, and opioids. The occurrence and spatial patterns of these substances show significant differences between the rivers and regions. Two designer drugs, methamphetamine (METH) and ketamine (KET), were the most abundant compounds detected in the entire set of samples (detection frequency of 92 and 69 %). The concentrations of METH and KET ranged from <0.1 to 42.0 ng L −1 (mean = 4.53 ng L −1 ) and <0.05 to 4.50 ng L −1 (mean = 0.49 ng L −1 ), respectively. The high detection frequencies of METH and KET are consistent with the fact that they are the main illicit drugs consumed in China. The high concentrations of these illicit drugs and their metabolites were found in areas that have a high population density. The riverine input of total illicit drugs into the Bohai Sea and north Yellow Sea was estimated to be in the range of 684 to 1160 kg per year.

Section: Responsible Editor: Ester Heathmentioning

confidence: 99%

Illicit drugs and their metabolites in 36 rivers that drain into the Bohai Sea and north Yellow Sea, north China

Zheng

et al. 2016

Environ Sci Pollut Res

Science of The Total Environment

“…It is well known however, that the use of psychoactive substances is essentially universal and that they are one of the most recent additions to the list of contaminants of emerging concern in the environment (Boleda et al, 2009;Kasprzyk-Hordern et al, 2010). It is clear from the studies that have identified these compounds in wastewater effluents and surface waters at the nanogram and in some cases, microgram per liter level, that they and many of their main human metabolites, are ubiquitous in the environment (Baker and Kasprzyk-Hordern, 2011;Bartelt-Hunt et al, 2009;Bijlsma et al, 2012Bijlsma et al, , 2013Castiglioni et al, 2006a;Gheorghe et al, 2008;González-Mariño et al, 2011;Hummel et al, 2006;Jones-Lepp et al, 2004;Kasprzyk-Hordern et al, 2009;Metcalfe et al, 2010;Pedrouzo et al, 2011a;Postigo et al, 2011;Zuccato et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is clear from the studies that have identified these compounds in wastewater effluents and surface waters at the nanogram and in some cases, microgram per liter level, that they and many of their main human metabolites, are ubiquitous in the environment (Baker and Kasprzyk-Hordern, 2011;Bartelt-Hunt et al, 2009;Bijlsma et al, 2012Bijlsma et al, , 2013Castiglioni et al, 2006a;Gheorghe et al, 2008;González-Mariño et al, 2011;Hummel et al, 2006;Jones-Lepp et al, 2004;Kasprzyk-Hordern et al, 2009;Metcalfe et al, 2010;Pedrouzo et al, 2011a;Postigo et al, 2011;Zuccato et al, 2005). In fact, these compounds, like many other contaminants of emerging concern have been shown to be resistant to physicochemical and biological treatment at WWTPs and are therefore continuously introduced into the aquatic environment (Boleda et al, 2009;Bolong et al, 2009;Chiaia et al, 2008;Huerta-Fontela et al, 2008;Pal et al, 2013;Postigo et al, 2010;Valcárcel et al, 2012;Yargeau et al, 2013;Zuccato et al, 2008). These compounds have also been detected in surface waters in many countries (Boleda et al, 2011;Gonzalez-Marino et al, 2010;Martínez Bueno et al, 2011;Terzic et al, 2010;Valcárcel et al, 2012) and since illicit drugs have psychoactive properties, their presence in the aquatic environment raises concern (Huerta-Fontela et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ozonation of wastewater: Removal and transformation products of drugs of abuse

Rodayan

Segura

Yargeau

2014

• The ozonation of six drugs of abuse and one human drug metabolite was carried out.• Drug removals vary between 3 and 50% for the ozone doses tested.• The main transformation products of the drugs of abuse were identified.• The most plausible structure of a transformation product of MDMA was elucidated. a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f o In this study amphetamine, methamphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cocaine (COC), benzoylecgonine (BE), ketamine (KET) and oxycodone (OXY) in wastewater at concentrations of 100 μgL −1 were subjected to ozone to determine their removals as a function of ozone dose and to identify significant oxidation transformation products (OTPs) produced as a result of ozonation. A method based on high resolution mass spectrometry and differential analysis was used to facilitate and accelerate the identification and structural elucidation of the transformation products. The drug removal ranged from 3 to 50% depending on the complexity of the matrix and whether a mixture or individual drugs were ozonated. Both transient and persistent oxidation transformation products were identified for MDMA, COC and OXY and their chemical formulae were determined. Three possible structures of the persistent transformation product of MDMA (OTP-213) with chemical formula C 10 H 16 O 4 N, were determined based on MS n mass spectra and the most plausible structure (OTP-213a) was determined based on the chemistry of ozone. These results indicate that ozone is capable of removing drugs of abuse from wastewater to varying extents and that persistent transformation products are produced as a result of treatment.

“…Like many other illicit and licit drugs, this substance has been usually found in environmental waters, due to its low elimination efficiency in wastewater treatment plants that base the secondary treatment on activated sludge processes. MET efficiency removals have been reported to be usually below 40% (Boleda et al, 2009;Terzic et al, 2010). Even higher levels of MET have been occasionally found in effluent wastewaters compared to influent wastewaters (Boleda et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photolytic and photocatalytic transformation of methadone in aqueous solutions under solar irradiation: Kinetics, characterization of major intermediate products and toxicity evaluation

Postigo¹,

Sirtori²,

Oller³

et al. 2011

Water Research

The present manuscript describes the transformation and mineralization of methadone (MET) in aqueous solutions (demineralized water (DW) and synthetic municipal wastewater effluent (SWeff)) by natural solar irradiation and two solar photocatalytic processes:heterogeneous photocatalysis with titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) and homogeneous photocatalysis by photo-Fenton. Direct solar irradiation resulted in almost complete transformation of MET in the investigated matrices after 20 hours of normalized irradiation time. MET photocatalytic transformation required shorter illumination times in DW compared to SWeff. Only 16 and 36 minutes of solar illumination were required during photo-Fenton and photocatalysis with TiO 2 , respectively, to transform MET completely in SWeff. Mineralization of the dissolved organic carbon took place only during photocatalytic treatments. Kinetics parameters were calculated for processes comparison. Additionally, phototransformation intermediates generated during each treatment were investigated and characterized by means of ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLCQqTOF-MS/MS). The main MET phototransformation pathways were observed to be hydroxylation, and fragmentation and cyclisation. According to the Vibrio fischeri bioassay, the acute toxicity of the generated phototransformation products was not relevant, since the observed inhibition percentages of bacterial bioluminescence were always below 30% after 30 minutes of sample contact.