Occurrence and a screening‐level risk assessment of human pharmaceuticals in the Pearl River system, South China

Abstract

Ten nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), two blood lipid regulators (BLRs), and two antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were analyzed in the Pearl River system in China (i.e., Liuxi, Zhujiang, and Shijing Rivers) and four sewage effluents during the dry and wet seasons, and the environmental risks they posed were assessed. Eight pharmaceuticals were detected in the rivers and effluents, including five NSAIDs (salicylic acid, ibuprofen, diclofenac, mefenamic acid, and naproxen), two BLRs (clofibric acid and gemfibrozil), and one AED (carbamazepine). The median concentrations for the eight pharmaceuticals ranged from 11.2 to 102 ng/L. Seasonal variations were not obvious for most pharmaceuticals in the three rivers, except for salicylic acid and clofibric acid in the Zhujiang River, and diclofenac in the Zhujiang and Shijing Rivers. However, spatially considerable variations in the concentrations were observed for the eight pharmaceuticals in all three rivers. For most of the pharmaceuticals, the effluents from the four wastewater treatment plants and Shijing River water were found to be the major discharge sources for the Zhujiang River, but with additional discharge sources from some small urban streams in the wet season. Diclofenac in the Shijing River was the only pharmaceutical that had a risk quotient (RQ) >1, indicating a high risk to aquatic organisms in the river. Although higher RQs were calculated for the mixture of the pharmaceuticals in each river, the risk rating remained the same for the three rivers with the RQ being >1 only in Shijing River.

Distribution and accumulation of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pharmaceuticals in wastewater irrigated soils in Hebei, China

“…Thus, in addition to application of irrigation water, atmospheric deposition might also contribute to the presence of 4-nonylphenol in the soils (Dachs et al, 1999;Van Ry et al, 2000). For salicylic acid, it was one of the most frequently detected acidic pharmaceuticals in surface waters and sewage effluents (Kasprzyk-Hordern et al, 2008;Matamoros and Bayona, 2006;Peng et al, 2008;Ternes, 1998;Zhao et al, 2010), which could be attributed to the extensive use in human and animals to reduce inflammation. The compound is very mobile as indicated by its physicochemical properties with a high water solubility and low log K ow value (Table 2).…”

Occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products and associated environmental risks in the central and lower Yangtze river, China

“…Previous research has shown that concentrations of PPCPs tend to be higher during low water seasons as a result of dilution in the high water season (Xu et al, 2007a;Zhao et al, 2010b;Murata et al, 2011). In this work, surface water samples were collected in winter, corresponding to the low water season in the Yangtze River, and therefore should reflect the upper environmental risks limits.…”

“…Due to the increasing concern for the potential environmental risks of PPCPs, many studies were carried out in China to study their occurrence, fate, and effects in the environment. PPCP residues have been reported in the Pearl River Delta (Peng et al, 2008;Zhao et al, 2010b), Yellow River (Zhou et al, 2011;Zou et al, 2011), Yangtze River estuary (Yan et al, 2013), offshore areas of the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea , and the Yongjiang River (Xue et al, 2013). Xu et al (2007b) and Sui et al (2010) studied the occurrence and removal of PPCPs in wastewater treatment plants in China.…”

Emerging Pollutant of Concern: Occurrence of Pharmaceutical Compounds in Asia with Particular Preference to Southeast Asia Countries

“…In Asia, the antibiotic concentrations such as Oxytetracyclin, Trimethoprim and Sulfamethoxazole are high in both wastewater influent effluent and surface water [10]. In additional, researcher analyzed for 10 NSAIDs, 2 blood lipid regulators, and 2 antiepileptic drugs in the Pearl River system in China (Liuxi, Zhujiang, and Shijin Rivers) and four sewage effluents during the dry and wet seasons, results were reported and the environmental risks they posed were assessed [11]. Other in China, river water and tap water screened for the presence of β-lactam antibiotics.…”