Occurrence of PPCPs in the marine environment: a review

Abstract

Little research has been conducted on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the marine environment despite being increasingly impacted by these contaminants. This article reviews data on the occurrence of PPCPs in seawater, sediment, and organisms in the marine environment. Data pertaining to 196 pharmaceuticals and 37 personal care products reported from more than 50 marine sites are analyzed while taking sampling strategies and analytical methods into account. Particular attention is focused on the most frequently detected substances at highest concentrations. A snapshot of the most impacted marine sites is provided by comparing the highest concentrations reported for quantified substances. The present review reveals that: (i) PPCPs are widespread in seawater, particularly at sites impacted by anthropogenic activities, and (ii) the most frequently investigated and detected molecules in seawater and sediments are antibiotics, such as erythromycin. Moreover, this review points out other PPCPs of concern, such as ultraviolet filters, and underlines the scarcity of data on those substances despite recent evidence on their occurrence in marine organisms. The exposure of marine organisms in regard to these insufficient data is discussed.

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Municipal Wastewater and the Marine Receiving Environment Near Victoria Canada

“…Clover Point Horse Mussel tissue PPCP concentrations (single sample results; reported on a dry weight basis; Table 6) were higher than those observed in wild marine organisms elsewhere (Dodder et al, 2014;Arpin-Pont et al, 2016;Meador et al, 2016). However, most concentrations fell quickly with distance from the CLO outfall diffuser, similar to the MAC PPCP sediment patterns.…”

“…Very near the sewage outfalls (<200 m), environmental concentrations within sediment and resident Horse Mussel tissue were high, sometimes exceeding maximum concentrations observed elsewhere in the natural environment (Dodder et al, 2014;Arpin-Pont et al, 2016;Meador et al, 2016) but not necessarily those observed at heavily anthropogenic areas. However, within the IDZ of both outfalls, water column contamination was minimal with only three PPCPs being detected.…”

“…From this set of samples, only caffeine (up to 37.4 ng L −1 ), acetaminophen (up to 44.7 ng L −1 ), and dehydronifedipine (up to 1.53 ng L −1 ) were detected in at least one of the samples. Although somewhat high for natural marine waters, concentrations of this magnitude or even higher (in the case of Jamaica Bay, NY) have been observed in other areas heavily influenced by human activity and wastewater (Benotti and Brownawell, 2007;Klosterhaus et al, 2013;Arpin-Pont et al, 2016;Meador et al, 2016;Cantwell et al, 2017). …”

“…However, the effects of these trace contaminants are less clear (FattaKassinos et al, 2011;Vidal-Dorsch et al, 2012;Arpin-Pont et al, 2016) and impacts are only starting to emerge in the literature. For example, antibiotic resistant bacteria have been shown to evolve rapidly in areas subject to continual discharge of antibiotics, such as within wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and even their immediate receiving environments (Rizzo et al, 2013;Everage et al, 2014;Manaia, 2014).…”

Spatial Distribution and Temporal Change of PPCPs and Microbial Fecal Indicators as Sewage Markers after Rainfall Events in the Coastal Area of Tokyo

“…Sewage pollutants such as fecal-related microorganisms, micropollutants, organic matters, and nutrients are transported and discharged into water bodies through CSOs during heavy rainfall events [1][2][3]. These contaminants can potentially pose health risks to humans as well as marine organisms [4][5][6]. Consequently, more precise studies on the distribution of CSO pollutants in receiving waters are necessary.…”