Processes of distribution of pharmaceuticals in surface freshwaters: implications for risk assessment

Abstract

The global consumption and production of pharmaceuticals is increasing concomitantly with concern regarding their environmental fate and effects. Active pharmaceutical ingredients are mainly released into the aquatic environment through wastewater effluent discharge. Once in the environment, pharmaceuticals can undergo processes of natural attenuation, i.e. dilution, sorption, transformation, depending on physico-chemical properties of the compound, such as water solubility, lipophilicity, vapour pressure, and environmental conditions, such as pH, temperature and ionic strength. A major natural attenuation process is the sorption on dissolved organic matter, colloids, suspended solids and sediments, which in turn control pharmaceuticals distribution, residence time and persistence in aquatic systems. Here we review studies of sorption capacity of natural sorbents to pharmaceuticals. These report on the importance of several environmental and sorbent-specific properties, such as the composition, quality, and amount of the sorbent, and the environmental pH, which determines the speciation of both the sorbent and compound. The importance of accounting for distribution processes on freshwater sorbents for any determination of environmental concentrations of pharmaceuticals is apparent, while the reliability of surrogate standards for measuring dissolved organic matter (DOM) distribution is evaluated in the context of the need for robust environmental risk assessment protocols.

How to decrease pharmaceuticals in the environment? A review

“…The problem of environment contamination by pharmaceuticals is complex, not only because of various sources and complex fates (Bagnis et al 2018), but also the numerous medical compounds in use. Of the total number of pharmaceutically active substances-11,926 (https:// www.…”

Magnetic MIL(Fe)-type MOF-derived N-doped nano-ZVI@C rods as heterogeneous catalyst for the electro-Fenton degradation of gemfibrozil in a complex aqueous matrix

“…They are present in all kinds of water streams, and their potentially deleterious effects on the fauna have been recognized [2]. Pharmaceuticals are ubiquitous in urban wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influents, being discharged to surface water because of their poor biodegradation and sorption to sludge [3], as well as the low effectiveness of the current tertiary treatments to prevent their accumulation in the plant effluents [4][5][6]. Consequently, there exist a global consensus on the need for protection of humans and ecosystems from pharmaceutical pollution [7].…”

Impact of the wastewater-mixing zone on attenuation of pharmaceuticals in natural waters: Implications for an impact zone inclusive environmental risk assessment

“…The neutral species NVR and CBZ have a similar chemical structure which can explain their comparable behaviour (Bagnis et al, 2018b). Their sorption was moderate (10-20 %), consistent with their similar lipophilicity (log Kow 2.7 and 2.5 for NVR and CBZ, respectively); no further losses were observed in either the biotic and abiotic batches ( Figure 3A, B).…”