Widespread occurrence and seasonal variation of pharmaceuticals in surface waters and municipal wastewater treatment plants in central Finland

Abstract

The presence of five selected pharmaceuticals, consisting of four anti-inflammatory drugs, diclofenac, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen, and an antiepileptic drug carbamazepine, was determined at four municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and in the receiving waterway in central Finland. The samples were taken from influents and effluents of the WWTPs and from surface water of six locations along the water way, including northern Lake Päijänne. In addition, seasonal variation in the area was determined by comparing the concentrations in the winter and summer. The samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The concentrations in the influents and effluents ranged from hundreds of nanogram per liter to microgram per liter while ranged from tens of nanogram per liter in northern parts of the waterway to hundreds of nanogram per liter in northern Lake Päijänne near the city area. In addition, the concentrations were higher in the winter compared to summer time in surface water due to decreased temperature and solar irradiation. On the other hand, higher concentrations of ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and naproxen were found in summer at the WWTPs, possibly due to seasonal variations in consumption. In conclusion, there are considerable amounts of pharmaceuticals not only in influents and effluents of the WWTPs but also in lake water along the waterway and in northern Lake Päijänne.

Occurrence and risks of antibiotics in an urban river in northeastern Tibetan Plateau

“…On the other aspect, greater usage of antibiotics in cold (dry) season may also induce their high mass load in surface water 23,24 . In addition, biodegradation, hydrolysis, and photodegradation are more active in warm (wet) season 25 . In contrast, seasonal differences in the concentrations of different classes of antibiotics were insignificant for sediment samples (Fig.…”

A fugacity model assessment of ibuprofen, diclofenac, carbamazepine, and their transformation product concentrations in an aquatic environment

“…Furthermore, the modelling was done with the assumption that water flowing into area is free from contaminants. As this might not always be the case (Lindholm-Lehto et al 2015 , 2016 ), background levels could also have a notable effect on environmental concentrations downstream. The sensitivities listed in Table 6 can also be used to estimate the effects of the applicable environmental parameters on sampling results.…”

Effect of Seasonal Changes on Steroid Hormones Concentrations in the Golden Horn Estuary (Sea of Marmara, Turkey)

“…A variety of factors such as the flow rate of input surface water (stream, lake, etc. ), switching to sediment or particulate matter, biodegradation, photodegradation and wastewater treatment processes might affect the pharmaceutical concentration in surface waters (Lindholm-Lehto et al, 2016;Moreno-González et al, 2014). Some of these processes such as photodegradation or biodegradation depend on environmental factors (temperature, sunlight and nutrient) (Lindholm-Lehto et al 2016).…”

“…), switching to sediment or particulate matter, biodegradation, photodegradation and wastewater treatment processes might affect the pharmaceutical concentration in surface waters (Lindholm-Lehto et al, 2016;Moreno-González et al, 2014). Some of these processes such as photodegradation or biodegradation depend on environmental factors (temperature, sunlight and nutrient) (Lindholm-Lehto et al 2016). Therefore, seasonal variations cause changes in the concentration of pharmaceuticals in surface waters and environmental transport (Paíga et al 2016).…”