The occurrence of selected pharmaceuticals in wastewater effluent and surface waters of the lower Tyne catchment

Biochemical responses of Solea senegalensis after continuous flow exposure to urban effluents

Urban effluent potential toxicity was assessed by a battery of biomarkers aimed at determining sub-lethal effects after continuous exposure on the marine organism Solea senegalensis. Specimens were exposed to five effluent concentrations (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32) during 7-days, simulating the dispersion plume at the discharge point. Three different groups of biomarkers were selected in the present study: biomarkers of exposure (Phase I: EROD and DBF; Phase II: GST), biomarkers with antioxidant responses (GR and GPX) and biomarkers of effects (DNA damage and LPO). Additionally, a biological depuration treatment (photobiotreatment (PhtBio)) was tested in order to reduce the adverse effects on aquatic organisms. Effluent exposure caused sub-lethal responses in juvenile fish suggesting oxidative stress. After PhtBio application, concentrations of the major part of measured contaminants were reduced, as well as their bioavailability and adverse effects.

Migration of two antibiotics during resuspension under simulated wind-wave disturbances in a water-sediment system

In this study, the migration of antibiotics (norfloxacin, NOR; and sulfamethoxazole, SMX) under simulated resuspension conditions across the sediment-water interface were quantified for two locations in China: point A, located in Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu, and point B, located in Dapukou of Lake Taihu. The concentrations of suspended solids (SS) in the overlying water amounted to 100, 500, and 1000 mg/L during background, moderate, and strong simulated wind-wave disturbances, respectively. At each SS level, the initial concentrations of the two antibiotics were set to 1, 5, and 10 mg/L. The results showed that both resuspended SS and the initial concentration of antibiotics could influence the migration of NOR in the water-sediment system. Specifically, both higher SS and initial antibiotic concentrations were associated with higher rates of migration and accumulation of NOR from water to sediment. In contrast, the migration of SMX in the water-sediment system was not impacted by SS or initial antibiotic concentration. The adsorption capacities of sediments for NOR and SMX were significantly different at both locations, possibly reflecting differences in cation exchange capacity (CEC) and organic material (OM) contents. In general, higher CEC and OM values were found in sediments with a higher adsorption capacity for the antibiotics. When CEC and OM values of sediments were higher, the adsorption capacity reached up to 51.73 mg/kg. Large differences in the migration from water to sediment were observed for the two antibiotics, with NOR migration rates higher than those of SMX. The accumulation of NOR in surface sediment during resuspension was about 14 times higher than that of SMX. The main reason for this is that the chemical adsorption of NOR is seldom reversible. Overall, this study demonstrates that resuspension of NOR and SMX attached to sediments under simulated wind-wave disturbances can promote the migration of the antibiotics from water to sediment; these results could be useful for assessing the migration and fate of commonly used antibiotics in water-sediment systems.

Do cemeteries emit drugs? A case study from southern Germany

The risk of earth burials for the environment and public health is a matter of controversial debate. The aim of the present study is to characterise the drainage of cemeteries with regard to the concentration of a number of pharmaceuticals and to the soil's hydrochemical properties, and to discuss these data in comparison with data obtained for surface waters located upstream of the cemeteries. Of the 12 drainage samples analysed using LC-ESI-MS/MS, seven contained carbamazepine (< 225 ng l^-1), five contained hydrochlorothiazide, one contained metoprolol (23 ng l^-1) and one contained traces of ibuprofen. The surface water samples contained a larger number of different drugs (8 of the 12 drugs under investigation) and higher concentrations (e.g. metropolol 2230 ng l^-1). The NO₃, NH₄, PO₄ and DOC concentrations and the electrical conductivity of the cemetery drainages were in several samples higher than those of the surface water samples. The NO₃ and NH₄ concentrations exceeded the legal contaminant limits of drinking water in only one case. The present study found that the release of drugs and nutrients from cemeteries, measured in surface water drug loads, presents a low environmental risk. However, the study is only a snapshot and long-term monitoring of cemetery drainages, including a broad range of pharmaceuticals and detailed hydrological investigations, will have to be carried out before more substantiated statements can be made.

The effects of human drugs in Corbicula fluminea. Assessment of neurotoxicity, inflammation, gametogenic activity, and energy status

The constant release of pharmaceuticals products to aquatic environment even at low concentrations (ng L^-1 to µg L^-1) could lead to unknown chronic effects to non-target organisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate neurotoxic responses, inflammation, gametogenic activity and energy status on the fresh water clam C. fluminea after exposure to different concentrations of caffeine (CAF), ibuprofen (IBU), carbamazepine (CBZ), novobiocin (NOV) and tamoxifen (TMX) for 21 days under laboratory conditions. During the assay, water was spiked every two days with CAF (0; 0.1; 5; 15; 50µgL^-1), IBU (0; 0.1; 5; 10; 50µgL^-1), CBZ, NOV, and TMX (0.1, 1, 10, 50µgL^-1). After the exposure period, dopamine levels (DOP), monoamine oxidase activity (MAO), arachidonic acid cyclooxygenase activity (COX), vitellogenin-like proteins (VTG), mitochondrial electron transport (MET), total lipids (TLP), and energy expenditure (MET/TLP) were determined in gonad tissues, and acetyl cholinesterase activity (AChE) was determined in digestive gland tissues. Results showed a concentration-dependence response on biomarkers tested, except for MAO. Environmental concentrations of pharmaceuticals induced significant changes (p < 0.05) in the neurotoxic responses analyzed (CAF, CBZ and NOV increased DOP levels and CBZ inhibited AChE activity), inflammation (CAF induced COX), and energy status (MET and TLP increased after exposure to CBZ, NOV and TMX). Responses of clams were related to the mechanism of action (MoA) of pharmaceuticals. Biomarkers applied and the model organism C. fluminea constituted a suitable tool for environmental risk assessment of pharmaceutical in aquatic environment.

The impact of expired commercial drugs on non-target marine species: A case study with the use of a battery of biomarkers in hemocytes of mussels

The present study investigated the effects of two expired commercial medicines, like Buscopan Plus and Mesulid, commonly classified as household medical wastes, on hemocytes of mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Mussel hemocytes' lysosomal membrane stability (in terms of neutral red retention assay), superoxide anions (O₂^·-) and nitric oxides (NO, in terms of nitrites) production, lipid peroxidation (in terms of malondialdehyde/MDA content) and the formation of nuclear abnormalities (using the micronucleus/MN assay) were assessed in hemocytes of mussels treated for 7 days with appropriate amounts of each drug (the concentrations of active substances were considered in each case, due to the absence of data related with the excipients) as well as in hemocytes of post-treated/recovered mussels (7 days post-treatment/recovery period). According to the results, treated mussels showed significantly decreased NRRT values, enhanced O₂^·-, NO and MDA levels, as well as high frequencies of nuclear abnormalities in both cases. Thοse effects showed a drastic reduction in almost all cases, after the post-treatment/recovery period. Moreover, the "stress on stress" method, commonly performed for estimating mussels' ability to survive in air, showed significantly reduced LT₅₀ values in challenged mussels, compared to values observed in control mussels. The current findings revealed for the first time that both expired commercial drugs could affect mussels, probably via the formation of active substances bioactivated metabolites, as well as excipients, such as TiO₂ and SiO₂, at least in case of Buscopan plus. Although further research is needed, the current findings indicate the environmental impact of expired commercial drugs, thus revealing the need for the proper disposal of household medical wastes.

Formation and estimated toxicity of trihalomethanes, haloacetonitriles, and haloacetamides from the chlor(am)ination of acetaminophen

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in natural waters, which act as drinking water sources, raises concerns. Moreover, those compounds incompletely removed by treatment have the chance to form toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) during subsequent disinfection. In this study, acetaminophen (Apap), commonly used to treat pain and fever, was selected as a model PPCP. The formation of carbonaceous and nitrogenous DBPs, namely trihalomethanes, haloacetonitriles, and haloacetamides, during chlor(am)ination of Apap was investigated. Yields of chloroform (CF), dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN), dicholoacetamide (DCAcAm), and tricholoacetamide (TCAcAm), during chlorination were all higher than from chloramination. The yields of CF continuously increased over 48h during both chlorination and chloramination. During chlorination, as the chlorine/Apap molar ratios increased from 1 to 20, CF yields increased from 0.33±0.02% to 2.52±0.15%, while the yields of DCAN, DCAcAm and TCAcAm all increased then decreased. In contrast, during chloramination, increased chloramine doses enhanced the formation of all DBPs. Acidic conditions favored nitrogenous DBP formation, regardless of chlorination or chloramination, whereas alkaline conditions enhanced CF formation. Two proposed formation mechanisms are presented. The analysed DBPs formed during chlorination were 2 orders of magnitude more genotoxic and cytotoxicity than those from chloramination.

Effects of exposure to pharmaceuticals (diclofenac and carbamazepine) spiked sediments in the midge, Chironomus riparius (Diptera, Chironomidae)

Human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and degradation products are continuously introduced into the environment. To date, there is a lack of information about the effects of pharmaceuticals in spiked toxicity tests with non-target organisms. In this study, we have evaluated the effects of exposure to two common pharmaceuticals in the midge Chironomus riparius in spiked sediment experiments. The selected pharmaceuticals are the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID): diclofenac (DF) and the anti-depressant drug carbamazepine (CBZ). In order to assess the effects of the pharmaceuticals, a chronic toxicity test with the midge was carried out. The endpoints survival, growth and developmental stage by means of biomass, were measured after 10days, and emergence rates and sex-ratio (male/female) were measured after 21days of exposure. Significant mortality was observed in organisms at day 10 with a 40% of larvae surviving in the highest exposure concentration of CBZ. DF decreased the emergence ratio with respect to the controls in organisms exposed at concentrations of 34.0μg·g^-1 whereas CBZ reduced the growth of the midges (30,6% with respect to the control) and induced a significant change in sex-ratio at concentrations of 31.4μg·g^-1. The results obtained in the present study indicate possible adverse effects on aquatic invertebrates, which should be taken into account for environmental risk assessment of pharmaceutical compounds in sediments.

A critical evaluation of different parameters for estimating pharmaceutical exposure seeking an improved environmental risk assessment

A critical evaluation of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Guideline on Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) was performed on 16 of Portugal's most consumed pharmaceuticals in wastewater effluents (WWEs), the main route for aquatic contamination. The predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) were formulated based on the Guideline, after incorporating several refinements. The best approach was selected by comparing the measured environmental concentrations (MECs) to the PECs in WWEs. Finally, risk was assessed by comparing PECs to predicted no-effect concentrations (PNECs). The results showed that the default value of the penetration factor (Fpen) used by the EMA (0.01) was surpassed and that national consumption and excretion data were the two most important parameters for PEC calculations. The risk quotient between PECs and PNECs was higher than 1 for 12 pharmaceuticals, indicating a risk to all three trophic levels of aquatic organisms (algae, daphnids and fish). To improve the current ERA framework, suggestions were made for incorporating consumption and excretion data, changing the default value of Fpen to 0.04 and adding a safety factor of 10. Moreover, this evaluation should be performed for pharmaceuticals already on the market, and future ERAs should incorporate a risk-benefit analysis, an important risk-management step.

Removal of selected emerging PPCP compounds using greater duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) based lab-scale free water constructed wetland

Greater duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) based lab-scale free water constructed wetland (CW) was employed for removing four emerging pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) (i.e. DEET, paracetamol, caffeine and triclosan). Orthogonal design was used to test the effect of light intensity, aeration, E.coli abundance and plant biomass on the target compounds. Synthetic wastewater contaminated with the target compounds at concentration of 25 μg/L was prepared, and both batch and continuous flow experiments were conducted. Up to 100% removals were achieved for paracetamol (PAR), caffeine (CAF) and tricolsan (TCS) while the highest removal for DEET was 32.2% in batch tests. Based on orthogonal Duncan analysis, high light intensity (240 μmolmm^-2s^-1), full aeration, high plant biomass (1.00 kg/m²) and high E.coli abundance (1.0 × 10⁶ CFU/100 mL) favoured elimination of the PPCPs. Batch verification test achieved removals of 17.1%, 98.8%, 96.4% and 95.4% for DEET, PAR, CAF and TCS respectively. Continuous flow tests with CW only and CW followed by stabilization tank (CW-ST) were carried out. Final removals of the PPCP contaminants were 32.6%, 97.7%, 98.0% and 100% for DEET, PAR, CAF and TCS, respectively, by CW system alone, while 43.3%, 97.5%, 98.2% and 100%, respectively, were achieved by CW-ST system. By adding the ST tank, PPCP concentrations decreased significantly faster (p < 0.05) compared with continuous flow CW alone. In addition, after removing aerators during continuous flow CW experiments, the treatment systems presented good stability for the PPCP removals. CW-ST showed better chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) removals (89.3%, 91.2%, respectively) than CW only (79.4%, 85.2%, respectively). However, poor DEET removal (<50%) and high E.coli abundance (up to 1.7 log increase) in the final treated water indicated further treatment processes may be required. Statistical analysis showed significant correlations (p < 0.05) between PPCPs and water quality parameters (e.g. COD, nitrate, phosphate), and between the four PPCP compounds for the continuous flow CW and CW-ST systems. Positive results encourage further test of Greater duckweed at pilot scale CW using real wastewater.

Shadow prices of emerging pollutants in wastewater treatment plants: Quantification of environmental externalities

Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are designed to remove mainly the organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus compounds and suspended solids from wastewater but are not capable of removing chemicals of human origin, such as pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs). The presence of PPCPs in wastewater has environmental effects on the water bodies receiving the WWTP effluents and renders the effluent as unsuitable as a nonconventional water source. Considering PPCPs as non-desirable outputs, the shadow prices methodology has been implemented using the output distance function to measure the environmental benefits of removing five PPCPs (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, carbamazepine and trimethoprim) from WWTP effluents discharged to three different ecosystems (wetland, river and sea). Acetaminophen and ibuprofen show the highest shadow prices of the sample for wetland areas. Their values are 128.2 and 11.0 €/mg respectively. These results represent a proxy in monetary terms of the environmental benefit achieved from avoiding the discharge of these PPCPs in wetlands. These results suggest which PPCPs are urgent to remove from wastewater and which ecosystems are most vulnerable to their presence. The findings of this study will be useful for the plant managers in order to make decisions about prioritization in the removal of different pollutants.

Occurrence, fate and transformation of emerging contaminants in water: An overarching review of the field

Many of the products and drugs used commonly contain chemical components which may persist through sewage treatment works (STW) and eventually enter the aquatic environment as parent compounds, metabolites, or transformation products. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and other emerging contaminants (ECs) have been detected in waters (typically ng/L) as well as more recently bound to sediment and plastic particles (typically ng/g). Despite significant advancement of knowledge since the late 1990s, the fate of these contaminants/transformation products once introduced into the aquatic environment remains relatively unresolved. This review provides a unique focus on the fate of seven major groups of PPCPs/ECs in the aquatic environment, which is frequently not found in similar works which are often compound or topic-specific and limited in background knowledge. Key findings include: a) some replacements for regulation precluded/banned chemicals may be similarly persistent in the environment as those they replace, b) the adsorption of potentially bioactive chemicals to micro- and nanoplastics is a significant topic with risks to aquatic organisms potentially greater than previously thought, and c) micro-/nanoplastics are likely to remain of significant concern for centuries after regulatory limitations on their use become active due to the slow degradation of macro-plastics into smaller components. An interdisciplinary perspective on recent advances in the field is presented here in a unique way which highlights both the principle science and direction of research needed to elucidate the fate and transport patterns of aquatic PPCPs/ECs. Unlike similar reviews, which are often topic-specific, here we aim to present an overarching review of the field with focus on the occurrence, transformation and fate of emerging contaminants. Environmental presence of seven major classes of contaminants (analygesics, antibiotics, antineoplastics, beta-blockers, perfluorinated compounds, personal care products and plasticisers), factors affecting contaminant fate, association with plastic micro-/nanoparticles and photochemical transformation are comprehensively evaluated.

Antimicrobial activity of pharmaceutical cocktails in sewage treatment plant effluent - An experimental and predictive approach to mixture risk assessment

Municipal wastewater contains multi-component mixtures of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). This could shape microbial communities in sewage treatment plants (STPs) and the effluent-receiving ecosystems. In this paper we assess the risk of antimicrobial effects in STPs and the aquatic environment for a mixture of 18 APIs that was previously detected in the effluent of a European municipal STP. Effects on microbial consortia (collected from a separate STP) were determined using respirometry, enumeration of culturable microorganisms and community-level physiological profiling. The mixture toxicity against selected bacteria was assessed using assays with Pseudomonas putida and Vibrio fischeri. Additional data on the toxicity to environmental bacteria were compiled from literature in order to assess the individual and expected joint bacterial toxicity of the pharmaceuticals in the mixture. The reported effluent concentration of the mixture was 15.4 nmol/l and the lowest experimentally obtained effect concentrations (EC₁₀) were 242 nmol/l for microbial consortia in STPs, 225 nmol/l for P. putida and 73 nmol/l for V. fischeri. The lowest published effect concentrations (EC₅₀) of the individual antibiotics in the mixture range between 15 and 150 nmol/l, whereas 0.9-190 μmol/l was the range of bacterial EC₅₀ values found for the non-antibiotic mixture components. Pharmaceutical cocktails could shape microbial communities at concentrations relevant to STPs and the effluent receiving aquatic environment. The risk of antimicrobial mixture effects was completely dominated by the presence of antibiotics, whereas other pharmaceutical classes contributed only negligibly to the mixture toxicity. The joint bacterial toxicity can be accurately predicted from the individual toxicity of the mixture components, provided that standardized data on representative bacterial strains becomes available for all relevant compounds. These findings argue for a more sophisticated bacterial toxicity assessment of environmentally relevant pharmaceuticals, especially for those with a mode of action that is known to specifically affect prokaryotic microorganisms.

Significance of a Noble Metal Nanolayer on the UV and Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity of Anatase TiO2 Thin Films Grown from a Scalable PECVD/PVD Approach

UV and visible light photocatalytic composite Pt and Au-TiO₂ coatings have been deposited on silicon and glass substrates at low temperature using a hybrid ECWR-PECVD/MS-PVD process. Methylene blue, stearic acid, and sulfamethoxazole were used as dye, organic, and antibiotic model pollutants, respectively, to demonstrate the efficiency of these nanocomposite coatings for water decontamination or self-cleaning surfaces applications. Raman investigations revealed the formation of anatase polymorph of TiO₂ in all synthesized coatings with a shifting of the main vibrational mode peak to higher wavenumber in the case of Au-TiO₂ coating, indicating an increase number of crystalline defects within this coating. Because of the difference of the chemical potentials of each of the investigated noble metals, the sputtered metal layers exhibit different morphology. Pt sputtered atoms, with high surface adhesion, promote formation of a smooth 2D layer. On the other hand, Au sputtered atoms with higher cohesive forces promote the formation of 5-10 nm nanoparticles. As a result, the surface plasmon resonance phenomenon was observed in the Au-TiO₂ coatings. UV photoactivity of the nanocomposite coatings was enhanced 1.5-3 times and 1.3 times for methylene blue and stearic acid, respectively, thanks to the enhancement of electron trapping in the noble metal layer. This electron trapping phenomenon is higher in the Pt-TiO₂ coating because of its larger work function. On the other hand, the enhancement of the visible photoactivity was more pronounced (3 and 7 times for methylene blue and stearic acid, respectively) in the case of Au-TiO₂ thanks to the surface plasmon resonance. Finally, these nanocomposite TiO₂ coatings exhibited also a good ability for the degradation of antibiotics usually found in wastewater such as sulfamethoxazole. However, a complementary test have showed an increase of the toxicity of the liquid medium after photocatalysis, which could be due the presence of sulfamethoxazole's transformation byproducts.

Occurrences and removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in drinking water and water/sewage treatment plants: A review

In recent years, many of micropollutants have been widely detected because of continuous input of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) into the environment and newly developed state-of-the-art analytical methods. PPCP residues are frequently detected in drinking water sources, sewage treatment plants (STPs), and water treatment plants (WTPs) due to their universal consumption, low human metabolic capability, and improper disposal. When partially metabolized PPCPs are transferred into STPs, they elicit negative effects on biological treatment processes; therefore, conventional STPs are insufficient when it comes to PPCP removal. Furthermore, the excreted metabolites may become secondary pollutants and can be further modified in receiving water bodies. Several advanced treatment systems, including membrane filtration, granular activated carbon, and advanced oxidation processes, have been used for the effective removal of individual PPCPs. This review covers the occurrence patterns of PPCPs in water environments and the techniques adopted for their treatment in STP/WTP unit processes operating in various countries. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of the removal and fate of PPCPs in different treatment facilities as well as the optimum methods for their elimination in STP and WTP systems.

Effects of 18 pharmaceuticals on the physiological diversity of edaphic microorganisms

Pharmaceutical residues can enter the terrestrial environment through the application of recycled water and contaminated biosolids to agricultural soils, were edaphic microfauna can would be threatened. This study thus assessed the effect of 18 widely consumed pharmaceuticals, belonging to four groups: antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), blood lipid-lowering agents (BLLA) and β-blockers, on the physiology of soil microbial communities from a ecological crop field. Biolog EcoPlates, containing 31 of the most common carbon sources found in forest and crop soils, were used to calculate both the averaged well colour development (AWCD), as an indicator of the entire capacity of degrading carbon sources, and the diversity of carbon source utilization, as an indicator of the physiological diversity. The results show that pharmaceuticals impact microbial communities by changing the ability of microbes to metabolize different carbon sources, thus affecting the metabolic diversity of the soil community. The toxicity of the pharmaceuticals was inversely related to the log K_ow; indeed, NSAIDs were the least toxic and antibiotics were the most toxic, while BLLA and β-blockers presented intermediate toxicity. The antibiotic sulfamethoxazole imposed the greatest impact on microbial communities at concentrations from 100 mg/L, followed by the other two antibiotics (trimethoprim and tetracycline) and the β-blocker nadolol. Other chemical parameters (i.e. melting point, molecular weight, pK_a or solubility) had little influence on toxicity. Microbial communities exposed to pharmaceuticals having similar physicochemical characteristics presented similar physiological diversity patterns of carbon substrate utilization. These results suggest that the repeated amendment of agricultural soils with biosolids or sludges containing pharmaceutical residuals may result in soil concentrations of concern regarding key ecological functions (i.e. the carbon cycle).

Are exposure predictions, used for the prioritization of pharmaceuticals in the environment, fit for purpose?

Prioritization methodologies are often used for identifying those pharmaceuticals that pose the greatest risk to the natural environment and to focus laboratory testing or environmental monitoring toward pharmaceuticals of greatest concern. Risk-based prioritization approaches, employing models to derive exposure concentrations, are commonly used, but the reliability of these models is unclear. The present study evaluated the accuracy of exposure models commonly used for pharmaceutical prioritization. Targeted monitoring was conducted for 95 pharmaceuticals in the Rivers Foss and Ouse in the City of York (UK). Predicted environmental concentration (PEC) ranges were estimated based on localized prescription, hydrological data, reported metabolism, and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) removal rates, and were compared with measured environmental concentrations (MECs). For the River Foss, PECs, obtained using highest metabolism and lowest WWTP removal, were similar to MECs. In contrast, this trend was not observed for the River Ouse, possibly because of pharmaceutical inputs unaccounted for by our modeling. Pharmaceuticals were ranked by risk based on either MECs or PECs. With 2 exceptions (dextromethorphan and diphenhydramine), risk ranking based on both MECs and PECs produced similar results in the River Foss. Overall, these findings indicate that PECs may well be appropriate for prioritization of pharmaceuticals in the environment when robust and local data on the system of interest are available and reflective of most source inputs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2823-2832. © 2017 SETAC.

Transcriptomic response of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. roots to ibuprofen

Surface waters in urban areas are contaminated by ibuprofen (IBP), a popular and extensively used anti-inflammatory drug. In this study, we investigated the transcriptomic response in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. roots with the aim of revealing genes that are potentially involved in IBP detoxification and elucidating the effect of IBP on plants. IBP upregulated 63 and downregulated 38 transcripts (p-value < 0.1, fold change ≥2) after 2-day exposure to a 5-µM (1.03 mg/L) concentration of IBP under hydroponic conditions. Although the IBP concentration used in the experiment was highly relative to the concentrations found in rivers and wastewater, the number of genes with transcriptional changes was relatively low. The upregulation of cytochrome P450s, glutathione S-transferases, and UDP-glycosyltransferases indicates the occurrence of IBP oxidation in the first phase, followed by conjugation with glutathione and sugar in the second detoxification phase. ABC transporters could be involved in the transport of IBP and its metabolites. The identification of genes potentially involved in IBP detoxification could be useful in an IBP phytoremediation approach.

Response of gene expression in zebrafish exposed to pharmaceutical mixtures: Implications for environmental risk

Complex mixtures of pharmaceutical chemicals in surface waters indicate potential for mixture effects in aquatic organisms. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether effects on target gene expression and enzymatic activity of individual substances at environmentally relevant concentrations were additive when mixed. Expression of zebrafish cytochrome P4501A (cyp1a) and vitellogenin (vtg) genes as well as activity of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) were analyzed after exposure (96h) to caffeine-Caf, ibuprofen-Ibu, and carbamazepine-Cbz (0.05 and 5µM), tamoxifen-Tmx (0.003 and 0.3µM), and after exposure to pharmaceutical mixtures (low mix: 0.05µM of Caf, Ibu, Cbz and 0.003µM of Tmx, and high mix: 5µM of Caf, Ibu, Cbz and 0.3µM of Tmx). Pharmaceuticals tested individually caused significant down regulation of both cyp1a and vtg, but EROD activity was not affected. Exposure to low mix did not cause a significant change in gene expression; however, the high mix caused significant up-regulation of cyp1a but did not affect vtg expression. Up-regulation of cyp1a was consistent with induction of EROD activity in larvae exposed to high mix. The complex mixture induced different responses than those observed by the individual substances. Additive toxicity was not supported, and results indicate the need to evaluate complex mixtures rather than models based on individual effects, since in environment drugs are not found in isolation and the effects of their mixtures is poorly understood.

Environmental risk assessment of effluents as a whole emerging contaminant: Efficiency of alternative tertiary treatments for wastewater depuration

Emerging contaminants (ECs) and regulated compounds (RCs) from three different WWTP effluents were measured in the current study. The efficiency of two tertiary treatments, Photobiotreatment (PhtBio) and Multi-Barrier Treatment (MBT), for removing contaminants was determined. Results indicated different percentages of removal depending on the treatment and the origin of the effluent. Risk Quotients (RQs) were determined for different species of algae, Daphnia, and fish. RQ results revealed diverse risk values depending on the bioindicator species. Tonalide, galaxolide (fragrances), and ofloxacin (antibiotic) were the most persistent and harmful substances in tested effluents. "Negligible risk" category was reached since a wide diversity of ECs were removed by MBT with high removal percentages. Contrarily, PhtBio was effective only in the depuration of certain chemical compounds, and its efficiency depended on the composition of the raw effluent.

Occurrence, removal, and risk assessment of antibiotics in 12 wastewater treatment plants from Dalian, China

In this study, the occurrence and removal efficiencies of 31 antibiotics, including 11 sulfonamides (SAs), five fluoroquinolones (FQs), four macrolides (MLs), four tetracyclines (TCs), three chloramphenicols (CAPs), and four other antibiotics (Others), were investigated in 12 municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Dalian, China. A total of 29 antibiotics were detected in wastewater samples with the concentration ranging from 63.6 to 5404.6 ng/L. FQs and SAs were the most abundant antibiotic classes in most wastewater samples, accounting for 42.2 and 23.9% of total antibiotic concentrations, respectively, followed by TCs (16.0%) and MLs (14.8%). Sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, ofloxacin, and norfloxacin were the most frequently detected antibiotics; of these, the concentration of ofloxacin was the highest in most of influent (average concentration = 609.8 ng/L) and effluent (average concentration = 253.4 ng/L) samples. The removal efficiencies varied among WWTPs in the range of -189.9% (clarithromycin) to 100% (enoxacin, doxycycline, etc), and more than 50% of antibiotics could not be efficiently removed with the removal efficiency less than 65%. An environmental risk assessment was also performed in the WWTP effluents by calculating the risk quotient (RQ), and high RQ values (>1) indicated erythromycin and clarithromycin might cause the ecological risk on organisms in surrounding water near discharge point of WWTPs in this area, which warrants further attention.

Products of methotrexate during chlorination

Methotrexate (MTX) is a cytotoxic drug widely used in the treatment of tumors, autoimmune diseases and severe asthma. jen00883This drug has been frequently detected in the aquatic environment with concentrations up to μg/L levels. The MTX present in environmental water might be transformed and removed during chlorination disinfection treatment. In this work, the fate of MTX during aqueous chlorination was investigated in laboratory batch experiments, and the transformation products of MTX were identified. Aqueous solutions of MTX (1mg/L) were chlorinated by sodium hypochlorite solution at room temperature under neutral pH conditions. Chlorinated products were pre-concentrated with solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges and determined by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). The reaction of MTX chlorination exhibited pseudo-first-order kinetics and the half-life time of MTX degradation was calculated to be 1.65min, when the initial chlorine concentration was 2mg/L. Two chlorinated MTX congeners, 4-amino-3-chlorinated-N10-methylpteroylglutamic (monochloro-MTX) and 4-amino-3,5-dichloro-N10-methylpteroylglutamic (dichloro-MTX) were found in the chlorinated solution. Monochloro-MTX was successfully fractionated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and its structure was further identified using ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. The presence of the two products in real hospital wastewater was then examined and both compounds were detected. Finally, the effects of MTX and monochloro-MTX on the cell cycle progression in vitro were evaluated using zebrafish liver cell line. It was found that both compounds could inhibit the proliferation of zebrafish liver cells through S phase arrest and their effects on the cell cycle profile had no significant difference.

Correlation between degradation pathway and toxicity of acetaminophen and its by-products by using the electro-Fenton process in aqueous media

The evolution of the degradation by-products of an acetaminophen (ACE) solution was monitored by HPLC-UV/MS and IC in parallel with its ecotoxicity (Vibrio fischeri 81.9%, Microtox^® screening tests) during electro-Fenton (EF) oxidation performed on carbon felt. The aromatic compounds 2-hydroxy-4-(N-acetyl) aminophenol, 1,4-benzoquinone, benzaldehyde and benzoic acid were identified as toxic sub-products during the first stage of the electrochemical treatment, whereas aliphatic short-chain carboxylic acids (oxalic, maleic, oxamic, formic, acetic and fumaric acids) and inorganic ions (ammonium and nitrate) were well identified as non-toxic terminal sub-products. Electrogenerated hydroxyl radicals then converted the eco-toxic and bio-refractory property of initial ACE molecule (500 mL, 1 mM) and subsequent aromatic sub-products into non-toxic compounds after 2 h of EF treatment. The toxicity of every intermediate produced during the mineralization of ACE was quantified, and a relationship was established between the degradation pathway of ACE and the global toxicity evolution of the solution. After 8 h of treatment, a total organic carbon removal of 86.9% could be reached for 0.1 mM ACE at applied current of 500 mA with 0.2 mM of Fe²⁺ used as catalyst.

Adsorption behavior and mechanism of ibuprofen onto BiOCl microspheres with exposed {001} facets

BiOCl microspheres with exposed {001} facets have been synthesized through a simple solvothermal method. The adsorption and photocatalytic activities of BiOCl microspheres were evaluated by removal of ibuprofen (IBP) as the model reaction. Parameters including IBP concentration, BiOCl dosage, and inorganic ions were investigated to reveal the role of adsorption in BiOCl-based photocatalysis. We found that the high IBP removal rate by BiOCl is not due to photocatalytic oxidation but to surface adsorption. The combination of ICP/MS, IC, XPS, and FT-IR results directly proved that anion exchange between dissociated IBP and Cl accompanied by the formation of surface complex (O-Bi-OOC-C₁₂H₁₇) onto the BiOCl surface is the main adsorption mechanism. In addition, we also demonstrated that organic compounds with carboxyl group (-COOH) such as diclofenac, benzoic acid, and p-phthalic acid can be adsorbed by BiOCl while organic compounds without carboxyl group such as carbamazepine, nitrobenzene, and p-chloronitrobenzene cannot be adsorbed. We believe that the BiOCl adsorption behavior and mechanism should be considered when discussing its photocatalytic mechanism.

Occurrence and distribution of antibiotics in multiple environmental media of the East River (Dongjiang) catchment, South China

The occurrence and distribution of 11 antibiotics in multiple environmental media including river water, suspended particle, sediment, and soil of the East River catchment, South China, were systematically characterized from multiple spatial (area and point) and temporal (seasonal variation and diurnal variation) scales. The results indicated that six to eight antibiotics were detected in these media. The predominant antibiotics and their concentrations varied with environment media because of the varied contamination sources, physicochemical properties of antibiotics, and media. For their spatial distribution, the river environment including water phase, suspended particles, and sediments showed a similar feature with the rule of C _delta > C _{lower reach} > C _{middle reach}, which may be related to the industrial level and population density. However, the antibiotics in the soils showed a close relationship with the land use types. A diurnal variation of antibiotics at river sections was mainly affected by the tidal change and diurnal domestic sewage discharge feature. Source analysis indicated that domestic sewage was the main source for antibiotic contamination in the river, while irrigation and fertilization using river water and animal wastes were the main reasons for antibiotic contamination in the soils. However, antibiotics may be redistributed in different media in a catchment.

Pharmaceuticals in a temperate forest-water reuse system

Forest-water reuse systems infiltrate municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastewaters through forest soils to shallow aquifers that ultimately discharge to surface waters. Their ability to mitigate regulated nutrients, metals, and organic chemicals is well known, but the fate of non-regulated chemicals in these systems is largely unstudied. This study quantified 33 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in soils, groundwaters, and surface waters in a 2000-hectare forest that receives ~1200mm/year of secondary-treated, municipal wastewater in addition to natural rainfall (~1300mm/year). This forest-water reuse system does contribute PPCPs to soils, groundwater, and surface waters. PPCPs were more abundant in soils versus underlying groundwater by an order of magnitude (5-10ng/g summed PPCPs in soil and 50-100ng/L in groundwater) and the more hydrophobic chemicals were predominant in soil over water. PPCP concentrations in surface waters were greater at the onset of significant storm events and during low-rainfall periods when total summed PPCPs were >80ng/L, higher than the annual average. With few exceptions, the margins of exposure for PPCPs in groundwater and surface waters were several orders of magnitude above values indicative of human health risk.

Dynamic behavior of hydroxyl radical in sono-photo-Fenton mineralization of synthetic municipal wastewater effluent containing antipyrine

The aim of this study was to examine the kinetics of the different mechanisms (radical pathway, photolysis, molecular reaction with H₂O₂ and reaction with ultrasonically generated oxidative species) involved in the homogeneous sono-photoFenton (US/UV/H₂O₂/Fe) mineralization of antipyrine present in a synthetic municipal wastewater effluent (ASMWE). The dynamic behavior of hydroxyl (HO) radical generation and consumption in mineralization reaction under different systems was investigated by measuring hydroxyl radical concentration during the reaction. The overall mineralization process was optimized using a Central-Composite Experimental Design (CCED) with four variables (initial concentrations of H₂O₂ and Fe(II), amplitude and pulse length). The response functions (pseudo-first order mineralization kinetic rate constants) were fitted using neural networks (NNs). Under the optimal conditions ([H₂O₂]_o=500mgL^-1, [Fe(II)]_o=27mgL^-1, Amplitude (%)=20andPulse length=1), the TOC removal was 79% in 50min. The radical reaction in the bulk solution was found be the primary mineralization pathway (94.8%), followed by photolysis (3.65%), direct reaction with H₂O₂ (0.86%), and reaction by ultrasonically generated oxidative species (0.64%). The role of the Fe catalyst on the radical reaction and the presence of refractory intermediates towards hydroxyl radical were also studied.

Elimination study of the chemotherapy drug tamoxifen by different advanced oxidation processes: Transformation products and toxicity assessment

Tamoxifen is a chemotherapy drug considered as recalcitrant contaminant (with low biodegradability in conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment), bioaccumulative, ubiquitous, and potentially hazardous for the environment. This work studies the removal of Tamoxifen from water by advanced oxidation processes, paying special attention to the formation of transformation products (TPs) and to the evolution of toxicity (using the Microtox^® bioassay) during the oxidation processes. Five types of treatments were evaluated combining different technologies based on ozone, hydrogen peroxide and UV radiation: i) O₃, ii) O₃/UV, iii) O₃/H₂O₂ (peroxone), iv) UV and v) UV/H₂O₂. Complete removal of tamoxifen was achieved after 30 min for all the treatments carried out with O₃ while a residual concentration (about 10% of initial one) was observed in the treatments based on UV and UV/H₂O₂ after 4 h of reaction. Eight TPs were tentatively identified and one (non-ionizable molecule) was suspected to be present by using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry. An increase of toxicity was observed during all the oxidation processes. In the case of ozone-based treatments that increase was attributed to the presence of some of the TPs identified, whereas in the case of UV-based treatments there was no clear correlation between toxicity and the identified TPs.

Chronic diclofenac exposure affects gill integrity and pituitary gene expression and displays estrogenic activity in nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Oreochromis niloticus has been exposed to diclofenac (DCF), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug prevalent in the aquatic environment, for 80 days post-hatch (dph). Concentrations ranged from environmentally relevant (0.1 μg L^-1 and 1 μg L^-1 DCF) up to 100-fold thereof. Population relevant endpoints (hatching, survival, growth) as well as gill histopathology were analyzed. On this level of examination only gills exhibited mild to moderate alterations. On the contrary, biomarkers associated with reproduction were affected due to DCF exposure, indicating the potential to affect sexual differentiation and gametogenesis by acting as an estrogenic endocrine disrupting compound (EDC) in tilapia. Vitellogenin (VTG) gene expression was significantly induced at 1 μg L^-1 DCF. In order to find an explanation, gene expression patterns of key enzymes of the biotransformation phases I, II, and III have been analyzed. It seems very likely that the detoxification metabolism is induced in a dose dependent manner at higher concentrations of DCF leading to the expression pattern of VTG mRNA. Our results suggest that DCF at environmentally relevant concentrations adversely affects O. niloticus gill histopathology and pituitary gene expression, and has the potential to act as an estrogenic EDC. The sensitivity of various endpoints, however, differs and therefore these endpoints should be linked.

Do pharmaceuticals reach and affect the aquatic ecosystems in Brazil? A critical review of current studies in a developing country

Pharmaceutical residues are not completely removed in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) becoming contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. Thereby, it is important to investigate their concentrations in the environment and the possible consequences of their occurrence, including for human health. Here, we briefly reviewed the paths of pharmaceuticals to reach the environment, their behavior and fate in the environment, and the possible consequences of their occurrence. Moreover, we synthetized all the studies about the detection of pharmaceuticals in Brazilian water bodies and the available ecotoxicological knowledge on their effects. In this study, when we compare the data found on these compounds worldwide, we observed that Brazilian surface waters present considerable concentrations of 17α-ethinylestradiol, 17β-estradiol, and caffeine. In general, concentrations found in aquatic systems worldwide seems to be low; however, ecotoxicological tests showed that even these low concentrations can cause sublethal effects in biota. The knowledge about the effects of continuous exposure and mixtures is sparse. In summary, new research is urgently required about the effects of these compounds in biota-including long-term exposition and mixture tests-and on specific technologies to remove these compounds in water bodies and WWTPs, besides the introduction of new policies for pharmaceutical use.

Occurrence and attenuation of pharmaceuticals and their transformation products in rivers impacted by sewage treatment plants

Pharmaceuticals and transformation products were attenuated in the wastewater-impacted river, and environment conditions influenced the attenuation process.

Whole-organism and biomarker endpoints in Daphnia magna show uncoupling of oxidative stress and endocrine disruption in phenolic derivatives

During the past century, the amount of chemicals released into water bodies has increased, with particular emphasis being attributed to xenobiotics with endocrine disruption properties and/or pro-oxidant effects. Among these, it is possible to identify a specific chemical class, alkylphenols, which are of widespread use, and include a variety of chemicals with multiple uses. Bisphenol A is an important chemical used in industrial production of plastics, and has been extensively described as an endocrine disruptor. Paracetamol is a pharmaceutical compound used in human medicine, known for its therapeutic action but also for its evident pro-oxidant features. Additionally, previous studies have suggested that paracetamol may also exert endocrine disruption. The main goal of this study was to assess the effects of both paracetamol and bisphenol A as endocrine disruptors, and as promoters of oxidative stress and damage, on the freshwater microcrustacean Daphnia magna. The obtained results showed that bisphenol A was capable of altering population traits of exposed organisms, by impairing molting. On the contrary, paracetamol was not causative of any significant change in this parameter, despite having caused extensive oxidative stress.

Monitoring of emerging pollutants in Guadiamar River basin (South of Spain): analytical method, spatial distribution and environmental risk assessment

Guadiamar River is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula and connects two protected areas in the South of Spain: Sierra Morena and Doñana National Park. It is sited in an area affected by urban, industrial and agriculture sewage pollution and with tradition on intensive mining activities. Most of the studies performed in this area have been mainly focused on the presence of heavy metals and, until now, little is known about the occurrence of other contaminants such as emerging organic pollutants (EOPs). In this work, an analytical method has been optimized and validated for monitoring of forty-seven EOPs in surface water. The analytical method has been applied to study the distribution and environmental risk of these pollutants in Guadiamar River basin. The analytical method was based on solid-phase extraction and determination by liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry. The 60 % of the target compounds were found in the analyzed samples. The highest concentrations were found for two plasticizers (bisphenol A and di(2-ethyhexyl)phthalate, mean concentration up to 930 ng/L) and two pharmaceutical compounds (caffeine (up to 623 ng/L) and salicylic acid (up to 318 ng/L)). This study allowed to evaluate the potential sources (industrial or urban) of the studied compounds and the spatial distribution of their concentrations along the river. Environmental risk assessment showed a major risk on the south of the river, mainly due to discharges of wastewater effluents.

Approaches for predicting effects of unintended environmental exposure to an endocrine active pharmaceutical, tamoxifen

Tamoxifen is an endocrine-active pharmaceutical (EAP) that is used world-wide. Because tamoxifen is a ubiquitous pharmaceutical and interacts with estrogen receptors, a case study was conducted with this compound to (1) determine effects on reproductive endpoints in a nontarget species (i.e., a fish), (2) compare biologically-active metabolites across species, (3) assess whether in vitro assays predict in vivo results, and (4) investigate metabolomic profiles in tamoxifen-treated fish to better understand the biological mechanisms of tamoxifen toxicity. In reproductive assays, tamoxifen exposure caused a significant reduction in egg production and significantly increased ovarian aromatase activity in spawning adult cunner fish (Tautogolabrus adspersus). In plasma from tamoxifen-exposed cunner, the predominant metabolite was 4-hydroxytamoxifen, while in rats it was N-desmethyltamoxifen. Because 4-hydroxytamoxifen is a more biologically active metabolite than N-desmethyltamoxifen, this difference could result in a different level of risk for the two species. The results of in vitro assays with fish hepatic microsomes to assess tamoxifen metabolism did not match in vivo results, indicating probable differences in excretion of tamoxifen metabolites in fish compared with rats. For the first time, a complete in vitro characterization of the metabolism of tamoxifen using fish microsomes is presented. Furthermore, a metabolomic investigation of cunner gonad extracts demonstrates that tamoxifen alters the biochemical profile in this nontarget species. Understanding the consequence of tamoxifen exposure in nontarget species, and assessing the discrepancies between sex- and species-mediated endpoints, is a step toward understanding how to accurately assess the risks posed by EAPs, such as tamoxifen, in the aquatic environment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1834-1850, 2016.

Biological hazard evaluation of a pharmaceutical effluent before and after a photo-Fenton treatment

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological hazard of a pharmaceutical effluent before and after treatment. For the former, the determined 96h-LC50 value was 1.2%. The photo-Fenton treatment catalyzed with an iron-pillared clay reduced this parameter by 341.7%. Statistically significant increases with respect to the control group (P<0.05) were observed at 12, 24, 48 and 72h in HPC (50.2, 30.4, 66.9 and 43.3%), LPX (22, 83.2, 62.7 and 59.5%) and PCC (14.6, 23.6, 24.4 and 25.6%) and antioxidant enzymes SOD (29.4, 38.5, 32.7 and 49.5%) and CAT (48.4, 50.3, 38.8 and 46.1%) in Hyalella azteca before treatment. Also increases in damage index were observed before treatment of 53.1, 59.9, 66.6 and 72.1% at 12, 24, 48 and 72h, respectively. After treatment the same biomarkers of oxidative stress decreased with respect to before treatment being to HPC (29.3, 22.5, 41.6 and 31.7%); LPX (14.2, 43.1, 30.7 and 35.5%); PCC (12.6, 21.3, 24.2 and 23.9%); SOD (39.2, 33.9, 49.5 and 37.9%) and CAT (28.6, 35.8, 33.7 and 31.7) at 12, 24, 48 and 72h, respectively (P<0.05). The damage index were decreased at 12, 24, 48 and 72h in 48.9, 57.8, 67.3 and 72.1%, respectively. In conclusion, the obtained results demonstrate the need of performing bioassays in order to characterize an effluent before discharge and not base such a decision only upon current normativity. In addition, it was also concluded that the heterogeneous photo-Fenton process decreases the presence of PCT, oxidative stress, genotoxic damage and LC50 in Hyalella azteca.

Effects of doping amounts of potassium ferricyanide with titanium dioxide and calcination durations on visible-light degradation of pharmaceuticals

Acetaminophen (ACT) is one of the most frequently detected pharmaceuticals in aqueous environments, and treatment of ACT were generally carried out by photocatalytic degradations under high energy UV irradiation. In this study, potassium ferricyanide was utilized as a quadruple-elemental dopant in a TiO₂ photocatalyst in order to enhance its visible-light activity. Two critical parameters (amounts of dopants and durations of calcination) of the synthesis of the photocatalyst by a sol-gel method were systematically evaluated. Crystal structure of the doping TiO₂ was examined by X-ray diffraction while the effects of the two parameters on the photocatalytic activity were elucidated by various characterizations. Increasing the amount of dopant or the duration of calcination red-shifted the UV-vis DRS of the doped TiO₂. The estimated band gap energy of the doped TiO₂ decreased slightly as the amount of dopant increased, but it increased as the duration of calcination increased. The FT-IR yielded characteristic peaks that revealed the effects of the two parameters, whereas the SEM images revealed the morphological evolutions of each effect. The photocatalyst, synthesized at optimum conditions was able to remove 99.1 % acetaminophen with rate constant of 7.9 × 10^-3 min^-1, which was 4.88 times greater than virgin TiO₂. In general, this study not only optimized synthetic conditions of the new visible-light active photocatalyst for ACT degradation but also presented characterizations conducted by SEM, XRD, UV-vis DRS, and FTIR to elucidate the relationship between modified structure and the photocatalytic activity. Graphical abstract Effects of doping amounts of K₃[Fe(CN)₆] and calcunation duration on visible light absorbance of TiO₂ photocatalysts.

Morpho-physiological response of Populus alba to erythromycin: A timeline of the health status of the plant

Populus alba Villafranca clone was chosen for a proof of concept study to determine the potential uptake and accumulation of antibiotics by trees. Plants were grown hydroponically and irrigated with a recirculating Hoagland's nutrient solution (control) and Hoagland's nutrient solution fortified with erythromycin at 0.01, 0.1 and 1mgL(-1). After 3 and 28days of treatment, poplar plants were separated into roots, stem, and leaves. Plants showed good health all over the period of treatment, and no differences in poplar growth for all the concentrations of erythromycin tested were observed. Quantification of erythromycin was performed using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in positive ion mode using multiple reaction ion monitoring. Erythromycin was detected in all organs analyzed. Roots showed an erythromycin concentration tenfold higher than leaves. The photochemical efficiency of photosystem II did not show a dose-dependant trend. From the quenching analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence, low nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) and high photochemical quenching (qP) for the first week of erythromycin exposure was observed, depending on leaves position along the stem. Results suggest a short term adaptation of the photosynthetic apparatus of Populus alba in response to environmental realistic erythromycin concentrations.

Effects of soil moisture depletion on vegetable crop uptake of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs)

Agricultural crops have a long history of being irrigated with recycled wastewater (RW). However, its use on vegetable crops has been of concern due to the potential prevalence of microcontaminants, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the latter, which represents a possible health hazard to consumers. We investigated the uptake of three PPCPs (atenolol, diclofenac, and ofloxacin), at three different concentrations in irrigation water (0.5, 5, and 25 μg L^-1) in relation to three varying volumetric soil moisture depletion levels of 14 % (-4.26 kPa), 10 % (-8.66 kPa), and 7 % (-18.37 kPa) by various vegetable crop species. Experiments were conducted in a split-split block completely randomized design. PPCPs were extracted using a developed method of accelerated solvent extraction and solid phase extraction and analyzed via liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS). Results indicate that all treated crops were capable of PPCP uptake at nanogram per gram concentrations independent of the applied soil moisture depletion levels and PPCP concentrations. Ofloxacin was the chemical with the highest uptake amounts, followed by atenolol and then diclofenac. Although the results were not statistically significant, higher concentrations of PPCPs were detected in plants maintained under higher soil moisture levels of 14 % (-4.26 kPa).

Behavior, preferences, and willingness to pay for measures aimed at preventing pollution by pharmaceuticals and personal care products in China

The release of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) into the environment has been held up as a potential threat to ecosystem and human health. Using a custom-designed survey of residents living in Xiamen, China, this paper examines individuals' disposal practices, awareness of the environmental impact of PPCPs, and willingness to pay for measures aimed at reducing the likelihood of PPCPs being released into the environment. The vast majority of respondents report that they dispose of PPCPs through the thrash. The results of a contingent valuation experiment suggest a substantial willingness to pay (WTP) for policy measures aimed at reducing PPCP pollution. Income as well as subjective perceptions relating to overall financial health, expenditure on PPCPs, and overall concern with environmental issues emerged as significant predictors of respondents' WTP. Our results should be of interest to policymakers looking for ways to mitigate the introduction of PPCPs in the environment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:793-800. © 2015 SETAC.

Paracetamol biodegradation by activated sludge and photocatalysis and its removal by a micelle-clay complex, activated charcoal, and reverse osmosis membranes

Kinetic studies on the stability of the pain killer paracetamol in Al-Quds activated sludge demonstrated that paracetamol underwent biodegradation within less than one month to furnish p-aminophenol in high yields. Characterizations of bacteria contained in Al-Quds sludge were accomplished. It was found that Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the bacterium most responsible for the biodegradation of paracetamol to p-aminophenol and hydroquinone. Batch adsorptions of paracetamol and its biodegradation product (p-aminophenol) by activated charcoal and a composite micelle (octadecyltrimethylammonium)-clay (montmorillonite) were determined at 25°C. Adsorption was adequately described by a Langmuir isotherm, and indicated better efficiency of removal by the micelle-clay complex. The ability of bench top reverse osmosis (RO) plant as well as advanced membrane pilot plant to remove paracetamol was also studied at different water matrixes to test the effect of organic matter composition. The results showed that at least 90% rejection was obtained by both plants. In addition, removal of paracetamol from RO brine was investigated by using photocatalytic processes; optimal conditions were found to be acidic or basic pH, in which paracetamol degraded in less than 5 min. Toxicity studies indicated that the effluent and brine were not toxic except for using extra low energy membrane which displayed a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC-50) value of 80%.

Reversible Trapping of Functional Molecules at Interfaces Using Diazonium Salts Chemistry

Developing thin polymeric films for trapping, releasing, delivering, and sensing molecules is important for many applications in chemistry, biotechnology, and environment. Hence, a facile and scalable technique for loading specific molecules on surfaces would rapidly translate into applications. This work presents a novel method for the trapping of functional molecules at interfaces by exploiting diazonium salt chemistry. We demonstrate the efficiency of this approach by trapping two different molecules, 4-nitrobenzophenone and paracetamol, within polycarboxyphenyl layers grafted on gold and glassy carbon (GC) and by releasing them in acidic medium. The former molecule was chosen as a proof of concept for its electrochemical and spectroscopic properties, and the latter one was selected as an example of a pharmaceutical molecule. Advantages of the present approach rely on the simplicity, rapidity, and efficiency of the procedure for the reversible, on demand, trapping and release of functional molecules.

Sub-lethal effects and bioconcentration of the human pharmaceutical clotrimazole in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The aim of this study was to characterize biomarker responses, haematological profiles, structural changes and uptake in juvenile rainbow trout exposed to clotrimazole (CLO) at three concentrations (0.01 - [lowest environmentally relevant concentration], 1.0 [highest environmentally relevant concentration] and 10 μg L(-1)) in a semi-static system over a period of 42 days. Antioxidant defence enzymes, which responded to CLO exposure, changed the oxidative stress status of cells, but no differences were observed in lipid peroxidation. Clotrimazole triggered a biphasic response of CYP3A-like activity in liver microsomes, which may indicate a detoxification process in the liver. Histopathological alterations were most pronounced in kidneys and testes in the group exposed to 10 μg L(-1). Structural changes in the kidney included tubulonephrosis and hyaline droplet degeneration in the tubular epithelial cells. The relative proportions of germ cells in testes were changed: The number of spermatozoa was reduced, and the spermatogonia and spermatocytes were increased. The highest CLO concentration was detected in fish liver (3710 ng per gram wet tissue) and kidney (4280 ng per gram wet tissue). Depuration half-life was estimated to be 72, 159, and 682 h in liver, muscle, and kidney, respectively. Taken together, these results provide valuable toxicological data on the effects of CLO on aquatic non-target organisms, which could be useful for further understanding of the potential risks in the real aquatic environment.