1
|
Sandré F, Moilleron R, Morin C, Garrigue-Antar L. Comprehensive analysis of a widely pharmaceutical, furosemide, and its degradation products in aquatic systems: Occurrence, fate, and ecotoxicity. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 348:123799. [PMID: 38527585 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Many pharmaceutical compounds end up in the environment due to incomplete removal by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Some compounds are sometimes present in significant concentrations and therefore represent a risk to the aquatic environment. Furosemide is one of the most widely used drugs in the world. Considered as an essential drug by the World Health Organization, this powerful loop diuretic is used extensively to treat hypertension, heart and kidney failure and many other purposes. However, this important consumption also results in a significant release of furosemide in wastewater and in the receiving environment where concentrations of a few hundred ng/L to several thousand have been found in the literature, making furosemide a compound of great concern. Also, during its transport in wastewater systems and WWTPs, furosemide can be degraded by various processes resulting in the production of more than 74 by-products. Furosemide may therefore present a significant risk to ecosystem health due not only to its direct cytotoxic, genotoxic and hepatotoxic effects in animals, but also indirectly through its transformation products, which are poorly characterized. Many articles classify furosemide as a priority pollutant according to its occurrence in the environment, its persistence, its elimination by WWTPs, its toxicity and ecotoxicity. Here, we present a state-of-the-art review of this emerging pollutant of interest, tracking it, from its consumption to its fate in the aquatic environment. Discussion points include the occurrence of furosemide in various matrices, the efficiency of many processes for the degradation of furosemide, the subsequent production of degradation products following these treatments, as well as their toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fidji Sandré
- Leesu, Univ Paris Est Creteil, Ecole des Ponts, Creteil, F-94010, France
| | - Régis Moilleron
- Leesu, Univ Paris Est Creteil, Ecole des Ponts, Creteil, F-94010, France
| | - Christophe Morin
- Leesu, Univ Paris Est Creteil, Ecole des Ponts, Creteil, F-94010, France; IUT - Sénart Fontainebleau, 36 Rue Georges Charpak, 77567, Lieusaint, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Yang Y, Zhang X, Jiang J, Han J, Li W, Li X, Yee Leung KM, Snyder SA, Alvarez PJJ. Which Micropollutants in Water Environments Deserve More Attention Globally? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:13-29. [PMID: 34932308 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 65.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Increasing chemical pollution of aquatic environments is a growing concern with global relevance. A large number of organic chemicals are termed as "micropollutants" due to their low concentrations, and long-term exposure to micropollutants may pose considerable risks to aquatic organisms and human health. In recent decades, numerous treatment methods and technologies have been proposed to remove micropollutants in water, and typically several micropollutants were chosen as target pollutants to evaluate removal efficiencies. However, it is often unclear whether their toxicity and occurrence levels and frequencies enable them to contribute significantly to the overall chemical pollution in global aquatic environments. This review intends to answer an important lingering question: Which micropollutants or class of micropollutants deserve more attention globally and should be removed with higher priority? Different risk-based prioritization approaches were used to address this question. The risk quotient (RQ) method was found to be a feasible approach to prioritize micropollutants in a large scale due to its relatively simple assessment procedure and extensive use. A total of 83 prioritization case studies using the RQ method in the past decade were compiled, and 473 compounds that were selected by screening 3466 compounds of three broad classes (pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), pesticides, and industrial chemicals) were found to have risks (RQ > 0.01). To determine the micropollutants of global importance, we propose an overall risk surrogate, that is, the weighted average risk quotient (WARQ). The WARQ integrates the risk intensity and frequency of micropollutants in global aquatic environments to achieve a more comprehensive priority determination. Through metadata analysis, we recommend a ranked list of 53 micropollutants, including 36 PPCPs (e.g., sulfamethoxazole and ibuprofen), seven pesticides (e.g., heptachlor and diazinon), and 10 industrial chemicals (e.g., perfluorooctanesulfonic acid and 4-nonylphenol) for risk management and remediation efforts. One caveat is that the ranked list of global importance does not consider transformation products of micropollutants (including disinfection byproducts) and new forms of pollutants (including antibiotic resistance genes and microplastics), and this list of global importance may not be directly applicable to a specific region or country. Also, it needs mentioning that there might be no best answer toward this question, and hopefully this review can act as a small step toward a better answer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Xiangru Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Jingyi Jiang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Jiarui Han
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Wanxin Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Kenneth Mei Yee Leung
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong China
| | - Shane A Snyder
- Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One, #06-08, 637141, Singapore
| | - Pedro J J Alvarez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Li D, Chen H, Liu H, Schlenk D, Mu J, Lacorte S, Ying GG, Xie L. Anticancer drugs in the aquatic ecosystem: Environmental occurrence, ecotoxicological effect and risk assessment. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 153:106543. [PMID: 33813231 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Anticancer drugs are a group of therapeutic agents used to enhance cell death in targeted cell types of neoplasia. Because of frequent use and eventual discharge, they have been often detected in wastewater from pharmaceutical factories and hospitals, domestic wastewater, and surface waters. The occurrence of these drugs in aquatic ecosystems and their effects on aquatic organisms have been poorly characterized. This review focuses on the global occurrence of major classes of anticancer drugs in water and sediments of freshwater ecosystems and their ecotoxicological effects at different biological levels. While the availability of data is fairly limited, concentrations of most anticancer drugs range from < 2 ng/L to 762 µg/L in receiving water, while levels in sediments and sludge vary from 0.25 to 42.5 µg/kg. Their detection frequencies were 58%, 52% (78%) and 59% in hospital wastewater, wastewater treatment plant effluents (influents) and surface water, respectively. Predicted log Kow values of vincristine, imatinib mesylate and tamoxifen are higher than 3 and have estimated half-lives>60 d in waters using quantitative structure-activity relationship models, indicating high potential for persistence and bioaccumulation. Based on a species sensitivity distribution evaluation of 9 compounds, crustaceans are most sensitive to anticancer drugs. The most hazardous compound is cisplatin which has a hazard concentration at the 5th percentile. For Daphnia magna, the acute toxicities of major classes of anticancer drugs are ranked as platinum complexes > endocrine therapy agents > antibiotics > antimetabolite agents > alkylating agents. Using hazard quotient analysis based primarily on the lowest observed effect concentrations (LOECs), cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, imatinib mesylate, bicalutamide, etoposide and paclitaxel have the highest hazard for aquatic organisms. Further research is needed to identify appropriate chronic endpoints for risk assessment thresholds as well as to better understand the mechanisms of action and the potential multigenerational toxicity, and trophic transfer in ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Hongxing Chen
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Hongsong Liu
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Daniel Schlenk
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92507, USA
| | - Jingli Mu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Functional Marine Sensing Materials, Institute of Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Silvia Lacorte
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Guang-Guo Ying
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Lingtian Xie
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Olalla A, Moreno L, Valcárcel Y. Prioritisation of emerging contaminants in the northern Antarctic Peninsula based on their environmental risk. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 742:140417. [PMID: 32629248 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Although Antarctica is protected and human activity is restricted exclusively to scientific research, with numerous restrictions on tourism, the steadily increasing human presence appears to be having a marked impact on terrestrial and aquatic, especially marine, ecosystems. Evidence of this excessive presence can be seen from the recent detection of contaminants linked to human activity in locations that should be considered to be untouched. The aim of this study is to determine the environmental risk present on the Antarctic Peninsula due to the 54 emerging contaminants linked to human presence previously detected and reported in previous studies published in leading scientific journals. The substances analysed belong to the group of drugs/medicines of abuse, endocrine disruptors, pyrethroids, perfluorinated compounds and sunscreens. The environmental risk was determined for all substances detected by calculating the hazard quotient (HQ) following the guidelines established by the European Union. An HQ value higher than 10 was taken to represent a high environmental risk. In the group of drugs/medicines of abuse, a high risk was detected for two analgesics, namely acetaminophen and diclofenac, and the anti-inflammatory ibuprofen. Although the risk detected was considered to be medium, the presence of the antibiotic clarithromycin, one of the substances included in the EU's current watch list for emerging contaminants, should be noted. In the group of endocrine disruptors, the high risk posed by the metabolite nonylphenol diethoxylate, which is higher than that for its parent compound nonylphenol, should be noted. In the group of pyrethroids/sunscreens/perfluorinated compounds, two pyrethroids, namely bifenthrin and cyhalothrin, were found to pose a high environmental risk. We propose the need to establish a monitoring system for emerging contaminants linked to human presence on the Antarctic Peninsula similar to the watch list found in the EU Water Framework Directive. Subsequently, an environmental monitoring plan based on individual ecotoxicological studies with the substances concerned, and analysing their possible synergic effects, should be implemented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Olalla
- Health and Environment Risk Assessment Group, (RiSAMA), University Rey Juan Carlos, Avda Tulipán sn, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.
| | - L Moreno
- Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME), C/Ríos Rosas 23, 28003 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Y Valcárcel
- Health and Environment Risk Assessment Group, (RiSAMA), University Rey Juan Carlos, Avda Tulipán sn, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Specialties and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Avda. Atenas s/n, 28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Reina-García J, Toro-Vélez AF, Peña-Varón MR, Olaya-Ochoa J, Figueroa-Casas A. Methodological design for the macro-location of a micropollutants monitoring network in tropical rivers: a case study in Cauca River. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2020; 192:205. [PMID: 32124068 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-8154-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Establishing scientifically the macro-location of a micropollutants monitoring network in tropical Andean rivers is a complex process, because information gathering is restricted by high-cost of analysis and limited availability of analytical techniques, which lead to inadequate sampling strategies that hinder the representativeness of samples. Thus, this work proposes a methodology for determining the number of representative sampling sections in a micropollutant monitoring network to characterise the ecological risk in tropical Andean torrential rivers. The proposed methodology consists of four stages: identification of the potential sampling units by Spline interpolation; calculation of the number of representative sections for a stratified sampling with an acceptable level of confidence and error; spatial allocation of the potential sampling units into sections by hierarchical cluster analysis; and representation of the spatial distribution of the sampling sections through a geographic information system (GIS). The proposed methodology is dynamic, and therefore, it can be revisited as more data are obtained in the subsequent years; it has the possibility of being applied to other inter-Andean valley rivers that interact with the tropical Andean sloppy mountains and serves as a tool for decision making by environmental authorities regarding the optimisation of the existing monitoring networks in terms of micropollutants to promote sustainable management of water resources. The proposed methodology is applied in the Upper Cauca River Basin (UCRB), which is located in southwest Colombia, South America.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jhovana Reina-García
- Cinara Institute, Faculty of Engineering, University of Valle, Cali, 76001, Colombia.
| | - Andrés F Toro-Vélez
- Doctorate in Environmental Sciences, University of Cauca, Popayán, 190003, Colombia
| | - Miguel R Peña-Varón
- Cinara Institute, Faculty of Engineering, University of Valle, Cali, 76001, Colombia
| | - Javier Olaya-Ochoa
- School of Statistics, Faculty of Engineering, University of Valle, Cali, 76001, Colombia
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pereira A, Silva L, Laranjeiro C, Lino C, Pena A. Selected Pharmaceuticals in Different Aquatic Compartments: Part I-Source, Fate and Occurrence. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25051026. [PMID: 32106570 PMCID: PMC7179177 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25051026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Potential risks associated with releases of human pharmaceuticals into the environment have become an increasingly important issue in environmental health. This concern has been driven by the widespread detection of pharmaceuticals in all aquatic compartments. Therefore, 22 pharmaceuticals, 6 metabolites and transformation products, belonging to 7 therapeutic groups, were selected to perform a systematic review on their source, fate and occurrence in different aquatic compartments, important issues to tackle the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The results obtained evidence that concentrations of pharmaceuticals are present, in decreasing order, in wastewater influents (WWIs), wastewater effluents (WWEs) and surface waters, with values up to 14 mg L−1 for ibuprofen in WWIs. The therapeutic groups which presented higher detection frequencies and concentrations were anti-inflammatories, antiepileptics, antibiotics and lipid regulators. These results present a broad and specialized background, enabling a complete overview on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic compartments.
Collapse
|
7
|
Górny D, Guzik U, Hupert-Kocurek K, Wojcieszyńska D. Naproxen ecotoxicity and biodegradation by Bacillus thuringiensis B1(2015b) strain. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 167:505-512. [PMID: 30368144 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.10.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
High level of naproxen consumption leads to the appearance of this drug in the environment but its possible effects on non-target organisms together with its biodegradation are not well studied. The aim of this work was to evaluate naproxen ecotoxicity by using the Microbial Assay for Risk Assessment. Moreover, Bacillus thuringiensis B1(2015b) was tested for both ecotoxicity and the ability of this strain to degrade naproxen in cometabolic conditions. The results indicate that the mean value of microbial toxic concentration estimated by MARA test amounts to 1.66 g/L whereas EC50 of naproxen for B1(2015b) strain was 4.69 g/L. At toxic concentration, Bacillus thuringiensis B1(2015b) showed 16:0 iso 3OH fatty acid presence and an increase in the ratio of total saturated to unsaturated fatty acids. High resistance of the examined strain to naproxen correlated with its ability to degrade this drug in cometabolic conditions. The results of bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames test) revealed that naproxen at concentrations above 1 g/L showed genotoxic effect but the response was not dose-dependent. Maximal specific naproxen removal rate was observed at pH 6.5 and 30 °C, and in the presence of 0.5 g/L glucose as a growth substrate. Kinetic analysis allowed estimation of the half saturation constant (Ks) and the maximum specific naproxen removal rate (qmax) as 6.86 mg/L and 1.26 mg/L day, respectively. These results indicate that Bacillus thuringiensis B1(2015b) has a high ability to degrade naproxen and is a potential tool for bioremediation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Górny
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia in Katowice, Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland.
| | - Urszula Guzik
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia in Katowice, Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland.
| | - Katarzyna Hupert-Kocurek
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia in Katowice, Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland.
| | - Danuta Wojcieszyńska
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia in Katowice, Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Guadalupe Martínez-Viveros EM, Islas-Flores H, Dublán-García O, Galar-Martínez M, SanJuan-Reyes N, García-Medina S, Hernández-Navarro MD, Gómez-Oliván LM. Environmentally relevant concentrations of glibenclamide induce oxidative stress in common carp (Cyprinus carpio). CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 197:105-116. [PMID: 29334650 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The hypoglycemic pharmaceutical glibenclamide (GLB) is widely used around the world. This medication is released into the environment by municipal, hospital and industrial wastewater discharges. Although there are reports of its environmental occurrence in the scientific literature, toxicity studies on aquatic species of commercial interest such as the common carp Cyprinus carpio are scarce. The present study aimed to evaluate the oxidative stress induced on C. carpio by environmentally relevant concentrations of GLB. Biomarkers of oxidative damage such as hydroperoxide content, lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl content were evaluated as well as the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase. The concentration of GLB was determined in water as well as in gill, liver, muscle, brain and blood of carp at 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. The findings obtained in the study prove that GLB induces increases in biomarkers of oxidative damage and antioxidant enzyme activity in the teleost C. carpio, that this response is not concentration dependent and that the organs evaluated bioconcentrate this hypoglycemic agent. These findings permit us to conclude that the presence of GLB in water bodies represents a risk for aquatic species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ericka María Guadalupe Martínez-Viveros
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan s/n, Col. Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Hariz Islas-Flores
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan s/n, Col. Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico.
| | - Octavio Dublán-García
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan s/n, Col. Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Marcela Galar-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Acuática, Departamento de Farmacia, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Av. Wilfrido Massieu Esq. Cda. Miguel Stampa s/n, Delegación Gustavo A. Madero. México, DF, C.P.07738, Mexico
| | - Nely SanJuan-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan s/n, Col. Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Sandra García-Medina
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Acuática, Departamento de Farmacia, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Av. Wilfrido Massieu Esq. Cda. Miguel Stampa s/n, Delegación Gustavo A. Madero. México, DF, C.P.07738, Mexico
| | - María Dolores Hernández-Navarro
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan s/n, Col. Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Leobardo Manuel Gómez-Oliván
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan s/n, Col. Residencial Colón, 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Olalla A, Negreira N, López de Alda M, Barceló D, Valcárcel Y. A case study to identify priority cytostatic contaminants in hospital effluents. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 190:417-430. [PMID: 29024886 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.09.129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
This study analyses the presence of 17 cytostatic agents from seven different groups, based on their different mechanisms of action, in the effluent from a medium-sized hospital located in eastern Spain. Analysis of the compounds found in the effluents studied involved solidphase extraction (SPE) coupled on-line to a high performance liquid chromatograph tandem mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS/MS). The environmental risk of the compounds studied was then assessed by calculating the hazard quotient (HQ), combining the measured environmental concentrations (MECs) with dose-response data based on the predicted no effect concentrations (PNECs). In addition, the environmental hazard associated was evaluated in accordance with their intrinsic characteristics by calculating the PBT (Persistence Bioaccumulation Toxicity) index. The results of this study showed the presence of seven of the 17 compounds analysed in a range of between 25 and 4761 ng/L. The highest concentrations corresponded to ifosfamide (58-4761 ng/L), methotrexate (394-4756 ng/L) and cyclophosphamide (46-3000 ng/L). Assessment of the environmental hazard showed that the three hormonal agents (tamoxifen and its metabolites endoxifen and hydroxytamoxifen) exhibited a maximum PBT value of 9 due to their inherent harm to the environment resulting from their characteristics of persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity. A combined evaluation of the risk and environmental hazard showed that three of the 17 compounds studied, namely, ifosfamide, imatinib and irinotecan, all of which exhibited HQ values higher than 10 and PBT indices of 6, indicative of a particularly high potential to harm the environment, deserve special attention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Olalla
- Research Group in Environmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment (TAyER), Rey Juan Carlos University, Avda Tulipán. s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.
| | - N Negreira
- Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Avda, Mestre José Veiga s/n, 4715 Braga, Portugal
| | - M López de Alda
- Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - D Barceló
- Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), H2O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Y Valcárcel
- Research Group in Environmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment (TAyER), Rey Juan Carlos University, Avda Tulipán. s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain; Department of Medicine and Surgery, Psychology, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Immunology and Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Avda. Atenas, s/n, 28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pereira AMPT, Silva LJG, Laranjeiro CSM, Meisel LM, Lino CM, Pena A. Human pharmaceuticals in Portuguese rivers: The impact of water scarcity in the environmental risk. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 609:1182-1191. [PMID: 28787792 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals occurrence and environmental risk assessment were assessed in Portuguese surface waters, evaluating the impact of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and river flow rates. Twenty three pharmaceuticals from 6 therapeutic groups, including metabolites and 1 transformation product, were analysed in 72 samples collected from 20 different sites, upstream and downstream the selected WWTPs, in two different seasons. Analysis was performed by solid phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectroscopy. Pharmaceuticals were detected in 27.8% of the samples. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), anti-inflammatories and antibiotics presented the highest detection frequencies (27.8, 23.6 and 23.6%, respectively) and average concentrations (37.9, 36.1 and 33.5ngL-1, respectively). When assessing the impact of WWTPs, an increase of 21.4% in the average concentrations was observed in the samples located downstream these facilities, when compared with the upstream samples. Increased detection frequencies and concentrations were observed at lower flow rates, both when comparing summer and winter campaigns and by evaluating the different rivers. Risk quotients (RQs) higher than one were found for two pharmaceuticals, concerning two trophic levels. However, since Iberian rivers are highly influenced by water scarcity, in drought periods, the flow rates in these rivers can decrease at least ten times from the lowest value observed in the sampling campaigns. In these conditions, RQs higher than 1 would be observed for 5 pharmaceuticals, additionally, all the detected pharmaceuticals (11) would present RQs higher than 0.1. These results emphasize that the river flow rate represents an important parameter influencing pharmaceuticals concentrations, highlighting the ecotoxicological pressure, especially due to water scarcity in drought periods. This should be a priority issue in the environmental policies for minimizing its impact in the aquatic environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- André M P T Pereira
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Group of Bromatology, Pharmacognosy and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Polo III, Azinhaga de Stª Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Liliana J G Silva
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Group of Bromatology, Pharmacognosy and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Polo III, Azinhaga de Stª Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Célia S M Laranjeiro
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Group of Bromatology, Pharmacognosy and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Polo III, Azinhaga de Stª Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Leonor M Meisel
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Celeste M Lino
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Group of Bromatology, Pharmacognosy and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Polo III, Azinhaga de Stª Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Angelina Pena
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Group of Bromatology, Pharmacognosy and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Polo III, Azinhaga de Stª Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yin L, Ma R, Wang B, Yuan H, Yu G. The degradation and persistence of five pharmaceuticals in an artificial climate incubator during a one year period. RSC Adv 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra28351a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The degradation and persistence of five pharmaceuticals in an artificial climate incubator during a one year period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lina Yin
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Organic Contaminants Control
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control
- Collaborative Innovation Centre for Regional Environmental Quality
- School of Environment
- Tsinghua University
| | - Ruixue Ma
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Organic Contaminants Control
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control
- Collaborative Innovation Centre for Regional Environmental Quality
- School of Environment
- Tsinghua University
| | - Bin Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Organic Contaminants Control
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control
- Collaborative Innovation Centre for Regional Environmental Quality
- School of Environment
- Tsinghua University
| | - Honglin Yuan
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering
- Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology
- Xi'an 710055
- China
| | - Gang Yu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Organic Contaminants Control
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control
- Collaborative Innovation Centre for Regional Environmental Quality
- School of Environment
- Tsinghua University
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Mansour F, Al-Hindi M, Saad W, Salam D. Environmental risk analysis and prioritization of pharmaceuticals in a developing world context. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 557-558:31-43. [PMID: 26994791 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The impact of residual pharmaceuticals on the aquatic environment has gained widespread attention over the past years. Various studies have established the occurrence of pharmaceutical compounds in different water bodies throughout the world. In view of the absence of occurrence data in a number of developing world countries, and given the limited availability of analytical resources in these countries, it is prudent to devise methodologies to prioritize pharmaceuticals for environmental monitoring purposes that are site specific. In this work, several prioritization approaches are used to rank the 88 most commonly consumed pharmaceuticals in Lebanon. A simultaneous multi-criteria decision analysis method utilizing the exposure, persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity (EPBT) approach is applied to a smaller subset of the original list (69 pharmaceuticals). Several base cases are investigated and sensitivity analysis is applied to one of these base case runs. The similarities and differences in the overall ranking of individual, and classes of, pharmaceuticals for the base cases and the sensitivity runs are elucidated. An environmental risk assessment (ERA), where predicted environmental concentrations (PEC) and risk quotients (RQ) are determined at different dilution factors, is performed as an alternative method of prioritization for a total of 84 pharmaceuticals. The ERA results indicate that metformin and amoxicillin have the highest PECs while 17β-estradiol, naftidrofuryl and dimenhydrinate have the highest RQs. The two approaches, EPBT prioritization and ERA, are compared and a priority list consisting of 26 pharmaceuticals of various classes is developed. Nervous system and alimentary tract and metabolism pharmaceuticals (9/26 and 5/26 respectively) constitute more than half of the numbers on the priority list with the balance consisting of anti-infective (4/26), musculo-skeletal (3/26), genito-urinary (2/26), respiratory (2/26) and cardiovascular (1/26) pharmaceuticals. This list will serve as a basis for the selection of candidate compounds to focus on for future monitoring campaigns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Mansour
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
| | - Mahmoud Al-Hindi
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon.
| | - Walid Saad
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
| | - Darine Salam
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Mendoza A, Aceña J, Pérez S, López de Alda M, Barceló D, Gil A, Valcárcel Y. Pharmaceuticals and iodinated contrast media in a hospital wastewater: A case study to analyse their presence and characterise their environmental risk and hazard. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 140:225-41. [PMID: 25880605 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2015.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Revised: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
This work analyses the presence of twenty-five pharmaceutical compounds belonging to seven different therapeutic groups and one iodinated contrast media (ICM) in a Spanish medium-size hospital located in the Valencia Region. Analysis of the target compounds in the hospital wastewater was performed by means of solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis (HPLC-MS/MS). A screening level risk assessment combining the measured environmental concentrations (MECs) with dose-response data based on Predicted No Effect Concentration (PNEC) was also applied to estimate Hazard Quotients (HQs) for the compounds investigated. Additionally, the environmental hazard associated to the various compounds measured was assessed through the calculation of the Persistence, Bioaccumulation and Toxicity (PBT) Index, which categorizes compounds according to their environmentally damaging characteristics. The results of the study showed the presence of twenty-four out of the twenty-six compounds analysed at individual concentrations ranging from 5 ng L(-1) to 2 mg L(-1). The highest concentrations corresponded to the ICM iomeprol, found at levels between 424 and 2093 μg L(-1), the analgesic acetaminophen (15-44 μg L(-1)), the diuretic (DIU) furosemide (6-15 μg L(-1)), and the antibiotics (ABIs) ofloxacin and trimethoprim (2-5 μg L(-1)). The lowest levels corresponded to the anti-inflammatory propyphenazone, found at concentrations between 5 and 44 ng L(-1). Differences in terms of concentrations of the analysed compounds have been observed in all the therapeutic groups when comparing the results obtained in this and other recent studies carried out in hospitals with different characteristics from different geographical areas and in different seasons. The screening level risk assessment performed in raw water from the hospital effluent showed that the analgesics and anti-inflammatories (AAFs) acetaminophen, diclofenac, ibuprofen and naproxen, the antibiotics (ABIs) clarithromycin, ofloxacin and trimethoprim, and the β-blocker (BBL) propranolol were present at concentrations leading to HQ values higher than 10, thus indicating high risk. When applying a factor to take into account potential dilution and degradation processes, only the compound ibuprofen showed a HQ higher than 1. Likewise, the cumulative HQ or Toxic Units (TUs) calculated in the raw water for each of the therapeutic groups studied showed that these three classes of drugs were at concentrations high enough to potentially generate high risk to aquatic organisms while taking into account possible dilution and degradation processes only one of them, the AAFs can be considered to represent high risk. Finally, the environmental hazard assessment performed showed that the AAFs diclofenac and ibuprofen and the ABI clarithromycin have the highest, maximum value of 9 of PBT Index due to their inherent environmentally damaging characteristics of persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity. The methodology followed in the present case study can be taken as a novel approach to classify and categorize pharmaceuticals on the basis of their occurrence in hospital effluents, their derived environmental risks, and their associated environmental hazard. This classification becomes important because it can be used as a model or orientation for hospitals in the process of developing environmentally sustainable policies and as an argument to justify the adoption of advanced, specific treatments for hospital effluents before being discharged into the public sewage system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Mendoza
- Research Group in Environmental Health and Ecotoxicology (ToxAmb). Rey Juan Carlos University. Avda. Tulipán, s/n. 28933 Móstoles (Madrid), Spain; Department of Occupational Health and Safety. University Hospital of Fuenlabrada. Camino del Molino, s/n. 28942 Fuenlabrada (Madrid), Spain.
| | - J Aceña
- Water and Soil Quality Research Group. Department of Environmental Chemistry. Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC). Jordi Girona 18-26. 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - S Pérez
- Water and Soil Quality Research Group. Department of Environmental Chemistry. Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC). Jordi Girona 18-26. 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - M López de Alda
- Water and Soil Quality Research Group. Department of Environmental Chemistry. Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC). Jordi Girona 18-26. 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - D Barceló
- Water and Soil Quality Research Group. Department of Environmental Chemistry. Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC). Jordi Girona 18-26. 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), H(2)O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - A Gil
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Psychology, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Immunology and Medical Microbiology. Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University. Avda. Atenas, s/n. 28922 Alcorcón (Madrid), Spain
| | - Y Valcárcel
- Research Group in Environmental Health and Ecotoxicology (ToxAmb). Rey Juan Carlos University. Avda. Tulipán, s/n. 28933 Móstoles (Madrid), Spain; Department of Medicine and Surgery, Psychology, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Immunology and Medical Microbiology. Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University. Avda. Atenas, s/n. 28922 Alcorcón (Madrid), Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Grenni P, Patrolecco L, Ademollo N, Di Lenola M, Barra Caracciolo A. Capability of the natural microbial community in a river water ecosystem to degrade the drug naproxen. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 21:13470-13479. [PMID: 25012207 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-3276-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The present work aims at evaluating the ability of the River Tiber natural microbial community to degrade naproxen in water samples collected downstream from a wastewater treatment plant. For this purpose, different water microcosms were set up (microbiologically active vs sterile ones) and treated with naproxen (100 μg/L) alone or in the co-presence of gemfibrozil in order to evaluate if the co-presence of the latter had an influence on naproxen degradation. The experiment was performed in the autumn and was compared with the same experimental set performed in spring of the same year to highlight if seasonal differences in the river water influenced the naproxen degradation. Pharmaceutical concentrations and microbial analysis (total cell number, viability, and microbial community composition) were performed at different times in the degradation experiments. The overall results show that the natural microbial community in the river water had a key role in the naproxen degradation. In fact, although there was a transient negative effect on the natural microbial community in all the experiments (3 h after adding the pharmaceutical), the latter was able to degrade naproxen within about 40 days. On the contrary, no decrease in the pharmaceutical concentration was observed in the sterile river water. Moreover, the co-presence of the two drugs lengthened the naproxen lag phase. As regards the natural microbial community composition detected by Fluorescence in situ Hybridization, Alpha and Gamma-Proteobacteria increased when the pharmaceutical halved, suggesting their role in the degradation. This study shows that with the concentration studied, naproxen was degraded by the natural microbial populations collected from a river chronically contaminated by this pharmaceutical.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Grenni
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Via Salaria Km 29.300, Monterotondo St., 00015, Rome, Italy,
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Al Aukidy M, Verlicchi P, Voulvoulis N. A framework for the assessment of the environmental risk posed by pharmaceuticals originating from hospital effluents. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 493:54-64. [PMID: 24937492 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.05.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Revised: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The consumption of pharmaceuticals is increasing in both hospitals and households. After administration, many compounds enter the water cycle as parent compounds or their metabolites via excretion. Conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants are unable to efficiently remove all the different compounds found in sewage and, consequently, treated effluents are one of the main sources of persistent micropollutants in the environment. Hospital patients are administered relatively high quantities of drugs and therefore hospital wastewaters can consistently contribute to treatment plant influent loads, with the magnitude of environmental risk posed by pharmaceuticals originating from hospital effluents largely unknown. This study has therefore developed a framework to enable authorities responsible for hospital management and environmental health to evaluate such risk, considering site-specific information such as the contribution of human population and hospital sizes, wastewater treatment removal efficiency, and potential dilution in the receiving water body. The framework was applied to three case studies, that are representative of frequent situations in many countries, and findings demonstrated that the degree of risk posed by any compound was site-specific and depended on a combination of several factors: compound concentration and toxicity, compound removal efficiency in the wastewater treatment plant and dilution factor. Ofloxacin, 17α-ethinylestradiol, erythromycin and sulfamethoxazole were identified as compounds of concern and might require management in order to reduce risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Al Aukidy
- Department of Engineering, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat 1, I-44122 Ferrara Italy; Terra&Acqua Technopole, University of Ferrara, Via Borsari 46, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Paola Verlicchi
- Department of Engineering, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat 1, I-44122 Ferrara Italy; Terra&Acqua Technopole, University of Ferrara, Via Borsari 46, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Nikolaos Voulvoulis
- Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ginebreda A, Kuzmanovic M, Guasch H, de Alda ML, López-Doval JC, Muñoz I, Ricart M, Romaní AM, Sabater S, Barceló D. Assessment of multi-chemical pollution in aquatic ecosystems using toxic units: compound prioritization, mixture characterization and relationships with biological descriptors. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 468-469:715-723. [PMID: 24070871 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.08.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Revised: 08/02/2013] [Accepted: 08/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Chemical pollution is typically characterized by exposure to multiple rather than to single or a limited number of compounds. Parent compounds, transformation products and other non-targeted compounds yield mixtures whose composition can only be partially identified by monitoring, while a substantial proportion remains unknown. In this context, risk assessment based on the application of additive ecotoxicity models, such as concentration addition (CA), is rendered somewhat misleading. Here, we show that ecotoxicity risk information can be better understood upon consideration of the probabilistic distribution of risk among the different compounds. Toxic units of the compounds identified in a sample fit a lognormal probability distribution. The parameters characterizing this distribution (mean and standard deviation) provide information which can be tentatively interpreted as a measure of the toxic load and its apportionment among the constituents in the mixture (here interpreted as mixture complexity). Furthermore, they provide information for compound prioritization tailored to each site and enable prediction of some of the functional and structural biological variables associated with the receiving ecosystem. The proposed approach was tested in the Llobregat River basin (NE Spain) using exposure and toxicity data (algae and Daphnia) corresponding to 29 pharmaceuticals and 22 pesticides, and 5 structural and functional biological descriptors related to benthic macroinvertebrates (diversity, biomass) and biofilm metrics (diatom quality, chlorophyll-a content and photosynthetic capacity). Aggregated toxic units based on Daphnia and algae bioassays provided a good indication of the pollution pattern of the Llobregat River basin. Relative contribution of pesticides and pharmaceuticals to total toxic load was variable and highly site dependent, the latter group tending to increase its contribution in urban areas. Contaminated sites' toxic load was typically dominated by fewer compounds as compared to cleaner sites where more compounds contribute.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antoni Ginebreda
- Water and Soil Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Fàbrega F, Marquès M, Ginebreda A, Kuzmanovic M, Barceló D, Schuhmacher M, Domingo JL, Nadal M. Integrated Risk Index of Chemical Aquatic Pollution (IRICAP): case studies in Iberian rivers. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2013; 263 Pt 1:187-196. [PMID: 23810233 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2013] [Revised: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 06/02/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The hazard of chemical compounds can be prioritized according to their PBT (persistence, bioaccumulation, toxicity) properties by using Self-Organizing Maps (SOM). The objective of the present study was to develop an Integrated Risk Index of Chemical Aquatic Pollution (IRICAP), useful to evaluate the risk associated to the exposure of chemical mixtures contained in river waters. Four Spanish river basins were considered as case-studies: Llobregat, Ebro, Jucar and Guadalquivir. A SOM-based hazard index (HI) was estimated for 205 organic compounds. IRICAP was calculated as the product of the HI by the concentration of each pollutant, and the results of all substances were aggregated. Finally, Pareto distribution was applied to the ranked lists of compounds in each site to prioritize those chemicals with the most significant incidence on the IRICAP. According to the HI outcomes, perfluoroalkyl substances, as well as specific illicit drugs and UV filters, were among the most hazardous compounds. Xylazine was identified as one of the chemicals with the highest contribution to the total IRICAP value in the different river basins, together with other pharmaceutical products such as loratadine and azaperol. These organic compounds should be proposed as target chemicals in the implementation of monitoring programs by regulatory organizations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesc Fàbrega
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Catalonia, Spain; Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|